It’s Friday!!!

It’s Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday!

For a while in my house, every Friday morning, we’d play the same song: Friday by Rebecca Black. If you’ve never heard it, it’s ridiculously catchy and hilariously bad in the best way. The lyrics are awful, the music video is cringeworthy, and yet, it’s become a fun tradition to play it with the kids.

But that’s not how I felt the first time I heard it.

Almost 20 years ago, when I was in youth ministry, one of my interns said, “Yeadon, you’ve got to see this video.” I watched it, laughed hysterically, and thought, How could anyone make something this bad? Like so many others at the time, I mocked it. I was a naysayer, a detractor, a hater.

I didn’t think twice about it — until decades later, when I read an article about Rebecca Black.

The piece described what her life was like after that Friday youtube music video went viral (173mm views when I write this today). She became the punchline of a global joke. People everywhere — myself included — laughed at her creative work, at her attempt to put something she cared about into the world. And honestly? I felt ashamed.

Black was just recording a music video with her friends having a great time, loving music and working to get into that industry one day.

And after the video was released, it went viral and so much negativity and hate landed on her.

We see things like that, and it reinforces our conditioning that it’s dangerous to be creative. It feels risky to write an email, tell a story, to share a song, to ask someone if they’re interested in what you’ve made.

The fear of ridicule feels very real — and sometimes, it is.

But Rebecca didn’t let that stop her.

Despite the hate, the trolling, and the pain, she kept going. She kept making music. She kept chasing her dream. And while I can’t say I’m a fan of her music today, that’s okay — it’s not for me. But it is for someone, and I respect her for continuing to create despite everything she endured.

And it’s bigger than just music. It applies to lots of life.

It’s the story of keeping your commitment to yourself to do the work.

Whether it’s making music, writing a book, writing a blog, hosting a podcast, making videos, starting a business, growing a business, or whatever…

Keeping your commitment and doing the work even in the face of the haters and naysayers…it’s not easy.

There are days when it’s tough — whether it’s writing, talking about real estate, or even my morning routine. Sometimes it feels like I’m the only one pushing forward, like I’ve lost my groove, or the world is against me.

In those moments, I lean on my network. I reach out for support to pick myself back up and take another step. Because when the trolls and naysayers come, when someone laughs or criticizes, that’s when you have to dig deep and keep going.

Don’t let the haters kill your dream.
Don’t let the online trolls knock you off track.
Don’t let the fear of laughter make you quit.

Use it as fuel. Hustle until the haters come to you asking for a job.