An entrepreneur has 90 seconds to impress Daymond John, who's easily bored. And something a lot of the pitchmen get wrong: not knowing how to market their brand when they have his ear. That is partially why the apparel entrepreneur, Shark Tank panelist, and author wrote his new book: The Brand Within: The Power of Branding from Birth to the Boardroom. In it, he talks about the levels of branding and shares his insights about how businesses can leverage their brands in today’s marketplace.

John, who runs his FUBU office out of the Empire State Building in midtown New York, spoke to Portfolio.com not from his office, but from his soon-to-be-residence across the Hudson River in Jersey City, New Jersey. He bought a spacious loft space in the Beacon, a luxury development that used to be a hospital, a building John describes as “a rising brand.”

Following is a transcript of the interview, which has been edited for clarity:

Portfolio.com: Why did you write the book?

Daymond John: I’m proud to say that I’m not as young as I used to be, and at 41, I felt I had some lessons to share with people. I get stopped all the time in clubs, at dinner, while out on the town, by young people wanting to get my advice on their business plans. But what struck me recently is that they feel, for the most part, that every good idea has already been done before. It was important for me to show them that there’s no shortage of good ideas, and just because something’s been done before, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t a new way to market it or brand it that makes the product exciting and appealing to a whole different segment of the population.

And what exactly is branding?

Brand is just the tag somebody put on you. The smart people out there understand that every day you have a chance to perfect your brand with each interaction—business-related or not—that you have.

What are your favorite brands?

Apple, Mercedes-Benz, I like Stephen Spielberg, Nike’s great. I think Swiss Army is an incredible brand. Jim Cramer.

Who can use retooling?

BlackBerry desperately needs help, because they haven’t successfully created the “halo effect,” the accessories that go with the brand. Comparing BlackBerry to Apple, once you strip away the technology, they don’t have anything to fall back on. Would you buy a BlackBerry television? I don’t know. BlackBerry is really about pure, clear, technology. Pure information quickly. But would you buy an Apple TV? Sure.

What does it take to keep a brand fresh and ahead of the curve?

Discipline and an open mind keep your brand fresh. Add a healthy dose of paranoia and you have a shot. You can’t get too comfortable in your situation because there’s always room for improvement. Things don’t last and life is all about change, so you have to be prepared for it.

In terms of keeping ahead of the curve, Twitter is essential. I spend hours searching for what people are saying about my brand @thesharkdaymond, or the upcoming launch of FUBU Legacy (@FBLegacy). It’s important to keep tabs on the conversations because people on Twitter tell the truth. As an executive, I can only benefit from knowing what the general public out there thinks about—and wants from—my brand.

As a businessman, should you keep your personal brand and your company brand separate?

Not at all. I decided to keep a little bit of separation because even though I became known by being an apparel entrepreneur, I’m interested in many other industries.

What does it take for an entrepreneur to get a meeting with you?

The easiest way is going through my site, Shark Branding, and filling out an application. If I feel that there’s an opportunity, we’ll go from there. The other way is to come on Shark Tank.

What is the craziest pitch you heard on Shark Tank?

The most ridiculous pitch, hands down, was the guy who wanted to implant a chip in people’s heads. There was another pitch, she wanted to create a BMX, dirt-bike riding path in California for kids. That’s a dangerous sport, and a lot of kids died doing that.