For years, Kevin Olusola stood on some of the world's biggest stages.
As the Grammy Award-winning beatboxer for Pentatonix, he had achieved what millions of people only dream about—Grammy Awards, platinum albums, sold-out world tours and worldwide recognition.
But after reaching the pinnacle of success, he discovered something millions of people never expect: success alone could never satisfy the deepest longing of his heart.
On this episode of K-LOVE's God Stories, Olusola and his friend, co-author and podcast co-host Donovan D. Donnell shared how two very different life journeys led them to the same conclusion: true success isn't measured by awards, influence or accomplishments, but by a life surrendered to God. Their friendship and shared experiences inspired their new book, Designed to Succeed: A Faith-Driven Blueprint to Building the Life You Were Created to Live.
To hear Crystal Thornton's complete conversation with Kevin Olusola and Donovan D. Donnell, listen to the full God Stories podcast below.
When Success Doesn't Satisfy
Olusola vividly remembers the emotional high of winning Pentatonix's first Grammy Award.
"I thought this was going to fulfill everything that I wanted. I made it, right?" he recalled.
Instead, within days, the excitement faded.
"I finally realized that the success of the world can't give me that... I wanted God's version of success, not what the world could give me."
That realization forced him to ask a difficult question:
"If success doesn't satisfy the soul, what does?"
He discovered the answer only after surrendering his definition of success to God.
A More Expensive Version of the Same Problem
Throughout the interview, both men challenged the world's definition of achievement.
Olusola offered one of the conversation's most memorable insights.
"Every version of success that you build without God is just a more expensive version of the problem you've been trying to solve."
Instead of striving for validation through accomplishments, he says God taught him to walk at God's pace rather than the world's pressure.
"I'm not striving anymore," Olusola said. "I'm striding."
That shift has allowed him to pursue excellence while remaining fully present as a husband and father.
God Changed Everything During the Pause
Ironically, it wasn't a career milestone that changed Olusola's life.
It was the sudden pause brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
After nearly a decade of nonstop touring, the unexpected slowdown exposed how much of his identity had become tied to performance.
The birth of his daughter brought even deeper conviction.
A coach asked him a life-changing question:
"Is the way you think about success the way you want to teach your daughter?"
"I don't want her to feel like she has to do something to have value. I want her to know she's expressing what God put inside of her."
"I'm Not What I Do"
Today, Olusola says his identity no longer comes from awards or accomplishments.
One statement captured the heart of his transformation.
"I'm not what I do. I am who I am because I serve the I AM."
He compared God's unconditional love to the love he has for his young daughter.
She didn't earn his love.
She simply belongs to him.
Likewise, he says believers don't have to earn God's acceptance.
"We're already loved."
While Olusola's journey centered on redefining success after achieving worldwide fame, Donnell's path to Christ began from a very different place.
Although their stories couldn't be more different, both men discovered that true success is found only in surrendering their lives to God.
From Searching to Surrender
Donnell's testimony is equally remarkable.
Before becoming a leadership coach and Bible teacher, he worked as a male exotic dancer while wrestling with his faith.
Many judged him for continuing to attend church.
Ironically, one of his coworkers, a Muslim friend, told him to stop going to church until he got his life together.
Instead, Donnell began attending church even more faithfully.
"Perfection was never the goal. It was the direction of God's presence."
Rather than condemning him, God patiently transformed his heart.
The Basement That Became Holy Ground
After leaving the club, Donnell lost nearly everything.
His apartment.
His income.
Even his truck.
Eventually, he found himself sleeping in the basement of his grandfather's church on an air mattress that wouldn't stay inflated.
Standing in front of a mirror one day, he sensed God speaking directly to his heart.
"You'll never know what's within until you have to live without."
Looking back, Donnell now sees that season not as punishment, but as preparation.
"God needed me in that pit," he said.
"He wasn't punishing me. He was preparing me."
The Real Cost of Success
Donnell also challenged listeners to examine the hidden cost behind worldly achievement.
He introduced what he calls life's profit margin.
"Your profit is what remains after you deduct what it cost you to get it."
Social media often showcases the rewards of success while hiding its true cost: broken marriages, strained families, declining health and empty souls.
A successful life, he argues, cannot simply be measured by what someone gains, but also by what they sacrificed to get there.
God's Formula for Success
The authors summarize their message with a simple equation featured throughout their new book:
Success = Alignment + Development × Faith
First comes alignment with God's purpose.
Then comes the process of spiritual development.
Faith is the multiplier.
"God wants you to be more successful than you want to be... it just may not look like what you thought it would."
Begin With Relationship
For anyone feeling lost or uncertain about God's direction, both men offered the same starting point.
Slow down.
Spend time with Him.
Donnell encouraged listeners to reclaim the biblical practice of Sabbath—not merely as a day off, but as intentional time with the Father.
"No relationship grows without time spent," he said.
Olusola added that God promises to generously give wisdom to those who seek Him, reminding listeners that the Creator knows exactly why He designed them.
A Story That Points Back to God
Although Kevin Olusola and Donovan D. Donnell come from vastly different backgrounds, they believe their friendship is evidence of God's transforming power.
One became an internationally recognized musician.
The other walked away from a life many assumed would define him forever.
Yet both discovered the same truth.
Success isn't measured by fame, fortune or influence.
It's found in becoming the person God created us to be and faithfully following Him wherever He leads.
As Donnell put it:
"You are perfectly made for what you've been called to do. God can do amazing things with a surrendered heart."
Their stories remind us that God's definition of success isn't measured by applause, achievements or titles. It's found in surrendering our lives to Christ and trusting Him to lead us into the purpose He created us to fulfill.
To learn more about Kevin Olusola, Donovan D. Donnell, and their book, Designed to Succeed: A Faith-Driven Blueprint to Building the Life You Were Created to Live, visit DesignedToSucceedBook.com.