In a fast-moving presentation filled with photos, videos, sound effects and funky music, Shark Tank host and FUBU founder Daymond John told his audience to never forget that “you are the brand.” He asked the group: “What two to five words do you stand for? When you know that, then you can master the pitch. On Shark Tank, we do not invest in companies, we invest in people.”

John’s keynote, in front of a standing-room-only crowd at ASI Chicago, recounted his life story, from his early days being raised by a single mom in Queens to his pulse-pounding experiences with rappers to his transition into a TV star. Injecting wit and humor, John explained how hip hop influenced his youth, how he got his entrepreneurial start selling hats outside the New York Coliseum, how he marketed his fledgling brand by spray-painting FUBU on metal shop doors on New York City streets, and how he was turned down for loans by 27 banks before his clothing line took off. “My mom said to me, ‘I didn’t even know that 27 banks existed,’” John quipped.

Woven throughout his keynote, John highlighted five S-H-A-R-K points that he’s learned are the key to striking gold in business. They are: Set goals “because if you don’t others will” for you; do your Homework and be prepared to respond not react; have Amor (love) for your career and calling; Remember to always build up your personal brand; and Keep swimming. That last point drew the crowd to a hush as John related his recent surgery that was intended to remove half of his thyroid. Doctors instead found out John had stage two cancer. “We entrepreneurs, we don’t take very good care of ourselves,” John said. “I’m now cancer free and I’ve learned a man with good health has a thousand dreams. We need to understand that success is nothing without our health.”

While there were certainly serious moments in his keynote, John also got plenty of laughs – including when he poked fun at his fellow sharks. He irreverently showed an image of Mark Cuban at a urinal holding an NBA championship trophy, he called Lori Greiner “filthy rich, but miserable,” and targeted Mr. Wonderful with this line: “You guys here today, there’s not much difference between you and me. I just have a camera on me a lot and I sit next to an a-hole named Kevin O’Leary.”

As he promised to do at the start, John closed his hour-long message by taking a crowd selfie. He joked: “Do not get in the picture if you have warrants out for your arrest!”

Check out our interview with Daymond below: