Successful Failure

by Kevin Fredericks

Memoir

Humor

Self-Help

304 Pages

"Laugh-out-loud hilarious and surprisingly insightful—Successful Failure turns cringe-worthy moments into wisdom about hustle culture, showing that we're all just out here trying, and that's perfectly okay."

Synopsis

New York Times bestselling author and viral stand-up star Kevin Fredericks (aka KevOnStage) turns his most cringe-worthy moments into comedy gold, sharing how the most embarrassing failures of his life put him on the path to success. As a kid, Kevin noticed something: if he made people laugh, the grown-ups would let him stay up late. In church plays, his commitment to the role of Goliath led to a busted lip, and the audience couldn't get enough. He dreamed of becoming a performer, of finding that first big break that would launch him into pop culture fame. But as he soon found, the road to the life we want is longer, weirder, more embarrassing, and more hilarious than we think. In Successful Failure, the NAACP Image Award-winning comedian recounts hilarious stories and sincere insight from his adventures and misadventures trying to make it in life. From performing under an alias to avoid getting fired from his suit-and-tie day job, to the night when he broke a chair onstage and quit stand-up for six months, to pooping his pants on a bus next to his future wife, to the time he started a clothing line called "Dreams Don't Die" that died when the merch didn't sell—Kev reminds readers that while we might not be The Rock, Warren Buffett, or Kevin Hart, we're all out here trying, and that's okay. A wild ride that's laugh-out-loud funny in one moment and perceptive in the next, Successful Failure is a sendup of our ideals around hustle culture and success.

Our Take

Kevin Fredericks, whose KevOnStage persona has amassed millions of followers across social media platforms, brings his signature comedic timing and disarming honesty to this memoir that subverts traditional success narratives. What sets Successful Failure apart from typical comedian memoirs is Fredericks's willingness to sit in the discomfort of his failures rather than simply mining them for punchlines. Yes, the stories are hilarious—particularly his pants-pooping bus incident that somehow didn't derail his relationship—but they're also vulnerable explorations of what it means to chase dreams while working soul-crushing day jobs, to maintain faith while experiencing rejection, and to define success on your own terms rather than society's. Fredericks writes with the energy of his stand-up performances, creating a conversational tone that makes readers feel like they're hearing these stories directly from a friend. His perspective as a Black comedian navigating predominantly white comedy spaces adds important dimension to familiar stories about grinding it out in entertainment. The book also offers a refreshing critique of hustle culture and the mythology of overnight success, reminding readers that most people's paths involve a lot of stumbling, pivoting, and yes, literal and figurative crap. Fans of Tiffany Haddish's The Last Black Unicorn or Trevor Noah's Born a Crime will appreciate Fredericks's blend of humor and heart. For readers seeking a memoir that's genuinely funny while offering wisdom about persistence, authenticity, and redefining success, Successful Failure delivers exactly what its title promises—proof that failing spectacularly can be the best thing that ever happened to you.