📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

Failure Is Part of the Game. Getting Back Up Is the Magic Sauce. (Motiongraphic) If you want to be a successful entrepreneur, you are going to have to be able to handle rejection. Probably more than you think.

By Catherine Clifford

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

fundersandfounders via Youtube

Even the most successful people have failed at some point or another. Actually, scratch that -- especially the most successful people have failed at some point or another. (And probably a whole lot more than you might imagine.)

The biggest difference between successful people and less accomplished individuals is that successful people don't let being rejected keep them down. Successful entrepreneurs have the emotional tools to manage disappointment and not let it derail them for too long; they're resilient and determined.

Rejected: Entrepreneurs: Your Irrational Optimism Is Necessary

Alex Fauske, The Doodle Video Guy, put together this animation illustrating the surprising records of failure for some folks who are now pretty legendary success stories with data from San Francisco-based startup organization Funders and Founders. Teaser: Sylvester Stallone was rejected 1,500 times when he tried selling his script, with himself as the lead actor, for the now legendary movie Rocky.

Take a looksee.

Catherine Clifford

Senior Entrepreneurship Writer at CNBC

Catherine Clifford is senior entrepreneurship writer at CNBC. She was formerly a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com, the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Clifford attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

Employers Say They Want to Hire Candidates With AI Skills, But Employees Are Still Sneaking AI Tool Use in the Office

A new joint report from LinkedIn and its parent company Microsoft revealed the contradictory state of AI at work.

Thought Leaders

Building an Agile Remote Team Is No Easy Feat — But It's About to Get a Whole Lot Easier Thanks to This Transformative Tool.

The virtual reality of the metaverse promises to put a radical new spin on returning to the office.

Business News

Bankrupt Crypto Firm FTX Is Going to Pay Customers Back in Full — Plus Interest

A majority of customers would get at least 118% of their money back under a proposed plan, as the company now has up to $16.3 billion in cash to use.

Business News

Sylvester Stallone Is Auctioning His Rare Watch Collection — Here's a Look at the Timepieces Worth Millions

The actor's Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime is the first of its kind to be auctioned.