He added that employees should “tune out” criticism of the insurance company, saying that it “does not reflect reality.”
Anytime someone tells you to ignore the advice or criticisms of everyone else but them that is the reddest of flags. Literally abuser behavior.
In all seriousness, visit your local library and ask them about it. Most library systems work with local authors to promote their work and regularly hold meetups and workshops for writers. Many cities have local zines, publishers, and anthologies. By getting to know your local writing scene, you can find opportunities to do readings of your work, have works published in collections, and so on.