The word “no” doesn’t hold much weight in my world. To me, it doesn’t signal a dead end; it’s an opportunity to explore further.

During my time as a police officer on the streets of Miami, I witnessed firsthand the chaos caused by crooked moving companies. Families would get hit with bills two to three times higher than expected once their belongings were loaded onto trucks. As a cop, there was nothing I could do to help these people. So I took another route. And that’s how my company, Good Greek, came to be.

I didn’t have any formal training in the moving business. But what I did have was confidence and a knack for turning “no” into “yes.” By adhering to the Good Greek principles of faith, honor, strength and courage, we’ve become leaders in cleaning up the moving industry’s reputation. In fact, we were recently honored with the National Mover of the Year award from the American Trucking Association. But let me tell you, none of this happened by chance. It’s because I refuse to accept “no” as an answer. When people told me a cop couldn’t run a business, I didn’t let that deter me. I simply tuned out the negativity and pushed forward.

Recently, I took another leap of faith into the real estate world. Good Greek has now become the world’s only total relocation solution. Not only do we handle your move, but we can also assist with buying a home, insurance, mortgages and more — all under one roof. This idea stemmed from observing the high failure rate among real estate agents (an alarming 87% within five years).

Through eXp Realty, my team offers leads, training and coaching to address this issue. We’re even offering franchise opportunities for Good Greek, and there’s always room for more agents. I’m telling you all this because this is yet another example of how I didn’t take “no” for an answer. Are there people who say I shouldn’t get into real estate? Sure. Are there people who might tell you the same? Or anything else that sounds like a “no?”

Here are my top tips for handling rejection:

1. No is not always no

It’s not always a full stop. Sometimes it just means … not yet. Sometimes it’s yes, but at another time. Don’t stop when you hear that dreaded word. Just remember the old saying, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.”

2. Pivot

Be flexible. I thought I would be a cop my whole life, but I pivoted, and it’s my biggest success yet. You have more control over outcomes than you think, but you just have to be open to different ways around the “no.” Life doesn’t always go as planned, but flexibility is key to navigating around obstacles.

3. Learn to say the word “no”

We’ve talked a lot about hearing the word “no,” but embrace SAYING “no” — and be confident when you do so. As an entrepreneur, you’ll need to prioritize and sometimes decline opportunities to focus on what truly matters. Be intentional with everything you do. Remember that what you say no to allows what you can say yes to.

I hope these tips resonate with you. The Good Greek website, greekmoving.com, is always there as a resource, and I’m more than happy to offer advice to aspiring entrepreneurs anytime. Just drop me a line at spero@goodgreek.com. Remember, the only limits that exist are the ones you impose on yourself.

Spero Georgedakis is the owner of Good Greek, a moving and storage company that has branched into real estate sales and services. He started as a police officer in Miami and has built his South Florida company into a multimillion-dollar operation.