23) Be Okay With No

“No” is one of the most powerful words you’ll ever hear.

Even if you’re the most relentless, persistent person alive, you’ll still get told “no” — probably a lot. But that doesn’t mean the dream is over. If you believe deep down you’re meant for something, then every no is simply rerouting you toward the right path.

So let’s flip it:
What if “no” wasn’t a dead end... but a navigation tool?

Let me take you back. I’ve been going to the Arnold Classic since 1999. I used to walk that expo floor talking to every supplement company I could find. I’d pitch myself. I’d try to land a job. I wanted to be a sponsored athlete. I wanted in.

And every year, I got the same response:
No.
No.
No.
No.

No one was interested.

Turns out, that was a blessing. Because I wasn’t meant to work for someone else. I was meant to build it myself. I was meant to co-found one of the biggest supplement companies the industry’s ever seen. That was my path — but I never would’ve found it if I let those “no’s” stop me.

Use no as a catapult.
Use it as a signal to pivot.
Use it to refine your strategy, not retreat.

Don’t get butthurt. Don’t quit. Just get better.

Because when people tell you no, what they’re really saying is:
“This ain’t it — but something else might be.”