"Hi Andrea. My apologies." 

That's how the response started after I had followed up and still hadn't heard back. (Turns out there was a death in the family and then other stuff came up. I get it, life is complicated, right?)

You reach out.
You wait.
Crickets.

So… is not hearing back a "no?"

Some people say that it is. They’ll tell you, “No response is the response.”

But here’s what we've learned: Silence is not the same as a clear no.

It could mean:
- No, not now.
- No, I’m buried in other priorities.
- No, but maybe later.
- Or yes… but your message got lost in the chaos of inbox madness.

The real question is:
What are you going to do next?

You can assume the door is closed…
Or you can knock again, politely, professionally, and persistently.

Because in a world of noise, people don’t always almost never respond the first time.
Sometimes, the magic is in the follow-up.

Keep showing up.
Keep asking.
Keep believing that your YES might still be just one more try away.