“Everything you need to know about success is inside of you, because I believe it is inside of all of us,” says Simmons. “That is, all human beings have potential for infinite success.”
From dealing drugs on the streets of New York to becoming one of the most creative, successful and well-respected entrepreneurs of the 20th century, Russell Simmons has learned what it takes to reach your goals:
Focus. “Everybody has a great idea, but very few are successful without true focus.” Simmons never strayed from his goal of promoting hip-hop music and culture to his core audience – African Americans. He wanted to present the truth about what was going on in the streets and wasn’t going to gloss over anything for anyone. Eventually, hip-hop’s appeal spread to a wider, primarily white audience, but Simmons stayed true to his roots, focusing on his niche market and keeping his message constant. “That’s the most basic thing,” he says. “Stick with your vision.”
Determination. “You have to stick with what you start,” says Simmons. “Don’t let other people dissuade you because you don’t have instant success.” Simmons knew what it was to face obstacles and criticism along his way to success, but he didn’t let that stand in his way. He devoted himself wholeheartedly to achieving his goals and remained confident in his abilities to do so.
Duty. “I try to make my life about service, and hope that one day we can all ‘see’ a little better,” says Simmons. Recognizing that his success came from the very struggles that his audience was facing on the tough streets, Simmons dedicated himself to giving back to those communities. He founded numerous projects to encourage education and political awareness and involved himself in other social causes such as animal cruelty and HIV awareness. “I'm not a politician. I only want to help relieve the suffering in communities, and I want to help people see their community in each other.”
Creativity. Simmons recognized that it was only because he was doing something different that he was going to be able to succeed. Crediting his yoga and his keen street sense with giving him the confidence to pursue new avenues of opportunity, Simmons found success where others weren’t looking for it. From marketing rap music with Adidas shoes to voting with LL Cool J, Simmons achieved success by doing things differently and thinking along lines nobody had thought along before.
Teamwork: “A lot of people like to think that an individual makes or breaks his or her own success, but that’s not really the case,” says Simmons. “Often your success is determined by the people you surround yourself with.” Simmons created a hard-working and efficient workforce by creating an open environment and encouraging the entrepreneurial spirit at all levels of his companies. Simmons’ staff wanted him to succeed because he wanted them to succeed.
Nobody expected success from Russell Simmons; nobody expected anything from Russell Simmons. Having been written off by society as a drug dealer, Simmons dedicated his life to proving that he could be more. He focused on his passion for hip-hop, identified a void in the music industry at the time, and set out to fill that void. Since that time, his keen sense of business and promotion has turned the Simmons name into a marketable brand in and of itself. With a personal net worth of approximately $500 million, Simmons is now approaching the age when many choose to retire. But, he shows little interest in slowing down. He still goes to work daily and asks himself, “What else?”
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