Kentucky Fried Chicken is the most popular chicken chain of all time, with 25,000 locations in 145 countries. But before the world first tasted Colonel Sanders’ secret recipe of 11 different herbs and spices, the Colonel was broke. At 65. Driving around the South pitching his recipe to restaurant owners and weathering over 1000 rejections. Then he got some truly unbelievable news.

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When RENT premiered in 1996, it became a runaway smash hit. The venue sold out for months on end, lines stretched around the block, "Rentheads" pitched tents in order to secure rush tickets, celebrities were photographed under the marquee. But, what many people didn’t know was that over the previous 15 years, writer and composer Jonathan Larson faced nothing but rejection. He wrote several plays that never saw the light of day, told his work was unfocused or too ambitious. Then a number of Larson’s friends were diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.

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Chrissy Metz is Kate Pearson. No, really. When the script for This Is Us crossed her desk, she couldn’t believe the similarities. Naturally, she was cast and the series became a runaway smash hit - catapulting Metz to stardom and an Emmy nomination. But before landing the role, Metz was an agent in Hollywood watching her clients land part after part while she struggled to make rent. She was rejected for auditions based on her body type, unless, of course, her body type was the butt of the joke. Then she heard about open auditions for American Idol.

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You voted, we posted. We asked you, our listeners, which episode you think new WRTIY listeners should hear first. And, we have to say, we fully stand by your choice. For our mid-season encore episode, we bring you the story of the incomparable Amanda Gorman:

Overnight, Amanda Gorman became a household name. She is the youngest inaugural poet in American history, a National Youth Poet Laureate and a New York Times best-selling author. But before her Instagram following jumped from 3000 to 3,000,000, Gorman faced rejection and struggled with a debilitating speech impediment. Join us this week as we tell her inspiring story, from bullies and skeptics to Capitol Hill.

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Rolling Stone named South Park one of the greatest television shows of all time. The animated series has earned four Emmys and a cult-following, catapulting its creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, to billionaire status. But 25 years ago, South Park was rejected. Told by executives it was too crude, too controversial and no adult would ever watch a TV show about children. Then Comedy Central called.

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Misty Copeland made history as the first Black female principal dancer with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre. But along her incredible journey to the front of the stage, Copeland was told she had the wrong body for ballet. That she was too curvy, too short, too old, that her skin colour ruined the “aesthetic." Join us this week as we tell Copeland’s story — from sleeping on the floor of a motel room to becoming one of Time Magazine’s Most Influential People.

Major sources for this episode are listed in the Show Notes here.

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In Part Two of Rejecting Rocky Bleier, Bleier visits his old coach at Notre Dame who gives him some upsetting news. The Steelers have a changing of the guard. And the team that drafted Bleier for his heart, gets to see it in action.

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Rocky Bleier is a four-time Super Bowl champion. In his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he rushed nearly 4000 yards and scored 30 touchdowns. But just a decade earlier, Bleier was drafted in the 16th round, to a bad team, given no playing time. Then, the day he thought he was about to get cut, he was drafted to serve in the Vietnam War.

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The global online dating market is expected to reach $11B USD by 2028. With websites like Match.com and eHarmony and apps like Tinder and Hinge, today’s singles have the world at their fingertips. But back when Hinge was in its infancy, founder Justin McLeod was rejected by investors - then users, then the Apple App Store, then Vanity Fair magazine - before becoming one of the leading dating apps in North America. Today, it's the most-mentioned dating app in the New York Times wedding section.

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Cyndi Lauper has sold over 50 million records worldwide. She’s a singer, songwriter and activist whose first album She’s So Unusual landed her on the list of top female debut artists of all time. But before going six-times certified platinum, Lauper was ridiculed for her eclectic look and fired from bands time after time. She was broke, working at a vintage store and skipping dinner every other night. Then came the WWE.

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