I’ll never forget a guy I met one Saturday over lunch at a bar in the heights. We ended up chatting, and he told me he how he landed his job working for ESPN. He shared a story with me that has stuck with me to this day: sometimes, you have not because you ask not.

He told me he had no experience in sports, but he knew he could do the job, so he simply asked for the opportunity. He thought they would laugh because he was completely unqualified on paper, but because he had the courage to ask, he landed the position. Now he works as a reporter for ESPN, which I just think is so incredibly cool.

I think one of the best things you can do in life is get denied enough times that rejection stops having so much power over you. Yes, rejection hurts. Being told no is uncomfortable. But there’s something almost freeing about becoming so accustomed to hearing no that it no longer keeps you from asking. In a way, it makes you a little bit invincible.

I can’t tell you how many concerts I’ve gotten into VIP simply because I asked. Had I never opened my mouth, I would have never had those opportunities. Have I been told no? Absolutely. But let’s not forget that I’ve also been told yes many times.

Asking takes courage because there’s always a chance someone will tell you no. But there’s also a chance they’ll say yes and you’ll never know which one it is until you ask.

So my best advice for you today is simple: just ask.

The worst that can happen is they tell you no.