The School of Hard Knocks Speaking Fee: $30,000 to $50,000

About the Brand The School of Hard Knocks is one of the most explosive business media brands in the world today. Founded in 2021 by James Dumoulin, Joshua Smith, and Jack Dumoulin, the platform has redefined what it means to learn from experience—by taking the classroom to the streets. Their mission is simple: interview the most successful people on the planet and extract the real, unfiltered lessons behind their journey—so others don’t have to learn them the hard way. Through street interviews, in-depth conversations, and behind-the-scenes moments with millionaires, billionaires, and icons like Will Smith, Mark Cuban, Gary Vee, and Kendra Scott, The School of Hard Knocks offers access to wisdom that was once locked behind closed boardroom doors. James Dumoulin On-camera host, storyteller, and viral interviewer The face of the brand, James built his name walking the streets of America asking one powerful question: “How did you become successful?” His interviews have become must-watch moments that blend vulnerability, humor, and jaw-dropping insight from some of the most influential people on Earth. Joshua Smith Organic content growth strategist and digital marketing expert A former ad specialist with $500K+ in ad spend experience and 4+ billion organic views generated, Josh leads The School of Hard Knocks’ content strategy. He has helped scale the brand’s reach from zero to millions through storytelling, virality, and platform-native mastery. Jack Dumoulin Systems builder, strategist, and operational leader A former Microsoft Excel World Champion (yes, really), Jack drives the backend growth of the company. From monetization and operations to community building and scaling ventures, Jack is now focused on evolving the brand into a 9-figure media ecosystem.