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Unlabel

Selling You Without Selling Out

About The Book

From one of the most provocative entrepreneurs of our time, Marc Ecko reveals his formula for building an authentic brand or business in a compelling how-to guide that’s perfect to “educate the next generation of dreamers” (Kirkus Reviews).

As instructive as it is innovative, Unlabel empowers you to channel your creativity, find the courage to defy convention, and summon the confidence to act and compete in any environment.

This visual blueprint teaches you how to grow both creatively and commercially by testing your personal brand against the principles of the Authenticity Formula.

Marc Ecko shares the bruising mistakes and remarkable triumphs that reveal the truth behind his success, growing from a misfit kid airbrushing T-shirts in his parents’ garage to the bold creator of two hugely successful branded platforms—Ecko Unltd. and Complex Media. As Ecko explains, it’s not enough to simply merge your inner artist with business savvy, you must understand the anatomy of a brand, starting with its authentic spine.

With Unlabel, you will discover your own voice by overcoming fear, take action and deliver on your promises, understand why failure is essential, learn how your product or service makes people feel, and recognize if your nostalgia for the past is hampering your ability to envision your future.

Unlabel provides a bold and honest approach to building an authentic personal brand, and a roadmap for growing a bootstrap start-up into a sustainable business.

About The Author

Photo by Matt Doyle, courtesy of Ecko Unlimited

Marc Ecko is an American fashion designer, entrepreneur, and artist. He left the safety of pharmacy school and—armed with only hustle, sweat equity, and creativity—turned $5,000 into a global corporation now worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He is the founder of Marc Ecko Enterprises, a fashion and lifestyle company, and the founder and chairman of Complex Media, the world’s leading provider of fashion, entertainment, lifestyle, and product trends to young male tastemakers. Visit him online at BeingMarcEcko.com, Unlabel.me, or on Twitter @MarcEcko.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Atria Books (October 1, 2013)
  • Length: 304 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781451685336

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Raves and Reviews

"I've always believed that students should learn their trade from the masters--but there are times when you can't just follow what's come before. Marc Ecko designed his future while putting his own spin on history. He's fearless, and he built his brand out of his love of art and pop culture, without being seduced by nostalgia. Marc may have been inspired by Star Wars, but he made it his own – and no one has made Star Wars cooler than Ecko. His unique vision became a global force in fashion. For art and execution, this is the text book I wish I could have bought in college."

– George Lucas

“In his role as entrepreneurial guru, Ecko is a sort of anti-Trump, using human frailty instead of unattainable omnificence to educate the next generation of dreamers….A compelling how-to guide…”

– Kirkus Reviews

"It is very rare to read an entire business book from cover to cover like you would a novel, and find within it a story that is so interesting and captivating that it immediately puts perspective on how you channel your own creativity and tell your own story. Unlabel is that book. At a time when every business person and company is forced to hustle and fight to be heard in a competitive world, Unlabel is the story of a man who clawed his way out of a garage and created a multi-million dollar company in the process. It is a success story, to be sure, but it’s one that shares the bruises, scars, and painful mistakes that every entrepreneur and business owner will experience (or some variation of) on the way to becoming his or her own authentic ‘brand.’"

– 800-CEO-READS

"Marc is living proof that you can be a marketing and business whiz and still be a true artist."

– CNBC

“Very, very creative. More edge than most."

– Russell Simmons

"Grand harmonic pop-culture convergence. Ecko is at a crossroads. … The man is trying to step out from behind his rhino."

– The New York Times

"[This] media mogul made millions by leveraging his ability to find the next big thing."

– Business Insider

"Ecko brings a sense of edgy wonder to his work."

– Entrepreneur Magazine

"The merging of different worlds is a recurring theme in Marc Ecko's life and in his work."

– ABC Nightline

"Marc Ecko imposes no limits on himself, or his sources of inspiration."

– AskMen.com

Resources and Downloads

High Resolution Images

  • Author Photo (jpg): Marc Ecko
    Photo by Matt Doyle, courtesy of Ecko Unlimited
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