Let's face it: hearing “no” can be discouraging. throughout your career, especially when you want the opportunity to prove yourself. But that's where persistence, hard work, grit and determination when I applied for a role at a small marketing firm as a young college graduate, my eyes were set on the Marketing Coordinator position. I was full of enthusiasm, ready to roll up my sleeves and immerse myself in the hustle and bustle of a dynamic team when, instead of taking the marketing gig, I was hired as a front desk receptionist.

This role was not exactly what I had in mind, and it felt like one of the first inevitable “no's” of my career to be placed in a position I did not apply for, but I quickly changed my mind because I had my foot in the door. Taking the receptionist job oriented me towards my vision and feeling purpose — and really showed me the importance of taking initiative, being a self-starter, and letting my work speak for itself, all while navigating the complex dynamics of a firm from the ground up.

This early experience helped shape the way I now guide CEOs in their personal mission and purpose when they face obstacles by remaining adaptable, maintaining conviction, and holding firm. purpose in mind. Here are four lessons I've learned from turning a “no” into a “yes” along the way.

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1. Think about the complete journey

Navigating the corporate world requires a holistic approach—thinking about the full journey of various initiatives from inception to execution. But it also requires thinking YOURSELF holistically. You won't always be in your current role, but stay open to wearing many hats beyond your job description to contribute to the customer journey in different ways.

I started as a receptionist, but when the designer at that company left, I took the opportunity providing assistance in designing advertisements for a close encounter with customers. My graphic design minor in college and design side hustle equipped me to handle it. Soon, I was doing everything from answering phones, making coffee, and setting up conference rooms to pitching design ideas to CEOs of successful corporations and executing those designs. I was a receptionist fresh out of college creating million dollar ads – all because I kept an open mind. Research and being alert to new opportunities should always be part of the larger journey.

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2. Experiment and package your ideas well

Fast forward to today, and I'm now the head of my marketing team. The journey has gone from navigating the “no's” to putting in the hard work and demonstrated performance to guarantee “yes”. A byproduct of getting to this point involves experimentation—which isn't just something to do when you have extra time or budget to burn. It is essential to test which ideas work best and stay ahead of the competition. Even if an experiment doesn't go as planned, it can be used to adjust your approach.

For example, despite the extensive research and strategic planning behind your proposals, sometimes the initial packaging doesn't reflect the depth of your work. A surface-level judgment can make or break an idea before it proves its worth. This is where the “eye test” comes in, asking you to marry statistics with intuitions and observations. With the right submission, you give your best strategies the platform they deserve and prove your expertise in doing so.

3. Listen, learn and adapt

If you get an initial “no,” stay humble, but don't let it get you down. Even the most researched person in the room still has things they don't know. Make it a habit to listen to the experts around you and absorb knowledge from those who have more experience in certain areas than you. Collaborating with other teams takes you out of your departmental bubble and allows you to better understand the big picture.

Every interaction is an opportunity to learn and strengthen your case. When the proposals are still in the theoretical stage, do your own testing explorative and go out there to pick up small bits of shopping. By building relationships with those with different expertise, you're circulating your ideas and gaining essential information on how to refine them. Then, by the time you start playing, you'll already have people on your side.

4. Figure out how to get “yes”

New initiatives won't succeed unless they're aligned with a company's overarching vision, so everyone can see how they contribute to achieving organizational goals. Often after a “no”, I'll dig deeper. Instead of taking it as a sign of team failure, I ask: “What do we have to do, show or try to hear 'yes'?” This is when knowing how to listen becomes so important.

Incorporating initial testing feedback into your proposals strengthens the case for each idea and provides tangible evidence of their efficacy through experimentation and customer insights. This ensures that each proposal is well-supported and clearly linked to the company's strategic direction.

Dive into the data and put yourself in the shoes of the relevant target market. Do whatever it takes to prove why you deserve a “yes” based on your research, knowledge and expertise. It will take a little more work and maybe even a reimagining of your approach, but if it helps you overcome that “no,” it will strengthen your credibility and experience.

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Change your mindset

In the unpredictable journey of building a career, facing rejection can feel like hitting a wall. But here's the truth: those “no's” aren't obstacles; they are detours that lead us to new possibilities. So, don't let something get down on you when things don't go according to plan. fold that. Learn from her. These setbacks can be stepping stones to something better if you change your mindset. It's about resilience—using those “no's” as fuel to keep moving forward, stronger and smarter.