Be Remarkable - On "saying NO"

We often think success comes from saying yes! Yes to opportunities, yes to requests, yes to whatever lands on our desk. But the real power often lies in the word NO. Saying no creates space for more thinking, focus, clarity, and authority. It’s not rejection - it’s a boundary that protects your energy and amplifies the value of every yes that follows. In fact, some of the most remarkable communicators and leaders are defined not by what they agree to, but by what they confidently decline. Also saying no to the occasional request doesn’t half put more space in the diary!

be remarkable (presentations)

Your audience didn’t come to hear your compromises, your waffling, your unpreparedness. They came for clarity.

“No” is your scalpel! It's not a sledgehammer, instead it carves away the noise and reveals the story that matters. If you've worked with me before you'll know it's the "so what" moment I often throw at you! Every casual “Yes” is like letting weeds grow in your garden. Attention gets choked and your point is buried. Say “No” with precision, confidence, and a little cheeky attitude, and suddenly your presentation doesn’t just land, it resonates, echoes, and gets remembered.

be remarkable (meetings)

Meetings can so often meander, drag, go nowhere. No one seems to really have the hands on the reins. Everyone's thinking about what they're doing that evening. Then someone says “No.” Not politely, not hesitantly, but decisively.

The noise stops. Eyes focus. Energy sharpens. The meeting finds its pulse. “No” isn’t a rejection. It’s the story’s pivot, the moment everything turns toward what actually matters. Master it, and you don’t just survive meetings, you make them worth showing up for.

be remarkable (in an interview)

Interviews can be a battlefield of questions, expectations, and traps disguised as small talk. Then you say “No.” It's perfect - it's calm, clear and confident. Not rude, but oh so strategic! Suddenly, the conversation bends to your narrative, not theirs. You have more control - you are steering the ship. “No” doesn’t close doors, it does the opposite. It opens the ones that actually matter, where your story shines.

Final thought…

Remarkable communicators don’t say “No” to be difficult, they say it to protect meaning. “No” is how you deliver clarity, maintain attention and force the conversation onto the path that matters. Use it with intent, timing and courage, and you don’t just participate, you take command. In a world full of noise, the rarest and most powerful word is still a well-placed “No.”