Daymond John is dispelling some traditional truths told in the business world.

John is a serial investor and “Shark Tank” judge who made his mark through his streetwear brand FUBU. The brand, founded in 1992 by O’Leary and his friends Alexander Martin, Keith Perrin, and Carlton Brown, was launched from his mother’s home with an initial investment of just $40, as previously reported by AFROTECH™.

“I didn’t start with a leap, and I think that’s important to know. I started with $40,” John told the Truckload Authority. “I bought some material and made a bunch of hats. I went out on the street to see if I could sell them. That’s not a leap. It was a small, affordable step. Entrepreneurship isn’t an ‘all or nothing’ thing. You can and should wade into it. I can’t say where I would have been if I didn’t start FUBU, but I know I would have kept trying things.”

FUBU received an early boost when John’s mother invested $100,000 from her mortgage to support the brand’s growth. While working to further the business, John spent five to six years waiting tables at Red Lobster, according to Fortune. This season made him a wiser businessman.

“Working at Red Lobster taught me about the ability to sell and the value of being very meticulous,” John told Fortune. “The job taught me about how to treat people, how management works, and how you can enter into a large organization. 95% of people don’t care. And the 5% that care, they can move their way up the ladder.”

The company officially made its mark after rapper LL Cool J, John’s childhood friend and neighbor, endorsed FUBU in various advertisements. According to Fortune, the business reached annual sales of $350 million by 1998.

According to John’s official website, FUBU has surpassed $6 billion in global sales today.

Despite this financial success, John emphasizes that money isn’t everything when it comes to running a business.

“Literally nothing can be further from the truth,” he explained, according to Fortune. “You don’t need money to make money. You do not. Why would 65% of athletes and lotto winners go bankrupt three years after leaving the league or winning the lotto? Why are the top 1000 wealthiest people in the world self-made men and women?”

Instead, John is banking on community, which is displayed through his work alongside his co-founders, mother, LL Cool J, and creativity.

“If you needed money to make money, well then, we can call Kodak and Blockbuster and Blackberry and Red Lobster and Fridays to see how that’s working out for them,” he said.