By Khair Ull Nissa Shah

Rejection has followed me through every stage of my life. It came long before I became a CEO or worked across continents.

It started in Kashmir, where ambition has to push through barriers of doubt and delay.

Every idea meets suspicion, and every dream faces resistance here. But that resistance became my classroom.

It taught me to see rejection as the first step toward resilience.

When I presented my first business plan years ago, a bank manager looked at it and said, “Kashmir is not ready for this.” He said it kindly, as if saving me from disappointment.

I heard the same words from investors, advisors, and even colleagues. Their tone changed, but the message was the same: stay small, stay safe.

Over time I realized they weren’t describing my idea. They w

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