1 00:00:03,960 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: Today's guest needs no introduction, but I'm going to give 2 00:00:06,920 --> 00:00:10,119 Speaker 1: him one anyway, because his story is just that good. 3 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:15,440 Speaker 1: Gary Vanachuk, entrepreneur, investor, producer, host, best selling author, and 4 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:18,919 Speaker 1: one of the most electrifying voices in business today, is 5 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: joining us. From building Wine Library into a powerhouse, to 6 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,759 Speaker 1: leading Vaynerrex Veno Media, be Friends, Veno Sports, Venusree and 7 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:30,440 Speaker 1: shaping the future of marketing and so much more. Gary 8 00:00:30,520 --> 00:00:33,240 Speaker 1: has redefined what it means to stay ahead of the game. 9 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:36,920 Speaker 1: His insights on brand culture and the power of attention 10 00:00:37,040 --> 00:00:41,880 Speaker 1: are legendary, and his energy absolutely unstoppable. So get ready 11 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:45,560 Speaker 1: for an unfiltered, no bullshited conversation about his personal story, 12 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:49,280 Speaker 1: the future of business, content, social, and what it really 13 00:00:49,320 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: takes to win in today's world. Gary, Welcome to the show. 14 00:00:54,320 --> 00:00:56,160 Speaker 1: I'm honored to have you with us. 15 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 2: That was very nice. Thank you for having me. I'm 16 00:00:58,480 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 2: glad to be here. Let's do that. 17 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 1: Yes, awesome, great. So I always started with a couple 18 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:05,960 Speaker 1: of more personal questions, so I would love to ask you. 19 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 1: You are as I said, you know, a high energy entrepreneur, 20 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 1: marketing guru, futurists. However, we call you and you let 21 00:01:11,600 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: us know maybe in a minute, but that barely scratches 22 00:01:14,600 --> 00:01:17,800 Speaker 1: the surface of so many talents. With all the projects 23 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: and companies you've already launched, what's one idea or one 24 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 1: passion you haven't had time to pursue yet but would 25 00:01:24,959 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 1: love to bring to life sooner rather than later. Is 26 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:30,840 Speaker 1: there anything that's a great question to start this up? 27 00:01:30,880 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 2: And it's really tough one because really, v friends, was 28 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:37,640 Speaker 2: that I knew my whole life that I either want 29 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:41,920 Speaker 2: to buy or start an intellectual property. You know, I'm 30 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:44,440 Speaker 2: forty nine years old. I grew up in the eighties. 31 00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:50,480 Speaker 2: It was everything Star Wars, you know et you know, Transformers, 32 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 2: Gi Joe and I have three and a half, your 33 00:01:52,680 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 2: younger sister I was very close to. So it was 34 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 2: Cabbage Patch Kids and my little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake, 35 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 2: and you know, it was just back to the future. 36 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 2: There was so much good going on in the eighties 37 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:06,440 Speaker 2: of intellectual property being created. So I would say that 38 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 2: one always loomed I got to it. I would say, 39 00:02:10,600 --> 00:02:12,919 Speaker 2: the last thing I really want to get to for 40 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:17,040 Speaker 2: sure is I do get excited about the concept of 41 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 2: doing private equity to buy iconic nostalgic brands and refurbish 42 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:26,880 Speaker 2: them with contemporary marketing. And that's why I started Vainermedia 43 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 2: in a lot of ways. So that's still looming for me. 44 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 2: And then I want to have an era where I 45 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:35,519 Speaker 2: go to a cave and not shave for a year 46 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:37,799 Speaker 2: and just have people find me and ask me questions, 47 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:40,679 Speaker 2: like a Yoda like character. So I definitely want to 48 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 2: scratch that in my career, like a sabbatical where I 49 00:02:44,000 --> 00:02:46,960 Speaker 2: just give back on a one to one level in 50 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:51,519 Speaker 2: an unscalpable fashion. Obviously I just used a silly kind 51 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 2: of example, but something like that is something else I 52 00:02:54,280 --> 00:02:57,280 Speaker 2: want to do professionally, and there's probably some other things 53 00:02:57,280 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 2: for sure. 54 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 1: Awesome, Awesome, I mean what an ants as the first 55 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: for the crush questions? And obviously you know, if we 56 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 1: weren't possible long enough, you know, we won't become iconic 57 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:09,320 Speaker 1: enough for you maybe to step into our business as well, 58 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 1: maybe in fifty years or something like this. All right, 59 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:13,920 Speaker 1: good to know it, was there ever a moment in 60 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: your childhood, you know, in your early days that perfectly 61 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 1: foreshadowt the entrepreneur you would become. Was there a moment 62 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 1: where you where you learn about this and you knew 63 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 1: what to do in your life. 64 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 2: The first part, for sure. I actually ironically just brought 65 00:03:28,120 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 2: it up earlier today. I am fascinated to this day 66 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 2: of how interesting my Lemonade Stan career was. You know, 67 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 2: having a lemonade Stan is such a tail tale kind 68 00:03:40,680 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 2: of indication to entrepreneurship, especially in the eighties and nineties. Ye, 69 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 2: but when I did my lemonade Stan, I you love 70 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 2: this Christian. I spent more time making signs and figuring 71 00:03:52,480 --> 00:03:54,760 Speaker 2: out what tree and what poll to put it on, 72 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:58,640 Speaker 2: and so the even at my early stage, it was 73 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:01,120 Speaker 2: clear that I was going to be a marketer, because 74 00:04:01,520 --> 00:04:04,080 Speaker 2: I think I put more time into marketing my lemonade 75 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:06,600 Speaker 2: stand than definitely making the lemonade. I think I should 76 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 2: have done a better job making it a little more delicious. 77 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 2: There's too much sugar in there, So that's that I think. Yeah, 78 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:14,000 Speaker 2: very early on the first time I did a baseball 79 00:04:14,040 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 2: card show, selling my own baseball cards in a mall 80 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 2: in New Jersey, I knew that I would never not 81 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:26,040 Speaker 2: be a businessman, you know. So somewhere around five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, 82 00:04:26,040 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 2: those formative childhood years when it would snow and we 83 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:32,280 Speaker 2: would have a day off from school. Most of the 84 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:37,279 Speaker 2: kids went and made snowmen and had snowball fights. And 85 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 2: I did a lot of that too, but I would 86 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 2: say at least thirty to fifty percent of the snow days, 87 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 2: I would go into my parents' garage, grab a shovel, 88 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 2: and go ring doorbells and work hard for five bucks. 89 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:55,800 Speaker 2: And so my childhood is an incredibly clear preview to 90 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:58,679 Speaker 2: who I became. And I think one of the reasons 91 00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 2: business works for me is I do it for the game, 92 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:03,360 Speaker 2: not for the money that comes along with the game. 93 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 2: And I see a lot of people who do that, 94 00:05:05,880 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 2: and I think they're happier, less anxious, not always more 95 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:10,880 Speaker 2: financially successful. I see a lot of people who just 96 00:05:10,920 --> 00:05:13,360 Speaker 2: do it for the money make more money than people 97 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:14,760 Speaker 2: that do it for the love of the game, but 98 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:19,279 Speaker 2: all of them are less happy, more anxious, and I'm 99 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 2: very grateful. 