There are plenty of successful businessmen out there that may inspire you to start your own business.
Maybe you have a boss you can't stand, feel like you have limited room for growth in your current career, or just simply want more out of life.
Have you finally reached the point where you want to start your own journey?
Being a businessman can be very rewarding, but it is worth noting that starting a business requires a lot of risks as well.
Entrepreneurship requires long hours, consistent work, and tons of dedication. Most businesses actually fail within the first two years of starting up.
So, what can you do to make sure your business is successful? Your best bet is to study some of the best businessmen out there.
If you wanted to learn to shoot a basketball, you would probably study Steph Curry. If you wanted to learn golf, you would study Tiger Woods.
So, if you want to be successful in business, you need to study the best entrepreneurs who have thrived in the business world.
A lot of entrepreneurs also started from humble beginnings, yet we're able to turn their passions into millions of dollars.
Let's take a look at some of the most successful businessmen who have proven themselves.
Dana White
Dana White is a business executive who currently serves as the President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which is more commonly known as the UFC. The UFC is the most popular mixed martial arts organization in the entire world.
White grew up in the Boston area and tried to go to college but ultimately decided that it wasn't for him. He moved out to Las Vegas to get into the fight industry after reportedly being threatened by mobsters in the Boston area.
White initially began his career in the fighting business as a manager for Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell.
While managing these two popular fighters, White met Bob Meyrowitz who was the current owner of The UFC. The UFC was struggling at the time and Meyrowitz was looking to sell the company.
White contacted his longtime friends, the Fertitta brothers, who had success in the casino industry, and asked if they would be interested in purchasing the company.
In 2001 the brothers purchased the UFC for $2 Million Dollars and appointed White as the company's president.
Through the years the UFC has had its ups and downs but ultimately White turned the UFC into a machine. In 2015, the company's gross revenue was $600 Million Dollars.
In 2016 the parent company, Zuffa, was sold for $4.025 Billion Dollars. White owned 9% of the company at the time and currently remains the president of the UFC.
White is a great example of what hard work, dedication, and passion can do for someone looking to start their own business.
Daymond John
Daymond John is a very successful businessman, investor, and author. He is most recently known for his role as an investor on ABC's television series Shark Tank, however, he had his first success in business from starting his company FUBU.
FUBU stands for "For Us By Us."
Daymond grew up in New York City and he began working at the age of 10 by handing out news flyers for $2 an hour. In high school, he eventually ended up in a program that allowed him to alternate between regular school and working a full-time job. He credits this with sparking his business interest.
Daymond started his clothing company FUBU at a young age while still living at his mother's house. He started making hats, shirts, and other merchandise that he would sell on the streets of New York and at other large events.
He felt that some of the popular streetwear was overpriced and began to see success by offering a much more affordable price compared to his competition. Daymond was also working full-time at Red Lobster as a waiter while continuing to run his business.
Daymond and his mother eventually mortgaged their house in order to get start-up capital for the company, and he also hired some of his friends to help him make the clothing.
He eventually started to see some major success by getting his merchandise featured in popular music videos, including LL Cool J.
Daymond and FUBU eventually received $300,000 in orders and an offer from Macy's, but they had to take out another loan on the house in order to fulfill the orders.
Daymond and his mother eventually took the last of their money and put an ad in the NY Times where they eventually landed a deal in order to complete their orders.
Since then, FUBU has done $6 Billion Dollars in sales.
Now a days, you can catch Daymond on Sharktank which allows entrepreneurs to pitch their businesses to the shark tank members in an attempt to land a business deal.
He has a number of successful investments. He invested in Bubba's-Q Boneless Ribs and helped grow the company from $154,000 in sales to $16 million in 3 years.
Daymond is the epitome of hard work and determination.
Rob Dyrdek
Rob Dyrdek is a former professional skateboarder and current TV personality, entrepreneur and producer.
Rob is best known for his popular TV series including, Rob & Big, Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory, and Ridiculousness.
Rob grew up in Ohio and started skateboarding at 11 years old. He was very determined at a young age and was set on becoming a professional skateboarder, and said he would skate all day until his parents forced him inside.
At just 12 years old he received a sponsorship from his local skate shop, but he eventually quit this sponsor and helped create Alien Workshop, which he would eventually acquire after his skate career was done.
At 16 years old, he skipped his senior year of high school and moved to California to continue his professional skateboarding journey. He would eventually land another sponsorship from DC Shoes which sponsored him from 1995 to 2016.
His first business was Orion Trucks which made skateboarding equipment. He also was involved in some of the design work with DC Shoes which furthered his interest in entrepreneurship.
Rob also started Street League Skateboarding, a skateboard competition that has grown internationally. The league offered the highest overall purse in the history of the sport ($1.6 Million) for its championship event.
Rob is also an investor in the UFC and Beach Whiskey.
TV Success
Rob's first hit TV show was called rob & Big which featured himself and his best friend/security guard Christpher "Big Black" Boykin. The show featured the daily tasks of Dyrdek and provided a great sense of comedy.
The show aired for three seasons.
Rob continued his TV success with a different twist of his life known as Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory. The show reveled more of the business side of Dyrdek's life showing the daily tasks and endeavors that come with being a businessman.
Dyrdek converted an old warehouse into his business office, but the warehouse also served as a skatepark and fun center for his staff and guests.
After the fantasy factory, Dyrdek started another show called Ridiculousness, where he comments on hilarious internet videos with popular stars and guests.
Dyrdek is a part of 18 companies, either as a founder, or investor. It is estimated that Dyrdek has a Net Worth north of $100 Million Dollars from all his business endeavors.
He has continuously reinvented himself and found ways to be successful which is definitely something you can learn from.
Is Entrepreneurship For You?
As mentioned early, the business world is a very challenging place, but if you are consistent it can change your life.
There are plenty of examples that you can learn from to help you on your journey.
A lot of successful businessmen came from humble beginnings and were able to turn their dreams into a reality, so why cant you?
Just start.
