The anchor of NBC Nightly News, Lester Holt, is pretty much America’s most trusted advisor (pretty much!).

So why the heck did NBC once pass on him?

In this week’s edition of US Weekly’s 25 Questions, Lester revealed that “In 1979, I was rejected for a job at NBC’s flagship radio station, WNBC. I got a letter saying I wasn’t what they were looking for. I still smile every time I look at it.”

Of course, he then landed a gig at CBS’s NYC affiliate in 1981 before coming back to the peacock network in 2001, eventually becoming an anchor in 2015.

Never let failure keep you from climbing, folks!