March 16, 2025
Success isn’t built on wins. It’s built on “nos.”
In 2003, I made hundreds of cold calls every day, only to hear:
“Put me on the do-not-call list” or dead silence and a click.
Nothing but rejection all day long.
Brutal.
But looking back, I realize those rejections were the foundation of my future success…
And that rejection isn’t something to fear.
It’s something to train for and learn from.
Like a muscle, resilience strengthens with practice.
And when you learn how to handle it, you can turn that gut-punching feeling into unstoppable momentum and progress!
There are 5 levels of handling rejection. What level are you on?
- Avoidance: You avoid hearing “no” at all costs.
- Tolerance: You only deal with rejection when you have to.
- Acceptance: Youaccept rejection as part of the game.
- Seeking: You SEEK rejection, knowing it helps accelerate your success.
- Celebration: You celebrate rejection as a sign that you’re aiming high enough to earn it.
Most people are on the first 2 levels.
But those who want to achieve BIG goals are on levels 3-5.
Where are you right now?
And what would it take to move up just one level?
You might be asking:
“But Chad, how do you move up or reach level 5? Seems fake. Does anyone actually celebrate rejection?”
Start here:
- Make more “asks” more frequently: Pitch that dream client, request that referral intro, make an offer on that deal outside of your league. Worst case? You get a “no,” you’ll survive! But the more you do it, the more normal that rejection feeling will feel.
- Dig deeper: When rejected, ask, “Why?” It’s not personal, it’s intel. (One guy rejected my seminar invite because he said he didn’t eat dinners at 7:30pm when my seminar would be—nothing against me, just timing!)
- Get used to celebrating rejection: Each “no” is progress, not failure, if you’re learning from it. You’re in motion, not stuck!
Your assignment for this week:
Make one gutsy ask!
It could be as simple as asking for a discount on a purchase at a store.
And if you get rejected…
Great!
You’re flexing your resilience muscle to handle bigger rejections.
Here’s to turning “no” into fuel for your future,
Chad
P.S. If you’re ready to turn rejection into your superpower… check out this episode on the BrainStroke Podcast. I share the EXACT mindset shifts that helped me go from getting doors slammed in my face… to building a 9-figure wealth management firm. Plus, my controversial thoughts on parenting in the social media age.
P.P.S. If you’re an entrepreneur with $25M or more in liquidity and want to make your money work even harder for you–set up a call with my team, and let’s explore new ways to make that happen.
