Display of Power: How Fubu Changed a World of Fashion, Branding and Lifestyle

You can't help but respect the moxie and hustle that Daymond John and his partners put into building FUBU.This book, though not necessarily exquisitely written, does a solid job of describing just how green the FUBU founders were when they started and how they grew in their business intelligence. It demonstrates how determination and dedication can trump book knowledge on the path to building an enterprise.What I didn't like: The overly informal writing style that occasionally violates grammatical norms in an effort to seem more relatable. It just makes certain sections harder to read.What I did like: Daymond tells it plainly. He does not try to cover up questionable decisions or tactics in an effort to look holy. He and his crew were hustling and scheming and building throughout the early years of FUBU and Daymond is transparent about that.

This is an excellent book. I enjoyed this book very much. The history of Daymond John is inspiring and I will definitely share the insights.

Nice hearing his journey. Incredible persistence and drive from Day One.

I truly enjoyed this book. I felt like I was having a real conversation with him, as If he were giving me advice as he shared all his experiences and journey to where he is today. It also reminded me that I need to get back to my hustle, got a little complacent and lost my drive somewhere along the way. Thanks Daymond, tonight I'm sitting down and writing out my business plan and I won't let anything get in my way.One thing I enjoyed reading bout was how you were very generous and then started saying no and everyone seemed to manage, I chuckled when I read it because I know I have a hard time saying no to people, even when I've been flat broke I've given my last dime to someone else who seemed to need it more than I did. I loved how you saw deeper than what was on the surface, like the puzzles with your mom, I admire your moms courage to mortgage the house and not work to dedicate her time to you, now that's a super mom. Wow, so many things that I enjoyed in this book that I know I will be reading it again. I am from your generation, and we are a different breed, I admire your persistence and courage to keep on keeping on even though it seemed like everything was pretty much against you. Oh, and I love love loved reading about LL, I've had a crush on him since I was a kid :-) (me and a million other women haha) anyway, stay humble, stay blessed and I'll keep watching you on shark tank.

I read this book as research for a business plan in preparation. It came recommended in the spirit of branding and how to design and to promote something pertinent to the trend--even before the trend is clear. Mr. John's power of observation is probably one of my greatest takeaways here. During the days he was still working out of a duffel bag, he was cognizant of what apparel would move. Great instincts there, something learned, but not so easily taught. Kudos to him for successfully explaining that phenomenon and for his determination to observe without letting his emotions get in the way.That said, I rated this book only three stars 'cause I believe John came up way short with his definition of 'power.' If African-American purchasing power was what he was building a case for, he didn't do so bad a job, but in the end, my take is that the ascendancy of FUBU had more to do with the grace his team benefited from in getting financial backing, orders, and what not. Also we should probably consider that the '90s were years of general prosperity in the urban spaces of America. Less so today, so again, much that succeeded at FUBU had to do more with grace and so the process to the extent that there was one is not so replicable today beyond a designer's simple determination--something Mr. John has in spades.To end on an up note:Who wouldn't have wanted to read the FUBU Story as told by one of the protagonists? Thanks to Daymond John, we have it-- (like FUBU or not, design wise) -- a behind-the-scenes story of American culture--a part of our lives-- those of us who were livin' the 90's in something loose and looser-fittin'!

Loved reading Daymond John's back story - face it, entrepreneurial narratives are fascinating! I know that area of Queens fairly well - my grandfather had a deli on Springfield Gardens back in the 1950s, right where the Belt Way is now. And my husband, kids and I lived, in the 1980s, in Hillcrest and then Holliswood. So much creativity coming out of these enclaves of Queens! And Daymond seems to exemplify this. I grew to admire his mom in this picture - she seemed to be the creative entrepreneur type also, inspirational. The opening scene/chapter seemed to serve as an intense reminder of how his story might have played out under different circumstances. It is also rather remarkable that the direction Daymond's story takes is to go on to help other budding entrepreneurs -- rather than, for instance, to just take the money and run, or take the money and just use it only to make more money. I highly recommend the book - well-written, a fascinating story, of special interest not only to entrepreneurs and people from south Queens ( :=), but for those who simply like memoirs and/or inspirational stories.

I like this book since it tells a personal journey. It's very black perspective which I can understand to a degree being half black my self some times it feels a bit much on the race side but then again how can I judge not coming from the same area. All in all defiantly value for me. It's all about learning from people who been there and done that.

Definitely opened up my eyes in regards to building a brand, marketing , networking and the importance of personal branding and how it affects your brand . I also loved the emphasis on innovation within a brand and building relationships with the consumers

The book came without a sleeve cover. Thar was not noted.