Ted Lasso is a Business Story: Not All Criticism Is Feedback

Welcome to the episode where we separate useful reflection from noise. In Ted Lasso, the fans at the pub act like a character unto themselves—cheering, jeering, and always watching. And just like in business, not all of that input is helpful.

This week we’re looking at the Richmond fanbase as a metaphor for your online audience: the pressure to please, the vulnerability of being seen, and the deep need to discern who’s offering real feedback… and who’s just projecting their own shit.

We also unpack Rebecca’s experience with personal criticism that masquerades as professional commentary, and how emotional intelligence becomes the best business strategy around.

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Transcript

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In Ted Lasso, there's a moment where the press tears him apart. They call him unqualified, a joke, a fraud. And what does Ted do? He smiles. He shows up. He bakes biscuits because he knows who he is and he knows what he's building. That's what we are unpacking today, the difference between constructive feedback and codependent performance. Hey. Hey, it's Mary Williams and this is the School of Moxie podcast where we use your favorite TV shows to talk about real business, real leadership, and real damn life. This season, it's Ted Lasso time, and in today's episode, we are pulling apart the messy emotional world of feedback. How to take it, when to ignore it, and why you don't owe anyone a pivot just because they have an opinion. Don't forget to subscribe for weekly Woo Crew updates at sensiblewoo.com/ subscribe. Let's start with a hard truth. Not all feedback is meant for you and not all feedback is yours to carry. In the online world, we are constantly being trained to perform. Perform professionalism, perform relatability, perform evolution. The moment someone leaves a comment or sends a DM, our nervous system gets flooded. Should I change something? Did I get it wrong? Do I need to do a public apology? Take a breath. You are allowed to hear feedback and not implement it. You are allowed to receive a critique and still stay the course. You are allowed to say, thanks for sharing and walk away unchanged. You are not a bad leader for doing that. You are a focused one. Let's look at Ted Lasso. The entire media machine thinks he's a joke. He's American, he's inexperienced, he's in quotes too nice. And yet he keeps showing up with biscuits and belief because Ted doesn't lead to be liked. He leads to serve. He leads from vision, not validation. That's the energy we need more of in business. Keeley runs into this too when she opens her agency. She gets criticized. Hard. By clients, by investors, by people she wants to impress, and it shakes her. But she doesn't sell out. She keeps choosing relationships, keeps choosing values, keeps choosing her way. I've had this happen to, I've been praised and criticized for the exact same decision. One person calls me inspiring, another calls me too much. One client thinks my boundaries are amazing. Another thinks I'm cold because I didn't give them 24/7 access. Here's the thing, when the feedback contradicts itself, it's not about you. It's about the lens the other person is looking through. We don't talk about this enough. Sometimes feedback is projection, sometimes it's jealousy, sometimes it's someone else's trauma flaring up and it feels like helpful advice, but really it's just someone processing in your direction. Let's take a minute for Jamie Tartt. When we meet him in season one, he can't take feedback at all. He collapses, gets defensive, thinks it's an attack on his worth, but over time, as he matures, he learns that feedback isn't a threat. It's a mirror. Sometimes it's helpful, sometimes it's cracked. But he no longer lets it define who he is. That's the growth. And let's talk about the fans of Richmond for a moment. Because they are a character in their own right. The Rowdy Pub crew, the local loyals, the press, they've always got opinions and they're loud about them. At first, they hate Ted. They think he's a clown. They roast every move he makes, not because they understand football strategy, but because they don't get him yet. That's your audience, friend, especially in today's online marketing world. You might not be running a Premier League team, but you are definitely managing a brand in front of a crowd who thinks their opinion is always useful. And just like Ted, you might find yourself adapting your behavior to appease the fans, trying to explain every decision, softening your message to avoid ruffling feathers, rebuilding your whole offer because one comment made you spiral, but sometimes the fans don't know the whole playbook. Sometimes leadership requires moves, but the crowd won't understand until much later if ever. Rebecca knows this intimately. When she first hires Ted, it's a sabotage mission. She's reeling from betrayal and she wants to tank the team out of spite. But plot twist, her unconventional choice becomes a winning strategy and she still gets dragged. She's treated like a punchline for being Rupert's ex. The press calls her unqualified. They make her personal life public property. Sound familiar? Because in entrepreneurship, especially as women, we see this all the time. People don't critique your offers, they critique you. Your marriage, your Instagram feed, your body, your parenting, your voice. And here's where that big lesson hits. Not all criticism is feedback. Some of it is just people being petty, catty, or insecure. It's not fair. But it is reality, and that's why discernment matters. That's why emotional regulation matters. That's why healing matters, because if you don't know who you are, you'll mistake judgment for truth. You'll think the crowd is your compass, and you'll start building things just to silence the noise. Eventually in the show, the team hires a therapist. Even Ted, who spends most of the series stuffing down his grief and trauma starts to actually do the work. It's not easy and it's not fast, but it does change everything. And that's what I want for you too, you don't need to become invincible. You just need to get clear on what's actually yours to hold. This episode is brought to you by my membership newsletter, the Woo Crew. But before you commit to another subscription, did you know you can get a free reading every Saturday delivered right to your inbox? Yep. It's totally free. And designed just for entrepreneurs. Head over to sensiblewoo.com/subscribe to signup. You'll get a weekly tarot reading to help you make aligned business decisions plus a sneak peek at whether I am the right reader for you. No pressure, no sales funnel trap. It's your taste test, the ethical way. You'll also receive weekly updates about my online and in-person workshops and events. It's not just a newsletter, it's a weekly media magazine digest for intuitive entrepreneurs who want clarity, strategy and just the right amount of magic. Not every comment deserves a course correction. Not every concern is yours to solve, and not every piece of feedback is a mirror. Some of it is a fun house reflection. Discernment is your responsibility. You are the filter, and your business deserves to be shaped by your mission, not by everyone else's opinions. You are allowed to listen with love and still stay grounded in your own vision. That's not arrogance. That is leadership. Thanks for listening to the School of Moxie podcast. I'm Mary Williams. This season is inspired by Ted Lasso, which is available to watch on Apple TV+. This podcast is written, produced, and edited through my media company, Moxie Studios in Vancouver, Washington. Make sure to subscribe to the School of Moxie podcast on your favorite podcast app and also on YouTube. Leaving a five star review helps other listeners find the show and it's always deeply appreciated. And hey, if this episode helped you put down feedback that wasn't yours, send it to a biz bestie who's ready to stand taller in their truth. We don't need to be for everyone. We just need to be true to our selves. I'll see you next episode.