Navigating Setbacks as a HSP (with Sarah Santacroce)
A year can change everything
When Sarah Santacroce launched her book The Gentle Marketing Revolution in February 2021, she was building a business rooted in kindness, authenticity, and ethical marketing. Just two weeks after our last conversation—recorded during ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ week—she received a cease-and-desist letter. A lawyer representing someone who had trademarked the term “Gentle Marketing” demanded she stop using it entirely.
For Sarah, this wasn’t just a legal hurdle—it was a deeply personal blow. The term had become synonymous with her brand, and suddenly, she faced the daunting task of rebuilding.
Choosing Surrender Over Struggle
When her attempts to negotiate were dismissed, Sarah made a deliberate choice: rather than fighting, she surrendered—not from defeat, but from a place of strength. She rebranded her business as Humane Marketing, a shift that required redesigning her website, updating her messaging, and even renaming her book. Yet, despite the upheaval, the core of her work remained unchanged. Her values—compassion, integrity, and ethical business—stayed firmly at the centre.
This wasn’t just about a name change. It was about embodying the principles she taught: responding to adversity and navigating the setback with intention rather than reaction.
When Systems Clash with Values
Highly sensitive professionals often struggle with systems that feel at odds with their values—legal battles, corporate red tape, or competitive environments that reward aggression over collaboration. Sarah’s experience was no different. Trademark law, by nature, is rigid and impersonal. Yet instead of conforming to its adversarial energy, she chose a different path.
She recognised that fighting would drain her resources—not just financially, but emotionally and creatively. For those of us who feel deeply, prolonged conflict can be particularly exhausting. Sarah’s decision to step back wasn’t passive; it was a strategic realignment with what truly mattered.
The Power of Slow, Intentional Action in Response to a Setback
In our conversation, Sarah shared insights that resonate deeply with highly sensitive individuals navigating professional challenges:
- Why checking work emails in the evening backfires – Boundaries aren’t just practical; they’re necessary for maintaining clarity and emotional balance.
- Engaging with systems that don’t align with your values – You don’t have to adopt their harshness to operate within them.
- Holding space for your values when things fall apart – Even in uncertainty, your principles can guide you.
- Trusting collaboration despite setbacks – Openness and generosity don’t have to disappear because others take advantage.
Sarah’s journey also highlights the importance of community. By involving her audience in the rebranding process, she transformed a solitary challenge into a shared experience—one that reinforced connection over perfection.
The Unexpected Gifts From Navigating Setbacks
Out of this upheaval came two new books: Marketing Like We’re Human and Selling Like We’re Human. These weren’t just replacements for her original work; they were evolutions, born from deeper reflection on what it means to run a business with integrity.
For highly sensitive professionals, Sarah’s story is a reminder that resilience doesn’t always look like forceful resistance. Sometimes, it’s the quiet strength of adapting, realigning, and trusting that the right path will emerge—even if it’s not the one you first envisioned.
Setbacks Can Be New Beginnings
Setbacks can feel like endings, but they’re often the start of something more aligned. If you’re navigating a professional or personal challenge, consider Sarah’s approach:
- Slow down – Knee-jerk reactions rarely serve us.
- Surrender to what you can’t control – Focus on the choices you can make.
- Let your values guide you – Even in uncertainty, they remain steady.
