The Truth About Rejection

If you’ve been pursuing your Hollywood dreams longer than 60 seconds, then you probably know all about rejection.

It’s part of the path. It’s something completely unavoidable as long as you’re taking risks and putting yourself out there.

Some rejections aren’t so bad. Others totally suck.

When rejection hits deep, it’s common to retreat and hold yourself back from trying again. Whether you get dropped by an agent, your script is rejected from every festival, or you haven’t booked a job in awhile, those moments have the power to derail your dreams.

I remember speaking with an actor who wanted an agent but said they couldn’t get one. “How many agents did you reach out to?” I asked them. “About 10,” they replied. A few days before, my client had just signed with a top 25 manager — after cold emailing 250 managers. If she had stopped at 10, she would have missed out on her new manager, and the auditions and jobs that followed.

After working in the Hollywood industry for 14 years, I’ve learned that there are four truths about rejection. When you understand these truths, rejection doesn’t hold the same power over you.

1. Truth #1: Rejection isn’t painful. It’s the stories we tell ourselves about what that rejection means, that is painful.