Interview with Daymond John Aka “The Shark”
2014/08/17 10:01 AM
I am really excited to share this private interview I did with Daymond John, aka “The Shark”. God this man is smart!! In case you are wondering……..Daymond is the creator of the hugely successful multi-billion dollar men’s line FUBU and the star of Shark Tank – the ABC TV show!! You know…. the one that inventors come on and try to get investors! I really was impressed at his transparency and how he speaks so candidly about his failures and successes. He generously shares his wisdom and insights into how a company is born, how branding works and the importance of a brand. He also shares some inside scoop about investments he has made (and some that failed) and what it takes to find an investor. His mother was a huge inspiration to him and gave him a mantra he still lives by today. “It takes the same energy to think small as it does to think big”
Check out his book, THE BRAND WITHIN: HOW WE BRAND OURSELVES FROM BIRTH TO THE BOARDROOM! This book is a roadmap to growing a successful brand. You can find it on his website DaymondJohn.com. Follow him on twitter and Instagram.
There are 22 comments
Hi Sarah,
I wanted to let you know that your interview with Daymond John was one of the best interviews I’ve heard in a very long time. I actualy sat at my desk, listened and didn’t toe tap for 45 minutes. You did a spectacular job asking the right pointed questions and Daymond’s transparency and honesty was quite astounding. He is a real person who hasn’t lost his compassion. In my experience, a lot of successful people who reach “that” pinnacle blab only about how wonderful they are but forget where they came from and what’s it’s like to be in the trenches. The wonderful thing about your country is the ability to be an entrepreneur and be respected for it. In Canada unfortunately, it’s quite a different story. We are not looked upon as a favourable group and if they can make it hard for us, they do.
Best Regards,
Joanna Wiseberg
Thank you Sarah for the great interview with Daymond John. I loved his insight and candid conversation with you about his own experiences. He offers a lot of really practical advice and I couldn’t agree more with him about branding and the importance of selling yourself and not just your product. I look forward to reading more about how to accomplish this in his upcoming book!
Sheena Edwards
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Hello Sarah – excellent interview with Daymond. What a nice guy too. Very down to earth.
What I liked most was his candor at admitting its not always pretty in business, especially with partners; when to walk away; when to come back and the strength of belief in a product or brand.
I hope you get a follow up interview after, I am sure, the success of his new book coming out. I will be getting it myself.
Jeanne Koesters
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Wow! What an excellent interview! Full of insight and inspiration! I will listen to it several times! Thank you for your thoughtful and unassuming interview style — your really asked Daymond about the things I wanted to know! And he was wonderful! I’m not sure what I expected when this interview came across my Twitter account but I am certainly thankful for it!!
Thank you thank you thank you!
Ellen Lumpkin Brown
Yes, he’s smart. Surprised? What’s impressive is that he had many “disadvantages” and still made it big!
This interview was very inspiring! I love his tenacity to move forward despite so many obstacles in his life.
Thank you Sarah for the interview. I would love to hear more stories like his.
Valuation ~ what a reality check !
Looking forward to reading ‘The Brand Within’ ~ Daymond John
Thanks again for another informative interview.
Valuation ~ what a reality check !
Looking forward to reading ‘The Brand Within’ ~ Daymond John
Thanks again for another informative interview.
Great nuggets if information. Love the point: See a need and fill it. Also loved: There are no setbacks, only experiences. Good Stuff!
I first heard of Daymond John because of the show Shark Tank. When I watched the show my first thought was he is very cocky and has a blank look on his face. haha. Little did I know listening to him through interviews like this one and on TV he is a completely different and down to earth person than my first impression. I like the fact that he can admit his failures and he learned from them. His stories are inspiring and motivational. And he likes to teach and help fellow entrepreneurs. Great interview! Love Daymond!!
Star Le says: Thanks for this interview! My favorite thing was the fact that Daymond shared about starting his company up a few times. Great reminder to never stop pursuing your vision!
One of my favorite interviews ever!! I love how Daymond John with all his mega success is one of the most humble entrepreneurs around. His talk about having a sense of paranoia really resonated with me in a profound way. I feel that it’s a level of thinking that helps me keep things in check.
Wonderful interview. I hope you have him back!
This is such wonderful information, even for a non-entrepreneurial poet like myself. Thanks.
I received much value from the interview with Daymond. Overall, I think the most insight received was that the word “partner” can be a huge benefit – something I have shyed away from until today.
I loved this interview Sarah! Daymond John is such an honest, cool – and charismatic entrepreneuer. I enjoyed his wonderful gems of business wisdom – I’d love to read his book!
Thanks!
~ Lee
Michelle says: Fantastic interview. Thanks for bringing Daymond John’s insight and experience to us.
sharon says: your mom sounds like a great inspiration, remember her this mothers day, i bet you remember her everyday,contined success,
The Shark Tank info was especially useful about how you present yourself as soon as you walk up and setting realistic valuations of your company.
susan says: just followed daymond john. how are you getting these great peeps? awesome sarah!!!
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I listened to the interview and I must say that it really helped me refocus and not worry. I’m going through that “should I keep workin’ the 9-5 thing or concentrate on my project more” faze. I heard Damon talk about his struggles before everything came together and I could totally relate. And even though I read his book and other entrepreneur’s books in the past, I still needed to hear that earlier. I put in a lot of work and feel like, “I’M READY TO GET TO SEE THE FRUITS OF MY LABOR.” I’m glad that I’ve discovered your site and had a chance to hear the interview, because I’ve been reminded again that it’s all part of the process.
Thanks!