By : Cheryl Santa Maria
If you're a business owner, there's a good chance you've had to deal with rejection. Personally, it takes me an average of 5 meetings - in addition to pitches, drafts, emails and conference calls - to net one job or client.
But landing a meeting? Well, there's a feat in itself. I have to attend networking groups, advertise via social media, and constantly build my portfolio in order to get people to sit down with me.
Many of the people I approach will decide not to work with me. And that's just the way it is. You see failure (and rejection) is a part of success. You win some, but you lose even more. I believe that everyone has the skills to thrive in business, but most people give up before they've accomplished anything concrete.
Consider this:
Most, if not all of the most successful people in the world didn't get their on their first try. Walt Disney was once fired from a job being "unimaginative". He then went on to run countless businesses into the ground. Oprah Winfrey was fired from a job as a TV reporter because she was "unfit for TV". Jack London, author of the classic Gone With The WInd, was rejected 600 times by publishers before having his first book printed.
Rejection never goes away, even once you've 'made it'. Steve Jobs, for example, was never without his critics. Award-winning actors still have to audition for roles. And we all know how professional sport players are treated when they underperform in the finals.
My point here is that diligence pays off. Talent and innovation can take a business far, but drive and determination is what keeps things afloat.
If you work hard, and work consistently, when you do fail, it's all in the learning. At the end of the day, you never really fail.
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