Chickenshits LOVE to, well, shit on things. That’s because it takes zero guts to be critical. It takes no creativity to pile on and be a hater. What does take guts? Having fun. Nothing denotes confidence like someone letting loose, laughing, having a blast. This is true of marketing as well, natch. So when you go out on a limb and do something audacious, interesting, and fun—it will be remarkably attractive to consumers.

So the plot twist is that using humor and fun in your messaging establishes authority as opposed to taking away from it. It tells your audience that you believe so strongly in who your business is and what you have to offer that you have the balls to dissent and do something bold and fresh.

And whether or not everyone agrees with your approach or is fully in on the joke every time, they’ll start seeing you as a brand that has confidence, guts, and big ideas. You’ll gain their respect simply because you didn’t do the expected, safe thing.

Brené Brown says that joy is the most vulnerable human emotion, which means that not everyone has the courage to lead with that…but it also means that everyone will recognize the tenacity and spunk it takes to go off-script.

So, leave the disdain and negativity to the Chickenshits. You’ll be too busy having fun to pay them any attention anyway.