DEDICATION

TOTHEVAYNIACSANDTHEVAYNERNATION,ANDALLTHEPEOPLEWHOHAVEWATCHEDEVENONEVIDEOOVERTHELASTTENYEARS.YOUR

ATTENTIONISMYOXYGEN.

CONTENTS

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER1 CLOUDSANDDIRT

CHAPTER2 STARTINGOUT

CHAPTER3 EDUCATION

CHAPTER4 FAMILYBUSINESS

CHAPTER5 PARENTING

CHAPTER6 HUSTLE

CHAPTER7 CONTENTANDCONTEXT

CHAPTER8 JABSANDRIGHTHOOKS

CHAPTER9 THEPLATFORMS

CHAPTER10 FACEBOOKADS

CHAPTER11 INFLUENCERMARKETING

CHAPTER12 STOPWITHTHEEXCUSES!

CHAPTER13 GRATITUDE

CHAPTER14 LEADERSHIP

CHAPTER15 MANAGEMENT

CHAPTER16 INVESTING

CHAPTER17 SELF-AWARENESS

CHAPTER18 GARYVEE’SGUIDETOPUBLICSPEAKINGWITHOUTSHITTINGYOURPANTS

CHAPTER19 MUSIC

CHAPTER20 SPORTS

CHAPTER21 WINE

CHAPTER22 THEPERSONAL,THERANDOM,ANDTHEWEIRD

QUESTIONOFTHEDAY

AFEWWORDSFROMTHERESTOFTHECAST

THE#ASKGARYVEESHOWPROP-WORDPUZZLE!

INDEX

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

ALSOBYGARYVAYNERCHUK

CREDITS

COPYRIGHT

ABOUTTHEPUBLISHER

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

NothingIdoispossiblewithoutthesupportofmyfamily.Myheartbelongstomywife,Lizzie,andmykids,MishaandXander.Asalways,tremendousthanksalsogoestotherestofmyfamily:myparents,TamaraandSasha;mysister,Liz,andherwonderfulhusband,Justin,andtheirkids,HannahandMax;mybrother,AJ,andhiswife,Ali;mygrandmaEsther,myfantasticbrother-in-law,Alex,andhiswife,Sandy,andtheirkids,ZachandDylan;andmymother-andfather-in-law,AnneandPeterKlein.

Ahugethank-youtomyteam,akatheDopeDen:SteveUnwin,ZakMoy,David Rock, India Kieser, Alex De Simone, Andy Krainak, Andrew Greif,StaphonLawrence,BrittanyHoffman,SiddarthAstir,andRebeccaWright.

My gratitude also goes out to the whole team at HarperBusiness. Andespecially to Hollis Heimbouch, who says this is the best book I’ve written.ThankyouforyourconsistentsupportandallowingmetorollthewayIneedto.

Finally, thanksagain tomywriter,StephanieLand,whobesidemybrotherand dad has beenmy closest partner in business. I can’t believe this is booknumberfour!

INTRODUCTION

OnFebruary21,2006,onaYouTubechannelwithzerofollowers, theworld’sfirstwine video blog launched.Without fanfare, it opened on a guy in a bluesweater—maybe itwas black, the bad lightingmade it hard to tell—seated infrontofablankbeigewall.Onthetableinfrontofhimrestedthreewinebottlesandasmall,darkbucketthatlookedlikeitmighthaveonceheldapottedplant.His skin was sallow in the sickly fluorescent light that barely illuminated hisface,buthehadawide,optimisticsmile.LookingstraightintotheFlipcam,heannounced himself to his nonexistent audience in a subdued, serious, butfriendlyvoice:“Hello,everybody,andwelcometotheveryfirstepisodeofWineLibrary TV. I’m Gary Vaynerchuk.” The echo was so intense he might havebeenfilminginsideacave.

Over time theshowgotmoredynamicandexciting.Thehoststarted to lethis huge personality shine. He wore Jets shirts. He paired wines with LuckyCharmsanddescribedflavorprofilesincolorful,colloquiallanguage,likegrape-flavoredNerdcandyanddeaddeermixedwithcherries.

Hefilmedanother999episodesbeforeannouncingonMarch14,2011,thattheshowwasover.

Well,notquiteover.OnthatsamedayhelaunchedDailyGrape,akindofWineLibraryTV2.0 for themobileera.That lastedeighty-nineepisodes.Andthenherealizedhereallywasdone.Helovedwinebuthewasanentrepreneurfirst,andtherewerejusttoomanyotherthingstodo.

Thatcharacterwasme,ofcourse.AtthetimeIreallydidthinkIwasdonewithdailyvideoblogging forever. I could imagine theoccasional intervieworone-offvideo(haveyoueverseenmy“MondayMorningMotivational”spot?),butafullshowwastoomuch.TherewasonlyonethingIdidn’tcounton:you,VaynerNation.Imissedyou!Imissedtalkingtoyoueveryday.Imean,sureIcould talk toyouanytimeIwanted toonTwitter, Instagram,orFacebook,butvideoelicitsadifferentenergyandencouragesaspontaneityandvibrancy that

can’tbereplicatedonanyotherplatform.Ishouldhaveknownthatsomethingwasmissing inmyworld when I realized that during every forty-five-minutespeaking engagement the part I most looked forward to was the last fifteenminutesofQ&A.Infact,atonepointIseriouslyconsideredmakingmywholepresentationnothingbutQ&Aforever.

Meanwhile, the emails kept pouring in.Despite access to three books andhundreds of videos, people still had questions about how to successfully usesocialmedia—thenewplatformsandtheoldstandbys—tobuildtheirbrands,orhowtomarketwithnativecontent,orevenjusthowIdowhatIdo.TherewassomuchcontentIwantedtoputouttohelpthem,butwithallmyotherobligationsatVaynerMediaandelsewhereIjustcouldn’tgettoit.

ThenDRockemailedme.DRockisDavidRock,andhewanted tomakeashortfilmaboutme.Thestoryofwhathedidtoconvincemetoagreeshowsupsomewherelaterinthisbook,andit’sagoodone—aclassicexampleofhowtogetyourselftothenextprofessionallevel.Hefollowedmearoundforadayandproducedagorgeousshortfilmthatperfectlyencapsulatesmyentirephilosophyabout business and entrepreneurship. It’s called “Clouds and Dirt.” I enjoyedworkingwithDRocksomuchIhiredhimtocreatevideosformefull-time.

Then I looked around and saw that by bringing him on board I hadaccidentally formed the perfect content creation team—David for video,SteveUnwin for copy (a jobeventually sharedwith IndiaKieser), andZakMoy fordesign.Onawhim,Ipulled themasideandannouncedthat Iwanted tofilmavideo,andtheyweregoingtohelpme.

And that’s how on July 31, 2014, on a YouTube channel with 30,000subscribers,oneoftheworld’sfirstbusinessQ&Avideoblogswaslaunched.Itopened on a guy in a blue-striped golf shirt smiling into the camera: “Hello,everyone, and welcome to the first #AskGaryVee.” Though the first episodestartedoffalmostaslow-keyasitswine-themedpredecessors,bythesecond,thelightandsoundqualitywereprofessionalgradeandthehostwasbringinghardenergy and straight thunder. He started posing weird random objects, Jetsparaphernalia, and eighties collectible toys on the sleek blond wood table infront of him as he answered his viewers’ questions about social media,marketing, branding, andmore.Subscriptions to the channel and eventually tothe accompanyingpodcast ballooned as viewers kept askingquestions, andhekeptansweringthem.

AtfirstIthoughttheshowmightbeanevery-now-and-thenthing,butitwaslike ridingabike—as soonas I filmed the first episode, Iwanted todomore.

And so we did (DRock, Steve, and Zak didn’t know what hit them). It’s achallenge,ofcourse.Theworldismuchmoremobileandmuchsmarterthanitwas in 2006, when I startedWLTV, and there is a lot more competition foreyeballseventhanin2011,whenwefinishedDailyGrape.WhichmeansIhavetobeevenbetter.AndIthinkIam,becauseI’mspeakingfromfivemoreyearsofexperience.That’sfivemoreyearsofwatchingnewtechnologiesriseandfall,experimentingwithplatforms,advisingclients,andtalkingtopeopleabouttheirdreamsandgoals.

That’soneofthethingsIlovebestaboutThe#AskGaryVeeShow.It’snotaplatform fromwhich I talk about things that are important tome; it’s a placewhere I talk about things that are important to you. You, the viewers,entrepreneurs,executives,anddreamersare theinspirationfor theshowjustasthewinesweretheinspirationforWLTVandDailyGrape.AndjustasIcouldnever run out of new wines to taste, there will never be a day when there’snothing new to say about the state of business. It’s a constantly evolving andgrowingtopic.

TheotherthingI loveaboutthisshowisthat intheend,Ireallydidfigureoutaway toextendmyfavoritepartofmykeynotespeeches. Ifyou’veneverseenmeonstage,ImodelmyperformanceafterthecomediansIidolizedinmyyouth,likeEddieMurphy,ChrisRock,andRichardPryor.Mypresentationsaresalty and brash, but even as they shock they tend to make people laugh.Hopefully,theyalsomakepeoplethink.IliketheQ&Apartbestbecausethat’sthemomentwhenpeoplerealizethatI’mnotacleverspeakerwithafewgoodideas, but a devout practitioner with endless ideas. I can literally see theskeptics’ expressions switch from cynicism to admiration and respect as theyrealize that they can ask me anything—anything!—and I won’t dodge and Iwon’t rehash and I will do my absolute best to give them detailed, tacticalanswerstheycanstartusingrightaway.

The#AskGaryVeeShowallowsmetodothatforpeopleeveryday.Ilovethecommunity that has developed around it. I love that it has become an integralpart of my life. I love that it has introduced a new cast of VaynerMediacharacters to theworld.AndI lovethat togetherour little teamhascreatedtheapexofmodernmarketing—anultimatejab-and-contentdistributor.

Whilethevastmajorityofquestionslobbedatmehavetodowithlaunchingstart-ups,buildingpersonalbrands,leveragingsocialmedia,anddeconstructingplatforms,Ialsogetaskedabout leadership,hiringandfiring,publicspeaking,and the perks and perils of mixing family and business. Also the Jets. And

parenting in the digital era. And my thoughts on the value of traditionaleducation.Andmy biggestmistakes. I tell it as I see it,with the benefit of abroader perspective than I had even just a few years ago. I’ve always knownwhatittakestosucceedinthetrenches,butnowwiththehands-onexperienceofgrowing two businesses, one from scratch, I also know what the aerial viewlooks like, andwhatworks bestwhen you’re responsible for creating culture,developingcareers,andmanagingclientsinacompanythatseemstodoubleinsizebytheday.

I’ve been stunned at people’s appetite for this content, especially theMillennials. We’re increasingly reaching a young audience. It reaffirms mybelief that there are gapingholes in the educational system, and entrepreneursand innovators tend to fall through them, especially at the college level.Theydon’tneedtheory.Theyneedpractical,tacticalinformation,stufftheycanhearoneminuteandstart applying thenext—real-worldadvice thatcanbeadaptedandreshapedasthewindsofcommerceandcultureshift.

AlreadyI’mgettingemails frompeoplewhohave taken theadviceofferedontheshowandaregettinggoodresults.Idon’tthinkthere’sanybettermeasureofitsworth.Ontheotherhand,theshow’spopularityalsogivesmeachancetoseehowmanypeoplesaytheyunderstandhustle,andengagement,andbizdev,andjabbing,righthooking,andprioritization,butactuallydon’t.OnacarridetoPhiladelphiaIdecidedtolookuptheaccountsofthepeoplewhowatchtheshowthemost.OfthefifteenpeopleItrackeddown,fourteenhaven’tchangedadamnthingabouthowtheycommunicateordobusinesssince theystartedwatching.So what are they getting from tuning in every few days? Maybe just theinspiration and motivation to keep trying. And maybe that means there’ssomeoneouttherewhomIhaven’tmetyet,someonewhohasn’tcommentedorsentinaquestion,oneofthoselurkerswhodrivemecrazywiththeirsilence...maybesomeonereadingthisbook...andthatpersonwillcomeacrossathoughtorrantorpieceofadvice thatwillhelpherseeherpath tosuccess.Inepisode63,@bluearcherpghaskedmewhatI’dtitleacollegeorhighschoolcourseifIcouldteachone.Iamteachingit,righthereandnow.Consider#AskGaryVeemymarketingmasterclass.Thedifferencebetweenitandanythingyoumighthavestudiedinschoolis thatIdon’twantyoutoregurgitatewhatyoulearn;Iwantyoutoactonitrightnow.

Sowhyabooknowwhentheshowandpodcastarestillgoingstrong?Wecoveranincredibleamountofgroundperepisode,andas theyaddedupit ledmeto

realizethatifweconsolidatedalltheinformationandideaswediscussintooneeasily accessible package, you’d have a complete blueprint towhatmakesmeandothersuccessfulentrepreneurstick.Andthat’sexcitingtome,andoffersyousomethingofvalue,andisthereforeworthyofabook.Andthenthereareafewothergoodreasons:

1. At the time of thiswriting, we have loaded 157 episodes onYouTube.Becausetheyrun12–25minuteseach,itwilltakeyouhourstocatchupifyou’ve never watched them before. If you’re hustling the way you’resupposed to, you don’t have that kind of time to spare. And if you’vealreadywatchedthemall,unlessyouareoneofafewrareandparticularlyskilled individuals, a little review won’t hurt you. Now you’ve got allthosehours’worthofinformationinonehandypackageyoucanfinishonanairplaneride.

2. Theworldmovesquickly.Whenitcomestotechormedia,whatwastrueonly six months ago may not be true anymore. This is my chance toupdatemy answers.And inmany cases, though I stand bymy originalresponse, in the time since it aired I’ve been able to thinkdeeper aboutcertainsubjectsandhavetakentheopportunitytoexpandmythoughtsonthemoradjusttochangesinthemarket.

3. Mylast fewbookshavebeennarrowly focusedon sharingwithyou themarketing strategies and tactics thatwork, and documenting the growthanddevelopmentofsocialmedia.Thisbookwillalsocoverall themostup-to-date information on platforms and tech, and how to create nativecontent thatgetspeople’sattention.But itwillgobroaderanddeeperaswell,revealingwhatI’velearnednotjust inmyroleasentrepreneurandmarketer,butasaleader,manager,andfamilyman.Ihopethisbookwilloffer a perfect blend of motivation, inspiration, data, strategy, andexecutableinformation.

4. We’vealsoincludedmanybrand-newquestionsandanswerspulledfromfans across our channels aswell as fromour own employees. So you’llfindsomefamiliarstuffinthisbook,andalotthatisnew.Somequestionshavebeenconsolidatedorrephrasedforclarity.Someareshortandsimpleandsilly,butIwantedtocapturesomeofthefunwehaveontheshow!All the topics are timeless, however, and you’ll find that even themostspecificanswerscanfrequentlybeadaptedinallkindsofwaysforalmostevery industry, service, and product. Now, you might be wondering if

that’sagoodthing.Whatcouldsomeoneelse’squestionaboutoptimizingsocial for the elevator industry, or the future value of Instagram, orDisney’sbillion-dollarMagicBandpossiblyhavetodowithyou?

5. Everything. Because a discussion of Disney’s MagicBand leads to adebateover the futureofwearable tech,which leads toAmazon’sDashButton,whichmakes itpossible toreorderconsumableproducts literallyatthetouchofabuttonadheredtohouseholditems.Imagine,justasyoupour the last drop of detergent into the laundry reservoir, you can leanover and tap thedetergent button affixed toyourwashingmachine, andjustlikethat,anewcontainerisorderedandonitsway.Itdoesn’ttakeageniustoseehowthatdevelopmentmightimpacteverysinglebusinessonthe planet. And if you readmy answers to the questions aboutmakinggreatcontent for theelevator industry,howmusicianscanmakeabetterliving, or why Instagram is going to be worth a bazillion dollars soon,you’llseethatthatinformationhaseverythingtodowithyou,too.

Myhopeisthatafteryoureadthisyou’llfeelempoweredandarmedwithadeeperunderstandingofthecurrentbusinessenvironment,includingtheinsandouts; theblack, thewhite,andthegray; theIQandtheEQ;thedetailsandthebig picture surrounding everything it takes to be a successful entrepreneur,executive,CEO,andmanager.I’vebeenspendingatonofhoursonInstagram,Facebook, Pinterest, Snapchat,Meerkat, Periscope, LinkedIn, andmany otherplatforms,and from thisman’spointofviewweare living inanunbelievablyinteresting time. I haven’t felt this senseof disruption since2006–2007,whenFacebookandTwitterstartedtoeatawayatFriendsterandMySpace.Thestakesandtheopportunitiesarehigh,andthenextthirty-sixmonthsofhustlemightjustpayoffmore thanusual for thosepeoplewilling toput in the timeandeffort.See,manypeopleareonly just settling intoFacebookorTwitter,not realizingthattheworldhasalreadyembracedotheropportunitiesaswell.Theadvantageisyoursifyouwantit.

Andnow,let’sgetonwiththebooooooooooooooooook!*

CHAPTER1CLOUDSANDDIRT

IN THIS CHAPTER I TALK ABOUT PRIORITIZING, THEOXYGEN OF YOUR BUSINESS, AND WHY THE MIDDLESUCKS.

Ispendallmytimeinthecloudsandthedirt.Theclouds are thehigh-endphilosophyandbeliefs that are at theheart of

everythingIampersonallyandeverythingIdoprofessionally.Personally,it’sreallysimple:familyfirst.Nothingelsereallymatters.Professionally, it’s notmuch different. That’swhat I often tellmy staff at

VaynerMedia—99percentofwhatwedealwitheveryday inbusinessdoesn’tmatter. This usually gets me amix of confused, curious, and even disdainfullooksfrommynewtopexecsoremployeeshearingitforthefirsttimebecauseofcoursetheythinkthat todotheir jobwell,everythinghastomatter.Butit’sjust not true. If you religiously follow just the few core business philosophiesthatmean themost toyou, and spendallyour time there, everythingelsewillnaturally fall into place. My clouds are extremely simple, and might soundfamiliartoanyonewhohasbeenfollowingmeforawhile:

Bringvaluetothecustomer.Provide51percentofthevalueinarelationship,whetherit’swithanemployee,aclient,orastranger.

Alwaysplaythelonggameoflifetimevalue.Smartworkwillneverreplacehardwork;itonlysupplementsit.

Peopleareyourmostimportantcommodity.Patiencematters.Neverberomanticabouthowyoumakeyourmoney.Trytoputyourselfoutofbusinessdaily.

Thesearemycommandments.

So you see, the clouds don’t just represent the big picture; they represent thehugepicture,theeverything.Theyarenotgoals.Goalscanbeachievedandsetasideormoved.I’mGoingtoBuytheJetsisagoal.Itdrivesme,too,butit’snotatthecoreofhowIrunmybusinesses.

Thedirtisaboutbeingapractitionerandexecutingtowardthoseclouds.It’sthehardwork.Onapersonallevel,mydirtismakingsureIcommunicatewellwithmy loved ones, that I showup and stay present, that I apologizewhen ImessupandthatImakesureitdoesn’thappentoooften.Youknow,thestuffofbeing a good spouse, parent, son, sibling, and friend. Professionally, it’sknowingmycraft. It’s knowing there is a fifteen-person limit to an Instagramchatand that infographicsoverindexonPinterest. It’sunderstandingFacebookadsandtheROIofVine.It’snoticingchangesandtrendsandfiguringouthowtotakeadvantageofthembeforeanybodyelse.

Thevastmajorityofpeople tend toplay to themiddle,which iswhy theyusuallyonlysucceedup toacertain leveland thenplateau.Alternatively, theygetstuckinoneortheother,gettingsoboggeddownbyminutiaeorpoliticstheylosesightoftheclouds,orsointothecloudstheylosetheappetiteorneglecttheskills they need to execute successfully. Ideas are worthless without theexecution; execution is pointless without the ideas. You have to learn toprioritizeproperlyandquicklyidentifywhat’sgoingtomoveyoufurtheraheadandwhat’sgoingtomakeyoustall.

I saw how these tendencies played out early in my career in the wineindustry.Iencounteredalotofamazingwinepeoplewithbrilliantpalateswhosebusinesses stunk because theyweren’t good at that part.Conversely, I’dmeetwithsomeof thebestwineretailers in thecountryandbeshockedtofind thattheir actual knowledge about wine was incredibly limited. A great winemerchanthastobeabusinesspersonfirstandawinepersonsecond,forsure,butthatsecondpartreallydidmatter.Ialwaysthoughtthereasonthesuccessofmy

familywinebusiness,WineLibrary,acceleratedsoquicklyonceIgotinvolvedwasthatItookbothseriously.Iknewmybusiness,butIalsoknewmycraft,andthatpractitionership—lovingwine,tastingasmanyasIcould,andcaringaboutthe regions and producers—created tremendous value for my customers andridiculousROIforme.

Iseeasimilarphenomenonintoday’smarketingworld.Atthispointinmycareer I have sat down hundreds of times tomeetwith people claiming to besocialmediaexperts,onlytodiscovertheyhavegapingholesintheirknowledgeabouttheplatformsandlittleideaofhowtheyhavechangedovertime.ThisiswhyIfeeljustifiedtellingpotentialclientsthatiftheyworkwithme,they’llbeworkingwith thebestsocialmediapractitionerat thebestsocialagencyin thecountry.Because atVaynerMedia, the cloudsmatter, and thedirtmatters, andnothingelse.

There are too many people who are average at what they do, and thenconfusedby their average results.Everyonehas theirowndefinitionof cloudsand dirt, but if there’s any advice I can offer you that will change the entiretrajectoryof your career, it’s to start pushingonboth edges.Raise thebar onyourbusinessphilosophy,digdeeperintoyourcraft.Youwanttobeanequallygoodarchitectasyouareamason.You’vegottobeabletosimultaneouslythinkatahighlevelandgetyourhandsdirty.

Canyouelaborateonwhatthemiddleisandwhyitsucks?

Tobeinthemiddleistobelikeeverybodyelse.It’sastart-upthatpitchesmebysaying:“We’regoingtodosomethinginthephotoappspace.”Youmeanlikeeverybodyhasbeendoingforthepastfiveyears?It’scommoditywork.It’snotinfluentialandit’snotspecial.It’ssafe.

Onanygivenday,Isitthroughfourormorepitches.AndthepitchIusuallyendupliking?Theonewheretheplayersareactuallydoingthework.They’reinthetrenches.They’renotjustdoingthebigholisticthinkingorthehigher-levelbranding;they’rejustatarawlevel,executing.They’reengaginglikemadandexperimentingonplatformsandtryingthingsthatriskgettingthemridiculedinthetrades.Therereallyaren’t thatmanypeoplewhoarehardpractitioners likethat.Therealsoaren’tthatmanypeoplewhoarelookingfarintothefuture.I’mtalking2025and2030.Everyone ishanging in themiddle space, trying toget

the most in the short term out of their new app instead of trying to buildsomethingthatlasts.

Letmeputitthisway:Ifyouhavepagesandpagesofnotes,butnoproduct,you’vegotnothing.Ifyoucan’ttellmehowyou’regoingtobuildyourproduct,you’ve got nothing. And if you are only thinking three years into the future,you’vegotahugevulnerability.That’swhatpeopleinthemiddlearedoing.Themiddle keeps everythinggoing theway it alwayshas.The clouds and thedirtbreakthings.

Allthebestapps,companies,andproductshavebrokenthewaywelivelife,transformedhowwecommunicate,andchangedourday-to-day.Goodproductsevolveus.

You’resurroundedbythemiddlefor99.9percentofyourlife.Most thingsare unremarkable. I want you to lose yourself in the clouds and the dirt andfigureoutwhatyoucanmakethatchangesthegame.

Vaguenesssucks.Lackofdrivesucks.Half-assingthingssucks.Andsodoesthemiddle.

Howdoyouknowhowmuchtimetogivetocloudsversusdirt?Should you base your decision on your personality? Yourstrengths?

Youneedahealthybalance.Ifyou’releaningtoofaronewayortheotherthat’saproblem.I’dbeuncomfortableifyouwere70/30inanydirection.Thatshouldbeyourabsoluteminimum.

Youdoalsoneed tomapyourDNA. Ifyou’reabig-picture thinker,makesureyou’restillspending30percentofyourtimehoningyourpractitionerskills.If grinding and hustling ismore your thing andwhere youwant to spend 70percent of your time, that’s cool, but keep at least 30 percent of your timereserved forgetting in those trenches and seeinghowyour ideas actuallyplayoutintherealworld.Andtherewillbeanebbandflow.Sometimesyou’llhavetoswitchfrom70/30to30/70becauseyouweredoingsomethingright,andnowyou have to make sure all parts of the business, from the strategy to theoperations, is caught up and heading in the same direction. At the time thisquestionwas asked, Iwas actually thinking that Iwould have tomove into a90/10divisionofthinkingversusexecutionbecausefortheninemonthspriorI

spent the majority of my time executing, and in that time I had spottedopportunitiestorechartthecompany.

There’snoperfectbreakdownofcloudsanddirt,buttheyalwaysneedtobeinplay.Youhavetomakeacommitmenttostrategyandexecutionandthinkofthemholistically.Therearetoomanyprimadonnasouttherewhothinkthatasthebrainsofthebusinesstheydon’thavetogettheirhandsdirty.

Whenisthelongtailactuallyjustmovingthegoalpost?

Asmostofmyfollowersknow,Iwant tobuy theJets. I’vewanted tobuy theJetssinceIwasalittlekid.Threedecadeslater,I’mstillatit,butI’mnottired.That’s how long-term I am.Owning the Jetswill be a by-product of ignoringanythingotherthanthecloudsanddirt.IconsidereverydecisionImake—fromlaunchingVaynerMediatowritingbookstopublicspeakingtodoingapodcastand show—as a chess move, and I don’t make it unless it gets me closer toowningtheJetsoneday.

But I suspect what you’re thinking is, big picture is great but if you’reignoringallthelittlestuffintheshortterm,willyoueverreallyreachyourgoal?Isayyes,becausewhenyouhaveabigpicture,anorthstar,a truly long-termvision,somethinginterestinghappens:Youstopstressingthedumblittleshitdayin and day out because you’re playing the big game. So the short-term angst,which is really just a by-product of the friction caused by growth, becomes alittlemoremanageable.Andwhenyou’renotstressing,you’vegotawholelotmoreenergy togoall in. Ifyou’resingle-mindedly focusedonyour long-termgoal,you’llbemoreeffectiveintheshorttermandgettherefaster.

Wheredoyouseeyourselfinfiveyears?

Ihavenoidea.I’mnotaplanneranddon’thaveafive-yearplan.FiveyearsagoInstagram and Snapchat didn’t exist, nor didGoPro.Netflixwasn’twhat it istoday. The world is changing too fast to be able to predict where I will beprofessionally.PersonallyIwillbeinbettershape,Iwillspendmoretimewithmyfamily.I’llbegoingtotee-ballgamesandballetsandshowsandhackingmy

life to have better balance. Professionally Iwill be doingwhat I always do—listening to the marketplace and adjusting on the fly in real time, running abusiness, and marketing like it’s 2021, 2022, 2027, or whatever year you’rereadingthisin.

Iama“halftimeadjustmentsheadcoach.”IfI’mdown23–21attheendofthesecondquarter,I’vegotfifteenminutesofhalftimetofigureouthowtoturnthingsaround formy team,usingwhat I’ve learned, tracking thepatterns, andadapting in themoment. In thewordsofMissyElliott, I’mgonnadropdown,flipit,andreverseit.Andthat’showIcomeoutwinning35–24.ThatiswhoIam as an entrepreneur. I improvise and adapt to new realities on the groundwhilealwayskeepingmyeyeontheclouds.

What’sthebiggestlessonyoulearnedthisyear?

Thisquestionwasposed in2014,when Iwas twenty-sixdays into anewdietandworkout regimen designed by the personal trainer I hired to helpme getback in shape. I had realized Iwasn’t accountable tomyselfwhen it came tohealth,soifIwasgoingtomakeachangeIwouldneedtobecomeaccountabletosomeoneelse.Itworked.Atthetime,I’dmadeittothegymtwenty-sixtimesandeatenseventy-eighthealthymealsinarowwithoutcheating.SincethenI’vekeptitup.Ifeelsoaccomplished.I’malsogratefulthatIfiguredthesolutionoutat a young enough age thatwill allowme to reap the benefits for decades tocome.

SothebiggestthingIlearnedthatyearhandsdownwasthatprioritizingmyhealthisareallygoodidea.MyenergylevelwasdownforawhilebecauseIhadbeen livingon sugar.But after just a fewweeks, I felt likeadifferentperson.Makingmy health a priority has changedmy life.And rememberwhat I saidabout how everything I do is a chessmove that getsme closer to owning theJets?Thischange isn’t justgoodformyhealthormyfamily; Iwillbeable tobuildbusinessesand invest anddowhat I love todo longerbecauseof it. It’scloudthinking,whichiswin-winallthewayaround.

What is an area in lifewhere youhaven’t given it your fullest

efforts?

There were once two places where I wasn’t giving my all. One was in thenonprofit/NGO space. I was giving my dollars but my effort and time werereserved formy family.Now I’m a proudmember of the board of Pencils ofPromise, which does require a time commitment, as well as several otherorganizationstowhichIdonatebothtimeandmoney.Theotherwasmyhealth.Betweenkidsandbusinessesandvolunteeringandworkingout,it’shardtofindGarytime,andIhaven’tfiguredouthowtohackthatyet.InSeptemberduringfootball season I always get several hours on Sundays. Maybe I should findsomething just for me that I enjoy during the rest of the year, too, but thatdoesn’tfeelrighttomewhilethekidsarestillsoyoung.

Whatmotivatesyoutocontinueanyprojectwithoutseeinganysignificantgrowthprior?

I believe in my purpose. I’m blown away by how people are crippled by aproject that doesn’t go the way they wanted it to. I have a clear visionprofessionallywhereIwant togoandsoIamwilling tobeverypatientalongthewaybecauseIhaveconvictionandrememberwhyIbelievedindoingit inthefirstplace.OtherwiseIjustwanttobeagoodhumanbeing,dobusinesstherightway,andhustle.Icontrolallofthat.IfIdon’tgetresultsthenit’sbecauseImadeawrongstrategicdecision.But thatdoesn’tcrippleme,either,because IknowwhereI’mgoing.FortheoneortwotimesIinvestpoorlyorgetinvolvedinthewrongthingI’mgoingtofigureoutawinalongsideofthat.IunderstandinthoselossesthatIamgainingvaluableexperience.

DoesVaynerMedia focusmuchenergyonwinningawardsandwhat’syourtakeontheadindustry’sobsessionwithawardsingeneral?

Ithinkawardsarehorsecrap.Thereasonagencieswanttowinthemistwofold:

Theyuseittorecruittalent,andtheyuseittogetmorebusiness.They’reputtingoutworkforclientsthat’sgearedtowardgettingawardsinsteadoftryingtosellsomething.Iunderstandthebusinessrationale,butittakesyoureyeofftheprize,whichistodosomethingforbusiness.AtVaynerMedia,ourworkisthewordofmouth of our business. I think awards are an energy sucker away fromwhatmatters, which is selling the product for the client. Old-school reporting andawardshavebeenthejustificationformanyagencies.Iamexcitedlywaitingfortechnologytocatchupandcreatemoreblack-and-whitedatathatwillprovetheresultsofmarketingactivitiesandcampaigns.

If you had a seven-acre vineyard, how would you sell lots ofwine?Howwouldyoudothingsdifferentlycomparedtoalltheothervineyardsoutthere?

Cloudsanddirt.OrasIusedtosaytomydad,bigandsmall. IfIhadasmallparcelinNewZealandandwasn’tmakingthatmuchwine,here’swhatIwoulddo:

Small:handsell.IwouldflytothebigcitiesinAustraliaandNewZealandandwalkaroundtovisitrestaurantsommeliers.I’dgorestaurantbyrestaurant,retailerbyretailer,andtrytogetintheirdoor.I’doffertastesandselltoeveryindividual,thusscalingtheunscalable.

Big:becomeamediacompany. Idid that in2006,and it’swhat I’vebeensaying everyone should do for years, no matter what their business. WhileworkingatWineLibraryIwasdoingthesmallstuff—thetacticalemailservice,thewebsite,working the floor on aSaturday.But then I started doing the bigthings,likeWineLibraryTV.You,smallNewZealandwinery,needtobecometheauthorityonNewZealandfoodandwine.Putoutwrittenorvideocontentonasmanychannelsasyoucanandstart talking.Talkaboutyourproducts.Talkabout your competitors. Talk about what goes with wine, and why we drinkwine, and why New Zealand grows great wine grapes, and what to eat withwine.Talkwine,talkNewZealand,talkwithpassion,confidence,andexpertise.There’sroomforeveryoneatyourlevel.Becomebiggerthanyouare.

Small:Don’tgetcaughtup in theglam.WhenWineLibraryTV tookoff Istartedgettinginterviewrequestsandmediacoverage,appearingonConanandEllenandJimCramer.But thewhole timeIwasstilldownstairshustling,still

trying to get a gooddeal onBarolo, still answering emails and engagingwithpeople onTwitter, and trying to sell another bottle. Even as you start to tastesuccess, you have to have the humility to get on a middle-aisle seat to thePhilippinesandsellafewbottlesofwinetosomerandomrestaurant.

Whatwouldyouprioritizeasaone-personbusiness?

Theansweristhesamewhetheryou’reasolopreneurorpartofateamrunningasmallbusiness.

Inthebeginningofanyventure,itcanbedifficulttopredictyourcashcycleand know what to prioritize because everything feels imperative. Customersatisfaction is huge, as are issues like establishing company culture, budget,marketing,andhiring.

Butthereisonethingthatalwaystranscendseverythingelse:Cash.Itistheoxygenofyourbusiness.Youcanmake thegreatest cupof coffee, thegreatest sneaker, thegreatest

TVshow,orthegreatestworkofartever,butifyoucan’tsellyourproductyouareoutofbusiness.Soyourfirstpriorityissalesbecauseitgeneratescash,andcash iswhat allowsyou to do everything else.Without it you’re a fish out ofwater,gaspingforbreath.

Ican’tsayitenoughtimes:Cashisoxygen.

If “Cash is oxygen” is your priority as a one-person business,what’ssecond?Product,team,orservice?

Thereisnosecond.That doesn’t mean there aren’t other things you need to concern yourself

with thatwill affect the success or failure of your venture. Ignoring customerserviceoryourproductqualityorcompanyculture isaverybad idea thatwillultimatelysinkyourbusiness.It’sjustthatignoringthemwillprobablysinkitalittlemoreslowly thanrunningoutofcashwill.Yourbusiness isn’t thatmuchdifferentfromahumanbody.Itwillrunonsugarandcaffeine.Itwillrunevenbetter if you give it water, vegetables, and a workout. But it won’t last five

minuteswithoutoxygen.Solet’ssayyou’vegotagoodhandleonyourcashflow.Howdoyoufigure

outwhat’snext?Focusonyourstrengths.Whatelseareyoureallygoodat?Design?Growth

hacking?Nail theseskillsdown,and thendrilldeepwith them.Ifcash isyourcompany’s oxygen, your strongest skills are its DNA. Develop and cultivatethembecausetheywillbethehallmarkofyourcompany.

Forexample, I’mreallygoodatgrowing top-line revenue, so that’swhat IfocusedonintheearlydaysofbothWineLibraryandVaynerMedia.ItwasonlylaterthatIworkedondrivingprofitbackup.

This moment when you decide what to focus on next is crucial not onlybecause it’sgoing tohelpyougrow,but alsobecause it couldbewhat allowsyoutobringinmorekeyplayers,peoplewhomaynotbegreatatsellingbutareoverwhelmingly talented at something else—something else that complementsyourowntalents.

Betonyourstrengths.It’sanunderratedbusinessstrategyinaworldwheresomanypeopleareobsessedwithfixingtheirweaknessestheygiveshortshrifttotheskillstheywerebornwith.

CHAPTER2STARTINGOUT

IN THIS CHAPTER I TALK ABOUT CHOOSING A NAMEFOR YOUR COMPANY, MAKING YOUR MARKET CAREABOUTYOU,ANDSTANDINGUPTOYOURMOM.

SometimeskidsaskmequestionsonThe#AskGaryVeeShow, and I’malwaysstruckathowmuchtheytakealltheopportunitiesattheirfingertipsforgranted.Of course theycanget two thousandviews for theirmakeup shows shot fromtheirbedroom.Ofcoursetheycanjustreachouttoaseasonedentrepreneurandaskhimadirectquestion.EverytimeIseetheirhappy,hopefulfacesIwanttoscream,“Doyouknowhowluckyyouare?DoyouknowhowmuchcloserI’dbetoowningtheJetsrightnowifI’dhadaccesstotheInternetbackwhenIwasyourage?”MyGod,thethingsIcouldhavedone.

Andnowmorepeople than ever aredoing those things, because that’s thekindofchangetheInternethasbroughtonoursociety.It’swhysomanyofuscan start building something incredible even when we’re just sitting at amakeshift desk in a broom closet. It’s why we’re able to talk to each other,network, reach influencers, find inspiration, and engage at a level unseen inhuman history. We are all so, so lucky. It’s such an exciting time to be anentrepreneur—heck, to be a human being!—and I’m pumped at how manypeoplearegoingoutintotheworldwiththeirideasandtheirhustle.

Igeta lotofquestions fromentrepreneurialnewbiesand restarters lookingfor everything from nuts-and-bolts platform explanations to reassurance thatthey’veactuallygotwhat it takes tosucceed. I try toanswerasmanyas Ican

becauseifthere’sanyoneIknowIcanhelp,it’sthisgroup.Ioftensaytherearetwocorethingsthatbringpeoplevalue:1)entertainment,and2)utility.Iknowthis chapter falls in the latter category, andnot only for the entrepreneurs juststarting out. Old-timers, pros, and establishment icons, don’t pass up thisopportunitytoseewhat’sonthemindofthenewgeneration.Evenifyouthinkyoualreadyknowalltheanswers,youmightbesurprised.Andtheirquestions—not tomention their eagerness, their fears, and their sheer excitement—canbegoodremindersastowhyyoudecidedtohoponthisawesome,crazytraininthefirstplace.

Findingamarketing joboutofcollege is tough,especiallyonethat’snotsketchy.Howdoyoufindajobthatistherightfit?

What’s a sketchymarketing job? I can only imagine you’re talking about thelowestcommondenominatorstuffout there, likeMLM(multilevelmarketing),whichreliesonapyramidscheme,orcreatinglandingpages,sellingoverpricede-books,orhawkingsupplementsthathaven’tbeenvetted.Icanseewhyyou’dthinkthatwasdark,badstuff.

Butmostofthemarketingworldisn’tlikethat.Thereareplentyofreputablemarketing and social media agencies looking for talent, so you need torecalibrateandraisethebaronyoursearch.Ifyoucan’tfindaqualitycompanyto pay you to work for them, apply for an internship so you can prove yourchops.AtVaynerMediawe’vebeenabletooffermanyofourinternspermanentjobs.We’regrowingfastsowe’veneededtofillpositions,butwealsohirewhensomeoneprovesthemselvestousthroughhustle.

Many internships pay, but if you can’t find a paying position, considerworkingprobonoandturningthatintoagreatopportunity.YoucanreadabouthowDRock,my videographer and director, did it in this book.Don’twant toworkforfree?Well,itseemstomethatifyou’vebeenstrugglingtogetajobforthree or four months, it’s a lot more productive than sitting around doingnothing. Imean,who’s paying you to do that?Take a pro bonohalf day in aplace where you can pick up skills, network, learn your craft, and get anemployer’s attention (or at least guilt her into recommending you to someoneelse). Unless you are literally sending out résumés and interviewing eighteenhours straight per day, you’ve got time to volunteer your professional talent

somewhere. Find a placewhere you think you canmake doors open, and putyourskillsintoaction.Wehavebecometooentitled.Gooutandearnthatjob.

How or should the length limitations inherent onTwitter/Vine/Instagram affect a start-up when choosing itsname?

Ifrequentlygetquestionsfrompeoplewantingtoknowthesciencetocomingupwithagreatbusinessname.Science?There isno science.Peoplewill agonizeforhours,weeks,months,tryingtofigureoutthenamefortheirstart-up,huntingfor that perfect, zingy, creative name that allows them to “stand out” and“disrupt the category.”Youwant to know how you stand out and disrupt thecategory?Ithasnothingtodowithyourname.

Juststandoutanddisruptthecategory.Are you going to tell me that “Apple” or “Vine” is an earth-shatteringly

clevername?Or“Snapchat”or“Reddit”?Doyouknowhowmanypeople tellme they wish they had a different last name so they could use it for theircompany?They’retalkingtoaguynamedVaynerchuk!“Oh,butthat’suniqueand cool and . . .” No, it’s really not. My name is “good” because I madesomethingoutofit.

Whatdid“Google”or“Facebook”meantoanybodywhentheyweren’tthehouseholdnamesweknowtoday?Youwantpeopletorecognizeandrememberyourname?Earnit.Ofcourseserendipityandgoodtimingcanplayabigpartinany product or start-up’s success, but none of that is even possiblewithout awholelotofhustleandsweatfirst.

Ifyou’re reallyworriedaboutyourname takingup toomuchspace in thisshort-form era, gowith an abbreviation.No one seems to care that I’m oftensigningoffasGaryVeenowadays.Youcanalsoletyouraudienceabbreviateforyou. Peoplewill help you evolve your name so long aswhatever you deliverbringsthemvalue.

Here’smytwocents:Stopworryingaboutcomingupwiththeperfectname.Yes,agoodnamecarriessomemarketingpower,butattheendofthedayiftheproductsucks,thenamemeansnothing.Ifyouhaveaclevername,peoplemightstopandnotice.Ifyoudon’t, theyreallywon’tcare.They’regoingtoassignitmeaning based on the experience they have with your brand. So please, stop

worryingaboutyournameandstartworryingaboutyourproduct.

WhatwasthehardestthingaboutstartingupVaynerMediafromscratch?

I’maskedthisallthetime,andtheanswermightsurpriseyou.Itwasn’tleavingWineLibrary.Itwasn’tlaunchinganewbusinesswithanotherfamilymember.Itwasn’tjumpingintotheagencyworldwithzeroexperience.ItwasalltheoptionsIhadatmydisposal.DuringthefirstninemonthswewerelaunchingtheagencyIwastroubledby

thefact that therewereabouteighthundredother thingsmybrother,AJ,andIcould have done together, and it was hard not to look back at all thoseopportunitiesandwonder,didwedotherightthing?Inaddition,thatsameyearmydaughterMishawasbornandIpublishedmyfirstbusinessbook,CrushIt.Therewas somuchgoingon—was thisventure thebest useofmy time?Thesecond-guessingwasbrutal.

You’vesurelyexperienced thiskindofbuyer’s remorseaftermakingabigdecision.Almosteveryonehas.Kidswhentheyfinallypickacollege.Managerswhentheymakeahire.Entrepreneurswhentheyinvest.Becauseyouknowthatthere’s always that chance youmessed up andmissed the next big thing.Theperfect school. The perfect hire. The monster dividends. We all have our#onealmondmoment. (Not familiar with it? I talk about it in Chapter 16, oninvesting.)

Atsomepoint,however,you’vegottohikeupyourbig-boypants,acceptthedecision you’vemade, andmove on. After all, youmade your decision for areason, so trust your judgment.There’s nopoint in lookingback.Even if youdiscoveryoumadeamistake,you’llbeokay,becauseeveryoptionwillgetyousomething.Itmightbeareturnonaninvestment,oritmightbealessonlearned.Sometimes it’shard to tell rightawaywhich isgoing tobe themorevaluable.Eitherway, so longasyoudon’t shyaway frommakingdecisions, so longasyouaren’tcontenttositanddither,youwillneverbeleftwithzero.Suckitup.Make thecall.And remember:Begrateful ifyou’re luckyenough tohave toomanyoptions.It’sablessingandahalf.

Howmuchofsuccessisconfidence,howmuchisskill,andhowmuchisluck?Youseemtohavealotofthefirst.

Ihavebeenlucky,that’sforsure.Icouldhavebeenborntwodecadesearlierinthe SovietUnion and spentmy formative years going insane locked behind acommunistic regimeuntil I got to theUnitedStates inmy early twenties, andthushadatwenty-yeardelaytryingtoaccomplisheverythingI’vesetouttodo.Heck,Icouldhavebeenbornabus!*InsteadIwasbornduringtheColdWarata time when Israel and America teamed up to make a deal with Russia thattradedpeopleseekingpoliticalasylumforwheat.(Yes,that’sright,IwastradedtotheStatesforwheat.)AndsoImovedherewhenIwasthreeyearsoldandhadeveryopportunity to live theAmericanDream. If that isn’t luck, Idon’tknowwhatis.

Soluckisareallygoodthingtohave,andmaybeI’vehadmorethanmyfairshare.Butit’snotthemainingredienttosuccess.Notatall.Ashasbeenpointedout,Ihavealotofconfidenceandbravado.Butthosewouldn’tbeworthmuchifIdidn’talsohave the skillsand thehustlementality toexecute. I supposeonecouldarguethatevengettingthegoodDNAthatallowedmetohaveconfidenceandhustlecouldbeconsidered lucky.Andyet, thereareplentyofpeoplewhostartoutwithoutmuchconfidence,orwhoaren’ttaughtagoodworkethic,andtheycomeintoitontheirownandwin.

