“Are you disappointed you didn’t get the job?” my wife asked.

This was 8 months ago.

I followed all my strategies

• I had a champion inside the company

• I completed a “show your work” project

• Had an amazing conversation with the CEO

…and still didn’t get the offer.

I looked at her. I told her the truth.

“No, I’ve already moved on.”

I wasn’t trying to be flippant.

It’s how I felt.

What I knew was that this was just one opportunity among many. Each rejection is simply a redirection to better possibilities.

Or as Winston Churchill put it:

“Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”

But it’s a hard mindset to teach, so today I wanted to walk through a specific example from a client.

Here’s what you’ll learn today:

• How to leverage a single rejection into an entire industry of opportunities

• Exact scripts and AI tools to find and approach similar companies

• A step-by-step system to turn “almost hired” into “multiple offers”

…and more!

💪 The Hidden Opportunities in the Rejection

Recently, one of my clients came to me with this challenge:

“I did my pitch. The podcast division cannot afford me full time. They can’t afford me on the monthly retainer I pitched. But other divisions may want my help so… we’ll see.”

Sound familiar? It’s the classic:

“We love you, but…”

…situation we’ve all faced at one point or another.

Most people hear the “no” and they feel all sorts of normal feelings:

• Hurt

• Disappointed

• Embarrassed

The most powerful skill is learning to spot the hidden opportunities in the rejection.

It’s like walking through life with a reality-distortion glasses. Everyone else sees closed doors. You spot side entrances they all miss.

Below I’ll share the same step-by-step advice I gave to my client, plus the AI tools she could use to supercharge the process to make it faster, easier, and more powerful.

(Note: you are probably not facing this same scenario, but the underlying principle still applies. What matters is you learn to spot and act on the hidden opportunities after any rejection that you face.)

🔓 Step 1: Unlock a Hidden Network of Opportunities

❌ What most people do: Start the search from scratch. Apply to random openings across different industries, hoping something sticks.

✅ What I told my client: Leverage the work you already by finding similar companies that need the exact skills you’ve already pitched

🧰 Recommended tool:

Perplexity – AI-powered research engine that can identify companies in specific niches.

✍️ Use this prompt:

List the top 20 podcasts and media companies focused on [specific industry].

For each, include:

1. Company name

2. Their flagship podcast or content series

3. Estimated audience size

4. Parent company (if applicable)

5. Where they’re headquartered

6. Key executives (especially in content or production)

You can save the results to a spreadsheet for tracking. This is going to be your target list of companies.

⚒️ Bonus: More tools to consider:

Clay – Build a table of companies in your target industry and track your outreach.

ChatGPT – Generate a list of companies using a prompt similar to the one above.

🫵 How you can apply this:

The exact prompts might be different but the workflow will be the same:

• Who are the fastest-growing companies in your industry?

• Which companies in your industry are launching new projects or initiatives?

• Which companies in your target industry are growing quickly or getting new funding?

In other words, you’re looking for hiring signals.

You’ve already done the hard work. You have the expertise. Now you’re finding companies that need those skills.

🕵️ Step 2: Find the People Who Say “Yes”

❌ What most people do: Send generic messages to HR inboxes or contact forms, hoping they reach someone who cares.

✅ What I told my client: Find the people who actually make the decisions and tailor your message to what they care about.

🧰 Recommended tool:

ChatGPT – Build a research strategy for finding the right contacts.

👉 Use this prompt:

I need to identify key decision-makers at media companies in the [industry] space. For each company:

1. What are their main content channels?

2. Who would typically be responsible for [your expertise area] decisions?

3. What job titles should I look for when searching LinkedIn?

4. What content-related challenges are these companies likely facing right now?

This will guide your LinkedIn search so you’re not wasting time messaging people who can’t say yes.

⚒️ Bonus: More tools to consider:

Perplexity – Get quick answers to “who runs X team at Y company?”

Manus Research – AI deep research

🫵 How you can apply this:

Use ChatGPT’s output to map out decision-makers, then find information on their background, recent projects, and any interviews or articles they’ve published.

Make sure you focus your energy on:

1. Who has the authority to hire

2. Who benefits from your work

3. Who will recognize your industry knowledge

📝 Step 3: Customize Your Pitch (Without Starting Over)

❌ What most people do: Copy-paste the same resume and cover letter over and over again.

