When Jia Jiang stood trembling at the doorstep of a stranger’s home, clutching a soccer ball and asking, “can I play in your backyard?”—he wasn’t joking. He was on a mission.

A few years earlier, Jia watched his dream of becoming a successful entrepreneur shatter. One investor’s “no” felt like the end of the road. Instead of quitting, Jia asked a life-altering question: What happens when you get rejected… on purpose? That single thought launched one of the boldest self-experiments in modern personal growth: 100 days of rejection.

Jia began making outlandish requests every day—from asking a donut shop to make Olympic-ring-shaped pastries to requesting a burger refill at a fast-food restaurant. Most of the time, the answer was “no.” Something surprising happened: he stopped fearing it. Sometimes, people even said “yes.” Jia wasn’t just learning how to survive rejection—he was discovering how to thrive through it.

His viral TED Talk, “What I Learned from 100 Days of Rejection,” struck a chord with millions. Audiences saw in Jia not just a man chasing crazy dares, someone cracking the code of human connection, courage, and resilience. His book, Rejection Proof, became a bestseller—and Jia became one of the most sought-after inspirational keynote speakers in the world.
Today, from Fortune 500 boardrooms to sold-out conferences, Jia Jiang speaks with the humor of a stand-up, the insight of a psychologist, and the heart of someone who’s been through the fire. Whether he’s teaching teams how to reframe failure or individuals how to take that first terrifying leap, Jia doesn’t just inspire—he empowers.
He’s not done yet. In his newest keynote and forthcoming book, The Art of Achieving Ambitious Things (Simon & Schuster, 2026), Jia takes his message a step further. He introduces the “One Action Goal”—a bold new framework for turning big dreams into daily, repeatable steps. The idea is simple: don’t chase perfection, take one intentional action at a time. It’s about building momentum, focus, and grit toward long-term success.

Jia Jiang’s journey proves rejection isn’t the end of the story—it’s the beginning of something far greater.

Want to bring this fearless energy to your next event? Learn more about Jia Jiang on BigSpeak.