Soitseemstomethatsuccess—mysuccessinparticular,andIsuspectmostpeople’ssuccessingeneral—isawell-balancedblend—anicelittleMeritage,ifyouwill—ofluck,DNA,confidence,andhustle.

How long is too long for a fiscally responsible entrepreneur tostayinasafefull-timejob?Atwhatpointdoyouhavetoacceptthatit’snotgoingtohappen.Isitevertoolatetostart?

Thesearegoingtobesomehardwordsforsomeofyoutohear:If you have a full-time job, you’re not an entrepreneur. You may have

aspirations of being an entrepreneur, and you may have entrepreneurialtendencies, but if you are born to be an entrepreneur youwill not be able to

breatheformorethantenminutesina“real”job.Ifyou’vebeengoingalongfineforafewyearsinafull-timejobandnothad

theurgetognawyourlegofflikeafoxcaughtinatrap,you’reprobablydoingwhatyou’resupposedtobedoing.

But. Ifyouarebetween theagesof eighteenand twenty-nine, andyouaremiserablewheneveryouworkforanyonebutyourself,andyoufeelrestless,andyoubelieveinyourbonesthatyou’vegotwhatittakestorunyourownshow,godoit.Godoitbeforeyoutakeontheresponsibilitiesofamortgageorafamily,beforeyourparentsstart toneedyouoryouadoptadog.Do itnowwhile theonlypersonyouhavetoworryaboutisyou.

The bestway to become something is to do thework required to becomesomething.Sell,sell,sell.Figureoutwhatittakestoprovidevalue.Learnhowto communicate your value proposition. Engage with your customers. Findmentors.Gowork for freeandunderpeoplewhocan showyou the ropesandserveas thatpointof contactwhenyouneed it.Learn thehustle and taste thegame.Putyourselfinthepositiontowin.Youcanreadasmanybooksasyou’dlike (ahem . . .)but they’renotgoing tomakeyouanentrepreneur.What is itYodasaid?Thereisnotry,onlydo.

Stopwaitingfortheperfectmomenttojump,becauseitwillnevercome.Ifyouwant tobeanartist,makeart.Want toopenapizzaplace?Gowork inapizzajointandlearnthebusiness.BuildanappandstopwaitingforMashabletowriteaboutitbecausetheyaren’tgoingtogiveacrapaboutituntilyouputinthehardworkofprovingitsolvesaproblem,servesaneed,andmakespeoplehappy.

Start doingwhatever it takes.Even if thatmeans selling the very shirt offyourback.

PETEBROWN

@pbrown76

Do you think giving up a secure job for a new and excitingopportunityisirresponsiblewhenyouarethesoleproviderforyourfamily?

Youknow,mygutreactiontothiskindofquestionwouldusuallybetosaythatyou’rebeingirresponsibleifyoudon’ttakeachancetofollowyourpassionandbe a happier person. If you have a working partner, you could have aconversationaboutwhetheryoucouldmaintainyourlifestyleonasinglesalaryorwhatyou’dneedtodotodownsize.Butwhenyou’rethemainbreadwinnerofafamily?Quitefranklyitwouldbeirresponsibletowalkawayfromyoursteadyincomeunlessyouhaveenoughsavings,atrustfund,richparents,orsomeothercushiontohelpmaintainyourlifestyleforatleasttwoyearsafteryoubeginyournew journey. I’d say you should absolutely go for it, but only if the decisioncomesattheexpenseofluxuries,notattheexpenseofrentorfood.It’sonethingforyoutowillinglyeatViennasausageseverynightforayear,butit’snotokaytoputkidsinthatposition.

Therearea lotofpeoplewhoareable toenjoybeinghobbyentrepreneursbecause their joy is in the process, not in the outcome. So theymakemaybe$10–40Konthesidedoingsomethingtheylove,andthey’resatisfiedwiththatbecausetheydon’tneedtomakeabilliondollarstobehappy.Ifyou’vegottentoa point in your life where you can’t ditch everything to follow your dreams,beingahobbyistcanoftengiveyouthebestofbothworlds.

IlovemyjobbutIwanttodomyownblogandmyownhustle.ButI’mcrippledwhenitcomestoexecuting.

Oneofthehardestthingsaboutmakingyourdream,oryoursmallbusiness,oryourblog,orwhateverisjustdoingit.Takingthatfirststepcanoftenbetheonlything standing in your way, because once you start getting shit done, themomentumjustcarriesyouforward.

There’snodoubtthattakingthatfirststepcanbeterrifying.Igetit.Ireallydo.ButIalsohavetowonder,wouldyoubesoafraidifyouknewnoonewaswatching?See,Ithinkwhatreallyscarespeopleisnotfearoffailure,butfearoffailing in front of someone who matters. Like your mom or dad. Your bestfriend.Asibling.Amentor.Aspouse.Noneofuswantstodisappointsomeoneweadmire.

Butifyouwanttobeanentrepreneur—ifthat’swhatyoureally,reallywant—youcannotgiveashitaboutwhatotherpeople thinkofyou.Notevenyourparents.

I won’t lie—people will criticize you. They will say mean things, maybeevenhatefulthings,oftenbecausethey’rejealousthatyouhadthegutstogetoutthereanddoyourthing,orbecausetheyloveyouverymuchandarescaredforyou.Andthat’sokay.Ifyoutrulytrustandbelieveinyourself,youwilllearntoignore them and theywill learn to accept your decisions.And if you fail andpeoplelaughatyou,they’renotworthyourtime.Ignorethem.

If fear isholdingyouback, thinkaboutwhoseopinionmatters themost toyou,andthensitdownwiththatpersonorthosepeopleface-to-face.Andthisiswhatyousay:“I’mabout todo this thing,and theonlyreasonIhaven’tyet isbecause I don’twant to let youdown.This is a long journey and I know I’mgoingtomakeitintheend,butIneedtoknowthatifIstumble,youwon’tthinklessofmeorturnaway.Becausethatwouldcrushme.”

Anyonewith a heartwould be touched by such vulnerability and show ofrespect.Whowouldn’t be honored to learn that his or her opinionmeant thatmuch to you? Chances are good they’ll promise to have your back. Andhopefully that’s all you’ll need to take the next step. You want to surroundyourselfwithpeoplewhoaregoing to standbyyouandencourageyou togetbackup,notkeepyoudown.

What’sthebestwaytodealwithsomeonewhoisnegativeaboutentrepreneurship?Whatifit’syourmom?

Youknowwhat’sgreat about entrepreneurship?At the endof theday, oneofyouisgoingtoberight.Who’sitgoingtobe?Thebestwaytohandlethisistostickittoyourmom.Gooutandexecuteandenjoysaying,“Itoldyouso.”

Because youmust know that her negativity doesn’tmean that she doesn’tbelieveinentrepreneurship—it’sthatshedoesn’tbelieveinyou.Thatprobablyhurts. I hope it also pisses you off. Nothing gets me more worked up thansomeonewhodoesn’tbelieveinme.

Now,maybeyourmomisright.Maybeyouaredelusional.Youneedtogotalktootherpeopleinyourecosystemandfindoutwhattheyhavetosay.Iftheyconcurwithyourmom,youmight thinktwiceaboutyourambitions.If they’resupportive and you can tell they’re sincere, that should help boost yourconfidence.

Most important, you have to ask yourself: Do you believe in you? If you

believeyou’reanentrepreneur,thennooneelse’sopinionreallymatters.Provethem right or prove them wrong—either way, you’re better off for trying. Ifyou’re asking this question, it might mean that you’ve put weight into yourmom’s opinion. I put zero weight into anyone’s opinion about me because Iknow exactlywho I am.Can you say the same?When you can, you’ll knowexactlywhattodo.

Howdoyoumakeyourmarket embraceyourproduct or ideaswhenitjustdoesn’tcareaboutthemyet?

Igetaskedaversionofthisprettyfrequently,whichboilsdownto:Howdoyoutakesomeonefrom“maybe”to“yes”?Howdoyoumakethembuyin?

Youdon’t.I don’t try to convert anyone. No one! None of the content, none of the

things Ido—books,keynotes,videos,T-shirts—aredone in thehope theywillconvertasingleperson.Ispeakonlytothealreadyconverted,andyoushoulddothesame.

Thisquestionapplies tomuchmore than just social. It applies towhateverthingyouare trying to sell.Period. If you sell faxmachines, andyourmarketdoesn’tbelieveinfaxmachines,don’ttrytoconvincethemtobuyfaxmachines!Gofindthepeoplewhohaveboughtintothefaxmachineideaandselltothem.Because if you’re too early in a businessor a theorywhere there’s nobuy-in,you’velost.

PeoplearealwaysmarvelingathowImanagetogetintomarketsjustaheadof the mainstream, but as I always say, I’m not Nostradamus.What I am ispractical.IspendzerotimeconvincingpeopletobelievewhatIbelievein.Up-and-coming wines. The Internet and email marketing back in 1997. GoogleAdWords in2000.Snapchat twoyears ago.Therewere evenplentyofpeoplewhodidn’tbelieve themarketwas ready in2009when I startedVaynerMediawithAJ,butinfacttherewasjustenoughforustobuildabusiness,andwegrewintoit.Youneedafewpeoplewaitingattheendifyou’regoingtosurvive,andtheywere there.That’showweknewwe’dbeokay ifweskated towhere thepuckwasgoingtobe,notwhereitalreadywas.

Applyyourtimeandenergytowherethereisfertileground.Itmighttakealotofworktofindyourcustomerbase,butitsurebeatswastingyourbreathon

peoplewhoarenevergoingtohelpyouout.Ipromiseyou,themoreyoureachout,themoreopportunitiestomakenew

connectionswillarise.Putinanextraoneortwohourseverydaytogobeyondtheplaceyou’vealreadybeenlooking.It’llbeworthit.

CHEFLIZETTE

@CHEFLIZETTE1

cheflizette.com

Whentryingtocreateanewmediaproperty(say,somethingattheintersectionoffoodandtech,withnorealprecedents),howdoyoufindandforgetherightpartnerships,thatis,peoplewithresourcesandaccess?

Everybodyalwayshassomethingtooffer.WhenIbiz-devfromazero-startingplace,whichseemstobewherethisquestioniscomingfrom,andI’mlookingtoextendmyreachandresources,I’malwaystryingtoreverse-engineerthemostvaluablethingIcangivetothosepeople.

I think theway to do itwould bewith something I call shock and awe. IwouldreachouttoasmanyofthesepeopleasIcould,asoftenaspossible.Butinsteadofaskingthemtodosomethingforme,I’daskwhatIcoulddoforthem.Itwouldbeaboutfollowingthemonsocialorinthemedia,notaboutreachingoutandaskingdirectly,because let’s face it, thesekindsofpeopleareusuallybusy.Itwouldbeaboutaskingwhatvaluepropsyoucanbringtothem.

I’m an enormous believer in specwork. I know it has a bad name, but ifyou’relookingtogetsomethingfromsomeone,thereareotherwaysyoucanpaythembesidesmoney, and providing your service or your product for free is agreatwaytobuilduppointsyoucancashin.

For example, I’m always the cheapest, or the most vulnerable, when I’mpromotingabook.Soforanybodyreadingthiswhobought25–2,000books inexchangeformytime,Ithinkyougotagooddeal.Idiscountedmytimeandmyimpactinordertomakethisbookasuccess.Sowhenyouassessthefiftypeopleyouwanttoreach,youneedtolookatthemandunderstandtheirvulnerabilities

to seewhereyoumightget themat adiscount.Now, if theydon’thave thosevulnerabilities,figureouthowtoprovidedisproportionatevaluebylisteningandaskingdirectly.

Whowouldyourecommendpitchinganappideato?Whatstepswouldyourecommend?

At first Iwas like,whatkindofquestion is this? Ifyouhavean ideaandyoucan’tcode,youpitchacofounderoradevshoptobuildit.Ifyouneedmoney,youpitchit tomoneypeople.Whenyouneedtosell ityoupitchtoastrategicbuyer.Ifyouneedpress,youpitchittothemediaandinfluencers.Whodoyoupitchitto?Whomeveryouneedatthatmoment!

Then Steve Unwin (an amazing cast member from the shooooooow)explained tome that anyonewho knew I invested in appsmightwonderwhomighthaveashotif theycametome.Forexample,I investedinthewineappDelectable.Howdidthatdealhappen?Well,aVCforDelectableknewIhadawinebackground.HepitchedPhilToronto,whovetsmydeals,andsureenoughwhenI learnedabout it I thought itwasintriguing.It’sstrategic toconsideraninvestor’s history if youwant to predict their interests in the future.But then,everysingledecisionyoumakeinyourbusinesslifeneedstobestrategic.

HowdoIgetthefirsttencustomersforacreativeservicestart-up?

IoncemadeavideowhereIshowedthevisitorstogaryvaynerchuk.comhowtocold-callpotentialcustomersontheairandgetpeopletoconsiderdoingbusinesswithme. I had no script, other than to articulate exactlywhat kind of value Ithoughtmyblogcouldbringtoanyonewhomightadvertiseonmysite.Itwasashort,pleasantconversation thatendedwith thepotential customeragreeing toreviewsomeideasifIeverputthemtopaperandsentthemtohim.I’dcallthata productive phone call. If I hadbeen a newentrepreneur trying to find thosefirstcustomers,Iwouldhaveimmediatelypickedupthephoneagainanddialedanewpotentialcustomer.AndthenI’dhavedoneitagain,andagain,andagain,

foraslongasIcouldthatday,andthenext,andthenext.Toget those first ten customers, you have to grind.You can’t be shy,my

friends.Justrolluptoeverysinglepersonintheworldwhomightpossiblybuyyourstuff (meaningwhoalreadybuys intoat least theconceptofyour ideaorproduct;seetwoquestionsup)andaskthemtobuyyourstuff.

WARRENWEEKS

FOUNDER,THEARTOFTHEGREATMEDIAINTERVIEW

@ElevenPR

PR firms offer media training for executives but the qualityvariesalot.Alotofcompanieshavegrowncomplacentandjusthirethesamefirmsoverandover.HowdoIgetontheradarofdecisionmakers(whoaren’tactivelylooking,eitherbecauseofcomplacency or because they think all media trainers areessentiallythesame)?

Firstandforemost,thisisanexcuseasmuchasitisaquestion.WhenIstartedVaynerMedia,plentyofourprospectiveclientswereinthehabitofhiringother,more established agencies. Every industry has its market leaders—companieswhohavedonegoodworkinthepastandhavebecomethedefaultsolutionfortheirclientbase.Yourgoalistobecomeoneofthoseleaderswhoareautomaticgo-tos. So first you have to get over your resentment of the competition andrealize that you haven’t done crap to establish your brand. The way you canovercomethat,inmyopinion,istodelivergreatworkandstartcreatingwordofmouth.It’sjustgrindingandgoingthroughtheprocess.

Now,ifyou’reaskingmehowtogetyourfirstclient,youmightjusthavetocome in cheaper than you want to. You’ve got to do a lot more businessdevelopment, networking, advertising, and putting out content. These are theclassic, tried-and-trueways foraB2Bcompany likeyours togetbusiness.Putout content on LinkedIn and SlideShare. Go to YPO meetings and industryevents for the organizations you’re targeting. Or just cold-call and offer yourservices at prices low enough to bring on clients who can then start

recommendingyoubasedonthequalityofyourwork.Thisisreally,really,black-and-whitestuff.Itcomesdowntopureexecution.

If your work is great, that becomes your reputation, and that becomes thegateway drug to bring in business to your sales funnel. You may call theincumbentslazy,butIcallitanearnedreputation.

Whydoyoufocusontop-linerevenue?

Alotoffirst-timeentrepreneurs trydrivingmarginsandprofitveryearlyon. Ido not.At bothmy dad’swine shop andVaynerMedia, I focused on top-linerevenue.Why?Because you can always drive your profits, but there’s a verysmallwindowinwhichtofocusonthetopline.

WhenIrunabusiness,Itendtoinnovateandbeaheadofthemarket,andsoIwant to runfastandgrabasmanycustomersas Icanwhile I’mstill slightlyahead. It alsogivesme theability tobring in thepeoplewhowillkeep thingsrunning in the background, freeingme up to play offense and concentrate onbuildingmybrandandgainingleverageasfastaspossible.Becauseeventually,the market will catch up with me, and that’s when things get interesting andexciting.That’swhenpeople startbelieving inwhat I’mdoing,be itwines,e-commerce, video blogging, or social media. Three, four, five years down theline,afterI’vealreadyestablishedmybrandandgainedcustomerloyalty,thenIcanstart todriveprofit.Youcanalways start cuttingcostsor raisingpricesatanytime,butland-grabbingmorecustomersgivesyoutheleverageandthescaleyouneedtoultimatelyconvertoncethetimeisright.Ofcourseittakesacertainskilltobalanceyourexpensesandsalessoyoudon’tgooutofbusiness,butI’vemade a good career of pushing those limits. I think my stomach for top-linerevenueiswhyInowhaveasecondbusinessundermybeltthatgrewfrom$3millionto$50millionwithinfiveyears.

Iunderstandthedesiretoplaythingssafeandguaranteeyoumakepayroll,butremember,ifyoutaketoolongtogrowsomeoneelseisgoingtocomealongandeatyouup.

Ihaveanappidea,withmytargetmarketwillingtotestit,butI

needtocreatetheappandI’mnotaprogrammer.Anyadvice?

It’s the simplest thing todo in theworld.MeetUp.com, for instance,haseighthundreddifferentdevelopermeetups.Findtheclosestone,evenifit’sfaraway,andgofindyourdeveloper.

I get somany questions like this every day: “Hey,Gary, how do I hire abusiness partner/developer/assistant?” If you aren’t capable of figuring outsomethingsobasicallbyyourself,howthehellareyougoingtomakeitinthatbusiness? Ideas are shit. Execution is the name of the game. Just. Make. It.Happen.

Youknow,seriously,ifyouhavetoaskthisquestion,you’reprobablyoutofbusiness before you even start. Think about that before you invest a singleminutemoreintoyourendeavor.Forreal.

I’m building an app that is probably six months away from aworkingprototype.WhatwouldyousuggestIstartdoingnowto build it up so that when it is time for release we’ll haveplentyofusers?

That’satrickyonethatlotsofdevelopershavetofigureouteveryday:Howcanyoupromoteaproductmonthsaheadof the launchdatewhenyou’renotevensurewhattheproductitselfisgoingtolooklike?

The answer is a terrific tactic that works on everything: content, content,content,content,content,content.

Let’s sayyou’reputtingout a productivity app.Go reserve something likedailytimemanagement.com, and then use that domain throughout the monthsleadingup to the launch.Startputtingoutcontent forMediumoryourblogorRebelMouse that will draw like-minded people interested in that topic andlifestyle,peoplewhoaremost likely touse theapp.Doeverythingyoucan tocreate a hub and community around the very thing your product was built toaddress.

Thenwhentheappcomesout,youpoundthatcommunitywithit.Shoutatthem.Askthemtotestitout.Givethemfreetrialsorlimitedaccesssotheycanexperimentwithit.Iftheyloveit,they’llstartmarketingitforyouwithwordof

mouth.You’llknowveryquicklywhatworks,whatdoesn’t,andwhatyouneedtofocusonnext.

Youknowwhatwecallthis?That’sright.Thisisaclassicexampleofusingjabs and right hooks to build a brand. Flooding your communitywith qualitycontent and earning their trust until thedayyou’re ready tomake the ask is atactic thatworks foreverything.Giveconsumersaplacewhere theycango tolearn, discuss, meet other people, and be a part of something. Then hit themreally,reallyhard.

What is thebiggestobstacle tosuccess: lackof timeor lackofcapital?

Theobstaclewouldbeassumingthatlackoftimeorcapitalisanobstacle.Whatyou’retalkingaboutisexcuses.

Thereareamillion things thatcanstopyoursuccess.Your family’shealthand welfare. The country where you live or where you’re trying to set up abusiness.Acompetitorwithabilliondollarsandmegaskillswhopunchesyououtanddropsyouinthefirstround.Badmediacoverage.Arandommomentintime. If Iwere to look down atmy phonewhile driving and kill somebody itwould ruin me. There are a million reasons you can find to stop building abusiness,butalmosteverytime,therealreasonwhyyouwillstopisnotthatyoudon’thavetimeormoney,butthatit’shard.

Tobeasuccessfulentrepreneur,youhavetobeanoptimist.Alackoftimeisjustincentivetobemoreefficientwiththetimeyoudohave.Insufficientcapitalisagametoseewhocanfindthemostcreativewaytogetmore.Youdon’tseeobstacles—youseeopportunities.Optimistsacceptthatobstacleswillbeintheirpath,andassumethey’llfigureoutawayaroundthem.Whichisnottosaythegrindisn’thardforoptimists,too.Itis.Theyjustlikeit.

Ifyoudon’t,maybeyou’renotcutoutforentrepreneurship.Oratleastyoudon’thave the stomach todowhat it takes tobeNo.1.Andyouknowwhat?That’sokay.ThrivingatNo.7insteadofstressingatNo.1wouldbesomethingtobeproudof,andagreatwaytolive.

WhatshouldIlookforinacofounder?

First look at yourself. You have to be self-aware and honest about yourweaknesses, and find someone who can make up for them. When you’reconsideringacandidate,askyourselfifsheprovidestheblack-and-whitetoyourgray.DoessheloveHRwhenyoudon’tcare?Youwanttocoverthecorethingsthat drive a business—a team, a product that works, a revenue model, sales,retention,vision,andexecution.

When people go wrong, it’s because they weren’t willing to be honestenoughwiththemselves.Theythink,Oh,Icangetbywithmyaccountingskills.Oh,I’llfigurethelegalstuffoutasIgoalong.Um,no.Thereissomethingtobesaid forbeing intrepidandwilling toproblem-solveand learn,butyouwantarock-solid foundation for your business. Ideally, together you and yourcofounderwillbeamilliontimesstrongerthanwhenyouareapart.

WhatcamefirstatVaynerMedia:clientsoremployees?Anddidyoueverdotheworkbyyourself?

About twoor threemonthsbeforeAJgraduated fromcollege Ibrought inourfirstclient.Wemadethatcustomerpayforthewholeprojectupfront,whichwethenusedtopayourfirstfiveorsixemployees,allofwhomstillworkhere.AJand Ididactuallydoa lotof theearlyworkon that firstprojectbyourselves.We’regoodinthetrenches.

Ihopeyou’llrememberthatanecdote.Oneofthereasonssomanypeoplegoout of business is that they don’t know how tomanage their cash flow. Youthinkyou’regoingtomake$80Ksoit’sokaytohave$70Kinexpenses.Butshithappens, and if there’s any kind of a hiccup and themoney doesn’t come inwhen you think it will, you’ve got no buffer and you’re suddenly in trouble.Techpeople often assume they’re going to keep raising incredible amounts ofmoney, not realizing that once you’re a real company people start makingdecisions based on what you’re doing, not what you promised you’d do. Soanytimeyoucansellaheadofyourexpenses,doit.

What are your tips for teenage bloggers to show brands theymeanbusiness?

Do you have traffic? Followers? Content? Engagement? Brands don’t care ifyou’re 14, 41, or 4,000 years old so long as you show results. They mayunderestimateyouatfirst,butnumbersdon’tlie.

How can I filter years of exciting adventures and experiencesintovaluethatsomeonewouldactuallybeinterestedin?

Idon’tknow.Areyourseventy-oneyearsofexperienceinteresting?Willanyonecareaboutwhatyou’vedone?

I’mapersonwhowillautomaticallyvaluethelifeadvicefromsomeonewhohaslivedseventy-oneyears,buttherestoftheworldisn’tlikeme.Sotoreachthose people, the first thing you need to figure out is the best method tocommunicate.Howareyougoingtostorytell?Doyouwanttoputoutashow?Write articles? Blog? Tweet? Podcast? And then once you’ve perfected yourmedium, howwill youmonetize it?You could sell advertising, subscriptions,coaching, content.You could organize a community and put on a conference.Tellyourstory,establishyourcred,makeyourstoryrelevant,buildyourbrand,andthemonetizationopportunitieswillcome.HumansofNewYorkwassimplyaFacebookpagebefore itbecameaculturalphenomenonand landedBrandonStantonabookdeal.

I’mtheposterchildforhowtomakemoneywithoutdirectlyselling.Alotofmycontemporariesselle-booksorwhitepapers.Idononeofthosethings.Foryears I put outmy content at scale and builtmy brand.Eventually, I built upenoughleveragethatpeoplewantedtohearmespeak,andIcouldchargegoodmoneyformytime.Theywantedmetowritebooks,whichIwasabletoselltoabigfanbase.Iwasabletostartasocialmediaagency.IprovidedvaluewiththecontentthatIrelentlesslypumpout.Youneedtodothesame.

Whenyou have a newbusiness idea, how long does it take to

implement?Doyourunwithit?Strategizeforawhile?Consultwithothers?

Soyou’vedecidedtotaketheleaponabusinessidea.Congratulations!Takingthatfirststepforwardisoneofthehardestpartsoftheprocess.

Nowwhat?Howfastdoyouneedtomove?Well,thatdepends.Ihavesatonbusinesses for an insanely long time, years even, before I executed on them.Before we started VaynerMedia, AJ and I thought about it for ten or elevenmonthstomakesureweweremakingtherightdecision.Youcouldsaywelettheideamarinate.Inthemeantime,wealmostdecidedtomoveforwardwithafantasysportssite.Butintheend,VaynerMediawonout.

AndthentherewasthetimeJérômeJarreandIhaddinner,andliterallythenextdaywehadformedatalentagencyforVinestarscalledGrapeStory.

Thekeyistomakesureyoulookatyourideafromlotsofdifferentanglesandasktheimportantquestions.Ifyou’reworkingwithapartner,youshouldbecommunicating constantly andhitting your ideas, concerns, and thoughts backandforthuntilyou’rebothsatisfiedwiththeanswers.

Onethingtowhichallentrepreneursshouldpaycloseattentionisthetimingof an idea. Ask yourself (and your business partner, if you have one): Am Iready?DoIhavethetimetodothisright?ThebiggestfailuresinmybusinesscareerhavebeenwhenIbitoffmorethanIcouldchew.I’vementionedIhadanintensely busy 2009 (new baby, new agency, new book). Because of thoseobligations I wasn’t able to give my full attention to the online wine reviewwebsiteCork’d,whichI’dboughtin2006.Itdidn’tseetheendof2009.

Sochooseyourbattles.Don’t rushanything.Mapyour life andmake surethisisgoingtogetyouwhereyouwanttobe.Andstayopentoserendipity.Youneverknowwhatcanhappenbeforethatoneideacomestofruition.

How do you avoid letting a new business run its new socialmediaplanbyitself?

Well,that’seasy.Thisisacontinuousgame.Ifacethisallthetime,butI’mnotworried. IknoweverythingaboutSnapchatstories. Iknowwhat’sevolvingonFacebook.Iguaranteemyclientswillneverknowasmuchaboutsocialmediaas

I do. The best way to stay indispensable is to stay ahead of your clients andalwayshavesomethingmoretogive.

Whatisthebestwaytoscaleabusinesswithaninherentlylowprofitmargin?

Ianswered thisquestionwithJackandSuzyWelchwhen theywereguestsonthe show, and we were all in agreement. You need new products, newinnovations,andanewangle.Taketheassetsyouhaveanddeploythemtogrowthebusiness—justmakeitabetterbusiness,evenadifferentbusiness, thantheoneyoustartedwith.

This is what I did when I went into my dad’s business at $3 million inrevenueandmade10percentgrossprofitbeforeexpenses.Theliquorbusinessisnotoriouslyhardbecausethere’sawholesalerinthemiddlethattakes25percentofthe50percentthataretailernormallytakes.Sohere’swhatIdid.Itookthelow-marginitemsthatweredrivingthestore’sbusinessandbetonthem.Itookall theSantaMargaritas, theKendall Jacksons, the liquor items thatwere lowmargin, and used them asmarketing lures to get people into the store. Thoselow-profit-marginitemswerethehoney.ButthenImerchandizedthestoreandbuiltabrand.CustomerscameintobuyabottleofKendallJackson,butthenIsold themadifferent, higher-margin chardonnaybecause itwas a betterwine.Theylikedit.Theycamebackformore.Andwhiletheyweretheretheynoticedotherhigher-marginitems,andtriedthose,too.

Useyourlow-marginitemstodriveyourbusiness,thenusethosepenniestoinvestinadvertisingandbuildfromthere.

What’syourbestpieceofadviceforafirst-generationAmericanentrepreneur,venturingoutonherown,awayfromherfamilybusiness?

Ihavetwopiecesofadvice.

1. Bepractical.Howmuchmoney do you have to stay alive, and for howlong?Doyouhaveenoughmoneytocoverrent,expenses(anticipatedandunexpected),andoverheadforayear?Youshould.

2. Bepreparedtosacrifice.Theminuteyoudecidetolaunchanewbusiness,youalsomakethedecision todonothingelsebut that for thenextyear,andmaybeeventwoyears,butbuildyourbusiness.Everyminuteofeveryeighteen-hour day should be dedicated to this endeavor. Your businesssuccesswill comeat the expenseof family time, friend time, vacations,andanyotherhobbiesoractivitiesyouonceenjoyed.Thisbusinesshastobeyourentirelife,oritwilldie.

Ithinkalotofpeoplegointobusinessforthemselvesunderestimatinghowharditreallyistomakeyourdreamscometrue.

DAWNSWICK-RENSHAW

@DAWNSWICK

www.stoneycreeksocialmedia.com/

Ifyoucouldgobacktoanytimeinyourlifeandknowthenwhatyouknownow,whenwouldthatbeandwhatonethingwouldyouchangeinyourbusinesslife?

This issomethingI rarely thinkabout, so it’snice thatwriting thisbookgivesmetheopportunity togobackandaddress it. Iwouldprobablygoback to theearly 2000s when I was buying “wine” and many other words on GoogleAdWords.Lookingback,Iwouldprobablyhavespent90percentlessmoneyonadsinWineSpectator,billboards,andradio,andIwouldhavepoureditallintoGoogle AdWords. Most people weren’t paying any attention back then, theinventorywaswildlyunderpriced,andthedemandcurvewasinmyfavor.Evenback then, there was enormous customer activity on Google that led totransactions,andIfeellikeIleftwaytoomuchmoneyonthetable.It’swhyI’vebeensoemphaticaboutFacebookadsduringthisgeneration.This,too,willgoaway.

I’dalsogobacktothatmomentforanotherreason(andthisissomethingIdon’t think I’ve ever even said out loud). A lot of the applications that EricKastnerandIcreatedinWineLibrary’searlydays—thingslikeemailingpeoplewithabandonedshoppingcarts,ortargetingemailsbasedonuser’ssearchesonthesite—becameindustrystandardshalfadecadelater.What’smoreisthatalotof the companieswho built the tools for other companies to execute on thoseideaswentontobecome$500millionorevenbillion-dollarcompanies.Manyofmyownactionswere so early that if I’dbeen smart enough to turn them intoproductsorservicesinsteadofjustin-housetoolsforWineLibrary,ImightowntheJetsrightnow.

What are the biggest mistakes you see young entrepreneursmake?

Itmighttaketherestofmylifetolistthemall.Okay,I’mjoking.Sortof.No,seriously,IseemanyMillennialsdoinggreat

things.ButIalsoseealotofyoumakingonemistakeinparticularthatIthinkismaking you dangerously vulnerable, and it’s this: You’re building businessesthatonlyworkduringbest-casemarketscenarios.

It’snotentirelyyourfault.Ifyouaretwenty-oneyearsoldtoday,thelastrealeconomicdownturnwasin2008—whenyouwerefourteen.You’veneverhadtodobusiness inanyeconomic landscapebutoneon theupswing, inwhich it issuper-easytoraisemoneytobuildabusiness.You’vebeentrainedasexcellentpeacetimegenerals.

The problem with that is that today’s current market conditions are notallowing young entrepreneurs to cultivate strong business discipline. This is agreattimetobestartingabusinessandtryingtosellit,butwhathappenswhenthebadtimeseventuallyrollaroundagain?Thebestbusinesspeoplearen’t justgoodpeacetimegenerals,they’refiercewartimegenerals,too.

Sohowdoyouprepareforwarduringpeacefultimes?Startthinkingworst-case scenarios. Imagine a stockmarket collapse.Whatwill you do if all of asuddeneveryonesnapstheirwalletsshutbecausethey’retooscaredtoinvest?

Protectyourselfbeforeyouhave to face that situation.Here iswhatyoungentrepreneursmust do ahead of time if theywant to build a business that canweathereverystorm.

1. Build solid teams. In themidst of rapid growth, don’t lose sight of theimportance of longevity. Invest in your teams, celebrate their victories,listen,andbeagoodbosssothatwhenroughwindshit,youcanrelyontheir skills, loyalty, and intellectual capital to help you keep the shipupright.

2. Buildgoodproducts.3. Excelatsales.

Withoutsalesyou’vegotnothing,ingoodtimesorinbad.Dowhateveryouneedtodotobuildthemostkick-asssalesdepartmentyoucanfind.

Young entrepreneurs are operating during a very sunshiny moment in time.Don’tletyourskillsetbelimitedbyit.Becausebadtimesarecoming.Thegoodnewsisthatgoodtimeswillfollow.Andthenthebadoneswillreturn.Andthengetchasedawaybythegood.

Getit?Bereadyforeverypossibleoutcome.Onlyentrepreneurswiththegritwillrisetothetop,andstaythere.

Howdo Iovercome theperceptionofbeing“tooyoung”whenI’mpitchingVCs?

I have no pity for any young person coming into the business world today.Twenty years ago the only thing you would have been allowed to do in thebusinessarenawasservecoffee.Thatallchangedbecauseoftech.Noonetodayis going to dismiss a young person unless that young person hasn’t got thegoods.

Thesecret toraisingmoneyis tosellyourideatopeoplewillingtobuy.Ifyou’vebeentoldyou’llgetforty-fiveminutesforaVCpitch,andyoucanfeelitisn’t happening, cut things short and leave.You have better things to dowiththose thirtyminutes.Andonceyou leave thatofficewhereyouwerebasicallytoldyoucouldn’twin,getoutthereandprovethemwrong.

Letmeassureyouofone thing,however. If someone tellsyou they’renotgivingyoumoneybecausetheythinkyou’retooyoungtodowhatyousayyoucan,they’renottellingyouthetruth.They’rebeingnice.EveryVCinthegame

willbepumpedtogiveatwenty-year-oldmoneyiftheybelieveinthattwenty-year-old.Iftheydon’t,itmeanstheyseeaflawinyourideaoryourexecution.Whatyoudowiththatfeedbackisuptoyou.

Asasuccessfulsoloentrepreneur,doIhavetogrowmybusinessbiggerthanIcanhandlealone?

Dependsonwhatyouwantinlife.Areyoufulfilledandmakingthemoneyyouwant?Noteveryoneisagoodmanager.Plentyofentrepreneurshavegrowntheirbusinessesonly to realize thatonce the scopeof their rolechanges theyaren’tenjoyingthemselvesanymore.Youdon’twanttomakemoremoneyjusttogiveupyour happiness.There’s got to be a sweet spot in your growthwhere yourmoneyandhappinessarealigned.I’mlucky—whatIlovecreatesalotofwealth.ButlotsofpeoplewouldhatelivingthewayIdo.Sofigureoutwhatyouneedtobehappy,andgrowyourbusinessjustenoughtogetyouthere.

Whatfundamentalskilldomanyentry-levelmarketerslack?

Whocares? Ineverworryaboutwhatyoudon’thave,butaboutwhatyoudo.Because I believe in betting on your strengths. Everyone is different, andeveryonewillbringadifferentsetofskillstothetable.Ifyou’retryingtogetanentry-levelposition,youhavetofigureoutwhatskillsyouhavethatwillbringvaluetoyouremployer,andthenhonethoseskillstothebestofyourability.Ifyougetaninterview,goinknowingwhoyouareandspendallyourtimetalkingabouthowyoucanbringvaluetoabrand,company,ordepartment.Someoneisgoingtoseeyou’vegotwhatheorsheneeds.

How can I convergemy vision of being aYouTuberwithmyparents’visionofmegettingauniversitydegree?

Onceyougraduate,peoplewillbeinterestedtoknowwhatschoolyouattended,

butveryfewwillever,everaskyoutotellthemyourGPA.Dowhatyoumusttomakesureyoumeetalltherequirementstograduateandfocustherestofyourtimeonbuildingyourbrand,sothatonceyou’vegotthatdiplomainhand,you’llfeel good knowing your parents can sleep at night, and you’ll have laid thegroundworktobecomingaYouTubesensation.

KEVINASP

PresidentofInboundMed.com

IfyouhaveaPlanB,doesthatmeanyouaresettingyourselfupforfailure?ShouldyouneverhaveaPlanBbecauseyoushouldbeconfidentinyourPlanA?

I believe in having a hard-core Plan A alongside a deeply practical Plan B.You’d be crazy not to at least consider what you would do should yourentrepreneurialventurefallapart.Afterall,you’vegottoeat.Formostpeople,thesolutionwouldbesomethingveryordinarylikegoingbacktoschool,takingaboringdayjob,ormovingbackinwithyourparents.Andthat’sfine.

You shouldn’t go into your Plan A with blind faith, but I wonder ifsometimes the people who fall short of their dreams didn’t take too muchcomfort in their Plan B. If I had to break down the energy I have and havewitnessed in other successful people, I’d probably say we allocate somethinglike97percentintoourPlanA,and3percentintoPlanB.Alotofpeoplewhowanttoplaythingssafeprobablyinvesttheirenergymore75/25,oreven50/50.Andthat’sdeadly.ForgivemeforsoundingkindofZen,butifyou’refocusingthatmuchonyourbackupplan,you’reputtingouttoomuchfailingenergy.

WhatwasmyPlanB?IthinkinthebackofmymindIknewIcouldalwaysmakealivingbuyingstuffatgaragesalesandsellingitoneBay.

Although,whenIsaythethoughtwasinthebackofmymind,Imeanitwasway back there, in the deep dark placewhere I dumped every Spanish verb Ineverlearned.BecauseifI’mtotallyhonest,IwasalwayssureI’dwin.

CHAPTER3EDUCATION

INTHISCHAPTER,WE’LLTALKABOUTTHECLASS I’DLIKETOTEACH,THEVALUEOFANMBA,HOWTOGETA MENTOR, AND WHAT PROFESSORS CAN DO, IFANYTHING,TOENGAGETHEIRSTUDENTS.

TheanswerstothequestionsinthischaptermightmakeyouthinkthatI’mnotafanofthecurrenteducationsystem.You’regoingtothinkIdon’tseeanyvaluein itbecauseIwasabadstudent,and there’sprobablysometruth to that. It isdeliciously ironic that I, an F student, have received invitations to speak atHarvard,Yale,andStanford.

Schoolwasnevermything.That’sanunusualthingforanimmigranttosay,especially a Jewish immigrant. Traditionally education was my people’s (andmostpeople’s)ticketoutoftheghetto.ButIsuckedatit.We’renottalkingB’sandC’swith theoccasionalDpoppingup itsuglyhead.We’re talkinga long,remarkably consistent stream of D’s and F’s. There were just so many moreinterestingthingstothinkaboutthanthePythagoreantheoremorgrammar,likethe ton of cash I was making selling baseball cards. I just didn’t have thepatienceortheinteresttostudywhatwasinmybooks.Iknewthatwasn’twhereIwasgoingtolearnwhatIneededtoknowtosucceed.

Ifonlymorepeoplehad thesameself-awarenessandself-confidence.Asaforty-year-old man today who spends most of his time with successfulentrepreneursandprofessionals,I’mfascinatedathowlittleparalleltherecanbebetweenone’s level of education and success in themodern businessworld. I

would never be so naïve or misguided as to suggest that time spent in a topuniversity can’t help get you closer to financial success, and I know thatdiplomasareentry-levelrequirementsforthousandsofjobs.ButIpassionately,emphatically believe that the American university system has lost its valueproposition in face of the speed and intensity of the current businessmarketplace.Whenyoualsofactor in theunfairdebtstructureofcollegeloansandhowseverelytheycansetyoungpeopleback,Ithinkit’stimewereallystarthavingconversationsaboutwhetheracollegedegreeisappropriateforeveryone.

It’s a hard conversation to have because the American college dream hasbeensowellbranded.Evenwhenkidsknowintheirsoulsthattheydon’tbelonginschool,parentscan’tletitgo.Manygrewuphearingthatacollegedegreeisnecessary for any upwardmobility or interesting career, and they are terrifiedtheir kids will find their options limited without those degrees in hand. Theyhaven’tyet recognized themassivechanges thathaveoccurred in thebusinessplace.Youalsohaveotherscenarioswhereparentsareatatotallossonhowtoguide their kid because he got a great-grandmother’s entrepreneurial DNAinsteadoftheirownmoretraditionallyinclinedDNA.Butwhatpissesmeoffishowoftenparents’self-esteemisunhealthilyattachedtotheaccomplishmentsoftheirkids.Theyforcetheirkidsintoaninhospitableeducationalecosystemandterribledebtjustsotheycangettheirhandsontherightbumpersticker.That’sdespicable,andIhopeanyonestrugglingagainstthiswillreadthischapterandfind the courage to strike out on their own and follow their heart. I am apurebredentrepreneurbutIhavenointerestinmakingeitherofmykidsbecomeone. If they choose to go a more traditional route, I’ll support them. Truly,though,bythetimemykidswillbecollege-age,thefreeeducationthatwillbeavailableontheInternetwillbeincredible.Mykids’generationmaybethelastgenerationthatholdsuniversitytosuchhighesteem.

Ifyou’reluckyenoughthatyoucanaffordtogotoschooljusttosoakuptheexperience,network,orexpandyourhorizonsandideas,bemyguest.Buttodayyou can go to an incubator to network and you can travel to expand yourhorizons.Why do you have to incur debt—debt that you cannot even declarebankruptcyagainst—todothosethings?Youmightevenbeabletogetpaidtodoit!Onethingiscertain:Collegewillnotproperlytrainyoutobeaprime-timeplayerintoday’sbusinessenvironmentandanythingyoumightlearnthereaboutmarketing or social media is already on its way to obsolescence. The entiremarketmoves at such a speed that even great entrepreneurs have a hard timekeeping up. Within a month of your graduation, there will always be a new

platform,anewapp,anewchannelfordoingbusinessthatdidn’texistbefore.Nothingexcepthustle,prescience,goodinstincts,time,andpatienceisgoingtohelpyoumasterthem.AndnoneofthosethingscanbetaughtanywhereexcepttheSchoolofLife.

Ifyoucouldcreateandteachyourowncollege(orhighschool)course,whatwouldthenameoftheclassbe?Howwouldyouteachit?

Itwouldbecalled“WhyYouShouldn’tHaveSignedUpforThisCourseintheFirst Place,” and it would explore the disconnect between school and theentrepreneurialworld.It’sonethingto learnfrombooksandstudyhistoryandwritepapersanalyzingwhyonemarketingcampaignmighthaveworkedbetterforabrandthananother.Butbeingabletorepeatwhatyou’velearned,andbeingable to actually apply that learning to the realworld, are two totally differentskills and I’m not sure your performance in any course can predict howwellyou’lldoatthelatter.

If I were to teach a course, the last thing I’d want is for my students toregurgitate my words. I can’t tell you how many people I see repeating myhyperbolebutnotactuallyactingonmyrecommendations.They’reautomating,forPete’ssake!Youknowwhythatpissesmeoff?Isitbecausethey’rehurtingthemselves?No. If they’renotgoing tohustle I can’t controlwhathappens tothem.It’sbecausetheymakemelookbad.IfyouRegramoneofmypostsabouthustling,anyonewhoseesitisgoingtopresumethatyouhustle,too.Butyou’renot.You’re playingCall ofDuty a few hours per day,watchingTheWalkingDead,andtakinghalf-dayFridays.Theoutsideworlddoesn’tknowthat,though,sowhenpeopleseeyou’regettingnowhere,tothemitwilllooklikemyadvicedoesn’tactuallywork.SometimesI’llconfrontpeopleaboutthisataconferenceor through a direct message, and it’s been fun forme to watch people admitthey’vebeentalkingthetalkbutnotwalkingthewalk.It’snicetobevindicated,for sure, but more important, acknowledging their mistake usually gets themgoingagainintherightdirection.

Youcan’tnodyourheadwhenItellyoutohustleandthennothustle.Youcan’t retweet inspiringposts aboutgood listeningand thennot engage. I can’tbelieve how few ofmy followerswrite articles onMediumwhen it’s the one

platformthatoffersviralitytopeoplewhohavenoaudience.I’mthereoftenandIhaveanaudience.Whydo Ibother?Because it givesmeabigger audience!That’swhyIdoeverythingIdo.

Youdon’tneedatwelve-weekcoursetodigestmybiggestpieceofadvice:Don’tbeastudent,beapractitioner.

