82. Navigating the Fear of Rejection in Business

Let’s be honest—rejection is hard. And if you’ve ever been ghosted by a potential client after pouring your heart into a pitch, I see you. I’ve been there. This week, I’m opening up about some of my own experiences with rejection in business and what I’ve learned about not taking it personally. In this episode, I’m walking you through:

-Why rejection is inevitable (and often not about you at all)
-How I learned to reframe a "no" into valuable feedback
-A powerful example from Myleik Teele (founder of CurlBox) on how rejection redirected her success
-How I protect my energy and detach from outcomes in order to stay resilient and focused

Plus, I’m shouting out a phenomenal entrepreneur and homeschool coach who’s showing up with so much clarity and purpose.

🌟 Featured Entrepreneur of the Week:
This week, I’m celebrating Tracy Kelly—a homeschool coach and educator who’s just revamped her tutoring page, and y’all, it looks amazing. We worked together recently to bring more clarity to her offerings, and I’m so proud of how confidently she’s stepping into her next season.
-Check out her new tutoring services: homeschoolpower.com/tutoring

🛠️ Tools & Resources I Mentioned:
-SoulPodcasting.com – My boutique agency for soulful entrepreneurs ready to amplify their voice through podcasting.
-Watch My Latest YouTube Video – “How to Build Confidence to Share Your Voice Through Blogging”
-Get 30% Off HoneyBook – This is my favorite client management system—it keeps me organized and professional with proposals, contracts, invoices, and more.

🎙️ Are You a Faith-Based Podcaster?
If you’re hosting a podcast—or dreaming of launching one—and your message is rooted in faith, I’d love to personally invite you to join the Christian Women Podcasters Network. Right now, you can grab a free listing and promo page to help more listeners discover your show!
✨ ChristianWomenPodcasters.com

And if you simply enjoy faith-filled content, hop over and check out the inspiring women already podcasting their hearts out. I promise you’ll walk away uplifted.

 💌 Stay Connected With Me:
-Website: HerBusinessElevated.com
-Agency: SoulPodcasting.com
-Instagram: @demetriazinga and @soulpodcasting

🙏 If You Loved This Episode...
I’d be so grateful if you left a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Your feedback helps other purpose-driven women find this podcast—and I love hearing what’s resonating with you!

You Can Also Support My Podcast This Way- Buy Me a Coffee
Thanks! See ya next time :-)

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:16):
Hey there, and welcome back to the HERB Business Elevated podcast,
helping you to turn your profitable passion into a plan
of action. I'm your host, Dimitria zinga content strategist, podcast coach,
and now founder and CEO of Soul Podcasting Collective, where
we help entrepreneurs amplify their voice through podcasting with heart.

(00:36):
If you're looking for help with podcast audio or video editing,
or maybe you're ready for coaching to get your show
off the ground and into the world, I'd love to
support you. Just head on over to Soul Podcasting dot
com to get started. But before we jump into today's episode,
I've got a little gym for you. Go check out
my latest video over on YouTube, where I'm sharing practical

(00:56):
tips on how to build confidence to finally share your
voice through your blog. So if you're a blogger or
thinking about starting a blog, and if you've been sitting
on a message or feeling stuck about showing up online,
this video is especially for you. I'll leave a link
in the show notes. Also a quick thank you to Honeybook,
our sponsor for today's episode. Honeybook is my absolute go

(01:17):
to for keeping my client process streamlined. Everything from proposals
and contracts to invoicing and follow ups. It lives in
one beautifully organized space. I love it because if you're
creative or an entrepreneur coach, you know what I'm talking
about and how important it is to simplify your back
end workflow. And I highly recommend Honeybook for that. So
I've dropped my referral link in the show notes. You

(01:38):
can get thirty percent off, so just go to share
dot Honeybook slash her business to check it out. And
of course this link is also in the show notes.
All right, my friend, so let's get into today's topic,
which is navigating the fear of rejection in your business.
And I would love to talk about this because it's
something that every single entrepreneur has faced or will face

(01:59):
if you haven't already. And that's rejection. Now, I know
it's not a fun word. It doesn't exactly give you
the warm and fuzzies, but the truth is that rejection
is not just a possibility in business, it is inevitable. Unfortunately.
And here's what I need you to know right from
the top. Rejection is not a personal attack. Okay, so
don't take it personally. It's not always a reflection of

(02:22):
your worth or your work. It's just part of the journey.
Whether you're pitching your services to a potential client, whether
you're launching a brand new program or simply raising your
rates to reflect the value that you now bring. There
are going to be moments where people say no, or worse,
they ghost you, and that part that kind of stings.
I'll be honest with you, and I'm just gonna get
real with you for a minute. I have had clients

(02:44):
who I thought were fully on board. We have these amazing,
energizing calls where I just knew we were aligned. I'd
send them a custom proposal, crafted with intention, with clarity,
with care, and I'd even leave the door open for
questions or adjustments. And then nothing, not a peep, zero,
no email, no thanks but no thanks, just silence, radio silence.

