We Regret To Inform You: The Rejection Podcast

 Podcasts about success dominate the podcasting industry with their "yellow brick road" theory of achieving success. These podcasts may detail the steps to success -- like wake up at 4 AM and do 500 squats -- or these shows interview successful people who provide their roadmap to success. Then there are those who attempt to beguile you with the notion that the only way to achieve success is by signing up for their specific service. You know -- "Only $29.99 per month, and you can use our trademarked Success App to be like Elon Musk within a year." 

What these podcasts often neglect is that the road to success has many potholes on it. That's what I love about We Regret To Inform You: The Rejection podcast. This podcast is not about the experience of the few who slide effortlessly into success. Instead, it's about the many, who deal with rejection after rejection, and roadblocks that turn into mountains.

The podcast is produced by Apostrophe, a modest-sized podcast network with several other podcasts on its scheduling roster.

Apostrophe does have a unique story to tell: "We named our company Apostrophe for one reason. The punctuation in our founders’ last names has been the bane of our collective existence since the dawn of the digital age. Online forms don’t accept apostrophes, which more often than not results in strange character replacement. So we figured if you can’t beat ‘em, well, you know."

Here's the show's pitch, and it's a good one: "We believe in driveway podcasts. Let us paint you a picture. You’ve got errands to run. Or maybe a long drive back from the cottage. Or maybe you’re hopping into your truck and headed home after work. So you pop on a podcast."

"Next thing you know, you’re pulling into the driveway. But there’s still 15 minutes left on your pod. So you don’t open the door. Instead, you recline your seat slightly. And you lie back. Listening.

"Your neighbors peer through their blinds. They wonder (and theorize at length about) why you sit in your driveway every night. In the dark. All alone. For 15 minutes."

"That’s a driveway podcast. And it’s what we do."

"You see, we believe podcasts should be cinematic. Like movies for your ears. A magical collision of storytelling and sound."

The show perfectly explains its thematic premise: "The road to success is littered with speed bumps. Every celebrated actor, writer, musician, artist, inventor and entrepreneur has faced debilitating career rejection on their journey to the top. We tell their fascinating stories and break down exactly how they achieved their remarkable goals. Because hidden inside each rejection is a unique insight. And we’re here to find it. "

The Rejection Podcast hosts are Sidney O'Reilly and Terry O'Reilly. Sidney O'Reilly serves as a primary writer and host, while Terry O'Reilly is an executive producer and co-host of the series.

Some of my favorite episodes include the September 2024 show Rejecting Still Alice. Still Alice the book, sold 1M copies worldwide – a national bestseller. Still Alice the movie, sold $45M worth of tickets at the box office – and won an Academy Award. But back when neuroscientist Lisa Genova first penned the novel, it was rejected by 100 book agents. She was told no one would read a book about Alzheimer’s Disease, that the subject was too depressing, and that neuroscientists shouldn’t write fiction.

In the December 2023 show, Rejecting The Supremes, the hosts told us: "Last week, we told the story of EGOT winner Jennifer Hudson. Hudson put the O in EGOT when she won the Oscar for her role as Effie White in Dreamgirls. It’s said Dreamgirls is based on the story of The Supremes – Deena as Diana Ross, Effie as Florence Ballard. And in researching that episode, we discovered it wasn’t just Jennifer Hudson who had a rejection story – The Supremes had a fascinating journey of their own. So, join us this week as we discover how the glamour girls of Motown went from the “No-Hit Supremes” to the female group with the most #1 songs in history on the Billboard Hot 100."

Check out We Regret To Inform You: The Rejection Podcast. It has a unique premise with superb hosts who understand the value of superior narration.