​Anyone Can Succeed: Daymond John

By Ne-Yo Marrero
 
Growing up, I didn't see many successful people, especially African American people that I've grown up with or Hispanic people. This month as we all know is Black History Month. I would love to show an example of black excellence through someone who is in the field that I'm interested in.
 
I'm interested in starting my own clothing business and becoming as successful as I can for me and my future family. One story of success is Daymond John. “He is an African American businessman, investor, and television personality.  John was born February 23, 1969, in Brooklyn, New York City, but grew up in the Hollis neighborhood of Queens and attended Catholic school for seven years,” according to Wikipedia. John started a company called FUBU in his mother’s house in Queens. It is a clothing company and his mother taught him how to sew along the way and supported him and his business and allowed it to grow in her own home. “Wool ski hats with their tops tied off with fishing line were popular at the time, and John noticed them being sold for $20, which he considered overpriced. He went home and sewed about 90 hats with his next-door neighbor. They sold their homemade hats for $10 each on the corner of Jamaica Avenue and made $800 in a single day in 1992,” states Wikipedia.  John began to continue his work. He would help put things into his business in between his work-shift. Eventually he and his partners received $300,000 in retailer orders. His mother helped advertise him in the New York Times and since then he grew as a businessman. He was on Shark Tank where he helped other entrepreneurs start their business and become just as successful as him. If you want to read more about Daymond John, I recommend you go to his website daymondjohn.com.