The surprising upside of rejection

Rejection is never easy, but it’s often where the real growth happens.

In this episode, Denzil reflects on her conversation with Angel Leung, founder of Baby Bean Consulting, about rejection and the resilience that comes from it.

Here, Denzil dives deep into the emotional side of business — the sting of rejection, the importance of resilience, and why hearing "no" isn't the end of the story. You’ll learn strategies for staying confident in your value, building genuine connections, and pushing through those uncomfortable moments to find success.

If you want to share your story of rejection and resilience, we’d love to hear about it! Send us an email and join the conversation.

And, if you’d like to get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox each week, don’t forget to ⁠sign up⁠ for the Letter from the Editor newsletter.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
Hey, it's Denzel here Today.
I wanted to start by talkingabout this little thing we make
for Jane Front Desk Magazine.
It's a print magazine for atech company that sounds
interesting.
Right when we first startedmaking it, I thought this is
such a great idea.
I had a plan, a strong missionand plenty of passion.

(00:30):
But at the beginning noteveryone was into the idea and
honestly, that stung.
If you've ever poured yourheart into starting a new clinic
, you probably know a similarfeeling.
Putting yourself out thereisn't always easy, whether it's
networking, marketing or evenjust asking for referrals.

(00:50):
Sometimes the response islukewarm and sometimes it's just
a straight-up.
No.
During a recent chat with AngelLeung on Radio Front Desk, I
was struck by something sheshared.
Angel is the founder of BabyBean Consulting, a business
dedicated to supporting womenthrough miscarriage, pregnancy
loss and birth trauma.

(01:11):
As a registered nurse, angelstarted off marketing her
services where she felt mostcomfortable within the hospital
network.
But it didn't take long for herto realize that that wasn't
going to be enough to sustainher business.
So Angel pushed herself out ofher comfort zone.
She began reaching out to otherbusinesses to promote Baby Bean

(01:34):
.
It wasn't always easy, andsometimes that meant being told
thanks but no thanks.
Through those experiences,angel learned something really
important.
Not everyone is going to beyour business BFF, and that's
okay.
Angel's story is a greatreminder that rejection isn't

(01:56):
necessarily a reflection of youridea or the value of your idea.
It's just a part of the process.
It means you're puttingyourself out there and that's
how growth happens.
So if you've been feeling thesting of those no's lately, I
want to share a few things thatI've picked up along the way
that might help.
First, know your value andshare it clearly.

(02:21):
When you're pitching an idea orpromoting yourself, it's really
important to be clear about thevalue you bring.
It could be your specialty,your patient care philosophy or
the ways you support yourcommunity.
Just know it well, own it andshare it confidently.
Also, you'll want to engage ina little give and take.

(02:43):
Networking isn't just aboutsharing what you have to offer.
It's also about understandingothers, who they are, what their
business is like and whatchallenges they face, showing
genuine interest and awillingness to listen.
I've always found that thathelps build stronger connections
.
Remember to be consistent, evenwhen it's uncomfortable.

(03:03):
Building relationships takestime.
Angel shared how she keptputting herself out there, even
when it was unfamiliar andsometimes awkward.
Remember to be consistent, evenwhen it's uncomfortable.
Building relationships takestime.
Angel shared how she keptputting herself out there there,

(03:26):
even when it was unfamiliar andsometimes awkward.
She visited local businesses.
She then followed up with thosevisits and she kept reaching
out, even if the first responsewasn't all that warm.
These visits add up over timeand finally acknowledge the
emotional side of business.
And finally acknowledge theemotional side of business.
Starting something new orreaching out to potential

(03:47):
partners isn't just business.
It's personal.
We're all human.
There are highs and lows, winsand losses, and sometimes it's
emotional.
It's important to let yourselffeel those emotions, get
disappointed, get frustrated,but don't get stuck there.
Resilience doesn't mean you'reimmune to feeling the sting of

(04:10):
rejection.
It just means you won't letrejection stop you.
Angel's story is an inspiringexample of what happens when you
keep showing up, even when thedoors don't open right away.
If you want to hear her fulljourney, check out the latest
episode of Radio Front Desk.
I think you'll walk awayfeeling inspired and maybe a
little braver.

(04:30):
If you feel like sharingsometimes you've faced rejection
shoot me an email at frontdeskat janeapp.
I'd love to hear how younavigate those tough situations.
That's it for me today.
Thanks again for listening.
You got this.