Interview with Jia Jiang Author of
Rejection Proof: How to Beat Fear and Become Invincible
Rejection. No one likes it. No one craves it. No one is immune to its effects.
Through pain avoidance, we tend to steer clear of any potential circumstance that we anticipate hearing the word “NO”. The problem with rejection is that it can leave us paralyzed and immobilized for the future.
Here is the key question for us:
What are you not asking for out of fear of rejection?
In today’s podcast, I’m proud to say that I tracked down a man who dared greatly to overcome his fear of rejection, Jia Jiang. He is originally from Beijing China. After meeting Bill Gates as a youth, he knew he wanted to come to America to become an entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurs receive a lot of rejection
Early in his entrepreneurial pursuits, a key investor rejected the opportunity for investment in his idea. Receiving that “no” was a difficult blow to his plans and future. Jia realized that if he was going to swim with the sharks then he needed to get comfortable with being rejected.
Like any great athlete that works to strengthen his weakest muscles, Jia began his 100-day regiment to desensitize himself to the pain of rejection.
100 Days of Rejection Therapy: Becoming Invincible
A major experiment of risk, for 100 days Jia Jiang attempted to make 100 crazy requests with the anticipation of rejection. It turns out that the greater population is more eager than you might think to grant your wishes.
Here are a couple of his asks:
- Rejection 1: Borrow $100 from a Stranger
- Rejection 6: Play Soccer in Someone’s Backyard
- Rejection 18: Give Weather Forecast on Live TV
- Rejection 26: Give a Lecture to College Student
- Rejection 60 – My First College Lecture
Podcast Highlights
- Find out how a box of donuts changed his life forever
- What were the most outlandish thing people agreed to?
- If you open yourself up to the world, the world will open itself up to you
- How to get out of your own way?
- My story of working for a bike shop
Click to Listen
Rejection Proof: How to Beat Fear Resources
to hear more from Jia about his Rejection Therapy experience
- Watch his TedxAustin talk
- Watch his Box of donuts video (below)
- Share your story with Jia about your quest for rejection resilience. Email Jia Jiang
From Amazon Book Overview for Rejection Proof
An entertaining and inspiring account of conquering his fear of rejection, offering a completely new perspective on how to turn a no into a yes.
Jia Jiang came to the United States with the dream of being the next Bill Gates. But despite early success in the corporate world, his first attempt to pursue his entrepreneurial dream ended in rejection. Jia was crushed, and spiraled into a period of deep self doubt. But he realized that his fear of rejection was a bigger obstacle than any single rejection would ever be, and he needed to find a way to cope with being told no without letting it destroy him. Thus was born his “100 days of rejection” experiment, during which he willfully sought rejection on a daily basis–from requesting a lesson in sales from a car salesman (no) to asking a flight attendant if he could make an announcement on the loud speaker (yes) to his famous request to get Krispy Kreme doughnuts in the shape of Olympic rings (yes, with a viral video to prove it).
Jia learned that even the most preposterous wish may be granted if you ask in the right way, and shares the secret of successful asking, how to pick targets, and how to tell when an initial no can be converted into something positive. But more important, he learned techniques for steeling himself against rejection and ways to develop his own confidence–a plan that can’t be derailed by a single setback. Filled with great stories and valuable insight, Rejection Proof is a fun and thoughtful examination of how to overcome fear and dare to live more boldly.