On Monday, I will be delivering the opening keynote address at the Urban Entrepreneurship Summit at Rutgers Business School in Newark, which is being co-hosted by the White House. It is a pleasure to work closely with this great president and his administration to support private/public relationships like this one. At the summit, I will join senior members of the Obama administration, business, community and academic leaders, amazing entrepreneurs, other elected officials and members of the non-profit sector in a day long program focused on creating a stronger public-private partnership that will increase minority and women owned business enterprises. This has been a life-long passion of mine, ever since I put my name on my first record and that is why I am humbled to share my story with the hundreds of people who will be in attendance.
As many of you know, it has been a very long road for me to get to where I am at today. No one believed in hip-hop or Def Jam in the beginning, and I mean no one. When I had the idea of Phat Farm, no one believed in the obvious white space that became the urban design phenomenon. And this was AFTER I had made a lot of people a lot of money. That's just how it is... No one can see your vision but you, because your vision came from God to you and you alone, so most times you are the sole torch carrier ! No one believed in the idea for a virtual bank which became the RUSH Card, and almost everyone -- with the notable exception of my visionary partner Jim Breyer at Accel (Facebook and Groupon, among many) tried to warn me off of the natural integration or post racial direction of GlobalGrind.com. I think by now you get the point. So what is the reason that those dreams came true or are coming to fruition? All that mattered is that I believed in all of these visions and allowed my imagination to run wild. That was the difference. As my great inspiration, the yogi Paramahansa Yogananda, said "the imagination is God" and the enlightened can perform miracles with faith alone, but us mere mortals have to work hard, be dedicated and resilient, to realize our dreams.
My whole life I have never stopped dreaming. We all have dreams, but here is what is different about dreams today: now is the time to dream big, because even during tough times like these, you can still make your dreams happen.
I know there's a lot of pressure outside, inside -- economic pressure, social pressure. Remember, pressure can crack pipes. But it can also create diamonds. I am inspired that even during these hard times, the entrepreneurial spirit is alive in every city across this great nation. In fact it is alive more today than ever before. It is everywhere I look -- from the barbershop to the boardroom, from the corner store to the corner office, from the college dorm to the housing projects...the ideas YOU have will make this country more competitive, more productive and more peaceful.
For the past six months I have been hearing about amazing business ideas while touring the country for my latest book, Super Rich, and people ask me on tour and on the website I founded, GlobalGrind.com, what they can do to be successful. I always say: "Do anything you want." Remember you cannot fail until you quit! Because when you follow your dream with persistence and resilience, that dream will always become a reality.
I am not saying it is easy. Right now things may be tough for you, but let's make a promise to each other. Somehow, someway, let's go to work on something you care about. That is why we are doing this summit, to figure out new ways to create opportunities for our communities. So, when you have these dreams, there will be systems in place, in your local community, supported by our government and the private sector, that you can access to help you achieve your goals.
Ok, so how do you DO IT? Start at the beginning. What do you love? One of the beautiful things about this country is that it affords you the freedom to do whatever you imagine. When you have an idea that you find yourself feeling very passionately about, then that's one you need to go after. Pursue a career because you love it, not because you think people will love you for pursuing it.
Once you've picked a vision that you feel passionate about, freeze it and be clear about it. I can't stress this enough. If you have an idea, don't wait until the next day to work on it...write it down now. Start with the big picture first, and then bring in the details. I remember a guy at a major sneaker company telling me that he always wanted to play in the NBA, because he loves basketball. The NBA only has a certain number of jobs if you want to be a player, 450 to be exact. But, there are tens of thousands of jobs working in and around basketball. So, this guy took a job working in basketball and loves it.
Now, that you have frozen your vision and are clear about it, tell the world what you are going to do. Once you share your vision with the world, you are stuck with it. Have the courage to let people expect you to make it happen. This is a good thing. Focus on that one vision and go to work to make it a reality. Then set the right goal for you. In the end, the overriding factor is whether or not you realize your dreams FOR you. Not the world. You.