Iamafourteen-year-old.IwanttobeanentrepreneurbutIdon’tknowwheretostart.WhatactionsshouldIbetakingasakid?

Wantingtobeanentrepreneurandbeingonearetwodifferentthings.IfIwereyou,I’dselltheshirtoffyourbacktoanotherkid.I’dfindsomerocksandsellthem to a nine-year-old girl. The best way to become an entrepreneur is tobehavelikeone.Entrepreneurssell,sostartabusinessorstartsellingthings.Ifyou’re still not sure how to begin, find a young entrepreneur in yourneighborhoodwho’sdoingsomethinglikewhatyou’dwanttodoandaskifyoucanhelp.Learntheropes.There’snoreadingaboutthisstuff—onlydoing.DropthisbookorKindlerightnow,kid,andlookaround,picksomethingup,andpostitoneBay...GO!

IreadThinkandGrowRichanditchangedmylifeinapositiveway.Haveyoureadanybooksthatinfluencedyou?

No.I’vewrittenfourbooks,oneaboutwine,andthreeaboutbusiness.WhenIhavewrittenmyeighth,IwillhavewrittenmorebooksthanIhaveread.AlotofpeoplethinkthatoneofmyweaknessesisthatIdon’tread,andIwaverbetweenbelievingthey’rerightorthey’refullofit.ThetruthisthatIdoread;Ijustdon’tread the things other people like to read. I read up on baseball cards beforeselling them. Imemorized thewine tradesandusedwhat I learned tohelpmesell on the floor ofWine Library, even before I could drink. I read in short,easilydigestibleformatsaboutwhatinterestsmeandwhat’spracticalformetoknow.

Actually, I’ve read twobusiness books, if you call the biography of SteveJobsbyWalterIsaacsonabusinessbook;theotherwasbyJohnBattelle,called

TheSearch,aboutGoogle.AndthenanotherfavoritewascalledTheNine,abouttheSupremeCourt,byJeffreyToobin.

What advice would you give a high school senior in Americawho is trying to decide whether or not to go to college, andwhichone?

Casey Neistat is a filmmaker who has done everything from Internet videostorytelling,toadworkforcompanieslikeNike,Mercedes-Benz,andJ.Crew,toafilmfortheNewYorkTimes.WhenCaseyandIdidanepisodetogetherwegotthe chance to have a long discussion over the value of a university degree. Ithoughthehadsomereallygoodthingstosay.

Heanswered (reprintedherewithminor tweaks for lengthandclarity),“Inlifeyoushouldonlybedoingtwothingsever:discoveringyourpassionandthenrealizing it. So if you know what you want to do and that trajectory doesn’tnecessitateacollegeeducation, thenskip it.Chancesareyoudon’tknowwhatyouwanttodooryouwouldn’tbeaskingthisquestion.Andifyoudon’t,yourresponsibility is to figure it out. College is one of the best atmospheres andenvironmentstobeintofigureoutyourpassion,purpose,andcalling.”

Iagreed,butIpointedoutthattakingon$200Kindebttofindyourpassionmight not be the most practical choice. Today there are other places besidesuniversitieswherepeoplecancongregate, learn,andfindthementorswhowillhelpthemfigureouttheirpathinlifewithoutholdingthemhostagetodebtforthefirsttenyearsoftheircareer.In2015,collegeisnotalwaystheanswer.

Some of my contemporaries say that the university degree will meet itsdemiseinabout tenyears,butIdon’tsee ithappeningthatfast.Therearestilltoomany kids going to collegemerely to avoid disappointing their parents. IhaveakindergartnerandItalktoalotoftheparentswhosendtheirchildrentoher school. Their views on the importance of college haven’t changed eventhoughthereisevidenceallaroundusthatadegreewillnotgettheirkidswhatadegreegotthem,oreventheirownparents.Andthey’restillwrappingtheirownegoupintheirchildren’saccomplishments,sotheywillpushthekidstoaimforthe Ivies because it will be proof of their good parenting.Until that changes,colleges will still be able to sucker young people and their families out of atremendousamountofmoneyforverylittlepracticalvalueinreturn.

CaseyandIgotlucky.Wefiguredoutourpassionandwehadthetalenttomakeacareeroutofit.Therearealotofpeoplewhotrythesamethingandtheysuck at it. Just watch the auditions for American Idol, or the wannabe NBAplayers.SoIaskedCasey,whatifyousuckatyourpassion?

Casey answered by paraphrasing Anaïs Nin: “Anyone’s life shrinks andexpandsontheproportionofyourwillingnesstotakerisksandtrynewthings.”Hegoeson:“Andthat’swhyIthinkanacademicenvironmentisagreatplacetotry new things and experiment. So if your passion is painting and you’re aterrible painter, maybe spending time at university will open your eyes tographic design,which doesn’t require a paintbrush, and you canmake a greatliving and still live out an artistic passion. Of course, college can be a hugewaste of time and money if you go for the wrong reasons. Some otheropportunitiesmight be as practical as an academic education.What you can’tcount on is that going to collegewill get you something in return, especiallysuccess. One thing that is more and more true especially as tech opens newmeansofsharingandtransmittinginformationisthatthereisnodefinedpath.Iftherewereadefinedpathtosuccess,especiallyincreativeendeavors,everyonewouldfollowit.Collegecanbeagreatwaytofindoneofthosepaths,butit’snottheonlyway,andit’scertainlynotaguaranteeonceyougetthere.”

JackandSuzyWelchhadmoretoaddtothisconversationwhenIinvitedthemonto the show for episode 89 to share their incrediblewisdom and talk abouttheir new book, The Real-Life MBA. They wrote it for people already in theworkforce who might have gotten really good at one thing, but wished theycould takea360-degreeviewof theircareer.Theymightwant tobrushuponskills,learnnewthings,orreevaluatetheiroptionswithoutgivinguptwoyearsof their lifeandgoingintodebt.WeansweredanumberofquestionsfromtheVaynerNationduringthisepisodethatappearthroughoutthisbook,butIhadacouple of questions ofmyown that Iwanted answered (reproduced herewithminortweaksforclarity):

GV: Doyoubelieveatop25or50businessschoolMBAisasvaluableinthemarketplacein2015asitwasfive,ten,ortwentyyearsago?

JW: Onlythetopten.Thevalueslidesprettyquickly.Withthetoptenyou’vegotMcKinseyandBoozlinedupwaitingforyouwhenyouwalkout thedoor.So ifyouattenda top tenschoolyou’reputtingoutahuge$300Kinvestment,butthereturnsareprettygood.

GV: I’mspendingalotoftimewiththosekidsnow,andmanyofthemwanttobecomestart-upentrepreneurs.DoyoubelievetheROIofthat$300KisequallygoodforthemiftheychoosethatpathinsteadoftheonethattakesthemtoBainorMcKinsey?ShouldtheygobigsalaryandbonusesatBooz(anddrivedowntheirdebt)orgooutontheirown?

JW: Itdependsonthequalityoftheidea.Entrepreneurisnotaprofessionlikealawyerordoctor.Whatisyouridea?Whatisthevalueproposition?Canyouwin?

Ifeelasthoughonlinecoursesareusurpingtraditionaleducationinabigway.Doyouseethishappening,andistheremoneytobemade?

Yes, such as Skillshare, theKahnAcademy, andChase Jarvis’sCreativeLive.WhenI’mtryingtolearnsomethingIgotoYouTubeandlookforaone-minutehow-to video. Information is a commodity and the Internet has given us theplatformtolearnthatway.Idon’tneedateacher,nomatterhowcharismatic,totellmebasicinformation.Whatmatters,andwheretheexpertscanoffervalue,isinopinions,interpretations,andcontext.Takemyshow,forinstance.Mybaseinformation isn’t always vastly different fromwhat youmight hear elsewhere(though I’m immodest enough to think I might have introduced some of thatinformationandovertimeithastrickleddownintothemainstreamandbecomepublic domain). What matters and is far more interesting is the context andexamplesIprovide.Noonecanre-createthat.

The changes you’re seeing today in the educational landscape is nothingcomparedtothedisruptionyou’regoingtoseeoverthenexttwentyyears.

What’s the last new skill you learned as a result of taking aninterestinsomeoneelse’spassion,hobby,orjob?

Golf?Mybrother,AJ,fellinlovewithit,butasmuchasIlikeitIcan’tcommitto thefivehours it takes toplay,so that’s theendof that.Asidefromthat, I’dprobably say respecting data. Weird answer, right? I believe in data becausewhen Eric Kastner and JohnKassimatis started asWine Library’s developersthey showed me the other side of marketing—the data targeting and CRM(CustomerRelationshipManagementsystem).

Thepowerthatdatacoulddeployatthetimewasmind-blowing.Itwastheyear2000andmuchofwhatwethinkofastheInternetwasn’tcommonpracticeyet or even invented. Between Eric’s and John’s computer skills and my

marketing skills, we created the foundation for WineLibrary.com, whichmassivelyhelpedgrowourbusiness.

I’m a self-taught media marketer. Is it worth taking coursesbeforeapplyingforjobs?

Therearetoomanyvariablesformetobeabletojudgewhetheritwouldbenefityoutotakeacourse.Arethecoursesgood?Areyouthetypewhocanlearninanacademic environment? Or do you learn better by doing? Social media andmodern digital marketing is in an early awkward stage; the people teachingcourses right now are the early players of 1995–2003 marketing, and quitefrankly many of them are spewing a lot of crap. In five years, when a newgeneration of instructors with more advanced perspectives on how businessshouldbedonehastakenover,Imightfeelawholelotbetteraboutyoutakingthatcourse.Butevenso,I’mworriedthatthemodernWeb-basedbusinessworldwillalwaysmovetoofastfortraditionaleducationformatstokeepup.

Anytipsonhowtogetamentor?

I’veneverwantedamentor.EvenwhenIhadoneinmyfatherIpushedagainstit.My dad used to joke that Iwanted to be a Cabbage PatchKid, born fromnowhere,becauseIwassoindependentwhenitcametobusiness.Ifyouwantamentor,Ithinkyouhavetogoandgetone.Butyou’llhavetodomorethanjustaskpeopletoletyoufollowthemaroundorlearnfromthem.Peoplearebusy,and mentoring people properly takes time. Even the most generous, kindestperson isgoing to think twicebefore takingon the responsibilityofmentoringsomeoneelse,especiallysomeonetheydon’tknowwell.Whichiswhyyourfirststepshouldn’tbetoaskpeopletobeyourmentor.Yourfirststepshouldbetoshowthemthatyoucouldprovidethemwithsomethingofvalue.Inotherwords,thattheywillbenefitfromhavingyouaround.

Forexample,DavidRock (akaDRock) isknownas thedirector,producer,andeditorof#AskGaryVee.He’salsooneof the reasons theshowexists.Onedayoutofthebluehecontactedme.Andunlikemanypeople,hedidn’taskfora

job,oraninvestment,oranintroductiontosomeoneelse,oramotivationalchat.Instead, he told me he wanted to make a long-form piece of content, and hewanted tomake it aboutme.Thatbecame the five-minute filmcalled“CloudsandDirt.”Inotherwords,heaskedformytimeandenergy,butheofferedmesomethingequallyvaluableinreturn.Afterthat,hedidn’thavetoaskmeforajob.IsawthebeautifulendresultandknewI’dbecrazyifIdidn’thirehimtodomore.Iwantedtohavehimaround.

Ifyouwantsomeone tobeyourmentor,youhave tomakehimorher feelthesamewayaboutyou.

What advice do you have for professors to engage collegestudentsintheclassroom?Whataboutoutsideofclass?

I’m going to say this as respectfully as I can: Today more than ever, manyprofessorsaren’trelevanttotheirstudents.Igetemailsallthetimefrompeopleactuallylisteningtomypodcastwhilesittinginclassatmajoruniversitiestellingmethatwhattheirprofessorissayingupatthefrontmakesnosense.“They’retellingmethereisnoROIinsocialmedia!”Soyourbiggestchallengeistoberelevant. If you’re a professor, especially if you’re teaching marketing orcommunications, and you’re not jamming on Snapchat and the Insta, you’remaking a hugemistake.You’re out of touch and a step behind your students.Youhavetoknowtheirworldandspeaktheirlanguageinordertoreachthem.Maybeyouwanttorollyoureyesatthebadgrammarandthepoorspellingandtheaddictivenatureof socialmedia,butyour studentsare rolling theireyesatyou,too.Ifyouaren’tfactoringinhowthesetoolsarechangingcommunicationin our society and their disproportionate impact on your students lives, youaren’tprovidingthemthemostvalueyoucan.

Youcan’tberomanticabouthowthingsshouldbe.Tobeeffectiveandhavean impactonyourstudents,youhave to joinandevenembrace theworld thatactuallyis.

I’m tenyearsold.Whichoneofyourbooks should I read firstandwhenshouldIreadit?Ican’tdecide!

StartwithJab,Jab,Jab,RightHook.Inalotofwaysit’samodernexecutionofCrushIt,thoughlessinspirational.Thatsaid,TheThankYouEconomyistheoneyou should take themost to heart because it has themost long-term soul anddepth to it. The others are heavily tactical, butTYE is the philosophy and thereligion. You’ll probably understand JJJRH better than many people in theVaynerNationbecauseyou’regrowingupnativetosocialmedia.You’veneverknownanyotherwaytocommunicate.

Oh, and I hope the young personwho asked this question is reading rightnow.Iwantyoutoknowyouareepic!Tenyearsoldandonit!Iamimpressed.Forallofyoureadingthiswithyoungchildren,tenisasuperagetoreallystartfocusingyourbusinessskills.

Moraleinpubliceducationisatanall-timelowrightnow.Howdowecreateathank-you-economyculturedespitegovernmentmandates,curriculathataren’teffectivetoday,nofunding,and,mostofall,highstressandpressureonteachers?

You can’t. The machine is too big and broken. With all my charisma, andenergy, and clout, I can’tmoveFortune 500 orgs intomodernmarketing, andyouwanttotrytomovetheentireacademicinfrastructure?Notgonnahappen.What you can do as an individual is what I’m doing with The #AskGaryVeeShow.You canput out great content, use theplatforms that can reachpeople,and teach.Youmight like the slide deck format anduseSlideShare, or prefervideoanduseKhanAcademy.Playinthewhitespace.Workaroundthesystem,notwithinit.

Youcan’tmakeahugeimpactonanythingbytryingtofixitwithintherulesof the current game. Change always comes as a result of reexamining theinfrastructure and creating so much pressure against the machine, it has tochange.

CHAPTER4FAMILYBUSINESS

IN THIS CHAPTER, I TALK ABOUT FAMILY,FORGIVENESS, FAIRNESS, AND THE BEST DECISIONYOU’LLEVERMAKE.

Iwritebooks formanydifferent reasons, including the financial incentive, theextraexposureitoffers...andokay,yes,myego.Butoneofmydrivingforceswhen I get an idea for a book is: Can this actually help somebody? Could itchange the course of someone’s life?Crush It! did that. Seven years after itspublication,Istillgethundredsofemailsfrompeopletellingmehowthatbookinspiredthemtofollowtheirdreams.Ihopethischaptercouldbethatpowerfulforanyoneinafamilybusinessorconsideringgoingintoone.

I’veruntwofamilybusinesses,thefirstwithmyfatherandthesecondwithmy brother. They’re as complicated as business gets. One of my favoritecautionarypiecesofadviceisthatoneofthebestwaystogooutofbusinessistomakeemotionaldecisions,togetromanticabouthowyoumakeyourmoney,orto let your emotions get in the way of the task at hand (see Chapter 10 onFacebookadsforanexampleofhowemotionscanholdpeoplebackandcreateopeningsforother,lessemotionaloperators).Isaythat,andyetIknowthereisnothingmoreemotional thandealingwiththeconflicts thatarisewithinfamilybusinesses.Thereisn’taweekIdon’tgetemailsasking,“HowcanIgetDadtoletmetrysomethingnew?”Or,“HowdoIconvincemymomtojointhetwenty-firstcentury?”Believeme,I’vebeenthereandIfeelyou.

I try to tread lightly because every situation has its own dynamics and

variables,but there isone thing I can say that Ihope isuniversallyhelpfulnomatterwhatkindofsituationyou’rein:Ifyouandyourfamilyloveeachothermore thanyou love thebusiness,youwill succeed.There’snoquestion inmymind that that has been the bedrock of why it worked out so well for us. Inaddition,we’veputalotofhardworkintotherelationshipsthemselves.Ioftenwonderwhatmy relationshipwithmy dad and brotherwould look like ifweweren’tinbusinessestogether.Iknownootherwayofrelatingtomyfather,buttherewasa timewhenweweregrowingup thatmybrotherand Ihadamorecarefree dynamic thanwe do now thatwe’re in the trenches together.At onepoint we had to start scheduling non-work-related meetings to rekindle ourbrotherlyrelationshipawayfromtheworkplace.

Mostpeoplewill advise familiesnot to risk familyharmonybygoing intobusiness together. I totally disagree. I say if you have the opportunity, go inheadfirst. I’m passionate about this topic and have spoken to a lot of peopleaboutitovertheyears,andeventhefivetosevendozenI’vemetwhoseforayintobusinesscaused their families toexplode likeatomicbombs—to thepointwhere they weren’t speaking to each other, sometimes for years—even theyeventuallyadmittedthattheyweregratefulforthetimetheyhadgottentospendday in and day out with those family members. For that reason, I feelcomfortable telling you that if you’re debatingwhether to take the leap, it’s agooddecisionandyouwillnotregretit.

I can honestly say that there’s nothing I’m more grateful for in myprofessionallifethantheopportunityI’vehadtoworkwithtwoofthepeopleIlove themost in the world. It hasn’t always been easy. It has taken a ton ofemotional equity and enormous amounts of empathy, self-awareness, andcompassion. But it has also honedmy communication skills in a way I can’teven quantify. Who needs Stanford or Wharton when you’ve got a familybusinesstoschoolyou?DespitethedaysIcriedinmydad’soffice,despitethehard conversations I’ve had to havewithmy brother, I think I’m the luckiestmanalivetohavewhatIhavewiththem.

Willyouforceyourchildrentopartakeinthebusinesslikeyourdad?Willyoubedisappointediftheydon’twantto?

From the very beginning, Iwas a crap student and a great salesman.My dad

knew what he was doing when he dragged me into the store at the age offourteen.Thatsaid,ifIhadhateditandtoldmyparentsitwasn’twhatIwantedto do with my life, they would not have forced me to stay.My brother, AJ,workedinthestoreforonlyonesummer,becauseitwasobvioustomyparentsitwasn’tforhim.Plushewasagreatstudent.

Myparentswereall aboutgivingmeopportunities tobetonmystrengths,andthat’sthekindofparentIhopetobe,too.Iwanttoputmykidsinapositiontosucceed,andIthinksometimesthatwillmeanchallengingthem.Theyneedtoknowsuccessdoesn’tcomeeasy.Forexample,whenmyson,Xander,wastwoandahalfyearsold,hehadabasketballnet in the livingroom.Iused toplaywithhim,but thenhestartedtocryeverytimeIpickeduptheballbecauseheknewIwasgoingtoblockhim.That’sright,Iwouldn’tletmytoddlersonscore(notevenonebasket)atlivingroombasketball.BecauseIwanthimtolearnthatanythinghewantsinlife,he’sgoingtohavetoearnit.

Maybemykidswillbecomepowerfulbusinesspeople.Maybewe’llgointobusinesstogether.Andmaybethey’llturnouttobeschlemielswhocouldn’tsellwaterinthedesert.Iwon’tcare.LizzieandIwilllovethemunconditionally.Allwe’llaskisthatwhateveritistheychoosetodo,theygiveitalltheirheartanddoittothebestoftheirabilities.Iftheydecidetheirlife’sworkisinsavingtheone-leggedbutterfly,thenIwilldowhateverIcantohelpthemdothat.Ourjobisn’ttoprepareourchildrentoliveourdreams,buttolivetheirown.

How important is it for your significant other to share yourentrepreneurial vision?Whatwas Lizzie’s impact on buildingyourempire?

Growing up I would always roll my eyes when I’d hear the classic adage“Behindeverygreatmanisagreatwoman.”Itdidn’tmakesensetome.Iwasonthefrontlineshustlingmyfaceoffanddoinggreatwithnowomanbackingmeup(exceptmymom,whichisatotallydifferentrelationship).Whoneeded’em?

ThenIfellinlove.Imatured,Ibecameaman,andIrealizedhowwrongIwas.I’mabsolutelyflabbergastedbyLizzie’simpactonmycareer.Hersupport,hercompleteandutter100,000percentsupport,iswhatgivesmetheheadspaceIneedtobeallinanddomythingatVaynerMedia.

I don’t mean to say that I wouldn’t have been successful without her.

Without a doubt Iwould have.But I’m sure Iwould have been an unhappierperson, lesshealthy,andlessfulfilled.Shemakesmylifewhole,whichmeansI’mnotspendinganybrainpowerworryingabout thestuff inmy life that isn’tgreat—it’sallgreat.MypersonalhappinessmeansthatunlessI’mwithherandthekids,allofmyenergycanbedevoted100percenttomybusinesses.AndIcandothatforenormousamountsoftimeeverydaybecauseofLizzieandthewayshesupportsme.

It’sabsolutelycrucialforentrepreneurstohaveasmuchfreedomtoexecuteontheirvisionaspossible.Butsometimeswhenyou’reinarelationshiporyouhave family obligations you can only give 70 percent of your time. Or 50percent. That’s totally fine. Success is not a game of absolutes. You can stillwin; it just might take you more time than you hoped. Regardless of yoursituation, building a business is without a doubt a huge time and energycommitment,andyouandyourspouseorpartnerneedtoberealisticaboutthat.Howeveryouconductyourlifeandbusiness,makesureyou’rebothonthesamepage.Keepyourcommunicationlinesstrongandopen.

That said, if you love someone he or she needs to take precedence overeverythingelse.Andthat’sokay;itjustmeansyourcareermayhavetogoatadifferent pace or take a different path, because otherwise therewill always befrictionbetweenyourtwoloves.

Having a supportive significant other is not the only thing you need tosucceedasanentrepreneur,ofcourse,butitwillmakethewholeendeavorgoalotfaster.Andit’sdefinitelyalotmorefun.

Howdidyoudealwith the specific challengesofworking inafamilybusiness?

Carefully. Family businesses are difficult because of the emotions and historythatinevitablycomeintoplay.YetnowI’minmysecondone,andIhopetorunonewithmykidsoneday.IthinkthereasonI’vehadagoodexperienceworkingin family businesses is thatmymom and dad taught us that our love for oneanother should always trump our pride and competitiveness.We fought a lot,especiallyoverourvisionforthebusiness,butweneverallowedourselvestogotosleepreallyangryafterablowup.Somehowwealwaysmanagedtosettleourdifferencesbeforethedaywasdone.

In every family business, you have to create an environment where thefamily’sloveforeachothermattersmorethananyonegettingtheirway.

Has any business challenge ever tested your relationship withAJ,andifso,howdidyouworkthroughit?

I’ve struggled a lot lessworkingwithAJ than I ever didwithmy dad. Theirpersonalitiesaredifferent,andmyroleinthebusinesswasdifferent.IstartedoffasNo. 2 atWineLibrary, but atVaynerMedia I’mNo. 1.AJ is very good attelling things like it is and not backing down.When he was nine and I wastwentywestartedaneBaybusiness together. Itoriginally startedat70/30,butthen one day he came to me and told me the split would have to be 50/50becausehebelievedtheworkhewasputtinginwasworthhalfeventhoughI’dput up all the money and had taught him the game. And when we startedVaynerMedia,eventhoughIwasalreadyinthemarketandhadalltheleverage,andalotofthebusinesswasbuiltonmypersonalbrand,wedecidedthatagainitwasimportantthatwegoin50/50tostartthebusinessoutontherightfoot.

We’vedisagreed,of course.Hewasabsolutelyconvinced thatwecouldn’taskclients for a fourthof the retainer feewegetpaidnow. I enjoyedprovinghimwrongonthat.AndI’msureifhewerewritingthisbookhecouldincludeafew stories where he proved me wrong. But overall, we are perfect partners.He’s the straight man to my magic, but beneath the quiet surface there’s anextraordinarymaturity and self-awareness that serveshimverywell.Plushe’sgothisownbrandofmagic thatbrings tremendousvalue toourcompany.Sixyearsintothisventure,andwe’veneverhadamassiveblowout.

Here’s the thing to remember if you’re going into business with a familymember you love: Be the biggerman orwoman. It alwaysworks. Nomatterwhatthedisagreement,nomatterhowheatedthefight,makesuretosay“Iloveyou.”Thosewordsarewhatkeepsfamilybusinessesalive.

WhatdoyouthinkAJhaslearnedfromyouinbusiness?

IletAJanswerthisoneandwastouchedbyhisresponse.Whatstruckmeisthat

thelessonshe’stakenawayfromworkingwithmeareexactlythesamelessonsItrytoteachallofouremployeesandeveryoneintheVaynerNation.Saywhatyouwillaboutme,I’mconsistent.

SowhatdidAJsayhehadlearned?

1. Keep things in perspective. In the course of building a business fastthere’salot thatgetsthrownatyou,somegood,somebad.Youhavetokeepthehighsfromtakingyoutoohighandthelowsfromdraggingyoutoolow.

2. Focus on what’s important and on the big picture, and don’t stress outovertherest.

3. Personalizeyourinteractionwithyouremployees.SomecompaniesstickclosetotheHRbooktoprotectthemselvesandmakeprocessesfasterandmoreefficient,butwedon’tuseacookie-cuttersystem.Everysituationisuniqueandcallsforadifferentapproach.Bytreatingpeoplewithrespectand recognizing their individual achievements and skills, we’ve built astrong,loyalteamthatreallybringsitsbesttotheofficeeveryday.

Ifyourkidswanttojointhefamilybusiness,willyoustartthematthebottom?

Well,by the time thekidsareoldenough to join the familybusiness there’sagoodchancethefamilybusinesswillbetheNewYorkJets.

Regardless, Iguarantee theywill startat rockbottomif theyhaven’thadachancetogooutandlivealittlefirst,andiftheyhave,thenI’llputthemintheplacethatwillbenefitmostfromtheireducationorskillset,justlikeI’ddoforanyotherhire.Moreimportant,Iwon’tletthemascendtobeNo.1unlesstheydeserve to ascend to No. 1. That’s something I’ve been firm about atVaynerMedia.We have friends and family in both businesses, and they’re allplayingatdifferent levels.Noonegetsput in apowerpositionunless they’veearnedit.

Whoknows,maybe I’munderestimatinghowmuchmyenormous love formykidswillcolormyobjectivityandjudgmentwhenitcomestodecidingwhatthey’re qualified to do, but I’d like to think my huge respect for Americanmeritocracyandcapitalismwilloverridemypaternalfeelings.Inaddition,when

you are building an organization the people who grow it with you becomefamily.Bythetimemykidsarereadytobeinthebusinesstherecouldbefiftypeoplewhohavebeenworkingherewithmefor twenty-fiveyears,andat thatpointmyloveforthemwillbeextreme.NotasextremeastheloveIfeelformykids, of course, but damn close. Ifmy kids come on board, theywill have torespectthatanddealwithit.

I’m in sales for a third-generation residential constructioncompanyandgettingmy“atbat.”HowdoI increasebusinessbutkeepoldmindshappy?

IwasextremelyfortunatebecausemydadgavemeplentyofroomwhenIwasatWineLibrarytotryoutnewthingsandtestideas.Andsincethoseideasallowedme tomakeahugeand immediate impact, Ihada lotof“aircover” todomything. So I never lived this problem. But I feel like I’m living it now atVaynerMedia. I’mworkingwith clientswho are strongly grounded in the oldwaysofB2B.Theycanbesoskeptical,sohesitant.AndI’vefound thatwhendealing with these kinds of people, you have to get a little real, even a littleharsh. I have no problem telling them aggressively and with conviction thatclinging to romantic notions and tradition is the quickest way to go out ofbusiness.

You’regoingtohavetodoyourversionofthesamething.Toomanyyoungpeople in your position spend all their energy trying to make their dads andgrandpasandgreat-grandpashappy,tiptoeingaroundthemandtryingnottopissthemoff.Buthowcanthebusinessadapttothenewyearandthenewerawheneveryoneisstilldoingwhattheirgrandpaorgrandmadid?Foryourbusinesstostayrelevant,youhavetochange.Youdon’thaveachoice.

But old minds are tough to move. You’re probably going to have to tryseveralangles toseewhichonewillget them toacceptyournew ideas.Somemight respondwell tokindnessandsugar;otherswillonlyhearyou ifyougoextremelyrogueandaggressive.Youmightneedtobestunninglycompassionateormassivelydisrespectful.Tryeveryoptionuntilsomethingworks.Youreallydon’thaveanyotherchoice.

Igetit.NoonewantstoruinThanksgivingforever.AnditwouldbearealblowifGrandpafiredyou.Butremember,youdon’tneedtoberude,oryellor

fight.Youdo,however,havetobebluntandstandyourground.Bringbackup.Seeifyoucangetanyoneelseinthebusinessonyoursidebeforemakingyourfinalstand.Bringincontrovertibleevidence.Yourgrandpaordadmaystilldiginhisheels,butifhe’sagoodbusinessman—andyouhavetoassumeheistohavekeptthingsgoingthislong—he’llgiveyourideaasecondlook.

Mostimportant,shouldGrandpabackdownandgiveyouthekeystorunthisshow,you’dbetterexecute.Ohman,you’dbetterexecute.Becauseifyoudon’tyouwillbeforeverinhiseyesthenaïvekidinthefamily.

Ifyouwanttomovemountains,you’vegottocomewiththunder.

CHAPTER5PARENTING

IN THIS CHAPTER I TALK ABOUT BUILDINGCONFIDENCEINKIDSANDCOLLEAGUES,WHYIDON’TCARE IF YOU’RE RICH OR POOR, AND WHY PARENTSSHOULDN’TBEAFRAIDOFSOCIALMEDIA.

Parenting, like family business, is an intensely personal topic.Howwe parentdependssomuchonthingsthatareuniquetous,fromourfinancialsituationtoourpartners toourfamilydynamics.SoI’mpetrified togiveparentingadvice,andyetIcan’tshyawayfromitbecauseIfeelsostronglythatthewayweareparentedaffectseverythingwedoinlife,includingwhatkindofentrepreneurwemightbecome.

Ioftensay that Iwasperfectlyparented. I trulybelieve that thewayIwasraisedhaseverythingtodowithhowIachievedmysuccess.Iknowhowitfeelstobethekidwhomarchestohisowndrum,andI’mincrediblyfortunatethatIwasborntoparentswhonotonlyletme,butalsoencouragedmetodomoreofit.IobservedhowtheyinstilledinmequalitiesthatmakemethemanaswellasthebusinessmanIamtoday,andI’mpassionateabouttheirexecutionandwouldlovetoseeitreplicatedeverywhere.IfeellikeIhavesomethingvaluabletosayto anyone raising a potential entrepreneur or interested in helping shape andguidethenextgenerationofindustryleaders.

You should only take the advice of entrepreneurs or businesspeople whohaveactuallybuiltbusinesses,notpeoplewhohavejust talkedaboutit.Sothebestpeopletoturntoforparentingadviceareprobablypeoplewhohaveseena

fewmore cycles than I have,withgrownkids.However, Iworkwith a lot ofyoungpeoplewhotellmetheirstories,andIknowthepressuresandconcernsthey and their parents have had as they started their entrepreneurial journeys.I’vespokentoalotofparentsaboutwhatIdoandtheworldIdoitin.Ihaveaperspectivethatcouldeasealotofpeople’sconcernsaboutwhatthefutureholdsforourkids.Irealizeit’salljustoneman’spointofview,butfromwhereI’msitting,it’salllookinggood.

What’sthenumber-onelessonyou’velearnedsincebecomingafather?

IfeellikeI’vebeenpracticingtobeafathermywholelife.Believeitornot,IamfilledwithnurturingDNA.Mybrother,AJ, iselevenyearsyounger than Iam, so when I was nineteen he was only eight. My dad was old-school andworkedallthetime,soIhadalotofchancestobethereformybrotherinawaythatmostbigbrothersmightnotgetveryoften.

IsuspectI’mclosertomyparentsandsiblingsthanmostpeoplearetotheirs,so I can’t say that fatherhood taught me the meaning of unconditional love.WhichiswhyI’msoutterlystunnedatthedepthofmyfeelingsformytwokids.Their pain literally ismy pain. The other dayMisha toldme that someone atschoolcalledherachatterboxand ithurther feelings.She’ssomuch likeme.Myfirst-grademusicteachercalledmeamotormouth,soIknewhowshefelt.Butitwascrazyhowharditwasformetoseehersosad,andwehaven’tevencomeclosetothezitszoneorbullyingzoneorawkward-teenzone.

IguessthelessonI’velearnedisthatthelovewefeelforourkidsreallyissomethingbiggerandmorepowerfulthananythingintheworld.AndthatDNAisnojoke.

Howexactlydidyourmotherinstillthatself-confidenceinyou?

Iwasbornwith some,but shebrainwashedme into thinking that theordinarythingsIwasdoingrightwereextraordinary.Like,downtogettingagoodhaircutandpickingupaball.Forreal.Ibelievedher,sowhenIwentoutonmyownto

takeontheworld,Ididitfearlessly.How did she keep me from turning into a spoiled, self-centered brat?

BecausewhenIdidsomethingwrong,shetreatedthatasanextraordinarything,too.Exceptinsteadofloadingmewithpraise,mymomwoulddrillmewithherlook, herwords, and the occasional “umph.”Anyone raised in the old-schoolEuropeanwayknowswhatI’mtalkingabout.

Iintendtopassthesamecan-doencouragementIreceivedfrommymothertomydaughter.RightnowItellherthathertwirlisthebestgoddamntwirlI’veever seen, and I’ll spend the rest ofmy life applaudingher efforts. I’ll do thesameformylittleman,Xander,whogetspraisedforthesilliestfeats.AndI’lldo the same formyemployees. Iknow thepeople Iworkwitheveryday feelbetter about themselves than they did before they knew me. We’ll hire newsenior staff and after a few days they’ll tell me they’re flabbergasted by theconfidenceoftheyoungstersworkinghere.That’sbydesign.Pumpingeveryonefullofconfidencemakesforamorecreative,risk-takingenvironment.Idon’tdoitbypraisingmystaffdaily.Rather,Iinstillitinmyleadersandencouragethemtoletittrickledown.

Shark Tank’s Barbara Corcoran doesn’t invest in “rich kids’”businesses. How do you feel about entrepreneurs fromprivilege?

ForalongtimeIheldthesameprejudicesaboutrichkidsasalotofpeopledo,that is, I assumed that because of theirwealth they’re not hungry and they’vebeenhandedtheirsuccesses.ButI’vecometorealizethatit’snotalwaystrue.Ihaveplentyofgoodfriendswhogrewupwealthybutarehungryandfieryandmake thingshappen.So in theend,whether I’mdecidingwhether to invest inyouorhireyou,I’mnotgoingtocareifyouwerebornrich.Ionlycareifyouwereraisedlazy.

Everythingtricklesfromthetop.That’swhywhenI’mconsideringinvestinginpeoplewhocomefromasuper-privilegedbackground,Ispenda lotof timetryingtofindoutmoreabouthowtheywereraised.Didtheirparentsspoilthemor did theymake themwork for what theywanted?Did they teach them thevalueofhavingmoney?Didtheytalktothemabouthowmoneyfactorsintoourcountry’sdiscussionsaboutclass,education,andpolitics,orhowthegoodswe

takeforgrantedareoftenconsideredluxuriesinotherpartsoftheworld?Thoseare the things that tell me whether it will be a good idea to invest in theirbusiness.Because if theywere raised right there’s a good chance they have astrongworkethic, and that theywill applywhat they learnedathome to theirown businesses, thus setting a proper tone and creating a robust culture. AndthosearethekindsofbusinessesIthinkwillgivemethebestROI.

There’snothingwrongwithbeingbornrich,orbeingrichatall,unlessyouactlikebeingrichmattersinthegrandschemeofthings,likeitsomehowmakesyou better or more deserving than the rest of the world. I’m grateful for theperspectivemyhumblebeginningshavegivenme.Mykidsarebeingraisedinacompletely different environment, but if they act like “bad rich kids” I willhumblethemandmakethemcry.Iftheygrowupsoftandspoiled,thatwillbeonme.Buttheywon’t.Theywillknowwhatitmeanstoworkandsweattogetwhattheywant,becauseLizzieandIarecommittedtomakingsureofit.

I’m curious to know your thoughts on tech consumption byyoungchildren.

Ifyouweretotellacavemanwhatmodern-dayhumanswouldbelike,he’dhavebeenhorrified.Butthat’sevolution.Ourkidswillbedifferentfromus,andthat’snotbad.

We’vegottostopactingasthoughtechisanintruderinourchildren’slives.Tech is their lives. Worrying that tech will rob them of the pleasures ofchildhood is akin to previous generations worrying their kids will be softbecause they have indoor plumbing, or that rock and roll will make themdegenerates, or that their brainswill rot from toomuchTV.Every generationfearsforthenextone,butwedon’thaveto.Ourkidswillbelessinformationallysmartbuttheywillbeinterestingcharactersandtheywilldogreatthings.

Butifyoubelievethattechshouldhavealimitedplaceinyourchild’slife,haveatit.Here’sthegreatthingaboutbeingaparent:Youcandowhateveryouwant. Ifyoudon’twantyourkidswatchinga lotofvideosonYouTube, limittheiruseoftheiPad.Ifyouwanttosetuparulethatelectronicsareshutoffafter8P.M.,gofor it. Ifyou think it’sbest to instituteapolicyofonehalfhourofsportsorexerciseoroutdoortimeforeveryhalfhourofscreentime,that’syourprerogative. Your kids, your house, your rules. I’m not restricting my kids’

screentime,becauseIbelieveinpreparingthemfortheworldthey’regoingtolive in. I suspect the kids that do grow up with severe restrictions will gobananas once they’re let loose on their own and have a hard time learning todiscipline themselves. I think mine won’t think unlimited time for games ortextingisanythingunusual,andwillthereforehavelearnedtobalancetheirtimewell.

Inthefuture,howareyougoingtotreatsocialmediawithyourchildren?

It’shardtofindpicturesofLizzieontheInternetandthereareevenfewerofthekids. I’mwellawareof thedarkside tosocialmedia,and thatkidsneed tobetaughttouseitwiselyandwell.Likeeveryparentwholoveshischildren,Iwanttoprotectthemfrombullyingandteasingorgettingexposedtothingstooearly.It’s a risk that’s compounded by the fact that I’m raising my children inManhattan,wherekidsgrowupfastandseven-year-oldsactlikeseventeen-year-olds.

I’macounterpuncher;IreacttowhatIsee.It’stoosoontotellwheresocialmediawillbeby the timemychildrenare ready toparticipate in it, so there’sreally noway I can predictwhat kinds of limitations or rules, if any,wewillneedtoputintoplaceoneday.Inthemeantime,mywifeandIhavespentalotoftimeonmissionstatementsandbeingcleartheyunderstandourexpectationsof them. I can’t control how theoutsideworld evolves, but the corepillars ofgood parenting haven’t changed since the beginning of time. I believe in old-school values, so I’m working to instill good core fundamentals, like goodmanners and strong self-esteem. Those two things will serve my kids wellwhether they’re communicating and socializing online or off. Ifmy kids startpostingvideosoneday,myhopeisthey’llbecomfortableenoughintheirownskins that theywon’tcarehowtheirhair looksorwhether the lighting isquiteright.They’lljustbewhotheyareandexpecttheworldtolovethemforit.

I’mspeakingtoparentsatapublicschooleventonparentinginasocialmediaworld.Whatwouldyouteachthem?

Parents always get really upset with me because they feel I’m propagating amediumthat’sdistracting theirkidsanddulling theirbrains.Meanwhile,manyof them are the same parents that immediately throw an iPad at their kid theminutehecriesorgetsboredatarestaurant.I’mnottheproblem,people.

Iliketotellparentsthatithasneverbeenabettertimetobeaparentbecauseall thesocialnetworkingtoolswillallowus tospyonour teenagers likeneverbefore.Fearingtechandlimitingtheirchildren’stimeonitisnotpreparingthemtoliveinthefuture.Iwouldtelltheparentsatyoureventtostopplayingdefenseand start playing offense and get pumped about all the opportunities and newdiscoveriescomingthiswayforthenewgeneration.

CHAPTER6HUSTLE

IN THIS CHAPTER I TALK ABOUT THE VALUE OFKEEPINGYOURMOUTHSHUT,MYFORMULAFORGOODHEALTH,ANDHOWTOMAKETIMEWHENYOUDON’THAVEANYLEFT.

Here’saquestionthatnoonehasyetaskedme:Whatistheonetangiblethingpeoplecandotochangethedirectionoftheirlives?

Hustle.Anyonewho follows sports, and especially drafts, knows that a less gifted

competitorcanoutplayeventhemostnaturallytalentedathleteifthatcompetitorhas more hustle. Similarly, it’s hustle, not talent, that is the differentiatorbetween entrepreneurs who succeed and those who don’t. I have never seenanyone increase his or her natural talent, but I have seen people transformthemselvesby increasing theirhustle.Ofcourse, ifyou’rebornwithahealthydoseofitwovenintoyourDNA,you’vegotaterrificadvantage.Butthegreatthingabouthustleisthatifyou’renotbornwithit,youcangetit.It’sthemosttangible, most easy-to-get entrepreneurial quality because you’re in completecontrol of it. If you’re not self-aware, you’re somewhat dependent on otherpeople being honest enough that you become cognizant of your strengths andweaknesses. I’m not even sure it’s possible to teach yourself to be moreintuitive.Butifyouwanttoturnupthehustle,youjusthavetospendmoretimedoingwhatever it is that takesyouwhereyouwant togo.You justhave tobewillingtodomorethanthecompetition.Andyouhavetodoiteverysingleday.

It’s like career calisthenics, somethingpeople can directly apply to theirworklives and see results. It doesn’t guarantee you will succeed—plenty ofhardworking people don’t—but it will guarantee that you won’t ever tortureyourself with thoughts of “Should’ve, would’ve, could’ve.” Because you’llknowwithoutadoubtthatyouputyourheartandsoulandsweatallin.

I’mself-awareenoughtoknowIhavealotoftalent,butit’smyworkethic—myhustle—thathasbeenasubstantialbackbonetomysuccess.Iwilloutworkanyone.Howaboutyou?Youcanbeaphenomenalcontentcreator,but ifyoulack passion or awillingness to sweat there is someone else out therewho isgoingtomakemoreopportunitiesforherselfandmoremoneythanyou.Don’tlet that happen. Put down Clash of Clans. Binge-watchGame of Thrones orWalkingDeadnextyear.Andgettowork.

Howdoyoudefinehustle?

It’smaximizingtheenergyyouputintowhatyouarepassionateabout.It’ssqueezingeverylastbitofjuiceoutofyourday.It’sputtingallyoureffortintoachievingthegoalathand.It’smakingeveryminutecount.Every.Single.Minute.Iwish I could have hustled like I do now in the early days ofmy career.

When I was twenty-six, no one, not me, not society, certainly not the wineworld,wasintoemailyet.Ileftaround7:30or8:30P.M.andthestoreclosedat9P.M.IhadtimetoplayMonopolyonGameCube.Ilivedinanapartmentwitha girlfriend andmybest friend lived aboveme. I didn’t go out tomeetings. IlivedinNewJerseyanddidn’thavethatNewYorkCityhustledownyet.

SincethenI’vemadeupforlosttime.It’sbecomecleartomethatit’smuchbetter to be a businessperson than an athlete because as a businessperson youhave plenty of time to hit your prime.My hustle today is at an all-time highbecause itcanbe.Somepeoplecomplainabout livinginaworld thatmakes itpossibletoworkatsuchintenselevels,buteveryentrepreneurworthhisorhersaltisgratefulashellforthepossibilitiestechandtheInternetofferustokeephustling when everyone else is chilling. For some, their willingness to hustlemorethantheotherguyorgalistheirgreatestcompetitiveadvantage.

Alotofnewentrepreneurstellmethey’rehustling,andthenthey’llaskmeifIlikedthelastepisodeofBallers.They’retryingtogetabusinessofftheground

andthey’vegottimetowatchTV?It’slikewantingtoloseweightandsneakingawaytoscarfdownaBigMac.It’sjustnotgoingtowork.I’mtwentyyearsintomycareerwithtwobusinessesundermybeltandtheonlytimeItaketowatchTViswhentheJetsareon.ThereissomuchhustleinmydayIdon’tevenhaveasecondtospareto“hangout”andcatchupwith thepeoplearoundmewhenI’matwork.Itmaynotbeidealformost,butIloveitbecauseitallowsmetogetthethingsdonethatIseektoaccomplish.

Youwanttoincreaseengagementaroundyourcontent?Raiserevenue?Gainbrandawareness?Becomeaninfluencer?Sellmore?Thentrythefollowing:

Pounceoneveryopportunity.Creategreatcontentandgetitoutthere.Worktowardgainingexposure.Keepaneyeopentonewenvironmentsandconversations.Increasethevalueyoucanofferothers.Bizdev.Wakeupbeforeeverybodyelseandworkintothenight.Hustleuntilthere’snotasingledropofjuiceleft.

