Rejection is only for people that try
If you're not getting rejected, you're not really trying
Some entrepreneurs like to gloat about their successes. Me, I like to brag about how often I've been rejected. And with the number of times people have shut me down, I have a lot to talk about. Unfortunately many entrepreneurs don't share my brazen approach to utter failure. They look at their own failure and rejection as a Scarlet Letter to be worn shamefully which is a bunch of bull! As far as I'm concerned, if you’re not getting turned down, you're not really trying. And the only thing you should ever be ashamed of is not trying.
Rejection Represents Potential
Let me start by explaining what's so great about rejection and why you should take advantage of every opportunity to seek it out. Rejection delineates the limits of your potential. Said differently, until you get rejected, you don't really know how much potential you have.
I learned this lesson not in the office, but in the weight room. For the longest time I thought the limit of my bench press topped out around 225 pounds. To me that seemed like a lot of weight to keep off my chest, and so I assumed that my potential stopped there.
One day, a friend of mine challenged me to push more weight. We slapped 275 pounds on the bar he told me to give that a shot. In this case, lifting the bar wasn’t my only concern, I was afraid of crushing my whole body in the process! Two things happened when I took that leap. First, I pulled and strained just about every muscle north of my waist (I was sore for weeks). And second, I benched 275 pounds.
So I did what any ambitious entrepreneur would – I put on more weight. We jumped up to 305 pounds and I got ready to test my potential one more time. It took about one second to learn that 305 pounds was well beyond my potential – I'm an entrepreneur, not an NFL running back.
I didn't limp away that day ashamed of not lifting 305 pounds. I was ashamed that I hadn't tried it sooner. Until I pushed myself to utter failure and rejection, I never really knew just how much was possible.
My Goal – Utter Rejection
Since that moment in the weight room, my goal has been to get rejected as often as possible. I've come to embrace rejection as the only goal that is worth fighting for. Anything less than utter rejection means I've left something behind or gave less of myself to my goals. Nowadays I want to get rejected in everything that I do.
I want to get rejected when I call on new customers. I want to present prices that are far higher than they are willing to pay. My fear is not the word “no” when it comes to price, it’s the word “yes” while wondering if I charged enough.
I want to get rejected when I present to investors. I want them to think that my plan is overly optimistic, and that my financial projections are far too aggressive. I fear only two words from an investor – “reasonable” and “conservative”. If I’m ever called either of these things I'm going to storm out of the room ashamed.
I want to get rejected by the media when I write about startups. I want them to think my approach to startups and entrepreneurship is far too pessimistic and polarizing for mainstream businesspeople. If my editor stops rejecting my submissions I’m going to get pretty upset. If I stop getting letters from entrepreneurs complaining that I’m shooting down their blue sky dreams of entrepreneurship I’m hanging up my spurs.
I don't fear the failures that others would fear. I fear the implications of what acceptance leaves on the table.
Rejection Builds Great Companies
If you want to trade war stories with me, don't sell me your success stories. Success whispers little about who you are. Utter rejection and the ability to bounce back is what really make an entrepreneur.
What makes the entrepreneurial mindset so much different than that of your average worker is that an entrepreneur not only embraces risk, they embrace rejection. For every documentary that you read about the birth of a great company, there are endless stories about the failure and rejection the entrepreneurs faced to reach that destination of greatness.
Great companies are built on rejection. They are built on the resilience of the founders who took and endless barrage of punches to the chin and kept on fighting. Seeking rejection as a goal to find greatness is the only way to maximize the potential of what you really are and what you seek to achieve.
Wil Schroter is the Founder and CEO of the Go BIG Network, the largest network of startup companies and entrepreneurs at www.goBIGnetwork.com. He is also the author of the new book “Go BIG or Go HOME”.
Some entrepreneurs like to gloat about their successes. Me, I like to brag about how often I've been rejected. And with the number of times people have shut me down, I have a lot to talk about. Unfortunately many entrepreneurs don't share my brazen approach to utter failure. They look at their own failure and rejection as a Scarlet Letter to be worn shamefully which is a bunch of bull! As far as I'm concerned, if you’re not getting turned down, you're not really trying. And the only thing you should ever be ashamed of is not trying.
Rejection Represents Potential
Let me start by explaining what's so great about rejection and why you should take advantage of every opportunity to seek it out. Rejection delineates the limits of your potential. Said differently, until you get rejected, you don't really know how much potential you have.
I learned this lesson not in the office, but in the weight room. For the longest time I thought the limit of my bench press topped out around 225 pounds. To me that seemed like a lot of weight to keep off my chest, and so I assumed that my potential stopped there.
One day, a friend of mine challenged me to push more weight. We slapped 275 pounds on the bar he told me to give that a shot. In this case, lifting the bar wasn’t my only concern, I was afraid of crushing my whole body in the process! Two things happened when I took that leap. First, I pulled and strained just about every muscle north of my waist (I was sore for weeks). And second, I benched 275 pounds.
So I did what any ambitious entrepreneur would – I put on more weight. We jumped up to 305 pounds and I got ready to test my potential one more time. It took about one second to learn that 305 pounds was well beyond my potential – I'm an entrepreneur, not an NFL running back.
I didn't limp away that day ashamed of not lifting 305 pounds. I was ashamed that I hadn't tried it sooner. Until I pushed myself to utter failure and rejection, I never really knew just how much was possible.
My Goal – Utter Rejection
Since that moment in the weight room, my goal has been to get rejected as often as possible. I've come to embrace rejection as the only goal that is worth fighting for. Anything less than utter rejection means I've left something behind or gave less of myself to my goals. Nowadays I want to get rejected in everything that I do.
I want to get rejected when I call on new customers. I want to present prices that are far higher than they are willing to pay. My fear is not the word “no” when it comes to price, it’s the word “yes” while wondering if I charged enough.
I want to get rejected when I present to investors. I want them to think that my plan is overly optimistic, and that my financial projections are far too aggressive. I fear only two words from an investor – “reasonable” and “conservative”. If I’m ever called either of these things I'm going to storm out of the room ashamed.
I want to get rejected by the media when I write about startups. I want them to think my approach to startups and entrepreneurship is far too pessimistic and polarizing for mainstream businesspeople. If my editor stops rejecting my submissions I’m going to get pretty upset. If I stop getting letters from entrepreneurs complaining that I’m shooting down their blue sky dreams of entrepreneurship I’m hanging up my spurs.
I don't fear the failures that others would fear. I fear the implications of what acceptance leaves on the table.
Rejection Builds Great Companies
If you want to trade war stories with me, don't sell me your success stories. Success whispers little about who you are. Utter rejection and the ability to bounce back is what really make an entrepreneur.
What makes the entrepreneurial mindset so much different than that of your average worker is that an entrepreneur not only embraces risk, they embrace rejection. For every documentary that you read about the birth of a great company, there are endless stories about the failure and rejection the entrepreneurs faced to reach that destination of greatness.
Great companies are built on rejection. They are built on the resilience of the founders who took and endless barrage of punches to the chin and kept on fighting. Seeking rejection as a goal to find greatness is the only way to maximize the potential of what you really are and what you seek to achieve.
Wil Schroter is the Founder and CEO of the Go BIG Network, the largest network of startup companies and entrepreneurs at www.goBIGnetwork.com. He is also the author of the new book “Go BIG or Go HOME”.
Labels: Go BIG or Go HOME
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