(03:08):
And look, I can handle a no. I've had plenty
of them. I'm grown, I'm seasoned in this, Believe me.
I know what a no means, and I'm good at
taking no for an answer. But when communication just stops,
that's what hurts the most. Because I'm not just sending
a doc with numbers. I'm showing up with strategy with heart,
with offers that I know could shift their business, and

(03:30):
then when that's met with silence, it feels like I'm
talking into a void. And like many of you, I've
had those moments where I second guest myself, like asking
questions such as was the pricing too high? Or did
I not explain the value well enough? Or maybe I
was just too confident? Right. But here's what I've come
to understand. It's not that it's always about me. Sometimes

(03:50):
that client is simply not ready. They're battling their own fears,
their own uncertainties. Maybe they're afraid to invest in themselves.
Maybe they don't even believe in their own potential yet.
And so your proposal, your invitation to up level, it
just feels intimidating. Rejection often has more to do with
where they are in their own journey than with you

(04:11):
or your offer. So how do we reframe all of this?
Because the real ship happens when you stop seeing rejection
as a brick wall and you start viewing it as
a mirror, a chance to reflect and to grow and
learn from all of that you've experienced. And instead of
saying they didn't choose me, you can try telling yourself

(04:32):
this wasn't the right fit or the right time. See,
that's a small shift that protects your mindset and your momentum,
even when it's silent, when you don't get feedback and
you're left guessing that silence can still speak. It might
be revealing a gap in how clearly you're communicating your value,
or it might be showing you where your messaging needs
some refinement. Or again, it may have nothing to do

(04:54):
with you at all. So let's talk about someone who
embodies this beautifully. And her name is my Leaked Heal,
and she's the founder of CurlBOX. Now, if you don't
know my Leak, she's a powerhouse in the beauty and
business space. But before CurlBOX ever existed, she applied for
a role that she really wanted in the beauty industry
and she didn't get it, just fled out rejection. And

(05:15):
again that's something that I can relate to. I have
applied for plenty of marketing jobs and roles that I
didn't receive, and I'm sure if you're an entrepreneur or
business minded or career oriented, you can relate to this.
My Leak received rejection and she could have let that
stop her, But instead she chose to pave her own lane.

(05:38):
She built something, She built something that the market didn't
even know it needed yet, and CurlBOX went on to
revolutionize the subscription model for natural hair products, so that
no gave her the space to say a bigger yes
to herself. And that's the thing. Every know that you
think is shutting a door might actually be rerouting you
to build the entire house yourself. Well, so how do

(06:01):
we keep showing up when rejection threatens to shake our confidence?
The first thing I would recommend that we all do
is to get clear on our why. Because when you're
rooted in purpose, a no cannot uproot you. You know
why you started, You know who you're here to serve,
and that keeps you grounded. And secondly, you want to
lean into the clients who do see your value. That's

(06:23):
where you want to be spending your time. Instead of
hyper focusing on the ones who don't respond to you,
you should pour into the ones who actually do say yes.
Use that momentum to remind yourself that people are listening,
people are watching, and people do value what you offer.
And thirdly, protect your energy. And I do mean that
because not every pass or ghosting needs deliver rent free

(06:45):
in your mind. Sometimes you've just got to bless and
release and finally you want to practice detachment. And this
doesn't mean that you stop caring. It means that you
show up, you serve, you extend an offer, and then
you let go of the out again. That's kind of
the part of the process of blessing and releasing, let

(07:05):
go of the outcome. You do the work with excellence,
but you don't tie your worth to whether or not
someone says yes. True resilience isn't being numb. It's not numbness.
It's having perspective. It's knowing that your business is a
long term game and every step, even the hard ones,
are building your character and deepening your impact. Now, before

(07:26):
we wrap up, I want to shout out someone who
embodies this kind of resilience and clarity. And she's an
incredible woman doing beautiful work in her community. Her name
is Tracy Kelly. She's a homeschool coach and educator who's
now offering tutoring services in addition to her coaching for
students in need of extra support. And I've loved seeing

(07:47):
her take bold action in her business. We recently collaborated
to update her tutoring page on her website at homeschool
power dot com slash tutoring. And let me tell you,
Tracy is walking in clarity. She knows who she's called
to serve, she knows the value of her support, and
she's showing up fully in that space. She's such a
great example of what happens when you stop waiting for

(08:09):
someone else to give you permission and you just start
walking forward in confidence. So shout out to Tracy. And
if you have students who need a tutor, be sure
to check out Tracy's support services. Thank you so much
for tuning into this episode of her Business Elevated. And
if you've ever faced rejection in your business, and I
know you have, I want you to remember this. You're

(08:32):
not alone that know that you heard yesterday, it might
just be clearing the path for a yes that's way
more aligned with what you're doing and where you're going.
So just keep showing up and keep refining your voice,
and keep believing that your message matters because it does.
And if you're a faith based podcaster or you're thinking
about starting your show, hey, I would love for you

(08:53):
to join us over at the Christian Women Podcasters Network
at Christianwomenpodcasters dot com and you can grab free listing
as of now, set up your own promo page and
get discovered by listeners who are craving content with purpose,
or if you're simply someone who loves discovering powerful women
led podcasts, go check it out and listen to some

(09:13):
of the shows there. There's something so powerful about women
using their platforms to encourage, equip and elevate others. And
as always, for more encouragement and strategies for women entrepreneurs,
head on over to her business Elevated dot com. And
when we're saying if you're ready to launch or grow
your podcast, or you just need some editing, coaching or
content strategy support, visit us over at soul Podcasting dot com.

(09:36):
That's solsoul Podcasting dot com and I'm here to help
you amplify your voice and share it with the world.
Until next time, my friend, keep building, keep believing, and
never forget that your business was born for impact to
your business success,