Difficult life experiences helped many entrepreneurs to shape themselves as successful people in the world. John Paul DeJoria is one among them, the self-made billionaire entrepreneur, one of the known Co-founder of hair care company John Paul Mitchell Systems and Patron Spirits Company.
Been raised by his single mother in Los Angeles before landing in the foster care system when she was no longer able to provide him. DeJoria recently said, " The only way I could go was up."
DeJoria saw his economic obstacles and converted the opportunity to work hard. When there was no money, he even sold Christmas cards. He even sold encyclopedias to pay his college fees. He says, " If you expect free lunch to come your way, you're not going to go far, and you'll be bored. Go out and do something, get involved."
The person who struggled through his 20's has a slew of advice for our generation about breaking barriers, never give up attitude in bad times, and finding success with hard work. He learned before starting his own venture, John Paul Mitchell Systems. DeJoria initially learned the ropes of the hair care business and worked for Redken and Fermodyl Hair Care. He was fired from those two companies.
Twenty-four years ago, DeJoria was a homeless single father. He now owns a $50 million estate in Malibu with all the luxuries a man wants: motorcycles, cars, a private jet. So, how he did it? He works hard and gives more back. He doesn't think of how much money he can make but how he can help people, animals, and the environment.
He recently purchased a part of the island of Barbuda, which is off the coast of Antigua in the Caribbean. The local inhabitants rely on fishing for their survival, but a moratorium surrounding them. The island was recently put in place due to overfishing. "The local people need jobs," he said of the approximate 1,400 inhabitants.
To solve these problems, he plans to provide the people with jobs while also taking care of the environment and local economy. He also purchased 350 lots of multi-million dollar homes to be built, and he also plans to build a completely 100 room resort and a golf course. " Each of the 350 homes built will need two gardeners and a housekeeper, so that's a minimum of three jobs per house. The golf ground will also need a well-trained staff, and he'll provide the best training," he said.
When he's not running his billion-dollar company, he helps homeless people, animals, and the environment with organizations and his friend Brad Pitt. With Patron, DeJoria employs over 1,000 locals in Mexico. The company also supports the local economy in several ways, including education and homes for orphanages.
He isn't a perfect man, nor has ever claimed to be, but his positive attitude pulled him in tough times and pushed him to the top with difficult times. He says, "In the end, everything will be ok. And, if it's not, it's not the end."