I walked out of that room thinking I nailed it.

I’d just auditioned for TEDx Surrey—one of the most competitive TEDx events out there. They had 95 applicants. Only 25 of us made it to the in-person audition round.

And honestly? My audition could not have gone better.
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People laughed. They nodded along. They responded to every beat of my story.
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I walked out thinking, “They’d be stupid not to choose me.”

So imagine my surprise when the list of selected speakers came out—and my name wasn’t on it.

I was crushed.
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Not in the dramatic, sob-on-the-floor way. More in the quiet, “wait, but I thought I did everything right” kind of way.

The next week, I met with Alan, the organizer, for my feedback call.
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He asked, “How do you think it went?”

And I told him—honestly—“I think I nailed it.”
(Then quickly added, “I don’t mean to sound egotistical.”)

He laughed and said, “You did. You're a great speaker and an excellent storyteller. Your idea is strong. Your talk was excellent—engaging, credible, and relatable."

Now...I'm waiting for the BIG BUT...

"...But your speech didn’t fit with the other ones we selected. That’s the only reason.”

It wasn’t about me.
It was about fit.

That moment has stuck with me ever since—because how often do we assume rejection means we did something wrong?

In business, it shows up like this:

• The email that doesn’t get the clicks you hoped for.
• The well-planned launch flops
• The pitch that goes nowhere.

And the story we tell ourselves?
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​"It must be me. I must be doing something wrong.”

But sometimes—it’s not you.

It’s just not the right fit, or not the right time, or not the right people.

So please—don’t reject yourself first.

Keep showing up. Keep testing. Keep tweaking.

Because here’s what happens when you don’t let rejection stop you:

You end up on another stage.

And that version of you?
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The one who didn’t give up—That’s the one who gets the “yes.”

Michelle

P.S. Are you in the Seattle/Bellevue area? I'd love to see you at TEDx! Tickets are $20, and you can grab yours here.

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P.P.S. Want your message to finally pull its weight this fall?

• Fix It Fast— One power hour to diagnose and tune your message so it clicks (and converts).
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Dr. Michelle Mazur Message Strategist & Founder of The Expert Up Club ​Podcast / 3 Word Rebellion Book​ ​

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