Forgoing Fear of Rejection

Jia Jiang's talk about rejection outlines the inevitability of this experience, and how the fear of rejection can be harnessed in a positive way.

After coming to the U.S. at a young age and living the "American dream" Jia Jiang wanted something more from his life. After some encouragement from his wife to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams, Jiang did so, but not without dealing with some crushing rejection in the process. From this defeat he stumbled upon 'Rejection Therapy,' a practice that encourages people to partake in various tasks over the course of 100 days that will almost always lead to rejection – all with the goal of leaving people less likely to be afraid of rejection in the future. 60 days into his Rejection Therapy experience and Jia Jiang heard a lot of "nos," but a surprising number of "yeses" - with his most profound experience being a worker at Krispy Kreme giving him a box of donuts in the design and shape of the Olympics symbol. With his research into the subject, Jiang came to realize that everyone, no matter their status and power, will face rejection in their lives in some shape or form – and that it can actually be a positive thing.

In his talk, Jia Jiang uses humor and relatable experiences to alleviate people's fears of rejection and see it not as a defeat, but as a way to improve. Sometimes taking a risk will lead to a firm "no," and other times it may well lead to a free box of Olympic ring-shaped donuts.