You may know him from his professional skateboarding career, social media presence, various partnerships with big brands, or his skateboard brand. John Hill is a man of many talents. We were able to speak with John and get some more insight on how he got here.
Who is John Hill?
John is a professional skateboarder, social media influencer, illustrator, and entrepreneur. He started skateboarding at age 10 and now at age 27, is a professional skateboarder and has a board with his name on it.
While becoming a professional skateboarder is an incredible feat of itself, John has several other ventures as well. In an industry such as skateboarding that’s not extremely lucrative, he turned to another aspect, becoming a storyteller through videos. John’s Youtube channel with over 3.3 million views and 50,000 subscribers allows him to showcase his experiences as a skateboarder. His social media channels have over a million followers. He’s worked with several prominent brands in partnerships and is an illustrator with, in particular, a notable Samsung campaign.
His entrepreneurial talents shine through founding Progress Daily, NYC, a skateboarding brand. Progress Daily showcases skateboarding in an attention-grabbing manner and inspires others.
“I think the mix of Entrepreneur, Youtuber, Skateboarder, illustrator, that I am, showcased skateboarding in a refreshing way that attracted previously uninterested skaters.”
On how his different interests create something unique
Becoming An Entrepreneur
One of his first ventures into the entrepreneurship world was selling drawings at the age of 9 years old. Now, just a few years later, John started Progress Daily, NYC as a way to have merch for his Youtube Channel. Rather than selling shirts with pictures of his face on it, he wanted it to have meaning. So, John combined two things that he knew: skating and clothing. This allowed him to dive into a niche that had previously been uncaptured. Progress Daily isn’t just about selling apparel. They create content to inspire and showcase underrated talent and help the skateboarding community grow.
“It doesn’t feel like work when you’re building your own projects.”
John Hill’s favorite part of being an entrepreneur
It’s no doubt that being an entrepreneur takes a lot of dedication and hard work. However the age-old saying of “it’s not work if you love what you do” definitely applies to John. He’s doing what comes to him naturally. Starting a business can be a little overwhelming but for John, he trusts his vision and intentions to continuously seek excitement. His passion for skateboarding and entrepreneurship has made John successful.
Setting Goals & Plans For The Future
A lot of the goals that John has been able to accomplish weren’t planned. Simply by taking it day by day and continuing to take the next step, he has been able to accomplish huge things. His successes come from setting relatively simple goals and making the most out of the moment.
“I’ve noticed I get places faster if I just focus on making the most out of this moment, and not using this moment to think about an eventual moment.”
John Hill on fast accomplishments
As for the future, Progress Daily, NYC has big plans. They now have a talented skate team building out an online store that consists of content, apparel, and skateboarding with a focus on inspiring. Their goal is to one day make Progress Daily into an umbrella company that includes Progress Daily Skateboarding and other future companies.
John has made himself into an amazing entrepreneur and he shares a piece of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.
“The best chance you have at building a brand that stands out is building something you can excitedly work on longer than anyone else.”
Follow along with John’s adventure through his Instagram @johnhill and Progress Daily through their Youtube! Interested in more stories like John’s? Click here to read about How This 20 Year Old Has Sold $2.5 Million Dollars Worth Of Shoes!
Opinions expressed by AsianBlurb contributors are their own.
Francisca Li (born 9/15/2001) is a student at the University of Texas at Dallas studying Business with a concentration in IT and Finance. She is a freelance graphic designer and branding expert as well as a co-founder of Orenda Change.
