Tools for Success with Daymond John

Marlborough’s Pushing Perspectives series—the student-driven speaker series that brings thought-provoking guests to campus—recently welcomed one of the biggest names in entrepreneurship to speak with students. On March 10, Career Compass Club hosted Daymond John, founder and CEO of the iconic FUBU brand and a mainstay investor on ABC’s Shark Tank. Mr. John brought his vast expertise to a discussion moderated by Mila B. ’27, the leader of the Career Compass Club. The conversation centered on his keys to success, his early days developing and building his brand, and candid advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

The insightful talk provided students with essential tools and inspiration for their own endeavors. Read on for key takeaways from this exciting conversation:

Mila B. ’27 (MB): Being such a successful person and being where you are today, what keeps you motivated, growing, and expanding after such continued, lasting success? 

Daymond John (DJ): When I was sixteen years old I read a book called Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill; I think I’ve read it 23 times to this day. The book shows you the ability to read your goals every night before you go to bed and read them every morning before you get out of bed. So I set goals for myself with expiration dates—some expire in six months, some expire in two years, five years, and so on—and I read them every night before I go to bed and every morning when I wake up. I reset those goals every six months and I don’t hit all my goals because I set them so big. I realized a long time ago that if you don't set goals for yourself, you will let other people set goals for you. My goals range from faith and family to health and money and how I can be a better contributor to society.

MB: If you were starting out as a teenager today with social media and all the technologies that we have, what would you do first and how would you utilize those resources?

DJ: The fundamentals of business are still the same as when I started out, when we didn’t have cell phones. There are only two things you’re going to do as a person who operates a business or provides a service—you’re either going to solve a problem or bring somebody joy. And if you bring somebody joy, you’re going to solve a problem. You have to be of service, and true entrepreneurs, they don’t have the biggest visions in the world, they just know that today they’re going to do a better job for their customer than they did yesterday and to be of value and of service. Today, I would say you have to be authentic and that no matter what, product is key. Of course, students in the room know something that many of the adults don't know. Whatnot and TikTok Shop are by far going to take over the entire way that we do business in the next five years. It’s what we call ‘QVC in the pocket.’ We touch our phone 250 times a day. But today, I would still say, no matter what, the product is king. Whatever you make of a product, you have to make the best you can to serve your audience. Then you have to find a group that wants it, and then you have to convert that sale. 

MB: When you're interviewing people pitching [on Shark Tank] and you’re meeting all these young entrepreneurs, what are some qualities that impress you the most? 

DJ: The best qualities in young entrepreneurs, in any entrepreneur, is that they're there to learn, they have an open mind, they have a firm belief on where they want to go, but they're okay being flexible about the path to get there. They don't think that you're there to solve their problems or be a crutch. They tell you the story like the train is leaving the station with or without you. They want you on the train, but if you're not on the train, it's still leaving the station. They have a confidence about them and they're telling you a story. I think those are the most powerful qualities.

MB: When you think about your lasting legacy, what impact do you hope your story has on young people or people listening today?

DJ: When people see me on Shark Tank, they realize that I didn’t come from money. I don’t have a famous last name and nothing was given to me. Whenever they feel that they’ve been discounted, whether because of their gender, their color, their creed, social status—that if I can make it being dyslexic, left back in school, grew up with a single mother, grew up pretty poor—that I think anybody can do it. I’m a true American dream.

Editor’s Note: Responses have been edited for length and clarity.