American entrepreneur Daymond John visited Pittsburg on Friday as part of the H. Lee Scott Speaker Series. He is most well known for the show “Shark Tank,” which first aired in 2009 and entered its 17th season this month.
In a press interview before taking the stage, John was quick to address the misconceptions about how he believes people view entrepreneurs.
“A big misconception about being an entrepreneur is that, you know, you get up when you want, and you tell everybody to get your coffee, you’re hired, you’re fired,” he said. “Uh uh, you gotta get up before everybody, after everybody, you thank everybody for your success, you blame only one person for your failure. It is your job alone.”
John also participated in a student panel before his appearance, where Pitt State students were able to ask him questions about various topics. He said that college students were the future, which is why he chose to speak.
“I think the college kids, I think they’re going to be leading the country and the world,” he said. “Every single one of those young men and women, they had some of the toughest questions I’ve ever been asked. Not one of them cannot run the world one day, so that’s why I love to come and invest in our future.”
With the new Kelce College of Business building set to open for the Fall 2026 semester, John's appearance in Pittsburg seemed to come at the perfect time for business students. He made sure to chime in on why he thinks the university's new development is so important.
“I think it’s long overdue with that,” said John. “We have great colleges like this too that are investing in the community, and especially business and entrepreneurship and education. The generation that I grew up in, we weren’t taught about money and how it works. At the end of the day, you’re going to need that to run a business.”
This year’s H. Lee Scott Speaker Series started with Bill Nye, who spoke with Pittsburg State President Thomas Newsom. John took a different approach, taking the stage solo. He provided the audience with a history of how entered into the business world.
First he highlighted his successful clothing company FUBU and its inception in the early 90s, then he spoke about his success on “Shark Tank.”
Later in his speech, he gave the audience his five points for success, otherwise known as “S.H.A.R.K. Points,” an acronym that stands for set a goal, homework, amor (love), remember you are the brand and keep swimming.
“You are personally a brand,” said John. “Whether you are representing yourself today as the member of your family, whether you represent a corporation, whether you are your own personal brand representing your company, people are looking at you for what you do, and you have a responsibility to your community to represent your brand.”
John's appearance at the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts marked the 9th entry in the H. Lee Scott Speaker Series, which brings nationally prominent figures to Pittsburg State.
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