Ishustlesomethingthatcanbetaught?

Idon’tknowifitcanbetaughtsomuchasitcanbeinspired.Everyonehas individualwork ethics that affect their job performance, and

ultimately,theirsuccessinlife.Thisisn’ttosaythatunsuccessfulpeopledon’thave strong work ethics; any number of things in life can happen to makesomeone’slifeturnoutthewayitdoes.Butwhileweallstartoutwithabaselineworkethic,howmuchwechoosetopushourselvesisfundamentallyaffectedbywhomwe’reworkingfor.

Ifyouworkforyourself,itshouldbereallyeasytogiveyourselfthathigh-gradehustlesinceyou’repumpedtoberunningyourownshowanddoingwhatyoulove.Ifyouworkforsomeoneelse,yourattitudeandeffortarelikelygoingtodependonhowinspiredyouarebyyour leader.That’swhyI trysohardtoinstillastrongsenseof trustandsafety(aswellasveryhighstandards) inourcompanyculture, so that thepeople thatwork forme feel inspired togoall-inand deliver. No onewants to let a good leader down.And in a strongmerit-

basedworkplace,they’llalsostrivetotakeadvantageoftheopportunitytogrowandrisethroughtheranks.

Lookatyourlevelofhustleandevaluateit.Askyourself,AmIworkingashardasIcould?AmIdoinggreatwork?Ifyouworkforyourselfandtheanswerisno,thinklongandhardaboutthebusinessyouhavestartedortheconsultingworkyou’redoing. Is itagoodfit?Areyouplaying toyourstrengths?Wouldyoubemoremotivatedandfeelmoreconfidentifyouworkedwithapartner?Ifyou’reworkingforsomeoneelse,andyoufeellikeyou’renotlivinguptoyourpotential,pleaseconsiderfindinganewplacetowork.Ifyouwanttosucceed,you’vegottosurroundyourselfwiththerightkindofpeople.Gowhereyouaremotivatedtotakerisks.Bewithpeoplewhoallowyoutomakeyourbestwork.YourDNAmatters,butmakesureyourcircumstancesareallowingyoutowin.

What’s your number onepiece of advice formarketing a lean,local,city-basedsocialstart-up?It’sstillundeveloped.

I hated this question. The only reason I answered it was that the query camefromsomeonewhotweetedhewouldn’teatunlessIdid.Obviouslygettingsomefeedbackmeantalottothisperson.Myscornfulresponseprobablywasn’twhathewasgoingfor,though.Imean,really?Theproductwasn’tevendevelopedyetandhewasworryingaboutmarketing?The thing is, I knowhe’snot theonlyone.Soletmejustsaythis:STOPit.Youcannotproperlymarketsomethingifyoudon’t evenknowwhether it’s anygood.You’vegot to develop it, feel it,taste it, put it out in the wild, and reverse-engineer it so you know it’sserviceableandvaluabletoconsumers.

Now,onceyouhaveaproduct,therecouldbetonsofthingsyoucoulddotopromote a local business—Facebook ads, tweets, geolocation, mobile ads,GoogleAdWords—theoptionsaretremendous.Andwhoknows,youmightnotneed to pull out all the stops. After all, great products don’t need that muchmarketing.Marketing,however,won’tfixacrapproductorapporservice.

What is your advice for small business owners with limitedbudgets?Locallistings,SEO,writingcontent,socialmedia?

I loved this question asmuch as I hated the last one.And here’s the answer:Workmore.Whateveritisyou’redoing,addafewmorehoursofhustle.It’sthegreatestwaytoshoreupthegapbetweenyouandabiggercompetitor.IpromiseyouGoliathwillneverworkashardasyou.

ThisisanissueIhadtograpplewithmyselfwhenIstartedworkinginmyfather’s business, Wine Library. I didn’t have the base that I have now, ofcourse.Noonegaveacrapaboutus.SoIwentoutandpoundedthepavement,walkingintoanybusinessthatmightberelevanttomycommunityandpassingout flyersandcouponsonebyone togainmoreexposure.And thenwemadesuretohavesuchamazingcustomerservicewhenpeoplewalkedinthedoorthattheycouldn’twaittoreturn.

Whatcouldastart-updotodaytogetthatkindofexposure?Theanswerisgoing to be different depending on your business. If you’re e-commerce,Facebook ads for sure—it has one of the best ROI going right now. GoogleAdWordsisastrongcontenderandbannerretargetingwouldworkwellforyou,too.Ifyou’retryingtodriveretailintoastore,startspendingtimeonYelpandFoursquare’s Swarm, and yes, local TV and radio.Maybe it would be worthyourwhile to go to the barber and ask if you can put a flyer in thewindow.Makecoldcalls.Network.Bizdev.Barterwithlocalbusinesses.AttendChamberofCommerceevents.Getcreative!Fight, attack, talk, ask friends forhelp . . .Thisisyourlife!

Whatwouldyoudo ifyouwerestartingoverand trying togetthenameGaryVeeouttheretoday?

IwoulddoexactlywhatIdidbackthen—I’dkeepmymouthshut.Goaheadandgoogle it.Youwon’t findasinglepieceofcontent fromme

thatpredatesWLTV.Forthefirsteightyearsofmycareer,1998–2006,fromthetimeIwas twenty-twoto the timeIwas thirty, Ididnothingtobuild theGaryVaynerchukbrand.

SowhatwasIdoing?I was working. I was learning, practicing, questioning, researching, and

experimenting.Iwasbuildingtheexpertiseandexperiencethatwouldallowmetopositionmyselfasanauthority,notjustinthewineworldbutinthebusinessworldaswell.Today I can say Ibuilt two$50millionbusinesses in five-year

periods,andshowedatalentforinvestingincompaniesearlyandmakingalotofmoney.Icanrattleoffaneducatedanswertoalmostanyquestionaboutwineor Internet business you can throw at me. You think I came by all thatknowledgeovernight? I got in the trenches and livedmybusiness anddid theworkthatallowedmetobuildtheGaryVaynerchukbrand.IcreatedreasonsforpeopletothinkIwasworthpayingattentiontoandevenworthspendingmoneyontohearmespeakateventsorreadmybooks.

I’mstunnedathowmanypeoplethinkyoucanjusthopontoYouTubeandbuildapersonalbrandwithoutactuallyhavinganythingtoshowforit.Youhaveto know something in order to be a brand.Youwant to be sought after as anexpert?Whathaveyoudonetomakepeoplewanttohearyouspeak?Haveyouaccomplishedanything?Haveyouprovenyourselfinanyway?

No?Thenshutupandgettowork.Peoplehavetriedtoarguewithmethatyoudon’thavetobeapractitionerto

havesomethingvaluabletocontributeonasubject.Forexample,they’llpointtofootballcoacheswhoneverplayedproballasproofthatyoudon’thavetobeagreatplayertobeagreatcoach.AndtothatIsay:seriously?Haveyoustudiedthese football coaches’ backgrounds? Ignoring the fact that coaching is anentirelydifferentskillsetfromplaying,nofootballcoachcomesoutofnowhereattwenty-threeandwinsSuperBowls.They’vebeenballboyssincetheywereseven.They’re the sonsanddaughtersof coaches.They’ve livedandbreathedtheirsporttheirwholelives.

Don’t ever thinkyoucanhackexpertiseandbrandingby relyingon socialmediaandmoderntech.Thereisnosubstituteforhonesthardwork.Youhavetoexecute and accomplish something before earning the privilege of being apersonalbrand.

Whenyouhave abillion-dollarpotential businessplanwithoutfinancial resources and inventory, where do you start withfunding?

Idon’tthinkyoushould.Notyetanyway.Youknowwhy?Becauseideasareshitwithoutexecution.DoyouknowhowmanyemailsIreceivefrompeopleswearingtheyhavea

billion-dollaridea?Everybody’sgotideas.Hell,Ihaveunlimitedideas.

Therearepeopleouttherewhomightfinanceaventurebasedonideasalone.It’shappened.But ingeneral, those ideasdon’tgoanywherebecause that’salltheywere—ideas.Thisiswhysomanybusinessesarestartingtofailinthetechspace, and I am sure by the time you are reading this bookmanymore techcompanies funded in 2010–14will be done and finished. Passion is great andcreativity is awesome, but practicality matters more than the current businessworld values. You’ve got to put the work in before approaching anyone forfinancial backing. That’s what all the entrepreneurs we look up to did. Theydidn’tpatthemselvesonthebackjustforhavingagreatidea.Theyhustledandmade it come to life first. They made sure their idea actually did what theybelieveditcould.

Doyou respond to posts, tweets, andmessages yourself, or doyougetyourstafftodoit?

The thing Imight bemost proudof is that every tweet I’ve ever sent out hascome from my two fingers. I can’t write for shit so I collaborate with aprofessionalwriteronmybooks,andSteveandIndiausuallymassagemyblogposts and articles, adding sprinkles and turning them into English based onanswersfrommyshowor interviews,or interviewingmefor them.Butall thebase material you’ll ever read or hear is mine, and if I ever talk to you onTwitter,Instagram,orFacebook,it’sreallyme.

Doyouworksevendaysaweek?

Earlyoninmyrelationshipwithmywife(Ithinkitwastheseconddate),ItoldherthatiftimewentonandIstilldidn’thavemyNewYorkJets,Iwasgoingtobeworking harder and be a lot busier than I alreadywas. Lucky forme, shemarried me anyway. But believe me, I never take her understanding andacceptance for granted. Today I’m typically and happily consumedwithworkMonday through Friday, andmy calendar is fully booked from 6A.M. to 11P.M.ButonceI’mhomeonFridaynight,that’sit.Iturneverythingofffortheweekendanddevotemytimetomywifeandkids.

That’smyversionofwork-lifebalance.Willitalwaysbe?No.LizzieandIareconstantlytalkingaboutwhat’sworkingandwhatisn’t,andI’mawarethatas the childrenget older there are going tobedayswhen I have to run to theschoolat5P.M.towatcharecitalorgotoabaseballorfootballpractice(youknowwhichoneI’dprefer).Youhavetoadjustaslifeevolves.

I thinka lotofpeoplemake themistakeofassuming that ifyoubelieve inhustle, you can’t ever take a step back.That’s too narrow a definition.Hustlemeansadjustingtobusinessopportunitiesastheycomeandadjustingtolifeasitchanges. If your north star is family, then there’s no shame in revolving yourhustlearoundthat.It’saboutqualityversusquantity,beingfullyengagedwhileyou’reworking,notnecessarilyworkingeverydayoftheweek.Insteadof365daysofcompleteinsanity,youcanhave265daysofreallyhardworkwith100daysofrestandrejuvenation.Hustleisnotjustworkingobnoxiouslyhard—it’salsoworkingobnoxiouslysmart.

AndwhenIrest,boy,doIrest.Icouldn’tcarelessabouttravelingtheworldwhenI’monvacation—Ijustwanttolieonabeachinpeace.Sonowyouknowthatifyoubumpintomeonthestreetoratafunction,byallmeanscomebyandsayhi,but ifyouhappentocatchmeonthebeachwithmyeyesclosed,don’tbotherme.I’mresting.

Howdoyouavoidprocrastinationsowell?

IwouldbeanobnoxiousprocrastinatorifIweren’tsobusyandIhavenochoicebuttogetasmuchdoneineveryminuteasIcan.WhatsomepeoplemightcallprocrastinatingIcallreprioritizing.I’minconstantauditmodeadjustingtoreallife all the time. Something might be super-important one day only to getdemotedthenextwhenIopenmyinboxinthemorning.Tryingtokeeptrackofwhat’s most important and when can drive my assistant crazy. He’ll haveworked out a whole schedule for me based on what I told him was mostimportanttomeandbytheendofonethree-hourflighthe’llgetanemailfromme adding another fifteen things that force him to completely dismantle it.ApparentlyhehasfiguredoutthatifItellhimsomethingis“tippytop”that’sthethingtoputaheadofeverythingelse.

YoumightthinkthatmeansthatI’monlyhalfpayingattentiontoeverything,butyou’dbewrong.Iliveinthemoment,andmypantsareonfireforwhatever

it is I’mpayingattention toat that time.As longasyou’re treatingsomethingeverydayasatippy-topitemandexecutingonit,you’removingtheneedle.

Areyouamorningperson?

Iamnot.BelieveitornotImakeitapointtogetsixtosevenhoursofsleeppernight, and I sleep likeabrick. It takesa lot towakemeup. Imeana lot. I’mrisingwithalittlemoreenergysinceIstartedworkingoutandeatingright,buttherewasatimewhensomeonecouldhavebrokenintomyhome,stabbedmeinthe legwith aknife, and stoleneverything Iownand Iwouldn’thavenoticeduntilthenextmorning.

The thing is, though, I’ve never really understood why it would be anadvantage to be amorningperson, orwhymorning is valuedmore thanotherpartsoftheday.Ifyoudoyourbestworkfirstthinginthemorning,great.Butsomepeopleworkbestat3A.M.,5P.M.,or10P.M.Thereisnorighttimetohustle,aslongasyouarehustling.

Youdon’twanttoexhaustyourself,orcollapse,ormakeyourselfcrazy.Justworkashardasyoucanwhenyouareworking,andrestwhenit’stime.Becauseguesswhat? It’snotabouthowmuchyousleep. It’swhatyoudowhileyou’reawake.

Howdoyoudealwithburnout?

Itdoesn’thappentomeveryoftenthatIdecideIwanttocheckoutandburymyheadunderthecovers.IthinkthelasttimewaswhenthestateofTexassingledoutWineLibraryandrestrictedourshippingwhileallowingmanyotherstorestoship.We lost about$4million in revenue. I think theday I realizedwe’d lostthatfightIwenttosleepat6P.M.

IfI’mfeelingburnedoutorstressedbywork,itmeansthatI’mfocusingtoomuchonbusiness insteadof thebigpicture.SowhenI feelmyselfstart togetthatway, I just try to imaginehow itwould feel ifmymomdied (Iknow it’sdark but it’s the truth). That’s all it takes to put the whole world back intoperspectiveandmoveon.

Soinanutshell,mysolutiontoburnoutisrestandrecalibration.

What are your practical #HustleHacks when it comes to diet,sleep,andyourdailyroutine?Howdoyoumaintainenergyandbrainpowerwhilehustlingnonstop?

ThereasonIcanhustle thewayIdois thatI loveit.I lovetakingmypoutingselfies and traveling at 6 A.M. to a random airport. The day I answered thisquestionontheshowIwokeupat5:15toplaybasketballaftergettingbackintotownatmidnightbecauseIloveit.IfI’dbeenwakinguptomeetMuscleMike,my trainer, to work out I’d have probably been grumpier. Passion is anunmatchedfuel.Addbeinghappytothatandyouhaveawonderfulformulaforgoodhealth.

You’vesaidyouwatchusfansoftheshowandcantellifpeoplearehustling.How?Engagement,frequency,orgut?

Markmywords, ifyou tellmeyou’rehustling, Iwillgo toyour InstagramorTwitteraccountandtakealookatyourwork.Iwillclickthepostsandhit theprofilewhereitsays“viewallwithreplies,”andI’llstudytheengagementrates.IloveitwhenIseeoneengagementafteranotherwithjustsomeretweets.ThenI’ll hit the URL on the account. I’ll figure out what the business is and thenanalyzetheprofilesandthepictures.Iusuallyseetoomanypeopleintheright-hookbusiness,butboydoesitmakemesmilewhenIseepeoplejabbingtheshitoutofthings.ThenI’llworry.Aretheydoingtherightmix?Aretheretoofewrighthooks?Aretheybeingresponsiveenough?Icanspendtenminutesonthis,whichinmyworldisinsanity.I’vegotunansweredemailsbecauseI’mspendingtime on your Twitter accounts. But I believe in karma, and I believe that thereasonIcangiveyoutheanswersyouneedis thatIknowyoubetter thanyouthinkIdo.

Wespendsomuchtimepouringourcreativity intoprojectsforour clients thatwhen it’s time to shift gears and focusonourownbrand,we’reexhausted.Howdoyoukeepthefireburningforboth?

Youneedtoworkharderandfaster.Workingharder iseasy.Drop thehouryou’rewatchingScandal andvoila,

you’vegotmore time tohustle.Working faster, however, is a little trickier. Ittakes practice. Train yourself to do a little bit more in each hour than younormallywould.Maybeyousavecheckingyouremailsuntillunch.Maybeyouturnoffyourphone.Maybeyouworkoddhours.Everydayaddsomethingmoreandgetitalldone.Thefirstfewdaysyoumaynotfinishwhatyoustartedouttodo, but keep challenging yourself and you’ll get there. It’s like training for amarathon.Ittakestime,butonceyou’vebeenatthisforawhileyou’llseethatyoucanaccomplishmuchmoreinonedaythanyoueverthoughtyoucould.

Don’tkidyourself.Mostpeoplesaythey’reworkingafulleighthoursaday,but very few really are.When someone tellsme they’ve got nomore time togive, I’llgo through theirTwitterandcheck themout.Usually I’ll find fifteenminutes here and therewhere theywatched aYouTube video, or took a quizabout God knows what. And you’re probably thinking, So what? We’re notmachines.Aren’tweallowedtogoofoffforjustafewminutes?Sure.Butthendon’tcomplainthatyou’renotgettingeverythingdone.

I do not have one spare second during the workday. My team fights forminutesonmycalendar.Evenseconds.It’sbasicallyaninsidejokeatthispoint.

I used to think Iwas the biggestworkaholicwho ever lived.When Iwastwenty-twotoaboutthirty,IreallythoughtIwasallin.ButIwasn’t,becauseIhadenoughtimetobullshitaboutbaseballwithfriends.Iactuallyhadfreetime.It wasn’t until I started working more hours and dramatically faster that mycareerreallystartedtoexplode.It’sthecontextofthosefirsteightyearsofmycareer that gives me the audacity you see in this chapter. I just know thedifference between what hard work looked like then, and what running abusinessandinvestinginandcloselymonitoring150-pluscompanieslookslikenow.Youhavethetimeifyouaregoodatmakingit.

Sothat’stheanswertokeepingthatfireburningwhenyou’rebalancingyourownstuffwithyourclients’.Workhardandworkfast.Bethemachine.

I’dlovetohearmoreonhowtohustlefaster!

Take short meetings. Stop focusing on dumb shit. Don’t be afraid to breakthings.Don’tberomantic.Don’ttakethetimetobreathe.Don’taimforperfect.

Andwhateveryoudo,keepmoving.Rereadthisafewtimes...

Doyouevergetsick,andifso,howdoyoustillhustlethroughit?

Theoldmegotsicksometimes,butsinceImarriedLizzieVeeelevenyearsagoIthinkI’veonlybeenillonce.Shedeservesabigshout-outforgettingmetowashmyhands.Honestly,Ithinkforsomepeoplelikemeit’saquestionofmindovermatter.Imean,Itakemorethanonehundredflightsperyear.You’dthinkabugwouldeventuallygetme.Butithasn’t,andIthinkalargepartofthereasonwhyisthatthebrainisapowerfulorgan,andIamsofocusedandsodeterminednottogetsick,thatIjustdon’t.Ithelps,too,thatI’vestartedexercisingandeatingright,butthat’ssucharecenteventIreallydothinkIoutwilledmanycolds.

But let’s say I did get sick. Would I drag my sorry ass into the office,possibly infectingallmycolleaguesbecause I’mafraidofwhatwillhappen ifI’mnot there?Absolutely not.And I don’twant anyone else coming inwhenthey’resick,either.Whenthe#vaynerplaguehitsus(searchTwitter, it’sa realthing) Iwant people to stay home, take care of themselves, and get better. Insome businesses there’s a real stigma around staying homewhen you’re sick,likeitmeansyou’reweakorunmotivated.(IhavetoadmitearlyinmycareerIsawitthatway,butIhaveevolved.)Cominginwhenyou’resickdoesn’tshowdedication,it’sselfish.Andkindofgross.Andnotfunforyourcoworkersorforyou.

Thatdoesn’tmeanIwantmysickemployeesworkingfromhomeiftheyfeellike they’redying,either.Yougetonacallwith themand theycan’tget theirpointacrossbecausethey’recoughingupalung.Howisthathelpfultoanyone?

When you’re hustling, hustlewith all you’ve got.When you’re sick, stop.Letithappen.Yourbodyistryingtotellyousomething.Listentoit.Theworkisn’tgoinganywhere,andyoucanmakeupforlosttime.Getbettersothatwhen

youcancomebacktowork,youcomebackwithfire.

What’s thebiggest “but”youhear fromothers thatholds themback?Whatisyour“but”andhowdoyougetoffofit?

OhmyGod,theexcuses.Whenyoustartasentencewith“Iwant to . . .” thenendupwith“but”midwaythrough,you’remakinganexcuse.Youcanprobablyguessafewofthemostcommon.Youmayhaveevenusedoneortwoinyourlife:“Ididn’thaveanymoney,”“Ididn’thaveachance,”“Igrewupinapoorneighborhood,”“Ididn’thaveamentor.”Peopleare loadedwith“buts”; that’swhy themajorityofpeople liveprettyordinary lives.But isnotaword tousewhen you talk about your aspirations. If you are serious about reaching yourdreams,nothingwillgetintheway.

I’mnotsayingthatobstaclestosuccessdon’texist.Youcouldbebornunderadictatorshiporother repressive regime.A femaleentrepreneur in theMiddleEastobjectivelydoesnothaveasmuchofachanceofsucceedingasawomaninNew York City. And any white male born in a semi-affluent environment isbound to have a leg up on minorities in poor communities. Adversity,discrimination, sexism—it’s all real. And for many, certain prejudices,injustices,andstrokesofplainbadluckareseriousenoughtodeter themfrompressing forward. But then there’s another group, a smaller group,whowhenfacedwith these challenges choose to reject them and forge ahead anyway. Ifanything,comingfromlessorfrombehindcanbeahugeadvantagebecauseyouwillnever,everassumeanythingwillcome toyoueasily.Thatbreedsa lotofcourageandperseverance.Alotofpeopleborntoprivilegejustdon’thavethehustlebecausetheyneverneededit.

Don’tever letyourcircumstancesdetermineyouroutcome.Youarebiggerandbetterthanthat.Youcanalwayscontrolyourowndestiny.Usewhatyou’vegot,findwhatyoudon’t,andmakeyourdreamscometrue.

What’smy“but”?IwanttobuytheNewYorkJets,butIlovetheclimbandthinkaboutmy legacysomuchIsometimes leavemoneyon the table that I’llprobablyneed toaccomplish thatdream.Youknowone“but”youwon’thearfromme,however?TheonethatshiftstheblameforanythingthatgoeswrongatVaynerMediaawayfromme.I’llnevermakeexcuses.Ilovetakingthatblame,because once I do we can work toward coming up with solutions instead of

talkingendlesslyabout theproblem.Stopsaying“but”andyou’llbe forced tomoveforward;therewillbenothingstandinginyourwayanymore.

Is it possible to hustle the way you do anywhere outside theUnitedStates?

I thought this question was ludicrous. Entrepreneurialism is glorified in thiscountry and the environment supports it, but you’re out of your mind if youthink the country where you’re born makes or breaks your ability to build abusinessandthrive.MyparentswereraisedintheSovietUnionandsteepedincommunismfromthedaytheywereborn,anditonlyincreasedtheirhustleanddrive.Yoursuccessisnotpredicatedonyourzipcode.Youmayhaveaharderroad to travel than you would if you lived in the United States, butentrepreneurialsuccessstoriescomeoutofeverycorneroftheglobe.

Isn’tworkinglonghoursanold-schoolmind-set?Whynotfocusonbuildingwealthviapassiveincome?

Whynotdoboth?Ido.Imakealotofmoneyinvestinginearly-stagestart-upsthatcansellforonehundredtimestheiroriginalvaluation.Ididn’tdoanything,andyetsomeyearsIprobablymakemoreinpassiveincomethanhustleincome.So,yes,youcouldfocusonbuildingwealththroughpassiveincome,butIassureyouthatit’snotnearlyaseasyasitseems.Ofallthepeoplewhohavetriedtocreate systems and automate their cash, there has been a very, very smallpercentage who wound up taking early retirement and lounging on the beachwhiletheycollectedmoneyfromtheInternet.Thefewpeoplewhocanactuallyliveluxuriouslyofftheirpassiveincomeputinaboatloadofhardworkandtimegettingtothepointwheretheycouldearnit.

Ithinktherearealmostzeropeopleintheworldwhohaveearnedsubstantialsuccesswithoutworkinghardatit.Ofcourse,youmightdojustfineifyourgoalistoearn$60K.ButthosepeoplelyingonthebeachsmokingweedinJamaicaafterearningmillionsofdollarsinpassiveincomebydoingpracticallynothing?I don’t believe they exist. Show me one, and I’ll show you someone who’s

makinghisorhermoneybysellingyouonthedreamofthatlifestyle.

Whatathlete,pastorpresent,embodieshustleforyou?

WayneChrebet,theabsolutebottom-rungguyonthewidereceiverdepthchartwhenhejoinedtheJetsasawalk-onduringapracticein1995.TheonlyreasonhegotthereisthathisdadpulledtogethersomeVHStapesandsentthemtotheheadcoach.TheJetssuckedbadinthoseyearssothecoachwaswillingtotakeanyone.NotmuchwasexpectedofWayne—he’sashortwhitedudewhountilhe joined the Jets had an unimpressive record—and yet his number was justretired last year. He showed huge tenacity, defying his critics and playingthroughmassiveconcussions.Irespecthimenormously.

HowdoIgetajobworkingforyou?

I’malwaysflatteredbythisquestion,buttheansweriskindofblunt.Dosomethingfirst.Showmeyourvalue.DRockdiditwhenhecold-calledmethreetimesand

convincedmetolethimcreatethevideothatbecame“CloudsandDirt.”KevinRose, the founder ofDigg,wanted to invest inSquare, andCEOJackDorseywouldn’tlethim,soKevinmadeavideoexplainingtheproductandofferinghisinsightsaroundSquare.Afterithadreceivedaroundahundredthousandviews,Jacknoticed, and suddenly realized that,what doyouknow, he couldmake alittleroomforKevin’s investment.NowSquare isworthbillions.Kevingot inonitbecauseheshowedJackwhathecoulddo.

Whatcanyoudo?

Howdoyoubalancespeed/hustlewithpatience?

Ibridgethetwo.Look,IknowthatIoftensaythingsthatcontradicteachother,but that’susuallybecauseboth statements are true.Like these two:Speedand

hustlearemassivelyimportant.Soispatience.Alotofpeoplepridethemselvesonbeingfastandimpatient;Iseethemas

thebadversionofme.Theydoeverything for theirowngain.They’re takers.ButIthinkimpatientandfastleadstomistakes,causingpeopletorushoutcomesandleavemoneyonthetable.

Youcanbebothfastandpatientandwin.I’mmassivelypatientforthelonggame, but I’m fast in the real-time world of execution. The two traits canproducesomefrictionforsure,butthat’showpearlsareformed.

How can you claim “family first” but work nineteen hours aday?Howcanyoubeagooddad/hubbyandrarelybehome?

Igetaskedversionsofthisquestionalot,anditstemsfromthewayIchoosetostorytellmylife.Iplaytotheextremes.I’m1,000percentinwhileI’matwork,andI’m1,000percentinwhileI’mathome.Igotothekindergartenplaysandtheotherschooleventsthatmeansomethingtomychildren.Itakesevenweeksofvacation,which isprobablyfivemoreweeks thanmostpeople. Idon’tplaygolforreallyhaveanyhobbiesthattakemeawayfromhomeontheweekends.Plenty ofmy friends bustmy chops and say they spendmore timewith theirfamily than Ido,butwhen I’veauditeda fewforsport I’vebeen interested tofindouthowmuchofthattimeisspentplayingvideogames,onthephone,orjustdoingtheirownthing.Justbecauseyouarephysicallyathomedoesn’tmeanyouare“home.”

Inotherwords,justasImakesurethateveryminutecountsatwork,Imakesurethateveryminutecountsathome.Andasthekidsgrowolderandtheyneedmemore,myschedulemightchange.Imaysomedayhavetocommit tobeinghomeeverynightby5:30.I’lladmititmightbehardforme,butI’llgetoverit.Thereareplentyofotherhoursinthedaywhenmychildrendon’tneedmewhenIcangetshitdone.

Somepeoplemake their kids a part of their ventures, blogging about theirlives together or using their pictures and time together as fodder for content.That’sfineforthem.Iwouldneverpresumetotellsomeoneelsehowtoraisehisor her family. My wife and I have decided that our kids are not part of mybusiness life,whichmeansIcan’t talkmuchaboutmylifeathome.ButI feelgreat about the timewe spend together, and they seempretty happy, too.The

bottomline?Effort!

CHAPTER7CONTENTANDCONTEXT

IN THIS CHAPTER I TALK ABOUT THINKING LIKE ASUPERMARKET, THE TRUTH ABOUT AUTOMATING,BUILDINGTRUSTONTWITTER,ANDBARTERINGYOURWAYTOTHENEXTBIGLEVEL.

Peoplebuywith theirhearts,not theirheads,andthewaytoeveryconsumer’sheartisthroughagoodstory.

TheGreeksrecitedtheirstories,themedievalbardssangtheirs,andthentheprintingpressdominatedformorethanfivehundredyears.Lessthanacenturyagowestartedputtinga lotofstorieson radioand television.Todaywe tweetandblogandVine.Butevenastheplatformsanddistributionchannelschange,the rulesofgood storytellinghave remained the same forbusinesses since thebeginning of commerce: The quality of a brand’s storytelling is directlyproportional to the quality of its content. If it’s not good, no one will payattention.

Whatdefinesqualitycontentnowadays?

Itappealstotheheart.It’sshareable.It’snativetotheplatformonwhichitappears.Itbreaksthroughthenoise.

Ifindthatlastoneironic.Notverylongagoitwasonlybigbrandsthathadthemuscle to blast their story all over the radio, newspapers,magazines, andTV.Today’smarketer,however,doesn’thavetoinvestinaprintingpress,orasatellite,orbuyexpensiveadvertising.Youdon’tevennecessarilyneedasalesteaminordertodistributeyourstoryanymore.You’resoluckytohaveaccesstotheInternetandbeable touse its tools toputoutyourcontent.Unfortunately,everyone else has them, too. That low bar to entry means that the field isridiculouslycrowded,andit’sgettingharderandhardertogetnoticed.

Whichiswhyit’ssovitallyimportantthateveryonefrombigorganizationsto solopreneurs to small companies start thinking and acting like mediacompanies. Sure, you’re selling liquor, or tech, or original art, but the verysurvival of your companywill dependondistributingyour story throughyourcontent as often as possible to as many people as possible. And not just anycontent,butcontentthatbringsvaluetoyourcurrentcustomerswhileattractingnewcustomersaswell.Netflixgetsit.That’swhytheystartedmakingtheirownTVseries.SodoesStarbucks,which isdevelopingoriginaldocumentaries thattie into themes relevant to the socially conscious brand. Red Bull, too, isproducing original videos, articles, and news covering sports, lifestyle, andculture. If you’re not putting out good content on a regular basis, youwill bedrownedoutbyallthecompanieswhoare.YouwillbeBlockbustervideo.YouwillbeBorders.YouwillbethecarriagedriverwhoboughtalotofhorsesjustasthefirstModelTdroveoffthelot.

This advice goes for individuals, too. Like it or not, unless you’re livingcompletelyoffthegridyou’vegotanonlineidentity,andeveryone,fromdatestoschoolstoemployers,willrelyontheInternettoseewhattheycanlearnaboutyoubeforeevermeetingyou.It’sinyourbestinteresttoshapewhattheysee.Ifyou’renotproducingcontent,youdon’texist.

It takesfarmoretimethanmoney,soforawhileyoumayhavetoallocateyourtimedifferentlythanyoumighthavebeentaughtbackinb-school.Staffing,strategizing,andsellingareallimportant,butifyoumust,takeafewhoursawayfrom those operations every day and put that time toward creating content.That’showyouscaletheunscalable.

You don’t have to have a billion dollars like Starbucks or Red Bull tobecomeyourownmediacompany.Allyouhavetodoisputthetimeinandbeaware of emerging social networks. That’s how I got my start. I didn’t havemillionsofdollarstogetWineLibrary’sstoryoutthere.IdistributedmycontentontheseweirdnewplatformscalledTwitterandFacebookandYouTube.They

were freeandeasy touse, andnooneelse therewasdoingwhat Iwasdoing,whichmeantmycontentgotnoticed.Nowyou’vegotInstagramandSnapchat,Medium and Meerkat, and many, many more. Mold your content so it feelsnativetotheseplatformsandcreatescontext,scratchingtheemotionalitchthatdrew your consumer to the platform in the first place.Meanwhile, keep youreyesopentothenewup-and-comers.Takeadvantageoftheplatformsnooneisusing yet.Make themwork for you. People and brands are using content andcontexttobecomestarsonthemeveryday.

Cananyonecreategoodmicro-content?Howcanyoumakesureyourteamconsistentlycreatesgoodcontent?

Ofcourseanyonecancreategoodcontent.It’sallabouthavingrespect.First, respect the platforms. A forty-year-old woman is looking for

somethingdifferentonFacebookthanonPinterest.Ontheformershe’skeepingupwithherfriendsandfamily,andonthelattershe’sprobablyshopping,doingresearch, collecting ideas, and searching for inspiration. So you have tostrategize around that and adapt your storytelling accordingly. On Pinterest,you’dcreategorgeousphotographsorsupercoolinfographicsshemightwanttoaddtoherboard,butonFacebook,you’dwriteazingy,funnystatusupdateorashort article about something in the cultural zeitgeist that she might becompelled to like or even share. Medium and LinkedIn have a similarintellectualvibeandsometimessharetheiraudience,buteventhenifyouhavethetimeit’sgreatifyoucanaddsomethinguniquetoeachpieceyoupost.Feelfree to repurpose material across platforms, including what you post on yourblog—just don’tmake it look or feel like recycledmaterial. Content is neverone-size-fits-all.

Second, respect your audience. That means putting out content the forty-year-oldwomanwouldlike,notthecontentyouwouldlike.Inotherwords,nottherighthooksyou’reitchingtothrowtogetthisforty-year-oldwomantobuyyour product or service.At least, not at first.And not often. If Iwant to sellwine, I can get much closer to my consumer with content that intrigues andamuseslike“FiveBottlesUnder$10ThatHelpYouGetThroughtheDayWhenYouHave8-Year-OldKids,” thanwith“FiveReasonsMyWine Is theBest!”Byputtingoutcontentmyaudiencewantstoreadorseeorwatch,I’mdrawing

herin,gaininghertrust,andmakingmybrandadestination.That’sgoingtobealotmorevaluableinthelongrunthanaforgettableone-offsalespitch.

Good content should rarely be about what you want. Instead think aboutwhatyouraudiencewants,andgivethemlotsandlotsofit.

Now,thesecondpartofthisquestionisinteresting.Whatifyou’renolongerdirectlyresponsibleformakingyourcompany’scontent?Whatifyou’vegrownenoughwhereyouhavetotrustyourteamtodoitforyou?

That’s a tough one.You’ve brought your brand or business to success byinfusing it with your essence and your spirit, and now somehow you have toteachothers tobasicallybeyou. I think it’sdone throughosmosis.Startat thevery beginning,when you hire your first employee.Hire peoplewhowant tolearn, and stick close to them. Talk to them, allow them to be a part of yourthinking,involvethemintheprocess.Youbasicallywanttopouryourpointofview,ideas,andvaluesintothewaterofyourorganization,andgiveyourteamlotsofchancestodrink.Ifthey’veproperlyabsorbedtheessenceofyourbrand,and they know how to respect platforms and consumers, they should startcreatingexactlythekindofcontentyouwouldonyourown.

Ifyouownedahockeyteam,whatwouldyoudowithSnapchat?

I’drecognizethatSnapchatskewsyoungandputsoutcontentthatkidsages13–35careabout.I’ddrawonthepictures,runcontests,andcomeupwithideasthatreallyengagethatdemographicandmakethembelievethatIhearthemandamgratefulfortheirattention.Iwouldn’tevenbothertotrytoreachmy40–60-year-old season ticket holders, because they’re not there yet, though by 2018 myfeelingistheywillbe.Snapchatisagoldmineofopportunityforanyteamthatwantstocreaterealrelationshipsandbuildloyaltywithitsyoungfans.

DR.THIAGOMORAES

FOUNDEROFGALLOPERANDVACOVET

tmequine.com

WhatareyourthoughtsaboutthenewTLDextensionsmarket?We’ve seen some new extensions sold for good money, likedui.attorney. Is thisgoing to takeoffaspeopleexpect? Is thissomethingthatVaynerMediawouldbeton?

ThenewTLD(top-leveldomains)extensiongame is really intriguing tome. Ithinkitwillbasicallyplayoutalongthelinesofsupplyanddemand.Thefactisthat.comaddresseshaveenormousvaluebecausebackintheearlydaysoftheInternet, .comwas really theonlymarket (alongwith .netand .org).So ifyouwanted to own the word car, orwine, or tennis, .com became the one placewhere you could really do that for real. There was only one cars.com, andthousandsofpeoplecompetedfor it.As thenewTLDsbecomemoreacceptedby themarket, the value of .com domains will crash. I think they’re openingPandora’s box,whichwillmake this interesting towatch.On the other hand,I’ve also got a hunch that people are lazy. It’s tough to teach people newbehaviors, so it’s safe to assume that .com domains will retain most of theirvalueforquitesometime.

Everyonevisitingmysitewillbethereforcustommusic.ShouldIdelaythemwithcontent?

Your question itself reveals your problem. You want to delay people withcontent?That’smessedup.Itmeansyourstrategyistofindvaluethatsuitsyou,notcontentthatbringsyourcustomersanyvalue.Thelastthingpeoplewantistobedelayed.Theydo,however,wanttobeintrigued.Sogivethemsomethingthatwillmakethemgladtheystoppedforanextratensecondsorfourminutes.Maybepostbehind-the-scenesvideosofyoucomposingyourmusic,orashortblurb of you greeting people and sharing your thoughts for the day.Make itpersonal,andmakeitoneofthereasonspeoplecometoyoursite.Fewpeoplecometothebarjustbecausethere’sadartboard,butitsuremakestheplacealotmorefun.

Ifyouaretryingtoselladsandtryingtoencourageviewerstospendmoretimeonyoursitesothatyoucanleveragethattoadvertisers,youhavetodoitorganically, not by making it hard for consumers to get what they came for.

Think like a supermarket.Supermarketsknowyoucame for essentials so theyputthemilkandeggsfarawayfromtheentrancesothatyouhavetotravelthewhole store to get what you came for. Along the way they try to show youendcapsanddisplaysof items to raiseyourbill,but theydon’tblock themilkfromyouormakeyougodownstairs.

What’s the best way to grow a following or community fromnothing?

Putoutqualitycontenteverydayandengagearoundit.It really is that simple and that difficult. No one becomes a sensation by

accident. The talent to put out content is only one piece of the equation.Onepercent of themagic.One percent of peoplewhomake it big in socialmediamightdoitoncontentcreationtalentalone,buttherestofushavetoworkourbuttsofftobringourcommunityintoseewhatwe’recreating.Youcanhaveaterrific idea for aYouTube show, but if you don’t get that content out you’llhavenothingaroundwhichtobuildyourcommunity.Andifyoudon’tputinthework to engage, rarely will anyone see your content. The two almost alwaysworktogether,especiallyinthebeginning.

It’shardtoputoutcontenteveryday,andevenharderwhenyou’vegothighstandards. But you’ve got to try. Eventually scale can take over and puremomentumkicks inandyoucan ride thewaveofall thatwork,but thatworkreallyneverendsifyouwanttheamazingupsideoffame,money,oraccolades.Whetheryou’reputtingoutpicturesonPinterest,drawingsonSnapchat,photosonInstagram,avideo,orawrittenblog,youneedtofocusongettingasclosetothatdailygoalaspossible.BuzzFeedputsoutatonofcontentallday,everyday,rangingonavarietyoftopics.SethGodin,ontheotherhand,putsouthisbesteffort once a day. Either scenario will work so long as the content is highquality.Ifyoucan’tkeepthatup,sixdaysisbetterthanfive,fiveisbetterthanfour, and four is better than three.And if you can only comeupwith enoughideasorenergytoputoutcontentonceortwiceaweek,wellthen,that’swhatitis,thoughitlimitsyourchancesfortheexposureyou’llneedtoplaythisgame.

Givepeoplesomethingtolookforwardto.Keepyourselfonyouraudience’sradar.Createcontextbyrespondingtocommentsandotherwiseengagingpeoplesotheyknowwhoyouare,thatyou’repayingattention,andthatyoucare.Give

themeverypossibleopportunitytoshareyournamewithsomeonewhodoesn’tknow you yet and to become part of the conversation.Work hard and smart.There’snoreasonyoucan’tdoboth.

The company I’mworking for has a great story butwe’re notgettingtheengagementwehopedwewould.Isitworthwhiletopromote our Facebook posts, tweets, and LinkedIn posts inordertogainmoreengagementfromoursocialposts?

Easy:yes.Promotingpostsisalmostalwaysagoodinvestmentifyoucanaffordtotargetproperly.IcouldgointodetailabouthowtouseTwitterandFacebookadshere,butyoucanfindthatinformationinChapters9and10.Instead,letmeaskyouaquestion:

Areyousureyourcontentisasgoodasyouthinkitis?Remember, youneed toputout content your audience likes, notwhatyou

like.There’saneasywaytoknowifyourcontentisvaluable:Lookat therawengagement numbers. How many people are sharing? How many people areleaving comments? How many views are your videos getting? If you areprovokinga reaction in thepeopleconsumingyourcontent,and they’re takingtimeoutoftheirdaytoshareit,that’sgreatnews.Payattention.

Then, lookat thebigpicture.Howmanypeopleareactuallybuying?Howmanybooksdidyousellbecauseyouprovidedfreecontent?Onwhatdaysdosalesspike?Alwayskeeptrackofwhatisgoingoutwhen,andhowthataffectstraffictoyourretailsiteorapp.

Let’ssayyourengagementnumbersaren’twhatyou’d like themtobe,butyou’reutterlyconfidentyourcontent’squality and subject arehitting the rightnotes. Is it possible the problem is with your actual storytelling? Is itcontextuallyappropriatefortheplatform?Areyouusingtherighthashtags?Areyoulinkingproperly?Isyourcontenttherightlength?Areyourlogosallintherightspots?Therearecertainstorytellingdetailsuniquetoeveryplatformwhosepresenceor lack thereofcanmakeorbreakapieceofcontent.Areyouhittingevery oneof themevery time? (If youneed a refresher, I discuss eachone indetailinJab,Jab,Jab,RightHook.)

This iswhycontentandengagementcanrarelystandalone.Thequalityofonealmostalwaysaffectsthereachandeffectivenessoftheother.

What’sbetterforcontent,bloggingorvlogging?

Whatareyougoodat?Youcancrushanything ifyou’regoodat it. I’mnotagreatwriter,butboycanImakea terrificvideo.SoIfocusonmakingvideos,and then I delegate the transcription of those videos to someone else tomakesurepeoplewholiketoreadtheircontentgetwhattheyneed.

SinceI’vestartedThe#AskGaryVeeShowI’vespentalotoftimelookingatothervideosandhavebeenaskedbymanytotakealookattheirversionofmyshow.Manyarebelowaverageatbest.Makingcompellingvideosisclearlynotthese people’s strength. Many of them would do better communicating theirideasthroughillustrationsorcartoons,articles,orpodcasts.Theyneedtofocuson their strengths, find someother outlet for their content, and put everythingtheyhaveintoit.Ibetthey’dseeanincredibleincreaseintheirengagementandreach.

I have 39K Instagram followers and I average about 250 likesperphoto. Ialso run the Instagramaccount for thecompany Iworkfor,andwehave6Kfollowersandalsoget250likesperphoto.WhatamIdoingwrongonmypersonalaccount?

Logically,twoaccountswithsuchvastlydifferenttotalsoffollowersshouldnotbegettingthesamenumberoflikesperphoto.Whenthishappens,it’sbecauseyour companybrand ismorebeloved to its community thanyou are to yours.We can’t know why people like or follow someone else on Instagram, oranywhere else for thatmatter.Maybe they think you’re someone else.Maybethey likedonepictureyouposted,gotboredby therest,andforgotaboutyou.Very fewpeople activelygoback into their accounts anddelete thepeopleorbrands inwhomthey’ve lost interest,because it’snot reallyworth the trouble,andFacebook’salgorithmsmakeitsothattheycan’tseewhattheydon’tengagewithregularly.Ithinkthisisapracticethatotherplatformsmightreplicateinthefuture.

Sohowdowerestorethesefollowers’interestinyou?Lookatwhatyoupostforyourselfandwhatyoupost foryourcompany.What’s thedifference?This

particularquestioncamefromsomeonestorytellingonInstagram.Instagramisaplacewherehumanemotionreigns.Thephotosonthecompanysitewerefilledwith people; the individual account was filled with pictures of buildings andtunnels. Theywere good pictures, but theyweren’twhat people on Instagramgenerallyrespondto.Therewasnomix,andthereneededtobe.

