Tag Archives: Failure

Still Alice the book, sold 1M copies worldwide – a national bestseller. Still Alice the movie, sold $45M worth of tickets at the box office – and won an Academy Award. But back when neurologist Lisa Genova first penned the novel, it was rejected by 100 book agents. She was told no one would read a book about Alzheimer’s Disease. That the subject matter was too depressing. And that neurologists shouldn’t write fiction. Hope you’ll join us.

The Sopranos is widely considered the greatest television show of all time. Just ask TV Guide, The Writer’s Guild of America and Rolling Stone. But before revolutionizing the one-hour drama and ushering in what’s become known as the second Golden Age of Television, the idea for The Sopranos was rejected. By every major network. At nearly 50 years old, the show’s creator David Chase nearly shelved his script – then his manager got an idea.

Cuban pitcher Yennier Cano was told he’d never make the Cuban National Series. Then when he tried to leave Cuba to play in the Majors, his government banned him from playing baseball. When he finally made it to America, Cano floundered in obscurity in the minors. Today he’s one of the best relievers in Major League Baseball. Hope you’ll join us.

Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness. 50% of the world’s blindness is a result of cataracts. For 200 years, treatment of the condition involved removing the lens of the eye and substituting the function of that lens with a pair of thick glasses. But in 1949, Dr. Harold Ridley had another idea. What if they replaced the natural lens of the eye with an artificial one? Well, let’s just say the field of ophthalmology didn’t see the vision.

Each week on this pod, we tell the stories of famous names who overcame debilitating career rejection. We’ve talked through the careers of actors, artists, authors, athletes and even an astronaut. But rejection affects us all. So this season, we wanted to hear from you.

We put out a call for your rejection stories.

They’re inspiring, they’re vulnerable, they’re real. Take a listen.

Online graphic design platform Canva is worth $26 billion. 85% of Fortune 500 companies utilize Canva. And its users span 190 countries. But when Australian entrepreneur Melanie Perkins pitched Canva to investors, she got the following feedback:

“Your headquarters are in Australia – that’s too far away.”
“You didn’t go to Harvard, Stanford or MIT.”
“Your idea is too ambitious.”
“Your idea isn’t ambitious enough.”
And, “The market is too small.”

185 million monthly users later, Canva holds the title of world’s most valuable startup founded and led by a woman.

You may not recognize the name Bessie Coleman, so you may be wondering whether or not to tune into this episode. But, I would highly encourage you to give it a listen. It’s a story our team – from our director Callie to our engineer Geoff – all declared one of their favourites of the entire series. Because it’s a story about the ripple effects of bravery. Coleman battled racism, sexism, poverty and rejection to – just 20 years after the Wright Brothers successfully flew the first controlled airplane – become the first Black woman pilot. What Coleman didn’t know, was that her resilience would inspire another incredible woman – whose story we’ve already told on this show. Turns out, the sky is not the limit.

Hope you’ll join us.

Since the year 1937, over 60 Dr. Seuss books have been published. Over 650 million copies have been sold. Leading to film adaptations grossing over $1.7 billion at the box office. But before the famed author was Dr. Seuss, he was Theodor Geisel. And his first children’s book “A Story That No One Could Beat” was a story that no one would want. After being rejected by every publisher in Manhattan, Geisel decided to burn his drawings. Then, a chance encounter changed everything.

Manon Rhéaume was told hockey was for boys only. Manon Rhéaume was cut from teams for being a girl. Manon Rhéaume was heckled by parents in the stands. Manon Rhéaume was told she’d never play pro. Manon Rhéaume became the first woman to ever play in an NHL game. If you enjoyed our Hayley Wickenheiser episodes last season, give this one a listen. It’s a story of courage, vulnerability and unwavering determination.

Adam Driver is a two-time Academy Award nominated actor known for his roles in films like Marriage Story, BlacKkKlansman and the Star Wars franchise as Kylo Ren. But before landing his breakout role on HBO’s Girls, Driver was rejected from Juilliard, turned his Lincoln Town Car around before he reached Los Angeles and was medically discharged from the Marines prior to deployment. Broke and struggling to find his way, Driver made a bold decision: to apply to Juilliard again.