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“This book is a chance for people to benefit from the humanity and wisdom Matt Del Negro has acquired by grinding through his own 10,000 NOs for so long. His value far exceeds his art. His talent is only outweighed by his humility and ability to connect with others and make them feel better about their own journey.”
—Bedros Keuilian, CEO, FitBody Bootcamp, bestselling author, Man Up
“Being told ‘no’ can either define you or ignite you. Matt's powerful book gives you the courage and confidence to turn that devastating ‘no’ into inspiration. Through his resilience, determination, and breathtaking honesty, Matt shows how to navigate the sting of rejection and convert it into the satisfaction of success! This book is a serious life changer!”
—Sue Hollis, Cofounder, The TravelEdge Group, Coach, Adventurepreneur, Top 10 Women Entrepreneurs in Australia, author of Riding Raw: A Journey from Empty to Full, motorbike racer
“If you want a reality check, a connection to what it takes to get where you want to go in life… advice about the reality of getting past 10,000 NOs to the one ‘Yes’ you desire and will commit to, then make this your Life Bible. Absorb it. Listen to the words. Then go no further. Settle in. And make Matt's experience… yours.”
—Roger Fishman, Adventure Photographer, author, What I Know, former Head of Marketing, CAA
MATTHEW DEL NEGRO
10,000 NOs
HOW TO OVERCOME REJECTION ON THE WAY TO YOUR YES
Copyright © 2021 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.
Published simultaneously in Canada.
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Cover Image: © Corey Nickols
Deirdre, for standing by when the “no”s felt heaviest
Donovan and Bronwyn, may you never let the critic count
Everyone else, for helping and encouraging me to keep going
Introduction
I had coffee recently with a very successful documentary filmmaker friend. The feature documentary he made a few years ago won the Sundance Film Festival documentary competition and sold for a lot of money. The next one he made was also quite lucrative, which is no easy feat for a documentary film. His most recent film, however, did not immediately find worldwide distribution the way the others had, so he reached out to me to share the news and talk through his frustrated feelings on the matter. When I realized the intent of his coffee meeting request I said, “Wow, I guess I really am a Rejection Expert, huh?” He laughed before explaining that he hadn't called me because of my own punishing track record. It was just that his very supportive wife, who is not in our industry, did not have the comparable experience of seeing two years of work deflate in front of her eyes due to the changing tides of opinion. And his fellow documentary filmmaker friends were somewhat in competition with him, so they might