Most people want more success, but very few are willing to accept what comes with it: rejection. The two are inseparable.

A powerful example comes from Robert Glazer’s reflection on his year. He described 2025 in two completely different ways, both true. On one hand, it was filled with rejection. Hundreds of podcast rejections. Missed sales goals. Opportunities that didn’t materialize. Unsubscribes. Silence. Even criticism.

On the other hand, it was one of his most successful years. Strong book sales. Bestseller recognition. Record speaking engagements. Growing audiences. Thousands of people impacted.

Same year. Same effort. Two completely different narratives.

The lesson is clear. Success and rejection travel together. You cannot increase one without increasing the other.

This becomes even more apparent in a simple exercise described in his writing. A volunteer is given a coin labeled “yes” on one side and “no” on the other. They have thirty seconds to flip it as many times as possible, earning money for every “yes.” The result is predictable. The more flips, the more yeses. The nos do not stop progress. They are part of the process.

That is how business development, presentations, and growth actually work. More pitches lead to more deals. More outreach leads to more opportunities. More visibility leads to more responses, both positive and negative.

The problem is that many people try to avoid rejection. They hesitate before making the ask. They soften the message. They limit how often they put themselves out there. In doing so, they reduce the number of “coin flips” and, inevitably, the number of wins.

This mindset is becoming more common, especially among younger professionals who have been conditioned to avoid failure. Perfect resumes and carefully managed perceptions can create the illusion that success comes from avoiding mistakes. In reality, it comes from engaging with them.

The most successful people are not those who avoid rejection. They are the ones who normalize it. They treat it as data, not judgment. They keep moving.

In presentations, the same principle applies. If the goal is to win business, influence decisions, or move people to act, then the presenter must be willing to put ideas forward clearly and confidently, knowing not every audience will say yes. The objective is not a perfect success rate. It is a higher number of meaningful opportunities.

As you look ahead, the question is not whether you experienced rejection. It is whether you created enough chances for success.

Because in the end, more success requires more attempts. And more attempts always come with more rejection.