Perhaps one of the most compelling rags to riches stories, John Paul DeJoria’s is a stellar example of a successful entrepreneur story. DeJoria is not only a successful entrepreneur, but a self made billionaire by definition. Currently, DeJoria lives in Austin, Texas and is married with four children.
A Tough Start
DeJoria was born in 1944 in Los Angeles to a poor family. He was in and out of foster care and spent a few years as part of a gang. Ultimately, DeJoria graduated from high school and met his wife. The couple had a son, however DeJoria’s wife abandoned the two and shortly after the father and son were evicted from their apartment. This was the first of many times DeJoria would be homeless before his big break. He worked hard to provide some sort of life for his son – working jobs like door-to-door salesman and participating in the US Navy. Through hard work and the right investments, DeJoria’s life changed.
John Paul Mitchell Systems
John Paul Mitchell Systems was created in the 1980s by DeJoria and Paul Mitchell. With only $700 dollars, the duo was able to launch the company while DeJoria was living out of his car. The company grew exponentially, and by the 90s was a national enterprise. After the company had established itself financially and had a good reputation, it was able to branch out and do things like provide education to hair stylists, do humanitarian work, and run large scale beauty conferences. John Paul Mitchell Systems was one of the first beauty companies to pride itself on fair treatment of animals, winning a humanitarian award from People Magazine in 1990. Today, the company refuses to sell out to larger corporations.
Patrón Spirits Co.
DeJoria and Martin Crowley founded the new Patrón Spirits Co. chasing a desire to create a luxury tequila, or the best tequila in the world. The two traveled to Jalisco, Mexico in search of someone to make their tequila. Patrón is made from 100% agave – something unheard of in imported tequila in the US at the time. DeJoria and Crowley were the first to bring a luxury tequila into the US and market it successfully as such. The company is dedicated to keeping the integrity in the traditional process of tequila aging, and every bottle has come from this process. DeJoria was also concerned with the environmental impact that his tequila plant had on the surrounding area, and makes efforts to reduce their footprint.
Giving Back
While John Paul DeJoria has become infinitely successful, he lives by a philosophy that success is only reached when you give back. Remembering his humble beginnings, DeJoria uses his companies and means to enrich the world and help those who need it. His entrepreneurial spirit is contagious and his story inspiring.
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