How to Turn Your REJECTED Ideas into SUCCESSFUL Ideas

Phil Cooke

‘How to Turn Your REJECTED Ideas into SUCCESSFUL Ideas’ blog post was posted with permission from the author Phil Cooke.


If you’re creative, you’re bound to have boxes of rejected ideas. It’s been said that the key to better ideas is to have lots of ideas, so you have to go through a lot of rejects to find the gold.

But that doesn’t mean you toss those rejected ideas.

This is where the computer changed everything for me. Instead of boxes of rejected ideas and plans written on the backs of napkins, brochures, in notebooks, legal pads, and everything else, I can now easily keep and organize everything I create – whether it’s used or not.


I call it the “dead file” and although clients may have killed them, it doesn’t mean their life is over. Now, when a new project comes along, I just scan through the file of ideas that might not have worked for a previous project but could be perfect for right now.

Save yourself some trouble. Armed with a dead file, you don’t have to start everything from scratch.

So start a dead file of your own, stop getting frustrated, and never toss anything creative. I learned early in my career that ideas one client may hate are ideas other clients will pay a great deal for today.  


‘How to Turn Your REJECTED Ideas into SUCCESSFUL Ideas’ blog post was posted with permission from the author Phil Cooke.

About Phil Cooke

Media Producer / Writer / Speaker / Coach

Helping leaders navigate their career and calling in today’s distracted, media driven culture.

Phil Cooke works at the intersection of faith, media, and culture, and he’s pretty rare – a working producer in Hollywood with a Ph.D. in Theology. His client list includes studios and networks like Walt Disney, Dreamworks, and USA Network, as well as major Christian organizations from Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyer, The Museum of the Bible, The Salvation Army, The YouVersion Bible app, and many more.

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