How did he do it?
Daymond John, the CEO and founder of FUBO transformed what began as $40 worth of fabric into a celebrated global lifestyle brand with more than $6 billion in sales. How did he do it? Through never-before-told stories from his life and career, Daymond shares the powershifts that got him to where he is today: from how he remade his public image from clothing mogul to television personality; to how he mastered the negotiation strategies that determine whether deals are won or lost “in the tank,” to his secrets for building long-lasting—and profitable—relationships with founders and brands. Known as “The People’s Shark,” Daymond is among the country’s most visible and respected entrepreneurs as one of the stars of the ABC series Shark Tank.
Being a fashion enthusiast myself, I became interested to learn more about Daymond’s story of where he started out and how he shifted his career to new levels of success. I purchased books authored by Daymond and began to read. I thought at first I would be soaking up business terms or avenues for pursuing entrepreneurial growth, and while there is every opportunity for such and more through the pages of his writings, little did I realize how deeply I would connect with the stories he shares of his trials and strategies of life and success. His experiences are very relatable.
Mentorship
Daymond is a New York Times bestselling author of several books including The Power of Broke and Rise and Grind, both of which I chose as my introduction to his mentorship. I am privileged to say that what began as sifting through the insight in his books has shifted to a new level. I have the opportunity as a Powershift brand ambassador to participate in a private Facebook group with several incredible entrepreneurs. We each contribute our talents, ideas and creativity as well as encouragement. We collaborate, network and support each other in our careers as we shift to new levels in professional and personal endeavors. All of us greatly appreciate the positive atmosphere and guidance Daymond provides within the group. As Powershift ambassadors, we have received a preliminary copy of the first chapter of his new book which will be available in stores soon. I had to grin as I read this snippet from Daymond's new book Powershift due to release March 10, 2020.
"Even at three years old, she’s figured out— mostly through trial and error and some foot stomping— that if she picks a strategy, then follows a certain sequence of steps, she can almost always get her way," says Daymond in speaking of his daughter Minka.
I thought, "Here he is." The CEO of The Shark Group, a premier consulting firm whose clients range from Fortune 500 companies to new media businesses to celebrities, is sitting across the table with his own darling daughter, caught up in negotiations. "Now how will this end up?" I pondered. We all know as parents, kids are pretty good with persuasion.
Passion
"Let me tell you about the powershift and how I’ve come to embrace the concept behind it," says Daymond. "Early on, back when I was starting FUBU out of my mother’s house in Hollis, Queens, it was all about making things happen without any money. That’s the “power of broke”—a power I tapped at an early age, and I still reach for it today." Daymond shares how the steps of achieving our goals begins deep within. It is a mindset we choose to embrace, and strategies we choose to implement. Whether we are three years old or 93, success begins with the concept we believe in, and why. It then transitions to new levels as we learn how to implement strategies such as the influence we hold, the negotiations we encounter, and the relationships we develop.
Work & Determination:
"Let’s face it, far too many people simply take what they’re given, even though we’re wired in ways that can bring us so much more. We allow ourselves to be carried by whatever wave or moving sidewalk we happen to be on, and it’s easy to feel like we’re just along for the ride," says Daymond.
Embrace Challenges
One of Daymond’s most notable accomplishments is his continued fight against dyslexia. He has worked with the Yale Center for Dyslexia, and he currently sits on the advisory board of Understood.org. Powershift will take you on Daymond's personal journey of how he navigated through the beginning stages of his career, facing family hardships, business challenges and even personal struggles as he faced the reality of cancer along with his continual challenge with dyslexia. You will witness first hand the mental strategies, the focus, and the tools he chose to implement along the way in attaining the position he is in today. His stance of overcoming the odds of cancer, improving relations, attaining professional success to a level beyond most, are inspiring and should I say, aspiring. Daymond did not and does not choose to sit back and say "I can’t," nor does he "just go along for the ride.” Daymond chooses to embrace challenges which in turn has leveraged his career. Daymond is a notable author and a highly sought after public speaker around the world.
Rise Above
We can certainly learn from one who has catapulted his career past meager beginnings and life challenges, and who now works with brands and celebrities to create additional revenue streams and brand extensions of their own; some of his clients include Pitbull and the Miss Universe Organization. Daymond is also a brand ambassador for the e-commerce company Shopify.
In Daymond's words, "There’s an extra gear to our motors that most people never even find. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking to partner with an investor to grow your business, angling to leverage your experience and network for a big promotion, pulling out all the stops trying to convince your kid to go to bed . . . the fundamentals are all the same. The ingredients are all there. We just need to recognize them and put them to work for us."
If you are interested to learn more how to go from point A to point B in turning your goals into a reality of true successes, be they professional or personal, I encourage you to preorder Powershift and learn from Daymond "what it takes to find the power in the room, in any situation, and to put it to use in a meaningful and lasting way." You will find as you read through Daymond’s words, how personable he is. The real life stories he shares about his young daughter, and her own games of power and negotiations, as well as his mother and her mentorship and influence on his career and life. His stories are very relatable, and will inspire you to dig deeper into the person sitting next to you everyday.
Choose Success
Daymond shares a quote by Bruce Lee as an introduction to Powershift, and I find it the perfect statement to leave you for thought. "If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.”
To the person who has a goal in mind but hasn’t been able to reach it . . .
To the person who wants more for their friends and family . . .
To the person who doesn’t listen to the haters who tell them their goals are crazy or unachievable . . .
To the person who doesn’t wait for things to happen to them but who makes things happen . . .
To the person who feels lost...probably more often than they’d like to admit it . . .
This book is for you.”
Be Limitless
If you find yourself thinking through the connections you have, and the challenges or opportunities you face, whether they be in your career or personal endeavors, may you choose to learn new strategies, powershift forward, and be limitless in your ventures.
<3 m
