One upon a time a homeless man named John Paul DeJoria made a decision to rock the world of beauty with his own line of products and revolutionary hair styling techniques. Many doors were shut, but he kept plugging away, and even found himself homeless at one point. But he refused to give in to other’s perceptions of his business design and model. It was that simple – along with many years of hard work. He believed in himself and his product.
It’s one of those rags to riches stories, but his business wasn’t exactly built on lucky breaks. Dejoria will tell you it was determination, passion and a philosophy to treat others as he wished to be treated. His motto: "Success unshared is failure." Current contributions address AIDS, the environment and poverty.
This way of doing business eventually paid off for DeJoria who is the Co-Founder and CEO of John Paul Mitchell Systems and . He was the guest on The Big Idea hosted by Donny Deutsch on CNBC last night. (Disclaimer: I do work for CNBC as an independent contractor)
I’m not a big fan of television programming unless it’s bent toward news, workplace issues or a particular guest on Oprah. But I can now officially say that along with John Stewart, Donny Deutsch’s The Big Idea really gets my juices flowing. The maverick CEO of the multi-billion dollar advertising and media business of the same name – interviews those who have climbed, and sometimes in fact catapulted, from your “average Joe” to successful entrepreneurs.
Deutsch often invites "unknowns" to appear on his show to share their stories, challenges and strategies with his viewers. Every show is a different cast of characters. Although I might not relate to the business of these guests, I can relate to their spirit. Donny targets great people whose scenarios are alive with passion and I’m almost never disappointed.
There’s always a nugget of wisdom. In the case of Dejoria there were quite a few (albeit simple) which I felt compelled to share with those of us who are looking for that golden ticket genuinely blending passion and fulfilling work – with a successful bottom line.
DeJoria’s tips (paraphrased):
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Do things the way that unsuccessful people wouldn’t do them. In other words knock on every door, even when they get shut in your face.
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Stay enthusiastic, even when that door shuts. Every new door presents a new potential opportunity.
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Find work you love to do and attack it with passion. It may take years to get the ball rolling, but when you hit that magic moment, it comes with a knowing to move forward.
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Talk to people with connection. Look your prospective clients right in the eye and tell then exactly what you will do for them.
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Use any tricks of the trade you can implement. Let people know you are an established business and are actively taking clients.
Just a few pearls for this blog. For more on social entrepreneurship check out the WorkLife Monitor Podcasts on JudyMartinSpeaks.com.
