- He's been looking after himself
since he was 14 years old.
He partnered with Jay Z to create Roc-A-Fella Records
and changed the hip-hop industry.
He's been involved in businesses
from clothing, to films, to cars.
He's Damon Dash and here are his top ten rules for success.
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- Nine to fives aren't good because
you hustling for a weekend.
But when you do something that's for yourself
and your family, it never feels like work.
I hustle for my last name, I don't hustle for my first.
I've learnt over the years,
that with anything you have to be patient.
Not five years patient,
or five months patient,
you could be ten years patient if you want.
Empire's aren't built overnight.
I always tell everyone the Great Wall
was a 2,000 year old plan.
2,000, you know how many lifetimes that is in one plan?
And getting people
to do the same, to have the same exact agenda
for lifetimes,
for generations, that's crazy.
So, you have to be patient when you want
to do something significant, no matter what.
A lot of time that means
not reaping the benefits of something immediately.
And that's the test.
I don't think my approach on business
is what the average person would advise.
I hear people say, "Never put up your own money,"
and I'm saying put your own money up.
Work harder than everyone, be patient
and just know that if you're going to do something on your own,
you're going to have to feel some pain.
You always have to have something that's paying your bills.
So that whatever you're creating can breathe,
so you don't have to rush it,
you don't have to push it to make money when it's not ready.
You kind of always have to have something solid,
that's paying your bills, 'cause even as an artist,
to me as a man, you still have the responsibility
to take care of your woman,
to take care of your children, and to take care of yourself.
And you know, almost in that order,
it's like children, your woman, and then yourself.
You know what I'm saying?
All of that should be taken care of.
That's a real man.
And as an artist, you can't say,
"All right, well, I'm not going to take care of my children,
or take care of my woman, or even take care of myself well
to protect my artistry."
Then that's not artistry to me, that's just being lazy.
I think, as an artist, you have to fight for that artistry.
You have to figure out how to pay your bills,
so that the artistry can breathe.
It also, you know, that's how you feel like a real man.
Have you ever watched a James Bond movie
where it doesn't look like he's losing at some point?
And then he wins.
Or Batman, or Iron Man, or any superhero?
There has to be some diversity for you to overcome, to win.
You can't be a champ unless you're in a place
where you look like you're going to lose and then you win.
The pain that's going to come with being independent,
you have to embrace it because it's going to happen.
Also know that the more successful you get,
the more problems you're going to have.
The more knots you're going to have to untie.
Being a boss does not mean smooth sailing,
it means having the ability
to care about other people before yourself
and to untie problems, untie knots.
That's all it is.
It's not business if there's not problems.
There's nothing good without struggle,
it just doesn't happen.
In all my experiences,
there hasn't been one thing that's been successful
without me feeling some pain before it was successful.
So now, when there is pain, I embrace it.
I've been embracing it, I'm a G about it,
because I know must mean, that if I'm cool,
that what awaits me is the darkness before the dawn.
I don't want to sound corny
but that's really what has to happen.
I'm always going to play fair,
I don't believe in doing anything, unless it's fair,
because I believe there are always karmic repercussions
from doing things unfair,
so what can appear to be a win,
or something that appears to be a fast, you know,
fast money, I know in the long run I'm going to suffer.
That it's always a test.
Anything quick is a test.
I can get it quick if I don't have to cheat,
but if I've got to cheat to get it fast,
I don't want it.
My parents haven't bought me clothes since I was about 14.
I haven't had nobody buy me nothing, let's say that.
No one's taken care of me since I was 14 years old.
And I didn't want nobody taking care of me
'cause they couldn't.
What they was trying to buy me, I wasn't trying to wear.
Taste, talent, and work ethic.
I need all of it.
Taste, talent, work ethic,
you know, perspective.
So when I interview, or even when the people I work with
find more talent, they have to bring me,
I have to get a mix tape from them,
I need to know what music they're listening to
'cause taste in music tells a lot about a person.
It really does.
I got to know who their favorite designer is.
What's the last book they read, favorite artist.
And it's funny, 'cause sometimes you get those (laughs),
the answers are hilarious
but people be trying, you know,
but you honestly have to have,
I look for all your senses to be activated,
you know what I mean?
I need you to have good taste in music,
I need you to have work ethic,
I need you to be a good person,
I need you to have good taste in clothes.
You need to be able to be savvy in more than just one thing.
Everyone in my staff can do, like,
there's not one job that anyone does in my staff.
If I make a regular business that doesn't touch pop culture
and doesn't make history, then, to some people,
that would be considered going backwards.
That's not a pressure for me
because I could care less what people think.
I don't think there's anything about my career,
where you would think I did it for someone else.
I'm just constantly trying to impress myself.
I've accomplished, relatively speaking, a lot of things.
And because of that,
I've been able to do exactly what inspires me.
Everyone has the ability to take care of themselves.
You can always be a hunter,
you can always eat the food you kill.
It's just about how lazy you are.
You know what I'm saying?
Period.
It's all about your effort.
- Thank you guys so much for watching.
I hope you enjoyed.
My question of the day for you is,
do you agree with Damon Dash,
that you need to put up your own money
to be an entrepreneur?
Leave a comment below, I'm curious to see what you think.
Now, I made this video because Jose Cruz asked me to,
so, if there's a famous entrepreneur that you want me
to profile, leave a comment underneath
and I'll see what I can do.
If you like this video and you want to see more
don't forget to subscribe to the newsletter and the channel.
Have a great day, continue to believe
and I hope you'll join me again,
tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. Eastern,
for another video to help you start your day
on the right foot.
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