This week on The Urban Business Roundtable, UBR contributor Renita Young speaks with urban fashion innovator and branding guru Daymond John, who may be best known as one of the “sharks” looking for a bite into his next lucrative venture on the hit ABC business competition reality show Shark Tank, where he listened to investment proposals from budding entrepreneurs. John shares his journey from an industrious young hustler from the community of Hollis in Queens, N.Y. to become a founder of the groundbreaking FUBU (“For Us, By Us”) urban clothing line and one of the nation’s most recognized experts on branding for business success.
READ: FUBU Founder Talks About Building Your Brand
John, a headliner at the 2010 Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference, offers his marketing expertise to some of the world’s leading companies, as well as celebrity and business figures. He is also the author of the books The Brand Within and Display of Power. John’s story offers compelling evidence of the value of tenacity, drive, determination and the will to win as important elements of outstanding entrepreneurship.
Also on this week’s edition of The Urban Business Roundtable, our Executive Producer TaQuoya Kennedy speaks with professional coach Stephanie Chick. The author of the book Deliver The Package: Simple Truths to Help Set Your Genius Free, Chick coaches executives at Pepsi, Hewlett-Packard, American Express, Time Warner, Intel and Xerox. Chick joins Kennedy at the roundtable to share tips for entrepreneurs who want to deliver their best and reveal their genius.
My “Alfred’s Notepad” commentary will highlight two great opportunities for UBR listeners, one for established entrepreneurs and the other for new and aspiring business owners, tied to the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference, slated for May 22-25, 2011 in Atlanta. First, nominations are now being accepted for the 2011 Black Enterprise Small Business Awards. This is an excellent opportunity for you or a deserving business person you know to gain national recognition for outstanding business achievement. Many past honorees, including CyberSynchs CEO Amos Winbush and Sundial Creations Co-founder Richelieu Dennis, have been featured on The Urban Business Roundtable. The deadline for nominations is March 15, 2011.
Second, entrepreneurs attending the conference can enter the 2011 Black Enterprise Elevator Pitch Competition for a chance to win prizes including $10,000 in capital for the best business pitch. The deadline for contest entries is March 31, 2011. Once again I’ll also be sharing a special discount code that will allow UBR listeners to knock more than 50% off of the cost of registration for the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference, slated for May 22-25, 2011 in Atlanta, if they register by February 12.
In addition, every week on UBR, you’ll get motivation and inspiration from author and entrepreneurial icon Farrah Gray, a weekly wrap-up of business news from USA Today Business Correspondent Charisse Jones, our Patient Investor Report from Ariel Investments and key economic intelligence for small business owners from our UBR Economists Derrick Collins and Rasheed Carter.
If you have a question you want answered or a topic you want addressed on The Urban Business Roundtable, send me an e-mail at edmonda@blackenterprise.com or to me at Twitter or Facebook.
Alfred Edmond Jr. is the senior VP/editor-at-large of Black Enterprise and the host of the Urban Business Roundtable, a weekly radio show, sponsored by Ariel Investments, airing CST Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 9:30 a.m. on WVON-AM 1690, the Talk of Chicago. You can also listen live online at WVON.com. Check back each Wednesday for The UBR Morning Post, which features additional resources, advice and information from and about the topics, entrepreneurs and experts featured on the show.