Before we had kids, my wife and I had a weekend ritual: walking to a little neighborhood spot called Riverside Café. One morning, while we sat by the window, I watched a server make her way around the room with a carafe of coffee in hand.
She went to the first table and asked, “Would you like some coffee?”
“No, thank you,” they said.
She moved to the second table. “Coffee?”
Another no.
Third table—no.
Fourth—no again.
By the time she got to us, we also passed. In total, eight tables in a row turned her down. But at table nine, someone smiled and said, “Yes, please.” She poured the coffee, gave a little nod, and disappeared into the back.
When I share this story in coaching conversations, I always ask:
“Do you think the server went into the back room and cried because eight people told her no?”
Of course not.
Why? Because she wasn’t offering herself—she was offering coffee. And the rejections weren’t personal. They just didn’t want coffee.
As business owners, we forget this.
Someone says no, and we internalize it.
We start to believe they’re rejecting us. Our value, our worth, our identity.
But most of the time, they’re just not in the mood for coffee.
And that’s okay.
So here’s the reminder:
Keep offering. Keep showing up.
Because the ninth table might be ready.
live freed,
Jordan
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