The same analysis needs to be done on any platformwhere you runmorethan one account where one is performing well and the other isn’t. Try toincorporatewhat’sworkinginoneintotheotherandseeifthathelps.

Should I post articles on my blog and just mention them onsocial, or post natively on sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, andMedium?Orboth?

Mostpeople try to tell newmarketers that theyneed toown their content andkeepiton theirownsiteso theycanmonetize it,usuallywith low-payingads.The problem is thatwhen you’re only posting on your own site you’re at themercyofthetrafficthatgoesthere.Formostpeoplethat’snotahugenumber,oratleastit’snotasmanyvisitorsasthey’dlike.Butifyoupostcontentonsiteswhere the potential for virality isn’t dependent on your popularity but on thequalityofyourcontent,youcangainalotoffollowers.IhavealotofreachandfansbutIstillloveMedium,becausewhenIpostsomethingandIcanseethat1,950 people have read it, I’m relatively confident that often asmany as 700haveneverheardofmebefore.That’s700peoplewhonowknowmyname,whomightgo tomy site, orhitmeuponTwitterorFacebook,ormight sharemycontenton theirownsites.Andwhensomething like thathappens to someonewithonly400followers,itcanhaveanevenbiggerimpactonhisorherbrandorbusiness. In short, don’t worry so much about owning and monetizing yourcontent,especiallyearlyon.Getitoutwhateverwayyoucan,andworryaboutmonetizingtheresultslater.

What do you think of the recentOmnicom advice tomove 25percentofadbudgetstoonlinevideoandthespaceingeneral?

Onlinevideoisatthetopofthedogpilewhenitcomestocontent,soI’mallformovingtraditionalmediadollarstowardit.ButIseealotofpeoplemisplacingthemoneyandmisplayingthatmove.Ifyoutellpeopletospendonly25percentof their adbudgetononlinevideo, they tend to think theyonlyneed to spend15–20percentofthatonthevideoproduction.Thequality.Theverystuffitself.Thatmeans80–85percentallocatedfordistribution.Sothedollarsaren’tbeingspenton improving thequalityof thevideo, justongettingmorevideo reach.And the same thing goes for content and distribution as goes for content andengagement—togettheresultsyouwant,theyhavetoworktogether.Allocatingmoremoneytoonlinevideoisn’tgoingtodoyouanygoodifthebulkofyourmoney is spent on pounding out hard-core right hooks that nobody likes. Tomost marketers, online video means pre-rolls on YouTube—the ones thatconsumersimmediatelytaboutoforignorewhilecheckingtheircellphoneforthefifteensecondsitplays,anddon’tactuallyconsume.Orapop-upvideo—thekindthattakesupthirtysecondsofpeople’stimebeforeitallowsthemtoreadthearticle theycame for.Youknow,horribly intrusiveandannoyingcrap, thestuffthatstealstime,oneofourpreciousassets.SowhenIhearmarketersbeingtoldtoallocatetheirbudgetstoonlinevideo,Ihearthembeingadvisedtospendmore on stuff that no one wants, which is pointless, and therefore very badadvice.

Whatwouldbegoodadvice?Move25percentofyouradbudgettocreatingreallygreatonlinevideosthat

bringvaluetoyourcustomer.Ifyou’renotmakingagoodvideo,whocaresifyoudistributeittoamillion

people?Makeinterestingandengagingcontentthatspeakstothepeopleyouaretrying to sell to. Figure out the most native ways to distribute it on multipleplatforms (including and especially Facebook ads andSnapchat andmore andmore).

Shortorlongvideos?What’sthevalue?

Qualitytrumpseverything.Backin2007,YahooandGoogleseparatelyflewmeouttoCaliforniatofigureoutwhymythirty-minuteWineLibraryTVwasdoingso well, even though all their research told them that people preferred shortonline videos. Eight years later many marketing gurus are still spewing that

videoshavetobeshortorelsenoonewillwatchthem.Butthat’sjustnottrue.I like short and long, so long as it’s good. Avatar was a three-plus-hour

movie.Peopleloveditandsatthroughit.Therearesix-secondVinesouttherethat peoplewon’twatch to the end. Length has nothing to dowith quality orvalue;it’sallaboutyourmessageandwhatyoudowithintheconstraintsoftheplatformyouwanttouse.

Howdonewandsmallchannelsgaina followingwhenpeopledon’tengage?

During the early days ofWineLibraryTV the only peoplewatchingweremymomanda few friends.But thequalityof theprogramwas reallygoodand Ihustled, so the show broke out. That’s all you can do: put out great content,engage with your tiny audience, and go out and try to get exposure for yourcontent by collaborating or getting press or guest posting on someone else’splatform. If you’re watching The #AskGaryVee Show today it may seem likeperhapsI’mnotengagingwithmyaudiencewithquitethe24/7mentalityItellothersto,andit’struetheengagementisnotwhereWLTVwas.Butstill,everydayandaftereveryepisodeispostedIspendthirtytoninetyminutesreadingandengagingwithmyaudience,andnotadaygoesbythatIdon’tseefourtofivecommentsofappreciation.AtthispointI’mcapitalizingontenyearsofawell-executedengagementaroundmycontent.Hopefullyonedayyouwillbeabletodothesame.

There’sonemore thingyoumightdo ifyou’re struggling toget fans:Askyourselfifyouhaveenoughbusinessdevelopmentchops.Ifyoureallythinkyouhave unique content that’s just not tapping into the right audience or gainingvisibility(aromanticnotionatworst,anaudaciousoneatbest),thenmaybeyouneed to partner up with someone who can do “biz dev” better than you. It’sworthashot,because thealternative is thatyou’redelusionalandyourstuff isreallyjustaverage.

TIMOTHYM.EVANS

FOUNDER/CEO—ATHLETEWEBDESIGN

FOUNDER/CEO—ATHLETEWEBDESIGN

@TIMOTHYMEVANS

www.timothymevans.com

Gary, what would you say to the current pro athlete, retiredathlete, or even an up-and-coming athlete who is gettingscholarshipoffers,whowants tobrand themselves?Shouldanathlete have an official website? If businesses are nowconsideredmediacompanies,shouldathletesbethinkingalongthesesamelines?

Yes.Thedayanathleteretires,heorsheisdramaticallylessvaluablethantheday

before. It’sbeen incredible towatchover thepast fewyearshowdramatic thedepreciationisforanathleteuponretirement,evenMVPsandHallofFamers.Soit’simperativetostayinfrontofyouraudienceateverystageinyourathleticcareer,whetherbycreatingcontentor justhavingadestination foryourPOV.Forexample,DerekJeterjustwrotehisthoughtsonYogiBerra’spassingonhisownsite,ThePlayer’sTribune. I thinkcontent is importantbecauseit leadstoother revenue streams available to retired players, like public appearances,speakingengagements,andotheropportunities.

Forayoungerplayer, itcouldmeanthedifferencebetweengettingscoutedbyanNCAADivision1schoolandaDivision2schoolbecausesomerecruitermight have discovered you based on a video shared out of you making anincrediblecatch.ThedaysofsendingVHStapestoeveryschoolareover.Nowyou’reputtingcontentoutontheInternetinthehopesofbeingdiscoveredinthesamewayeverythingelsegetsdiscovered.

Finally,it’satremendoushedgeagainstmainstreammedia.Playersareoftenmisquoted, or their statements are taken out of context. With their ownplatforms, both on social and on awebsite, they have a chance to stay on theoffense.Thesekindsofplatformsareanextremelyhealthyway forathletes tokeep themediaatbay inaworldwhere themedia isonly interested insellingitselfandproducingheadlinesthataren’trealstories.

Asiteandapersonalbrandaretremendouslyimportantineverystageofanathlete’s career—pre, during, and post—and bring massive value in allowingplayerstocommunicateontheirownterms.

You say to put quality content out daily. Can I add curatedcontent,andifso,what’sthemix?

I can patmyself on the back for putting out a tremendous amount of originalcontent,butatthesametimeoneofmybiggestweaknessesismylackofcuratedcontent. I should do it more, like Guy Kawasaki. Have you seen how manypiecesofcuratedcontentheputsout?Hundreds!I’dliketo,becauseit’sasmarttactic,butIhave thesameproblemwithcuratingcontentasIdowithofferingquotesforbooks:IfI’mgoingtodoit,Ihavetoreaditfirst.AndwhileImaketimeformany,manythingsthatareimportanttome,readingisn’toneofthem.But if Iaddedcuratedcontent tomyoriginalmaterial, itwouldbringmeevenmoreexposureandcreatemoreopportunity.CuratingislikeDJ’ingtheworld’scontentandspinningitinyourvoice.Inaworldwherecontextiseverything,it’sanenormousskill.

Platforms are recognizing that content is more valuable when people areallowedtoaddtheircontexttoitandarebuildingthetoolstoallowthemtodoiteasily. One of the reasons I invested in Tumblr was that it encouragedreblogging.And I love the potential of Twitter’s quote retweet that gives you250 characters to work with. Your thoughts and opinions about GeorgeClooney’sweddingorApplehave realvaluewhenyoucancontextualize it toyour audience’s world, whether it’s music, restaurants, yoga, or pumpkinfarming.

I work in two different spaces. How do I use social mediaplatformssothatI’mnotconfusingmyaudience?

Thereareacoupleofwaysyoucanhandlethis.Let’ssayyou’retalkingbusinessandwine.Onestrategy,whichisprobablytheeasierofthetwo,istocreatetwoseparate accounts on every platform—two profiles on Twitter, two pages onFacebook, two different boards on Pinterest, and so on—dedicated to theirrespective topic. The other, harder option is to become aRenaissance person,andbecomesobrandedinbothtopicsthateveryoneknowstheycancometoyouforoneortheotherandgetequallygoodinformationorentertainment.Buteven

if you do that, you’ll still need to target specific audiences with promotedcontentandFacebookadstomakesurethattherightpeopleareseeingwhatyouwantthemtosee.Youhavetoadjusttoeachplatformtoensureyourstorytellingisalwaysgivingyouraudiencewhatitwants.

IsthereawaytodrivetraffictoawebsitewhenpostingcontentdirectlytoFacebook?

Facebookiscontentawarenessgold.Postalinktoanarticleorvideoandifyourpostearnsenoughlikes,shares,andcomments,youcanjuststepbackandallowtheawarenesstogroworganically.Butifyouwantthingstomovealittlefaster,oryouwanttohedgeyourbets,youcanactivelydriveacraploadofviewswithFacebookads.It’sabsolutelyworththeinvestment.

Should I wait until my website is 100 percent built beforeputtingoutcontentorputoutcontentwhileI’mstillbuildingit?

TommyMottola,theex-presidentofSony,oncetoldmeprivatelythatheneverletanyofhisartistsgoonTVuntilhewasreadytosellsomething.Histhinkingwas that itwouldbe awastedopportunity if a fan saw the artist performand,inspired,rantothestoretobuytheCDonlytofindoutitwasn’tcomingoutforanotherweek.Inthatcontextitmadesensetowait.Butwhat’syourobjective?Tosell,right?Iftheonlyplaceyoucangetyourgoalaccomplished,whetherit’ssellingaproductorgettingpeopletosignupforsomethingordosomething,isonyourwebsite,thenobviouslyyouneedtofinishthewebsite.Buthowoftenisthat the case nowadays? How often are we really limited to our sites to dobusiness?

WhenVaynerMediawasinitsearlydays,ourwebsitewasgarbagebymostpeople’s standards.We didn’t mention the workwewere doing ormake anyreferencetoourclients.Welookedlikeweweregoingoutofbusiness.Ididthatonpurpose.Wewereanewagency,andIwasDavid.Andwhenyou’reDavid,youdon’tplayGoliath’sgame. Ineeded tomakesure that thebiggeragenciesdidn’t know how big we were actually getting. This can be an enormously

helpfulstrategywhenyou’renewtothefieldandyouwanttostaybeneathyourcompetitors’radar.Yougetcreativewithyourcontent,curating,addingcontext,andputtingoutoriginalpiecesthatdon’tnecessarilytalkaboutyourbusinessbutdoestablishyouasanauthorityandaplaceforpeopletoconveneonatopic.

Ifyoucanachieveyourbusinessobjectiveoutsidethewebsite,doit,becausenot only are you executing, you’re also telling your story, which builds upleverageandequitythatyoucanuselatertodrivepeopletoyourwebsiteifyouwant to. Don’t ever waste time or opportunity. Sell against the impressionsyou’regettinginsocial.Ifyoucanmakeyourmoneyordothethingyouwanttodo natively on a platform, do it there.And you knowwhat?Do it there evenwhenyourwebsiteis100percentcomplete.Useeverychannelyou’vegot.

Should I avoid doing podcasts or videos if I have a foreignaccent?

Imight be a little biasedbecause all ofmy relatives haveRussian accents, sowhen I hear one itmakesme feel comfortable and at home.Are there certainAmericans who think accents reflect untrustworthiness and inferiority? Yup.Thereareidiotseverywhere.But therearemany,manymorepeopleforwhomaccents don’t matter at all. Obviously, because many of the most successfulentrepreneursinthiscountrydohaveaccents.HaveyoueverheardSergeyBrinspeak?

You’renevergoing topleaseeveryone. Idon’thaveanaccentbuta lotofpeople don’t like the way I speak, either—too much cursing, arrogance, andbravado.Butthereareprosandconstoeverything.Whatalienatesmefromoneperson is probably the very thing that draws someone else with a differentsensibilitytome.Ifyouthinkyoucanskillfullycommunicatethroughavideooraudiopodcast,investinitandthemarketwillcometoyouifyou’regoodatit.Ifyou’renot,don’tdoit,becausetheywon’tcomeanditwon’tbebecauseofyouraccent. Try it for 180 days and seewhat happens. Seewhat does and doesn’twork (be honest!), adjust, and then decide whether it’s worth the effort tocontinuedownthispathortryanother.

If you’re not from an English-speaking country, should youproducecontentinEnglishtoreachahighernumberofpeople,or should you produce content in the native language of yourcountry?

Simple:Youshouldbespeakinginthelanguageofthepeopleyouwanttoreach.So if you’re trying to reach consumers who speak your native tongue, that’swhat you should use. The only exception might be if English is a secondlanguageinyourcountryand80or90percentofitsinhabitantsarecomfortablewithit,too.IfEnglishhasabiggerstakeintheoverallmarketyouwanttoreach,useitexclusively.

That said, maybe you want to reach your native language speakers andEnglish speakers.OnFacebookyoucan, so longasyouplanyourdistributionaheadoftimebyusingthetargetingcapabilitiesthatallowyoutosegmentyouraudience anddecidewhere your contentwill go by language and region.Youcan’t target so easily on the other platforms, but some people get around thatcreatively.IhaveaformerclientthatusedSpanglishonTwitterandPinterest.Itworksforthem.Whycouldn’titworkforyou?

I am growingmy business and looking to include partners forcontent. What’s the best way to recruit them? Money? Thepromiseofexposure?

Youhavetoknowwhatwillmotivatethepeopleyou’retryingtoconnectwith.Ifyouhaveabigenoughplatformtocreateexposure,peoplewilldoitforfree.WhydoyouthinkDRockofferedtomakeavideoformeprobono?Becauseheknewitwouldbegoodforhisexposure.Someexperienceshavemorelong-termworth thanmoney. The reason I’mwilling to accept other people’s freeworkandhustleisthatIknowthatbygivingthemashout-outIcanhelpthem.That’swhat I was thinking when I agreed to let DRock film “Clouds and Dirt”; IfiguredI’dgetacoolvideoandhe’dgetsomethinggoodforhisportfolio.Itfeltlikeaneventrade.ButthenwhenIsawtheextentofDRock’stalent,Irealizedthat he was actually bringing me something way more valuable than a five-

minute video. He could amp up my entire video content production. So Iswoopedin,andthisshowexistsbecausehecouldprovidetheinfrastructure.

Tailor your approach to each potential partner by offering him or her thethingtheyvaluemost.Maybeit’smoney.Maybeit’syourRolodex.Maybeit’sexposure.Studyupandmakenoassumptions.

Howmuchtimedoyouspendcreatingasinglepieceofcontent?Doyoufocusonvideobecauseit’smorenaturalforyou?

I’matalker,sovideohasalwaysbeenmybestchannelforcommunicatingmythoughtsandideas.Itwasn’talwayseasy.IusedtohavetowalkaroundwithaFlipcamandfollowthiswholeconvolutedprocesstogetmyvideosonline.NowwhenIuseTwitter’svideoproduct,forexample,IcanworkstraightthroughtheTwitterapp.So technically it’smucheasier forme tocreatemyvideocontentthan it ever has been, and it takesme very little time. If you’re seeingmorewritten content fromme now, it’s because I have a team in place to helpmeadaptthevideosintointerestingwrittenpieces.

Idon’teverstressoverwhatI’mgoingtosayinavideoorhowit’sgoingtolook.Whateverhappenshappens.We’relivinginaculturewherefourteen-year-oldgirlsaretakingfortyminutestotakeapicturebecausetheykeepfutzingwiththelighting,andthenifthepicturedoesn’tgetenoughlikestheytakeitdown.Icouldn’tcarelessaboutlightingortheangles;IknowI’mpretty.WhatIdocareaboutissubstance,andthat’swhereallmyeffortgoes.

You’vetalkedbeforeabout“recycling”atweet,butwhataboutother content such as a blog post? How often do you pull apiecefromthearchivestodustitoffandrepublish?

Ihaven’trecycledalot,thoughit’ssomethingImightconsiderdoingmorenowthatIhaveateamtohelpmeadaptpiecesofcontent.Infact,theyareconstantlyonthelookoutfornuggetsfromThe#AskGaryVeeShowthatcanbeturnedintoarticles,infographics,animatedGIFs,andshortmovies.Idothinkit’svaluableforpeople to lookbackon theirowncontent (thoughIadmit I rarelydo it). It

canbeinterestingtorevisityourpositionandputouta2.0versionofapiecethatresonatedwellwithyouraudience.

Whatmightbemorevaluable toyouthanrecyclinganoldpiece,however,wouldbetofocusonputtingoutcontentacrossmultipleplatformsinaveryjab-jab-jab-right-hook way. At the time I was writing this book I had startedrepurposingmoreandmoreacrossdifferentplatformswithtweakstotitlesandpicturesandIwasseeingthevalue.

I spend ten to fifteen hours on image posts I make for mycompanyonsocialmedia.Theyarehand-drawnletteringpostsaswellascomputerdrawn.Igetwaymorelikesonmyhand-drawnpoststhanthecomputer-drawnones.Butletteringtakesalongtimetodo,andIdon’t thinkIcankeepupadailysocialmediacontentoutput.WhatshouldIdo?

Isuspectalotofartistshavehadsimilardilemmas.Qualityandartisticintegrityis imperative, but you can’t let yourself get paralyzed by perfectionism.Wheneveryoureffortisdisproportionatetothevalueyougetinreturnfordoingwork, you have to make an adjustment. How many times have you beenabsolutelysureyouweregoingtomissadeadline,andthenmiraculouslypulledit off? It’s amazing how fast and efficiently we can work when we forceourselves.

Contentcreatesopportunity,andifyoucan’tproducethecontentattherateyouraudiencewantsitorthatbenefitsyou,yourbusinesswon’tsurvive.Sogetfaster.Experiment.Seewhatyoucanaccomplishintwohours.Evenifyouhatetheresultsoryouseelessengagementthanusual,dothisseveraltimesinarow.First of all, practice will help you get more efficient. Second, you might besurprisedathowmuchyouraudiencestilllikeswhatyouproduce.

Is it wrong to have my Pinterest account tied to my TwitteraccountsowhenIposttoPinterestitautopoststoTwitter?

Yes,itiswrong.Whydoyoutweet?Togetyourmessageout.What’sthebestwaytogetyourmessageout?Tomakenativecontent.WhyonearthwouldyouuseTwitterasaPinterestdistributorwhenyoucouldjusttellyourstorydirectlyonTwitter?MaybeautopostingonTwitter fromInstagram is efficient,but it’snotparticularlycompelling.

How can I takemywebsite to the next level bymaking it goviralandincreasingsalesandvisibility?

Content, content, content. It’s the gateway drug to subscriptions, sales, andeverythingelse.Ifyou’rejuststartingout,obviouslyyoujusthavetohustleandput out as much quality content as you can. But what if you’ve been at thisawhile, seen some success, made a name for yourself, and want to go evenbigger?Thewaytodothatonabigscalewithoutspendingtoomuchmoneyisto use your brand equity to your advantage. Find people who can bring youvalue who could benefit from exposure in your industry, and offer them thechancetocreatecontentforyoursite.Youcouldoffersomepayment,butyou’dbesurprisedathowmanyyoungpeopleorretireeswholovetalkingaboutyourindustryortopicwoulddothiskindofworkforverylittle,andmaybeevenforfree, because they believe your brand equity isworth asmuch to them in thelongrunasmoney.Choosecarefully—makesurethepeopleyouapproachwillbringyouasmuchvalueasyoucanbringthem.Andthenworktogethersoyouall benefit.Your team’s enthusiasm and the content’s qualitywill shinewheneveryonefeelstheyhaveastakeinaproject’ssuccess.

IpostedavideoonFacebookthatgot2,700viewsand35sharesinoneday.It tookoneyearformetogetthesamenumberofviews on YouTube. Should I focus on creating videos forFacebookexclusively?

Onefancanbemorevaluablethan2,000ifit’stherightfan.Forthatreason,Iwould never tell anyone to abandon a platform entirely.Who knows, one of

thoseYouTubeviewersmaybe incredibly influential inyour industry.There’snoreasonwhyyoucan’tputvideoonbothYouTubeandFacebookatthesametime.Thecontentcouldbesimilar,withsmalleditsmadetomakesureeachisnativeand that thecalls toactionresonatewith their respectiveaudience.Thatsaid, I amvery optimistic about Facebook’s shareability,which has enormousupsidetomanyjuststartingout.

Since you’re such a fan of Facebook videos, do you plan onembedding them on your website instead of your YouTubevideos, and is it more beneficial to do so if you are notmonetizing?

There’s a lot of debate over the value of Facebook videos versus YouTubevideosbecauseofthedifferenceinthewaythetwoplatformsmeasureviews,orasYouTubecallsitnow,“watchtime.”ButIcarelessaboutahundredthousandviews on YouTube than I do about taking advantage of the virality possiblethrough Facebook. When you’re not monetizing, virality is everything, andFacebookgivesyourfansaneasywaytoshareyourcontentandgetnewpeopleto see it.Facebookgivesyoua chance tomakeagood first impression, and Ithinkit’sabetterplacetofindnewfansthanYouTube.Thatdoesn’tmeanthatYouTube isn’t a powerful platform and that you should dismiss the value ofsubscriptions. But not tasting what Facebook could be bringing to you is amistake. At the time of this writing the embed product isn’t there yet forFacebook—it’sstillclunky—butifitdoesgettherethat’sthefuture.

You say you don’t consume much media, but isn’t it kind ofnecessaryinordertoputoutrelevant,currentcontent?

The reason I produce so much relevant good content is that I listen to mycommunity.Idon’tneedtowatchothershowsorpayattentiontootherthoughtleaders to knowwhat people are strugglingwith or talking about. I can see iteveryday,rightthereonmyphone.AndbecauseIlistenwell,I’mabletocreate

contentthatspeakstomycommunity’sneeds.ThefactthatmycontentspreadstoandspeakstotheneedsofpeoplebeyondmycommunityprovesthatIknowmycraft.SoIguessyoucansaythepeopleIinteractwithandwhoconsumemytypeofcontentarethe“content”Iconsume.What’sgreataboutthisisthatmanyof these people have plenty of other interests and expertise, in areas rangingfromsciencetomusicandeverythinginbetween,whichallowsmetogetplentyofother“content,”too.

IsPinterestreallysuchagoodmarketingtool,andhowcouldasmallbusinesslikearestaurantuseitwell?

Pinterestwasoncejustaplacemainlyforsharing,but in the lastyearorsoaspeoplehavebecomeincreasinglyvisuallyorientedonline,ithasbecomethenewmust-havesearchengine.ManypeopleareusingPinterestasasearchengineinvisual form,and that’sabiggerdeal thanmost realize.Menarestarting tousePinterestalotmore,too.IthinkGoogleshouldbeshakinginitspants.

Now, as to how a small business should use Pinterest. Think visual.Infographicsdoreallywellthere.Ifyou’rearestaurant,sharebeautifulpicturesofyourfood,orbehind-the-scenesshotsinyourkitchenoroffice.Takephotosof the street where you’re located, or your neighbors and fellow businessowners.Giveusa sense thatyou’re invested inyour immediatecommunityaswell as the online one. Act like a media company and put out content that’sinteresting and valuable, not necessarily to you, but to your customers. ThinkmorelikeFoodNetworkorZagatandlesslikeasinglerestaurant.

Whatkindsofheadlinesattractyouonsocialmedia?

Usuallythingsthatscareme,like“Jetsrunningbackintrouble.”Icouldn’ttellyouspecificallywhatkindsofheadlinesreallyattractme.AllIknowisthatifIclickonone,thepersonwhowroteitisdoinghisorherjobwell.

Weallneedtoacceptthatthe“BuzzFeedification”ofmediaisinplay.WhentheNewYorkTimesusesslangandheadlinesanarticlewith“FiveWaysto...”youknowthetrendhasgonemainstream.Andsowhetheryou’reraisingmoney

forcharityorsellingboots,youneedtogetgoodatwritingthiskindofattention-grabbingcopy.Becauseifyoucan’t,you’reintrouble.Ofcourse,asmanymoreofuscreatetheseheadlinestheconsumerwillbecomeaccustomedtothem,andthentherewillbeanewthingthatwillstandout.Youshouldalwaysbetestingtoseeifyoucanbefirsttofigureoutwhatthosethingsmaybe.

Iknowyou’renotbigonautomation,butit’sareality.Howdoyoudecidewhatandwhentoautomate,andwhat’syourtakeonmarketingautomationsoftware?You’reanadvisortoHubSpot.Thoughtsonthatspace?

Let me be clear: You should never automate your content to pretend you’regeneratingthecontentrightthenandthere—inotherwords, tohelpyoufakeahumaninteraction.Ever.Especiallytweets,forreasonsyou’llreadaboutbelow.

Thatdoesnotmeanyoushouldnevereverautomate,though.Automation is extremely useful when you want to confirm receipt of an

online order, a registration or subscription, or email correspondence from acustomer.Itreassurespeoplethattheiremailsorordersaren’tdisappearingintotheether.Itofferspeaceofmind,andthat’sgoodcustomerservice.

There. Now you knowwhen you can automate. In almost all other cases,don’t.Here’swhy:

1. Itmakesyoulookinsincere.Automationshouldnotbeusedtoreplacehumaninteraction.Evenin

the case of an automated confirmation email, you should never sign offwithyourownname.Youcansignyourcompanyname,orevenas“TheTeam at Insert-Your-Company-Name-Here,” but unless you actuallyhand-typeyourcustomer’snameandhitthesendbutton,thatemailisnotreallyfromyou,andyoushouldn’tpretenditis.

Thinkabouthowmuchitmeanstogetapersonalreplyfromsomeonein today’sworld.The importancesocialmediausersplaceona tweetorfavorite from someone they admire, whether it’s an individual or acompany,ishuge.Let’ssayyouarrangeforanyonewhofollowsyouonTwitter to receive a direct message that says, “Thanks for the follow

@whoeveryouare!” Now you’ve led Whoeveryouare to believe thatyou’reactuallyengaging.Butyou’renot.And that’snotonlydishonest,it’sspammy.SameifyouautomateafollowonFacebook.Imeanreally,doesittakethatmuchtimetosayaquick“thankyou”inperson?

Thisideathatautomatinghumanbehaviorisacceptableintheinterestofsavingtimeinabusyworldgoescompletelyagainstalltheauthenticityandtransparencythatmakethesocialmediaagesouniqueandwonderful.Bottomline:Iactuallyadoreautomationaslongasitsintentisn’ttotricksomeoneintothinkingitwasdonebyahumanbeinginthemoment.

2. Itputsyouatthemercyofothers.LookattheNewEnglandPatriotswhoweresoexcitedaboutreaching

onemillionTwitterfollowerstheydecidedtosendanautomatedresponsetoeveryfanwhoretweetedtheircelebratorytweetanddesignedacustomjerseygraphicfeaturingthefan’susername.Unfortunately,oneofitsfanshadahorribleusernamethatIwillnotrepeatherebecauseIknowbetterthantomindlesslyrepeatsuchanuglything.BecauseI’mhuman.Butthecomputerdidn’tknowbetter,because it’snot.Andso itcreateda jerseybearingtheoffensiveTwitterhandleandtweetedit,leavingthePatriotstogrovelforforgivenesswhentheInternetwentcrazyonthem.

HowaboutallthepeoplewhowereautomatingtheirtweetsduringtheBostonMarathonbombing?Isawmyownfriendspostingrighthooksjustas my feeds were filling up with horrific, bloody images, and I wasfrantically DM’ing them to warn them to stop because they couldpotentiallyruintheirbrand.Afterall,whatdoesitsayaboutyouifyou’retweetingorposting“Ournewlineisin,whatagreatday!”inthemiddleofanationaltragedy?Itsaysatbestthatyou’renotpayingattention,andat worst that you don’t care. In a world where everything is real time,automation is dangerous. You cannot let mainstreammedia pick up onthatkindofmistake,becausethatmistakecouldbetheendofyourcareer.That,tome,isnotworththeupsideofautomation.

3. Itmakesyoulooklikeanasshole.You know that guy who shows up at a conference and barely says

hellobeforestickinghisbusinesscardinyourhandandmovingontothenext person? Don’t be that guy. No one likes that guy. These socialnetworksaresupposed tobesocial. Ifallyou’redoing is takingwithoutgiving, or thanking, or caring, eventually people are going to turn theirbacksonyou.

Now,ifyouareboundanddeterminedtoautomate,thereisonethingyoucandothatwillmakeitacceptableinmyeyes:humanizeit.Let’ssaypeopleareengagingwithyourautomatedtweet.Great.Butdon’tleaveitatthat.Assoonasyoucan,comebackinpersonandengageagain.Makesure your follower knows that this time it really is you, and that youappreciatethetimetheyspentonyourfeedorpage.Workonbuildingthatrealrelationship.That’ssomethingnorobotwilleverbeabletodobetterthan you. And if that sounds sentimental, believe me, it’s not. It’spractical,becausebuildingrealrelationshipssellsshit.

Automationrobsyouoftheabilitytocreaterealcontextaroundyourcontent.

It is completely contrary to everything uponwhichmany have builttheircareers,andagainsteverythingthesocialmediaagecouldpotentiallyrepresent:authenticity,transparency,honesty,andcaring.Thebottomlineonthissubjectisthattherehastobeabalance.It’sanartandascience.Toomanyaretooallinonthescienceandafewarewaytooheavyontheartanddotoomanythingsthataren’tscalable.Iamclearlycomfortablewiththeartsyhippymentalitybutthat’sbecausesocialmediaspecificallyoffers the opportunity to overindex for those who actually put in theengagementwork.

HowdoyouthinkoverlyeditedphotosandtextoverlaysaffecttheauthenticityofInstagramposts?

Itdependsonwhatyou’re trying toaccomplish. Ifyou’reaphotographer,youshouldn’t edit because youwant your art to shine. But if your goal is just toinspirepeople,aquoteoveraphotocanbeapowerfulthing.Attheendoftheday,theaudiencewillfindyourcontent,andiftheylikeit,they’llletyouknow.Iftheydon’t,they’llletyouknowthat,too,evenifit’sjustwiththeirsilenceastheyquietlyunfollowyou.It’smorelikelythatthey’lllikeyourworkifyoulikeyourwork,sodon’tevertrytobesomeoneyou’renotorfollowatrend.Doyourthingwithpassionandcommitment.Creative is judgedby the targetaudience,notbysomeJetsfanwhothinksheisaknow-it-allonthisstuff(yeah,that’smestickingittome).

What advice would you give people who want to grow theircompaniesbutdon’thaveyourpersonalityandhaveahardtimemeetingpeople?

Become the flowerand let thebeescome toyou.Youknow, I’mabig fanofbetting on your strengths versus working on your weaknesses. If you’reintrovertedandnetworkingdoesn’tcomenaturally toyou,don’t forceyourselftobeallrah-rahandattendconferenceswhereyouhavetoshakepeople’shands.Instead, put out good content and let your work speak for itself. In addition,email and engagewith other influential people in your industry and try to letthemseehowitwouldbevaluabletoletyoupostyourcontentontheirblogsorsites. That doesn’t take any networking, just good old-fashioned hustle andtalent.

What’sthebestwayforarealestateagenttogainbuyers’trustonTwitter?

Listen,engage,createcontent.Listening is easy. So easy it only took me—me, with absolutely zero

experience in selling real estate—a whole fifteen minutes to use the TwitterSearchfunction tofind thirteen tweets frompeople interested in findinganewhome.IfIcandoit,anyrealestateagentcan.

Engagingshouldbeeasy,too.Findpeoplewhoaretalkingaboutapartmentorhousehunting,orplanningamovetoyourarea,andthenanswerthem!HowcanIhelp?Whereareyoulooking?What’syourpricerange?IknowthisworksbecauseaRealtornamedJasonGranttweetedthathetriedmyadviceandgotalead.Anditmakessense.Ifyouwereatacocktailpartyandyoumetsomeonelookingforahome,wouldn’tyougiveheryourcardandassureheryou’dlovetohelp?Youcandothateverysingleday!

Finally, like successful people do in every industry, put out that content.Thinkabouthowmanyrealestate–themedshowshavebeenonTVin thepasttwodecades. Itwasn’t just thepeople in themarket for ahomepushing thoseshowsup in the ratings; itwasall theviewerswishing theycouldhaveanewhome, and design lovers, and architecture lovers—many of whom, someday,

mayinfactneedtomove.SomakecontenttheywanttowatchasmuchastheywanttowatchPropertyBrothers.

Review the neighborhoods where you sell. Interview the principal of thelocal school, the local wine merchant, the sub shop, and the neighbors. Tellstoriesthatmakepeoplefeelwarmandfuzzyaboutmovingtoyourpartofthecountry,andbackup thosestorieswithgooddata that reassurespeopleyou’repracticalandlookingoutfortheirbestinterests.

Thiskindofcontentcreationandengagementcanbedone.As farbackas2009,whenIpublishedCrushIt, IgotavideofromaguywhohadattachedaFlip cam to his car so the world could accompany him on drives throughneighborhoodsandhearhis thoughts. Itwasa freshandcreativemoveandhewasmakingahugeimpact.Andamazingly,sofewpeoplearedoingthiskindofthingwell that there is stillplentyof roomfor realestateagents tomake theirmarkthisway.

Do you think brands need to be represented across all socialplatformsorjustthemostpopularones?

Neither. No brand should be on any platform where it doesn’t know how tocommunicate, nor should theygo there if no audience exists. If you sell adultdiapers,I’darguethatSnapchatisnotgoingtokillitforyouevenifit’spopular.Ifyousellselfiesticksthatareonlymarketedtofifteen-year-oldgirls,Facebookis probably not the best place for you. If you’re trying to reach sixty-year-oldgray-haired execs, consider LinkedIn. Twenty-five to forty-five-year-oldwomen?GetonInstagram,Facebook,andPinterestforsure.Twenty-eight-year-olddudes?Pinterest,notsomuch.

It’s not the size of the platform that matters; it’s whom you’re trying toreach.Figureoutwhomyou’re trying to sell to, and storytellon theplatformstheylove.

CHAPTER8JABSANDRIGHTHOOKS

IN THIS CHAPTER, I TALK ABOUT THE NUMBER-ONERULEFORSALESPEOPLE,THEPOWEROFTHEASK,ANDHOW TO AMPLIFY YOUR AUDIENCE’S WORD OFMOUTH.

WhatmorecouldIpossiblysayaboutthis?Jab: the content you put out that entertains, distracts, attracts, informs, or

otherwiseengagesandbuildsa relationshipbetweenyouandyouraudience. Itbuilds your brand, raises people’s awareness of who you are and what yourepresent,andopenspeopleuptoreceivingarighthookwhenthetimeisright.

Right hook: the content you put out that brings in the sale. The one thatoffers the10percentoff,orannounces thenewline,ormerelysays,“Buymystuff.”

It sounds so simple, but to make jabs and right hooks land with enoughimpact requires finesse, good improv skills, and a deep understanding of thepsychology behind every platform you use. A jab on Pinterest will lookcompletely different from one thrown on Twitter. A right hook on Instagramwon’twork if it’s just something you recycled fromFacebook.Each platformspeakstoitsusersinadifferentway,andyouhavetolearnthelanguage.Ashortscanonanyplatformshowsmethatmostpeoplestillaren’tfluent.

Wantmoredetails?Readmythirdbook,Jab,Jab,Jab,RightHook.Theend.

What’s the best advice you can give salespeople in the socialmedia/digitalworldage?

Don’t skip this one if you don’t think of yourself as a salesperson, because ifyou’rerunningabusinessortryingtomakemoneyofanykind,you’reinsales,andhere’s thecardinal ruleeveryone insalesneeds to follow:Don’tclose tooearly.

Most people don’t jab—bring value—enough before pulling back for thatrighthook—goinginfor thesale.They’re lessconcernedwithprovidingvaluethanwithmakingthesale,anditbackfireseverytime.WhydidIdecidetodoThe#AskGaryVeeShow?DidImissthelimelight?Ialreadygetplentyofmediaattention, so thatwasn’t it. Itwas because I knew that a lot of entrepreneurs,managers, and marketers were still out there looking for guidance andinspiration, and I realized therewas a format I could use to reach them that Ihadn’ttriedyet.Ithoughtitmightnotonlybehelpful,butfun,too.Youwanttobe tactical, butyouhave topractice the religionofprovidingvalue first.Howmany people put out stories, give free stuff, or engagewith people? Probablyquite a lot.Now,howmanydo thatwithout anyexpectations in return?Very,veryfew.Beoneofthosefew.Whenyouhavenoexpectationspeoplecansenseit,andfunnyenough,theabsenceofpressureorobligationactuallymakesthemwanttoreciprocate.

That’sthebestadviceIcanoffer.ButIhaveotheradvice,too:

1. Sweep the leg, like inTheKarateKid (theoriginalwithRalphMacchioand PatMorita, not the newer onewith Jaden Smith and JackieChan).That’sliterallyhowIthinkaboutitwhenI’mgearingupforarighthook.Youhavetogoinforthekill.Withwhat?Honesty.Don’tbashfullytreadaroundthequestion.Don’ttrytobecute.

Just.Freaking.Ask.If Iwere theCEOofToyota (and I’mbeing very serious here),my

Super Bowl ad would sound something like this: “Hey. I’m GaryVaynerchukandI’mtheCEOofToyota.Iwantyoutobuymycars.WhatdoIhavetodotomakethathappen?Letusknow.”Tome,thatisagoodSuperBowl commercial.Forget thepony.Forget the eagle and the cutedog.Allofthatdistractsusfromthemainquestion,whichis:WhatcanI

dotogetyourbusiness?Inaddition,itwouldbesoradicallydifferentinstyle and tone from the other commercials it would likely get a hugereaction.

2. LearnaboutFacebookadsbecausethesegmentationisincredible.TurntoChapter10tolearnmoreaboutthem.

3. Use Twitter Search to act as your bionic ears. Let’s say you’re bikingacrossCanada for Pencils of Promise and documenting daily videos onYouTube, likeone fan I spokewithon theshow. Ifyouwantdonationsbut you don’t want to throw out an endless stream of right hooks, youcouldgointoTwitterSearchandsearchforpeople talkingaboutPencilsofPromise, then jump into theirconversation.Butdon’t try tobring theattentionback toyou, like,“Youhiked theAppalachianTrailandraised$20K?Well, here’swhat I did!”OnTwitter, you jab by listening.Youjump in andyouronly response to their accomplishment is “Hey, that’sphenomenal.”Andjustbyinteracting,justbyshowinginterestandpayingattention,you’llprobablyspurthatpersontolookatyourprofileandseeyourother tweets, theones that do tell theworldwhatyou’reup to.Soyou jabbed by listening, and then you jabbed with content that ledsomeone to become aware that you’re seeking donations on behalf ofPencils of Promise.Congrats—your double jab just led to a right hook,andallyouhadtodowasbenice.

4. Create serendipity. If you’re doing something noble, like biking acrossCanadaforPencilsofPromise,or,likeanotherfan,visitingallfifty-ninenationalparksinhonorofthehundredthanniversaryoftheNationalParkService, tell the world about it. Share pictures through Instagram andlivestreamonMeerkattocreateopportunitiesfordiscovery,exposure,andbusinessdevelopmentthroughyourcontent.

5. LinkedInallowsyoutosearchpeoplebytheirtitles,sonowyoucanhitupeverypersonwho’saCEOofafinancialservicescompanyifthat’syourtargetbuyer.

What’sthebestwaytomakearighthookseemlikeajab?

Don’t.Letmesayitagain.DON’T!

Ninety-nine percent of salespeople and businesses try tomake right hooksfeel like jabs, and they fail because people don’t respondwellwhen they feelthey’rebeingconned.Behonest.Ifyou’regoingtodosomethingniceforyourcustomer,doitbecauseyouwantto,notbecauseitwillgetyousomething.Igetnothing fromdoingThe#AskGaryVeeShowother than thepleasureof sharingtheGod-givenwisdomandworkexperienceI’veacquiredovertheyears.Iwantzero in return. Believe me, though, you’ll know when I do want something.Monthsfromnow,you’llknowbecausewhetherit’sabook,aseminar,orararetoy, I will clearly say, “Buy this rare toy now! It’s $9.99!” I’m sure I talkedaboutthisbookbeforeitwentonsale.Maybeyou’rereadingthisnowbecauseyouwatchedmorethantwohundredepisodesforfreeandfeltcompelledtobuya copy. Ormaybe once you consumed the content, you realized it really hadvalue andwasworth the cost of a hundred copies that you could distribute toyouremployees,teammembers,orcommunity.

There isnodisguising thesale.Givewhenit’s timetogive.Goall inwithauthenticity and generosity. On the flip side, don’t hesitate to ask for a sale.You’renotMotherTeresa.Sellwhenyouneedtosell;justbeclearaboutit.Sotheanswerissimple:Thereisnoversionofmakingjabsandrighthooksseemlikeoneandthesame.Yourjabsshouldbeclear,andyourrighthooksshouldbeevenclearer.

I’vebeendoingalotofjabbingbutIdon’tfeellikeI’mhittingmuchofanything.Anyadvice?

There are boxers who know how to jab but whose right hooks just aren’tpowerfulenoughtoknockanopponentout,evenwhentheylandperfectly,andevenwhentheopponentisn’texpectingit.Youjustmaynotbegoodatclosing.Maybe you need to find someone who is a better salesperson than you tocomplementyourstrengths.Findapartnerwho’sgotapowerfulrighthookwhocanbringallofyouramazingjabshome.

Anotherpossibilityisthatwhatyouareofferingforsalealsoisn’tworththejabs you’ve thrown. For example, the price of this book is well worth thehundreds of pieces of free content I put out. Butmaybe you offeredminimalvalue in your jabs and are asking for a $20,000 commitment on your hook.That’sprobablynotgoingtowork.Theyneedtolineup.

Aswegofromconcept to finalproduct,howcanweempowerourreaderstospreadtheword?

Whatyou’re really asking is, now that you’ve amassed an audiencebygivingthemfreestuff,howdoyousellthemsomething—abook,aworkshop,aT-shirt,anexpensivebarbecuegrill,whatever—andgetthemtospreadthewordsotheirfriendsbuy,too?That’stheask.Thereareonlytwowaystodoitandconvert:

1. Make a good product.Write an amazing book, develop a life-changingworkshop,orbuildabettergrill.Makewhateveritisworthmorethanthemoneyyou’reaskingforit.Thebestwaytoconvertistomakesomethingsogreat,consumersvalueyourproductorservicemorethantheypaidforit.That’sthekindofthingpeopletalkabout.

2. Beupfrontaboutwhatyouwantfromyourconsumer.Youwantthemtogo to your website, share your video, buy your book, or attend yourworkshop? Don’t hedge your right hook. Ask for it. If you’ve beenjabbingwellwithnativecontentuntilthatmoment,yourrighthookshouldlandsquarelyintheheartoftheconsumerandconvertthesale.

Instagram is good for jabs, but how do you use it for righthooks?

IcananswerthisquestionbecauseIbelieveingettinginearlyandalwaystryingnewthings.ThefirstcoupleofyearsIwasonInstagram,Iuseditexclusivelyforjabs,likeselfiesandsneakershots.ButInstagramwasbeggingtobehackedforrighthooks,soIdid.I’vebeenthrowingrighthooksthereeversincestartingThe#AskGaryVeeShow.

Atonepoint in timeIwaspostingfifteen-secondversionsof#AskGaryVeeepisodes. The captions on these videos just said: “Go intomy profile.”Why?BecauseIchangedtheURLinmyprofilesothatitlinkedtothecurrentepisodeoftheshow.Atthistime,changingyourURListheonlywaytoactuallydrivepeopleoutsideofInstagramsotheycanbuy.Andthatishowyouthrowarighthookontheplatform.