100 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 1: I agree completely with you that you know, having just 101 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 1: one motivation doesn't matter what it is, you know will 102 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:28,160 Speaker 1: limit you in your success and your business success, whether 103 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:30,760 Speaker 1: it's just going for money or or just having fun. 104 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:32,720 Speaker 1: I think it has to be a kind of combination 105 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:34,599 Speaker 1: of a lot of things. However, we come back to 106 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 1: this in a second. Okay, So one thing I would 107 00:05:37,120 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 1: love to hear from you is, you know, if you 108 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:41,960 Speaker 1: had to choose, what would you say is your most 109 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:45,520 Speaker 1: defining character trait? Is it a perseverance, is it creativity, 110 00:05:45,640 --> 00:05:48,360 Speaker 1: is it integrity? Or is it something completely different? 111 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:50,359 Speaker 2: Self awareness? 112 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 1: Self awareness? 113 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, if you ask me to answer you on that, 114 00:05:56,200 --> 00:06:00,120 Speaker 2: I think being competitive is very up there. Yeah, being 115 00:06:00,279 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 2: tenacious is very up there. I think optimistic is huge 116 00:06:06,440 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 2: for me. And I know people are confused by this, 117 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 2: but I think being kind has been extraordinarily important to 118 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:15,800 Speaker 2: my success. As you know, because we run in the 119 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:19,359 Speaker 2: same industry. There may be some people that don't like me, 120 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 2: but nobody who actually knows me doesn't think that I'm 121 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 2: not a nice guy. And I'm proud of that, and 122 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:27,839 Speaker 2: that's an indication of being well parented and a strength 123 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 2: of kindness. But all of those things are secondary. I 124 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 2: think self awareness, which I think leads to the combination 125 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:39,200 Speaker 2: of confidence and humility. Yeah, you know, I just know 126 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:41,440 Speaker 2: who I am, and I know what I'm good at, 127 00:06:41,640 --> 00:06:43,360 Speaker 2: and I know what I'm not good at, and the 128 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:45,520 Speaker 2: things that I'm not good at, I don't think I 129 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 2: stink that doesn't lead to insecurity. That just leads to reality. 130 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:53,200 Speaker 2: Everybody has strengths and weaknesses. I feel like I'm also 131 00:06:53,279 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 2: empathetically self aware, meaning when I was when I was 132 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 2: a bad student, I understand I was coming into business world. 133 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 2: I knew that people thought I was dumb and not 134 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:06,120 Speaker 2: good because in the eighties and nineties, where you went 135 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:09,640 Speaker 2: to college was the indication of your worth. And I 136 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 2: wasn't upset that people thought I wasn't going to be good. 137 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:15,760 Speaker 2: I understood them. Today, when I walk into a room 138 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 2: in our industry and I can see someone's like not jiving, 139 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:22,160 Speaker 2: I'm empathetic. I'm like, oh, that must be a competitor 140 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:24,080 Speaker 2: who doesn't know me or took something I said out 141 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 2: of context. So I think self awareness has been the one. 142 00:07:27,760 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 1: Which is a huge achievement. I think if you know 143 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: who you are, I think that's a big advantage how 144 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 1: to act and that people can really rely on you 145 00:07:35,480 --> 00:07:38,360 Speaker 1: whatever personality you are. I think that's a huge achievement. 146 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:42,320 Speaker 1: I think obviously you've met and you've mentored so many people, 147 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 1: young people, senior leaders across the industries. Who's the one 148 00:07:46,360 --> 00:07:50,160 Speaker 1: person who has truly surprised you with their journey, and 149 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 1: why is there one who stands out of this? Maybe 150 00:07:54,000 --> 00:07:56,960 Speaker 1: you had a complete different expectation, you know, meeting this person. 151 00:07:57,600 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 2: Well, i'll give you an interest one. I'll go with 152 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:01,440 Speaker 2: age a Bayer truck. I'll go with my brother in 153 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 2: this one, all right. My brother grew up very similar 154 00:08:05,040 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 2: to me. We're eleven years apart. We grew up differently 155 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 2: because we were in different economic situations in our childhood. 156 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:15,120 Speaker 2: But he's incredibly capable. He has a lot of strengths 157 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:19,760 Speaker 2: that are stronger than mine. He's wildly competitive. He's extremely ambitious. 158 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:24,080 Speaker 2: You know, you said you are. I don't know if 159 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 2: he's more ambitious, but you know where I'm about to 160 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:30,840 Speaker 2: go with this story is interesting, you said, who surprised you? 161 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:38,360 Speaker 2: Aj has Crohn's disease, and early in his career at 162 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 2: Vayner he had a pretty bad spell and had to 163 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 2: have a decent chunk of his small intestine taken out 164 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 2: and it completely changed the course of his life. My 165 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:53,840 Speaker 2: brother is way more rounded than I anticipated. I saw 166 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 2: him as, you know, a little bit more like me. 167 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:00,560 Speaker 2: And because he is a lot like me, right, and 168 00:09:01,360 --> 00:09:04,920 Speaker 2: I'm saying this as a positive, I'm really proud of 169 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 2: him as a father of three young little ones, as 170 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:11,800 Speaker 2: a human who has found lots of time for his 171 00:09:11,880 --> 00:09:19,640 Speaker 2: passion and golf in his tempered ambitions of professional achievement. 172 00:09:20,080 --> 00:09:24,800 Speaker 2: I think he's incredibly well rounded and incredibly comfortable in 173 00:09:24,840 --> 00:09:27,680 Speaker 2: his skin, and also has a brother that went on 174 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:31,960 Speaker 2: to be really like me, you know, and just the 175 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:34,679 Speaker 2: way he cheers for me and doesn't see it as 176 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:40,840 Speaker 2: a negative, and the way he preshoots me. I'm just grateful, 177 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:43,600 Speaker 2: as you could probably tell by my tone. But if 178 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:47,120 Speaker 2: I'm truly going with surprise because I had so many 179 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:51,120 Speaker 2: expectations because I just watched him and enjoyed him, and 180 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:53,800 Speaker 2: you know, when he was thirteen, he would like out 181 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:57,200 Speaker 2: negotiate me for business deals we did together, like you know, 182 00:09:57,240 --> 00:09:58,880 Speaker 2: because he was tough. He was like, no, we got 183 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:00,360 Speaker 2: to be fifty fifty. I'm like, I'm put up all 184 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:01,880 Speaker 2: the money and doing all the work. You're just shipping 185 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:03,640 Speaker 2: out the packages for eBay. He's like, well, they wouldn't 186 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:05,440 Speaker 2: ship without me. I'm like, that's true. I'm business building, 187 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 2: that's business. So like you know, I just he would 188 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:11,800 Speaker 2: be the one that most surprised me. Yeah, I'll give 189 00:10:11,800 --> 00:10:15,240 Speaker 2: you another one, you know. I would tell you. The 190 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 2: one that least surprised me was Mark Zuckerberg. 