195: From Pro Skateboarder to Running a Brand-Building Empire, With Rob Dyrdek of Dyrdek Machine

Growing up as a fanatical skateboarder first in Ohio and then moving to California as a teen to pursue skating professionally, many of his friends and fellow skateboarders were older than him and running their own businesses. From a very young age, he was steeped in skateboarding’s DIY culture, always on the lookout for the next frontier in the sport, or scrappy new brand to emerge from the scene. From skate shops to clothing companies, Dyrdek was exposed to a variety of entrepreneurial ventures early in life. Key Takeaways The core traits Dyrdek looks for when investing in businesses and entrepreneurs What his “core to more” philosophy is and how it contributes to a company’s longevity Dyrdek’s many business successes (and failures) and what he learned from each