Mr. Daymond Garfield John is an American entrepreneur, investor, and TV personality who was born on February 23, 1969. The man who started FUBU and serves as its president and CEO also appears as an investor on the ABC reality show Shark Tank. John is the company’s founder and he has a base in New York.
John was born in Brooklyn on February 23, 1969. He spent his formative years in the Hollis area of Queens, where he attended Catholic school for seven years. When his parents split up, he started working at the age of 10, and one of his first jobs was passing out fliers for $2 an hour (equivalent to $7.42 in today’s money).
He attributes the development of his entrepreneurial mindset to his participation in a high school program that allowed him to maintain a full-time job while also attending classes on a rotating weekly schedule. He launched a commuter van service and served tables at Red Lobster after completing high school. At the age of 16, John gained a stepfather figure and role model in the form of his mother’s attorney lover.
Illness
In an appearance with ABC’s “Good Morning America” today, “Shark Tank” entrepreneur Daymond John revealed that he was diagnosed with stage two thyroid cancer but is now feeling “fantastic.”
In the event that John’s cancer returns, he will be able to battle it because he still has half of his thyroid. “Thyroid cancer progresses very slowly.”
In his continuation, he said “I’m doing well, and I feel obligated to tell other people about it. It’s about being present in your loved ones’ life.”
John Shared the Details of His Health Odyssey with “GMA,”
Including how a lesion the size of marble was discovered on his thyroid in March 2016 during a routine checkup. His nodule was biopsied and the results confirmed that he had stage two thyroid cancer, so surgeons removed half of his thyroid gland.
The creator of the FUBU brand has revealed that he is doing his best to keep up with all of his speaking engagements despite the fact that he must regulate his thyroid for the rest of his life. He further elaborated on how he feels fortunate that the illness was discovered at an early stage.
I didn’t even blink an eye,” John declared. “I saw I was up against an obstacle, and I knew that if I attacked it now, I could prevent it from attacking me in the first place. I went out clubbing and dancing two days later without missing a beat (not that I should have), but I felt compelled to write this down and share it with others because, had I decided to bury my head in the sand and ignore the warning signs, I would have been in for some serious trouble.”
John expressed the desire that his experience might motivate others to take responsibility for their health and visit doctors often.
He hopes to one day walk his daughters down the aisle at their weddings.
“I want to be there to defend them and I want to be there for them to keep yelling at me and ignoring me,” John said jokingly. “And this is how it happens; individuals undergo mammograms, colonoscopies, and whatever else is needed to figure out what’s wrong. Because you have the power to stop this and keep yourself around.”
Additionally, he said “It’s been said that a healthy man can accomplish anything he sets his mind to. A guy is one without his health.”
Connections with Covid
It was COVID that gave John pause. Even though he had the vaccine, he claims to have tested positive for coronavirus a month and a half ago. He compared the sensation to having a cold in the head and stated, “I wouldn’t even have paid notice except that I just couldn’t taste things.”
It didn’t kill him, but it has had a catastrophic effect on his loved ones. I’ve lost, you know through associates”; “since clearly I’m a boss, and a lot of people definitely come to me because of family members.”; “I’m up to 57 people that are dying around me in one way or another.”
About eight of them were people he knew personally, while the others were people he knew professionally, such as the late actor Tommy “Tiny” Lister, who passed away in December after a long battle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
John counters the argument that there aren’t enough “facts out there” to convince people to be vaccinated.
It’s true, there are 57 people I have no way of contacting. They’ve long since vanished. It is true that they are unable to take your call. Sadly, they have passed away. These persons have long since passed on. At this time, I can offer no further information.
Honors and Accolades
Both The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal have featured John’s work as a best-seller.
Brandweek Marketer of the Year, NAACP Entrepreneur of the Year Award (twice), Advertising Age Marketing 1000 Award for Outstanding Ad Campaign, Essence Award, Crain’s New York Business Forty Under Forty Award, Ernst & Young New York Entrepreneur of the Year Award, Asper Award for Excellence in Global Entrepreneurship from Brandeis University International Business School, Details 50 Most Influential People in Business Award, and many more (which he won twice)