So, look at your life, at your dreams, your opportunities as a blank canvas that you can paint on it any colors you want. Whether this is your first idea or your fifth company, be creative and paint the most beautiful painting ever painted. Now is the time to dream, and I am so proud to work alongside my friend, President Barack Obama to support every dream that you can imagine!
Follow Russell Simmons on Twitter: www.twitter.com/unclerush
You took your life and rocked it. I took $17 and a glue gun and built a company...you have showed all of us to create an empire. You show us all that
Yes
We
Can.
I believe that the paradigm is shifting. We have never had a bigger imperative to start to thrive without pretending that big business or government will save the day.
What can you and Mr. Obama do about that?
Wake up. Obama is in charge, and has been in charge long enough to effectuate positive change if he actually had the right plans or the right policies. He has failed. My God - this entire budget battle right now is solely due to a Democratic Party strategy - they were too cowardly to pass a budget just before election season. And they still tanked.
there is a lowest common minimum wage that is iron law......
applicant a, applicant b, applicant c all have expenses, a roof, some way to get back and forth to work, and they have to eat. the lowest common minimum wage is the price at which the most frugal of the applicants all the way to z can afford to show up at work and eat. it has millions of variables but no company can survive without paying it.
Vision, focus, drive, persistence.
Because what you see is needed, needs you to do it.
For all those that repudiate I say to you: Stand Still and hear what is inside your amazing heart, mind and spirit. Whatever is in your heart, soul and mind is unique to only you and only in this moment and in this lifetime. Whatever you speak comes from within you. Whatever you become is a manifestation of what is within you. Be the best version of yourself and do good with what you are. Life has a way of giving you back with dividends what you give in the world. Be Amazing.
"Experts" in the entertainment industry are people who guessed right twice. Anybody that would listen to this guy's childish and naive vision of reality isn't doing themselves any favors.
Unless Wall Street and TBTF go through a restructuring process called BANKRUPTCY nothing will happen and you'll meet with President Obama who will give a bunch of platitudes and excuses.
He can't do anything because the White House is bought-n-paid-for by Wall Street/City of London.
The best thing you can do, Mr. Simmons, is beg the President to push for Glass-Steagall.
Glass-Steagall would finally sepearate the US economy's banking system from Wall Street so that any investements in entrepreneauralship go to productivity and infrastructure not trading derivatives.
Years ago I found a banker that believed in me and gave me a $20,000 signature loan....these people are not around anymore
as a perfect example i buy minature orchids from a woman that grows them in San Franciisco in her home -- they are a lot more expensive than ikea orchids and they require minimal space. how do you make 25 out of a square inch of space? there you go. stack em 14 ft up to the ceiling.
when i go to the green market i can't help but be in awe of the farmers that sell bouquets of salad greens -- its more greens than you get in a bag at the grocery store for about the same price, and people line up for them. if you haven't grown salad greens its one mighty easy crop, the bulk of the work is hauling them in to the city.
i think it would be a great idea to re-educate people how to be entrepreneurial -- people spend big money on an mba to be a corporate drone and its not getting any of us very far anymore. they don't want dreams they want profits.
Second came at 15, again with a real perceived need to eat. I started a BBQ place near where they were building a new race track(Delta Downs)...all during the construction phase I made a living. Six employees and the reality that my husband at the time was not the "breadwinning type"...
Ended up owning a real estate appraisal company and I sold my signature.
With integrity you can go far.
farmer grows, you buy....no wal mart in the middle
person makes jewelry...you buy....
Being an entrepreneur takes extraordinarily passion, persistence and single minded pursuit of ones dreams. For GRADS interested in developing their careers and business skills join us for a 12 Hour Career Marathon featuring 24 career / coach / entrepreneurs sharing 3 tips. Limited registrations for the June 9th, 11 am to 11 pm EDT marathon - all online http://www.talentmarks.com/marathon.aspx Russell could you join us to share your inspiration to the Class of 2011?