Are you afraid of rejection? If so, you haven't been one entrepreneur long enough, or you might consider not being an entrepreneur at all.

This is hard to read, isn't it?

We've all heard the cliché that says: “When one door closes, another door opens.” Spoiler alert: it's a cliché because it's true. Rejection is a healthy part of the success puzzle – I haven't always understood that.

My professional background is in real estate brokerage. I entered the industry as an ignorant 21-year-old college student. I was fearless, naive and driven by one thing: to make money. I was a 6'5″ bull in a china shop that was unleashed on the streets of Dallas.

The book of success as a young real estate agent is something out of a movie.

1. Cold calling
2. Introduce yourself to everyone

Easy enough.

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I had already learned the value of hard work and determination in the multitude of jobs I had growing up. Whether it was to improve my sales skills working at a movie store (yes, I worked at the iconic institution, Blockbuster) or to sharpen my customer service skills at Pappadeaux's restaurant (for me, it was a bonus because proximity to free food), all of these experiences taught me the value of hard work. I'd be a natural at cold calling, right?

So I thought.

Flash forward to my first day on the job; sum of DISCLAIMER I faced it was comical. I was wearing my 'Wolf of Wall Street' headphones, calling what I thought were “prospects”. Boy did he learn fast how people want to hang up when a real estate agent calls!

For the next 27 months, I felt like an actor trying to catch my big break. I called every For Sale By Owner, every expired listing, and every canceled listing and handed out more business cards than the samples Costco hands out on a Sunday.

I exhausted, beaten, and, of course, broken. I quickly realized that my skin was callousing at a rate that was something out of a Benjamin Button sequel.

And then, out of nowhere, something happened that scared me.

“YES.”

What? Do you? I've never had one before. What will she say? How do I handle this???

I was so comfortable with getting no's that getting that yes took me by surprise. Rejection had become my normal. A big fat one didn't feel pretty to me, but a “yes?” Boy, I wasn't sure where to take it.

At that moment, I realized that all my “no's” had led me to the perfect “yes”. I realized that all those hours of rejected calls and doors being slammed in my face (literally) were leading me to something bigger. Almost like the yellow brick road is supposed to take you to…Oz?

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As a salesperson, I've never been too proud to pick up crumbs, do grunt work, or do the work that others think I'm too good at. Sometimes I wonder, what if I had missed the 100th “no”?

I have fought to never let the fear of rejection stop me. I was driven by it. I am still fed by it. I realized I wanted to help others feel nurtured by it, too.

As a business owner, I find it frustrating not to see someone maximize their potential. Unfortunately, the fear of rejection often overcomes the desire to earn a lot. I've seen this my whole life and I see it every day as someone who invests in people for a living.

Having invested in over 100 companies and hearing more headlines than I can count, I continue to see and believe in the power of “no”. I will never give up the time I dedicate to giving entrepreneurs and business owners honest (and respectful) feedback. I make it a priority to personally respond to every pitch that reaches my desk. Why? The answer is simple.

Some of the greatest success stories are those that began with rejection.

Think about this:

Michael Jordan? He was told he wasn't good enough for his high school basketball team.

Walt Disney? Told him his imagination wasn't big enough.

Steven Spielberg? Rejected several times from film school.

Jamie Siminoff? Left Shark Tank no deal.

Melanie Perkins? Rejected by over 100 venture capital firms.

Rogers Healy? He went 27 months without closing on his first property. After cashing his first commission check, he went to Best Buy and spent it all on DVDs (true story).

You get the point. Rejection is only the beginning of the story. Every great entrepreneur learns what “no” really means—something great is on the horizon.

So my advice is always the same: refine your approach, strengthen yours story telling, know your “why”, be brave and don't give up. Please, please, please don't give up!!

I ask again: Are you afraid of rejection? You don't have to be. In the entrepreneurial world, picking up the “no's” isn't just part of the job—it's the key to success, and it's the key to making the wins feel that much better.