Most of the time when we let fear of rejection hold us back, it’s imaginary, right? We are afraid of hypothetical scenarios that are based on falsehoods or things that haven’t happened yet. And that’s enough to stop us in our tracks.

But what’s waiting for you on the other side of rejection? What if the fear you’re letting take hold of you isn’t protecting you, but is actually in the way of all of your amazing potential and winnings?

I’ll take you one step further here. What if the fear of rejection you have – the big scary monster – actually did turn out to be real and left you humiliated? To go even one step further… what if the rejection happened in real time on a national stage?

And what if despite all of that, you turned it into one of the best thing that’s ever happened for you and your career?

Why am I asking these questions? Well…

If you’ve ever hesitated to put yourself out there from fear of rejection, you need to hear from my next guest.

William Hung, speaker, author, and coach, has a message: your happiness and your destiny are a choice. William had a very public experience with rejection when he was a contestant on American Idol, and ridiculed by Simon Cowell. That may have been too much for some people, but William turned that experience on its head, turning his viral audition video into several amazing opportunities – including recently performing live on stage with Ricky Martin. He now works with budding speakers to help them find their own inner champions, is promoting his new book, Champion by Choice, and yes, even sings for you a little in this very special episode.

William and I talk about:

How the joy of singing led him on an unforgettable journey
What was going through his mind when Simon Cowell bullied him on national television
How that experience landed him a record contract and performance opportunities around the world, but more importantly to him, allowed him to bring smiles to people’s faces
How he now helps people become their own Champion by Choice

William’s bio

After his American Idol audition, William Hung’s rendition of “She Bangs” became famous for all the wrong reasons. Despite a humbling start, William redeemed himself. He has since appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and The Ellen DeGeneres Show and even performed live with Ricky Martin in Las Vegas.

William has spent the last 16 years studying the world’s top performers and public speakers to uncover their secrets to success. Using what he discovered, he skyrocketed his first studio album “Inspiration” to #1 on the independent Billboard charts. His latest TEDx talk has been viewed by over 40,000 people in less than a month. He has also spoken for Microsoft, REMAX, Qorvo, and other esteemed associations.

He now helps people find their unconventional path to success because he believes everyone has a right to try something new without being judged or ridiculed. He uses his 15 years of experience playing poker to apply game theory for helping his clients with improving their public speaking.

More on where to find William:

Champion by Choice – William Hung’s book

William Hung’s website

Instagram: @williamhungofficial

Twitter: WillHungSpeaks

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TedX Talk 1 - Find Your Stage for Happiness

TedX Talk 2 - Turning Failure into Success