#54: Brain Marks - Building a Business Three Times!

Brian K Marks never liked the term “industry standard.” Instead, he took a different path leading to a life-long entrepreneurial record of achievement – innovating products and brand experiences that resonated with consumers. At 25, Brian started African Pride – a maker of ethnic hair and skin products. He tapped into the Afrocentric movement at the time, creating innovative “street level” merchandising and advertising sampling programs that grew the business from zero to over $35MM in annual sales. He later sold the company to Revlon for over $40MM, staying on as President of Revlon ethnic products worldwide – overseeing the A.P. Product brands and Revlon’s ethnic product portfolio. In this interview: * How to go into a partnership * Why borrow from a bank * The power of the trademark * How to sell your company * Corporate America vs Entrepreneurship * How to survive success * Starting over again in the Amazon Age * My Israel’s Miracle the first company ever to use “Israel” in the prefix/suffix of a brand * Amazon vs Retail To recommend someone for an interview and to reach Rabbi Werde, email [email protected]