1. Putupapieceofcreative.2. Drivepeopletoyourprofileinthecopy.3. Linkoutinyourprofileandconvertyourrighthook.

I hope you’ll test out this right hook tactic. It’sworth a shot. If it doesn’twork, just keep jabbing on Instagram (the clickable ads are very goodalternativesifyouwanttospendthedollars)andkeepthrowingyourrighthooksonFacebookandTwitter,wherethey’reeasier.Bam.

JASONFARRIS

@FRESYES

Fresyes.com

I’vebeenputtingoutjabsbasedonmyexpertise(realestate),butI’venever reallybroughtup the fact that I have abusiness topromote.HowdoImakethetransitionandestablishthatIhaveaproducttoright-hookfor?

When I looked at this question, my first thought was that the answer wasactually stunningly easy. My second thought was that it was massivelycomplicated for the people who were actually struggling with it. There’s nodoubtyoucouldhavemade thiseasier foryourself.A lotofpeoplewill sharecontent about subjects they’re passionate about, say comic books and videogames,andintheprocessofsharingalmostaccidentallydevelopandestablishabusiness.Ithappens,andit’sgreat!Ididthingsalittledifferently.Itwassuper-easyformetotransitionmywineandsocialmediaexpertiseintosalesbecauseIwasstraightforwardaboutmybusinessinvolvementfromdayone.Iranawinestore.Irunasocialmediaagency.It’salwaysbeenapartofmyidentity.

Butyoudidneither.Youbuildupequitypurelyusingyourcontent,andyouweren’topenaboutyourbusinessinterestsinyoursubjectmatterandexpertise.So here is what you do: You attack the problem with a signature piece ofcontent.Amanifesto, if youwill.Whether it’s a five-minutevideo,or a long-

formpieceofwrittencontent,itneedstobeastraightforwardexplanationofthesituationathand.

Forexample,youcouldsay:“I’vebeenputtingouta lotofcontent,butallalongI’vebeensellinghomes.I’dliketostartinteractingwithmoreofyouandseeingifIcanhelpyoumoredirectly,soyoumightseemorecontentfrommefeaturing specific homes, or other business opportunities. If you have anyconcerns,goaheadandleavesomecomments.”

Youcouldalsotrysomethinglikethis:“MypassionhasbecomesomethingIwanttodofull-time.Asofrecently,I’vestartedsellingsomeofmycomicsoneBay, so you might see some of those offers on this page. I just want to betransparentandleteverybodyknowthatI’mnotinthebait-and-switchgame.”

That’sit.Justthesimpletruthlaidoutinonesignaturepieceofcontentthatyoucanpointbacktointhefuture.

Is thereever sucha thingas toomuch jabbing? Is thereeveratime when you withhold content or refrain from engaging inordertobuildupsomemystique?

Greatquestion.Actually,it’stwoquestions.

1. Yes, there’s a timewhere there’s toomuch jabbing. In fact, Iwrote thebookJab,Jab,Jab,RightHookbecauseIrealizedthatjabbingwasalltheearly social media practitioners were doing. Marketers had gotten soobsessed with creating perfect jabs they had neglected to create aslamming right hook. They were swinging all the time, but they weremissingtheirmark.

2. Isthereeveratimewhenyoushouldn’tbeinthejabbingbusinessatall?Absolutely.Youknowwhoisn’t?

Apple.Appleisintheright-hookbusiness.Lookattheirsocialmediaengagement.

It won’t take you long because there isn’t much. Look at Apple’s simplestrategy:Make thebestcrap in thebusiness.And then theydid,and then theydominated.Nojabsorengagingwithconsumersonaone-to-onelevelonsocial

media. They were just the best with the best product, and they knew how tomarketit.

Somebrandswanttomakethemselvesmoreexclusivebynotjabbing,butitwon’tworkforeveryone.Youreallyhavetobethebestatwhatyoudo.Butforthosewhocanpullitoff,youcanmakeyourbrandarare,valuablecommodity.

Icouldtryit.WhatifIannouncedthatstartingnowallmycontent,fromthearticlesonmywebsite toThe#AskGaryVeeShow,wouldbebehindapaywall,andyou’dhavetopayfourdollarstoaccesseachepisodeorbatchesofarticles.Howmanypeoplewouldactuallypay?Here’swhat Iknow:Ninetypercentofyouwouldnotpayadime.

If10percentofyoudid, thatmightmakeforabetterROIthanmycurrentstrategyofgivingeverythingawayforfree.Thethingis, though,I likethejabbusiness.I likebuildinguptheequityandtheawareness.I likeitwhenpeoplepassonmyvideosandarticlesandallowotherpeopletodiscoverme.Becausethat’swhatmakesmerun.Ilikepeople.IlovetheclimbofbuildingabrandandIknowthatwhenIsell,Isellqualityandpeoplewillbuy.IfIdidn’t,Iwouldgothe otherway.Apaywall. Playing hard-to-get. Secret events that cost a lot ofmoney to attend.A private islandwhere I charge youmoney to visitme.Butthat’snotformerightnow!Nope.I’mhereformyfansandconsumersontheopenWeb24/7.It’swhatfeelsnaturalandIenjoyit.

Whatmakesyourun?WhatifthatpaywallgetsyouabetterROI?Youhavetoanalyzeyourprocessandfigureoutwhathashistoricallyworkedbestforyou,evenifitgoes100percentagainsttheadviceIoranyoneelseoffers.Itisverypossible that youwill need to try a fewdifferent combinationsof jabbing andright-hookingbeforeyouhityourstride.Somejabswithsomerighthooks.Nojabsandallrighthooks.Alljabs.Alwayskeeptryingnewthings.GettoknowyourownDNAandyourcommunity’sappetite,andrunwithit.

Ifmyrighthookis“WatchmyWebseries!”whataresomegoodjabstosetthatup?

Yourcontent itself is the jab.Youwant toputout teasers, snippets fromyourseries or short original clips in the form of native content (content that iscontextualtotheplatform,likeFacebookorInstagram)thatthematicallyladderbacktowhatyou’redoingonyourwebsite.Yourjabsneedtobejustthat—jabs.

Don’tputoutapostlike“Mybiggestideaeveris...gotomywebsitetofindout!”That’s lame.Putoutgreatcontent—jabs thatprovidevalue—whereyouraudiencespendsitstime,andyourwebsitewillgettrafficasaby-product.Andit’s not as though you won’t be able to throw right hooks in those socialplatforms,too.

IstartedpostinglongwrittenpostsonmyFacebookpageinthesummerof2015and the responsewasoverwhelminglypositive.Peopleappreciated that Iwascreatingaseamlessexperienceandsavingthemtime.It’snotthatyourfansdon’t want to go to your website, it’s that they’d rather be in all these otherplaces.Sogetyourbuttoverthere.

Howdoyourrighthooksdifferforafreeserviceversusapaidone?

Aside from the conversion numbers theywon’t look very different.Of coursepeoplewillwatch,read,ortrysomethingforfreemoreoftenthanifyouchargefor it. I would suggest, however, that if you are sending a right hook tosomeplacewhereyouarecharging,includethatinformationinyourFacebookorTwitterpost.Ihaveseenthatlettingyourconsumerknowwhattoexpectclearlyhelpsconversion.

Many of your jabs and right hooks reach your B2C audience(wineandbooks),buthowdoesitimpactB2B?

MyrighthooksarenotoftenmadeforB2B,soyou’llrarelyifeverseemetweet,“Hey, do your business atVaynerMedia!”Butmy jabs are. Themore ImakecontentwhereItrytoprovidethoughtleadershipandmakeaccuratepredictions,themorelikelypeoplewhoseeitaregoingtoconsidertheymightneedsomeonelikeme for their business.My content has been a gateway drug to RFPs andbusinessinquiriesandwehaveclearlybenefitedasanagency.

It’sadmittedlyhardertogeneratealotofB2Bcontentbecauseit’sgenerallymoretechnicalorgearedtoasmallertargetaudience.Yougetfeweratbats,sotherefore you need to treat each piece of content as something extra special.

Coming upwith a captivating piece of B2B content, which tends to bemoreserious and longer form than other kinds, requires evenmore rigor and effortthanthecontentyouputoutforyourB2Caudience.

Here’swhat youmust remember:Nomatterwho your audience is, you’realwaysonegreatpieceofcontentawayfromchangingyourlife.Everyoneyouknowstartedoffasanunknownuntiltheydidthethingthatmadethemknown.Every rockstaror rapperwas ignoreduntil theywroteorplayed thesong thatputhimorheronthecharts.Everyfamousinvestorwasanobodyuntilheorshemadetheinvestmentthatpaidoffbig.Now,noteveryone’scontentcanbeatthelevelofaMadonnaoraChrisSacca,butitstillhasthepotentialtochangeyourlife. So if you love something—music, photography, diet culture,museums—talktotheworldaboutit,evenifonlyonepersonis listening.Becauseallyouneed is for that person to share it for the pipes of social networking to starthumming.You’rejustonepieceofcontentawayfrommakingwhatyouwanttohappenactuallyhappen.

The problem is most people are not good enough to make that kind ofcontent.That’srough,Iknow.Buttalentmatters.Youhavetobegoodenoughtobediscovered.

Also, you have to be right.When I put out content that says Facebook isgoingtobuyInstagram,andpeoplesayI’manidiot,andthenithappens,guesswhat?I’mnotanidiot!Andthatbuildsmestreetcred.ThesamethinghappensifyoupostcontentintheformofawhitepaperonLinkedIninwhichyourCEOcorrectly predicts changes or trends in the industrial Internet, the financialmarkets, theSupremeCourt,ortaxreform.Now,ifIsaywearabletechhasnochancebecauseit’safad,I’llbeanidiot(becauseitreallyisgoingtobeabigdeal).That’snotcontentthattakesmeforward.It’salotofpressure.Butqualitywill always be the main differentiator between the content that makes thingshappenandthecontentthatholdsyouback.

ROSSWALKER

@R0ss_WalkeR

Mycompanyisstrict,Iwouldsayalmosttoostrictonworkingwithintheirbrandguidelines.Whatisthebestwaytoapproach

and post content on social, in particular jabs, without beingperceived as breaching the company’s brand guidelines? Inother words, should I tell them to chill the F out, it’s socialmedia?

Tellthemtochillout.Overthelastfiveyears,I’vespentanenormousamountoftimewithbigbrandsandtheirguidelines.Firstofall,thoseguidelinesare1,000percentsubjective.They’reusuallypredicatedononeor twoindividuals tryingtoholdontothepowerandactasjudgeandjury.Tryingtoexecutesocialmediacontent in the sameway asprint, radio, andTV just isn’t practical, not in thevolumeofcontentyou’reputtingout,norinachievingthecontextnecessarytobesuccessfulinthoseenvironments.

Now,theproblemisthatwhenyoucomewithyourmessageofchillingout,they’re not just going to sit back and say, “You’re right!” Brands (and theirhumandecisionmakers)arestillfightingveryhardfortheirguidelines.

Now,that’snottosaythatabrandshouldn’thaveanidentityarounditsIP.What I’m saying is that the flexibility, and the end consumer’s interpretation,givesyoualotmorebreathingroomthanmostpeoplerealize.

Doyourecommendyourwebsite’slandingpagebeajab,likeablog,orarighthook?

It depends on your business. If you’re selling something you only have finitetimetoreachpeoplewhentheylandonyourpage,soyouneedarighthook.Butifyou’resellinginformationortryingtogrowbrandawareness,oryou’vebeen“selly” for a long time, you might need a countermove to soften your righthooks. To really answer this question properly I’d have to audit what yourbusinessororganizationhasbeendoingforthelasttwelvetothirty-sixmonthsand figure outwhat you’re trying to achieve.Once thatwas established,we’dthenmakesurethatallyourbehaviormatched.That’swhyit’ssoimportantthatyouestablishastrategy,areligion,orabeliefsystemtoguidewhatyoudo.Youcannotbewishy-washy.

SORENAZORIAN

@SORENAZORIAN

appail.com

If you could ask one question of your audience to make sureyou’reontherighttrack,whatwoulditbe?

I’m a very big believer of just going in for the ask.That’s basicallywhatmywholelastbookwasabout.I’mnotafraidtoseekfeedbackfrommyaudience,and nothing trumps just asking them, “What do you think of my show?” or,“Whatdoyouthinkofmyservice?”

Butthat’sjustpartone.Thesecretisinparttwo,whenyouask,“Andhowisitgoingcomparedtoayearago?”

Byaskinghowit’sgoingcomparedtoayearago,you’renot justgettingasnapshot of this moment; you’re getting context on how your efforts aretrending.Thisisequallyimportantbecausewhilethingsmightseemgood,theycouldactuallybestagnatingorstale,whichtomeisactuallylosingequity.

What are themost effective things you’ve done to drive booksales?

Here’s the first secret tobooksales:Sell it aboutayearor twobeforeanyoneevenknowsyou’rewritingabook.Istartedsellingmynextbookduringthefirstepisodeof#TheAskGaryVeeShow,eventhoughIhadn’tgivenanewbookanythoughtyet.Timeismynumber-oneasset.Iliketimemorethanmoney;that’showvaluable it is tome.Andyet every day I take time to entertain, tomakeothers think, and to provide value to people who think I’m worth their time(thank you). By taking the time to reach out to a whole new audience, I’mcreating a new pool of buyers for my next book. At the time this particularquestionaired,thebookIwassellingwasthebookyouholdinyourhands.Mymost recent episode as of this printing, however? That’s me gearing up forsomethingelse.

I’msurprisedbyhowmanypeoplehaven’tfiguredoutthesecondsecrettobooksales:Peopledon’twantmorecontentasmuchastheywantmoreaccess.Authorsalwayswanttooffercustomersspecialdealslikeafreee-bookforeverythreebooksheorshebuys.Itrytodobetterthanthat.OneofthebiggestthingsIeverdid that solda lotofall fourofmybusinessbookswas togivemyself. Iliterally sold the one thing people wanted most from me—my time. If youboughtacertainnumberofbooks,I’ddoaliveQ&Aonyourvideoblog,cometoyourschool,doatalk,evenmakeahappy-birthdayvideo.Fanswanttospendmoretimewiththeauthorstheyloveandadmire.Letthem.

Third, use socialmedia to jab and build lots of new fans.Make awesomecontent thatgetsattention.Buildvalueupfrontandcreate leverage.Engageinone-on-onemarketing.

Fourth,scale theunscalable.Thatmeansrefrainingfromoneof thebiggestmistakes I see authors make: bulk emails. They usually read something like,“Dear Friends, I never normally do this but I have a book coming out and itwouldmeantheworldtomeifyouwouldbuyit...”Theauthorsaregoingforefficiency,anditstinks.ItmightworkonyourauntoryourBFF,butwhoelseisgoingtofeelmovedbysuchaplain-vanilla,impersonalmissivelikethat?

BeforethelaunchofmylastbookinNovember2013,IspentallofAugustwritingemailafteremailtopeoplefromwhomIwantedhelp.“DearBill,itwassogreatseeingyoulastmonthattheconferenceinReno.Didyouconnectwiththosepeople I setyouupwith?Anyway, I’mwriting toyoubecause Ihaveabookcomingout,anditwouldmeantheworldtomeif...”

See how it’s done?And I did it over and over again, personalizing everyemailsothattherecipientsknewthatIwaspayingattentiontothemandthatItrulyvaluedourrelationship.AndIdidn’tjustaskthemtobuyasafavortome.IgavethemrealreasonswhyIthoughtmybookmightbeofusetothem,theirfriends,ortheiremployees.

Fifth,createopportunities.Inthefallof2014thepodcastscenewasstartingto really happen. So I did a ton of interviews with all the emerging podcastpeople, achieving something I call equity arbitrage—where two people orentities get ROI based on the mutual exposure they gain by joining forces. Ibarely mentioned the book during the entire thirty minutes I was on the air.InsteadIfocusedonprovidingasmuchvalueaspossibletotheirlisteners.ItwasmyoneshottoletthemknowIwassomeonetotrustandtakeseriously.Sincethenthishasbecomeapopulartactic,butnowtherearesomanymorepodcastsandsomuchmorecompetitionforearsthatit’snotasvaluableasitoncewasto

beaguest, though it’sstillworthwhile toappearon themandpromote.Butasyoureadthisbook,thereisprobablysomenewplatformthathascomeoutjustwaiting for someone likeyou touse in a creativeway thatgivesyou leverageandvisibility.

Finally, remember that whether selling books or Barcaloungers, on socialmedia or in a brick-and-mortar store, youwon’t convert unless you appeal toyour consumers’ emotions.When you’ve got that, you show them your valueproposition.And then you stand backwhile they pull out theirmoney.Heart,Brain,Wallet.Everytime.

CHAPTER9THEPLATFORMS

INTHISCHAPTERI’LLTALKABOUTWHERETHEYAREANDWHERETHEY’REGOING.

DebatingthecurrentstateoftheInternethasbecomeasmuchapassionforsomepeople as sports, music, and celebrities. For years now the five to fifteenplatforms that dominate our society, whether Blogger andMySpace a decadeago, or Instagram and Snapchat and Facebook today, have been fuel forconversations around what stock prices will do, where society is going, andwhere creative things are happening. These hubs have become integrated intoour daily lives as much as television, radio, and magazines used to be, andthere’snomoreinterestingtimetotalkaboutthemthanwhiletheystillcapturetheconsumer’simagination.

It’s a challenge to answer questions about social platforms because in thetimeittakesyoutoutteronesentence,they’veusuallychangedagain.However,as I updated and elaborated upon these answers, I realized that the real valueisn’t just in theanalyses,but in theoverallpattern thatemerges.This isn’t thefirst timewe’ve seen techwreak enormous cultural and social change on ourworld,anditwon’tbethelast.Andwe’reallstillhere.Businessesarestillbeingbuilt,peoplearestill innovating,and theworldkeeps turning.Myhope is thatreading this chapter will help more marketers and brand managers welcomechangeratherthanfearit.

TheBigPicture

Whatwill the next big social network have to do to challengeFacebook,Twitter,orInstagram?

Therearetwokeystothesuccessofasocialnetwork.

1. Winovertheyouthmarket.ThenetworkthatmakesSnapchatfeellikeit’sforoldpeoplewillbethenextsocialsuperstar.

2. Be extraordinarily useful. Instagram was just a place to post prettypicturesuntilpeoplerealizeditactuallymadethembetterphotographers.Thevisualintimacyofthepicturesmadepeoplefeelclosetootherusers,andeventuallythesocialnetworkdevelopedtosupportthatcloseness.

Insum, ifyou’re trying todevelop thenextbigplatform,createsomethingtheyouthoftheworlddidn’tknowitcouldn’tlivewithout.

Which currently popular social media platform will likely beextinctby2020?

The two most vulnerable platforms today are Tumblr and Google+, mostlybecausebigconglomeratesownthem.ForallmyconcernsaboutTwitter,Ihavefaith that JackDorseywill figureoutaway tomake it relevantandnew-user-friendlyagain.ButTumblrisownedbyYahoo,anddespiteallthosepoliticsofbeingindependentit’sstillpartofabigholdingcompany.Googlehasshownatendency to cut bait if something isn’t working, no matter how much theyinvested in it, and there’s no doubt that Google+ isn’t working. It’s possibleGooglewillcutGoogle+,retoolit,andreintroduceitoneday,butIthinkit’safairbetthatGoogle+asweknowitwillnotbearoundinafewyears.

SocialmediamarketingisnotasdominantinothercountriesasintheUnitedStates.Forexample,inGermanyameerkatisstillnothingmorethanacuteanimal.Is itreallyworthourtimeto

put content on these platforms, then sit, wait, and hope theygaintraction?

MeerkatwasoncejustananimalintheUnitedStatesaswell.Afacebookwasacollegedirectory,atwitterwasthesoundofahappybird,andaperiscopewasthatthingsailorsusetoseeoutofsubmarines.Everyplatformhaspotential,butitwill be infinitelymore valuable to you if youget there first andmake yournameforyourselfbeforethemassesshowup.

Ihaveplentyofcash,andyetIsitonpracticallyunpopulatedplatforms.Itisbeyondmehow some entrepreneurswhohave no cash,whose only assets arerawtalentandtime,couldpossiblyquestionthevalueofgettinginonaplatformbefore it has proven worthwhile and started monetizing. You’re going to crybecauseyoudon’thaveenoughmoney tocompetewith thebigguys,but thenyou’llcryaboutwastingyourtimeonsomethingthat’sfree?Where’sthesenseinthat?

The upside of being an earlymover in a newplatform is somuch greaterthanthedownsideofwaitingthereformonthsonlytofindthatitdidn’tpop.I’llsit on a platform and holdmy breath for five to sevenmonths when it’s notparticularlyvaluableso that Icanbe therewhen it is.And thenIcanride thatwavefortwenty-fourmonthsbeforetheplatformaddsanadproductthatmakesitmoreexpensive.So,yeah, I’dsayexperimentingwithunprovenplatforms isdefinitelyworthyourtime,nomatterwhatcountryyoulivein.

That advice goes double if you’re a small business or start-up. The onlyassetsyouhaveagainstbigger,wealthiercompetitorsarerawtalentandtime.Sousethetimefrom3to7A.M.ifyoumusttoestablishyourselfonnewplatformsand overindex there before money starts becoming a variable. CorporateAmericaisn’tasnimbleasyou.You’llhavemadeplentyofinroadsbythetimeyourlarger,moreestablishedcompetitornoticesthatthenewplatformhasgonemainstream,andtheninallprobabilityitwilltakethemaridiculousamountoftime to get approval to divert resources to it.Meanwhile, you’ll keepmakinginroads, getting a stronger foothold, and building your connections and brandawareness. Extract the value of the platform before its ad product becomesmaturesothatbythetimeitbecomesexpensiveyou’llbereadytomoveontothenextnewfrontier.

YouTube

I make my living off YouTube and lately people have beenaskingwhatmynextstepisbecausetheydon’tthinkYouTubecanlastforever.Ithinkitwillonlycontinuetogrow.ShouldIhedge my risk by expanding to other platforms or stick toYouTube?

The guywho asked this question,Matthew Santoro, hasmore than 2millionsubscribersonYouTube.

I’dventuretosayheknowswhathe’sdoing.Alwaysfollowyourgutanddowhatyouknow.Ifyou’reputtingupcontent

andblowinguponaplatform,gowithit.Andifyou’rewrongandtheplatformstarts to crater, it’s not the end of theworld. Early inmy career I loadedmyvideos exclusively onViddler.OnceYouTube cameout it didn’t take long torealize goingwhole hog onViddlerwas amistake and Imade the correction,jumpingtoYouTube.Aslongasyouadjustinrealtime,youcan’tgowrong.

Why do you rarely recommend YouTube in your digitalrecommendationsdespitethe1billionactiveuserspermonth?

I’m not good about admitting to mistakes, mostly because I honestly don’tbelieve I’ve made that many in my career, but this is one of them. I thinkYouTube’svalueissoobvious,secondonlyperhapstoFacebook,Ijustforgettopushit.Infact,oneofthereasonsIdecidedtodoThe#AskGaryVeeShowwastoincreasemypresenceonYouTube.

Twitter

Is there value to following thousands of people on Twitter, orshouldyouonlyfollowthosewhobringvaluetoyou?

Everyone likes to be noticed, especially by someone they respect or admire. Ifreakedoutwhen formerNewYork JetsplayerDavidNelson followedmeonTwitter,andI’malwaysamazedbyhowmuchitmeanstopeoplewhenIfollowthem,eventhoughI’monlyonthecelebrityZlist. I’d like toseemorepeopleworry less about the value they gain from their followers andmore about thevaluetheirengagementprovidesothers.

I initiate a lot of strategies toward increasing my reach—what I call thelength game—but when I’m on Twitter, it’s all about depth. I want to givepeoplewhat theywant, and if theywant engagementor timeor attention, I’mhappytoprovideit.That’swhyIfilmThe#AskGaryVeeShow,too;itgivesmeachancetogodeepanddetailed.It’snotalwayseasytogodeep,becausewe’rebusy running companies and living life, but it’s crucial to building thatrelationship that will make all the difference when your customer is ready tobuy.

I understand that marketers ruin everything, but is Twitter’slatest algorithm change going to damage user experience andtheessenceofTwitter?

WhenTwitterannounced itwouldbefollowingFacebook’s leadandswitch toanalgorithmicfeedinsteadofachronologicalone,alotofpeoplepredictedtheendofTwitter.Because that’swhat alwayshappenswhenaplatformmakes achange—thedie-harduserscryandthreatentotaketheirtoysandgohome,andthenwhaddayaknow,theystickaroundandadapt.SolongasTwittercontinuestooffervalue,itwillkeepitsuserbase.Theexperiencewillonlybeirrevocablyruinedforthosepeoplewhoareirrevocablyputoffbythe7–10moretweetsthatappearintheirstream.

Haveyoueverdatedsomeonewho’sdrop-deadgorgeousonlytodiscoverheorsheisnotthatnice?Maybeyoubrokeupwiththatpersonrightaway,butalotof peoplewouldn’t. They value the beauty somuch they keep going outwiththatmeanpersoneventhoughheorsheismeantotheirfriendsandhurtstheirfeelings. It’s only once the value of the beauty no longer outweighs the nastydispositionthattheyquittherelationship.Ofcoursethatprocesswouldprobablyspeed up if another drop-dead gorgeous person, this one with an awesomepersonality,weretocomealong.Thesecondthatsomethinglosesvaluetoyou,

youstoppayingattentiontoit.So will Twitter’s switch to an algorithm that tries to make the deluge of

information on the platformmore relevant to users kill the platform?Only tothosepeoplewhodon’tvalueeverythingelseTwitterdoesforthem.

I don’t understand why I barely see@garyvee in my Twitterfeed,butyou’reallovermyFacebookaccount.

BecauseFacebookhasdoneabetterjobwithitsdataandmakessurethatwhatyou see is relevant to your interests. Twitter is a busy, busy place, and it’sexceedingly difficult to get noticed there anymore. Hence the changes to thealgorithm.Believeme, ifyou’renotseeingmeinTwitter, it’snotbecauseI’mnottweetingaway.

WhyisTwittersomuchlikeawallinapublicbathroom?

I would argue that it’s not. Anonymous apps like Yik Yak offer far betteropportunities for peoplewhowant tomake statements and takepositions theymightnotwantthewholeworldtoknowaretheirs.I’malwaysfarmorescaredofthepeopleonTwitterwhosayscaryshitanddon’tevenmindshowingtheirfacesthanthepeoplewhohide.

Snapchat

Why are so many people afraid of Snapchat, especiallymarketers?

Becausemostpeoplewanttodowhattheyalreadyknow.Ninety-fivepercentofdigital and social agencymarketershavenevereven tried touseSnapchat anddon’t understand how itworks. It’s not like other apps; itmoves left to right

insteadofupanddown,ithastheDiscovertab.It’sweird.Andthey’vereadintheheadlinesthatit’stheappthatletsthefourteen-year-oldssendnakedphotostoeachother.Theyhavenottakentimetofigureoutifthere’sawaytoadaptittosuittheirpurposes.Andthat,inanutshell,iswhymostmarketerssuck.

Notbecausethey’verejectedSnapchatperse,butbecausethesuspicionandreluctancewithwhichtheyapproachitisthesametheyhaveforeverynewapp.It’s why they’re late to the party every freaking time and then spend aninordinate amount of money and effort scrambling to catch up once they getthere.

Marketing today is for the forward thinking, the brave, and the young atheart.Ifyou’rescaredtoinnovate,you’retoooldforthisandyoustink.

Facebook

WhatareyourthoughtsaboutFacebook’sbanonlike-gating?

IthinkFacebookismaybeoneoftheworstPRcompaniesintheworld.Attheend of 2015 theymade amove thatwill help ensure thatwhen people like abrand, theyreallydo like itandaren’t just liking it towinaprizeorgetsomemore points on a video game. The only people who should have been upsetabout this are those with no imaginations and no confidence in their brand.Makingsurethatusersareseeingthingsintheirfeedsthattheyactuallywanttoseeisgoodforeveryone.

Marketing to the next generation through Facebook is on parwithputtingadsintheYellowPages.Facebookisdead.What’snext?

Facebook is so not dead. If anything, it’s just starting to grow. I’vemade themistakeofcountingoutaplatformorserviceprematurely. In2003 IpredictedthatSEMandGoogleAdWordswasdead,wheninrealityitwasjuststarting.

I’dsay thatGooglesearch isdestinedforYellowPagesobsolescence.You

used to have to go to Google to look up what you wanted. Now it’s all justcomingtoyou,notontherightsideofyourdesktopbutinyouractualfeed.Ifyouknowhowtotargetandcreatecontentproperly,yourconsumerswillhaveaconstantreminder,inthebestway,ofhowrelevantyourbrandistotheirlives.

Idon’tgetit,Facebook.Youdecidetonotshowmybookpageto people.Do you think a lack of successwillmakeme giveyoumoremoney?

I wish people would stop complaining about the cost of doing business onFacebook.Itislikeanyothermediumintheworld.TVchannelsaren’tgoingtorunyouradsforfree.Thepostofficeisn’tgoingtoshipoutflyersandadvancecopiesofyourbook for free.This idea thatbecauseFacebook startedout as afreesocialnetworkithastocontinuegivingawayorganicreachiscrazy.It’soneofthemostefficientwaystodelivercontent topeoplein theworld.Youdon’tthinkthat’sworthalittlemoney?

Toanyonewhofeelsheorshehasa legitimategripe,byallmeansusethefreealternative toFacebook toalertpeople toyourbrandorbookorbusiness.Thatwouldbeemail.I’dlovetoseeyougetresultsevenclosetowhatyoucoulddowithFacebook.YoucanrantandrailagainstthecostofFacebook,butintheendyou’re just talking toyourself,becauseFacebookdoesn’tcare.Norshouldit.

Will Facebook video become a rival for YouTube as amonetizedvideoplatform?

Italreadyhas.Someviewersnoticed that I starteduploading#AskGaryVee showsstraight

toFacebookinsteadofattachingaphotolinkingtomywebsiteortheYouTubevideo.Ididthatbecausepostingnativelyisalwaysthewaytogo.Iliketosaythat I don’t pay attention to data, but what I should say is that I don’t payattentiontodataunlessittellsmesomethingimportant.AndFacebookhassomeof the best data out there, including some that tellsme if I uploadmy videos

natively,about20–30KmorepeopleseethemthanifI linktoYouTubeormywebsite.On topof that,Facebooknowshowsviewcountso IcanbuildbrandwithperceptioninthesamewayasIbuilditonYouTube.Itallowsmetoembedvideos on other sites. I’m eliminating friction and making it easier for morepeopletoseemycontent,whichisvaluable.AndprovidingvalueisalwayswhatIcareaboutthemost.

SoIsuggest that thoseofyouout theredoingYouTubeshowsshouldstartdoingFacebookshows,too.Now,ofcourse,thecaveathereisFacebookvideorequiresabudget. It’sworthit.Thedollarsgoona longway;with theprecisetargeting we have available through the platform, you are sure to reach anaudiencewithaninterestinyoursubjectmatter.

At the time this question was asked, in March 2015, I predicted that sixmonths later my primary embed would be Facebook videos over YouTubevideos.

I’mnotsayingyoushouldgiveuponYouTube.It’sstillextremelyrelevantand important. But if you’re creating content for YouTube, throw it up onFacebook aswell.Notwith a link to the video—youwon’t get the reach youwantthatway.Remember,nativeisthewaytogo.

I actually think this will be good for YouTube. Competition breedsinnovation,andYouTubehasbeenprettystaleforhalfadecadenow.Itmightbemotivated topush for somequality innovation soon,whichwill thenprobablycompel Facebook to innovate some more as well. Everyone could win,especiallyusmarketers.

ThreesecondscountasaviewforFacebookvideo—moderatelymisleadingmetric,orincrediblybullshitmetric?

Marketershavegottostopvaluingwidthoverdepth.Isthreesecondsofpre-rollviewonFacebookmorebullcrapthanpeoplebuyingviewsonYouTubeaspre-rolls?Those onYouTube are actual adswhereas Facebook is putting them infeeds.

I don’t care about widthmetrics. Any brand start-up using the number ofviews it receives to gauge its success doesn’t realize that tech can game thatgame.I’mlookingattheengagements,thecomments,theclick-throughstotheproduct.IfIampayingattentiontosomethinglikenumberofviews,I’mtaking

thewidthatwidthvalue.IfIwant800Kpeopletoseemyface,andtheydothat,thenIconsiderthosethreesecondsIjustgottobeworthwhile.Itdependswhatyou’retryingtoaccomplish.

My little sister has Insta and Snapchat but has no interest inFacebook.WhatdoyouthinkthefutureholdsforFacebook?

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg is an assassin. There’s a reason he boughtInstagram and there’s a reason he tried to buy Snapchat for $3 billion—hewanted the teens. IdoubtFacebook isgoing toget them, though. Instagram isgoing to become more like Facebook, but if Facebook keeps crushing it, itshouldbeabletoholdontothethirty-five-and-oldercrowd,whichofcourseisan enormous business. Over time the population will diminish, but I believeZucks is going to keep going after that youth market. Facebook missedSnapchat, but it bought Oculus, and I’m sure there will be more. Don’t evercountFacebookout. It’sgoing tobe the infrastructure forover-the-topTV,orfreeInternet,orthebestphonewe’veeverseen.Justyouwait.

eBay

Do you think eBay will become irrelevant if they don’tinnovate?

My friends and Iwere predicting the endof eBayback in 2005, and it hasn’tgone anywhere. I thinkuntil there is an alternative to eBay in theworld, theydon’thavetoworry.IlovedtheoldeBay—ItaughtAJtobeanentrepreneurbygoingtogaragesalesandshowinghimhowtosellhisfindsoneBay.NoweBaysellssomuchnewproductit’smorelikeAmazon,andpeoplearefrustratedwiththenewfeestructures,buttherereallyisn’tanywhereelsetogo.

There is a billion-dollar opportunity in a new eBay, one that exclusivelydealsinusedproductthewaytheoldeBayusedto.

Blogs

Bloggingdoesn’t seemas popular as itwas a numberof yearsago. Does it have a future when everyone is “renting” socialmediaspace?

Noone talks about email, but that doesn’tmean it isn’t important. Samewithblogging. It just goes without saying that if you’re in business, you’ve got ablog.Ifyou’reputtingoutcontentonsocialnetworks,you’reblogging.BloggersusedtohavetouseSEOtogetpeopletocometotheirblogs,butnowtheycansimplybringtheircontentstraighttotheirreaders.It’sahugeimprovementovertalking to yourself and hoping you can get someone to come along and payattention.

Now,doesthatmeanthatpersonalwebsitesareirrelevanttoday?Notatall,especiallywhenalotofbrandsarereassessingtheideaof“renting”socialmediaspaceafterall.Ifyou’reputtingyourcontentonasite thatyoucannotcontrol,youloseownershipofthatcontent.Thishasprovencatastrophictosomebrandswhen Facebook’s ever-changing algorithms wreak havoc on their carefullyplannedFacebookcampaigns.Somanyareredoublingtheireffortsontheirsites,andofferingtheirsocialengagementasthegatewaydrugtogetpeoplethere.

People’s attention is short and unfocused. They are more than willing toconsume; they’re just not as willing as they used to be to leave platforms inordertodoit.It’sperceivedastoomuchtrouble—untiltheyspotsomethingthatmakesitnot.Andthat’swhenyou’vegotthem.Ifyou’regoingtoretaincontroloveryourcontentanddrivepeoplefromsocialnetworkstoyourwebsite,yourstorytelling,whichmayhavealreadybeengood,hastogetevenbetter.You’vegottogetsmart.Reallysmart.Andthat’ssomethingtoembrace,becauseraisingthebaronone’sworkhasneverhurtanyone.Ever.

Instagram

Numbers of monthly users aside, do you think Instagram isactuallyalargersocialnetworkthanTwitter?

Themediamadeabigdealoutof thefact that in2015Instagramreached300millionmonthly activeusers, surpassing thenumber onTwitter.Theymade itseem like a platform’s number of users can predict its success and stayingpower. But while obviously the number of users is one indicator of how aplatformisresonatingwiththeworld,it’snottheonlyone.Andit’snoteventhemostimportant.

Insteadofhowmanyusers areon aplatform,we should all focusonhowmuchattention itsusersarepaying to it.Whichplatformismorevaluable, theonethat’salwaysoninthebackgroundbutrarelylookedat,ortheonethathasusers’ full attention when they’re there? That’s the big difference betweenTwitterandInstagramrightnow.

Twitterhasaseriousnoiseproblem.Sixyearsago,IhadlessofanaudienceonTwitter than I do now, but I could send a tweet and getmore engagementbecause that audiencewas paying closer attention.The amount of informationanduserson theplatform is so intense that it’shard tomakeyourselfnoticed,muchlessengage.Ontheflipside,nosocialnetworkintheworldrightnowhasmoreofitsusers’attentionthanInstagram.Whenpeoplearethere,they’re100percentthere,lookingateachphotothatpassesby.Insomewaysit’sevengotmore depth than Facebook, because there aren’t all the distractions that cancome with the emotional ties there, like spotting ex-boyfriends and avoidingfamily drama. Instagram isn’t winning because it has more followers; it’swinning because people are there towholeheartedly consume content. It’s notjustinthebackground.

Whenpeoplewantreal-timeinformationaboutwhat’sgoingonintheworld,theystillruntoTwitterfortheconversationandliveupdates.ButuntilTwitterfiguresouthowtocontrolthefirehoseofcontentthathitspeoplewhenthey’rethere,Instagramisgoingtobeabetterplacetoengagewithconsumersbecauseyouhaveabetterchanceofbeingseen.That’swhyI’vemovedsomuchenergytowardInstagrammyself. I still loveTwitter,butsurvivalof the fittestdoesn’tjustapplytotheanimalkingdom.IfTwitterdoesn’tevolve,andsoon,it’sgoingtodie.

HowwillInstagramevolveinthefuture?

It’sevolvingnow; it’s just somehow itmanages todo it inamore subtleway

thanFacebookdoes,andthereforeelicitslessangstfromitsusers.Onethingiscertain:IfInstagramwereever to layerFacebook’s targetingcapabilitiesonitsplatform,itwouldbecomeoneofthegreatadproductsofourtime.

It wouldn’t surprise me if it transcended mobile photography and starteddevelopingsmartphoto tech, like thebestnewsmartcameraormaybecontactlenses that could take Instagram shots. Why not? CEO Kevin Systrom is athoughtful leader who cares not only about his product but also about hisaudience.Ibethe’lltaketheplatformintoaninterestingnewspace,andwithoutruiningit,too.

Facebook and Twitter make it easy to manage separate pagesandaccounts,butnotInstagram.Isthereawaytosuccessfullyuse one account for all three things without it being shit,jumbledandineffective?

It’s easy to forget that Instagram is really, really young, and young platformsneedtimetoworkouttheirkinks.BeforebusinesspagesexistedonFacebookIhad touse fanpages, and itwas apain in the ass.But I sucked it upbecausethat’swhatyoudountiltheplatformevolvesorrespondstoitsusers’needs.

Peoplewhowriteessaysas their Instagramcaptions—what thehell are they thinking?We’re there to look at pics, not readendlessshit.

Youare.ButplentyofotherpeoplelikethelongformonInstagram.Youdoyouandcreateyourownexperience.Butdon’tbesurprisedifyoustarttoseemoreandmoreofthiskindofthing.Thereisagrowingopportunity,andifitworks,otherpeoplearegoingtostarttryingitthemselves.Platformsevolve;that’sjustthe way it is. In fact, as of this writing, I am findingmyself more andmoreattractedtolonger-formtextonInstagram.

Like,whyismydadfollowingmeonInstagram?Like,no,that’sunacceptable.

Ihavebadnews.Youaregoingtoseeyourdadfollowingyouoneverysocialmedia platform that hits scale—for the rest of your life. That’s how this stuffworks. The youth establishes the community centers, and then everyone elsefollows.

People ruined the artistic intention of Instagram. Like nowpeopletrytosellrefrigeratorsonit.Thefuck?

What do I always say? Marketers ruin everything. People will try to sell onwhateverplatformhasthepublic’sattention,andclearlyit’sInstagram’stime.IfitbecomesoversaturatedlikeTwitter,they’llmoveontothenextone.

Instagram posted that they’re going to start advertising on thetimeline in the United Kingdom.More than 6,300 commentsprotestedthatthey’regoingtoruinitandthreatenedtoleavetheplatform.Yourthoughts?

Differentstrokesfordifferentfolks.Alotofvideohostswouldn’t letsomeoneprecedeaquestionontheairwithanine-secondself-promotion,butIdobecauseI love to reward people’s hustle.Not everyone using Instagram careswhetherads show up or not.And of thosewho say they do, I’mwilling to guess thatthey’re justventing, andwillultimatelybe too lazy to follow throughon theirthreat to leave.Do you knowhowmanyAmericans said theywouldmove toCanadawhenGeorgeW.Bushwasreelected,orObama?Thegapbetweenwhatwesayandwhatwedoisprettybig.I’mwillingtobetthatifyouwentbacktothat Instagram announcement and clicked on the people who said they werequittingtheplatform,you’dfindthatmostarestillthere.Thenumberofthingswesayversus the thingswedo isprettybig.Goback to thatpostand lookat

howmanypeoplehavepostedpicturessinceswearingtheyweresayingbye-byeto Instagram.Myguess isquite a few. Instagramwill find its rhythm thewayFacebookdid,anditwillbeanonevent.

IamwonderingwhatyouthinkofDirectMessageonInstagram.Isitanuntappedresource?

Don’tgowhereyou’renotwanted.DMisliketexting—it’sprivate,andaplacewhere no one wants to be marketed to. I hear anecdotally that most of theconversations happening byDM are flirtatious andmaybe even inappropriate.Few people are following anyone they don’t want to follow, either, so anunexpectedDMfromyouwouldfeelmorelikeaspamintrusionthanitmightonadifferentplatform.Stayaway.

Podcasting

What’s your take on podcasting?You’re playing in the space,butnotallin.Notworthityet?

The only reason I’m not all in right now is I’m too busy, but I think it’s atremendousopportunity.Peoplecanconsumeyourcontentwhiledrivingthecar,jogging,orridingthetrain.Theydon’thavetostopwhatthey’redoingandtheydon’tevenriskgettinghitbytrafficwhiletheycrossthestreetbecausetheireyesaren’tfocusedonscreens.Andpodcastsareprobablyeasierformoremarketerstodowell.Besides,I’mparticularlystrongonvideo,soitmakessenseformetoput my energy there (focus on your strengths, remember?). Since video canmakealotofpeopleself-conscious,podcastsareanexcellentalternative.

Pinterest

Asaman I find itextremelyhard toaccept thatothermenusePinterest.HowdoIgetoverthisbias?

Quit being a jerk. If you’re targeting 15–19-year-old guys to sell them sportsequipment, thenmaybeyoudon’tneedtobethere,but ifyou’reamanwhoistryingtomarketorsellorstorytellorcreateawarenesstowomen,youdo.YourBSbiasisnothelpingyou.

There is buzz aroundPinterest advertising and they are slowlylettinginbusinessaccounts.Areyouoptimistic?

When this questionwas first posed, Pinterest had just launched an ad servicecalled Promoted Pins, which not only serves pins featuring your product topeople their demographic data tells themmight be interested in buying it, butalso allows you to target them based on items they have searched. It’s earlyGoogleAdWordsalloveragain,whichisabig,bigdeal.

I was the first person to sell against the word wine back when GoogleAdWordsfirstlaunched.Iboughtitforfivecents,anditwasninemonthsbeforeanyonebidmeup.Googlebecamehuge,andIreapedthebenefits.IsawsimilarresultswithPinterestalmostimmediately.

With Pinterest blocking affiliate links and introducing a “Buy” button onpins, it’s positioning itself as a major e-commerce contender. Back when Iansweredthisquestion,IpredictedthateighteenmonthsfromthatdayIwouldcomebackwithanupdate.ButImightaswelltellyounow:Forbetterorworse,nothinghasreallychanged.Atthetimeofthispublication,Pinteresthasmovedfairly slowly, so therearenonewmajorupdates todiscuss. I still feelbullish,though,andstillconfidentthatwhenpeopleunderstandthatit’sasearchengineforvisualsthey’llfigureouthowtouseit.If,however,Pinterestcontinuetobeas slow as they have been for another six months, I’m going to start to getconcerned.

Kickstarter

WhatareyourthoughtsonusingKickstartertostartabusiness?

OculusRiftdidit,raising$2milliontoputoutitsfirstprototype,andlatersoldtoFacebook for$2billion.Lotsofotherpeoplehave tried todo it and failed.Thedifference?ThefoundersofOculusRiftbuiltagreatbusiness.Soyes,itcanbedone—ifyou’vegotskills.Noneofthisstuffworksunlessyouhavethetalenttoexecute.

Ello

WhatdoyouthinkofEllo?

Hundredsofpeoplehaveaskedabout thisad-freesocialnetworkthatpromisesnottosellpersonaldata.Itsoundssogreat,butwhat’sthebusinessmodel?Youcan’tmakeaprofitonfree.

