Haim Dabah is a serial entrepreneur who’s built and sold billion-dollar companies across fashion, venture capital, real estate, and healthcare.
In this episode, we break down the rise and fall of his billion-dollar brand Gitano, how he pioneered designer collaborations with mass retailers, and the mindset that’s kept him building ever since.
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Check out Joe Shamie on Momentum: https://open.spotify.com/episode/08I7cEj8hFAjNS5ApHCWn5?si=gjSeTcwST0GctCBi96Bzog
00:00 Intro
02:14 Growing up in Israel
05:38 How the 6 Day War affected Haim’s childhood
06:40 Going to Yeshivah after moving to America
08:09 Haim’s 1st job in America
10:21 His father started a wholesale business
12:15 Stories of working with his father
14:05 Launching Gitano
14:43 “Gitano University”
16:12 “I wasn’t a good dad.”
16:36 Working With Walmart
16:51 Working for Sam Walton undercover
18:28 Sephardic Mikveh of Gravesend
19:20 Gitano’s wide-ranging wholesale approach
20:48 How Gitano set itself apart
21:37 Gitano’s unique selling points
22:42 Expanding Gitano’s product types
23:16 Challenges of surpassing $1 billion in sales
24:29 Haim’s thoughts about college
25:12 Company fails when Haim is 40 years old: what now?
26:09 Starting a new business: Regatta
28:46 Bringing Vera Wang to Kohl’s
29:44 Buying out his partner in Regatta
30:03 Selling Regatta to a $20B conglomerate
31:48 Having a boss for the first time in his life
33:48 Book a call with Jeff Sitt
34:50 Support the Morris I. Franco Cancer Center
35:44 The insane grind of building a company
36:22 Not dedicating enough time to his family
37:25 Beginning to prioritize family over work
39:08 Leaving the wholesale business after selling his company
41:03 Finding fulfillment in investing
41:48 How to identify great founders as an investor
43:26 Getting into industrial real estate
46:22 A unique approach to law
46:40 Launching Box Equities with his sons
49:51 Getting into the mental health space
51:00 Haim’s farm
53:31 Taking a PARTIAL step back from business
54:31 Haim’s philanthropic activities
55:22 Serving as president of PROPEL
56:44 Recapping Haim’s journey
57:56 Momentum Moment
1:00:06 Closing thoughts - success is the only option
1:01:38 Outro