John, Daymond
ABOUT
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TESTIMONIALS
About Daymond John
A young entrepreneur, an industry pioneer, a highly regarded marketing expert, and a man who has surpassed new heights of commercial and financial success are just a few ways people have described Daymond John. Over the last 20 years, Daymond has evolved from one of the most successful fashion icons of his generation to one of the most sought after branding experts, business, and motivational speakers in the country.
Daymond’s creative vision and strong knowledge of the marketplace helped him create one of the most iconic fashion brands in recent years. FUBU, standing for “For Us By Us”, represented a lifestyle that was neglected by other clothing companies. Realizing this need in the marketplace, Daymond created the untapped urban apparel space and laid the groundwork for other companies to compete in this newly established market.
Daymond grew up in the community of Hollis, Queens, quickly becoming known as the birthplace of the new genre of music called Hip-Hop, with acts like RUN DMC and Salt-N-Peppa rapidly making names for themselves. Being surrounded in this influential neighborhood helped spur the inspiration for his clothing line that would ultimately change the fashion world.
His first foray into the apparel market came when he wanted a tie-top hat he had seen in a popular music video but could not find one for a good price. With the sewing skills he had learned from his mother, Daymond started making the hats for himself and his friends. Realizing he was on to something, Daymond made a sizeable order of the tie-top hats, sold them on the streets of Queens one day, and made $800 in just a few hours. There was a buzz about Daymond’s products that simply could not be ignored.
Based on that early success, Daymond recruited some of his neighborhood friends and FUBU was born. They created a distinctive logo and began sewing the FUBU logo on all sorts of apparel, including hockey jerseys, sweatshirts and t-shirts. The brand hit a tipping point when Daymond convinced Hollis native and Hip-Hop superstar, LL Cool J, to wear FUBU for a promotional campaign. This was the catalyst behind the entire Hip-Hop community supporting the new brand and instantly giving it credibility. In need of start-up capital to keep up with demand, Daymond and his mother mortgaged the home they collectively owned for $100,000. Soon, the home was turned into a makeshift factory and office space.
FUBU gained even more nationwide exposure when Daymond and his partners traveled to the industry trade show Magic in Las Vegas. Despite not being able to afford a booth at the event, the FUBU team showed buyers the distinctively cut, vibrantly colored sportswear in their hotel room. The company came back to Queens with over $300,000 worth of orders. FUBU soon had a contract with the New York City-based department store chain Macy’s, and it began expanding its line to include jeans and outerwear. A distribution deal with Korean electronics manufacturer Samsung allowed their designs to be manufactured and delivered on a massive scale. With the brand transcending into the mainstream markets, FUBU recorded annual sales of $350 million, placing it in the same stratosphere as designer sportswear labels such as Donna Karan New York and Tommy Hilfiger.
In 2009, John joined the cast of the ABC entrepreneurial business show, Shark Tank, produced by acclaimed TV producer Mark Burnett. As one of the “Sharks”, Daymond and four other prominent executives listen to business pitches from everyday people hoping to launch their company or product to new heights. Investing his own money in every project, Daymond becomes partners with the entrepreneurs helping turn their dreams into a reality. Millions of viewers tune into the show as Daymond demonstrates his marketing prowess and entrepreneurial insights.
Due to the increasing amount of requests from major companies, Shark Branding was formed to provide companies with the marketing insights that have made Daymond’s companies successful over the years. The firm consults companies on innovative strategies to connect with their consumers more effectively by associating with the world’s most influential celebrities, musicians, and personalities. Whether it’s activating a celebrity endorsement or integrating product in a music video, companies rely on Shark Branding to utilize Daymond’s contacts and relationships to produce real results and sales.
Daymond entered the literary world with his first book Display of Power: How FUBU Changed A World Of Fashion, Branding And Lifestyle which tells the story of his awe inspiring journey and provides a roadmap for those who aspire to succeed in business and in life. Daymond followed up his with his second book, The Brand Within: How We Brand Ourselves, From Birth To The Boardroom, which examines the loyal relationships companies seek to establish with the public by attaching celebrities to their brands and the instantaneous impulses consumers exhibit when purchasing a product. Drawing on his cutting edge experiences in the fashion business, as well as his hard-won insights developed as a sought-after marketing consultant to trendsetters and tastemakers, the author argues that branding relationships have now seeped into every aspect of our lives.
In recognition of his contributions to fashion and the face of American business, Daymond has been celebrated with some of the most prestigious awards including: Brandweek Marketer of the Year, the Advertising Age Marketing 1000 Award for Outstanding Ad Campaign, Crain’s Business of New York Forty Under Forty Award, and Ernst & Young’s New York Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
5 Shark Points for Success
From FUBU to Shark Tank and countless ventures in between, Daymond John’s phenomenal entrepreneurial journey has spanned more than 25 years. In this dynamic presentation, Daymond breaks down the core tenets of his success, which he has distilled into tangible takeaways that he calls his five S.H.A.R.K. points. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, intra-preneur, student, corporate employee or executive, this talk will inspire you, as it has thousands of people around the world, to reconsider your approach to making positive changes in your life. Each presentation is customized, with the most frequently requested sub themes being: Sales, Branding, Entrepreneurship, Corporate, College Students, and Diversity.
