Written in Partnership with Amir Bakian
John Barrett Jr. has always had the entrepreneur bug, starting his first company at only 16 years old, printing T-shirts in his garage, and creating designs on an old computer. Inspired by his parents when they started their own business, John has since garnered experience in industries like commercial air conditioning, general construction, and cannabis. Throughout his time as an entrepreneur, he has discovered that the majority of people in this industry are going under due to a lack of business skills, poor decision-making, and not saving money to continue operating during price compression. With that in mind, John strives to help others overcome these hurdles and achieve ultimate success in whatever they decide to do.
Who he is at his core
From a young age, John often heard many people say, “you should do this” or, “you should do that,” but he always knew he would be an entrepreneur in some capacity. From commercial A/C and general construction to starting his own company and later becoming a consultant for the cannabis industry, John has discovered that his biggest passion is in business, and he’s an entrepreneur in the truest sense of the word. His other passions include music (he plays guitar and piano) and fashion, so he started a clothing company again. He is also making music and providing a space for musicians to come and record video and audio. Overall, John’s made a name for himself by being accountable. While he hasn’t performed perfectly throughout his career, he’s kept his word, honored his commitments, and outperformed most when it comes to work ethic.
The strengths that guide him
Even in situations that have gone sideways, John always comes back to find a resolution instead of just ignoring them. That is extremely rare and something he’s very proud of. The industry is full of people with a get-rich-quick mentality. The truth is that, like anything else, it’s usually a slow play and requires some business sense. John’s ability to pivot at the right time and his constant work on personal development has allowed him to earn respect wherever he goes—and with respect, success follows. He lost all his money twice, once in 2012 and once in 2019. But since then, he’s learned from those failures and wouldn’t trade them for anything. Nothing scares him now; he knows he can come back from anything.
His advice to others
Learn the basics of accounting and business, and spend less than you earn. Not everybody is your friend, so be careful who you trust. Success is not easy; it’s the process you have to get comfortable with. The best way to learn is to listen to audiobooks—John finds they are way more effective than anything else, especially for those of us who spend a lot of time in the car. He is looking to build a relationship with his audience and believes others could be inspired to take a chance on themselves.
To learn more about John’s business advice and other ventures, visit his Instagram @john_barrettjr!
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.