By Andrew Woods
Before you read: The audacious ask
What if the opportunity you’re waiting for is the one you’re already considering?
Registration for EVOLVE 2026 closes on November 13, and if you’ve been debating whether to attend, Andrew Woods’ article offers a timely perspective on the opportunities we miss when we answer “no” on our own behalf. Before you talk yourself out of it, take a few minutes to read his thoughts on entrepreneurship, opportunity, and the power of the ask.
When was the last time you wanted something but didn’t ask for it? Maybe it was a meeting with a potential client, a promotion, an introduction, or an idea you wanted support with. You thought about asking, even rehearsed the conversation in your head, and then decided against it. I’ve done it. We all do it. Usually, we have a perfectly good explanation: “The timing isn’t right.” “They’re too busy.” “They probably won’t be interested.” “I’ll ask next week.”
The funny thing is that nobody has said no except us. I started thinking about this years ago as a professor of entrepreneurship. My students were studying business cases, and we’d spend time discussing why a founder had made a particular decision. One day, I remember thinking, “Why are we sitting here guessing? Why don’t we just ask them?” So, I did. I started contacting some of the founders featured in the textbooks we were using and asking if they would join our class via Zoom. I thought I’d be lucky if any of them replied. More than half said yes.
My students were amazed. “You can do that?” Of course you can. But their reaction stayed with me because most of us get pretty good at deciding what other people will say before we give them a chance to say it.
There is some interesting research behind this. Cornell University professor Vanessa Bohns reviewed studies involving more than 14,000 requests and found people underestimated the likelihood of someone agreeing to a request by an average of 48 per cent.
Think about how that might play out in our own lives. How many potential yeses are we turning into a no without realizing it?
I eventually started challenging my students to make an ask every week. One student took me very seriously. He wanted to drive for Uber but didn’t have a car, so he asked me to lease one for him. I said no. The next week he came to class with an Excel spreadsheet. Payment dates, repayment schedule, interest, the whole thing. I still said no, but I loved the fact that he asked again. He didn’t decide what my answer was going to be. He let me do that.
There is a lesson in that for all of us. An ask can only go a few ways. Someone can say yes. They can say no. Or they can come back with some version of a counteroffer. A no isn’t much fun, but at least you know. A counteroffer gives you something to talk about. And occasionally, somebody says yes.
Think of one thing you’ve wanted to ask for but have been talking yourself out of. Give the other person the opportunity to answer for themselves. Then ask yourself: What did I ask for this week?
An audacious ask for yourself
After reading Andrew’s article, here’s one final challenge: don’t be the person who says no on your own behalf.
The next opportunity, insight, connection, or career breakthrough often begins with a simple decision to show up. If you’ve been considering Evolve 2026, this is your sign to stop wondering and start registering.
Join Andrew Woods and a lineup of thought leaders at Evolve 2026 on November 17 for a day of ideas, inspiration, and practical insights designed to help you navigate what’s next.
Registration closes on November 13.
You can also catch Andrew presenting on soft skills in the age of AI, at his post-conference workshop on December 1: Soft Skills in the Age of AI: Six Critical Human Skills for Accounting Professionals.
