Daymond John - Powershift

If youve ever been dragged into a negotiation with your three-year-old daughter, you probably have some idea of how that opening scene shook out. (Far as I know, theres no photographic evidence of me wearing that princess tiara, so Ill just leave it at that.)

This much is clear: Right now, in our family, Minkas got power. Even at three years old, shes figured outmostly through trial and error and some foot stompingthat if she picks a strategy, then follows a certain sequence of steps, she can almost always get her way. It might take a tantrum, followed by a sweet, knowing smile. Or it might call for a perfectly timed hug when Im least expecting it. Either way, shell eventually wear me down.

And she knows it. She knows she can get what she wants from meand I guess it follows that one of the reasons Im so quick to cave when she pours it on thick like this is because I know it, too. Weve fallen into a kind of default pattern where Minkas strengths as a negotiator bump up against my weaknesses as a big old softie.

Keep in mind, its not just me, jumping to Minkas whims. Shes got a different approach for her mother, for her nanny, for everyone in her little life. She reads the room and changes her game depending on the players, depending on the situation.

Minkas figured out what works all on her ownbecause, just saying, theres no Mommy & Me class on negotiation strategies, no playgroup to help her learn to push her daddys buttons. However, there is the benefit of experience, and here my little girl is smart enough to know that if a certain type of behavior gets results on Day One theres a good chance itll work again on Day Next.

Theres only one way I know of to transform this dynamic: through a concept I call powershift.

Let me tell you about the powershift and how Ive come to embrace the concept behind it.

In my previous books, Ive written about a couple principles that have powered me in my career. Early on, back when I was starting FUBU out of my mothers house in Hollis, Queens, it was all about making things happen without any money. Thats the power of brokea power I tapped at an early age, and I still reach for it today.

Then, once I was coming up in the world of fashion and starting to see some success, I was all about the hustle: working hard, pushing through, and sticking to a game plan. Back then it was: How early do you get at it each day, and how late do you keep at itand, even more important, how do you fill the time in between? Thats the power of rise and grind, the take-charge mindset that drives our days.

But one of the things Im realizing lately is that none of the blessings or successes that have come my way would have happened without the ability to shift powerfrom other people to myself, from myself to other people, from one area of strength to another whole new area of strength. Those shifts powered the trajectory of my life and career, but I havent written about them in my previous books because I didnt identify them for what they were until recently. But you better believe theyre a big part of how I got where I am today. And now I want to share them with you.

Whenever I sit down to write a new book, I pay attention to what Im hearing from my readers, who reach out to me on social media or connect with me after one of my speeches or through my online courses. With Rise and Grind, for example, people wanted to know how I structure my days and where I look for motivation, so I spent some time looking at ways truly successful people organize their time and kick their ambition into drive. Here, I kept hearing from people who wanted some guidance on how to build the kind of foundation they need to achieve, sustain, and grow their power base, so Ive spent some time looking at the ways Ive managed to do these things in my own life and career. Like I said, some of this stuff came naturally to me, in the beginning, but as I moved on I started looking at ways to replicate that success as I pivoted into other areas, away from FUBU and fashion. This book is the result of all that. Its my take on what it takes to find the power in the room, in any situation, and to put it to use in a meaningful and lasting way.

So here at the very beginning of our journey in these pages, let me put it to you plain: What is stopping you from achieving the success you desire, the success you believe you deserve? Its a simple question, really, and you dont need me to be the one asking it. You should be asking it of yourself. Maybe you already are. Maybe thats why youve picked up this book. Dont know about you, but I look at all the people Ive known in my life, all the people Ive left behind in the hood, all the people Ive met who are still struggling to find a purposeful path, and I cant understand why theyre still making excuses for being stuck or disappointed or overlooked for this or that opportunity. Obviously, theyre not all making excuses, but trust me, I hear a lot of woe-is-me type stories. And when I do, I cant help but think, Hey, if my dumb ass can make it, anybody can, so here I want to shine a light on how to find that extra gear and put everything into play in a way that allows readers to tap their