Lessons From Dov Charney

  1. The Many Faces Of Dov Charney
    1. ¶Dov Charney: The TShirt Geek
    2. ¶Dov Charney: The Founder
    3. ¶Dov Charney: The OG of Blurred Lines
    4. ¶On American Apparel
  2. The Prinicple of Margins
  3. The Prinicple of Boundaries

The Many Faces Of Dov Charney

In case you were unaware like I was, Dov Charney is the Founder of American Apparel. Dov started the company in ___. Dov ran the company for ____. Dov grew the company to _____. By many accounts Dov should be heralded as an American Business Icon (Dov would certinly have you believe this). But there is an interesting grey area that Dov and American Apparel operated in (sometimes not so grey at all)

In an epic conflict of “Board vs Foudner”, American Apparel’s Dov Charney is a very complicated mix of raw emotional power and varried boundaries between personal and private life.

Haivng listened to the whole season - here are my thoughts.

Dov Charney: The TShirt Geek

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Dov Charney: The Founder

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Dov Charney: The OG of Blurred Lines

  • Robin Thicke you have nothing on the perception of Dov Charney

On American Apparel

  • You can not understand American Apparel with out understading Dov Charney.
  • Dov is an idealist, is a perfectionist, is a sexual person, is a charismatic man, is a bombastic leader.

The Prinicple of Margins

  • An old man was talking to me about baseball once. He told me the point of stealing a base is to arive at the base not before the ball, but so far in front of the ball - that there could be no doubt in the umpires mind that you beat the ball. If you are the only one who knows that you beat the ball, all you can do is console yourself with that information on the way back to the dugout.

The Prinicple of Boundaries

  • As a newly wed husband, I found myself sitting in a wedding seminar with my new bride at church. One particular session the elders endlessly espoused the benefit of boundaries in your life and in the life of your spouse. Some people would tout how they never eat lunch with another person of the opposite sex in a 1:1 setting. Others would talk about their specific hardline rules. I thought to myself, “how odd.” Here I am sitting under the wisdom of these leaders and they are advocating I be a weirdo incapable of relating to members of the opposite sex.

Many years have passed since I sat in that semniar. And I have watched the collosal collapse of some friends marriages. Some would rise again from the ash of the destruction the sowed on themselves, but most would remain a heap of charred rubble. What
do marriages have to do with Dov Charney? Boundaries.

The Principle of Boundaries is not only applicable for strategy in determining who an organization is, what it will sell, and what it needs to buy. But more importantly determining the relationships at work. Most people do not function well in a hair ball of emotional connections. Most people need clear lines. We are an item, OR we are JUST colleagues or friends or whatever.

  • their conclusion is spot on - for Dov to be accountible
  • there are other things

References:

  • google.com
  • From Gimlet Media - see “Startup” Season 5
business
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