Homeless to Billions: The Founder of Patron Gives Up The Keys To Success

The founder of one of Hip-Hop’s most beloved and namechecked spirits did not always have it so easy.

Patron founder Paul Dejoria grew up in 1970’s in downtown Los Angeles, in the Echo Park area.
As he was trying to start Paul Mitchell Systems (think hair) – his first business billion dollar – Dejoria lived out of his car.
One would assume that being homeless would turn someone who later becomes very wealth, into a rich greedy bastard, who spends lavishly.
Instead, Dejoria, who founded Patron in 1999, also transformed himself into a socially responsible entrepreneur, who has committed to donating the majority of his $3 billion fortune back to society.
Paul Dejoria has also created cool programs like the Blazer House in downtown Los Angeles, which started as a neutral place for local gang members to receive schooling and tutoring.
During a recent TEDx talk, Paul Dejoria gave up some of the keys to his perseverance, endurance, and success.


The most important thing to prepare for when your journey to success is rejection.

According to Paul Dejoria be prepared for a lot of rejection since people will doubt your vision as you begin to execute your business plans.
“If you’re prepared for rejection, when it happens it won’t affect you that much. It really won’t. It’s like selling encyclopedias door-to-door, without an appointment. “Hi, can I come in for a few minutes?” “No.” Slam.

“You have to be just as enthusiastic on door number 101 as you were on door number 100. You have to imagine yourself in this frame of mind.” – Patron founder Paul Dejoria.


No matter what, Paul Dejoria says you must produce the highest quality service or product.

While it’s definitely important to generate income and earn a living, Dejoria has some interesting advice for budding business people.
“You want a product or a service to be so good that you’re in the reorder business, not the selling business,” Paul Dejoria said during his TEDx talk.