Comedian KevOnStage Talks ‘Successful Failure’ And Turning Setbacks Into Strategy At ESSENCE Fest 2025

Kevin Fredericks, better known as KevOnStage, delivered a clear message on the ESSENCE Authors stage: True success isn’t about avoiding failure — it’s about owning it and letting it fuel your next move.

“I think it’s important to let people know, even me, who is successful, I fail often. I failed this week, last week, last month,” he said to a packed room during the Essence Festival of Culture 2025 in New Orleans.

The NAACP Image Award-winning comedian and New York Times best-selling author, in conversation with ESSENCE Senior Entertainment Editor Okla Jones, carried that honesty into a preview of his upcoming book, Successful Failure: Lessons Learned Flat on My Face. Seamlessly linking personal setbacks to broader industry challenges, Fredericks described being scammed out of $200,000 and underpaid in Hollywood — pulling back the curtain on what success really looks like, especially for a Black man navigating the entertainment industry.

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“I wrote about this in my book. I didn’t find out that my counterpart at my job at All Def was making, like, over $100,000 more than me and doing infinitely less work,” he said. “I was doing his job times three.”

That hard lesson fueled his commitment to hiring and advocating for Black talent in front of and behind the camera — even when other Black producers told him they weren’t “the most qualified.”

His response? “White boys ain’t more qualified. And they mess up and they get forgiven time and time again because their boys look out for them. So they be trash. Black people are 10 times better because they know we don’t get no second chance.”

Fredericks made it clear: The playing field was never level, and real change requires going the extra mile.

“Go on a Black camera board. See Black DPs. They have Facebook groups,” he said. “Go the extra step because we don’t know how long we’ll be in this position.”

Throughout it all, Fredericks remained grounded in faith, family and humor — even in his most difficult moments. After sharing how he was scammed out of $200,000 by someone he tried to help, he explained that he didn’t let the experience derail his mission.

“I hired a Black woman the next time,” he said.

For Fredericks, being funny isn’t just about laughs — it’s about legacy.

“A great book can tell a story forever,” he said, adding that he hopes Successful Failure will live on long after the last post fades from a feed.

He also left some wisdom for aspiring creators and a reminder that social media algorithms are not a reflection of talent.

“The success or failure of your video is not reflective of your talent,” he said. “You gotta try. Trying does not equal success. The try is the success. The result is the result.”

Whether onstage, online or on the page, Fredericks left attendees with one clear message: It’s not about avoiding failure — it’s about owning it and using it to fuel your next move.

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