ABC Shark gives advice for entrepreneurial success
Daymond John, business mogul and cast member of the ABC series “Shark Tank", spoke Wednesday night to a packed audience at Finch Fieldhouse.
John’s talk covered his experience in the world of entrepreneurship—specifically how he went from working as a server at Red Lobster, to founding his clothing company, FUBU, that went on to make billions of dollars in sales.
“I’m here to hopefully inspire you through my story,” John said. “I’m going to stand up here and brag, but I’m going to brag about my failures.”
With the assistance of his DJ, John painted a vivid picture of his formative years, growing up during the emergence of Hip-Hop, in its birthplace of New York. John described how the growth of Hip-Hop music translated into the creation of Hip-Hop culture, which made the success of FUBU possible.
Audience member and Central Michigan University freshman Ryan Preciado said he was moved my John's success.
“Tonight really opened my eyes to the world of entrepreneurship,” Preciado said. “I’m definitely going to have to reconsider my path.”
Reminiscing on a 1984 Run-D.M.C. concert he was present at, John recalled looking into the crowd of 30,000 and seeing every single person wearing the “uniform of Hip-Hop.”
“Who sent out the memo?” asked John. “There was a disruption going on in the market, things were shifting, and people weren't paying attention to this massive shift, because it was starting as a spark.”
John spoke about the impact that night had on him, specifically the moment the rap group took the stage, observing the reaction of the crowd as the group began performing their hit, “Run’s House”.
“It was that moment that I decided that no matter what, I was going to live, die, and prosper this world of hip-hop,” said John.
John went on to describe the inception of his clothing company, FUBU and the many setbacks he encountered throughout the process.
His company pioneered the mainstream sale of fashion geared specifically towards Hip-Hop culture. At the time of FUBU's success, it was one of few brands creating clothing specifically for this demographic.
When John finished talking about his personal rise to success with FUBU, he spoke about his experience on the ABC series, “Shark Tank”.
“We invest in people,” John said. “Remember, you are the brand.”
John said people “pitching” themselves in a way that will be well received by others, especially through social media, is very important.
He described a time when a potential employee lost their chances of getting hired by him when a Facebook search returned many tasteless photographs and statuses.
“You are pitching every minute of your life,” John said. “People often, ninety percent of the time, are wrong when they pitch.”
As the crowd of students, faculty, and community members cleared Finch Fieldhouse, it was clear John had left his mark on campus.
“I thought it was inspirational,” said marketing professor, Samuel Spralls. “The people who hadn’t thought about being an entrepreneur would at least consider being an entrepreneur as opposed to just earning a paycheck.”