Goals/Motivation
In this keynote, presented in his charismatic style, The Shark, Daymond John, takes audience members on an inspiring, emotional rollercoaster ride. They’ll hear, first-hand, how a man, with no formal business training whatsoever, went from driving cabs and waiting tables at Red Lobster to creating a global fashion empire with retail sales exceeding four billion dollars to date, and a starring role on ABC’s hit reality business show, Shark Tank. Daymond entertains and awes audience members with true-life tales of his incredible successes and numerous failures. Equally important, however, he motivates, inspires, and teaches them how to set and go after their own goals with newfound focus and determination.
Audience members will be galvanized as they realize they have been setting goals for themselves all of their lives – whether they realized it or not! What’s more, to their surprise, many attendees will learn that the goals they have been setting have been self-destructive.
Unlike some “motivational speakers”, rather than spitting-out tiresome “I can make it, so can you” clichés, Daymond shares the exact goal-setting strategies that he attributes to his success and teaches audience members how to incorporate them into their endeavors. This keynote will challenge attendees to exercise their brains in a way that cultivates a positive, goal-setting mindset.
Branding/Marketing
When William Shakespeare said, “All the world’s a stage”, he was indirectly talking about branding! This informative keynote is like nothing else on the market. Sure, there are other speakers that may explain how to market and brand a product, but how many explain, step-by-step, how to brand yourself and transfer that power into your job, company or product? Did you realize that you’re a brand? According to The Shark, you were branded the day you were born and continuously every second since!
In this keynote, The Shark, Daymond John, gives audience members in-depth insight into how your personal brand affects all aspects of your life. Not only will attendees learn the importance of branding, Daymond will reveal some of the tricks that helped him expand his brand into dozens of countries around the globe. The techniques shared can be applied to personal branding as well as to the branding of products and concepts.
Corporations love employees with a strong sense of branding because it inspires out-of-the-box thinking, creating an infectious energy that flows throughout the work environment. It’s no secret that the world has gotten smaller. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Foursquare, and dozens of other social websites have increased the desire for people to be noticed as a brand, let The Shark, Daymond John, show you how.
Negotiation Strategies for Women
Women – You have more power than you may think! Although The Shark, Daymond John, is one of the most recognized negotiators on network television, and has conducted hundreds of negotiations with both men and women throughout his twenty years in business, he never planned on speaking on negotiation strategies for women; that is, until California First Lady, Maria Shriver, called upon him to speak on this very topic for her annual Women’s Conference.
Feeling a bit out of his realm and comfort zone, The Shark, Daymond John, decided to immerse himself in research to find out what, if any, differences existed between how men and women tend to negotiate with each other. In this keynote, Daymond shares what he discovered in his research and personal experiences over the years. His findings will have audience members sitting up and taking notes! According to The Shark, not only do women have several distinct advantages over men when negotiating – in both professional and personal settings, but quite a few disadvantages as well.
Daymond will share specific techniques on how to respond to today’s negotiation challenges. Not only will this keynote leave every attendee feeling empowered, more confident, and ready to tackle the world, they will have lots of fun and laughs in the process.
Testimonials
“Daymond John was a phenomenal speaker to have at the 2010 Women’s Conference hosted by California Governor Schwarzenegger and First Lady Maria Shriver. Daymond’s keynote address on how to negotiate effectively at work and at home received overwhelming praise from conference attendees. Daymond John is a fantastic speaker that will be an asset to any event. Daymond is an especially good fit for a business or corporate team, enhancing important communication skills. I give my enthusiastic recommendation for Daymond’s participation in events like these.” [Read More]
– Tamara Torlakson, Program and Speaker Manager, The Women’s Conference
“As the founder and CEO of the Early Stage East Venture Capital Conference, one of the largest on the East Coast, I have had the opportunity to host several keynote speakers since its inception in 1998. Daymond John is clearly one of the best! Daymond has an innate ability and powerful presence that invites every attendee to turn off their cell phones…because they don’t want to miss a word. Each attendee feels Daymond is speaking to them one on one. He infuses lessons, humor, insight and experience into his keynotes unlike anyone else we have hosted. ”
– David Freschman, Founder & CEO of Early Stage East Venture Capital
“Our entrepreneurs left the training thoroughly motivated by his example to achieve their own flavor of success.”
– Rha Goddess, Founder & CEO
“It is rare in American commerce when you encounter a self-made and self-invented individual such as Daymond John. Aside from his apparent and inspiring success story, as well as his keen eye for spotting trends and talent, Daymond brings to bear a personalized style and hard-earned insights that imbue value into his relationships, involvements and initiatives.”
– Rob Snyder, Chairman of the Board & Chief Executive Officer of Stream Energy
“The Babson College community is still buzzing about Daymond John! As the #1 school in entrepreneurship education, we expect guest speakers to give us practical and actionable advice on how to be a successful entrepreneur. Daymond John reset the bar!” … I highly recommend Daymond John to be speaker or guest lecturer in any academic institution. He is selfless, caring, intelligent and down-to-earth — a true role model for all students today!”
– Elizabeth R. Thornton, Chief Diversity Officer, Lecturer in Entrepreneurship of Babson College
“Now that the event is behind us, I am proud to report that I have received numerous notes of appreciation from sponsors, participants,….You were the perfect choice for our Master of Ceremonies and we appreciate your infectious enthusiasm for your work and your support of entrepreneurs.”
– Joshua E. Aaron, President Business Technology Partners, Inc., Planning Committee Member, Entrepreneurs Organization of New York