191 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:19,200 Speaker 1: All right, why is that? 192 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:22,480 Speaker 2: When I met him very early on. Yeah, I know 193 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:24,360 Speaker 2: this is probably podcasts. I don't know if this is visual, 194 00:10:24,360 --> 00:10:26,560 Speaker 2: but you're looking at Facebook stock here. I bought Facebook 195 00:10:26,679 --> 00:10:29,040 Speaker 2: very early on off with Mark's parents. I met him 196 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 2: very early on, right, and he was the only person 197 00:10:33,440 --> 00:10:37,560 Speaker 2: I'd ever met up into that point where there was 198 00:10:37,679 --> 00:10:39,680 Speaker 2: no doubt in my mind after my first dinner that 199 00:10:39,679 --> 00:10:41,000 Speaker 2: he was going to build one of the biggest companies 200 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 2: in the world. All right, you know that would be 201 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:45,959 Speaker 2: like that's an it Like it was funny when you 202 00:10:45,960 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 2: asked the question. Like the things that ran through my mind, 203 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:50,160 Speaker 2: that one stands out because, like I truly thought he 204 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:51,600 Speaker 2: was going to build one of the five or ten 205 00:10:51,600 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 2: biggest companies in the world, which is a ludicrous thing 206 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:56,760 Speaker 2: to think after one dinner at like, you know, and 207 00:10:56,800 --> 00:10:59,160 Speaker 2: the company was big ish, but like not to I 208 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:02,760 Speaker 2: knew it. I knew it because he knew consumer, which 209 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:05,320 Speaker 2: I look for, right, And then there's a there's a 210 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:07,400 Speaker 2: lot of you know, the other thing that I'm thinking 211 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:10,120 Speaker 2: about that could have happened if I go a different route. 212 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:14,360 Speaker 2: I've made a lot of investments in guys and gals 213 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:16,840 Speaker 2: that I knew could either build something big or it 214 00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:19,880 Speaker 2: was gonna fail horribly, and normally it fails horribly. I've 215 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 2: changed my investment thesis, like this is you know, it's 216 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:25,120 Speaker 2: funny by the way I think I represented this for 217 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:27,360 Speaker 2: a lot of people. There's a lot of people that 218 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:31,040 Speaker 2: come up to me through the years that say, man, 219 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:33,120 Speaker 2: you know, it's just where they are with me at 220 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:34,520 Speaker 2: this point. They're like, man, I got to give you 221 00:11:34,559 --> 00:11:38,080 Speaker 2: some respect or flowers. They're like, the first time you 222 00:11:38,120 --> 00:11:40,080 Speaker 2: came across my path, I'm like, this fucking guy's a 223 00:11:40,080 --> 00:11:42,320 Speaker 2: piece of shit. Like he's not gonna he's not gonna last. 224 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:45,520 Speaker 2: This is a fly by night and I and I 225 00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:48,920 Speaker 2: understand why. I think when you're very big personality, when 226 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:51,560 Speaker 2: you're you're high energy, when there's a lot going on. 227 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:55,720 Speaker 2: But because I knew I had it, I invested in 228 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:58,000 Speaker 2: a lot of kids that had what I had. The 229 00:11:58,080 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 2: problem is, ninety percent of the time does end up 230 00:12:00,520 --> 00:12:02,839 Speaker 2: being what you think it is, which is all hot air. 231 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:05,800 Speaker 2: And so it's been it's been an interesting journey of 232 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:11,160 Speaker 2: expectations versus surprising outcomes. But aj because it's a respectful surprise. 233 00:12:11,200 --> 00:12:14,560 Speaker 2: I'm so happy for the balance he has for himself. 234 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 1: And it's a great story you can share with our 235 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:20,959 Speaker 1: listeners because you know, it's obviously somebody you're very close 236 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:23,959 Speaker 1: to all your life, and you you work with him, 237 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:25,560 Speaker 1: you spend a lot of time with him, So which 238 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:28,800 Speaker 1: is great. You have said person who surprised you most, 239 00:12:28,880 --> 00:12:30,960 Speaker 1: as you said, you know, still in your life, and 240 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 1: you know, being being a core part of your life, 241 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:36,080 Speaker 1: which is which is amazing, Which is amazing. I just 242 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:38,840 Speaker 1: think about, you know, going back to your to your 243 00:12:38,880 --> 00:12:42,600 Speaker 1: Mark Zuckerberg example, because obviously you invested in so many companies. 244 00:12:42,640 --> 00:12:45,319 Speaker 1: You've mentioned Facebook, but you invested into Twitter early days, 245 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 1: coin Base, Slack, Liquid Death, Uber, and and so on. 246 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:52,360 Speaker 1: Was it just because you knew this person? You know? 247 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:55,360 Speaker 2: What was this? I can break them all down for you. 248 00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:57,840 Speaker 2: Facebook and Twitter and Tumblr were the first three companies 249 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 2: I invested in. It was a It was a moment 250 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:03,400 Speaker 2: of brilliance being in the right place at the right time, 251 00:13:03,559 --> 00:13:05,760 Speaker 2: and I probably will I'm not sure if I'll ever 252 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:09,360 Speaker 2: be able to replicate it. I was so uncomfortably right 253 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:12,600 Speaker 2: that social media was gonna win, and I did such 254 00:13:12,640 --> 00:13:15,480 Speaker 2: a good job vetting the entrepreneurs. Back then, I didn't 255 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:17,680 Speaker 2: think I was an investor. That's a lesson. I want 256 00:13:17,679 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 2: to really make everyone listen carefully. When I didn't think 257 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:27,480 Speaker 2: I was an investor, I invested best. Okay, all I 258 00:13:27,559 --> 00:13:29,200 Speaker 2: did in two thousand and six and seven when I 259 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:31,760 Speaker 2: invested in those companies was I had a little bit 260 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 2: of savings after working for twelve years for my father. 261 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:37,520 Speaker 2: I didn't make a lot of money those years, but 262 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:40,960 Speaker 2: luckily I lived so humbly that I had a little 263 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:44,280 Speaker 2: bit of savings and I spent it all. All the 264 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:48,320 Speaker 2: savings that I amassed in my life, I invested not equally, 265 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:52,040 Speaker 2: seventy percent of Facebook, twenty percent to Twitter, and ten 266 00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:56,400 Speaker 2: percent to Tumblr, and they all returned staggering. If I 267 00:13:56,400 --> 00:13:58,960 Speaker 2: had money back then, I'd probably be running the jets 268 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:00,920 Speaker 2: for the last ten years. It would have been open. 269 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:04,679 Speaker 2: The multiples were tens of thousands of X, like crazy numbers. 270 00:14:04,840 --> 00:14:07,280 Speaker 2: But I didn't put enough capital to like completely go 271 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:13,560 Speaker 2: to stratosphere. But I'm not complaining Comma. So those my 272 00:14:13,679 --> 00:14:16,960 Speaker 2: friend Christian was I was. I knew social was going 273 00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:19,920 Speaker 2: to happen, and I met everybody, and I just thought 274 00:14:19,920 --> 00:14:21,800 Speaker 2: those three and the one for me at Twitter wasn't 275 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:24,800 Speaker 2: Jack Dorsey was actually Avan Williams. Okay, he was the 276 00:14:24,840 --> 00:14:26,400 Speaker 2: founder that I most was like, that's the guy, and 277 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:27,760 Speaker 2: he was the guy at the time more than Jack. 278 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:30,360 Speaker 2: Actually were equal to Jack, but Evan was a little 279 00:14:30,400 --> 00:14:35,160 Speaker 2: more front facing. That was that Liquid Death. Mike worked 280 00:14:35,160 --> 00:14:37,120 Speaker 2: at vayne or Media. The day before he started at 281 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:41,400 Speaker 2: Liquid Death sent me an email and I wanted to 282 00:14:41,480 --> 00:14:45,720 Speaker 2: support him because I liked the narrative of me supporting 283 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:49,200 Speaker 2: my employees on their own entrepreneurial venture. And I liked 284 00:14:49,280 --> 00:14:51,520 Speaker 2: him and thought he was creative. But I would be 285 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:55,480 Speaker 2: lying out of my ass if I could have comprehended 286 00:14:55,800 --> 00:14:57,680 Speaker 2: the level of business that he's been able to build. 287 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:02,320 Speaker 2: And I'm so happy for him. Slack's a wild story. 288 00:15:02,840 --> 00:15:07,880 Speaker 2: Stuart Butterfield, the founder of Slack, was the founder. The 289 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:10,320 Speaker 2: co founder of Slack, was the co founder of Flicker. 