A lotofpeople say they resent socialnetworks likeFacebook selling theirdata.Butyouknowwhattheyhatemore?Payingforthem.FromwhatIcansee,peopledon’tmindadswhentheydon’tlookorfeellikeadsandbringussomesortofvalue.Ithinkthat’swhereElloisgoingtohavetogo.

Listicles

What’syouropiniononlisticlesites?

ManyofmyfriendsandcontemporarieswholovedgrowingupreadingtheNewYork Times and theWall Street Journal bemoan listicles, but I think they’regreat.Thepast is thepast, andnowpeoplewant theirnews fast, colorful, andpithy. BuzzFeed, Upworthy, and Gawker have built tremendous businessesaroundlisticles,usingthemtoexploreeverythingfromracismtothechallengesof motherhood to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The problem, as I see it, isthey’rebeingoverrun.Toomanylistslike“12ThingstheCatDidWhileItAteItsFood”arecrowdingoutthevaluablecontentthatpeopleusedtocounton.

It’s the same argument we had over reality TV or daytime game shows.There’sahugemisunderstandingofhowthesethingswork.

What do I think of listicles as a business? In October 2012, twenty-fourmonthsbeforethisquestionwasasked,Iwouldhavesaiditwasaphenomenalopportunity. At the time I discussed this topic on the show, I thought it wassuperstrong.AsIwrite thisbook,almostayear later,I thinkit’saprettygoodidea.Intwoyears,I’dbecareful.Listicleswillfollowthesamepathasallothermedia, in that thebestopportunitiesarisewhenaplatformisnew,and it losesvalueasmoreandmorepeoplepileon.

Email

Doyouthinkemailwillbemoreorlessrelevantinthenextfiveyears?

I think it’s so important I’veput it at the topofmymarketing strategy.Emailopenratesmaynolongerbe80percentliketheywerebackwhenIwassellingwinein1997,butthatdoesn’tmeanemailisdead.See,peopleusedtosignupforemailswithout thinkingtwice, thesamewayweusedtoclickthousandsoflikes on Facebook. As time went on, we started being more selective. Thatmeans that if someone takes the time to sign up for your emails, you’d betterdeliver quality content. If you succeed and prove to people that theywill likeopeningyouremails,youremailopenrateswillbehigh.Youjusthavetodeliveronyourpromisetoprovideamazing,exclusive,relevantcontent.

Theotheradvantageofemails?Youownthem.You’reintotalcontrolofthecreativeandthedistribution,andyoudon’thavetoworrythatyourplatformisgoingtomakeachangethatalterswhethertheconsumerwhooptedinreceivesit.

Ithinkaslongaspeoplehaveemailaccountsemailwillberelevant.Itwon’tbeasvaluableasitoncewas,butitwillstillbeaplayer.

Reddit

WhatareyourthoughtsonReddit?Isitevensocial?Isituseful?

Reddit’sbigadvantageisthatithasasolidcommunity,whichmeansthebrandsand creative shops that canmake their content natively “Reddity” should seeexcellent returns. But as with all platforms, if you barge in there withoutbothering to learn the language and fail to understand why people come toReddit,you’llgetnowhere.

Now,ofcourse,oncebrandsstarthavinganimpactonReddit,theplatform’sdie-harduserswillaccuseitofsellingout.Theywillthreatentoleave.AndthenIthinkthey’llgetoverit.

Google+

WhydoyoucontinuetouseGoogle+?

Because it’s there. It’s definitely a failure, but there is still a niche of earlyadopters who use it. I have an audience there, so I give them content. Whywouldn’tI?Howmucheffortdoesittaketopostavideoandcheckinwithafewpeoplewholikemystuff?Irespectthatcommunityandwanttoserveit.

Canwepleasetry toremembernot to thinkaboutsocialnetworksasallornothing?Investinthehugelysuccessfulones,ofcourse,butdon’tturnyournoseupattheothers.Themembersofthosecommunitiesareconsumers,too.Wouldyouturnawaytheirmoneyiftheywantedtogiveittoyou?

YikYak

What are your thoughts on themarketing opportunities inYikYak?

Ifyou’remarketing to the18–22-year-oldcollegedemo,youneed tobe there.Thechallengeis:Howdoyoumarketyourselforyourbrandwhenit’saplacethat values anonymity?You could use humor, like “I hear the chef at BurgerWorldishot...haha,it’sme.”Thetrickistobeauthenticandnotspammy.It’satoughone.

Meerkat

Which industries do you thinkwill leverageMeerkat the best?Whoistheirtargetuser?

Plentywill,but I think itwillproveparticularlyuseful to retail,entertainment,and sports. Can you imagine the QVC 2.0 opportunities? I could schedule ashowfrom6to9P.M.whereIsellandtalkwine.Sponsorscouldjumponlivesports events. Or you could chargemoney for special shows. I’d happily pay$2.99towatchalivestreet-fightingmatch.

Twitter’sacquisitionofPeriscopehurtMeerkatforsure,becauseitallowedfor a seamless transition between the apps that Meerkat didn’t have. Twitterusers can see embedded images and even the ability towatch live streams infeed;Meerkatpushesa tweetoutonyourbehalf that isnothingbut textandashortlink.ObviouslyPeriscopehastheadvantage(whichsucksformebecauseIinvestedinMeerkat).

Yo

What do you think of Yo’s new updates? Can businesses usethemtocommunicatetocustomers?

At the end of the day, communicating with your audience is the number-onethingyoushouldbedoingatalltimes.IfyouthinktheYoappallowsyoutodothat,bethere.

Tech

Howwill theworldchange in2018once theAppleWatchhasprobablybecomeavitalpartofeverybody’slives?

Ifthere’sonethingIknowforsure,it’sthatthephonewillbetrumped.Anditdoesn’tendwiththeAppleWatch.Smarttechiscomingnotonlytoourwrist,buttoourcollar,oursneakers,ourhats,maybeintoouractualbodies.Anddon’tbe surprised if we return to our communication roots. Our main form ofcommunicatingacrossdistancesusedtobeletterwriting,thenitwasthephone,andnowit’sthroughourthumbs,butwhoknows,wemightstarttalkingagain.I’minvestedinacompanycalledCordProjectthat’sbringingvoicemessagingbackintoplay.Itcouldhappen.

Disney’s MagicBand: How do you see this space evolving?Whatdoyou thinkabout thenecessity for theseonline/offlinebridgetechnologies?

Smart,wearabletechnologiesaregoingtoeatuptheworld.Everythingwillbesmart.Allof it.Yourshirt.Yourpants.Yourunderwear.Yoursocks.Asyourcoffeegetscoldinthecup,itwilltellyou,“Drinkfast!It’sgettingcold!”Don’tbelieveme?Foranactualpresent-dayexample,looknofurtherthanAmazon’snewDashButton. It’snoton the level thatwe justdiscussed,butyouhave toagreeit’sprettydamnclose.

Allthisiscominginthenexttentothirtyyears.Wearabletechallowsthingsthat are physical to go so much further in the digital world. We are alwayslookingforwaystorepresentourphysicalexperiencesinadigitalspace:postingphotos to Instagram. Tweeting about a concert. Facebook statuses. The nextnatural step is for thedigital toenhance thephysicalexperience.That’swhereDisney’sMagicBandsucceeds.

TheMagicBand isawristband thatallowsyou todoeverythingfromopenyourhotelroomtopurchaseahotdogtoentertheparks.ItalsogivesDisneyanextraordinarylayerofdataandammo.Itletsvisitorsrecallstepsduringthedaysotheycancreatetheirownpersonaltimeline.Itpushesoutcontentandunlocksnewvirtualfeatures.Inaddition,itfinallycracksopenapathtoefficiency,oneofthebiggestgoalsforeveryretailer.

OneofthebiggestfrustrationsforanyvisitortoDisneyisthelonglinesandhow hard it can be to navigate from one end of the park to the other. TheMagicBandfixesthat.Disneycanseewherepeoplearegettingstuckandwherethere’s open space, and use technology to encourage people to head to the

underused area, for example by relaying through the band that there’s a codetheycanunlockoveratSplashMountainthatwillgivethemacouponforafreeice cream. The technology actually speeds up the flow throughout the park.Disney can directly affect purchasing behavior by giving people reasons forspendingmoretimeinaspace,thusperhapscreatingmoreoccasionstoshop,orexposingthemtotwoorthreeadditionalhotdogstandsuntiltheyfinallyrealizethey’re really hungry, and improving their mood because the lines aren’tridiculouslylong.

WearablesmarttechfeelsthesamewaysocialnetworksandtheInternetfelttome in2005–2007. It’sgoing to infiltrateeverythingwedo. I’m tellingyou,thesmartbeardiscomingsoon.

TraditionalMedia

WhatareyourthoughtsonFacebookadvertisingontelevision?

I’ve always said that social and traditional media should play Ping-Pong,working together to extend stories and pique people’s curiosity with freshcontent. And I’ve also said that my beef with traditional media isn’t that itdoesn’t serve a purpose, but that it’s overpriced for the limited audience itreaches.

Exceptforwhenyou’reactuallytryingtoreachthatlimitedaudience.Asmallcompanyprobablyshouldn’tspendalotofmoneyonTVbecauseit

cangetfarmorereachbybuildingstoriesthatspreadthroughwordofmouthonsocial media. But today Facebook has 1.8 billion users—it already haseveryone’sattention.Theonlypeopleitcan’treacharethepeoplewhobalkatusingFacebook,namely the13–15-year-olds,and theseniorcitizens.Like, the70–90-year-olds.Thekidsdon’twatchmuchTV,buttheseniorsarethere.TheTVadsarestilloverpriced,butyoucanabsorbthatcostwhenyouhaveamarketcapof$225billion.

Facebook isn’t the only one going old-school. Airbnb launched a printmagazine. Warby Parker, the online prescription eyewear vendor, and BirchBox, a monthly cosmetics subscription service, both opened brick-and-mortarstores.Why?Becausetherewasanaudiencethereandtheywantedtomakesuretoreachit.

Don’teverlockyourselfintoonestrategyorplatform.Useahealthymixthatoptimizesyourreach.Andthougheveryonehastomarketintheyearwelivein,itispossiblethatyouryearstillincludestraditionalprintandTV.

I just bought an indoor billboard company. How do you feelaboutadvertisinginthebathroom?

Anadplacedsmackaboveaurinaloronthebackofabathroomdoorisagreatinvestment—unless you’re doing it in a year when people read their phoneswhentheypeeandnolongerlookatthewallabovetheurinalorthebackofthebathroomdoor.You’vegottothinkabouttheattentiongraph.Whereispeople’sattentiongoing?That’swhereyourmarketingshouldgo.It’snotthatmarketersshouldn’t put their ads in the bathroom; it’s just that the value of urinal andbathroomsignsisn’tnearlyashighasitwaseventhreeyearsago.

Nomatterwhat you’re selling, you’vegot to pay attention to the attentiongraph,notjusthowitlooksnow,buthowitwilllookintheforeseeablefuture.Phonecultureandwearabletechopensuptonsofmarketingopportunities,butitmakesusvulnerable,too.

Whenwill socialmarketing spending be bigger than televisioncommercials?

Maybe in about twodecades.These things take time.Let’s remember that theWebhasbeenaroundsincethemid-ninetiesofferingbanneradsandemailandGoogle AdWords, and none of that made a dent in TV. I think televisionadvertising today is in thesamepositionasnewspaperadvertisinga fewyearsafter Craigslist took off. The DVR and Netflix have chipped away at it, andsocial is going to bring it to its knees. Eventually ads won’t look like adsanymore; they will all be natively interwoven into the platforms, and we’llconsumethemwithoutevenknowingit.

SCOTTWYDEN

@SCOTTWYDEN

http://scottwyden.com

Doyouhavesuggestionsformeandotherphotographersaboutotherwaystodrivelocalprintsales?

Tome,physicalgoodsdon’tjustdisappearinadigitalworld.Obviouslywe’relivingthroughatransitioninallindustries,butthefactofthematterremainsthatatthetimeIwaswritingthisbookthemediawasreportingthataboutatrillionphotographswouldbe takenby the endof2015.At the endof theday, everybusinessneedstorespect thesupply-and-demandcurveofwhat’shappeninginthemarketplace,andpeoplearestillgoingtogointophysicalstores,andhangphysical pictures in their houses. Now, I’ll be totally honest, I’m kind ofsurprised we’re not further along with digital picture frames, but tomorrowApplemaydecidethattheirnextnaturalmoveistheiFrame,andthenwe’llallhavethirteenoftheminourhomes,andawaywego.Assomeonewhorespectsthemarket,ifthathappens,wellthen...toughluck.

I thinkwhatyouneed todo is focusoncapturing thegreatpictures.Whatdoesn’tgoawayistheiconicshot.Youneedtofocusontheproductthatcanbedeliveredbothphysicallyanddigitally.

Andfinally...

If you created a socialmediaplatform,whatwouldbe thekeyfeatureandwhy?

Iloverestrictions.Ithinktheyforceustobeefficientandcreative.Somysocialnetworkwouldonlyallowyou topostonepieceofcontent—blogpost,video,audio,whatever youwish—every twenty-four hours. Imagine how thatwouldkeepthevolumedownandraisethequalitybar.You’dhavetothinkhardaboutwhatwastrulyimportanttoyourconsumer,andatthesametimeyourconsumerwouldknowwhatwastrulyimportanttoyou.Ithinkitcouldbeabillion-dollar

idea.I’mnotinapositiontodoit.Whoelsewantstotry?

CHAPTER10FACEBOOKADS

IN THIS CHAPTER I’LL TALK ABOUT TAKINGADVANTAGEOFOTHERPEOPLE’SEMOTIONS,HOWTOMARKET PRODUCTS PEOPLE ARE EMBARRASSED TOADMIT THEY USE, AND HOW PRACTICE MAKESPERFECT.

Asofthewritingofthisbookinlatesummer2015,Facebookads,alsoknownasUnpublished Page posts, are the single best advertising digital product forentrepreneurs and Fortune 500 companies that I’ve seen since buying thekeywordwinethroughGoogleAdWordsin2004.

Ididn’trealizeitatfirst.Facebookhasbeenanevolvingadproductforthelastfewyears,startingoffslow,withadsontherightsideofthedesktoplikeanyotherbanneradvertising.WhenIstartedtoseeadsinthenewsfeeditmadealotofsensetome;it’shugeandin-your-facewhenyoulookatthescreenonyourphone.Still,Ididn’thaveaeurekamomentuntilafewmonthslater,into2014.ItwasonlywhenI lookedat thedataand theresultsof theearlyFacebookadcampaignsthatIstartedgettingbullishandrecognizedthatthiswasgoingtobeagamechanger.

Sodidafewothers,butnoteveryone.Infact,alotofpeoplewerehystericalin 2014–15 that Facebook would make changes that would compromise itsorganic outreach on fan pages in favor of ad pages. Journalists, pundits, andexecswhohadneverrunaFacebookadwerepublishingarticlesabouthowallthe young people were migrating to Snapchat and Instagram and threatening

Facebook’s domination. People were so angry and emotional they resistedexploringFacebook’scapabilitiesandtryingoutthenewadproduct.ButIandother real practitioners, the kind of peoplewho spend lots of time in the dirt,recognized that this emotional narrative was creating an outstanding arbitrageopportunity,andwejumpedintotakeadvantageofit.

Themore people bashed Facebook and swore its effectivenesswas on thedecline, the fewer people were trying out the new ad platform. And sinceFacebook is a supply-and-demand marketplace, the price only goes up asadvertisersbidforaudiences,justlikeGoogleAdWords.Therewasthereforeanincredible golden era in 2014–15 where the intrepid marketers who weren’twasting their breath complaining and were willing to experiment could gettremendous reach to the exact people they wanted with a bunch of differentcreatives, and see tangible results. That, my friends, reflects the differencebetweenhowpractitionersandheadlinereadersoperate.

We’ve never had an ad product with incredible accuracy, one that couldtarget to age, sex, occupation, and on top of that, behaviors and interests. Bypartneringupwithdataminingcompanies,Facebookcannow tellusnotonlythe demographics of its users, but their buying histories, both online and off.Youcanliterallytargetoneadtonineteen-year-oldmenwithfacialhairwholiveinPhoenix anddrinkRedBull, and send anotherone to twenty-three-year-oldwomen inDetroitwhowear contact lenses andplaygolf. I’ma forty-year-oldmalewho lives inManhattanand loves theJetsandrootbeer. Imaginewhataphenomenally cost-effective transaction you could instigate if you hit myemotionalcenterbyputtinginmylineofvisionarootbeerwithgreenfootballthematics.Theonlychallenge is figuringout thepsychologyofyour audienceanddeterminingwhatstorywillmostlikelycompelthemtomakeapurchase.Ifyoulearntointerprettheavailablecorrectlyanddeployitwithcreativecallstoaction against the right demo at the right time on the right platform, you’regolden.Theoretically,Facebookadscouldallowyoutocreateaunique,native,relevant ad to every user on Facebook. I’m convinced this period will beheraldedasoneofthegreaterasofadvertisingalongsideearlyTVadvertising,earlydirectmailadvertising,andearlyGoogleAdWords.

By the time you read this more people will be flooding this product. It’spossiblethatFacebookadswillnolongerbeaseffectiveastheyoncewerenowthatmorepeoplehavecaughton to theirextraordinarycapabilities.Slowly thesupply and demandwill force the ads to amore appropriate price. I’ll still bebullish about it and I believe it will be amonster platform in 2016–17, even

becomingthebedrockofpeople’sadvertisingplans.Andasalways,eveninthemost saturated market, there is ROI in putting your content on anything thatconsumers pay attention to, so long as you know how to execute, preferablybetterthananyoneelse.

What’sthebestwaytouseFacebookadsandtherightpricetopay?

Theansweristhesamewhetherwe’retalkingaboutthebestwaytocapitalizeonFacebook ads or Instagram,Pinterest’s ad platformor native ads onOutbrain,Taboola,andHexagram:Getinthereandfigureitout.Theonlywaytogetgoodatanythingistodoit.Therearehundredsofpapers,articles,andvideotutorialsthatwillteachyouhowtocreateFacebookads,butwhatwilldeterminewhetheryoursworkornotwillbehowmuchtimeyouspendlisteningtoyourconsumersandgaugingwhatcontentwillbestspeakto them.Theonlywaytofigure thatoutistoexperimentandseewhathappens.

Asforwhatadsshouldcostyou,that’salwaysgoingtobeadifferentanswerfromdaytodaydependingonthesupply-and-demandcurveoftheopenbiddingmarketplace.

What’sthebestwaytouseFacebookadstogrowaudiencesonotherplatforms?

You shouldn’t. It’s the wrong strategy when you can buy an audience onYouTubewithpre-rollsat5–7centsperview,andPinterestandInstagramnowhavetheirownadplatforms.Youwillfindthatdollarfordollar,youwillwinbybuilding audiences within the ad product of the platform. Native content isalways the best way to reach consumers, so leave your Facebook ads onFacebook.

Whichmarketingvehiclesareworkingbesttogrowthestart-ups

you’veinvestedin?

AtthetimeIansweredthisquestion,everystart-upIwasinvestinginwasusingFacebookadsand if theycouldhavespenteverydollar theyhadon themtheywould have. It was as effective asGoogleAdWordswas back in the day forAmazonandeBay.At that time,whilemanyditheredanddebated theROIofGoogleAdWords,thesetwoInternetcompanieswentallin,whichallowedthemtogaintonsmoremarketshareatanundervaluedprice.

Asarookie,howmuchshouldIallocate toFacebookadsforaTeespringcampaign?

With a platform this powerful you should be spending as much money aspossibleonit.Youcouldhavesomuchfunwithacampaignforsuchaneasilycustomizable product. Imagine if you made a T-shirt that said, for example,“Denver Truck Drivers Rule.” You could then create a Facebook ad targetedtowardtruckdriverswholiveinDenver.Itwouldcrush.

Howshouldmarketersengagewithanaudiencethatisgenerallyreluctant to talk publicly about the needs we can fill, forexamplehairreplacementproducts?

First of all, you might be surprised what people are willing to talk about inpublic. Ashley Madison aside, there isn’t much left that’s truly taboo orembarrassing.Rogainehas36,000likesonitsofficialFacebookpage.Dependshas26,000.Soyoucancertainlystartthere,andyoucanmakeaneducatedguessthatasizableportionofmenandwomenbetweentheagesof35and50mighthavehair lossontheirmind.Inaddition,however,becauseofFacebook’sdataminingcapabilities,youcangaugewhoyouraudiencemightbebasedontheirpurchasingbehavior.

Second, don’t forget you can go after people indirectly, too. Look forspecialists and doctors with fan pages and tap their audience. Analyze the

similarities among all of those people and create a general profile for theindividualswhowouldprobablybeinterestedinhearingaboutyourproductorservice,andtargetthem.

Finally,searchadswouldbeapowerfultoolforanyonewiththisdilemma.Buy the right keywords on Google so that when someone does take it uponthemselvestostartlookingforinformation,yoursshowsupimmediately.

IsitworthpayingforacoursetolearnallaboutFacebookads,orisitallrighttorelyonthefreeinfoonYouTube?AreFacebookadsreallythatcomplicated?

Facebookadsarenothardinthesamewaythatusingascrewdriverorshootingabasketball isnothard.Beinggreatat theexecution iswhat’shard.Useyourtimetoeducateyourselfontheoptionsavailabletoyouwiththetool,andthenstart experimentingwith it.Themoreyoupracticeandanalyzeyour results asyou go, the better you’ll get. Being a practitioner is the only way to achievemeaningfulsuccess.Weliveinaworldofheadlinereadersandshallowpundits.Iwantyoutobedifferent.Godeep.

CHAPTER11INFLUENCERMARKETING

IN THIS CHAPTER I TALK ABOUT WHERE THE BIGBUCKS ARE GOING NEXT, THE TWO BIGGESTINFLUENCER OPPORTUNITIES, AND HOW UP-AND-COMING INFLUENCERS CAN GET ADVERTISERATTENTION.

We all know that the thank-you economy is based on the power of word ofmouth.With one click—or tweet or share or favorite or any number of othersocial digital acts—consumers’ messages can be spread and their voiceamplified well beyond the boundaries of their neighborhoods or even theindustrieswheretheywork.Andthat’sjusttheordinaryJoeswhoaren’tactuallytryingtomakenamesforthemselves.Thereareothers,ofcourse,whoseWOMisevenmorevaluable.Theseare thepeoplewhoput in thehustle.Celebrities,forsure,andexpertsintheirfields,butalsothosepeoplewhoaren’tcelebritiesinthetraditionalsenseandyetwhoaresoentertaining,different,orfunny,andso good at creating native content, whether six-second Vine videos or pithytweetsorinsightfulblogposts,theydevelopadisproportionateeffectonpopularcultureandopinion.Marketingtodayisaboutgoingwheretheeyeballsgo,andthe eyeballs are on all of these influencers. Will they see your brand there?You’remissingoutifthey’renot.

I’veknownfora longtimethatoneperson’spassionandpersonalitycouldcarryabrand,especiallyviavideo.Companieswerereachingouttomeasearlyas2006askingifIwouldintegratetheirproductsintoWineLibraryTV.Ididn’t

take theiroffersbecauseIwasn’tyetsurewhat thenegativesideeffectsmightbe, and though 5Kwas a nice sum I wasmaking enough that it didn’t seemworth the risk.Now the practice has become so commonplace and acceptableI’mconsideringgettingasponsor for#AskGaryVee.Canyou imagine it?“The#AskGaryVeeShow,broughttoyoubytheNewYorkJets.”

Back in 2009, when I first wrote about influencer marketing inCrush It,peoplewerestilldebatingwhetherYouTubewasreallyamajorplatform.TodayYouTube is the videoplatformofour society,withFacebookvideohoton itsheels.Influencermarketingisanexplodingcategory,yetforallthethousandsofdollarsbeingpaidtopeopletopostthingsonsocial,itisstillgrosslyunderpricedbelow itsmarketvalue. I always say that Idon’t like tomakepredictions,butI’mcomfortablepredictingthatwhateverthedollaramountinfluencersarebeingpaid tomarket services and products in 2016, thatmoneywill be dwarfed by2019.Corporationsaregoingtogivemassiveamountsofmoneytoindividualsto help bring awareness on platforms like Snapchat and Instagram and plentymorethatdon’texistyet.

WhenIfirstadvocatedforthiskindofmarketing,peoplewerestillskepticalof the idea that everyone and anyone could develop a personal brand. It wasweird. Now it’s the norm. Every fourteen-year-old knows that if she can getenoughfollowersonInstagramcompanieswillsendherfreestuffandpayhertoputpicturesoftheirproductonherfeed,andnotonefourteen-year-oldwatchingherisgoingtothinkbadlyofherfordoingit.You’llsee—influencermarketingisgoingtobeoneoftheadvertisingbedrocksofthenextdecade.

I believe in this form ofmarketing somuch that inMay 2013 I started atalent agency with Jérôme Jarre called GrapeStory to represent the starstorytellersofVineandSnapchat.SincethenI’vewatchedthecareersofLoganPaul,MarcusJohns,KingBach,LelePons,NashGrier,andShondurasexplode,turning them from unknowns into bigger stars to the average fifteen-year-oldthanRihanna. Ifyou’re twenty-fiveyearsorolder, thesenamesmaynotmeananythingtoyou,butforanyoneages14–24, thesehavebeenhouseholdnamesforwellovereighteenmonths.

Where do you see the biggest untapped opportunities in thesocial media influence space? Where is the next big thingcomingfrom?

Influencers havemore power than ever because now they’re in a position notonly to create content, but also to create meaningful distribution. The twobiggest opportunities are product and retail. I could have sold stemware andglassware thanks to my influence in the wine industry. Think infomercials.Don’tlaugh.HaveyouanyideahowmuchmoneyQVCmakesinfiveminuteswhen they’ve got the right person selling the right product? It’s a $3 billioncompany.MakeyourselftheQVC2.0,andyou’llhavesomethingtremendous.

Howdoyoudefineinfluencer?

Idefinean influencerasanybodywithapublicsocialprofile.That’s it. Ifyouhave forty-twopeople followingyou, thenyouare influencing themwithyourcontent.YoumaynotbetheinfluencerthatBMWneedstoimpactitssalesgoalsthat day, but that doesn’t change the fact that youare influencing someone. Ihavelongbeenafanofchasingthelong-tailendofthegraphbyusingtonsofsmallerinfluencers.Thebottomlineis,whetheryou’reincompetitivesportsorinwine,youcanheadovertoplatformslikeInstagramorPinterestandroundupeverybodywithmore than 100 followers and find away to use them. In fact,let’stakealeftturnandtalkaboutsomethingelse:thisbook.

IamgoingtospendadisproportionateamountofmyJanuaryvacation(oratleast thedowntimewhenLiz’sparentshave thekids) reachingout toasmanypeople as possible and getting them to agree,when theweatherwarms up, topost a picture of their hot dog legswithmy book on them accompanied by ahashtaglike#SpringBreakBookOfTheYear(or...something).Seriously.Iwillspend my (incredibly valuable) time chasing down 100–1,000,000 micro-influencerstopostapictureofmybook.

Thelongtailmatters.Everybodyisaninfluencer.

Now that you’re running an influencer spacewithGrapeStory,what are the biggest challenges you’re facing in scaling thebusinessmodel, andwhichbrandsaredoingagood jobusinginfluencersinsocialchannels?

Alotofcompaniesaredoingitwell.OurclientGEwasthefirst tojumponitwith a six-second science experiment on Vine that led to a much biggercampaign. VirginMobile, Hewlett-Packard, and Samsung are also companiesthat have seen success using influencermarketing. They’re just the tip of theiceberg.By the timeyou read thisbook90percentof largebusinesseswillbeconsideringspendingoninfluencers,andbythetime2020getsheremanysmallbusinesseswillbereachingouttolocalcelebrities.AndwhenIsaylocal,Imeanneighborhoodmomswith329Instagramfollowers.Itworksbecausepeopleliketo buy from people they trust. You’re going to see a whole lot more of iteverywhere,fromPinteresttoYouTube.

AsforGrapeStory,therealproblemwehavewithscalingisthatwedotoogood a job.Wehelppeoplewith talent get big, and then theyget so big theydecidetomoveontomoreestablishedagencieslikeCreativeArtistsAgencyandWilliamMorris.Butthen,CAAandWilliamMorrisfacethesamechallengeaswell.That’swhathappenswhenyourbusinessmodelisn’tbasedonbuildinganasset,likeapieceoftech,butonyourownskills.Likealawyer,you’reonlyasgoodasyourlastbillingcycle.

But I bet on my strengths, which are 1) interacting with people, and 2)noticingtrendsandtakingadvantageofthem.Thisbusinessisbuiltonboth.AndI’mtellingyou,I’veseenallofthisbefore,backin2007whenTwitterstarteditsrise.Mystrategyistoridethewavefirst,anddoitbetterthananybodyelseeverwill.

What’sthedifferencebetweeninfluencermarketingandproductplacement?

Becauseofthevisualnatureofmodernadvertising,productplacementisatthecore of the influencer executions. When people think about influencermarketing, theydon’t realize justhowmanydifferentwaysproductplacementcanbehandled,especiallywhenyouconsiderhowtheprimaryplatformforthiskindofexecution,Instagram,isdramaticallymaturing.IseeabrandlikeProteinWorld spending a ton ofmoney on Instagram influencers, but it’s always thesameoldthing.Somegood-lookingkidisholdinguptheproduct.Ithinkwe’repastthat.Theycouldbedoingitmuchmoreintelligently,andseamlessly.

For example, forced product placement like a fifteen-secondMTVCribs-

style tour of an influencer’s apartment where the product just happens to bevisible in the kitchenwould bemore honest and natural. Or instead of hiringsome random attractive person in a bathing suit to hold up a can, you couldcreateabrandambassadorwherepeopleactuallybuyintohisorherbrand,soitmeans somethingwhen that person shows up at your branded events, or yourboxattheKentuckyDerby.Thebestinfluencersaresocreative,theycanmakethe product feel totally seamless, like it’s a natural part of the event. It’swhyGoProhasdonesowell.Theirproductis,byitsverynature,aseamlesspartofthescenarioswithwhichtheywantittobeassociated.

There’s also the reversemove. Some brands can go in the otherway andactually openly laugh at the marketing play. Having an influencer shove theproduct into the camerawhile theypeekout frombehind it lets you inon thejokeandparadoxicallymakesthewholethingmorenaturalandunderstandable.

Whatistheroleofinfluencersinmyoverallmediastrategy,andhowdoIevaluatethemrelativetoothermarketingchannels?

The only thing that makes influencer marketing different from any othermarketingchannelisthatyou’repayingforbothcontentanddistributiononthesamelineitem.That’sit.Otherwise,youquantifyitthesamewayyouquantifyany other medium. When you buy banner ads, you quantify it againstimpressionsorclicks.Whywouldn’tyoudoitthesamewaywithaninfluencerspend?Speakingofimpressions,a lotofdigitallyregistered“impressions”thatyou pay for with display advertising don’t even correlate with an ad actuallybeing seen. With an influencer, you know that consumption is going to besubstantially higher because his or her audience is truly engaged, not quicklyscrolling through inorder toget to the real content.That’s the attention that Icaresomuchabout.

So forme, it’s easy tomeasure one platform against another because I’malmostalwayspointingtoapageoratransactionthatcanbetracked.Ifyou’renot fortunate enough to be in that position, and instead are going for broadawareness,youstillneedtobeabletotrackbyimpressions.Inmyopinion(andifyou’rereadingthisbook,hopefullyyoucareaboutmyopinionalittlebit),animpressiongeneratedbyan influencer is farmorevaluable thanan impressiongeneratedbyageneric“digitalmediaspend”thatputssomeimageintheright-

handrailofawebsite.

Howdo I evaluate the cost of an influencer on a case-by-casebasis?

Toanswer thisquestion, letmebeginby tellingyoua story.Late1997wasanew frontier. Iwas out of the gatewithWineLibrary.combeforemost peopleknewwhattheInternetwas(muchlessthattheycouldbuywinethere),andIhadanemailservicethatwasdoingshockinglywell.ThenalongcomesLuxury.com(yes,Luxury.com,I’mcallingyououtagain)saying,“Hey,WineLibrary,wouldyouliketobuyanadonourONEMILLIONPERSONemaillist?”

At this point,my head exploded. I couldn’t even fathom amillion peopleactuallybeingonamailinglist.Minewasonlyinthetensofthousandsat thatpoint.SoIspentwhatwasatthetimeanungodlyamountofmoney,somethinglike$40,000,ahugechunkofmymarketingmoneyfortheyear,andwentforit.IthoughttherewasahugeopportunitytosiphonofftheirusersandbuildhugeLTV(lifetimevalue).Tome,themathmadesense.

The morning of the email, it was all hands on deck. We called in everywarehouse, sales, and part-time employee we had in preparation for what Ithoughtwouldbeourbiggest salesdayever.Weweregetting two, three, fourordersadayatthatpoint,soIthoughtthatmaybeitcouldbeHUNDREDS!

Nineo’clockrollsaround, theemailgoesout,andI’mrefreshing theorderscreenlikemad.It’s9:03A.M....9:04A.M....nothing.ForthenextfifteenminutesI’mcompletelyscareduntil“Ah!Iknowwhatitis!Theymusthavehadit scheduled fornineA.M.PacificTime.”So I email themasking if that’s thecase,andwhetherIshouldbewaitinguntilnoontoseeresults.

Igetanemailbacktwohourslatersaying,“No.Itwentoutat9A.M.EST.”Atthatpoint,oneorderhadcomeinusingthecodeLUXURYatcheckout.

I was shocked, I was scared, I was upset. And then I realized, it doesn’tmatter howmanypeople are onyour list.Whatmatters is howmanyof themOPENit.Whatmatters ishowmanyofthemCLICKthelink.Whatmatters ishowmanyofthemBUYyourstuff.Onecouldarguethatthismomentwastheseedbehindwhateverythingmylife,mycompanies,andthisbookisabout.ThiswaswhenIrealizeditwasn’taboutwidth,itwasallaboutdepth.It’sabouthowmanypeoplecare,nothowmanypeopleyouhave.And let’scall itwhat it is:

When I say “care,” what I really mean is “who will convert for me in atransaction.”

Sohowdoyou judgean influencer?Bya tonof things.Who is followingthem? If you’re going after some fifteen-year-old kid with a fan base ofscreaming girls, but you sell Pampers to middle-agedmoms, you’re going tomissthemark.Soyouneedtoknowwhothey’rereaching.Onceyouknowthat,youneed to lookpast that top-linenumberof followers and lookat theactualengagementhappeningoneachindividualpost.Firstoff,onaquantitativelevel,you’re looking for what that engagement is as a percentage of their overallfollowers.Thenyouneedtolookateachofthoseinteractionsfromaqualitativestandpoint to see if those interactions are superficial or if they’re actuallyinterestedandengaged.ImaynothavethebiggestfollowingonInstagram,butIknowthatmypostscoulddoahellofalotmoreforOfficeMaxorStaplesthananother user with forty times my following because my people aren’t justfollowingme because I’m hot (although to be fair, since I’ve startedworkingout, I’ve gotten significantlymore attractive); they’re in it for amuch deeperreason.

Mybranddoesn’tevenhaveaVineaccount.ShouldVinebeaplatformIconsider if it’snot somewherewe’realreadyactiveforbranddevelopment?

Your brand should be on any platform that hasmeaningful scale within yourtargetaudience.Itwouldbecrazytonotbepresentonaplatformonwhichyourcustomers are also present. (This also applies to platforms that your audiencemight be on in twenty-fourmonths, too. Please recognizewhat’s happened toFacebook, Instagram, andSnapchatover the lastdecadeas theiruserbasehasmatured intoamucholderoneandasparentshavebeen forced togo there inorder to communicatewith their children. Let’smake sure towrap our headsaroundthat.)

Here’sanotherwaytolookatit.ThisislikeaskingifyourbrandshouldrunTV commercials even though you don’t have your ownTV show.Of course.You’re looking for awareness and contextual relevance. It’s not just aboutsiphoning that influencer’s followers off onto your own fan base within theplatform.Ifyou’resellingtothataudience,andaVinecelebritycangetyouthat

reachandthatassociation,you’rewinning.That said,of course itwouldbe amore ideal execution foryou to already

have a Vine page that can be tagged and allow you to get those extra 4,000followers.Thenyoucan remarket to themover andover, andultimatelydrivedownthecostofacquiringthembyincreasingtheirlifetimevalue.Workonthat,becauseyoushouldbethere.

Whenyoucontractwith an influencer, doyou instruct them tocontinue to make the kind of content your brand is alreadymaking,orshouldyouletthemspeakwiththeirownvoiceandontheirownterms?

ThisisthebiggestdebatethatIseegoingonbetweenbrands,entrepreneurs,andinfluencers.IamahumongousbelieverinlettingtheDJdoherownthing.Ifyouwriteasong,andoneofthebiggestDJsintheworldwantstosampleit inherset,getthehelloutofthewayandletherdoit.ThatDJisfamousforareason.She knows what she’s doing. No brand is going to know an influencer’saudience the way the influencer does. And to be honest, influencers have tobringthatcontexttotheiraudienceforthesakeoftheirownbrand,notonlysothattheycancontinuetomonetize,butforthesakeofmakingyourcontent.Itisinyourbestinterestforthemtoputyourproductintheirowncontext.Now,youmaynotlikethat.There’stypicallyahugedisconnectbetweenthetalentandthedecisionmakeronthebrandside.Attheendoftheday,it’syourbusiness,andyoualwayshavetheoptiontosayno.Infact,Ithinkyoushouldabsolutelyhaveapproval. Obviously I’d never recommend anybody pay money for a productthey don’t get to see in advance. But that approval really only exists for thefringe1percentofcraziness,notforyoutoaddyourcreativetwocents.

Thereisareasonyou’repayinganinfluencertoreachtheiraudience.Theyknowwhatthey’redoing.Evenifallyouwantaretheirfollowers,youstillneedyourproducttobepresentedintherighttone.Ioftenliketohedgeonanswers,butinthiscaseI’mverycomfortablebeingdefinitive.Letthetalentdohisorherthing.

Can an influencer on Vine, Snapchat, or Instagram drive appdownloads given the platform limitations against linking out?HowcanweprovethattheircontentdirectlyaffectstheKPI?

Thefirsthalfofthisisasillyquestion.Theansweris“Ofcourse!”Foronething,Instagramnowdoeshaveadsthatlinkout.Youcouldusean

influencer’s content to get the recognition, and thenmarket against his or herfans with an ad that contains a click out. You’re paying twice, and taking abiggerrisk,butthatisanexecutionIbelievewouldwork.

Otherwise, simply run a controlled test. Establish a baseline of daily appdownloadsgivenyourcurrentadspendsandmeasureagainstit.Ifyou’regettingbetween300and500downloadsaday,andthenyouget1,000onadaywhenyourunaninfluencerpost,well,thenyouknowsomethingisworking.

Way too many people are looking for the reason that something isn’tworkinginsteadofthereasonthatitis.It’sbasic.Snapchatisjustawareness,Iget it, but at a certain point, you’re going to hit a point of consistency indownloadsthatyou’llbeabletomeasureagainst.That’swhenyouwanttogetintosomethinglikeinfluencermarketing,becausethenyou’llbeabletomeasureinacontrolledstate.

PHILLIPGIMMI

@PHILLIPGIMMI

www.PhillipGimmi.com

What is the tactical and strategic pathway to become aninfluencer?Iamallinwhenitcomestoallformsofmarketing.HowdoIconnectwithinfluencers,leveragetheirbrandequity,orgrowmyown?

Asking “how do I become an influencer?” is really no different from asking“howdoIbecomeastar?”

Thereallyfunnyfirstansweristhatyouhavetohavetalent.Thenextfunnyansweristhatyouhavetoputinatonofwork.Thesearebothveryclichéd,basicanswers,but theyhappen tobemassive

truths. I will say that the one new truth is speed of adoption within a newenvironment. Ifyoupaycloseattention to thepeoplewhopoppedonVine,orthe people who popped in the early days of Snapchat or Instagram, they allhappened tobe theChristopherColumbusof theirplatforms.Theywereearly.So as those platforms took off, they developed disproportionate amounts offollowersasnewusersjoinedandfoundthem.

Thesedaysit’sgoingtobewayhardertobethenextTheFatJeworFuckJerry(eventhoughmanyhavetried)becausetheysucceededinthelandgrabsoftheearlydaysoftheirplatform.Soifyouwanttobeavideoinfluencer,youcangoandattackYouTube,Instagram,orSnapchat,eventhoughthey’reestablishedmarkets,oryoucanusethoseplatformstohoneyourtalents.Becomeanexpert,andthenwhenthenextbigthinginvideocomesout,useyournewskillstojumponitandbecomeafirstmover.

So thebiggestmovehere is tobea firstmoveronaplatformIdon’tevenknowaboutyet...

Andthenhavetonsoftalent...Andthendoalotofhardwork.

CHAPTER12STOPWITHTHEEXCUSES!

IN THIS CHAPTER I’LL TALK ABOUT GONE WITH THEWIND, HOW TO MAKE DEPRESSING CONTENTPALATABLE,ANDRAISINGTHEDEAD(INDUSTRIES).

Throughout the relatively shorthistoryofThe#AskGaryVeeShow I’ve fieldednumerousquestionsfrompeopleconvincedthattheirespeciallydulloroutdatedindustry or uninspiring job poses a special marketing challenge. It’s stunninghowmany remarkable reasons and circumstances people can comeupwith toexplain why they haven’t met with success. Of course, the problem doesn’tusuallyliewiththetypeofindustryorjob.Theproblemlieswiththeindividualwhocan’tseeopportunitieswhenthey’rerightinfrontofhisorherface.Theremightnotbeanyeasierplacetomakeyourmarkthaninanenvironmentwherefew people, if any, are puttingmuch effort intomaking theirmark, or whereeverythinghasstayedthesamesincethedawnoftime.

What I findheartening iswhatoftenhappensafter I answer thesekindsofquestions.A high percentage of peoplewill emailme afterward to say, “Hey,youwere right,” and tellme thatmy answer sparked the beginningof amindshift that led torapidgains. Ihaveno interest inbeingamotivationalspeaker,but it’s scary and exciting to see how little it sometimes takes to changesomeone’sperspective.Maybewealllookforexcusestoexplainwhywedon’tachievewhatwewantto,andweshouldbemoreself-awareandrecognizehowmuchcontrolweactuallyhaveoverourownfate,eventakingintoaccountthebarriers likeracism,sexism,andnationalismthatmanyofushave to face. It’s

amazinghowassoonasyoumaketheshiftfrom“Ican’t”to“Whycan’tI?”yougo fromdefense to offense, and as everyoneknows, thebest place to score isalwaysonoffense.

How do I create interesting content for a boring product or astaleindustry?

Awhitelawyerdefendsablackmaninasmallsoutherntown.AspoiledrichgirlgetsmarriedthreetimesandsurvivestheCivilWar.Boymeetsgirl.Recognizeanyofthese?Shaveddowntotheircore,ToKillaMockingbird,GonewiththeWind,andRomeoandJulietsoundprettydamnboring.Theirlastingpowerliesinthefresh,imaginative,daring,surprisingstorytellingoftheircreators.Thereisnoboringifyoutellyourstoryright.

If you’re asking this question, your problem isn’t your content; it’s yourmind-set.Youhavetoshiftyourthinkingimmediately.Youcannotchangeyouroutputunlessyouchangeyourinput.

Start by thinking of every possible way your business, brand, or producttouchespeople,fromwhattheyeat,totheirhobbies,totheirconversationtopics.Don’tboxyourselfin.Useyourimaginationandmapoutalltheoptionsifthat’shelpful.Forexample,ahardwarestore.Youaresadlymistakenifallyouseearetools,adhesives,andpaint.Otherpeopleseetheirdreamhome,theirkids’fort,afinishedhoney-dolist,anewvegetablegarden,orabirdfeeder.Theyseetheirproblemssolved,theirrainydaysfilled,ortheirclosetspacedoubled.TheyseeHabitat for Humanity or Eagle Scouts or Pencils of Promise. Theymight seesweatandexercise,orinspiration,change,craft,andfun.

Next, thinkoutsideyour industryaltogether.WhenIwasstill sellingwine,people would always tell me about other retailers that were doing interestingthingsandsuggestIgoforavisit.Youknowwhatmyanswerwas?“Idon’tgivea crap.” The truth is despite allmy years inwine, I spent an amazingly littleamountof timewithin the industry itself.Thesamecanbesaidfor theagencyindustry, even though I’m working in it now. I’ve been to maybe six otheragenciesinmylife.Idon’tfollowindustrynews.Itrynottolistentowhatelseisgoingon.

