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In this week's Baking it Down Podcast - Episode 183 - No, I wanted to cover the worst best word in the business English language: No.

In business (and in life), we gotta learn to fall madly in love with two little letters: N and O.

But we're trained our whole lives to reject rejection though. No one wants to be told "no" - ew gross, I almost even hate typing it. The thought of someone not wanting us would send shivers up most of our spines.

No is bad. No means you're wrong. No means you're not likable. No means someone chose someone over you. No means you lost money. No means you lost a sale. No means you lost an opportunity. No means sad. No means lonely.

No is bad.

But in a world of fighting for likes, attention, follows, friend requests, and "omg yaaas's," the smart business owner searches out the "no."

Here's my Tinder profile for the word No.

No means you've gotten your direct answer. You wasted no time flirting with the maybe, you got a defined path forward. And it wasn't that one you thought it was before the no.

No means you k(no)w where your weakness lies. It's like a map where X marks the spot to improve. And once you improve? You're more of a force to be reckoned with.

No means less wasted time. When you can get a client to their no as fast as possible, in a world where time = money, you've saved money through the time you can spend cultivating a new sale.

No is actually kind. Hear me out - when someone says, "No, I don't think you fit my budget," that's an act of kindness. If someone tells you no, they are treating you with respect.

Hearing no is hard. But saying no is also hard. Being adult enough to dish out a no - That's respectful (in a season where Caspers haunt our Business page inboxes all too often).

In business, I have to tell a lot of people no.

• "No, we're not looking for podcast guests right now."
• "No, you're not a great fit for the Vendy Blendy."
• "No, I had to delete your comment because it violated a group rule."
• "No, that's not in your contract scope."
• "No, you're not allowed to post that."
• "No, you're not allowed to sell that."

I witness far too often folks that take no waaaay too personally. They see no as an attack - to their character, to their business, to their ego.

Rejecting rejection is not the business approach that'll make you money. It will get your feelings hurt though.

The phrase is, "It's just business. Nothin' personal."

That's what no is. It's just business. It's not saying you're any less of a person. You cannot have a business without the word NO. It's not possible.

No is inevitable.

So the faster you fall in love with the "no" the better the business you will have. No is everywhere. No Is guaranteed. No is delicious. Hearing a no is just as amazing for your business as getting a yes. No is not bad. No is good business.

My challenge for you is to reframe how hearing NO impacts you mentally and emotionally. Stop taking NO personally.

Years ago I read about a workshop where the hosts challenged the attendees to get rejected 30 times in 30 days. It made the news when one person taking part in the rejection challenge asked a Krispy Kreme shop to make doughnuts in the shapes of the Olympic rings and the Krispy Kreme employee actually did it (lol).

But the challenge to seek out the word "no" stuck with me. How fantastic would life be if "no" didn't take us to our knees emotionally?!