10 THINGS A VIP CAN TEACH YOU ABOUT BUSINESS
Professor will i am with students at Arizonia State University.
Will i Am is best known as frontman of the pop band The Black-Eyed Peas, but his side hustle and passion as a tech entrepreneur might surprise you. He was involved with Beats Electronics and sale to Apple, named “Director of Creative Innovation” for Intel, founder of i.am+ a smart home and AI company, headline guest at Salesforce events, and Arizonia State University just named him a professor of practice with an AI course titled “The Agentic Self”. Dhruv Patel, one of 80 students lucky enough to get into the class describes it as, “an AI persona that not only completes tasks but actually reflects a person’s values, voice and goals. I want it to think like I do, but with all the computational power and all the other intellectual capabilities that I don’t have behind it”.
will.i.am describes the ASU alliance as “forever learning — a way to equip students with the skills they need for a world powered by AI”.
My book publisher let me know my book “Will Work For Shoes – The Business Behind the Red Carpet” is included in a class action lawsuit against Anthropic. Without my knowledge, the AI research company used my work. I’m not a VIP, but I join the ranks of super star Matthew McConaughey who doesn’t want AI to use his voice, likeness, or in my case, my written word without permission. In McConaughey’s case, 8 trademark applications were filed including his famous saying, “Alright, alright, alright” from the movie “Dazed and Confused”. McConaughey told The Wall Street Journal, “I want to know that when my voice or likeness is ever used, it’s because I approved and signed off on it. I don’t know what a court will say in the end, but we have to at least test this.” Why is this important for you? Maybe you have a logo or product you want to protect from AI. Defense starts with using strong watermarks, registering trademarks and copyrights.
Tony Robbins’s famous phrase “Proximity is power” emphasizes that “surrounding yourself with high-achieving, positive, and successful people allows you to adopt their energy, mindset, and strategies, ultimately accelerating your own growth and success”.
“Proximity is power” was on display this year at The 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos (January 19–23). High-profile celebrities included Matt Damon, David Beckham, and will.i.am. Why did these VIPs participate in discussions with global leaders and CEOs? In Matt Damon’s case it was an opportunity to get in front of “Blue Davos” to explain how to access clean water, something he has devoted “all my time and energy” to 20 years ago. As co-founder of Water.org, Damon spoke to Amazon, Gap, Starbucks and Ecolab about Water.org with a goal of reaching 200 million people by 2030. Damon and Gary White, co-founder and CEO of Water.org looked to corporations to help build the organization. How does it work? White says, “Imagine walking in Starbucks and getting a Get Blue drink, or going and buying a hoodie at Gap that’s branded with Get Blue.” Damon added, “We are confident with with enough participation and momentum, we can solve this in our lifetime.”
https://www.axios.com/2026/01/19/matt-damon-water-charity-davos-get-blue
“Hoosier” Daddy
John Mellencamp has been a fan of Indiana University’s football team since he was a kid. It is no surprise that he gave $1.5 million dollars to build an indoor facility. The Wall Street Journal reports that in exchange, the university built Mellencamp a “bare-bones box” placed high above the field. Mellencamp can watch the games and smoke his beloved cigarettes without bothering anyone. With the team on a winning streak now, The Mellencamp Pavilion and his personal archives are a highlight for Hoosier fans.
When was the last time you heard the word neckerchief? If you’ve seen the George Clooney movie “Jay Kelly”, a neckerchief bandana plays a significant role in the movie. Clooney plays an actor along the lines of a smooth and sexy Cary Grant, sans an emotional compass. We see the neckerchief on his mentor who dies and gives the scarf to Clooney, who promptly offers it up callously to his manager played by Adam Sandler. We see Sandler’s character as a man who cares about family and people, so it makes sense for him to decide in that moment to wear the neckerchief, and people notice. Never has a bandana looked so good. Bravo Sandler! You rocked a bandana!
Victoria Beckham’s series on Netflix sets the record straight. Being a celebrity doesn’t guarantee success outside the lights and red carpet, in fact, it has more pressure. Her fashion line “Victoria Beckham” is financed by Ms. Beckham and her famous soccer player- husband, David Beckham. The former “Posh” Spice Girl has always loved fashion, and the series doesn’t shy away from her struggles. Anyone self-financing a business will recognize that this VIP is working hard, learning from her mentor designer Roland Mouret, yet the brand still has financial problems. By all accounts, the business has improved but it was interesting to learn a pivot to adding a beauty line might save the business. .