THE ED MYLETT SHOW

Guest: Daymond John
Episode: The Truth About Entrepreneurship And AI's Impact
Date: March 17, 2026

EPISODE OVERVIEW

Ed Mylett sits down with iconic entrepreneur and Shark Tank star Daymond John to discuss deep truths around entrepreneurship, the real skills required for business success, the shifting landscape caused by AI, and the evolving importance of personal brand and community. With candor, humor, and practical wisdom, Daymond shares his hard-earned insights on rejection, humility, why not everyone should be an entrepreneur, and how to prepare for a rapidly changing world.

MAJOR DISCUSSION POINTS & INSIGHTS

1. Personal Evolution and Health Journeys

• Biohacking & Self-care
  • Daymond credits his rejuvenated appearance and energy to a mix of biohacking, intermittent fasting, and simple health routines—not just gadgets or expensive treatments.
  • After battling cancer (2017) and slipping into unhealthy habits during COVID, his wife’s subtle support and various protocols helped him reset.
  • Key tip: “95% of the things we do have absolutely zero to do with technology. You know, drinking as much water as you can with no chlorine in it, eating pickles and anything naturally fermented… I fast 30 hours a week. That doesn't cost me anything.” (Daymond John, 05:37)

2. Business Beliefs Turned Upside Down

• Money Myth & Ego Lessons
  • Daymond used to believe "you need money to make money," but found work ethic, love for one’s work, and the right partnerships were more critical.
  • “If money worked for everybody, well then Blockbuster, BlackBerry and Kodak would still be in business... 65% [of Forbes’ 1000 wealthiest] are self-made.” (Daymond John, 07:29)
  • On ego: Building a name takes work—“You have to constantly improve on your name. And it takes you one second to destroy it.” (Daymond John, 09:07)

3. Enduring—And Embracing—Rejection

• Daymond explains how his early perspective on rejection (“holy crap, somebody said yes”) allowed him to push ahead even as a pioneer without precedent in his field.
• As success grew, rejection hurt more (“the rejection became more painful”), but he learned to see it as a challenge to create “an undeniable package.”
• “If they knew any better, then they would be doing what I'm doing… If it was that easy, then everybody would be doing it.” (Daymond John, 12:57)
• Even Mark Zuckerberg still faces “no” frequently, reinforcing that rejection never ends at the top—“He still hears no. And he said, I kept thinking, somebody's going to build it bigger and better than me and nobody did.” (Daymond John quoting Zuckerberg, 13:50)

4. Humility in Success

• Daymond reflects that more success has brought greater humility, shaped by age, loss, and perspective on wealth.
• Memorable moment:
  • “If Mark Cuban woke up with my money, he gonna think he a crackhead. And if Bezos woke up with Mark's money, he gonn think he a crackhead. And if Elon woke up with Basil's money, he gonna think he a crackhead.” (Daymond John, 17:40)
• Ultimately, true respect cannot be bought: “If they don’t respect you and value you for who you are right there… they’re the wrong person to deal with.” (Daymond John, 18:22)

5. The Reality of Entrepreneurship (and Investing)

• Not Everyone Should Be an Entrepreneur
  • “Can anybody be an entrepreneur? No. As simple as that… There are just a lot of people who are not risk takers… But every Batman like me needs a Robin. I always joke… I'm Captain Kirk and I need Spock.” (Daymond John, 19:57)
  • Real success comes rarely on the first try: “Very few entrepreneurs were successful on their first venture… usually on their fourth or fifth.”
• Would He Be Wealthier Avoiding Shark Tank Deals?
  • “120%. I would. FUBU would be back at at least a 2 to $400 million annual mark… In the early years, we did not know how to deploy money... We gave money right away, didn't negotiate milestones, or manage risk well.” (Daymond John, 22:20)
  • Over time: “We were learning on the show how to be true angel investors… Now, I’d hire licensing/salespeople and deploy that capital more strategically.” (Daymond John, 23:47)