✅ What I told my client: You already built a great pitch—now adapt it. Show them how it fits their world.

🧰 Recommended tool:

Gamma – AI-powered presentation tool to create professional pitch decks fast.

👉 Do this in Gamma:

• Sign up for a free Gamma account

• Start with their presentation templates

• Add your existing pitch content (that you already created for the first company)

• Customize for each new target by:

  • Updating company name and specific details

  • Highlighting experience relevant to their content style

  • Adding competitor-specific insights

  • Tailoring value proposition to their specific challenges

⚒️ Bonus: More tools to consider:

Loom – Create personalized video pitches that explain your value proposition in a more engaging format than text alone.

Poised – AI-powered communication coach to help you practice delivering your pitch with confidence.

🫵 How you can apply this:

The key here: you’ve already done the hard work of creating your pitch.

Now adapt it for new targets.

Start with your existing pitch deck as the foundation, then customize it by adding a slide that highlights your understanding of their recent projects.

For bonus points, record a quick 1-minute video walkthrough explaining the value you bring. A little personalization goes a long way.

🚀 Step 4: Send Outreach That Gets a Response

❌ What most people do: “Hi, I’m looking for work. Can you help?”

✅ What I told my client: Lead with value. Show how you can help them solve their specific problems.

🧰 Recommended tool:

LinkedIn/Email – Pick your channel based on where your contact is most active.

👉 Use this script:

Subject: From [Current Podcast] to [Target Company] – Production Expertise

Hi [Name],

I’ve been working with [Current Podcast] as a [Your Role], helping them [specific win – e.g., “cut editing time by 30%”].

While they’ve loved my work, their budget’s tight right now. So I’m exploring new opportunities in the [industry] space.

Your work on [Specific Content] really impressed me. I’d love to bring my skills to your team and help solve [X].

Would you be open to a 15-minute chat next week?

[Your Name]

⚒️ Bonus: More tools to consider:

Clay – Create a personalization table to track outreach and follow-ups.

Twain.ai – Create multi-step messages with AI

🫵 How you can apply this:

Start by plugging your actual wins and company-specific research into the script above.

Personalization = replies. Mention something real—like a recent product launch, podcast episode, or company milestone—that shows you’re not just another cold email in their inbox.

🔄 Step 5: Scale Like a Pro (Without Sounding Like a Bot)

❌ What most people do: Apply to one company. Wait. Repeat.

✅ What I told my client: Build a system to test, learn, and improve—fast.

🧰 Recommended tool:

Google Sheets + Mail Merge – Build your system, track results, and send faster

👉 Do this:

• Create a Google Sheet with:

  • Company

  • Contact

  • Email sent?

  • Reply?

  • Follow-up needed?

  • Notes

• Use these notes on using mail merge to send personalized messages at scale

• Set reminders to follow up after 3-5 days if no response

• Document what works and adjust your approach based on responses

⚒️ Bonus tools to consider:

HeyGen – Create quick video intros with AI to stand out

🫵 How you can apply this:

Once you have a workflow that works, you can scale it up. You don’t need 100s of emails per week; commit to sending 5 to 10.

This is about the right pace to maintain a high quality bar (and avoid burnout).

The goal is to create a feedback loop so that every message you send is better than the last. You’re building momentum to eventually land in front of the right person.

💫 The Bottom Line

Rejection from one company doesn’t mean your skills aren’t valuable.

It means you’ve already done the hard work, so put those skills in front of more companies.

The workflow covered today transforms rejection into opportunity:

1. 🔍 Find Companies That Need You where your experience is immediately relevant

2. 🕵️ Find the People Who Say “Yes” who would value your specific expertise

3. 📝 Customize Your Pitch using materials you’ve already created

4. 🚀 Send Outreach That Gets a Response that emphasizes your industry knowledge

5. 🔄 Scale Like a Pro to approach multiple companies in parallel

What makes this approach powerful is its focus. Rather than randomly applying to open roles across industries, you’re concentrating your efforts where you’ve already proven your value.

Remember: It’s not about how many jobs you apply to—it’s about how strategic your applications are.

That’s it for today.

Talk soon 👋