Alright, so back in early 2013 when I was still at my office job and my passion for art was starting to form into my side hustle…I pitched my work to HUNDREDS of people before I booked ONE job.

Yes, I said hundreds.

And, my pitches were definitely not polished, I didn’t have an Instagram following, a website, nor did I do any research on who I was pitching to beforehand. I was basically delusional, but I had GRIT and no fear of rejection. But, guess what happened? I got TWO responses. Two out of over 100 emails!

The feeling of rejection is incredibly stifling. It's hard to overcome, I get it…but something I hear all to often these days is the word “can't”. This one word is the roadblock to success and overcoming obstacles. It's a word that says, “I can't start my business because there are SO many people doing what I want to do,” OR, “I can't grow my Instagram because the algorithm _____”

Here’s the thing…

Yes, the Instagram algorithm is constantly changing, the market is heavily saturated and YES, there will be someone who’s better than you…

But, guess what?!

The difference between a successful person and someone who stays exactly where they are is removing the word “can't” from their vocabulary. You can overcome rejection, you can raise your prices, you can pitch to that dream brand…you just won't because of fear. The fear of rejection

After sending over 100 pitch emails to brands to let them know about my work, I got TWO responses.

One was a “no thanks, not right now,” and the other was, “I have the perfect job for you right now!”

Had I let the fear of rejection hold me back from putting myself out there and sending hundreds of pitch emails, I wouldn't have this business. I could've come up with excuses like, “I can't email these people! I don't want to waste their time!” OR “I can't reach out to these well-established business owners, I don't even have a website yet!” But because I did, I was able to fund my first few months of business from that one job! This helped grow my portfolio and satisfy the itch I had to get more of this type of work.

And, do you want to hear an ultimate plot twist to this story?!

I ended up being fired from that job because I was SO new and made stupid mistakes (printing and paper issues for a wedding invitation job).

Did I receive the ultimate rejection? Yup. Was I discouraged, hell yes! But I wanted it bad enough that I kept going. Kept putting my work out there, testing, pitching and bouncing back after countless mistakes and rejections.

And you can too! Yes, there are tons of artists, photographers, influencers, YOU NAME IT! But there’s only one YOU!

Sometimes all it takes is a little direction and confidence to steer you in the right direction. If you need this, join the waitlist for my course: Brand Plus Brand. We'll be teaching you how to craft the perfect pitch, present your work, and nail your dream jobs!