290 00:15:12,040 --> 00:15:15,960 Speaker 2: Flicker was one of the most important websites in Web 291 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:17,960 Speaker 2: two point zero and in a lot of ways was 292 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 2: a precursor to Instagram. Right, it was a photo app, 293 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:24,960 Speaker 2: but it was desktop, not mobile, wasn't out yet. It 294 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:27,960 Speaker 2: sold to Yahoo for like forty to sixty million dollars 295 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:30,800 Speaker 2: which was an enormous number at the time, and I 296 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:33,080 Speaker 2: read a lot about Stuart and I when I went 297 00:15:33,160 --> 00:15:35,840 Speaker 2: to California on a trip, I went out of my 298 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 2: way to like find him, meet him. I met him. 299 00:15:38,200 --> 00:15:39,960 Speaker 2: We hit it off. We didn't we hit it off 300 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 2: in the moment for an hour, for thirty minutes, that 301 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:43,960 Speaker 2: was really it. We would talk on Twitter a little bit, 302 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 2: an email here. But then when Slack pivoted from I 303 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 2: don't know if people know this Slack was a game. No, 304 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:50,440 Speaker 2: I didn't. 305 00:15:50,480 --> 00:15:51,040 Speaker 1: I didn't know that. 306 00:15:51,240 --> 00:15:51,760 Speaker 3: Do you know that. 307 00:15:51,800 --> 00:15:55,680 Speaker 2: Slack was a product that was built for a remote 308 00:15:55,840 --> 00:16:00,000 Speaker 2: workforce building a desktop game. They built it for them 309 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:02,920 Speaker 2: sells to talk to each other, and that became the 310 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:05,080 Speaker 2: actual company what if? 311 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:05,480 Speaker 1: Sorry? 312 00:16:05,960 --> 00:16:08,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, they ate their like it was crazy. Their own 313 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:11,880 Speaker 2: feature internally became the app. It's I love when sawdust 314 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:15,520 Speaker 2: becomes the actual thing you sell. It's an amazing story. 315 00:16:15,600 --> 00:16:18,680 Speaker 2: So I got in early there because of that. Uber's 316 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:21,720 Speaker 2: a wild story. I mean, Uber's my biggest miss. I 317 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:24,400 Speaker 2: didn't invest any Angel round. Travis was my closest friend 318 00:16:24,400 --> 00:16:27,880 Speaker 2: in that era of social investing. We were investing together 319 00:16:27,880 --> 00:16:30,400 Speaker 2: a lot, and I said no twice because I just 320 00:16:30,560 --> 00:16:34,120 Speaker 2: bought an apartment in Manhattan, and I was very, very 321 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:37,520 Speaker 2: e liquid. Yeah, And I love that I lost out 322 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:40,160 Speaker 2: on hundreds of millions of dollars by saying no twice 323 00:16:40,640 --> 00:16:44,760 Speaker 2: because it reaffirms my biggest thesis, which is scared money 324 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:47,760 Speaker 2: doesn't make money. And it was one of the few 325 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:50,040 Speaker 2: times I was on defense in my entire life, and 326 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:52,400 Speaker 2: it was one of my biggest financial misses. It's my 327 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:53,960 Speaker 2: biggest financial miss. 328 00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:57,080 Speaker 1: Have you ever missed one opportunity completely where you missed 329 00:16:57,120 --> 00:17:00,360 Speaker 1: to invest any single dollar in where you say, oh shit, 330 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:01,880 Speaker 1: you know this is something I should do. 331 00:17:02,680 --> 00:17:06,040 Speaker 2: The biggest misses in my career Uber I invested later. 332 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:08,520 Speaker 2: I still did very well, but it could have been 333 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:10,200 Speaker 2: I mean I literally could have made three four hundred 334 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:14,960 Speaker 2: million dollars on fifty thousand dollars investment. AIRBMB emailed me. 335 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:17,840 Speaker 2: It was Joe, one of the co founders. His email 336 00:17:17,920 --> 00:17:20,399 Speaker 2: was Joe at air Ben and Breakfast. I don't know 337 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:22,960 Speaker 2: if people know this Airbnb the B ANDB stands for 338 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:28,640 Speaker 2: Ben and Breakfast. Airbnb emailed me. I never saw the email, 339 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:30,840 Speaker 2: so I love that I have the email, but I 340 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:33,919 Speaker 2: don't regret it because I don't take that loss personally 341 00:17:33,960 --> 00:17:37,520 Speaker 2: because it's not really lost. I didn't see it. Pinterest 342 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:40,440 Speaker 2: was introduced to me before Ben even went to California 343 00:17:40,480 --> 00:17:44,480 Speaker 2: when it was being done in Pennsylvania. Also, I didn't 344 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:48,439 Speaker 2: have the meeting. I later invested fairly early on again 345 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:51,840 Speaker 2: kind of a half win half loss. Yeah, what is 346 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:55,679 Speaker 2: the biggest company that I passed on where I was like, no, 347 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 2: this doesn't have it. You know what's funny, I'm so 348 00:17:59,760 --> 00:18:05,520 Speaker 2: con sumer centric. Yeah, that I'm pretty good at the 349 00:18:05,560 --> 00:18:09,199 Speaker 2: game because trying to I really want to give you one. 350 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:11,480 Speaker 2: I mean, I have the uber and you know there's 351 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:14,320 Speaker 2: some losses there. What's a I don't know if I 352 00:18:14,320 --> 00:18:14,920 Speaker 2: think you mean. 353 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:18,399 Speaker 1: You know you mentioned the biggest successes obviously, but also 354 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:19,560 Speaker 1: you know those ones where you. 355 00:18:19,840 --> 00:18:21,480 Speaker 2: I got one, I got I got one for you brother. 356 00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 2: It's not that it went on to explode. It's the 357 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:25,879 Speaker 2: one that I thought was going to be massive that 358 00:18:26,040 --> 00:18:30,119 Speaker 2: was a dud. During that era, I invested in something 359 00:18:30,119 --> 00:18:31,200 Speaker 2: called Yo Bongo. 360 00:18:31,800 --> 00:18:32,760 Speaker 1: I've never heard about that. 361 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 2: Yo Bongo. I invested in because I had been chasing 362 00:18:37,400 --> 00:18:41,160 Speaker 2: what is now known as Tinder for two years. Grinder 363 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:44,600 Speaker 2: had been an app that was doing very well in 364 00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 2: the gay community, and I fully believed that there was 365 00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:53,280 Speaker 2: going to be one for heterosexuals, and I for months 366 00:18:53,400 --> 00:18:57,280 Speaker 2: and years stayed my ear to the ground waiting for 367 00:18:57,359 --> 00:19:02,920 Speaker 2: the dating app. And there was this app that came 368 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:05,920 Speaker 2: out called Yo Bongo, which was because the iPhone had 369 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:09,320 Speaker 2: just come out, which was it was positioned as you 370 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:11,359 Speaker 2: could meet people. You would open the app and it 371 00:19:11,359 --> 00:19:14,040 Speaker 2: would see other people near you that would have the app, 372 00:19:14,280 --> 00:19:17,440 Speaker 2: and you could make friends. I was like, yeah, friends. 373 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:19,360 Speaker 2: I already knew where this shit was going to go, 374 00:19:20,320 --> 00:19:23,960 Speaker 2: and I wanted to invest in it. So I invested 375 00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 2: in it. Right behind that, an app called Highlight came 376 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:31,080 Speaker 2: out did the same thing and got even more traction. 377 00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:34,640 Speaker 2: And then a couple months later or a year later, 378 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:37,080 Speaker 2: I saw Tinder and I was like, this is it. 379 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:39,560 Speaker 2: I lost my mind. I went to go try to 380 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:42,639 Speaker 2: invest and found out that it was incubated inside of 381 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:45,119 Speaker 2: IAC in the match group. So I never got a 382 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:47,840 Speaker 2: chance to invest in it. But I thought, I told 383 00:19:47,880 --> 00:19:51,119 Speaker 2: everybody that Yo Bango was going to be enormously big. 384 00:19:51,240 --> 00:19:54,240 Speaker 2: I wrote a big check by my standards at the time, 385 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:55,800 Speaker 2: and it just didn't happen. 386 00:19:56,119 --> 00:19:58,760 Speaker 1: Oh, but I mean, this is would be unusual if 387 00:19:58,760 --> 00:19:59,840 Speaker 1: there's not a single case. 388 00:20:00,760 --> 00:20:04,320 Speaker 2: Oh, actually, I'm sorry, Christian. I have hundreds of things 389 00:20:04,359 --> 00:20:06,639 Speaker 2: that have gone to zero, hundreds of things that have 390 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:10,040 Speaker 2: gone to zero. But all of those, many of those, 391 00:20:10,280 --> 00:20:11,800 Speaker 2: I knew that there was a chance it could go 392 00:20:11,840 --> 00:20:14,600 Speaker 2: to zero. I was very confident about your bombo. 393 00:20:14,960 --> 00:20:27,400 Speaker 3: Right. 394 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:33,239 Speaker 1: We talked about the investments, which is great. Let's talk 395 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:35,399 Speaker 1: about your own kind of ventures. You know, all the 396 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 1: companies you created. How do you before we dig into 397 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:43,639 Speaker 1: this a bit more, how do you measure success for 398 00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:46,560 Speaker 1: your own companies? We touched it, you know, a couple 399 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:48,760 Speaker 1: of minutes ago. Whether it's you know about money, whether 400 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:51,960 Speaker 1: it's about recognition, you know, whether it's about the size 401 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:54,200 Speaker 1: of a company. What is your measurement of a success? 