What Do Oprah, Chip & Joanna Gaines, and Howard Schultz Have in Common? They All Said No

Entrepreneurs generally like to say yes, and that is why I love tonight’s different sort of story. it is about the power of no.

Chip and Joanna Gaines were finally winning.

After years of flipping homes, raising kids, and running a tiny store in Waco, Texas, their HGTV show Fixer Upper had become a hit, a big hit. The kind of hit where their names were everywhere. Money was flowing.

And of course, network execs came calling with a long-term deal.

But something did not feel right. The contract would have meant fame, but not ownership in the content, the direction, the show.

But even so, most people would have taken the big payday and said yes.

The Power of No

Chip and Joanna said no.

And that changed everything.

Instead of locking themselves into a network-controlled show, they kept the rights to their Magnolia brand.

And that made all the difference. Yes, it was tough at first, but eventually, and before too long, they were able to begin to strike their own deals:

• They launched a product line with Target

• Then they created a Magnolia a hotel

• And then a Magnolia magazine, a real estate business, and eventually their own TV network.

As a result, they were not just on TV, they owned the platform, the brand. Why? Because they said no to the deal everyone else would have taken. And that no became their yes.

No is the New Yes

The Gaineses were not the only ones.

Oprah Winfrey said no to traditional syndication contracts and insisted on the ownership of her old show, The Oprah Winfrey Show. She built Harpo Studios to own and produce it and kept the rights to her show, licensing it to the networks.

That single move changed the economics of daytime TV forever.

Howard Schultz said no to the original Starbucks founders, who only wanted to sell beans and coffee machines. He wanted to create a “third place” that sold drinks and experiences. So he said no, bought them out, and built a global brand.

James Dyson failed making his cyclonic vacuum cleaner more than 5,000 times. He had every reason to(5,00 of them!) to finally say yes when it finally worked and a deal came along.

But he also said no to early licensing deals that would have given up ownership of his technology.

He held out and now runs a multibillion-dollar empire. Still private. Still his.

Yes, “No” is a risk. But sometimes no is the breakthrough.

The Takeaway

Great entrepreneurs are not just great at saying yes. They are great at knowing when to say no. They say no to bad deals. No to giving up control. No to short-term comfort in favor of long-term ownership.

The power of no is not about being difficult. It is about knowing what you want to build, and being willing to walk away from anything that cheapens it.

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Steal This Strategy

🎥 Video – The Real Reason Why Chip And Joanna Gaines Quit Fixer Upper
CNBC breaks down why they left the show at its peak and what they built instead.

🎥 Video – Oprah interviews Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz
Schultz opens up about his values, his childhood, and what led him to buy Starbucks and say no to the founders’ original vision.

🌐 Website – History of Dyson
Dyson’s Wikipedia company history. Scroll through to see how he refused to license out early and stayed in control.

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About Steve

Steve Strauss is the best-selling author of The Small Business Bible (and 17 other books), Inc.’s small business columnist, a lawyer (non-practicing), and an entrepreneur. He sold his last venture, TheSelfEmployed.com to Mark Cuban & Zen Business. Need a ghostwriter or a newsletter for your business? Contact Steve!