Always have a process. You need a process in place from your planning stage, all the way to execution or your ideas are never going to get off the ground.
Darien Dash, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and activist, is the creator and CEO of The Movement Management firm, a company that focuses on providing financial and strategic business advice to clients ranging from media, sports, entertainment, cannabis, and capital market industries. He also maintains positions as director at Dunkin Donuts Franchise Growth Partners and director at 414 Media Advisors.
Listen to this interview with Darien Dash as a podcast episode.
Born in New York, Dash is recognized as a disrupter in digital marketing and a leader in internet technologies. He grew up in a family heavily embedded in the entertainment industry but decided not to follow that path for himself. Instead, through his life experiences, he has displayed a long dedication to bringing equality to minority communities.
In the early 1990s, while attending The University of Southern California, Dash started his entrepreneurial career, launching Roc-A-Bloc records with his cousin Damon. Within twenty-four months the duo signed up-and-coming hip-hop artist Jay Z, and they grossed over $100K. Then, following graduation in 1994, Dash started his first independent company, DME Interactive Holdings, a company that was dedicated to expanding the hardware and software within minority communities. Five years later, in June 1999, DME Holdings went public, becoming the first African American-owned internet company publicly traded on Wall Street. In 2000, Dash was approached by President Bill Clinton to creatively develop strategies to make the internet available to all communities in America. During his time working on this project, Dash was introduced to Carly Fiorina, then CEO of Hewlett-Packard. The two partnered on an innovative technology firm which they called Places of Color, a company that sold low-cost computers to minority communities surrounding New York City. This firm was eventually recognized as a Regional and National Technology Firm of the Year.
Over the last three decades, Dash has dedicated his life to continually striving to bring changes to the communities surrounding him. It is his deep passion, business and technological expertise, and solid work ethic that have enabled him to create success both for himself and the people and communities he has committed to helping.
Where did the idea for The Movement Management come from?
The company was created as an avenue in which I could immediately use my skills and expertise. Over the last twenty years, I have been working with a variety of clients, including high-level athletes, executives, CEOs, and entertainers, to name a few – I have been advising on several strategies and capital market approaches. I looked at what I was doing on a day-to-day basis and saw my opportunity.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
For me, no day looks the same with the exception of how many hours I work. I am an early bird, which is beneficial because by seven in the morning my phone is already ringing. I tend to work long hours, dedicating myself to the business until nine or ten pm – this, however, is also in part because my day is not limited to my time zone. Some of my clients are on the West Coast and some may be traveling at times; therefore, my business activities can fluctuate depending on who I am working with that day.
The day-to-day, as I mentioned, changes depending on the business at hand. Some days there are urgent matters that must be approached immediately, while other days are more geared to developing strategies. Each client has different needs, so we adapt our days to the demands of our clients and the urgency of the matters. I do try to have a schedule each day; however, things fluctuate. Thankfully, I have a very supportive and strong team behind me to ensure that each day runs as smoothly as possible and to manage the execution side for my clients.
How do you bring ideas to life?
My simplest answer to this is over time.
Each client is different, and this must be considered when developing a strategy with them. We have worked with individuals who were just getting started in their business all the way up to established CEOs. Dealing with such a wide and diverse range of clients, we have learned that the most effective ideas are those that grow over time out of the relationships we’ve developed. This has been beneficial in our ability to work with clients because the ideas that we implement have resulted from an organic, naturally evolving process.
Another thing to note is that we never discriminate based on stature or success level of our clients, and this has allowed us to have a broad perspective on various strategies – essentially, it has allowed us to develop more creative solutions over time.
What’s one trend that excites you?
In recent years we have witnessed an uptick in African American and Hispanic individuals and companies, both male- and female-owned, conducting business with one another. We have seen these populations become much more likely to become business owners in an array of industries, including cannabis, media, telecom, and tech. Their involvement has also resulted in more movement within the entrepreneurial and social justice communities, so we have seen more partnerships between private and public entities dedicated to making a real difference in their communities and in people’s lives. This change is one trend that has excited me; however, I hope that in the end, it proves not to be simply a trend but instead a shift in industries.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
I would say that my dedication to developing an effective workflow has always been a strong characteristic that has helped me be more productive as an entrepreneur. Since many of the tasks I do on a daily basis are similar between clients, I am constantly working to establish the most effective way to conduct these tasks without wasting time. Simultaneously, though, I must ensure that each client is treated individually and that specific matters are not ignored because of my processes – it is always a fine balance to maintain. However, executed correctly, it greatly improves my ability to work with my clients.
What advice would you give your younger self?
One phrase that I have adopted in my mindset today is Trees Don’t Grow in the Sky, and this is what I would tell my younger self. In life I believe that you harvest what you grow, so you must continuously be planting new seeds. Every time you accomplish a goal, plant a new seed. Use your profit toward growth and set new goals.
This mindset is especially critical when business is going well – in these moments it is easy to get caught in the flow and forget what the initial goals were. Therefore, I find that it is important to always be mindful of what your goals are and how you are going to use those achievements to continue to set new goals. I am not saying that you should not celebrate successes, but also do not forget to keep moving forward.
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.
The Cowboys are coming back next year and will be taking the win in the 2021 Super Bowl!
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
I keep a close eye on my business financial statements, including my balance sheet and P&L. Too often, as companies grow, people tend to leave this monitoring to someone else – I believe that this can create a major hiccup in the development of a company and become a financial burden that can destroy an entrepreneur’s dream.
For all young entrepreneurs, I recommend that they pay close attention to both their business and personal statements – identify the trends and always have a keen understanding of their financial position. This will not only give them insight on opportunities to grow but can also help develop a healthy habit of staying up-to-date with a very important aspect of operating a successful business – their bottom line.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?
My mindset of always putting the client first. I have learned over the years that as long as I put the client first, I will find success – but if you put success first, you do not always maintain a healthy relationship with clients.
Therefore, I believe that the strategy to success is remembering that no matter the level of the client, my ability to help them achieve their goals is my priority.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
My career has been filled with many failures; I cannot pick just one. The truth is that to find success, you have to experience ongoing failures. This is true in all industries – for entertainers, athletes, and executives. As you build your career you will hear the word “no” thousands of times more than you hear “yes.” The only way to keep going is to have thick skin and a short memory. Additionally, you have to have the ability to adapt according to your failures. If you can do this while keeping faith that you will succeed, you will finally experience success – it just may take longer than you had anticipated.
Furthermore, if you look at the statistics, the most successful people in the world have most likely failed more times than anyone else in their industry. Keeping this in mind, you can begin to identify each failure as a stepping stone to success, and if you do this, then you will finally get to where you want to be.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
I recently took my children on vacation and believe that this is the best way I can spend my money. Quality time with my family is priceless, so whenever I get the opportunity to vacation with them, I take advantage.
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?
I primarily use spreadsheets in my daily business and have for many years. In my mind, Excel is one of the best programs ever designed and it is a tool that I am constantly using.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
I recommend everyone read the Bible. I believe that it contains invaluable advice, along with the insight, motivation, and philosophy to live a happy and productive life.
What is your favorite quote?
“Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.” Martin Luther King
Key Learnings:
- Always have a process. You need a process in place from your planning stage, all the way to execution or your ideas are never going to get off the ground.
- Failure is a part of being an entrepreneur. Embrace your failures so that you can turn them into learning opportunities for future success on your following ventures.\
- Track your financial position. Always know where you sit with your money or you can find yourself in trouble before you know it.