04: High-School Dropout goes from Living on Porches to Building an LA Fashion Business // The Story of Magnus Walker
Background:
Magnus Walker, nicknamed the Urban Outlaw, is a British custom car builder, fashion designer and car collector. After emigrating to the United States in 1986, he established the Serious Clothing Brand, which was worn by the likes of Madonna, Alice Cooper, and Bruce Willis. Having been fascinated with Porsche since childhood, he started collecting and customizing vintage Porsches, mostly of the 911 model. After the documentary Urban Outlaw about his life and fascination with Porsche was shown at the 2012 Raindance Film Festival, he became one of the world’s most visible faces of the Porsche and car collecting scene, and has since been featured in a multitude of media, such as The Joe Rogan Experience (2015), and Jay Leno’s Garage (2017), and the 2015 video game Need for Speed.
Time-Stamped Show Notes:
- 2:51 Dropping out of high school, Magnus Walker describes himself as a street smart.
- 5:10 Back in 1986, he was given the opportunity to work at a summer camp with underprivileged kids in Detroit. It was his first time in the US and he was out of his comfort zone.
- 8:00 As a kid, he was already into cars, which he got from his dad. During his teenage years, he went into the rebellious phase with long hair and listening to metal.
- 11:52 In the early 80s, when he was into cross-country running, a world-record holder for distance running congratulated him.
- 14:06 His first positive turning point was when he took a one-year college management course.
- 15:23 Magnus shares the story of how he got into a rock-bottom moment when he went to America.
- 19:15 He was given a chance to go back to America and never came back.
- 24:54 A job opportunity was given to Magnus which led him into the retail business. This is where he slowly discovered his entrepreneurial spirit.
- 27:58 Magnus started buying cheap Levi’s jeans, patching them up with floral designs, and selling them for a higher price. His business grew until he started doing hats and creating hip designs.
- 35:26 Disneyland came to him to order a large number of hats. This was a rockin’-it moment for Magnus.
- 38:56 It was time for Magnus to reinvent his business in order to move up from the competition.
- 43:25 Magnus bought an old industrial building, which turned out to be another turning point in his entrepreneurial career.
- 52:32 He talks about the film documentary about his cars.
- 57:41 Being a guest on TED Talk became a source of inspiration for lots of people.
Featured Charity In This Episode:
-
- 10:12 Mind is for better mental health in the United Kingdom. They won’t give up until everyone experiencing a mental health problem gets support and respect. Local Minds support people in communities across England and Wales. Their range of services include supported housing, crisis helplines, drop-in centres, employment and training schemes, counselling and befriending. Help Mind by donating via their website www.mind.org.uk
- 36:07 Visit Magnus Walker’s YouTube channel to get in touch with him or check out what he’s doing today. He’s always up to something interesting. Remember also to share this episode with people who need to hear it: Magnus Walker YouTube.
Key Point from the Interview:
- “I went to LA, I went to America, I thought I was never coming back, and it was the moment of – Wow, it didn’t pan out like I thought it was going to pan out. And that to me was the rock-bottom moment.”
- “Most of the time, I’ve never asked other people’s opinion, because if it feels right to me that’s all I need to know.”