402 00:20:55,040 --> 00:20:56,399 Speaker 1: The first thing king to mind. I was going to 403 00:20:56,440 --> 00:20:57,800 Speaker 1: jump in, but I want to give you a little room. 404 00:20:58,240 --> 00:21:02,840 Speaker 1: Is it not going out of business? You know, My 405 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:06,120 Speaker 1: first measure is it's still alive. I don't think people 406 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:07,720 Speaker 1: realize how many businesses go out of business. 407 00:21:09,119 --> 00:21:13,679 Speaker 2: So that's number one. I measure it on financial health 408 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:18,520 Speaker 2: for sure. Business is like sports. There is a score 409 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:24,240 Speaker 2: so Vayner Sports, Vayner Media, Vayner Watt, which is my 410 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:27,240 Speaker 2: new TV production company. They will be scored first by 411 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:29,800 Speaker 2: do they go out of business or not? That's the 412 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:32,679 Speaker 2: binary part, and then how big do they get? No question, 413 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:36,760 Speaker 2: of course, there's all the emotional stuff Vayner Media. How 414 00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:38,840 Speaker 2: many people come out of the company to go on 415 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:41,560 Speaker 2: to have big marketing careers. Nicole at t B being 416 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:44,080 Speaker 2: the CMO and doing well. I have a lot of 417 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:47,720 Speaker 2: pride in that. That excites me. So how many winners 418 00:21:47,760 --> 00:21:51,080 Speaker 2: do we create? Mike at Liquid Depth, Even though I 419 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:53,879 Speaker 2: don't think Nicole, I feel more of my thumbprint. I 420 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:55,640 Speaker 2: think Mike had a lot of what he had. Maybe 421 00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:57,119 Speaker 2: there's a couple of things he picked up at vayner 422 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:01,120 Speaker 2: Those things excite me. When alumni go on to crush, 423 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:03,880 Speaker 2: then there's exits. I don't know if you know this, Christian, 424 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:06,600 Speaker 2: I co founded Rezi, the restaurant app. 425 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:07,639 Speaker 1: No, I don't know that. 426 00:22:08,480 --> 00:22:12,800 Speaker 2: I invented Rezie with Ben levinthal over dinner right before 427 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:17,359 Speaker 2: Christmas that year, and Rezi incubated and lived out of 428 00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:20,359 Speaker 2: Vaynermedia for the first three years of the company. All right, 429 00:22:21,280 --> 00:22:23,320 Speaker 2: how did I measure that? It was a multi hundred 430 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:27,240 Speaker 2: million dollar cash exit? Very easy to measure empathy wines, 431 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:31,439 Speaker 2: which I sold to Consolation Brands. Very easy to measure 432 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:34,960 Speaker 2: and a triple win for me. I did well financially. 433 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:37,159 Speaker 2: It was only two years old when it sold, so 434 00:22:37,200 --> 00:22:40,159 Speaker 2: it was fast. It was a big exit to a 435 00:22:40,200 --> 00:22:43,560 Speaker 2: big company, and my two co founders both started as 436 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:49,520 Speaker 2: interns at Vaynermedia. Like that stretched every inch. So you know, 437 00:22:49,880 --> 00:22:51,960 Speaker 2: I think those tend to be. 438 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:55,720 Speaker 1: The places awesome awesome. What kind of business you launched 439 00:22:55,920 --> 00:22:59,280 Speaker 1: do you think where people should talk about more? You know, 440 00:22:59,480 --> 00:23:02,239 Speaker 1: do you feel that one or maybe some of your 441 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:07,359 Speaker 1: businesses that never got the kind of the recognition out there? 442 00:23:07,640 --> 00:23:11,000 Speaker 1: Anything you know you feel okay that should be bigger 443 00:23:11,119 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 1: or better recognized out in the market. Is there anything? 444 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:17,920 Speaker 2: I don't really build my businesses for the market. Yeah, 445 00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:21,920 Speaker 2: but I'm very aware of this question, so I'll break 446 00:23:21,960 --> 00:23:25,840 Speaker 2: it down. Rezi is probably the business that I co 447 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:28,919 Speaker 2: founded that is most known by the way outside of me, 448 00:23:29,080 --> 00:23:32,200 Speaker 2: Gary Vee, Right, So I don't think, you know, it's funny. 449 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:34,840 Speaker 2: I don't think I story told that co foundership enough 450 00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:37,720 Speaker 2: or it's not aware. So that's interesting. I got a 451 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:39,800 Speaker 2: big one for you, especially in this time in marketing. 452 00:23:40,040 --> 00:23:44,080 Speaker 2: I started probably based on my Google searches. The first 453 00:23:44,119 --> 00:23:47,479 Speaker 2: influencer agency. It was called grape Story. It was an 454 00:23:47,520 --> 00:23:51,919 Speaker 2: agency to represent Vine stars and I did that with 455 00:23:52,000 --> 00:23:56,360 Speaker 2: Jerome jar one of the original Vine celebrities. We signed, 456 00:23:57,240 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 2: amongst others Logan Paul, who we discovered through a campaign 457 00:24:01,640 --> 00:24:05,199 Speaker 2: to find the next fine celebrity, Rudy Mancuso like it 458 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:07,359 Speaker 2: was King Batch we did deals with back then, like 459 00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:10,520 Speaker 2: we really nailed it. So Grape Story in Rezi sit 460 00:24:10,560 --> 00:24:12,399 Speaker 2: in a very interesting place because I don't think people 461 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:18,359 Speaker 2: know that about me, you know, the improbable nature of 462 00:24:18,400 --> 00:24:20,280 Speaker 2: how big of a business I built for my father 463 00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:24,600 Speaker 2: with no money in that era. I think I have 464 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:27,240 Speaker 2: the most pride in but it's probably just thought as 465 00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:31,720 Speaker 2: like smaller. But you know, listen, I think V Friends 466 00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:33,280 Speaker 2: is a lot of fun for me right now, Christian, 467 00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:35,200 Speaker 2: because I think a lot of people think of it 468 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:37,560 Speaker 2: as like something that I don't even do anymore because 469 00:24:37,600 --> 00:24:40,239 Speaker 2: afts are not as hot or you know. But that 470 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:42,480 Speaker 2: one I'm quietly building, and I think that one will 471 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:47,240 Speaker 2: surprise people in seven to fifteen years. Look back to 472 00:24:47,320 --> 00:24:49,440 Speaker 2: this podcast. In the industry, I will tell you a 473 00:24:49,440 --> 00:24:51,879 Speaker 2: lot of people are flabbergasted of how big Vayner Media is. 474 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:54,159 Speaker 2: I don't think most people know how big vainer X is. 475 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:57,679 Speaker 2: I don't think most people in advertising today know that 476 00:24:57,720 --> 00:25:01,680 Speaker 2: we're a two thousand person global holding company doing you know, 477 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:04,840 Speaker 2: hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. 478 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:09,200 Speaker 2: We're much much, much bigger than our industry realizes because 479 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:13,159 Speaker 2: I don't play to the industry. But honestly, all of 480 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:14,439 Speaker 2: that is vanity stuff. 481 00:25:14,760 --> 00:25:14,840 Speaker 1: Me. 482 00:25:15,040 --> 00:25:18,919 Speaker 2: I'm not overly worried about what people think or don't think. 483 00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:21,920 Speaker 2: I'm much more worried about what my employees think about 484 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:26,159 Speaker 2: their happiness. If you ask me, Gary, if Vaynermedia was 485 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:28,480 Speaker 2: known by everyone in the industry and you got all 486 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:33,399 Speaker 2: the accolades and every ad week, pr Week, ad age 487 00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:38,280 Speaker 2: at the possible conference, you were awarded the best marketer 488 00:25:38,440 --> 00:25:41,040 Speaker 2: to ever live in Vaynermedia, the best agency. All of 489 00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:44,720 Speaker 2: that combined is half as interesting to me in that 490 00:25:44,800 --> 00:25:47,600 Speaker 2: my company's fifteen years old and you have almost one 491 00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:49,960 Speaker 2: hundred people that have worked in it for over ten years, 492 00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:53,520 Speaker 2: in an industry where people leave after eighteen months every day, 493 00:25:55,119 --> 00:25:58,760 Speaker 2: that I like the truth. I like real shit retention 494 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:01,600 Speaker 2: of your employees for an agency owner should be the 495 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:04,720 Speaker 2: number one, two, three, four, five, six, and seven kpi 496 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:09,480 Speaker 2: other than can you make payroll right? Not the amount 497 00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:12,520 Speaker 2: of people that spend more time in our industry, counting 498 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:16,000 Speaker 2: how many can lions the firm has won versus their 499 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:19,439 Speaker 2: employee retention tells you everything that I think you need 500 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:21,159 Speaker 2: to know about our industry right now. 501 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:23,119 Speaker 1: And how they talk about yourself as a leader and 502 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:25,560 Speaker 1: the business you're running. E said, Yeah, well that's the 503 00:26:25,560 --> 00:26:28,199 Speaker 1: thing with me. I'm such a big personality. I'm a character. 