Ten years ago, when I first dreamed of Inspiring Girls International, nobody said yes. I knocked on door after door, and door after door stayed firmly closed. I was told it wasn’t viable. That the world didn’t need another charity, certainly not one focused on girls’ aspirations. That the idea was too ambitious. That I didn’t have the international reach or influence to make it happen.
Some of that rejection hurt. Being told no made me doubt myself. And there were moments when it would have been much easier simply to accept that perhaps that people were right. But today, as we celebrate International Day of the Girl and the charity’s tenth anniversary with our new campaign Thank You for the No, I want to tell you this: being told no was one of the greatest gifts I received.
