A self – made man is one who believes in perseverance more but also has faith in his luck and this holds true for the versatile and multi-talented Daymond John. Born on 23rd February 1969, Daymond started working at a very young age to add to the family’s livelihood. In high school, he alternated between his studies and working a full-time job. After graduation Daymond worked at a computer service van and waited tables at a restaurant to make ends meet.
John and his mother mortgaged their house to generate the capital for a collaborative start-up company called FUBU. They started by selling hats and printed T-shirts but with time turned into a full-time clothing range for young men. They also started lending their products to the young rappers to promote their clothing line and it started to gain deserved recognition.
Despite being a small company, stores started to request their lines owing to its popularity amongst the young adult population and they soon began getting more orders. Despite all this, the struggle did not come to an end, as Daymond was turned down by 27 banks for loans and had to take out another mortgage on their home for the production costs. After a long ordeal of problems and hardships, the FUBU took off to one of the popular brands with a turnover of millions of dollars.
Daymond John appeared in the star-cast of Shark Tank, a reality business show being involved with them for a long long time and investing a lot of his own personal fortune into it too. He invested in Bubba’s-Q Boneless Ribs and mentored a 15-year-old Moziah “Mo” Bridges of Mo’S Bows.
Currently, he is the CEO of The Shark Group, a writer, a motivational speaker, and the face for the e-commerce site Shopify. He has had four books published under his signature namely, Display of Power, The Brand Within, The Power of Broke, and Rise and Grind.
John has been awarded several accolades throughout his life including NAACP Entrepreneur of the Year, the Brandeis University International Business School’s Asper Award for Excellence in Global Entrepreneurship, and the Congressional Achievement Award for Entrepreneurship. He is a well-known philanthropist and has helped many in building their own lives. He also has a program called Next Level Success through which he offers scholarships to a couple of children each year, serving as an icon for young aspiring entrepreneurs.
Daymond John in a true sense has dreamt and fulfilled his American dream by making it big despite all the setbacks he had faced all through his life. He is an excellent of the fruits that are borne out of success indeed are made of one’s sweat, blood, and courage.
