54.

Think of “Nos” as “Not Yets”

In your quest for work, you'll get a lot of “nos.” Don't believe me? Ask any salesperson. When you get a “no”—“No, we're not going to hire you”; “No, we're not going to interview you”; “No, I don't know anyone I can introduce you to”—it's useful to think of it as a “not yet.” Remember, a successful hitter in baseball fails two-thirds of the time! Or as Margaret Thatcher put it, “You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.” Building a career is a continuous process.

Many years ago, a colleague of mine called me to tell me that he'd been following the arc of my career. (I had made sure to inform him—via email, in this case—every time I published an article, added a client, had a speaking engagement, etc.) Now he was the senior vice president at a startup and wondered if I'd be interested in working for him as a director, earning a high five-figure salary. Politely, I turned him down. (Always be polite and professional; people remember.) I explained that I very much appreciated both the fact that he'd contacted me and the offer (I really did), but that for me to give up my consulting work, I'd need a six-figure salary and a vice presidency. He said no. That “no” didn't mean he didn't like or respect me. It wasn't a reflection of my character, worth, or anything else. My price simply wasn't in his budget—at least, not yet. As it turned out, four months later, he called again and said, “I got you the six figures and want to offer you the job of vice president of business development.” I took the job.

The universe does not operate on your timetable. Be patient. Make friends. Plant the seeds. Some of them will grow.