Success doesn’t kill insecurity—even billionaires and Oscar-winners beg for feedback between takes, MasterClass CEO says

However, although they come from vastly different worlds, they all share one powerful trait: a constant desire to improve. That’s at least according to David Rogier, CEO of MasterClass — an online education platform valued at $2.75 billion in 2021, where celebrities and industry leaders teach everything from cooking and acting to entrepreneurship and content creation.

Rogier said that regardless of net worth or accolades, the most successful people on his platform strive for feedback — and they’re not shy about asking for it.

“I thought when you’re on top of the game, maybe you’re not, but like every one of our coaches, every time the camera cuts, ask: What went well? What didn’t go well? What could be improved? Even people who have been MVPs, All-Stars, and won Oscars, Emmys, and Grammy Awards still ask for feedback and feedback,” Rogier said. luck.

The list of MasterClass celebrity instructors includes names like Mark Cuban, Richard Branson, Stephen Curry, Kris Jenner, and Samuel L. Jackson – all known for success in vastly different fields. But when it comes to growth, Rogier says, they’re all the same: “I was shocked not only by how hard these people work, but by how eager they are for feedback.”

Throughout their careers, Rogier added that high achievers often share one superpower that is more important than ever: the ability to learn quickly.

“Your ability to learn things quickly is now probably the most important skill,” the 42-year-old said.

Be comfortable with not knowing something

From a distance, emulating the success of household names may seem like a daunting task. But Rogier, a Los Angeles native who later earned an MBA from Stanford University, insists it’s not as complicated as it seems — as long as you’re willing to step out of your comfort zone.

“When you don’t know something, it’s scary. You’ll be judged for it for the first time,” Rogier said. “But in this process, you have to train yourself. It’s also like self-confidence, and actually, when I don’t know something, I take that discomfort and chase it.”

This willingness to embrace the unknown often separates those who reach the summit from those who plateau along the way, Rogier said. British race car driver Lewis Hamilton, one of the most popular MasterClass instructors, puts it this way: If the path to success was easy, someone else would have already done it.

“If you get on an exercise bike, and you get it in first gear – and you get no resistance, no feedback, it’s easy – you’re not challenging yourself,” Hamilton said in his MasterClass. “I think you have to set goals and objectives where you can almost think, ‘Oh my God, this isn’t possible. How will I get there?

For Hamilton, identifying challenges — even when they seem out of reach — has helped advance his career path. At the age of 10, he reportedly wanted to become a Formula 1 driver. By 21, he had become the sport’s youngest champion, and has since earned his place among the greatest drivers of all time.