504 00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:29,320 Speaker 1: I'm not confused by that. 505 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:33,120 Speaker 2: I've watched people be surprised how well my employees talk 506 00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:37,440 Speaker 2: about me behind my back, and that is deeply rewarding, 507 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:41,000 Speaker 2: deeply rewarding, what super rewarding. 508 00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:44,760 Speaker 1: Congratulations to this. I hear you know that you're proud 509 00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:47,560 Speaker 1: of this, and you can be for sure, and obviously 510 00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:49,240 Speaker 1: that gives you confidence. You know that you do a 511 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:51,520 Speaker 1: lot of things right, you know, running your different companies. 512 00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:54,320 Speaker 1: So let's talk about our industry we are acting in, 513 00:26:54,359 --> 00:26:57,440 Speaker 1: you know, the wider marketing world. Yes, I think it's 514 00:26:57,440 --> 00:26:59,879 Speaker 1: a trend to talk about trends. Right. Everybody you know 515 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:03,040 Speaker 1: on a stage is asking you how what's coming up? 516 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:06,840 Speaker 1: So you're in social media, you and NFTCRE in cryptocurrency 517 00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:10,760 Speaker 1: and concentration. Okay, so I've heard you talk about social 518 00:27:10,800 --> 00:27:13,879 Speaker 1: shopping as a kind of trend. Everybody what a surprise 519 00:27:13,960 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 1: talks about AI. Yes, let's specify a bit more. What 520 00:27:17,480 --> 00:27:19,640 Speaker 1: is the trend we are facing in the next couple 521 00:27:19,680 --> 00:27:20,520 Speaker 1: of months. 522 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:25,440 Speaker 2: So look, and you may know you're you're so, you're 523 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:28,120 Speaker 2: so in this as well. You'll probably know this probably 524 00:27:28,160 --> 00:27:29,720 Speaker 2: if you especially if you're prepping a little bit for 525 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:32,879 Speaker 2: this interview. I have stayed somewhat quiet so far on 526 00:27:32,960 --> 00:27:36,600 Speaker 2: AI compared to the way I usually roll. And the 527 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:38,520 Speaker 2: reason I've done that is I don't like to talk 528 00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:42,960 Speaker 2: about shit until I'm really knowledgeable. I've been watching China 529 00:27:43,320 --> 00:27:47,040 Speaker 2: live shopping for eight years. I've been waiting Christian for 530 00:27:47,119 --> 00:27:50,679 Speaker 2: live social shopping like you can't imagine. I've been waiting 531 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:55,040 Speaker 2: for the qvcification of social for a long time, and 532 00:27:55,280 --> 00:28:00,000 Speaker 2: it's immediate. Abercrombie and Fitch right now is a fact 533 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:02,800 Speaker 2: did by live shopping and affiliate influencers like it changed 534 00:28:02,800 --> 00:28:06,280 Speaker 2: their business Mary Roots Organic Like. What I like about 535 00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:08,919 Speaker 2: why I'm talking about live social shopping is I know 536 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:11,280 Speaker 2: everybody on the incredible possible stage that I'm going to 537 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:13,879 Speaker 2: take in a couple of months if they sell something, 538 00:28:14,280 --> 00:28:16,720 Speaker 2: not B to B, but if they or a service. 539 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:20,560 Speaker 2: But if they sell something can be very impacted positively 540 00:28:20,880 --> 00:28:25,600 Speaker 2: because of it AI as a trend. And I'm gonna 541 00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:28,320 Speaker 2: say this as respectfully as I can, because I feel 542 00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:31,480 Speaker 2: like I was getting you know, I always feel misunderstood 543 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:34,080 Speaker 2: when I'm rasing the industry. I RaSE the industry because 544 00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:37,119 Speaker 2: I love the industry and I don't want us to disappear. Yeah, 545 00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:39,720 Speaker 2: you know, there's a reason people are taking things in house. 546 00:28:39,720 --> 00:28:43,440 Speaker 2: We as agencies are not providing enough value. I think 547 00:28:43,480 --> 00:28:46,320 Speaker 2: what's happening in our industry, with all due respect the 548 00:28:46,360 --> 00:28:50,640 Speaker 2: Madison Avenue industry compared to the Silicon Valley industry is 549 00:28:50,680 --> 00:28:52,760 Speaker 2: we have a lot of talking heads talking about AI 550 00:28:52,920 --> 00:28:54,840 Speaker 2: that really have no idea what the fuck they're talking about. 551 00:28:55,920 --> 00:28:58,360 Speaker 2: And so I don't want to be a contributor to that. 552 00:28:59,560 --> 00:29:03,800 Speaker 2: And and it's so big, you know, Live social shopping 553 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:08,200 Speaker 2: is a nice transformation in commerce and content creation production days, 554 00:29:08,400 --> 00:29:12,200 Speaker 2: and I can get nerdy about it. AI is one 555 00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:16,960 Speaker 2: of the biggest inventions and innovations in the history of mankind, 556 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:22,640 Speaker 2: and so I am trying to be very thoughtful and 557 00:29:22,760 --> 00:29:25,880 Speaker 2: listening and paying attention. Plus it's moving very quickly, and 558 00:29:25,920 --> 00:29:30,480 Speaker 2: so you know both. I mean, AI is something everybody 559 00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:32,959 Speaker 2: who's listening to this podcast, everybody that comes to your 560 00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:36,600 Speaker 2: incredible conference, should be spending time on. They should be 561 00:29:36,680 --> 00:29:38,680 Speaker 2: using it, they should be downloading the apps, they should 562 00:29:38,680 --> 00:29:41,640 Speaker 2: be understanding it. It is a big deal. It's a 563 00:29:41,680 --> 00:29:43,840 Speaker 2: big deal by the way, for anyone who's listening that 564 00:29:43,840 --> 00:29:46,680 Speaker 2: their business relies on search, they should really be paying 565 00:29:46,720 --> 00:29:49,520 Speaker 2: attention because it's going to disrupt search engines. It's a 566 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:52,280 Speaker 2: big deal. But it's way beyond what everyone thinks. It's 567 00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:58,040 Speaker 2: going to be omnipresent. It's gonna affect so much. So anyway, 568 00:29:58,360 --> 00:30:01,200 Speaker 2: I think that people should be doing their own homework 569 00:30:01,360 --> 00:30:04,840 Speaker 2: on AI, meaning actively using these products, becoming a user 570 00:30:04,920 --> 00:30:07,960 Speaker 2: of not just listening to talking heads talk about it. 571 00:30:08,880 --> 00:30:11,680 Speaker 2: I think the two actually mix in. I think, let 572 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:14,480 Speaker 2: me just put a string of trends together. I think 573 00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:17,000 Speaker 2: virtual influencers is going to become a big deal. Okay, 574 00:30:18,160 --> 00:30:23,840 Speaker 2: I think virtual influencers doing live shopping backed by powered 575 00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:26,080 Speaker 2: by AI is going to be a big deal for 576 00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:28,440 Speaker 2: a lot of our businesses. And so there's just a 577 00:30:28,440 --> 00:30:30,960 Speaker 2: lot going on. I think I'll give you a less 578 00:30:31,080 --> 00:30:34,760 Speaker 2: exciting trend, but it's been my passion. I'm excited it's 579 00:30:34,760 --> 00:30:38,080 Speaker 2: finally happening. I think the reallocation of the P and 580 00:30:38,160 --> 00:30:41,080 Speaker 2: L budget to organic social creative because of how the 581 00:30:41,120 --> 00:30:44,200 Speaker 2: algorithms work is one of the biggest trends everyone should 582 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:48,120 Speaker 2: be paying attention to. That's interesting, it's less sexy, it's 583 00:30:48,240 --> 00:30:52,760 Speaker 2: very narrow, but I cannot believe how much growth my 584 00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:57,760 Speaker 2: company has had this year where brands are spending more 585 00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:02,520 Speaker 2: on social organic creative than they are on above the line. 586 00:31:02,960 --> 00:31:06,040 Speaker 2: And that happened over the last twenty four months in 587 00:31:06,080 --> 00:31:08,280 Speaker 2: a meaningful way, and it's a back to like caring 588 00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:12,720 Speaker 2: about practicality versus futurism. I think a lot of people 589 00:31:12,720 --> 00:31:15,240 Speaker 2: listening here. I hope they're paying attention to that because 590 00:31:15,280 --> 00:31:17,080 Speaker 2: that's a big game changer for a lot of brands 591 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:17,680 Speaker 2: right now. 592 00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:22,320 Speaker 1: So spending time creating experiences being really using that and 593 00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:24,560 Speaker 1: not just listening to people. What should be the next 594 00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:27,480 Speaker 1: one I hear you, is this the biggest you know 595 00:31:27,720 --> 00:31:31,200 Speaker 1: gap you know for traditional corporate leaders that they might 596 00:31:31,240 --> 00:31:33,960 Speaker 1: not still do understand about the modern business landscape? Is 597 00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:36,160 Speaker 1: this the case or is there anything else you would 598 00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:39,000 Speaker 1: give them? What kind of advice you would give corporate leaders? 