Aretha Franklin is the Queen of Soul – crowned by Rolling Stone the greatest singer of all time – with a dozen million-selling singles to her name. But in spite of her talent, Aretha’s road to respect wasn’t exactly smooth. Her first seven albums flopped.
This week, it’s a two-er. The stories of two Bluth brothers – Michael and Gob – aka Jason Bateman and Will Arnett. Their stories are entirely different, yet tethered by some interesting beats. Like – not finishing school, being labelled a smart-ass, being rejected for sitcom after sitcom and crediting Arrested Development with rescuing their careers. Hope you’ll join us.
John Grisham has authored nearly 60 books, adapted into nine motion pictures. He’s written over 50 consecutive #1 New York Times bestsellers and is considered one of the best-selling authors of fiction in the U.S. But there was a time when no one wanted his books. Not publishers, not agents, not readers. Grisham drove around Mississippi with boxes of his first novel in the trunk of his car. Then he got an unexpected phone call.
Hi from our hiatus. This week, we bring you a Minisode about the incomparable Diana Nyad – and the mantra she repeated to herself. For 52h, 54m. On her record-setting swim from Cuba to Florida.
Willie O’Ree made history in 1958, when the Boston Bruin became the first Black player in the NHL. It is a heroic story of strength, courage and resilience.
Welcome to another Minisode. This week, we travel to 30 Rock and take a look at courage through the eyes of hopeful [comma] sweaty young comedians.
This week we are bringing back “the reflection podcast.” Sidney and Terry will answer some of your questions. Like – why did we start this podcast? What’s our connection to each other outside the show? And is there a situation in which someone *should* give up?
You may not know the name Eddy Goldfarb, but you know his work. Goldfarb is the inventor behind over 800 toys and games – including Kerplunk, the “Yakity-Yak” wind-up Chattering Teeth, the Bubble Gun and Stompers. His incredible career has spanned eight decades. But before selling his first toy, Goldfarb was rejected. Over and over again. Then he made one very bad business deal. It’s quite the story.
This week, it’s pop rock debut rejections. We look at the stories of No Doubt – who rose to superstardom in the late ‘90s, and Chappell Roan – who was born in the late ‘90s. Both known for blending genres – both rejected by their own record labels – both persevered through it all.
Elf is a beloved and timeless Christmas classic. Starring Will Ferrell, the film brought in over $200M at the box office, and 20 years later remains a holiday tradition for many. But back in the year 2000, the script was rejected by production companies, studios, directors and actors, championed only by two producers with no producing experience. Then when it finally did land a studio, executives nearly left Elf on a shelf. Join us, won’t you, as we pass through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, through the sea of swirly twirly gum drops, then through the Lincoln Tunnel for Rejecting Elf.
Last week, we told the story of EGOT-winner Jennifer Hudson. Hudson put the O in EGOT when she won the Oscar for her role as Effie White in Dreamgirls. It’s said Dreamgirls is based on the story of The Supremes – Deena as Diana Ross, Effie as Florence Ballard. And in researching that episode, we discovered it wasn’t just Jennifer Hudson who had a rejection story – The Supremes had a fascinating story of their own. So join us this week as we discover how the all-girl ’60s group went from the “No-Hit Supremes” to the the female group with the most #1 songs in history on the Billboard Hot 100.
Like Rita Moreno last week, Jennifer Hudson is an EGOT winner. She’s won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony – not to mention a Golden Globe. But before earning a major award in every major entertainment category, Hudson was eliminated from American Idol – twice. She had fallen off the radar, rejected after her first Hollywood audition. That is, until she got an unusual phone call from her cousin.
We regret to inform you, this week marks the final episode of our 2022 season. Over the past three years – and 60 episodes – we’ve come across so many incredible rejection stories that weren’t long enough to fill a full episode. But that doesn’t mean they’re any less packed with insight. Join us this week for Short Stories in Television, Part 2 – the inspiring pint-sized rejection stories of John Krasinski & Uzo Aduba.
Airbnb is worth more than the world’s top three hotel chains combined, with over 150 million users spanning 200 countries. But before the company made its three founders the first-ever sharing economy billionaires, they were broke. Weathering rejections from investors and narrowly avoiding eviction.
If you don’t recognize the name Fritz Pollard, you’re not alone. Pollard was the first Black player in the NFL, the first Black quarterback in the NFL and the first Black head coach of an NFL team. And yet, in 2020 – the NFL’s 100th birthday – the league referred to Pollard as “A Forgotten Man.”
We regret to inform you, this week marks the final episode of our 2021 season. So, we thought we’d do something a little different. Over the past two years, we’ve come across several fascinating rejection stories that weren’t long enough for a full episode, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less packed with insight. Join us this week for ‘Short Stories in Television’ – the inspiring pint-sized rejection stories of Annie Murphy, Matt LeBlanc, Squid Game and The Queen’s Gambit.
Breaking Bad holds the Guinness World Record for highest-rated television show of all time. But back when creator Vince Gilligan was first pitching the series, it was rejected by four major networks. This week, we tell Gilligan’s story. From being told no one in their right mind would let a show about crystal meth air on television, to showrunning one of the most beloved series in history.
I Love Lucy is one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time, bringing in over 30 million viewers per week in its day. But before becoming the queen of prime-time television, Lucille Ball was known as “Queen of the B-Pictures” – pin-balling around Hollywood studios, unable to draw a box office crowd. Join us this week as we tell Ball’s fascinating story – from panhandling for bus fare to becoming the first-ever inductee into the Television Academy Hall of Fame.
We regret to inform you that today marks our final episode of Season One. So we thought we’d do something a little different. This week, Sidney and Terry sit down to chat about the lessons and the stories from Season One AND answer some of your questions.
Fred VanVleet is an NBA champion who recently signed a four-year contract with the Toronto Raptors worth $85 million. But before becoming a key player for the Raps, VanVleet was overlooked and underestimated at every single stage of his basketball career. This week, we tell his amazing story. From being rejected by all 30 teams in the NBA draft to becoming the highest-paid undrafted player of all time.
Taraji P. Henson is an Academy Award-nominated actress, known for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Hidden Figures as well as her iconic role as Cookie Lyon in the hit television show Empire. But before taking Hollywood by storm, Henson was rejected from acting school and rejected for parts, making $10 an hour as a receptionist between auditions. Join us this week as we tell Henson’s incredible story. From being labelled as “too urban” to earning the most Best Actress awards in BET history.