Shark’s first time! It’s no secret that Daymond John is a smart businessman, having invested millions on Shark Tank and founding FUBU. But, he had to start somewhere. The entrepreneur sat down with Us Weekly to reveal some of his milestone first times — from kisses to investments. Watch the video above!
First Time on the Job
Before he began selling the first FUBU products on the streets of New York City, a young John, 49, was handing out flyers. He told Us, “I didn’t know what that building was at the time. Now I realize it’s a place where most women feel they have to go in case it’s an emergency or in case they need to feel safe. It’s called a shopping mall. I was handing out flyers for a shopping mall.”
Diaper Duty
![Daymond John](/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/daymond-john.jpg?w=1000&quality=86&strip=all)
John’s first time drinking didn’t end up with his head in the toilet, but it did leave him in diapers. The Rise and Grind author explained that he drank two Mad Dog 20/20’s that left him wearing “a diaper for a week.”
Lesson Learned
John has no shortage of business advice, but when it comes to young entrepreneurs he says to make sure you know how to work a register.
“My first business lesson that I learned was to always work the register, because I gave my money to my cousin Rudy when we were doing a bike business and I never saw Rudy again after that,” John told Us. “So from now on I always work the register.”
Door-to-Door Service
![Daymond John fubu](/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/fubu.jpg?w=1000&quality=55&strip=all)
Instead of getting a luxury or fancy sports car, John decided that his first big investment would be an 18-passenger van … to make money, of course.
“I would go up and down the bus routes and I’d pick people up and they’d pay me a dollar and get off and pay me another dollar,” John told Us. “Next thing is, whenever I knew that big events was going on, I’d take all the seats of it and I’d fill it full of super soakers. I was going to the Greek fest and selling water guns on the beach. Or I would fill it full of FUBU shirts if I was going to a big conference or a music concert so I can sell my shirts at the time.”
If at First You Don’t Succeed…
Even the best fall down sometimes. The ABC star was held back in seventh grade and his punishment was staying in all summer and going to public school, a decision John did not think his mother would go through with.
![Daymond John sharktank](/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/shark-tank.jpg?w=1000&quality=86&strip=all)
“I said, ‘She’ll never do that. People are dying in public schools. I’m never going to go there. Not her only baby. And how dare she tell me that I’m going to stay at home. She has to work two jobs,’” John explained to Us. “You know what this evil woman did? She went and got a third job so she could get a babysitter to make sure that I stayed home the whole summer and I was in public school, and she made me realize that I had to take responsibility for my actions. It may have been my first failure, but it probably is the one reason that I can say that I’m successful because my mother was so mean to me.”
Pucker Up!
John’s first kiss left a left a good … and bad taste in his mouth. He explained, “My first kiss was by this girl named Nicole. She had the biggest set of braces and she had slime on her mouth like Alien. I remember this. It was disgusting, but I had an amazing time.”