John Paul DeJoria, is an American businessman, self-made billionaire, and philanthropist. He is best known for co-founding The Patrón Spirits Company and the Paul Mitchell hair care line. DeJoria is often referred to as a living embodiment of the American Dream. This is because of his achievements in his career and business.
His success has moved him from homelessness to a self-made billionaire and prosperous entrepreneur. He has also been highlighted in numerous publications and documentaries.
Early Life
John Paul Jones DeJoria was born in Los Angeles, California. His father was an Italian immigrant and his mother was a Greek immigrant. He also has an elder brother. Before he turned two, his parents got divorced. When his single mother could not care for both of them, they were placed in a foster home in East Los Angeles.
They remained there remained for a week until John turned nine and reunited with his mother. At the age of nine, John started working alongside his elder brother to sell newspapers and Christmas cards to help support their family. John spent two years in the US Army, but when he got out he couldn’t afford an education. For the next few years, he worked as a caretaker, shampoo salesperson, and insurance salesman among other things.
He learned about hair-care products through his employment in 1971 at Redken Laboratories. He was terminated in 1975 owing to a difference of opinion over business tactics. He trained the management and sales personnel at Fermodyl Hair Care after this, but despite increasing sales, he was once more let go from his position. His subsequent position was with the Institute of Trichology, from where he was laid off because they were unable to pay his wage.
Success Story
Despite everything, John maintained his optimism and drive for success. He decided to launch a company in 1980 with his hairstylist buddy Paul Mitchell. Together they established John Paul Mitchell Systems with a $700 loan. They decided to create products for trained stylists which would help in reducing the amount of time needed to style a client’s hair.
A single-application shampoo and a leave-in conditioner were the company’s initial products. The company achieved over $1 million in gross revenue after two years of struggle, which signaled the start of something spectacular. John Paul Mitchell Systems(JPMS) currently sells more than 100 items in salons in about 87 different countries. JPMS was one of the first businesses to oppose animal cruelty testing.
John Paul DeJoria consistently backed environmental causes and provided funding to Gustin Energy Cos., which would conduct sophisticated oil and gas exploration while keeping the environment in mind. He founded Patreon Spirits Co. with his buddy Martin Cowley after the passing of Paul Mitchell in an attempt to produce smooth tequila. Additionally, his tequila business sells over 2 million cases of tequila annually.
Other Ventures
The Paul Mitchell Schools, which have over 100 locations in the USA, were also founded by John Paul. DeJoria works in both the film and business sectors of the economy. John appeared in several movies, including You Don’t Mess with the Zohan and The Big Tease. He has also appeared as an investor on the reality Television program Shark Tank. In 2021, John DeJoria and Leif Rogers declared their partnership.
Leif Rogers is a prominent plastic surgeon in California. He specializes in facial rejuvenation and microsurgical body restoration. According to John and Leif, they intend to use technology and innovation to improve the world through their business cooperation. They seek to provide answers to the enormous and expanding requirements of the rapidly changing globe.
John Paul DeJoria’s life story gives everyone the belief that everything is possible. His difficulties throughout life and his attitude of never giving up tell us that one shouldn’t quit working or waste valuable time sulking around; the only path forward is to continue ahead and give everything you’ve got.
I am a law graduate from NLU Lucknow. I have a flair for creative writing and hence in my free time work as a freelance content writer.