I think I accidentally found a cheat code. When I was 18, I went into every bar in my hometown with my DJ mix, hoping someone would give me a chance. No one did.
One bar owner actually got back to me. He'd listened to the mix, and all he said was: it's not good enough. At the time, I thought I'd failed.
What I didn't realise was that every rejection would become my motivation. Every person who doubted me made me work harder. I was determined to prove that guy wrong.
Somewhere along the way I stopped fearing the word no. When people say yes, it's great — it gives you the opportunity. But when people say no, it gives you the hunger.
If you can train yourself to turn rejection into fuel, it doesn't matter whether you get a yes or a no. You can't lose.
