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How to Keep Your Chin Up In the Face of Rejection

Yesterday I was beyond thrilled to announce the first review of my book, by the one and only Barbara Corcoran from ABC’s SHARK TANK! I’m freaking out. Everyone is freaking out. It’s the coolest thing to happen in my career. So why am I writing about rejection? I want to talk to you about what you don’t see when someone makes an announcement like this.

Yes, I have a review from Barbara, but that’s it. One review. I need to have 5 or 6 or more! I have sent out over maybe 30 review requests? I’m losing track. A few were kind enough to say no personally or via their assistant. Most have not responded yet at all. I was this close to having one of my personal heroes write the forward to my book, but she has her own launch coming up (a common theme in my rejection letters). Even yesterday, when I was able to announce my big news and feel the thrill of some momentum, I was scared. What if that was it? What if it’s not enough? So silly how fear creeps in like that and fills our head with lies.

Solopreneurs often have to pitch themselves to land that new client, make that sale, or get that gig and we all know there will be 100+ Nos for every Yes. If you’re a first time author, especially if you’re self publishing, you’re going to have to work your tail off for those yesses. Really, anyone starting or launching anything, at the very beginning, has to work their tail off.

If you’re starting a business, a blog, a book, a project, a product, something big,  and your backside is still intact, you’re doing it wrong. {tweet this}

But I digress. Discouraging is an understatement at times like these. This is your dream, your passion, your life’s work, why isn’t everyone jumping on board?! How do we cope when we finally know our message, get up and shout it from the roof top, and in response get… crickets?

Here are a few ways I’m I’m considering NOs the new Wheaties and eating them for breakfast:

1 – Wheaties Make You Stronger

It takes guts to put yourself out there, and even MORE guts to stand firm after rejection. You may want to run and hide, scrap your idea, pretend you weren’t just up on the aforementioned rooftop, but there’s no going back now! Plus it brings you back to your why. Nothing like a slammed door in your face to make you say, wait, why am I even doing this?!

2 – Wheaties Do a Body Good

99 Nos keep you humble when you get 1 or 2 Yeses. Though it may not feel like it, this is good for you, good for your project, good for your story. I don’t think anyone truly loves an overnight success, it’s too foreign. Struggle unites us all. So this struggle will help you relate to your customers and tribe, and vice versa.

3 – Wheaties Prepare You for the Day

This is the best one. Rejection makes you take a hard look at what you’re doing and how you’re doing it. Maybe you missed something in your pitch, or misspelled a word in your proposal. After each No, my book pitch gets stronger, I edit edit and edit again. All that refining makes the finished work a masterpiece – one that eventually, when you’re ready and your project is ready, will get a bunch of yeses.

Stay positive, your yesses WILL come my friend!

How do you stay hungry and foolish in the face of rejection?