How I turned 1,000 rejections into a full-time filmmaking career

Author: Ourselves
Published: Tue 12 Aug 2025
Episode Link: https://ourselves.podbean.com/e/how-i-turned-1000-rejections-into-a-full-time-filmmaking-career/

Rejection almost ended my filmmaking career. I’ve pitched over 1,000 projects in my life and lost the vast majority of them. I’ve been ghosted, ignored, and told “no” more times than I can count. But every single rejection taught me something that eventually led to my biggest breaks in the industry.

In this episode, I share how I survived years of constant rejection, the mindset shift that turned “no” into fuel, why rejection isn’t personal but situational, how to refine your pitch so people can’t ignore you, and the exact strategies I used to land career-changing projects.

If you’re a filmmaker, creative, or entrepreneur dealing with rejection, this conversation will change the way you see every “no” you get. Watch if you’ve ever wondered how to keep going when nothing’s working, why people reject your ideas, or how to turn rejection into opportunity.

00:00 Introduction: Facing Rejection

00:20 The Reality of Rejection

00:37 My Filmmaking Journey

01:14 Early Career Struggles

02:10 The Relentless Pursuit

02:26 Questioning My Path

02:43 Understanding Treatments

03:29 Facing Ghosting and Burnout

04:31 Recalibrating After Rejection

06:32 Rejection is Situational

07:15 Film Festival Rejections

08:55 Pitching in Person

10:16 Rejection as Redirection

11:31 Processing Rejection

12:40 Detaching Identity from Outcome

13:29 Improving Your Pitch

14:44 Building Relationships

15:46 Protecting Your Joy

16:38 Finding a Community

18:14 Learning from Rejection

18:45 Final Thoughts on Rejection