David Michael Shands, aka David Shands, is an author, entrepreneur, motivational speaker, business coach, and behavioral scientist. He was born on December 8, 1984, in Willingboro, New Jersey. His family later moved to Morrow, Atlanta, Georgia, in his senior year of high school, and he attended Alabama A&M University for his bachelor’s degree.
David has been exposed to entrepreneurship since childhood. His father was an entrepreneur and was bold enough to try out a new business when the previous one failed. Though young, David could understand his dad’s struggles and drew strong ethics from his experiences, which are his driving force to date. Shands also learned great entrepreneurial wisdom from his father, which he applies to his day-to-day business activities.
David worked as a server in various restaurants and, after being dismissed from the Olive Garden restaurant for stealing cheesecake, ironically secured a job at The Cheesecake Factory and worked there for six years. During his free time, he would experiment with different businesses ranging from landscaping, wholesaling, network marketing, and hand painting t-shirts. These enterprises did not succeed, but David, full of resilience and determination to make it, did not lose hope.
Three and a half years down at The Cheesecake Factory, he started a clothing brand, SleepIs4Suckers. David worked hard to sharpen his speaking and customer service skills and spent nights creating t-shirt designs and inviting friends over to his house to offer feedback. The business flourished and became rewarding towards the close of the third year. Because of this, David decided to quit his job at The Cheesecake Factory to concentrate on his brand. Ten years into being self-employed, David has expanded his t-shirt business and is doing very well in the marketplace.
David has created several networks to reach millions of people hungry for his business expertise. These include his podcast, “The Social Proof,” which ranks in the top 40 business podcasts and the top 5 for entrepreneurship podcasts; social media channels, particularly Instagram and YouTube; and The Morning Meetup, his coaching, mentorship, and accountability group for entrepreneurs. Every weekday morning from 8 am to 9 am, David hosts nearly 500 people on a video call and spends time discussing topics like business, marketing, leadership, and mental toughness. His philosophy in life is to constantly learn and move between student and coach.
Business coaching is the most demanding part of his career as he is talented in transforming everyday life experiences into captivating stories that inspire all who listen. David’s story of tenacity and flexibility is proof that you can chase your dreams and win, especially with access to information and the support of a like-minded community.
As the creator and co-host of the podcast “The Social Proof” and the founder of The Morning Meetup, David is empowering a new generation of aspiring business owners across the country while dismissing the myth that entrepreneurship is out-of-the-way for those without social or capital privilege.
David is passionate about building a community and redefining how people view a successful entrepreneur. You don’t have to have million dollars in your bank account but instead, be an average person ambitious enough to chase your goals on your terms regardless of your background. David also says to never look back when faced with challenges and learn from your mistakes, rise up, and chase your dreams.
