Episode 124 – How To Navigate Rejection + Diffuse Negative Self-Talk as an Entrepreneur

The Brand Strategy Podcast Mental Health Series with Josh Berger Rejection is one of those things that we ALL deal with throughout our lives. Which is why I’m so excited about diving into this topic on the Brand Strategy Podcast. I believe we need to learn—especially as entrepreneurs—how to handle rejection when it inevitably comes our way and also how we can turn down the volume on those negative self-talk loops running through our heads. Today’s conversation we’re diving back into the Mental Health Series with professional licensed counselor and my big brother, Josh Berger. The last few episodes of this series we talked a lot about fear of failure and fear of success and defining your identity + sense of balance.  But I am extremely excited about today’s topic of rejection and negative self talk because there is so much vulnerability that goes into being an entrepreneur. We are out here pursuing our passions and skills and we love sharing them with the world. But one little piece of rejection brings out the negative self talk and imposter syndrome. Am I right? Tune in to today’s episode using the media player above for a look inside to why we as humans get hung up on rejection. WHY WE FEEL REJECTION “When you think back to the caveman or cavewoman days,” Josh explained. “You’re talking about rejection as a failure, right? We tend to feel like failures whenw e mess up or experience someone rejecting us way back when. As a caveman or cavewomen, rejection would have been whenever something life threatening didn’t go well. And when something life threatening doesn’t go well, you’re probably seriously injured or even experience death.” Josh goes on to explain that our brains have not really developed much past those caveman days and so first we need to start with a better understanding of how our minds are wired.  Thousands of years ago, rejections would mean that one time you seriously messed up. And fortunately for us, as our society has progressed rejection doesn’t necessarily mean life threatening anymore. However our brains still experience the same level of doubt and fear, fight, flight, and freeze.  Rejection is a universal feeling so do not let it make you feel alone or like an imposter. A big key to rejection is slowing down and asking yourself, “okay, why am I experiencing this?” Give yourself the initial emotional response before feeling like you have to make a decision or figure out the next step.  LOGGING YOUR SUCCESS AND FAILURES “We need five times the number of successes than our failures in order to feel confident and like we’re actually achieving things.” – Josh Berger Mind blown, right? I mean how accurate is Josh in this statement?! For every negative comment you receive I’m sure you feel rejection. But how do you feel when you receive a positive comment? It’s so easy for us to be hard on ourselves and brush the positives under the rug, when in reality we need to take a serious look at all of the positive successes we encounter versus the negative rejection.