599 00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:41,440 Speaker 1: Is it to spend more time, you know, with what's 600 00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:44,960 Speaker 1: really going on out there and not just tetting your team, Hey, 601 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:47,800 Speaker 1: let me know what you think, but spending their own 602 00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:48,600 Speaker 1: time doing this. 603 00:31:49,160 --> 00:31:51,440 Speaker 2: Yeah. Look, I think being a practition to your point 604 00:31:51,480 --> 00:31:53,880 Speaker 2: of where you're leading this, being a practitioner is incredible, 605 00:31:53,960 --> 00:31:57,040 Speaker 2: Like you know, one of the reasons, Like I don't 606 00:31:57,040 --> 00:31:58,800 Speaker 2: know if people know this. If you go into the 607 00:31:58,840 --> 00:32:03,040 Speaker 2: history of me, there's two years where there's no Gary 608 00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:06,000 Speaker 2: Vee content because I wanted to be the operator and 609 00:32:06,080 --> 00:32:09,400 Speaker 2: I am the operator Vainner Media twenty eleven twenty thirteen, Like, 610 00:32:09,520 --> 00:32:12,880 Speaker 2: there's very little content of me, very little, it's insane. 611 00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:16,400 Speaker 2: From six to today, I am prolific, but there's this weird 612 00:32:16,400 --> 00:32:18,760 Speaker 2: little twenty four month gap. And do you know what happened, Christian? 613 00:32:19,400 --> 00:32:22,440 Speaker 2: I was running my business less wine videos, right, less 614 00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:25,440 Speaker 2: business videos, and at the back end of those twenty 615 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:28,360 Speaker 2: four months, it became obvious to me that I was 616 00:32:28,400 --> 00:32:32,880 Speaker 2: losing my touch. Interesting because I wasn't being a practitioner anymore. 617 00:32:33,360 --> 00:32:35,120 Speaker 2: I could feel like people would ask me something about 618 00:32:35,120 --> 00:32:38,120 Speaker 2: Reddit or Twitter or something. I'm like, oh fuck, So 619 00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:41,480 Speaker 2: I went all back into Gary Vee and I did 620 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:45,800 Speaker 2: everything YouTube and LinkedIn and Snapchat and and it's I 621 00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:48,080 Speaker 2: believe today, when I'm in again, it will happen. When 622 00:32:48,080 --> 00:32:50,320 Speaker 2: I come to Possible, there'll be a cocktail hour, There'll 623 00:32:50,360 --> 00:32:52,600 Speaker 2: be six of us hanging around, and when we get 624 00:32:52,640 --> 00:32:56,160 Speaker 2: into it, it's very quickly obvious to me that the 625 00:32:56,200 --> 00:32:59,480 Speaker 2: agency CEO that's sitting there with me that the two 626 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:02,760 Speaker 2: CMO those that you know, somebody that like most people 627 00:33:02,760 --> 00:33:07,520 Speaker 2: that get senior, they lose or touched to the dirt. Yeah, 628 00:33:07,560 --> 00:33:09,960 Speaker 2: and so yes, I think that's very good advice. I 629 00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:13,959 Speaker 2: would also say the following creative's too expensive for our 630 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:16,720 Speaker 2: industry and we're getting outflanked. We have to stop paying 631 00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:20,440 Speaker 2: the production dollars we're spending. And number two, the other 632 00:33:20,480 --> 00:33:22,840 Speaker 2: thing I would say that I would recommend to corporate 633 00:33:22,960 --> 00:33:28,840 Speaker 2: leaders is our media spends are being spent on potential reach, 634 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:31,360 Speaker 2: not common sense actual reach. 635 00:33:31,920 --> 00:33:32,800 Speaker 3: Yeah, and I. 636 00:33:32,800 --> 00:33:35,560 Speaker 2: Would highly recommend, if that caught a nerve, for them 637 00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:38,560 Speaker 2: to look under the hood on how we're reporting against 638 00:33:39,440 --> 00:33:42,520 Speaker 2: reach and our mmms. And there's some real, real, real 639 00:33:42,600 --> 00:33:45,320 Speaker 2: vulnerabilities in marketing right now, and the doors are closing 640 00:33:45,360 --> 00:33:47,680 Speaker 2: in on us with these new brands that are popping up, 641 00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:49,480 Speaker 2: that are doing it in a contemporary way that don't 642 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:52,440 Speaker 2: follow the Madison Avenue playbook, and we need to adjust 643 00:33:52,520 --> 00:33:53,520 Speaker 2: or we're gonna have some problems. 644 00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:57,719 Speaker 1: So becoming or going back to the entrepreneurship in some way, right, 645 00:33:57,760 --> 00:33:59,400 Speaker 1: you know, when you start your business you do everything 646 00:33:59,400 --> 00:34:01,600 Speaker 1: on your own. That's a kind of step you know, 647 00:34:01,720 --> 00:34:05,200 Speaker 1: back and learn more about, you know, than just listening 648 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:09,080 Speaker 1: to somebody. So talking about advice for leadership and you 649 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:12,319 Speaker 1: know also young people you've mentioned already, you know, being 650 00:34:12,400 --> 00:34:16,320 Speaker 1: happy about your self awareness. What's the one misconception people 651 00:34:16,400 --> 00:34:19,799 Speaker 1: have about what it really takes to be happy? What 652 00:34:19,960 --> 00:34:22,200 Speaker 1: is the you know, to fulfill you know, what you 653 00:34:22,360 --> 00:34:26,239 Speaker 1: do and to not necessarily meet expectations of course, and 654 00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:29,520 Speaker 1: also not not everybody's expectation out there, because you know, 655 00:34:29,560 --> 00:34:32,360 Speaker 1: if people know somebody, then they should have an opinion 656 00:34:32,400 --> 00:34:34,440 Speaker 1: on you, but not you know, not knowing somebody and 657 00:34:34,480 --> 00:34:37,080 Speaker 1: talk about but what makes a difference to be really 658 00:34:37,120 --> 00:34:38,480 Speaker 1: happy in business? 659 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:43,160 Speaker 2: Yeah? I think this bleeds into life. I believe what 660 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:45,399 Speaker 2: and this is a man This has been something I've 661 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:48,240 Speaker 2: been fascinating my whole life. Yeah, you know, some people 662 00:34:48,480 --> 00:34:50,640 Speaker 2: are lucky. And I don't like using the word luck 663 00:34:50,680 --> 00:34:52,959 Speaker 2: because I think the word luck is weaponized by people 664 00:34:53,000 --> 00:34:55,440 Speaker 2: that are entitled and not looking to do anything. But 665 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:57,640 Speaker 2: some people are lucky. And I'm one of those people 666 00:34:57,640 --> 00:35:01,719 Speaker 2: where where you're born into your DNA is a certain way, 667 00:35:01,760 --> 00:35:05,080 Speaker 2: and then the parent or parents that mold you are 668 00:35:05,120 --> 00:35:08,640 Speaker 2: a certain way. When people like one of the reasons 669 00:35:08,680 --> 00:35:11,400 Speaker 2: I'll do a podcast like this and talk about myself 670 00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:14,400 Speaker 2: quote unquote is I don't think I deserve any of 671 00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:16,960 Speaker 2: the accolades that are bestowed on me. I think that 672 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:21,680 Speaker 2: they are When I get accolades, that's a flattering moment 673 00:35:21,719 --> 00:35:25,520 Speaker 2: for my parents, not me. So I enjoy this because 674 00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:27,440 Speaker 2: I know my mom's listening right now because she listens 675 00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:31,440 Speaker 2: to everything. And I like when you're like, hey, good job, Gary, 676 00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:34,840 Speaker 2: I feel that's like you're giving love to tomorrow Vaynerchuk, 677 00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:38,719 Speaker 2: not Gary, so that I like. So some people are 678 00:35:38,760 --> 00:35:42,759 Speaker 2: just fortunate. I knew that I was fortunate. I was 679 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:46,200 Speaker 2: self aware. I was so emotionally intelligent in the scheme 680 00:35:46,239 --> 00:35:49,080 Speaker 2: of things. In hindsight, my whole life. I see it 681 00:35:49,080 --> 00:35:50,719 Speaker 2: a lot of my son by the way, so now 682 00:35:50,719 --> 00:35:53,920 Speaker 2: I know what it is. He's very empathetic. It's crazy 683 00:35:54,000 --> 00:35:56,919 Speaker 2: like everything he just feels, and I was that way. 684 00:35:57,600 --> 00:36:00,160 Speaker 2: I have some answers to this because I've studied for 685 00:36:00,239 --> 00:36:04,560 Speaker 2: a long time and I watch people. I believe disproportionately 686 00:36:05,000 --> 00:36:08,440 Speaker 2: the secret to happiness and business and in life is simplicity. 687 00:36:09,680 --> 00:36:11,360 Speaker 2: You know, we're getting to know each other more and 688 00:36:11,440 --> 00:36:13,640 Speaker 2: more Christian. If you really knew me, let's say we 689 00:36:13,680 --> 00:36:16,279 Speaker 2: really grew up together, you really knew me, well, you 690 00:36:16,280 --> 00:36:19,080 Speaker 2: would know. And twenty people know this about me? Is 691 00:36:19,120 --> 00:36:23,280 Speaker 2: I care about nothing professionally? It would I'm telling you, brother, 692 00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:28,280 Speaker 2: I'm telling you, it would fucking stun you how little 693 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:32,000 Speaker 2: fucks I give about Gary Vee, Vayner viv It's shocked. 694 00:36:32,400 --> 00:36:37,319 Speaker 2: I am so detached emotionally from my professional career. It's 695 00:36:37,360 --> 00:36:40,600 Speaker 2: almost like I don't know if it's brilliant or fucked upness. 696 00:36:40,640 --> 00:36:42,399 Speaker 2: I don't know what it is, but I will tell 697 00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:45,799 Speaker 2: you that the only thing that I give a shit 698 00:36:45,840 --> 00:36:48,920 Speaker 2: about actually is are the fifteen people I love the 699 00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:53,440 Speaker 2: most on earth, healthy and alive. And I'm crippled when 700 00:36:53,440 --> 00:36:56,720 Speaker 2: there's a health scare, and I'm light as a feather 701 00:36:56,800 --> 00:37:00,400 Speaker 2: when there's not. I have so much adversity. I'm a 702 00:37:00,480 --> 00:37:02,640 Speaker 2: human being. I'm forty nine years old. I have things 703 00:37:02,640 --> 00:37:05,640 Speaker 2: in my personal life. I have a billion pressures in business. 704 00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:07,880 Speaker 2: There's not a day in business where I don't have 705 00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:10,160 Speaker 2: fucked up news. We let go of somebody today that 706 00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:13,640 Speaker 2: I care about deeply. It's fucked with me for three months. 707 00:37:14,400 --> 00:37:18,080 Speaker 2: Three months, this has been a heaviness on my chest. 