Biography
A success story, an industry leader, a young entrepreneur, a man who has reached and surpassed new heights of commercial and financial success, just a fraction of classifications used to describe Daymond John, CEO and founder of multi-million dollar fashion empire FUBU The Collection. Daymond possesses the capability knowledge, insight and approachable demeanor which allow him to successfully achieve any goals set forth before him, as well as nurture others to do the same.
Changing fashion and the face of American business with FUBU was only the beginning. What started initially with unbridled perseverance and a dream of catering to a market otherwise ignored, quickly transformed into a business venture, and eventual enterprise, worthy of the multitude of accolades and awards it has received. Some such prestigious awards: Brandweek Marketer of the Year (1999), Advertising Age Marketing 1000 Award presented to Daymond for outstanding ad campaign (1999), NAACP Entrepreneurs of the Year award (1999), Crain's Business of Forty Under Forty Award presented to Daymond (2002) and Ernst & Young New York Entrepreneur of the Year award (2003).
Entrepreneur
Daymond John’s climb to the top has been fettered with extreme highs and lows. Yet the fact that he has revolutionized the face of business and entrepreneurship is undeniable.
Many are clueless about the amazing and harrowing story of how Daymond and his three friends – Keith Perrin, J. Alexander Martin, and Carl Brown – went from selling hats out of Daymond’s basement in Hollis, Queens, to building fashion empire with an estimated $400 million turn over. Heralded as "the Godfather of urban fashion," Daymond’s marketing expertise and vision paved the way for many of today’s top-selling apparel businesses.
Since FUBU’s launch in 1992, black business ownership has increased tenfold. Entrepreneurship is now recognized as an MBA concentration at some of America’s top business schools, and the world’s largest corporations have African American senior executives. This may seem Commonplace now, but Daymond’s arrival on the scene stirred a more public presence of minority ownership, while inspiring a new generation of power players, and challenging corporate America to match his $4 billion in retail sales.
Team FUBU is the pioneer of blending clothing and music videos, celebrities and artists in music videos, TV shows and movies long before other major brands thought to do so. From American Express to Lincoln to Hewlett Packard, everybody has jumped on the celebrity endorsement, guerrilla marketing and product placement bandwagon. It was FUBU who first made this strategy mainstream. The black and red logo, the LL Cool J ads, and the "For Us By Us" acronym have all a vital part of popular culture as well as marketing and branding history.
In the past 16 years, FUBU the Collection has consistently been ranked in Crain’s top five list of top selling minority owned businesses in New York City. As of July 2008, FUBU is New York City’s Best selling Black owned enterprise, outselling Sean "Puffy" Combs’ Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment Group by an estimated $70 million in 2006. FUBU is wildly successful overseas with over 60 stores internationally and one of the best selling brands in both France and Korea. The FUBU movement has also infiltrated China where approximately 150 FUBU stores will be opened by the end of 2008. Most recently, Turkey has become the newest country to join the FUBU international family while several stores have opened in Milan, Italy in the last few months.
Author
In 2007, Daymond John expanded his outreach by coining his first book, "Display of Power: How FUBU Changed a World of Fashion, Branding and Lifestyle," which was named one of the ‘Best Business Books’ of 2007 by the Library Journal. Daymond relays the story of his awe inspiring journey and provides a roadmap for those who inspire to succeed not only in business, but in life.
"Display of Power" does a magnificent job of translating this presence and charisma in print, and Daymond gives an honest and unadulterated account of his failures as well as his many triumphs. The book’s personable tone and content make it nearly impossible to finish "Display of Power" and not be inspired or feel tremendous admiration for what this one man endured in the hope of realizing a dream.
In 2009, Daymond will release his second installment of the Display of Power series entitled "Display of Power presents Branding You! You’re Business! You’re Life."
Director
Daymond John can now add director credits to his resume. From collaborating on numerous music videos with international recording artists Akon and Slim Thug, to directing videos for Fat Joe’s "No Drama" and Gucci Man’s "Freaky Gurl." As a fashion mogul, branding expert, author, director and entrepreneur, Daymond John will continue to prove that anything is possible.
Branding Consultant
Daymond’s charisma and knowledge have earned him many appearances on television and news programs, as he is a choice expert on CNBC's Big Idea with Donny Deutsch and MSNBC’s Your Business. His TV credits include appearances on CNBC, CNN, CNNfn, CNBC, BET News, and ABC’s The View, CBS and PBS. He has also been featured in many publications including Crain’s, Black Enterprise, Current Biography, and People to list a few. Daymond has contributed his expertise in several blogs and columns for national publications KING and Hip Hop Weekly along with business website CNBC’s Big Idea with Donny Deutsch. Recently, Daymond began work on a weekly mobile blog entitled "Display of Power: Point of the Week" for UrbanWorld Wireless.
In the world of marketing, Daymond John is known for being a branding genius. Fortune 500 companies flock to him for advice and consultation, so much so that he has formed a branding corporation separate from his apparel businesses. You would think that as the CEO and managing partner of numerous clothing brands, Daymond has enough on his plate, but in 2005 he launched Stealth Branding Corp., a corporation to handle the high demand for his advice on branding and marketing.
In addition, Daymond is an established keynote speaker and workshop leader as he has shared experiences and strategies with audiences of different sizes. His down-to-earth personality and well-rounded business and social expertise spans age groups, ethnicities, genders and a myriad of industries which has made him a sought after speaker.
Motivational Speaker
Daymond’s charisma and knowledge have earned him many appearances on television and news programs, as he is a choice expert on CNBC’s Big Idea with Donny Deutsch and MSNBC’s Your Business. His TV credits include appearances on CNBC, CNN, CNNfn, CNBC, BET News, and ABC’s The View, CBS and PBS. He has also been featured in many publications including Crain’s, Black Enterprise, Current Biography, and People to list a few. Daymond has contributed his expertise in several blogs and columns for national publications KING and Hip Hop Weekly along with business website CNBC’s Big Idea with Donny Deutsch. Recently, Daymond began work on a weekly mobile blog entitled "Display of Power: Point of the Week" for UrbanWorld Wireless.
In the world of marketing, Daymond John is known for being a branding genius. Fortune 500 companies flock to him for advice and consultation, so much so that he has formed a branding corporation separate from his apparel businesses. You would think that as the CEO and managing partner of numerous clothing brands, Daymond has enough on his plate, but in 2005 he launched Stealth Branding Corp., a corporation to handle the high demand for his advice on branding and marketing.
In addition, Daymond is an established keynote speaker and workshop leader as he has shared experiences and strategies with audiences of different sizes. His down-to-earth personality and well-rounded business and social expertise spans age groups, ethnicities, genders and a myriad of industries which has made him a sought after speaker.
