In this episode of Start With A Win, Adam welcomes Jia Jiang, CEO of Rejection Therapy and CEO and Founder of Wuju Learning. Jia discusses how he transitioned from the corporate world into a career dedicated to rejection. Jia initially experienced failure in the early stages of his entrepreneurial endeavors after leaving the corporate world. Instead of giving up, he decided to document his failed experiences via blogging, which led to the concept of rejection therapy. 

Jia discusses how innovation and entrepreneurship require taking risks, which can lead to rejection. He explains that people must learn to convert rejection into personal fuel to stay motivated and persevere after rejection. This technique requires practice, which entails intentionally pursuing rejection. For example, Jia committed 100 days to experience daily rejection. This exercise trained his mind to become accustomed to rejection, removing the fears associated with it. He performed unusual tasks such as asking for burger refills at restaurants and requesting a haircut at a pet store. He advises to start small and focus on daily habits—if you are not comfortable with solely asking for things in return, approach by asking to give acts of service. The more you face rejection from “silly” things, the more you can overcome any rejection, no matter the significance. 

Fear of rejection creates internal conflict, causing regrets and missed opportunities. He explains people often experience the most remorse when they prioritize living up to other people’s expectations instead of their own. Once you incorporate rejection into daily interactions, you will feel more prepared and confident in business endeavors. He explains how the fear of rejection can cause people to prefer a path with the least resistance in hopes of remaining in their comfort zones to achieve success. Jia emphasizes that the most successful people have experienced challenging decisions and situations, ultimately shaping who they are and contributing to their success because they chose to take risks.

Links:

TED Talk - What I Learned From 100 Days of Rejection

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