708 00:37:18,560 --> 00:37:20,719 Speaker 2: It's hard to be a leader and to be out there, 709 00:37:20,719 --> 00:37:23,080 Speaker 2: and I'm a public figure, all that judgment, all those 710 00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:26,719 Speaker 2: whispers behind your back, like all that stuff. But the 711 00:37:26,840 --> 00:37:30,120 Speaker 2: reason is it's humility. I don't think I'm that important. 712 00:37:30,239 --> 00:37:33,040 Speaker 2: I think I'll die one day. Maybe I'll get twenty 713 00:37:33,080 --> 00:37:36,160 Speaker 2: four hours on whatever the social media, if social media 714 00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:39,120 Speaker 2: even exists at the time, I'll get some flowers, right, 715 00:37:39,640 --> 00:37:41,880 Speaker 2: and then everybody will move on with their life. My 716 00:37:41,960 --> 00:37:45,720 Speaker 2: family will care longer. And so I think humility and simplicity. 717 00:37:45,960 --> 00:37:48,320 Speaker 2: I don't need stuff. I don't need a fucking private 718 00:37:48,400 --> 00:37:51,600 Speaker 2: jet to impress anybody. I don't care if people think 719 00:37:51,640 --> 00:37:54,600 Speaker 2: I'm good, bad, or indifferent. I want them. I care 720 00:37:54,640 --> 00:37:56,960 Speaker 2: if you know me, By the way, Christian, I care 721 00:37:57,040 --> 00:37:59,560 Speaker 2: more today what you think about me than two years ago, 722 00:37:59,680 --> 00:38:03,200 Speaker 2: because we've interacted more that matters to me. But right now, 723 00:38:03,239 --> 00:38:05,920 Speaker 2: I promise you, Maddie, who's sitting right heroes worked with me. 724 00:38:06,000 --> 00:38:09,560 Speaker 2: Now what Mattie nine eight years, I really give a 725 00:38:09,600 --> 00:38:13,040 Speaker 2: lot of I care. Maddie is not as important to 726 00:38:13,080 --> 00:38:16,480 Speaker 2: people in the advertising world as Christian is. But I 727 00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:18,800 Speaker 2: can tell you right now, I could give a fuck 728 00:38:18,880 --> 00:38:21,960 Speaker 2: what you think compared to Maddie, because Maddie knows, and 729 00:38:22,000 --> 00:38:26,520 Speaker 2: so I think the secret to life is detachment from 730 00:38:26,560 --> 00:38:30,120 Speaker 2: bullshit and deep attachment to love. 731 00:38:31,080 --> 00:38:33,800 Speaker 1: Which is a huge achievement if you allow yourself to 732 00:38:33,840 --> 00:38:36,440 Speaker 1: think like this, I would say. But also in acting 733 00:38:36,480 --> 00:38:38,920 Speaker 1: in business, you know, in so many ways to give 734 00:38:38,920 --> 00:38:41,480 Speaker 1: a shit on you know, other's opinion in that way. 735 00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:44,080 Speaker 1: Not many people can do this, as we all know. 736 00:38:44,120 --> 00:38:46,480 Speaker 1: We know we are pressed into a framework, you know, 737 00:38:46,560 --> 00:38:49,040 Speaker 1: especially when you work for bigger companies, et cetera. But 738 00:38:49,239 --> 00:38:51,560 Speaker 1: you're your own boss, and maybe that's also one of 739 00:38:51,640 --> 00:38:52,640 Speaker 1: the key differences. 740 00:38:52,800 --> 00:38:55,640 Speaker 2: Yes, but I'm my own boss that plays with the market, 741 00:38:55,760 --> 00:38:58,839 Speaker 2: right right, Like you know, it's a different version. Yeah, 742 00:38:58,880 --> 00:39:00,560 Speaker 2: there's many days when I wake up and I'm like, 743 00:39:00,600 --> 00:39:04,319 Speaker 2: you know, being judged by three random people that are 744 00:39:04,360 --> 00:39:07,239 Speaker 2: my bosses. Sounds really good right now, versus you know, 745 00:39:07,760 --> 00:39:11,640 Speaker 2: the field of society, you know, so like you know, 746 00:39:11,680 --> 00:39:14,640 Speaker 2: there's different versions of it, but yeah, simplicity and humility, 747 00:39:15,160 --> 00:39:17,359 Speaker 2: and people say it, but then they don't act on it. 748 00:39:17,520 --> 00:39:20,279 Speaker 2: I've unfortunately had to let go of leaders through the 749 00:39:20,360 --> 00:39:23,280 Speaker 2: years who say they care about people, but they don't. 750 00:39:23,600 --> 00:39:26,600 Speaker 2: They're posturing, they're politicking me, they're trying to appease me. 751 00:39:27,320 --> 00:39:29,719 Speaker 2: But you know, I tell people, I mean, I tell 752 00:39:29,760 --> 00:39:31,600 Speaker 2: people all the time, don't worry about what I think 753 00:39:31,640 --> 00:39:34,239 Speaker 2: about you. Worry about what the people who work for 754 00:39:34,280 --> 00:39:36,920 Speaker 2: you think about you. Maddie Will if you hung out 755 00:39:36,920 --> 00:39:39,840 Speaker 2: with Maddie, she would tell you it's wild how senior 756 00:39:39,880 --> 00:39:41,799 Speaker 2: some of the people have been that have gotten fired here, 757 00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:46,160 Speaker 2: the leaders, because they just if you can't get along 758 00:39:46,200 --> 00:39:48,400 Speaker 2: with the boys and girls, especially the ones that you're leading, 759 00:39:48,640 --> 00:39:49,319 Speaker 2: you're not for me. 760 00:39:49,800 --> 00:39:52,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, Gary, I have a last one. Please, You've accomplished 761 00:39:52,960 --> 00:39:55,560 Speaker 1: so much already. What's one thing you still feel, you know, 762 00:39:56,800 --> 00:39:58,799 Speaker 1: like you you must do before you call it a day, 763 00:39:59,520 --> 00:40:03,200 Speaker 1: professional whatever, whatever? 764 00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:06,680 Speaker 2: Overall, I'd like to I'd like to become even a 765 00:40:06,680 --> 00:40:10,520 Speaker 2: better father. I think I'm a great son, like the 766 00:40:10,560 --> 00:40:13,000 Speaker 2: best I feel like, I feel like I can walk. 767 00:40:13,200 --> 00:40:15,640 Speaker 2: I can't wait to go to heaven. I expect God 768 00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:18,759 Speaker 2: to give me like best Son Ever award, But I 769 00:40:18,800 --> 00:40:20,879 Speaker 2: feel like there's more to be done as a father. 770 00:40:20,920 --> 00:40:22,800 Speaker 2: I have a fifteen and twelve year old. I want 771 00:40:22,840 --> 00:40:28,200 Speaker 2: to really crush that and do more there. Number two. Professionally, 772 00:40:29,719 --> 00:40:33,960 Speaker 2: I'd like to create a company that has the most 773 00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:37,680 Speaker 2: amount of offspring from the company that went on to 774 00:40:37,760 --> 00:40:41,960 Speaker 2: build companies that are similar to mine, which are wildly 775 00:40:42,000 --> 00:40:45,480 Speaker 2: successful but also nice to their employees. I'd like to 776 00:40:45,560 --> 00:40:48,160 Speaker 2: reframe the company. Actually, I'm going to give you a 777 00:40:48,200 --> 00:40:51,680 Speaker 2: slightly different answer, but it's the same answer. Before I'm done. Professionally, 778 00:40:51,719 --> 00:40:55,680 Speaker 2: I would like to rebrand nice Guys Finish Last to 779 00:40:55,840 --> 00:40:59,319 Speaker 2: nice Guys Finish First. That's what I would like to do. 780 00:41:00,960 --> 00:41:03,400 Speaker 1: That's a great statement to the end of our conversation today, 781 00:41:03,440 --> 00:41:05,759 Speaker 1: and to your first point, I'm pretty sure and I 782 00:41:05,840 --> 00:41:08,320 Speaker 1: know that he's a great son because you're a great father, 783 00:41:08,480 --> 00:41:11,400 Speaker 1: so that's for sure. And I can tell you because 784 00:41:11,560 --> 00:41:13,239 Speaker 1: I have a son as well as you know, and 785 00:41:14,239 --> 00:41:16,440 Speaker 1: I feel in a very similar way. So Gary, that 786 00:41:16,480 --> 00:41:19,279 Speaker 1: conversation was nothing short, but incredible. Thank you so much 787 00:41:19,320 --> 00:41:22,239 Speaker 1: for your time, your energy, insights, and that honest conversation. 788 00:41:22,600 --> 00:41:24,960 Speaker 1: And I'm sure you know many of our listeners will 789 00:41:24,960 --> 00:41:28,920 Speaker 1: walk away ready to hustle Haara and think bigger, appreciate manness. 790 00:41:29,480 --> 00:41:31,319 Speaker 2: Let me say one last thing. I assume we're going 791 00:41:31,360 --> 00:41:34,399 Speaker 2: to put this out before the conference, right, that's a plan. Yes, okay, good? 792 00:41:34,520 --> 00:41:36,839 Speaker 2: Let me just send with this please please please, Because 793 00:41:36,840 --> 00:41:38,400 Speaker 2: I see it in your eyes, which is why I 794 00:41:38,400 --> 00:41:40,799 Speaker 2: approach so many people. I'm going to be around quite 795 00:41:40,800 --> 00:41:43,560 Speaker 2: a bit. I actually am so happy this is happening 796 00:41:43,600 --> 00:41:44,879 Speaker 2: because I get to say it out loud. I send 797 00:41:44,920 --> 00:41:46,080 Speaker 2: this to you in person. Now I want to say 798 00:41:46,120 --> 00:41:50,240 Speaker 2: it out loud. The conference you've created has become the newest, 799 00:41:50,320 --> 00:41:53,600 Speaker 2: most important conference in our industry. That's an incredible accomplishment 800 00:41:53,640 --> 00:41:55,680 Speaker 2: in what is fucking two minutes? What is this year? 801 00:41:55,719 --> 00:41:55,959 Speaker 3: Three? 802 00:41:56,280 --> 00:41:58,080 Speaker 1: It's going to be the three yees. 803 00:41:58,160 --> 00:42:01,080 Speaker 2: Correct, It's absurd what you've become published you and your partners. 804 00:42:02,360 --> 00:42:04,040 Speaker 2: I'm going to be around a lot more this year 805 00:42:04,040 --> 00:42:06,560 Speaker 2: because I'm allocating more time, because it's that important. If 806 00:42:06,560 --> 00:42:09,280 Speaker 2: you happen to see me, like walking in the hotel wherever, 807 00:42:09,560 --> 00:42:11,600 Speaker 2: and you want to say hello. Please say hello. Relationships 808 00:42:11,640 --> 00:42:12,360 Speaker 2: are everything. 809 00:42:13,160 --> 00:42:14,799 Speaker 1: We make sure you have to connect with the right 810 00:42:14,840 --> 00:42:17,160 Speaker 1: people and then connect with the right one and this 811 00:42:17,320 --> 00:42:19,880 Speaker 1: is you for sure. Gary, appreciate you. Thank you very 812 00:42:19,960 --> 00:42:25,360 Speaker 1: much for mind see you by. Thanks for tuning in everyone. 813 00:42:25,640 --> 00:42:28,520 Speaker 1: Once again, I'm your host, Christian Moho. If you have 814 00:42:28,560 --> 00:42:31,600 Speaker 1: a question or suggestion to me, reach out, send me 815 00:42:31,640 --> 00:42:35,600 Speaker 1: a d M on LinkedIn. If you're courious to learn 816 00:42:35,600 --> 00:42:38,400 Speaker 1: more about Possible, sign up for our newsletter, or if 817 00:42:38,440 --> 00:42:40,720 Speaker 1: you want to join us at the Possible Show in Miami, 818 00:42:41,120 --> 00:42:45,280 Speaker 1: visit possibleevent dot com. Possible Now is a co production 819 00:42:45,360 --> 00:42:49,800 Speaker 1: of iHeartMedia and Possible. Our executive producers are Ryan Martz 820 00:42:49,840 --> 00:42:54,560 Speaker 1: and Yasmin Melendez. Our supervising producer is Meredith Barnes. Special 821 00:42:54,560 --> 00:42:58,319 Speaker 1: thanks to Colleen Lawrence Mac from our programming team. Our 822 00:42:58,440 --> 00:43:02,360 Speaker 1: theme music is composed by Anthony Keticoli. For more podcasts 823 00:43:02,400 --> 00:43:06,520 Speaker 1: from iHeart, visit the iHeart app Apple podcast, or wherever 824 00:43:06,560 --> 00:43:08,080 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.