John Lawson

John Lawson is a true “rags-to-riches” fairytale. An enterprising innovator even as far back as high school, John had a knack for starting businesses and making money at whatever he did. Born in Queens, New York and raised in a lower middle class area of Columbus, Ohio, John and his siblings watched as their single mother struggled to provide a decent way of life for them after his father left when he was a small child. Determined to make his own success, John started a party promotion business in 1987 and began DJ’ing at local events. By his senior year in high school, he was spending more time marketing his weekend end venture at local area schools and so little time in the classroom that he was kicked out of school. Undaunted, John got his GED and continued on to the DeVry Institute where he got his first taste of the world of technology. “I was in my twenties but I was struggling with my identity,” says John. After a brief stay with his father in Dallas, Texas, John returned to Ohio where he joined a Christian church, formed a Gospel Hip Hop band and even managed to get himself signed to Star Song Records where produced one single that sold very well before opting for a career in the tech world. After a series of great IT positions where he learned the skills he would later employ in his own business, John took a leap of faith and joined his mother and sister who had both moved to Atlanta, GA. “It was just after the Olympics in Georgia. I got an offer from IBM and then later moved on to Accenture.” In 2001, while enjoying professional success at Fortune 100 consulting firm, Accenture, John was enticed into the world of “flipping” real estate by a friend. “I let him use my credit to buy a house that we were never able to flip.” Now saddled with two mortgages, John began selling his IT books, printers and ink on Ebay and soon discovered that selling online was a great way to make the extra cash he needed. Thus 3rd Power Outlet was born. By 2004, 3rd Power Outlet was providing almost as much income as his salary in the corporate world. It was then that he realized if he spent the same eight hours working on his own business as he was working for others that he could make his fledgling company a success. That September he went full time with his online business and has never looked back. In 2006, 3PO made $1 million dollars in sales and continued to do spectacularly in 2007. Today, Mixergy calls John Lawson a “power seller.” American Express hawks him as their “featured businessman.” Startup Nation says he’s the “savviest” in Social Media and Small Biz Trends named him “Influencer” of the year. He is an award-winning Social Media Strategist, a spokesperson for several corporations, a commercial television personality and a sought after Keynote Speaker, Trainer/Instructor and conference panelist. John is also the founder of ColderIce Media, an eCommerce education, training and consultant agency headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and 3rd Power Outlet has executed more than 300,000 online transactions resulting in more than $25 million dollars in sales. His easy humor, combined with his concrete knowledge and expertise in Social Business and eCommerce, has put him in front of tens of thousands of businessmen and women, around the world. He has traveled to nearly a dozen countries to teach would be millionaires how to achieve their internet business goals. His ability to convey complex concepts in an understandable language has made him ‘the toast of the town’ on the Social Media speaking circuit. As editor of the industry leading ColderICE.com blog, John dispenses his down-to-earth wisdom in a matter-of-fact manner that charms and enthralls his audiences. He’s not merely a talking head. John has proven that he is the ‘real deal’ when it comes to knowing how to navigate the intricacies of the internet and in teaching others how to successfully do what he has already done.