Shane Parrish

He didn't leave.

He made an offer he hadn't planned to make.

He hadn't even considered until the words were already leaving his mouth.

The sales manager said no.

But two days later he called him back and he said,

I can't even sleep at night thinking about your offer.

I'm giving you the job.

Harrison beat out three pharmacists, got a salary from day one, and was among the company's best salesmen within a year.

He turned rejection into a yes by assuming all the risk.

The sales manager had nothing to lose.

No one had ever done that before.

At 22, he stumbled onto something that would serve him for the rest of his life.

The first time someone says no is rarely the ultimate no.

It would underpin every deal he ever made.

Decades later, he wrote a note to his five children labeled chutzpah.

He defined it as a disregard for the possibility of getting a negative reply.

His advice was simple.

I would rather try and hear no than not try at all.

But importantly, he also came at it from the other side too.

Saying no might be the most important skill to learn.