Workforce Summit to feature speaker whose take on overcoming rejection led to 10M-plus video views
- August 13, 2026
How do you amass more than 10 million views on a TED Talk?
Start with a topic so universal everyone has experienced it — and would rather avoid it.
Rejection.
For Jia Jiang, it first took the form of an uncomfortable moment in his kindergarten classroom — the equivalent of being picked last for the team.
As he pursued a career in tech entrepreneurship, Jiang recognized his fear of rejection held him back from success. So he decided to meet it head-on.
It started with asking a stranger to borrow $100 — a quick “no.” Then it was requesting a “burger refill” at a restaurant. Again, he left empty-handed.
Jiang started to document his “rejection journey,” and by the time he packaged it into a 15-minute talk for the TED Talks speaking series, he not only had addressed his own internal hurdle but also found a new career path built around helping others do the same.
“It’s a journey,” said Jiang, now a bestselling author and speaker whose blog “100 Days of Rejection Therapy” details his adventures of being turned down for a wide range of requests.
He is also the CEO of Wuju Learning, a company that teaches people and trains organizations to become fearless through rejection training.
“The idea of overcoming fear of rejection is very common,” he said. “Most people care about what other people feel and want to feel good about themselves. That’s how normal people are wired, and it makes us afraid of rejection.”
Jiang tries to make it fun, funny and ultimately effective.
“Doing this is like giving you a different mindset, like a superpower,” he said. “I have to get a little uncomfortable, and then your mindset flips. Our everyday life is avoiding and comfort seeking, but when you flip that comfort switch, your whole personality changes, and opportunities open up.”
Jiang will detail that message as he gives the keynote address at the 2026 WIN in Workforce Summit on Oct. 22, hosted by the Sioux Falls Development Foundation. The annual event will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Canopy by Hilton hotel in downtown Sioux Falls.
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“I think Jia’s message will really resonate with our audience,” said Bob Mundt, president and CEO of the Sioux Falls Development Foundation. “We can all relate to what he talks about, especially in a changing workplace, and his approach will change the way you look at handling adversity and risk. It’s a great way to start a full day of effective strategies you can take back to work and put in place starting the following day.”
Change is constant in the workplace, Jiang said. Since he originally gave his TED Talk in 2015, his message around overcoming rejection has applied through the pandemic, a shift into remote work, challenging economic times and now as artificial intelligence reframes work life yet again.
“The pace of change is constant, but it’s the story you tell yourself as you face change that determines your success or failure,” he said.
Employers who have to “say no” a lot also will find takeaways from Jiang’s message.
“You cannot say yes to every applicant or take on every opportunity. That’s what leadership is,” he said. “It’s trade-offs, and saying yes to one thing means saying no to another. But you can do it in a way that does not destroy your leadership. The best people say no but also find ways to help. They see what others are trying to do, and they give direction or pointers accordingly.”
He puts a comedic twist on it: the Costco manager who handled one of his requests in an especially memorable way.
“I went to Costco and asked if I could speak on the intercom,” he said. “I told him I’m a good member, I spend a lot of money there, and I just want to say hi to the customers.”
The manager suggested he write a submitted article about his fandom for a Costco publication instead.
Jiang didn’t bite.
“I said again that I just want to use the intercom,” he said. “Then he asked if I was hungry, thanked me for being a good member and asked if he could buy dinner for me and my family.”
Jiang didn’t leave the wholesale club having gotten behind the microphone — but he did have his fill of pizza and hot dogs.
“That’s how you say no to people,” Jiang said. “You learn what they want and try to help, and if it doesn’t work, you still try to give them something. He treated me like a human being and not an annoyance.”
And that’s an interaction between two people who likely won’t ever see each other again.
“In the workplace, you’re going to see each other over and over, so how you build those relationships even through rejection is key,” Jiang said. “That’s where when you say no to people you also can use it as an opportunity to still help that person achieve their goals.”
Attendees at the WIN in Workforce Summit will leave with a universal message that applies not just at work but also in daily life, he added.
“We’ll talk about how to have tough conversations, how to advocate for your cause, how you respond to resistance and how you sometimes can turn a no into a yes,” he said. “They’re going to hear an amazing story, and it’s not just a rejection story but a way to ultimately achieve the things you want. I’m excited to be coming to Sioux Falls, and I know we’re going to have a great time.”
WIN in Workforce Summit
The WIN in Workforce Summit has become a popular regional event offering topical insights and strategies around the issues and challenges that are driving talent attraction, development and retention in the workplace today. This year’s event will feature nine impactful sessions, including a strategic look at how burnout, employment uncertainty with AI and shifting employee and employer expectations are reshaping engagement — and what leaders must do to sustain performance.
Additional details on speakers and sessions will be released in the coming weeks.