Gio has opened up about the impact of recent social media backlash, admitting that the criticism affected him more deeply than anything he had experienced during his eight years.
Speaking on the Dai Good Talk podcast, Gio said he is usually able to brush off negative comments and criticism online, but described the latest situation as different.
“Out of my eight years, this was the worst,” Gio said.
He admitted the situation took an emotional toll on him.
“It bothered me, I ain’t lying. It bothered me real bad,” he said.
Gio appeared particularly affected by comments suggesting that what happened was an indication that he had not been treating his employees well.
He strongly rejected that suggestion.
“That is a lie,” Gio said. “I was treating them so good, my manager say, ‘Yo, you need to relax.’”
According to Gio, he frequently tried to provide food and other treats for his employees, sometimes wanting to bring pizza, KFC or chicken every Friday.
He said his manager even suggested that he reduce the frequency and provide such things once a month instead.
Gio also described wanting his workplace to have a relaxed atmosphere, particularly after employees had worked and prepared hard.
He recalled occasions when staff would have drinks, lime and talk together, saying that was the type of working environment he wanted to create.
“That is how I wanted it to be,” he said.
His comments offer a glimpse into how heavily the recent online criticism weighed on him, despite his claim that most criticism normally does not affect him.
For Gio, the most difficult part appeared to be the perception that he had mistreated his employees, an allegation he firmly denied while defending the relationship he said he maintained with his staff.
