Feedback Form

Dov Charney Articles

  Articles
Dov Charney Articles

Born Hustler: American Apparel’s Dov Charney Is Born - Click To Read Article
“America doesn’t need another faceless, institutional apparel company,” says American Apparel founder Dov Charney. “They need an apparel company that gets it and does it right.”

Living The American Dream: Charney’s Business Takes Off
- Click To Read Article
Charney’s dreams of running a clothing company crashed in the mid-1990s, along with much of the industry. Did he waste his father’s $10,000 loan, he wondered. Was his move to South Carolina pointless? Charney wanted to make sure that his venture down south was not in vain.

Lesson #1: Succeed Through Innovation Not Exploitation
- Click To Read Article
American Apparel is about much more than clothes or at least Charney hopes so. In creating the company of his dreams, Charney wanted to make sure that it stood for something, that it was selling a message along with its products. That message is that a company does not have to be exploitive in order to turn a profit.

Lesson #2: Narrow The Market To Your Niche
- Click To Read Article
“There’s the relaxed fit generation and then there’s the next generation,” says Charney. “We like sexy at American Apparel.”

Lesson #3: Conventions Are Not For The Creative Entrepreneur
- Click To Read Article
Charney typically schedules all his appointments for the day between 11:30 to 12:30. He also, however, does not rise until almost noon. Charney has no personal assistants, does not own a Blackberry, and sees little use in checking his voicemail. He lives in a modest house and drinks instant coffee on his way to work. Charney may not be your conventional CEO, but according to him, that is precisely the reason he has been able to become so successful. After all, the creative entrepreneur does not live by the conventions of others.

Lesson #4: If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It
- Click To Read Article
When asked what the number one key to success is, Charney replies, “Passion. That’s it. When you believe in what you’re doing, that’s it.”

Lesson #5: Make Efficiency Your Secret Weapon
- Click To Read Article
When Charney filed for bankruptcy it was because American Apparel was suffering from a lack of one thing: efficiency. His staff were all in their 20s, a wildly creative bunch when it came to graphics and design, but few knew the ins and outs of running a business. And so Charney brought on Marty Bailey, an industry expert, who helped make efficiency American Apparel’s secret weapon against its competitors.

Living The American Dream: How Dov Charney Fashioned His Own Success
- Click To Read Article
“Give me the chance of going to Harvard or being there when Google started and I want to be there making $3 an hour sweeping their floors. Or Apple when Steve Jobs started it,” says Charney. “Maybe I'm delusional but that's what I think American Apparel is.” For Charney, the success of American Apparel has just begun. But how did he get to where he is today? How did a Jewish Canadian college dropout become the CEO of one of the most revered and fastest-growing companies in America?

Dov Charney Quotes
- Click To Read Article
Dov Charney Quotes


Like this article? Share it with your friends


Related Forum Posts Article Feedback
Article Feedback No article feedback found.
Leave Your Feedback

Related Articles Related Articles
Full RSS or Summary Feed
  I'm not the first one to chime in on this topic, mostly because I've gone both ways and I can make pretty valid arguments from either side. But I've finally settled it in my mind which is "best". Full RSS feeds a...
Part 1: The Executive Summary
  The executive summary is the most important section of your business plan. It provides a concise overview of the entire plan along with a history of your company. This section tells your reader where your company is...
ATTRACTING INVESTORS: A Compelling Executive Summary in 10 Items or Less
  Attracting an investor is like attracting a mate—you want to pique the investor’s interest without showing all your cards at the outset. The perfect vehicle for achieving this delicate balance is the Executive Summ...
Meta Tags Optimization - How Important Are Meta Tags Now?
  It would be unwise to leave out Meta keyword tags or Meta description tags from your web page even though these are not the main factors that search engines employ when ranking your site. The meta description tag su...
How To Write An Article Headline That Compels Readers to Take Action!
  Anyone can write a 500 - 800 word blog posting (article) and submit it to an Article Directory. But a badly written article can cause you and your reputation a lot of damage. You have probably read some badly wri...

Related Forum Posts Related Forum Posts
Entrepreneur Advice From The Masters Entrepreneur Advice From The Masters
Profiling Famous Women Entrepreneurs Profiling Famous Women Entrepreneurs
Tyra Banks - Entrepreneur Tyra Banks - Entrepreneur
YouTube, PussyCat Dolls, Indigo, etc. YouTube, PussyCat Dolls, Indigo, etc.
Re: Who to profile next? Re: Who to profile next?
Fred Smith, Fedex Fred Smith, Fedex
Mary Kay Ash Entrepreneur Profile Mary Kay Ash Entrepreneur Profile
New Profile: McDonald's Ray Kroc New Profile: McDonald's Ray Kroc

Related Forum Posts Related Businesses - Evan Elite Authors

To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us.

Famous Entrepreneur Video
Dov Charney Video - CBS Sunday Morning correspondent John Blackstone came by the factory to shoot a profile on American Apparel and CEO Dov Charney that ran on Super Bowl Sunday.
Famous Entrepreneur Video

Dov Charney Picture Dov Charney Newsletter
Get our free newsletter to learn more about Dov Charney and other famous entrepreneurs!

Email:
Name:





Sales Lessons From Starbucks And Dell