DARREN
SUGIYAMA
AUTHOR . ENTREPRENEUR . MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER . PERFORMANCE COACH
THE TAKEO EFFECT
JUST RELEASED IN MAY 2022!
In this sequel to The Icon Effect, Vincent finds himself in new unchartered waters after inheriting The Icon's financial advisory firm in New York and is faced with some extreme challenges that make him question everything. As he struggles to find his way after falling from grace, he meets a new mentor named Takeo Takashi - a Japanese billionaire - that teaches him how to apply the ways of the samurai to his new business challenges. Takeo's teachings are similar to The Icon's in some ways, but very different in others, as Vincent discovers a new perspective on success, loyalty, happiness and his own identity. This is a story about the importance of family, true friendship, and redemption. To purchase either the hardcover, paperback, Kindle version, or audiobook, CLICK HERE.
WHO IS DARREN SUGIYAMA?
​
After starting his career as a counselor in a gang prevention program in his home town of Long Beach, Calfornia, Darren Sugiyama decided to follow his entrepreneurial dreams and started his own employee benefits firm in 2003 called Apex.
During his first year in the insurance business, his personal income for the year was only $277 (he proudly displays his personal tax return on the wall of his office). But just seven years later, Apex was producing over $37 million in annual sales and was the #1 producing firm in the country for HealthNet, Kaiser Permanente, and Colonial Life, concurrently.
​
In 2010, Darren launched a supplemental insurance firm called Pacific Bay Insurance Group with his wife Emilia. In their second year, Pacific Bay won Agency Of The Year Award from Colonial Life, producing 57% of all new business clients for this carrier in the Orange County and San Bernardino territory, combined.
Darren later expanded his insurance business portfolio, building a life insurance agency called DaVinci, which was responsible for 25% of all the life insurance policies sold for Pacific Life in Orange County, California in 2017. In 2018, DaVinci was responsible for 29% of the all the life insurance policies sold for Penn Mutual in Orange County, and in 2019, over 38%.
​
In addition, Darren founded Lionsmark Capital in 2016 which is now one of the most dominant premium financing intermediary firms in the life insurance industry, offering not only unique lending options, but also developing proprietary 8-figure life insurance solutions to deca-millionaire-to-billionaire clients across the country. Lionsmark is endorsed by investment advisory firms, life insurance agencies, and carriers. To watch testimonial videos about doing business with Darren and Lionsmark Capital, CLICK HERE.
​
Darren is also an internationally acclaimed 9-time author with published works being distributed in Australia, Brasil, Canada, Croatia, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, India, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
​
As a nationally acclaimed motivational speaker, business coach, and mentor, Darren does both live and virtual motivational speaking events, as well as private coaching sessions, teaching others how he built his businesses using extremely unorthodox methods.
​
To learn more about Darren's business endeavors, click the links below.
