The CEO of Atlantic Records says he decided to bet on himself and start his own company after 'hearing "no" — again and again'

The CEO of Atlantic Music Group had immoderate proposal for caller graduates of Boston's Northeastern University: don't springiness up erstwhile you're told "no."

Elliot Grainge, the lad of Universal Music Group CEO Lucian Grainge, gave a commencement code astatine the assemblage connected Sunday.

He told the graduates he'd learned the powerfulness of resilience erstwhile helium faced rejection.

"I'm present to archer you the 2 top things radical person said to me: 'That's impossible' and 'no,'" Grainge said.

He graduated from Northeastern successful 2016. During his clip astatine the university, helium started 2 businesses helium was "certain would beryllium monolithic successes." One was a promotion company, the different was a unrecorded euphony series.

"These companies made maine a full of antagonistic $3,500," Grainge said.

He didn't that the failures to bosom and remained determined to marque it successful the euphony industry aft graduation.

After leaving Northeastern Grainge said helium tried to person euphony execs that the artists helium was listening to connected SoundCloud were going to beryllium big.

After "hearing 'no' — again and again" helium said helium started his ain institution called 10K Projects.

"I heard these things truthful galore times, yet I thought: screw it. I'll effort and rise immoderate money, and effort to motion 1 oregon 2 of these artists, and motorboat my ain label," Grainge said.

"That company, 10K Projects, was calved from proceeding 'no' — again and again. I stake connected myself. I stake connected the artists I believed in. And I was right, not always, but I was close much often than I was wrong."

10K Projects has since signed artists including Trippie Redd, 6ix9ine, Aitch, and Ice Spice.

Ice Spice astatine the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscars after-party. Taylor Hill/Getty Images

"Looking back, if conscionable 1 of those individuals had said yes, oregon adjacent offered maine a job, I astir apt wouldn't beryllium lasting present contiguous successful beforehand of you guys," Grainge said. "It was proceeding 'no' that drove maine to travel my gut and physique thing of my own."

Grainge encouraged the graduates to clasp their failures due to the fact that each of his ain had taught him a invaluable lesson.

"Success isn't 1 monolithic leap," helium said. "It's small wins, a 1000 setbacks, immoderate detours, and eventually, a doorway opens."

Grainge was appointed CEO of Atlantic Music Group astatine Warner Music successful 2024, overseeing Atlantic Records and 300 Elektra Entertainment.

Warner is 1 of the world's largest euphony groups, on with Universal and Sony.

Commenters connected a Northeastern subreddit noted that Grainge's begetter is simply a subordinate of the university's committee of trustees. Elliot Grainge joined Sofia Richie, the daughter of vocalist Lionel Richie, successful 2023.