6. Artificial Intelligence: Opportunity and Threat

• All-In on AI
  • Daymond is deeply studying AI, biohacking, and live selling—dedicating “all my hobby time” to staying ahead.
  • “Most of my friends have reduced their workforce by 30% due to AI. I don't want to reduce my workforce. I want to triple my business with my current team... take that 30-50 people and have five more divisions.” (Daymond John, 26:38)
• Societal Disruption Ahead
  • Predicts massive disruption from AI: “Where are these people going, you know, when you can get a Tesla robot for $30,000 and use it for landscaping? We're gonna turn into California.” (Daymond John, 28:06)
• Guaranteed Minimum Income
  • Ed asks about universal basic income. Daymond predicts: “I do think it's inevitable… within the next five years… I don't think it's something going to be positive… idle minds in that period of time… is going to be very, very dangerous.” (Daymond John, 29:41)
• Potential for Social Unrest
  • “When the have-nots don’t have anything… those 17 homes don’t have jobs, they’re coming for those three.” He cites stories of disaster victims who lost everything overnight for illustration. (Daymond John, 31:19)

7. The Question of Value in an AI World

• Even jobs previously considered “safe” (law, insurance, real estate) are being compressed by AI.
• “It may not eliminate you, but it's going to compress your value to the market.” (Ed Mylett, 35:04)
• Daymond: Skilled trades (HVAC, plumbing) may be a safer bet in the next decade— and even better, the opportunity may be in acquiring and consolidating such businesses as older owners retire. (Daymond John, 36:24)

8. Personal Brand and Community: The Ultimate Asset

• CEO Access
  • Daymond describes his "CEO Access" program—helping executives build personal brands so they’re known in rooms they haven’t entered yet.
  • “If you’re not in charge right now, where the day and age is no longer make it, they will come. They want to know who's making it, why you're making it… CEO need to brand themselves.” (Daymond John, 40:36)
• Every Person is a Brand
  • “I wrote a whole book on it… You are a brand. You are a business. Whether you think it or not… If you can't define the two to five words who you are, then you walk into the room, you leave it up to other people to interpret.” (Daymond John, 43:56)
  • The online world magnifies this; everyone is looked up before any handshake.
• Building Community
  • Success stories (like Bombas socks on Shark Tank—“It's a sock!”) are driven by authentic community engagement, not just product.
  • “Brands are community… Don’t think [it] has to be polished and great. Old Dirty Bastard was Old Dirty Bastard, and he knew his community.” (Daymond John, 46:05)
  • We all express our brand—whether we think about it or not.

MEMORABLE QUOTES & MOMENTS

• On Biohacking Simplicity:
  “I’m not an expert… I look at it, we're putting 100 poisons in us a day. Can I get it down to 60?” (Daymond John, 05:37)
• On Money’s Limits:
  “If money worked for everybody, Blockbuster, BlackBerry and Kodak would still be in business.” (Daymond John, 07:29)
• On Humility:
  “If Mark Cuban woke up with my money, he gonna think he a crackhead…” (Daymond John, 17:40)
• On Risk of AI:
  “I don't want to reduce my workforce. I want to triple my business with my current workforce… because this is where all the opportunity is.” (Daymond John, 26:38)
• On Wealth Disparity:
  “When the have nots don't have anything… they're coming for those three.” (Daymond John, 31:19)
• On Branding:
  “If you can’t define in two to five words who you are, then you walk into a room, you leave it up to other people to interpret.” (Daymond John, 44:12)

IMPORTANT TIMESTAMPS

• 05:37 – Daymond's practical biohacking tips
• 07:29 – "You need money to make money" & name/ego lessons
• 11:15–14:20 – Handling rejection, early and late career
• 17:09 – Humility after success; loss and perspective
• 19:57 – Not everyone is cut out for entrepreneurship
• 22:03–24:38 – If he’d skipped Shark Tank deals, would Daymond be wealthier?
• 25:41–30:42 – AI’s impact: studying, workforce, minimum income prediction
• 31:01–33:35 – Societal risks and threats from AI, wealth disparity, unrest
• 35:04–36:52 – Trades vs. college degrees; where the money will be
• 39:29–42:36 – What is CEO Access and why CEO branding matters
• 43:56–47:30 – Brand and community; every person is a brand

FINAL THOUGHTS

This episode is a must-listen for entrepreneurs, executives, and anyone feeling the shifting sands beneath today’s career paths. Both Ed and Daymond offer real talk, tactical advice, and powerful foresight on personal growth, adaptation, and the age of AI. The central message: know yourself, keep learning, build your name and community, and get ready—not just for opportunity, but for disruption too.