HOW TO CHANGE A NO INTO AN OPPORTUNITY

Meet April Mitchell, Product Developer

By: April Mitchell

NO. The dreaded word that so many of us entrepreneurs hear more often than we’d like, especially when we start out.

You may have received a No about your idea, received a No for funding, a No for the help you needed or requested, a No for the space you wanted to rent out, a No for the distribution your business required, a No for the PR you wanted, and the list goes on and on... it seems as if you have quickly become a No Collector and the No’s can feel like a hard rejection- a rejection of your product or business, resulting in the rejection of yourself and then the questions and the doubts set in.

Don’t let that feeling set in. We have to separate ourselves from the No’s and realize that a No can become much more in, I have experienced how a No does not have to be a dead-end; instead it can lead to opportunities.

A NO Can Mean:

- Not right now- try again in 6 months as situations and people change.

- The door is now open to pitch new products/concepts in the future.

- An opportunity to ask for feedback- ask, “What would work for your company?”

- The beginning of a relationship and possibly a mentorship.

In the last few years, I have turned many No’s into opportunities. I have received valuable feedback, which has lead to licensing new concepts.

I have gained industry Mentors that I can call upon to run ideas by, and acquire feedback. I have opened doors and been able to established new relationships because people told me No

I hope you reflect on the No’s that you have received and invite you to see the opportunities that can come from the No’s.

When we as entrepreneurs look at things positively and from a place of learning and growth instead of rejection, we can see things more clearly.

My husband told me, “Never accept a No from a person who can’t give you a Yes.” He is unsure of where he heard this but passed it along to me during my frustrations of collecting No’s. This powerful quote has stayed with me throughout my years of trying to break down doors as an entrepreneur. When you get that No from someone, yet have the stamina to keep at it until the right opportunities arises for your or your company to turn that NO into a YES, you are on the right track.

I F A T F I R S T Y O U D O N ' T S U C C E E D

April's first product, The Towel Belt, did not make it to the retail market. However, she did not let that stop her from trying with her second product, the Right Height adjustable over the door hook- in fact, it fueled her to work even harder and learn more about the industry for her second product.

April has expanded her ideas beyond the home improvement realm and is currently pitching 12 products in the game and toy industry. Some of those products were designed with her four children the inspiration behind the business name 4 A's: Anthony, Alexander, Abraham, and Annabelle.

Mitchell Product Developer 4 A's Creations

The Right Height adjustable over the door hook is available at the Marine Corps Exchanges.