How to Handle Rejection,and the 'No One's Buying' Phase

First, let's normalize the "no one's buying" phase

Every single successful creative entrepreneur has gone through this. Every. Single. One.

That person whose launch you're admiring? They had crickets once too. The difference is they didn't let it stop them.

When no one's buying, it's not a sign to quit—it's information. Valuable feedback that something needs tweaking. Maybe it's:

• Your messaging isn't connecting with your ideal client

• Your offer isn't solving a problem they actually care about

• Your pricing doesn't match perceived value

• Your audience isn't large enough yet
  
  Handling rejection without losing your mind

  Here's quick checklist for when rejection hits:
  
  

  1. Feel it, but time it. Give yourself exactly 24 hours to feel disappointed. Set a literal timer if needed! Then it's time to move forward.

  2. Grab your journal. Write it all out—the frustration, the fear, all of it. Getting it on paper takes away some of its power.

  3. Phone a friend. Not just any friend—call the one who gets it, who's also building something. The one who'll let you vent for 10 minutes and then ask, "Okay, what are we learning from this?"

  4. Look for the lesson. Every "no" contains information. What can you learn? What can you adjust?
     
     

  When criticism comes knocking

  Criticism stings, especially when you've put your whole heart into something. But here's how to use it:

  Ask yourself: "Is this criticism from my ideal client?"

  If not, you can acknowledge it, thank them, and move on. Not everything is for everyone!

  Look for patterns.

  One person hating your color scheme? Whatever. Five people mentioning the same issue? That's data, honey.

  Separate the delivery from the content.

  Sometimes helpful feedback comes wrapped in not-so-helpful language. Can you extract the useful bit without getting caught up in how it was said?

  
  

  The practical comeback plan

  Okay, enough feeling our feelings. Let's get tactical:

  1. Revisit your ideal client. Have you actually been creating for them, or for yourself? No judgment either way, but clarity helps.

  2. Conduct some no-pressure research. Slide into DMs, send friendly emails, or create a quick survey asking what your audience is actually struggling with.

  3. Tweak one thing at a time. Don't overhaul everything at once. Change your messaging, then your visuals, then your offer. See what moves the needle.

  4. Create social proof however you can. No buyers yet? Offer your product/service to a few ideal clients in exchange for testimonials or case studies.

  5. Show up consistently. Sometimes the difference between crickets and sales is simply time and consistency.

  
  

  Protecting Your Self-Worth When Business Gets Tough

  
  

  Look, here's something I had to learn the hard way: your business results are not a reflection of your personal value. Period.

  When we tie our self-worth to sales numbers or social media metrics, we're setting ourselves up for an emotional rollercoaster that honestly makes smart business decisions nearly impossible. Trust me on this one—I've cried over sales reports more times than I can count!

  What really helps is creating that mental separation. Your business is something you DO, not who you ARE. This isn't just feel-good advice—it's practical. When rejection doesn't feel like personal rejection, you can look at feedback objectively and make better choices.

  Every single entrepreneur faces periods when nobody's buying. Every. Single. One. The ones who make it aren't the ones who avoid rejection—they're the ones who don't let it stop them.

  So here's what I want you to try: Next time sales are slow or someone criticizes your work, practice saying "This is information about my offering, not information about me." It feels weird at first, but it works!

  The truth? Some of your best ideas will come directly from these tough moments. That product nobody bought? It might have the perfect feature that your next successful launch needs. That criticism that stung so bad? It might contain the exact insight that helps you connect with your people.

  The magic happens when you can take a breath, separate yourself from the outcome, and ask "What can I learn here?" instead of "What's wrong with me?"

  
  Photo - Rebekah Hayward