Storytelling for these times
LOCAL AUTHORS CREATE ONLINE RESOURCES FOR CONFINED FAMILIES
Matthew Dicks doesn’t want families to look back on 2020 as just the year of COVID-19. “I want them to look back at this as the time when we got to spend a lot of time together,” says the author and teacher, who lives in Newington. Dicks is also the parent of two school-aged children, so he knows how hard it is for parents to find ways to keep their children, and themselves, entertained.
So to help, Dicks — whose books include the novels “Twentyone Truths About Love” and “Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend” — is running regular storytelling workshops online, encouraging people to find the stories within their own lives. Before the virus took off, he planned to do live, in-person workshops.
When those got canceled, Dicks saw a way to help those struggling during this crisis and began offering them as Facebook live
You’re home perfecting your social distancing skills, so you decide to watch ABC’s Emmy Awardwinning series, “Shark Tank.” Turns out it’s an episode in which multiple investors want to get in on the business that’s been pitched.
They offer money connected with a dizzying array of conditions from profit-sharing percentages to payback periods, but it happens so fast, you can barely recall what each investor said. Then they announce, we need your answer NOW.
Have you ever wondered how those folks who pitched ideas are able to decide on a deal so quickly? We have; that’s why we asked cast member Daymond John to share what goes on behind the scenes.
“Something that most viewers don’t think about is how long some of these pitches can last,” John said. “I’ve been through pitches that have gone on for several hours while the entrepreneurs talk to their partners, lawyers, etc… so while the audience only sees the edited version, we don’t restrict how long it will take to get a deal done.”
But it’s not just about the money for this best-selling author and celebrity entrepreneur, who started his urban apparel line, FUBU (“For Us, By Us”), in his mother’s basement. He’s also a motivational speaker and philanthropist. He’s a man who made his own fortune, who feels he’s learned a lot in his 51 years, and who wants to share those life lessons.
That’s part of why he’s written multiple books, including one that came out this month. We talked to him about his approach to life.
Q: You’ve been working since you were 10 and know what it takes to build a successful business from the ground up (thanks in part to your mom teaching you to sew). On TV you’re known as “The People’s Shark” for your down-to-earth, human touch. What was that first job as a kid?
A: My first job was selling pencils in the first grade. I collected pencils from around the school, scratched off the markings, wrote a girl’s name on it, and then sold it to the boys, so they could give them to the girls! I was reporting 100% profits (until the school shut me down).
Q: How do you stay so humble after all of your successes; why is it important to you?
A: I stay humble because that’s how I feel at this point in my career. In the ’90s when FUBU was a massive global brand and I was enjoying major success for the first time, I wasn’t so humble. But I did all of that — I lived that life for a long time. But as we get older our priorities shift, and my focus is on helping the people around me versus helping myself. I’m already successful — I’m doing “Shark Tank” and writing books and doing over 100 speaking events per year so that I can share what I’ve learned with audiences. And truthfully, I relate to a lot of these young entrepreneurs that I meet at events or that come on the show. It’s more about sharing success than competing for it the way I once did.
Q: Your new book is called “Powershift: Transform Any
Note: Daymond John’s March 30 appearance at The Ridgefield Playhouse has been postponed. Tickets can be used for John’s show when it is resheduled, or exchanged for a different show. Call 203-438-5795 or visit ridgefieldplayhouse.org
Situation, Close Any Deal, and Achieve Any Outcome.” Learning such skills — the kind that help people get things moving — is vital/useful for everyday life, not just business. Can you share something about this book, how it’s different from your others?
A: My previous books have primarily focused on business, and how to find success in that arena. The purpose of this book as you mentioned, is to help people “get things moving” and to embrace the changes that confront us in our daily and professional lives.
Q: Looking back on your experiences, can you tell us about a time when you had an “ah-ha! moment,” or something happened that made you realize your life would never be the same again?
A: Seeing Run from Run-DMC commanding the stage at a concert when I was young. Run told the crowd to hold up their Adidas sneakers and wave them in the air. When I saw what looked like a sea of thousands of sneakers waving, I realized how powerful the hip-hop industry could become.
Q: You’re known for being generous with your time (helping budding entrepreneurs), and your philanthropy, including investing in companies that give back. Bombas Socks is among them. (I have a pair; they’re great!) For every pair sold, Bombas gives a pair to someone in need, and has donated more than 30 million. What drives your passion for philanthropy?
A: Most people know me from “Shark Tank” and only see me as that person. What they don’t know is what my life was like before all of this. I grew up in Hollis, Queens and about 30 years ago, I drove a cab. You’re reading that right… Daymond John used to be a cab driver. My background keeps me grounded and I know firsthand how meaningful it is to have someone you see as successful help lift you up. And if you take that basic idea and you can find a way to build it into your business, you’ve exponentially increased your opportunity of developing an emotional connection with your customer. When Dave (Heath) and Randy (Goldberg) from Bombas pitched their business, the combination of their impressive sales and their one-for-one model is what was so attractive. Yes, they have a great product, but we live in a culture that values social consciousness. So to find a company that blended business and giving so well, it was a no-brainer. Now they’ve done well over $100 million in sales.
Q: There’s a funny scene on the CBS series “Young Sheldon,” the prequel to “The Big Bang Theory,” in which a 9-year-old Sheldon Cooper tells his brother they should build a phone that’s also a camera. It’s 1989 and his brother basically says “Nah.” Can you think of a business idea someone pitched on “Shark Tank” that no one bought into, that went on to become a huge success?
A: You’re killing me, Linda! Back in 2013, a guy named Jamie Siminoff came and pitched his home security business. It was a doorbell with an integrated video camera that sent the feed directly to your smartphone. It’s commonplace now, but wasn’t back then. At the time I think he wanted $700K or something. Long story short, he left without a deal and a few years later his company was acquired by Amazon for $1 billion.
“MY PREVIOUS BOOKS HAVE PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON BUSINESS, AND HOW TO FIND SUCCESS IN THAT ARENA. THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK ... IS TO HELP PEOPLE ‘GET THINGS MOVING’ AND TO EMBRACE THE CHANGES THAT CONFRONT US IN OUR DAILY AND PROFESSIONAL LIVES.”