“I sold my company, retired, and now I pay money to feel like a beginner again.”
It sounds ridiculous until you realize this is exactly what most successful people stop doing – and why they eventually plateau.
Once a year, I travel to Folsom, California and go to a five-day drum camp hosted by Mike Johnston – one of the most gifted, passionate educators in the drumming world (and a really nice human being, too). Eight drummers. One house. Zero hiding. It’s brutal. It’s 5 days of humble pie. Also, it’s one of the most rewarding and growth-packed things I do all year.
This isn’t some jam-band vacation. It’s five days of nonstop failure – botched fills, seemingly impossible independence drills, and the kind of caring feedback that makes you question whether you’ve ever touched a drum before. And I keep going back.
Why do I do it?
Because this is the environment I wish more CEOs, founders, and leaders forced themselves into.
Let me explain.
Lesson 1: If You’re Not Sucking, You’re Not Growing
Most leaders unconsciously build lives that protect them from ever feeling like a novice again. They surround themselves with validation, avoid discomfort, and outsource difficulty.
At drum camp, there’s nowhere to hide. You’re on the kit in front of everyone, botching bar after bar of some advanced ghost note groove while the others cheer you on for surviving 10 seconds in tempo.
And then come the nightly sheds – the most terrifying part. You get on stage, pick a song you’ve likely never heard, and have to drum along live in front of eight other drummers and a livestream of the global drumming community. No rehearsals. No do-overs. Just you, the music, and the sound of your confidence evaporating in real-time.
It’s not about playing well – it’s about daring to suck.
Founder takeaway: If you can’t name the last time you were visibly incompetent at something that mattered to you, you’re stagnating. Adapt and grow, or die like the dinosaurs.
Lesson 2: Tiny Wins Deserve Applause
You watch Mike demonstrate a groove or fill – fluid, effortless, almost meditative – and think, “Okay, I’ve got this.” Then you sit down to play it and your limbs betray you, your timing collapses, and for a second you forget how to breathe.
When someone finally nails it, the room erupts. Not because it was perfect. But because it was progress.
Most companies obsess over moonshots and ignore the micro-victories that actually build momentum. At camp, the culture flips that completely. Every inch forward gets noticed. Every attempt earns respect.
Founder takeaway: Start treating 1% gains like they matter – because they do. Applaud your team’s smallest wins like they’re a Grammy nomination.
Lesson 3: You Need Environments That Push (and Protect) You
Drum camp works because it’s structured, safe, and unforgiving at the same time. There’s no judgment, but Mike doesn’t sugarcoat. It’s a place built for voluntary struggle with built-in support.
Most leaders either live in environments that are too soft (nobody challenges them) or too sharp (political, performative, and unsafe). Neither encourages real growth.
Founder takeaway: Design your environment with intent. Create friction, but pair it with applied and psychological safety.
Lesson 4: Camaraderie Accelerates Growth
The fastest accelerators at camp aren’t necessarily the most talented. They’re the ones most open to peer support, to feedback, to pushing each other with zero ego.
I’ve seen the same in boardrooms and startups. When the right group dynamics are in place, people move faster because they’re not afraid to fail in front of each other.
Founder takeaway: If your team isn’t hyping each other’s growth, your culture’s broken.
Final Thought: Growth Is a Skill, Not a Stage
I’m not going to become a professional drummer. That’s not the point. I go to drum camp to remember how to learn (and have a boatload of fun with really cool people). To practice being bad at something. To put myself back in the mindset of “I don’t know how – yet.”
It’s easy to coast once you’ve had a few wins. Easy to tell yourself that challenge is for the young and hungry. But mastery is a lifelong practice. The moment you think you’re done, you’re already decaying.
Suck. Struggle. Repeat.
That’s where the real growth lives. And I’m here for it.
🔧 What This Means For You
You don’t have to be a drummer to make sense of this:
- Identify one thing that makes you feel like a beginner – and run toward it.
- Build feedback-rich environments where failure is normalized, not punished.
- Ditch the solo grind. Surround yourself with peers who cheer your effort, not just your outcomes.
- If you’re too comfortable, you’re probably falling behind.
🧭 What This Has to Do With CEO Coaching
The same mindset I bring to drum camp is what I bring to my coaching clients:
Blunt honesty, relentless feedback, and a no-bullshit environment built for growth.
I don’t coddle founders, I challenge them. I help them design better environments, make sharper decisions, and show up like leaders who are still learning – because the best ones always are.
Whether you’re scaling your company, preparing for exit, or rebuilding after burnout – what you really need is a space that stretches you.
I’ve built that. You can join it – if you’re ready.
Image © 2025 Mike Johnston
