- Kevin Hart, the world’s highest-paid comic in 2024, says a key to success is studying to embrace rejection and failure. In an interview with Fortune, the entertainer and entrepreneur mirrored on the instances the place he was informed “no” in his profession, and the way he used that as a instrument to develop.
Kevin Hart is aware of a factor or two about success. He has over 177 million followers on Instagram. His leisure firm, Hartbeat, was valued at $650 million final 12 months. And in accordance with Forbes, Kevin Hart made $81 million in 2024, making him the world’s highest-paid comic—in addition to the third-highest paid entertainer, pulling in additional than Hollywood icons like Brad Pitt and George Clooney.
In an interview with Fortune, Hart mentioned a key purpose behind his success is his capacity to study from his failures—and to “embrace” rejection.
Regardless of Hart’s many hits on the field workplace—movies the place he is a number one actor have grossed over $1.08 billion worldwide; that quantity exceeds $3.6 billion for those who embrace his supporting roles—his highway to success was marked by a number of notable rejections.
“I can not slender it down to 1,” Hart informed Fortune. “Not stepping into comedy golf equipment early on in my profession. Not getting chosen for comedy festivals early on in my profession. Not getting film roles that I believed had been excellent roles for me. Not getting SNL after I thought SNL was the most important and neatest thing for me.”
“There are such a lot of issues that, if they might have occurred, my profession would not have formed up into what it’s right this moment,” he added.
He is not alone. Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon was rejected twice by the agency earlier than main it to greater than $50 billion in income. The Scrub Daddy sponge was initially snubbed earlier than changing into a large success. And astronaut Mike Massimino was turned down by NASA 3 times earlier than making it to area.
Turning rejection into success
Hart mentioned it may be tough to see the large image in these moments the place you are informed “no,” however down the road, “you later uncover these moments had been among the greatest for you, that made you’re employed tougher,” Hart mentioned.
The 45-year-old Philadelphia native mentioned it is vital to imagine rejection could be an “asset”—a instrument to inspire you, but additionally to drive you to adapt.
“With out it, you do not have something to study from or something to regulate to,” he mentioned. “If issues had been simple, it might be silly. It is imagined to be laborious. You are supposed to grasp that the rationale for laborious work and placing 100% right into a craft is due to what you wish to get out from it.”
Hart mentioned not getting every part you need will make you need these issues much more.
“As an individual that has skilled rejection on so many ranges, I embrace it,” he mentioned. “To at the present time, every part does not go the way in which I would like. However simply because one roadmap did not work, it does not imply you possibly can’t create one other. And that is the place I discover probably the most pleasure within the enterprise that I am working in right this moment.”
Learn extra from Fortune‘s interview with Kevin Hart:
- Kevin Hart says there’s one factor nonetheless price splurging on on this unsure financial system, no matter earnings degree
- Kevin Hart explains why recipients of his $10,000 grants will even obtain AI coaching: ‘The practice is coming quick—both you’re on it, or get out of the way in which’
This story was initially featured on Fortune.com
