TOMI Magazine November 2012

MOGUL YOU DON’T KNOW MY NAME J AY LEOPARDI Believe it or not, there are a ton of gazillionaires out there who push their carts right next to yours in Walmart. Some are ok with being a part of the secret society of rich unknowns. Then there are those who have a gang of cash and will do anything to grab your attention. Either way, when you need valida- tion, the bad boy of branding is a number eve- ry business owner should have on speed dial. “ If somebody wanted to tweet and do a trend- ing topic, they can pick up the phone and call me” - says Jay Leopardi, owner of New York branding firm Who’s Big?. “We have our fin- gers on the pulse. We’re the branding guys.” Being rich and being a mogul are two different things. Someone who is rich has a great deal of money. Lots of assets like cars, houses and other types of wealth. A mogul is equivalent to being number one in a particular industry such as entertainment. They are pow- erful. A force to be reckoned with. Branding is a useful business tool that can help you get to Mogul status. And it can help you stay there. “ Daymond John trained me” - says Jay. “For 16 years we’ve been together. He’s trained me to become an animal. On top of that, I come from a father who comes from Proctor and Gamble. So yeah, I come from that blood.” Daymond John, like most entrepre- neurs, started a business inside his home. With the help of a few friends and a financial investment from his mother, the clothing line FUBU (For Us By Us) was born. Then, substan- tial branding firms, didn’t take immediate no- tice to urban design houses. Taking advantage of his resources, Daymond John coupled his unique brand with rap star LL Cool J to equal branding success. “We are so close, Daymond and I. I would do anything for him. I love that man. He’s like my big brother, for real, in life.” In the beginning, entrepreneurs like Daymond, relied on guerilla marketing tech- niques to get to the point of being a ‘ household name’. It is true. By using ordinary promotional tactics like flyers, posters and bumper stickers… these types of branding can still work at a local evel that most startup business owners need them to. It works just Fortune does not always come with fame.

Jay Leopardi Owner, Who’s Big?.com

like a record label. When an artist makes a name for themselves locally, then ‘big record company’ comes in to sign them to a contract. By garnering local credibility, investors and other venture capitalists can see that your product has a loyal following that can turn into a major, national brand. “Who’s Big? just sky- rocketed. I was branding Blair Underwood, Kel Mitchel, even Cedric the Entertainer. They’re all like ‘Jay’s the guy’.” A branding powerhouse. Who’s Big? is behind the brand success of CATE app. A big investment winner on this seasons Shark Tank. “A lot of what I do is on the technology side. The night CATE app went live, we trend- ed it and it became the worldwide trending topic in 20 minutes.” If you have to ask “You don’t know my name?’” Then odds are that person doesn’t. Big or small branding is a part of the business grind. It’s a 24/7 a week job. “I cannot take a day off. I go to sleep with a phone in my hand. I wake up with a phone in my hand. I’m that dedicated.” - Tonisha L. Johnson

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NOVEMBER 2012 WWW.TOMIMAGAZINE.COM