We Love a Good No!

In this wild world of business, it’s important to have thick skin. Jesse and I understand we are not for everyone. We can’t be upset, offended, or disturbed by every criticism, rejection, disappointment, failure or even flat-out no. When we get negative feedback or an unfavorable opinion, we take that opinion for what it is: an opinion. We love a good no. “Don’t get upset when people reject you. Nice things are rejected all the time by people who can’t afford them!” While the feedback may not feel good, it does not mean it’s not actually good. It does, in fact, give us something to work from. These experiences, while they may like a violation or abuse, actually offer several benefits. Here are some ways embracing rejection has helped us on our journey:

Mental Resilience

The more you find yourself navigating criticism, rejection, and failure on our entrepreneurial path, the more you begin to build that bounce-back muscle. The reason we feel awkward or uncomfortable is because we crave connection and meaning to others. When faced with rejection, or lack of acceptance, it's hard of us to not internalize negative thoughts about our own self-worth. But the more we do it, the more confident we will become in that space and the easier to maneuver it becomes. Did you catch that? The more you negotiate no’s, it empowers you to quickly brush it off and keep it moving.

Clarity

Picture it as the ultimate reality check. Criticism acts as a bright light that illuminates the areas in our business that need improvement. It exposes a trauma area that you need to address. That's a gift! For example, it can provide valuable insights from customers, mentors, or peers, showing us what's working and what isn't - in our businesses and ourselves. Embracing criticism allows us to gain clarity on the aspects that need our attention, making it easier to refine our strategies, heal and ultimately achieve success. Not everyone likes Mexican food. Not everyone likes our Mexican food. That helps refine our target audience. We don’t want to spend energy and dollars chasing the audience we don’t want (or who doesn’t want us). Those dollars and energy will perform much better on our target audience. As Wayner Dyer says, "Change the way you look at things, the things you look at change."

Purpose

Sometimes no’s can knock us off balance and make us question our purpose. But here's the exciting part: they also have the power to reignite our passion and remind us why we started our entrepreneurial journey in the first place. When we encounter setbacks, it's an opportunity to reconnect with our core values, realign our business goals, and rediscover our sense of purpose. Embracing these challenges can lead us back on track, with renewed determination and a clear sense of why we do what we do. That’s important for us because one thing Jesse and I agree on is: if we don’t love it, it’s not for us. As an entrepreneur, we devote too many hours pursuing this dream. The more time and energy we can spend onpurpose, the less of it we waste.

Direction

No’s also act as signposts on our entrepreneurial path. They guide us in the right direction by steering us away from ineffective strategies or ventures that don't align with our goals. Imagine them as GPS systems that reroute us onto a more successful trajectory. By embracing these experiences, we can gain valuable lessons that help us course-correct, make better decisions, and find our way to long-term business success. Think about it like this: a no is just a yes to go in another direction.

Identity

Our journey in business is closely tied to our personal identity. Embracing criticism, rejection, and failure helps us develop a stronger sense of self and a clearer understanding of who we are as entrepreneurs. These experiences force us to confront our weaknesses and challenge us to grow. By doing so, we build resilience, learn from our mistakes, and shape our identities as determined and adaptable business owners. Let's be clear: this is a learning process. Not only are we learning our business; we are learning ourselves. And the process never stops. Embrace these challenges, and you'll find yourself growing into a stronger version of you.

Innovation and Negotiation

It pushes us to think outside the box, to innovate and negotiate. When faced with setbacks, we're compelled to find creative solutions, explore new approaches, take calculated risks and to negotiate a more agreeable solution. Embracing these experiences can unlock our entrepreneurial potential and help us discover unique opportunities that we may have never considered before. It's through these challenges that we learn to adapt, pivot, and create breakthroughs that set our businesses apart from the competition.

The reason we are sharing this is because we don’t want you to get stuck when a better alternative is to learn and grow from it. So, let's normalize embracing not only positive feedback but also negative feedback, criticism, rejection, and failure as stepping stones to success. Remember, they provide us with clarity, reignite our purpose, guide our direction, shape our identities, and fuel our innovation. By understanding the transformative power in that critique, we can navigate the entrepreneurial landscape with confidence, resilience, and an unwavering determination to succeed.

So, the next time criticism comes knocking or rejection pays a visit, welcome them as opportunities for growth and improvement. Embrace failure as a valuable teacher that will help you rise higher. Trust me, my fellow marriagepreneur, the benefits that await you on the other side are worth every step of the journey!

Wishing you much success,

Yoki + Jesse