And that iswhy Ihavebeenable to innovateover andover again. I don’twanttocopywhateveryoneelseisdoing—Iwanttostandout.SoIsticktowhat

I’mreallygoodat,andIsearchforinspirationwhereeveryoneelseisn’tlooking.Myexperience in toycollectingandbaseballcardsgaveme theperspective toattack the wine-collecting world in a new and fresh way. I looked to SiliconValleyandHollywoodtocreateWineLibraryTV. Iusedmybusinessskills tocreateanagencythatfocusedonbusinessresultsmorethancreative,IusedwhatI had learned from SEO, email marketing, and content marketing in the late1990sandearly2000stofigureouthowtocreatestrategiesfor thenewsocialmedia platforms. If you’re launching a fitness app, pay attention to what’shappening in the food industry, the rock climbing industry, even hip-hop orsports.Thinkcompletelyleftfield.Thebestwaytostagnateistopayattentiontoeveryone else because they’re doing the same crap over and over. And guesswhat?Thesameoldcrapsucks.

Takinganopen,optimisticattitudewillkeepyourcontentfreshandexciting,andallowyoutochangetheworld’sperceptionofyour“boring”product.

Howcananonprofitthatworkstosolveaseriousproblem,likehumantrafficking,makedepressingcontentdynamic?

Nooneeversaidcontenthadtobefunorlight.Youhavetorespectyourtopicand contextualize it for your platform. Though you probably can’tmake yourcontent light,youcancertainlyworkonkeeping it simpleandeasy toabsorb.Createnarrativesthroughinfographics,slideshares,videos,pictures,andquotecardsthatgetyourstoryacrosswithoutrequiringpeopletodigtoodeep.Makesureyoupayattentiontothecolorsyouuseandthemusicyouchoose.

Mygoalistowakethedead,akathefuneralbusiness.Whatareyourthoughtsonbringingrelevancetoagray-hairedindustry?

I’mfascinatedbythisbusiness.Thiswasn’tthefirsttimesomeoneinthefuneralindustryaskedmeforsomeideas.Ioncerecommendedtoafuneraldirectorthathe should become the number-one flower content site on the Internet, thuscreatingapositiveconnectiontohiswork.That’swhatI’mtalkingaboutwhenIsay thatcompaniesneed tobecomemediacompaniesandstartwritingcontent

for and getting involved in areas that are related to them.Don’t comment onyourcompetitor!Instead,commentonsomethingcompletelyoutoftheordinaryyetsurprisinglyrelevant.

Wheneversomeonebreaksnewgroundinanyindustry,especiallyonewithasmuchhistory as funeral direction, theywill likelybe accusedof disrespect.Andmaybe they’re right.Maybe innovation is inherentlydisrespectfulofwhathas come before. Anyone in a highly sensitive business, such as funeraldirectors,hospiceworkers,andthelike,wouldhavetotreadespeciallycarefully,ofcourse.Their jobis toguidepeoplethroughadifficult timewhenthey’reattheir most vulnerable. But even as we entrepreneurs and innovatorsdisrespectfully bring progress to our industries, we can avoid offendingconsumersbybeingunderstanding, compassionate, andempathetic.And that’snotjustpeoplewhosebusinessistohelpthegrieving.It’strueforallofus.

Innovationiswhatwakesupsleepy,gray-hairedindustries.WhenIstartedinthe wine business, wine was serious and sophisticated, and its experts weresixty-year-old gentlemen, not twenty-five-year-old Jets fans from Jersey. So IcameinandIinnovated.Istartedadot-comin1996.IstartedaYouTubeshowless thanayearafterYouTubelaunched.IstartedpostingcontentonSnapchatandPinterestbeforealmostanyotherentrepreneurknewwhattodowiththem.Whenyougetinearly,youhavethefreedomtoplayandimproviseandfigureoutwhatworksbest.

CHAPTER13GRATITUDE

IN THIS CHAPTER I TALK ABOUT WHAT I DO WHENTHINGS GET TOUGH, HOW TO ROMANCE YOURAUDIENCE,ANDHOWTOBUILDLIFETIMEVALUE.

I’m often asked what fuels me, and 80 percent of the time my answer isgratitude.I’mgladIwasborninacommunistcountryandgot tomoveto thiscountry,wherecapitalismisreveredandappreciated.I’mthankfulthatIhaven’thad a lot of pain in my life, though it’s because I lost three of my fourgrandparents before I ever knew them. I’m grateful for the best mom in theworld,forthebestwifeintheworld,foradadwhotaughtmenottobefullofshit,andforallthepeopleIlove.

Iwon’tsayIknowhowto teachyoutohavemoregratitude,butIcansaythat if it is something that can be developed you should go figure out how.Gratitudeismyweaponinmyday-to-daylife.Period.BeinganentrepreneuroraCEOisastunninglylonelyjob.That’snottalkedaboutmuch(thoughitdidgetdiscussedmore frequently for awhile after a spateof suicideswithin the techcommunity).As the headof a company, you are the last person in the line ofdefense. You are entirely responsible for everything. It’s a huge eye-openerwhenyourealizethatyouareresponsiblenotonlyforyourselfandyourfamilyandlovedones,butforotherpeople’s, too.Theenormityof thatobligationhitme hard when I was a kid building upWine Library to 150 employees, andweighs on me even more now that VaynerMedia has nearly 600 employees.Keepingthatcommitmentfront-of-mindwhilebattlingallthecompetitorstrying

tobeatyouandputyououtofbusiness,allwhilenavigatingdynamicsyoucan’tcontrol,fromWallStreettogeopolitics,canweighheavilyevenwhenyou’renotfacedwithabusinesscatastrophe like losingan importantdealorgoingoutofbusiness.

Gratitude iswhathasgottenme throughmy toughestmoments inbusiness(yes,therehavebeensome,thoughIdon’ttalkaboutthemmuch).WheneverIhavelostadealtoacompetitor,oranincredibleemployee,ormillionsofdollarsinrevenuebecauseastatechangeditsshippinglawsandwon’tletmesellthere(damnyou,Texas!),Idefaulttogratitude.BecauseIrecognizethatevenifIhadinvestedinUber,andWoodyJohnsondecideditwastimeandIdidbuytheJetstomorrow,noneof itwouldmatter tomeatall if thenextdayIgotacall thatsomeone I love was sick or had died. Keeping that perspective allowsme tohandleanythingandeverything.WheneverI’vebeeninmyloneliestplacewithmybiggestheadache,thankGodI’vebeenabletostepawayfromitandremindmyselfofall thegreat things I’vebeengiven. It’s impossible tocomplainandgettoodownwhenIdothat.

GratitudeiswhatallowsmetolivemylifethewayIdo,butit’salsoacoreelementtothewayIdobusiness.Inever,evertakeitforgrantedwhenpeopletakeminutesoutoftheirridiculouslybusyworldstowatchmyshoworreadmyblogs or books. I spend much of my time online trying to thank my fans,followers, and customers as often as possible. I don’t understand why morebrands and businesses don’t make that their mission, as well. It’s not as ifconsumers are limited to their neighborhoods or even their cities to findwhattheyneedorwantanymore—theworldisattheirfingertips.Itseemstomethatwhenthecompetitionisthatwidespread,youshouldbefallingalloveryourselfthankingeverydamncustomerwhodecides to spend someofhisorherhard-wonmoneywithyou.

Anythoughtsonhowtousesocialtopromotenonprofitsthataresellinganexperienceandcultureratherthanaproduct?

The companies that have struggled themost to use socialmedia correctly aregenerallycharitiesandNGOs.

Mybigissueiswiththeirmanners.Manybusinesseswithsizableaudiences,includingmine,gethitupeverydaybycharitiesthataskusfordonationsorfor

ustosharetheircontentviaaretweetorpost.Andyouknowwhat?Rarelydotheyevensayhellofirst.

Canyouromanceagirlalittle?The rudeness and entitlement illustrate for me the fundamental problem

charitieshavewhen they’re looking forhelp raisingmoney:They’ve forgottenthatwe’relivinginathank-youeconomy(yes,that’sabookplug).Mostofthenonprofits that askme to help themassume that I’ll be compelled to givemymoneyorusemycloutontheirbehalfjustbecausethey’reworkingforagoodcause. But when my time is limited, I’m going to focus my attention on theorganizations that have bothered to build a relationshipwithme, not the oneswhoapproachedwiththeirhandsout.AndIthinkthesameistruefortherestofthe population. Many charity organizations think that merely putting upheartrendingphotographswill be enough tomovepeople to support them,butthey’reoverlookingthefactthatit’sneverthephotographthatcompelspeopletohelp—it’sthegreaterstoryittells.

ForNGOsandcharitiestosucceedinsocialmedia,theyhavetodowhatallthe for-profit businesses out there are doing—hustling, listening, creatingdialogue,solvingproblems,buildingrelationships,andstorytelling.(Foragoodexampleofhownonprofitscanexecutethisstrategy,checkoutCharity:Water.It’s not only an excellent organization; it’s also got a killer social mediastrategy.) And then, like all businesses, they have to express gratitude andappreciationwheneveranyonesomuchaslooksintheirdirection.Socialmediaisawonderfulplacetoexpressgratitude,evenfororganizationswhosemembersprefer to remain anonymous. It’s so easy for a nonprofit to create a video orother public announcement of their thanks for the people that support theirefforts.

Nonprofitsthatfocusonexpressingappreciationinsteadofexpectationwillbetheonesthatcrackthecodetosuccessinsocialmedia.

Do you still believe marketing is headed toward one-on-onemarketing?

Morethanever.Youknowwhy?Becausedespitealltheevidence(Iputalotofit intomybookTheThankYouEconomy)abouthowgoodbusinessgetsdonetoday when you listen to your consumer, most brands are still talking away.

They’re like the guy at the party who won’t let you get a word in edgewisebecausehe’snotreallyinterestedinwhatyouhavetosay.Whenyou’reinthatsituation,howlongdoyoulastbeforecomingupwithanexcusetowalkaway?Thesceneonsocialmediaisnodifferent,excepttheconsumerdoesn’tneedanyexcuse.Whenthey’vehadenough,buh-bye.Theyunfollow,theymoveon,andtheydon’tcomeback.

One-to-onemarketingtakestimebuttheROIistremendousbecausesofewbusinessesareactuallydoingit.Ifinallyfiguredoutthat’swhymyresultsaresooftentheexceptioninsteadoftherule.Whenyou’relisteningandotherpeoplearen’t, you look like a star. I’m still amazed at howmuch itmeans to peoplewhen I send them a Twitter video response or reply to them on Instagram tothankthemfortheirfollow.AlmosteverysingleTwittervideoI’vesenthasbeenlikedand retweeted.Whyarepeoplesoexcited?Becausenobodyelsedoes it!Butyoucanandyoushould.Peoplelovewhenyoutakeanextrasecondoutofyourdaytoacknowledgethem.It’stheequivalentofanicelywrittenthank-younote, except it takes less time to do and it doesn’t take two days to get to itsdestination.

Expressinggratitudehelpsyoubuild lifetimevalue—“LTV.”Whenyou’resmallandstillclimbingthemountain,sometimesit’spracticallyallyou’vegottogive.Sospendyourtimebeinggenerousandgratefulforwhatevertimeandattention your customer gives you. You’ll see that it comes back to youeventuallyviaword-of-mouthrecommendations,sales,andlegacy.

CHAPTER14LEADERSHIP

IN THIS CHAPTER I’LL TALK ABOUT THE BIGGESTLESSONSI’VELEARNED,BUILDINGCULTURE,ANDWHYREPEATING YOUR MISTAKES IS SOMETIMES A GOODTHING.

I suspect the topic Iwillmostwant to talkaboutwhen Iget to theendofmycareerwillbe leadership. It’saskill thatcamenaturally tomeatayoungage.YetasproudasIamofmyleadershipskillsandeffectiveness,Istillworkoniteveryday,andit’sanaspectofmyselfwhereIfeelIamcontinuouslygrowing.Thischapterallowsmetothankmyemployees,whosesmarts, talent,andhardworkalwayspushmetoraisethebarandhonemyabilities.Theyhaveaffordedme the chance to takemy leadership skills to amuchhigher level than I everrealizedwaspossible.

Myphilosophyon leadership is very simple:Everything in business stemsfromthetop,whetheryou’rethebossoftwopeopleinathree-personteamortheheadofaFortune500company.Andeverything thathappens inacompanyis100percent theCEO’sfault.Afterall, theCEOis thepersonwhoputspeopleintoapositiontomakegoodorbaddecisions.It’snoaccidentthatwhensomecompanies change their CEO they go fromwinners to losers or vice versa. Itmaybethemostimportantvariableforsuccessinrunningabusiness.

Beingaleadertodayisagreaterchallengethaneverbecauseofsocialmedia.It has completely changed the nature of the job.You used to be able to—no,leaders were expected to talk from the top of a mountain. You’d make your

proclamationandnotworrymuchabouthearinganythingback,certainlynotinreal time. But now that our communication channels have given everyone avoice,whateveryousayfromonhighmayinviteareaction.Youmightgetitin-house,oryoumightget itfromthemasses.That’sprovingtobeachallengingadjustmentforsomeleaders,especiallythosefurtheralongintheircareer.

Theonly effectiveway to truly lead is to practice andmodel the behavioryouwanttoseeinothers.That’swhyIoncedroveacrossstatelinesinablizzardduring the height of the Christmas rush to deliver a single case of whitezinfandel to a customer whose order had been delayed. I know my team iswatchingme. I can’t tell them to go the extramile if I’mnotwilling to do itmyself.IftheDNAofanybusinessstemsfromthetop,thetophastoensurethatitsvalues,beliefs,andattitudestrickledowntoshapethecultureandencourageaproductive,innovative,creative,andevenhappyenvironment.

Onehallmarkofagoodleaderistoaskquestions.It’sthebestwaytoshowyourteamyourecognizethey’remorethanjustcogsonawheel.“Hey,howarethings going?” “How’s the new baby?” “What are you excited about lately?”“Doyouhaveany ideasyou’d like todiscuss?”It’salso thebestway tosolveproblems. Don’t ever start offering solutions before asking tons of questions:“Whyarewetwoweeksbehind?”“Whatdoyouthinkistheissue?”“Whatdoyou need?” And then for God’s sake, listen. Be compassionate. Be fair. Hirepeople who embody those characteristics, too. Celebrate successes, and whenyouhavetoreprimand,harkbacktoallthetimesyouscrewedupandrememberthatthosemistakeshaveeverythingtodowithwhoyouaretoday.Greatleadersaren’tborn;they’remade.

Ithinkthischapteroffersalotofvalue.Afterreadingit,lookinthemirrorandthinkaboutwhatyoudowellandhowyoucoulddoevenbetter.Leadershipneedstobeabigpillarinyourdevelopmentifyouhaveambitionsofbuildingabusiness.TheanswersyouseeheremaybethesecretsaucetoanysuccessI’veenjoyedinmycareer.

What are the most important lessons your father taught youaboutbuildingabusiness?

MydadisresponsibleforthesinglemostimportantadviceI’veeverreceived:Yourwordisbond.

Iwasn’toldenough todrinkwhen I startedworking the flooratmydad’sliquor store in Springfield, New Jersey, but that didn’t stopme from being agreatwinesalesman.NotonlyhadImemorizedeverythingIhadread inWineSpectator,but Iwasnaturallycharismatic.Now,before I startedat thestore, Iwas also a bit of a bullshit artist. I would say absolutely anything to sell abaseball card. Maybe that’s no surprise; a very, very fine line separatessalesmanshipandbullshit.Mydad,however,madesureeveryoneworkinginhisstoreknewtheconsequenceswouldbesevereforanyonewhotriedtocrossit.

Hetaughtmethatwhenyoumakeacommitment,yousticktoit.IfIboughtfifty cases of wine, I was in for those cases no matter what. If the marketchangedor thewine received a poor rating, Iwas to stickwith that purchase.Youtakeit,youeatit,youdrinkit.

Those lessonsmademe into theman I am today. They showedme that Icouldusemycharisma forgood, and that I didn’t need to cut cornersor treatpeoplepoorlytosucceed.Forthisreason,I’vebeenabletoholdontobusinessrelationshipsfordecades.Beinghonorablealwayspaysoffinthelongrun,evenifitoccasionallymakesyoualittlelessmoneyintheshortterm.Themarathontrulyhasgreatervaluethanthesprint.

How do you change a firmly established culture into one thatgenuinelycaresaboutthecustomer?

Everything that happens at VaynerMedia is my fault. Because I empowereverybodyIworkwithtocreatethecultureatmycompany,theresponsibilitytobuild that culture is entirelyonme. If I fail,we fail, so Iworkmybuttoff tomakesureIdon’t.

Unfortunately,noteveryoneseesit thatway.Someleadersattheheadofaflounderingshipmighttrytomakeexcuses.They’llsaythere’ssomefacetofthebusinessthatmakesthecurrentculturenecessary.That’sbull.Whoisinchargeof that facet of the business? The leadership. No matter how you slice it, acompany’scultureiscompletelydependentonthepeopleinchargeofit.

So there is only oneway to change the culturewhen it’s broken—kill theleadership.

Haveyoueverseenarecentlyprunedrosebush?It looksstunted,bare,andshrubby,likeyou’vekilledtheplant.Untilyoucomebacksixweekslater.See,

rosebushesthrivebestwhenoldgrowthanddeadbranchesarecutwayback.Itlooksawfulatfirst,butyou’dbeamazedathowrapidlythosenewbranchesandbuds start to grow. Within just a few weeks of pruning a rosebush can beexplodingwithflowers.

Now, you can’t just hack at the thing; you have to do it right. There’s acertain angle at which you cut to make sure the flowers grow in the rightdirection,andallsortsofotherprecautionssomeonewhocaresaboutrosesalotmorethanIdowouldknow.Mypointis,sometimesyouhavetogetridoftheold, tired stuffat the top togive somethingbetterachance tobloom.And thesamecanbesaidforold,tiredideasorold,tiredwaysofdoingbusiness.

ObviouslyI’mnotproposingmurder,sohowcouldyougoabout“killing”acompany’s leadership to give a new culture room to grow?Youmight try toexpress your concerns directly to the people in charge and pray they’re open-mindedenough to listen.Youcould try talking to influentialpeoplewithin thecompanywhoaren’tpartof theleadershipteamandhopingthey’ll takeupthecause.Youcoulddoasmuchasyoucanwithinyour small sphere, thenworkhardsothatyouriseupwithinthecompanyandyourspherebecomesbiggerandyourinfluencemorebroadlyfelt.

Whatifyou’reworkingforafamilybusinessoranewCEO,andthere’snohopeforchange?Getthehellout.Sorry,therereallyisnoothersolution.

Whoareyouridolsorthepeoplewhoinspireyou?Didyoueverhaveamentor?

I’veneverworshippedanyso-calledbusinessidols,buttwopeoplethatIalwaysadmiredwereWaltDisneyandVinceMcMahon,thewrestlerandCEOofWWE(WorldWrestlingEntertainment),becausethey’regreatstorytellerswhoturnedtheir storytelling into businesses. ButDisney died before Iwas born and I’venevermetMcMahon,soyoucan’treallyconsiderthemmentors.Therearereallyonly twopeople inmy life I truly idolizeandcouldconsidermentors:TamaraVaynerchuk,whotaughtmepeopleskillsandmuchaboutwhatmattersinlife,and Sasha Vaynerchuk, who gaveme a work ethic and taughtme honor andperseverance.

Asabusiness leader,what’s theonethingthatkeepsyouupatnight?

TheonethingImostworryabouteverydayismyhealthandthehealthofmyfamily.SolongaseveryoneIloveishealthy,Iwillnotbeafraidofanything—notthelandscape,notpossiblemarketshifts,notcompetition,andcertainlynotinternalissues.See,somepeoplemayrejecttheideathatacompanyisadirectreflection of its leaders, but this is why I embrace it. I don’t have to worry,because everything that has to do with my business—how we navigate thatlandscape,howwereacttofluctuatingmarkets,howwesparwithcompetitors,andhowIhandlethoseinternalissues—isentirelywithinmycontrol.

Ihopeyouhearthat.Aleaderissupposedtobeincontrol.Ifyou’restayingupatnightsweating,dosomethingaboutit.

Doyouevercomplain?

Thisquestioncameinjustasmyson,Xander,wasgoingthroughawhinystage.Hewasonlya toddler so therewasnothingunusualabout that,butwhenhe’solderandI’mlookingathimfondlywishingIcouldturnbacktime,itwon’tbetothatparticularphase,becauseifthere’sonethingI’mfundamentallyagainst,it’scomplaining.

What’sthevalueinit?Iwasluckytolearnthislessonveryearlyonfrommymother, who I swear has never complained a day in her life, and she’s animmigrantwho lost hermother at the age of five and fled from a communistcountry,soyouknowherlifehasnotalwaysbeensunshineandrainbows.Notthat anyone’s ever is.But that’smypoint. Problemshappen.Life isn’t fair orperfect.Complainingfixesnothing.Onlytakingactiondoes.

Besides, I’m the boss. If anyone has the power to fix a problem it’s me,becauseI’mtheonewithallthecontrol.Sohere’swhatIdo:assesstheproblem,find the solution, and get on the offense. And I do my best to empower myemployeestofollowthesameprocess.

Ithinksomeofthemfinditintimidatingatfirst.DoIreallymeanitwhenItellthemtheydon’tneedtocometomeforpermissiontotrythisideaorsolvethatproblem,but should justuse theirbest judgment?The first time they stop

worryingthatthey’retoojuniororgoingtosteponsomeoneelse’stoes,andjustgetinthereandsolvetheirproblem,isagamechanger.They’reneverthesame.

When this happens, you, as a leader, can scale that success.Get people tobreak through and help you solve problems and build things and spread yourreligion,andthingsstarttoclickreallyfast.

Positivityisastateofmind.Honeyworkswaybetterthanvinegar.ItwillbeafewmoreyearsbeforeXanderfullyunderstandswhythesethingsaretrue,butIknowthatasIpassonwhatmymothertaughtmeI’mgivinghimoneofthekeystoabright,prosperousfuture.

Inwhatsituationsareyoumostcomfortable?

I thrive in themidstofchaos. I’mgreat tohavearoundwhen thingsgowrongbecauseItendtostaycoolandcalm.WhichisfunnybecauseIhatecalm.EvenNewYorkistooslowformeattimes.AssoonasIwalkintoVaynerMediaI’llasksomeonetoturnonsomemusic,becauseIgetpumpedwhenthere’sabuzzandabeatintheair.Theridiculousvolumeofthingsthatgetthrownatmeeverydayandallthedemandsputonmyattentionwouldoverwhelmsomepeople,butIloveit.It’smydrug.Ineedtheaction.

If you could teach everyone in the world one thing you’velearned,whatwoulditbe?

Mydadtaughtmethatwordisbond,butascrucialasthatlessonis,Ithinkit’salessonthatwasuniquelyimportanttomebecauseofmypersonality.

Here’s theoneuniversal rule Iwould try to teacheveryone:Depthmattersmorethanwidth.

Thatis,thesmallestmeaningful,intentionalactwillmeanmuchmorethanahugeonethatlacksintentorsubstance.

Believeitornot,I’mpayingattentiontomanyofyouwhoarereadingthisbook.I’mnolongerable toengagethewayIusedtowitheverysinglepersonwho sayshello, but I’mdefinitely trying every single day.When I’mnot in ameeting orwriting or taking care of business, I’mhustling for depthwithmy

community. I’m favoriting posts, leaving notes, replying, and saying hello,especiallyon Instagram (@garyvee). I try to catchyour littlemoments and letyouknowthatInoticed,evenifittookmeawhiletogetaroundtotellingyou.It’samazinghowmuchatweetcanstillmeantopeople.

Sadly,alotofthesocialmediaworldisstillgoingwide—gunningformorelikes, shares, and right hooks, doing whatever they can to make their fan orfollower numbers grow instead of paying attention to the quality of theirengagement.Wewanttheattention,butthenwedon’twanttogiveitback.Andno,offeringalikeinexchangeforalike,orashareforashare,doesn’tcount.It’sacrapmovethattakesnothoughtandhasnosubstance.

Thisismycalltoaction:Godeep.Reachout,providevalue,andbethere.

Howdoyoustayconstantlymotivated?

One,IlovewhatIdo.IlovetheHRnightmaresofa500-plusorganization,theheadaches,thegrind,thecallswithanupsetcustomer,allofit.It’seasytostaymotivated when you know your day is filled with things that are getting youclosertoyourgoals.

Two,I’mgratefuleverysingleday.Ifeelsoluckytohavebeenborninthemid-1970s,duringsuchaspecialmomentinSoviethistory,insteadofthemid-nineteenthcenturyorthe1940s,andtohavebeengiventheopportunitytocometothiscountry.I’mgratefulformyparents,mywife,andmykids.Imadethisbed;howcanIcomplain?Gratitudeisamazingfuel.

Howdoyoukeepothersmotivated?

Thisquestioncame from theepicTommyLasorda inepisode109, anall-timegreat baseball manager andmotivator himself. I thought it was an interestingquestionsincehe’sclearlyfiguredoutmethodsthatworkforhimandhisteams.

Motivatingemployeesshouldbeoneofaleader’stoppriorities.YoualreadyknowIbelieve in leadingbyexample,not justwhenyou’re runningmeetings,butinyourdailyinteractions,intheemailsyousend,evenyourposture.IhopethatthewayIcarrymyselfandlivemylifemotivatespeopletoworkhardand

dotheirbestbyothers.Butit’snotenoughjusttodoyourthingandhopeeveryoneelseabsorbsthe

energyyouputout.Youalsohavetopayattention.Everyonehasdifferentneedsobjectives,andtheincentives thatworkforonetypeofpersonmightnotworkfor another. Some people live for their kids, some people are totally careerdriven,somepeopleneedtobeconstantlychallengedortheygetbored.Imeetwitheverysinglenewhireatmycompanywithinthefirstfewmonthsaftertheystart,andthroughouttheirtimeatVaynerMediaItrytogettoknowthemasbestIcan.Iaskthemquestionsaboutwhattheywanttodowiththeirlives,andthenlisten hard and figure out what makes them tick, and put them in a positionwhere they find that if they work hard and fast, they can succeed. I alsorecognize thatpeoplechange, so Ihave tomakesuremy teamknows that if Idon’t figure it out onmyown, they can come tome any time to discuss howtheirneedshavechangedandwhatwecandotohelpthemfeelmoreproductiveand accomplished. Employees who believe that you support their desire toachievetheirowngoalswillbemorethanhappytousetheireffortsandtalentstohelpyougetclosertoyoursaswell.

What advice would you give someone transitioning to aleadershiprole?

Surprisingly, moving into a managerial or leadership role can be more of achallengethanactuallyexecutingthejobonceyougetthere.Notbecauseyou’resuddenly delegating orders whereas once you were just executing them, butbecause when everyone starts looking for answers, they’re going to start bylookingatyou.

Myadviceinthiscasewouldbetolearntorelyonempathyandemotionasmuchasyourexecutiveskillssoyoucanempoweryourteamtobecomeleadersthemselvesandtakeownershipoftheirwork.That’samuchharderthingtodothan justorderingpeople around,but theend result is farmore rewardingandproductive.

In addition, accept that now everything is on you. Thatmeans sometimesyou’regoingtohave to take thehit ifyour teamisn’tperformingthewayyouhoped itwould. But no one likes a boss that passes the buck to an employeewhenthingsgowrong.Youneedtobethebesthumanbeingyoucanbetoearn

their trust and respect.Backyour teamupanddon’tpassblame,andyouwillearn their loyaltyand their best efforts.And really, isn’t that the best thing aleadercouldaskfor?

Howdoyouinstillsoulandswaggerintoaphysicalproductyoucreate?

Doyou have soul and swagger?Do you hire peoplewho have it? If so, yourproduct will, too. Howmany times has a brand or product suffered after thedepartureofthecompanyCEO?Thatdoesn’tmeanthenextleadermightnotbegreatandcontinuetheswagger,butitalldependsonhisorherDNA.

Are there any common mistakes you repeat? Any tips onovercomingthem?

Irepeatallmymistakesoverandoverandoveragain.Youknowwhy?Becausewhile I regret—really, really regret—any trouble

mymistakesattheofficecausemyteam,forthemostpartIenjoymakingthem.For example, my team is constantly on me about biting off more than I canchew.Too often, I become the bottleneck, and that slows everyone down andcausesthemstress.Idotrytodobetter,butsomehowmonthaftermonthitstillhappens because I love saying yes to things more than I hate being thebottleneck.

And,ifI’mbeingperfectlyhonest,I’mnotgoingtoputintheworkitwouldtake to overcome these mistakes. I don’t want to focus onmy weaknesses; Iwant to bet onmy strengths. I feel thatway about everyone inmy life, too. Ihave such confidence inmy team I struggle to think of somethingwe are notgreatat.Theremustbesomething,butit’snotwhereIputmytimeandenergy,soitdoesn’treallyregister.

Somepeoplemightthinkthisiswillfulblindness,butIsaybettingonyourstrengthsmightbe themostunderrated strategy inmodernbusiness.Athome,youhave topayattentionwhenmistakesorweaknesses threatenyourpersonalorfamilylife,butinbusiness,ifyou’reanentrepreneurandtheboss?Nah.

Are you worried you might have created a Steve Jobs–esque“realitydistortionfield”aroundVaynerMedia?

Whataflatteringquestion.Forthoseofyouwhodon’tknow,realitydistortionfieldisatermusedtodescribethemagneticholdthelateSteveJobsseemedtohave on his designers.By sheer force of personality and charisma, he seemedable to dissolve any doubts or questions about his strategies or plans. I’mnotworriedaboutthatbecauseIknowmyintentispure.Sure,I’mprobablycreatingdistortion. I think since our job is to get a large group of people to coalescearoundcommongoals,mostleadershaveto,andit’sallforgood.

Doyouprefertobearoundpeoplewhoarethesameordifferentthanyou?

AfewyearsagoInoticedthatsomeofmyfriendsweresurroundingthemselveswithyesmenandwomen,andItookastepbacktomakesureIwasn’tdoingthesame.SometimesIknowIcanbesoforcefulinmyopinionsthatIsuckalltheoxygenoutoftheroom.Guilty.ButIdovaluewhatotherpeoplehavetosay.Asoliddebate isassexyas—andsometimesmoreso than—amutualadmirationsociety. For someonewho talks asmuch as I do,which is constantly, I listenquiteabit.Infact,I’mwatchingandlisteningallthetime,sowhenIdotalk,I’musually sharing the intel I’ve gathered. I don’t talk just to hear my beautifulvoice.

Intheend,Idon’tmeetalotofpeoplelikeme,andthat’sprobablygoodfortheworld.Infact,IwouldsayasIgetolderIammoreandmoreinterestedinfindingpeoplewhoaredifferentfrommeandcanroundoutmyskills.

If you were to tragically die today, how well wouldVaynerMedia do long termwithout its CEO?Have you beensatisfied with Wine Library’s performance since leaving tofocusonVM?

If theDNAof a company stems from the top, then itmakes sense that itwillstaggerifsomethinghappenstoakeyplayer.Mybrotherandcofounder,AJ,isridiculouslycapable,butI’dassumeifsomethingweretohappentomehe’dbeprettytornup.He’dbetterbe,anyway.Andknowinghim,it’spossiblehewouldwonderwhethertherewasanypointincontinuing.Soitwouldn’tsurprisemeifit were other people in the teamwho insisted on keeping the business going.We’vebuilt an interestingculture, and I think in theend itwould surviveandeventually thrive again, especially once AJ was ready to take the helm if hechoseto.

AsforWineLibrary,Ireallythoughtitwouldsuffermorewithoutmethanitdoes.It’sallrunbyfamilyandclosefriends,andthey’vedoneagreatjob.DoIthinkitcouldbedoingbetter?Ofcourse,becauseIthinkI’mgreat!Theycan’texperiencehypergrowthwhenI’mnotthere.That’swhatI’mbestat.Icangrowbusinessesfastasshit.Buttheyhaveothergreattalentaround.

Wouldyoubeabletoleadanytypeofcompany?Doyouthinkleaderscanswitchindustrieseasily?

I100,000percentbelieve Icould runmost$500millionor smallercompanies(any bigger and I’d have to spend some time there to be sure). Now, I don’tknow crap about 93 percent of companies out there, but with my spongelikeskills I could quickly learn what I need to know about any B2B or B2C bystudyingthedata,thenumbers,theculture,themarketplace,andtheconsumer,andthenreverse-engineerit.

Andyouknowwhat? I don’t think I’m that special, either. I think anyonewhoisgoodatbothsalesandHRcoulddoit,becausetherearetwomandatestorunningabusiness—build teamsandsell stuff.The levelatwhichyouwillbeabletoperformwillbecappedbyyourleveloftalent,butanyonewho’sgoodatbothisinapositiontosucceedatthehelmofacompany.Anycompany.

Wouldyoubewillingtosacrificeyourethicsforabusinesswin?

No,andnot justbecause I’mobsessedwith the ideaof leavingagood legacy,

butbecause,practically,it’stherightthing.Foronething,I’vefoundthatImakemoremoneyifIdon’timmediatelygrabwhat’srightinfrontofme.Foranother,I’vemade it clear I think leaders should be rolemodels andwalk thewalk. Ihave an assistant with access to my emails; he’d know immediately if I didsomething shady or unethical, and then hewould have to question everythingI’veeversaidtohim,andhe’dstoptrustingme.Thatwouldslowusdown,andultimatelyhewould talk,whichwould change thenarrativeofwho Iwas andwhatIwastryingtoaccomplish.

A healthy company culture built on trust and opennessmakes business gofaster. There’s debate, but no one is wasting a minute questioning anyone’smotives.Over the courseofmycareer Iwill probably endup leavinga lot ofmoneyon the tablebecause I’llbe judgingmysuccessbyhowmanypeople Ithinkwillcometomyfuneral,nothowmuchmoneyIultimatelymake.AndIwouldn’tsacrificethatatanyprice.

Iwant to encourage people to dowhat I did and leave a verysecure job to pursue their dream. But will my employeeretention rate drop? Has yours dropped since you startedbuildingupyourpersonalbrand?

Theonlywaytobuildretentionis tomakeitclear toyouremployees thatyouwantthemtobehappyandlivetheirdreams.Thatkindofsupportbuildsinsaneloyalty.MyemployeesknowwithoutadoubtthatIwanttowin,butnotattheirexpense.IwanttobuytheNewYorkJetswiththem.Iamwellawarethatsomeofthemhavedreamsthatmighttakethemawayfromthiscompany,andme,andif that happens, theywill havemyblessing andmy support. In themeantime,however,Iwilltrytobringthemsomuchvalueoverthelonghaulthattheywillhavetothinktwice,maybeeventhreetimes,beforedecidingtoleave.Ithinkit’ssadwhenleadersandmanagersfeelthreatenedorbetrayedwhentheyfindoutavalued employee is ready tomove on. Our job as leaders is to empower ourteamsandrootforthem.Mostofthetime,ifwedothatright,wehaveachanceofbuildingarelationshipthatcanbenefitusbothwhetherwe’reworkinginthesamecompanyornot.

Howimportantisfailure?

This question came to me when business icons Jack and Suzy Welch werehostingtheshowwithme.Everyoneofushadourownstory.AsayoungmanJack blew up a factory. Suzy was fired from theHarvard Business Review.WhenIwasakidIpaid$400foratableatabaseballcardconventionandnotasoulshowedup.Itwasmyfirstbusinessmistakeandahugefailure;backthen$400seemedlikeabillion.Everyoneofuslearnedanimportantlessonfromourawfulexperiences.Welearnedthatfailuredoesn’tkillyou,andthat theearlieryoudo it, the easier it is to recover.Wegained empathy for otherswhohavegonethroughtheexperience.AsJacksaid,it’snotthefailurethat’ssoimportantashowwellyourideafteryougetknockedonyourbutt.

Youhavetoquantifyyourfailure,ofcourse.Ifyoufailandyoucan’tgetupagain,that’snotagoodthing.Butifyou’remadeoftherightstuff,failurewilljustcompelyoutogetbackupandtryharder.Anyfailurefromwhichyoucanrecoverisalearningopportunitythatwillonlymakeyoustronger.

Don’t fail toooften,butdon’tbe afraidof it, either. I tellmy team Ineedwartimegenerals—leaderswhocandealwiththingswhenthey’renotgoingwell—not peacetime generals. I always know what’s going well.What I need toknowiswherearewefailing.

Yes,failureisreallyimportant.Failuremakesyoubetter.Ilikefailure.

Howdoyoucelebratevictories?

I am terrible at it, and that’s not something I’m proud of, because when youdon’tcelebrateyourwins,youholdyourcompanyback.Celebratingvictories,inmyopinion,isanintegralpartofbuildingcompanyculture.

AtVaynerMediawe have bigwins every day.We land big new accounts.Wegrow like crazy.Wewin awards.Andyet I celebrate veryquietly.You’llneverhearuscheer,you’llneverseeapressrelease,you’llneverseemepoundmy chest. Which doesn’t mean I don’t ever brag about our successes—threeminutesofThe#AskGaryVeeShow(heck,threeminutesintothisbook!)andyouknowI’mproudofwhatthisagencyhasaccomplished.ButwhenIdomentionourvictoriesandaccolades,it’susuallylongafterthey’vehappened.

It’sallbecauseIlovetheclimbsomuch.Manyentrepreneursarelikethat.We’re so focused on the journey, by the time we’ve gotten to the top we’realready thinkingabout thenexthill.You justget to thenextbattle soyoucanwinit.Butthiscanbedangerousandunfairtothepeoplewhohelpedyouwiththatclimb.Somepeople like topauseandenjoy theairup there. Ifyoumoveright along without acknowledging their efforts and celebrating the moment,theycan feelusedandunappreciated,especially ifyou’re theonlyone to reapthebulkoftherewards.

Iknowthisisaweaknessandit’soneIthinkisworthworkingon.It’suptome to shape our culture, and I want my company to be a place where wecelebrate our wins as a team. It’s important to stop and smell the roses, butsometimesyouneedtohandthemout,too.

Withsuchabusyscheduleandsomanyobligations,howdoyoufind the time to focus, be nice to people, and stay in themoment?

TheNewYork Times published an article that said incivility in theworkplacehadrisenoverthelastfewdecades,andwhenpeoplewereaskedwhytheymightbehave rudely, they replied itwasbecause they feltoverloadedand justdidn’thavetimetobenice.Icallbullshit.

Beingnice isachoice,andhowyouchoose tospeak topeopleevenwhenyou’repressedfortimewillrevealwhoyoureallyare.Ithasnothingtodowithtechnologyorthegenerationgap.Thejerks,especiallytheoneswithpower,whoare making people miserable at work today would have been making peoplemiserable atwork thirtyyears ago.Moneyand famedoesn’t changepeople, itjustexposes them.Whenyou’rebeingwatchedall the time, it’sharder tohideyour true nature.Also, you know the consequenceswon’t be the same if youdecidenottoplaybyeveryoneelse’srules.Sometimesthiscanbeforgood,butsometimesit’sawayforpeopletostopusingtheirmannersandindulgeintheirsenseofself-importance.

Idon’tknowthat Ihaveanyothergearbut theniceone. Imayhaveabigego,butI’mveryawareofwhereI’vebeen,andI tryhardtostayhumbleandkind.Ireallydocareaboutpeople,andtheyseemtosensethat.I’lltakeaselfiewith someoneand then seehimorher tweet, “Wow,GaryVee is a reallynice

guy.”Iwishtheydidn’tseemsosurprised.For some reason the more exposure you get, the more credit you get for

beinganiceperson,andthat’sjustsilly.Weshouldexpectmorefrompeopleinthespotlightorwhohavebuiltaplatform.Inotonlytry to leadbyexample,IalsomakeitcleartoallmyseniorstaffthatevenasIexpectthemtoexecuteandproduce,Iexpectthemtocombatnegativityandtreatpeoplewithkindnessandrespect.

When it’s all said and done, how would you like to beremembered?

Asthegreatesthumanbeingwhoeverwalkedtheearth.Toomuch?Asaverycompetitiveentrepreneurwhowantedtobuildthebiggestbuilding

in townbyactuallybuildingthebiggestbuildingin town,notby tryingto teardowneveryoneelse’sbuildings.

Or...How about as someonewhomade an effort to help people do things that

makethemhappy?I actually domybest tomakemydaily interactionswith people such that

they’dwanttocometomyfuneral.Theonlywaytodothatistobememorable.Notinashowyway,butinbeingunimpeachableinkeepingmyword,backingupthesizzle,anddealingwithothers.Inotherwords,allthebehind-the-scenesstuffthatdoesn’tnecessarilygetwrittenaboutinthebusinesstrades.Ifallofusdid businesswith that goal inmind, theworldwould be a pretty great place,don’tyouthink?

Hopefullyitwillbealong,longtimebeforemyfuneral,butI’mhopingforashockinglybigcrowd.

CHAPTER15MANAGEMENT

INTHISCHAPTERITALKABOUTCREATINGCULTURE,CUTTING MEETINGS, AND HOLDING TEAMSACCOUNTABLE.

IlovebeingamanagerandIlovetalkingaboutmanagement.It’ssimilartothetopic of leadership, but in mymind management is almost synonymous withmentorship. One of the great pleasures of running Wine Library andVaynerMediahasbeentheopportunityithasgivenmetoshowpeoplehowtobebettermanagers.Weallprobablyhaveourownopinionsofwhatmakesagoodmanager,butinthisoneman’spointofviewit’stheabilitytoreverse-engineereverypersonthatworksforyouandputhimorherinapositiontosucceedatthetask forwhich they’vebeenhired.That’swhat I try todo for thepeoplewhoreporttome,andthat’swhatIexpectthepeoplewhoreporttometodoforthepeoplewhoreporttothem.

In less than four years, VaynerMedia grew from thirty to more than fivehundred employees. And in all that time, we had only one person in the HRdepartment—me.That’showmuchmyemployeesmattertome.Everycompanyliesabouthowmuchtheycareabout theircustomers,andhowmuchtheycareabouttheiremployees.It’ssuchaneasythingtosay,butit’sreallyhardtoputintheworkthatprovesit.

Fromtheverybeginning,whenAJandIwerejuststartingVaynerMedia,wemadeafewkeydecisionsandsetstandardsthatwesworewouldbeupheldnomatter what. We did this because we had seen too many companies become

breeding grounds for unhappiness, places where uninspired, unappreciatedmindswent towither.For thatreason,myemployees’happiness isparamount,tothedegreethatItellmyclientsupfrontthatIcareaboutmyemployeesfirst,their customers second, and them last. Interestingly, I’ve never lost businessbecauseofit,maybebecausemytrackrecordspeaksforitself.Clearly,puttingmyemployeesaboveeverythingelsehasn’thurtmybusiness.Itcouldonlyhelpyours.

Thequalityofmanagementinanyventureis,likeitscousinleadership,oneofthecoredeterminantsofwhetherabusinesswillsucceedorfail.Youwantthepeopleworkingwithyoutowanttobethere,tofeelchallenged,appreciated,andvalued.People always respect and like themanagerwho’s thinking ahead andguidingthemtoplacesthey’dneverthoughtof,buttheyloveandadmirewhenthatmanager stayswith them until 2A.M.working that deck or stocking theshelves.Is thisyou?Adisproportionatenumberof thereadersof thisbookaremanagersorwillbesomeday. Infact, thedayyou launchedanentrepreneurialventureyoubecameamanager.

OneofthereasonsIwasexcitedtowritethisbookwasthatIknewitwouldallowme to freelyexplore someof the topicsaboutwhich I’mpassionateandthathavemadeThe#AskGaryVeeShowsomuchfunforme.Managementisatthetopofthatlist.

Whereisthebestplacetohireemployees?

I’matasweetstage inmycareerwhereI’vebecomeaknownpersonalityandmycompanyhasmadeitsreputation,sopeoplearecomingtous.Butdon’tletanyonetellyouit’stoughtofindgoodpeople.It’sactuallyreallyeasy.It’sonlyhardforpeopleunwillingtodothework.

Youcanbreakthisdowninafeweasysteps.

1. Go to Twitter Search and start looking for the people who are talkingaboutwhatyoudoforaliving.Searchthetermsthatwouldlineupwiththeresponsibilitiesinherentinthekindofjobyou’retryingtofill.IfyouneedaWebdesigner,findpeoplewhomentionwebsitedesign,orgraphicdesign,“landingpageoptimization,”oranyothertermthatmightindicatethey’retalkingaboutorinterestedinthekindofworkyouneeddone.

2. Findthemostpromisingcandidates,clickontheirprofiles,clickontheirhome page, click on their portfolio, and see which ones look like theyhavetalent.

3. Emailthemandfindoutifthey’reinterestedinlookingforanewposition.Mostwillprobablysayno,butmaybeonewillsayyes,andtheotherthreewouldprobablygiveyoureferrals.

4. Interviewfivepeopleandhireone.

There.Itmighttakeyouaslittleaseighthours.Eighthoursofhardwork,tobe sure, but far less than the days andweeks itmight take you if you go thetraditionalhiringrouteandwaitfortherightrésuméorLinkedIninquirytolandinyourinbox.Andyes,someonedidtrythisapproachandmetwithsuccess,soIknowitcanwork.

Whatroledoesinternalcultureplayinacompany’ssuccess?

A starring one. Building a strong internal culture is one of the best ways toensure success for your company. Sales matter, profits matter, customerrelationships matter, but every one of those pieces of your business—in fact,everypieceofyourbusiness—isaffectedbytheculture.Cultureisaproductofpeople,andwhenpeoplearen’thappyand insteadareconstantly thinkingofawaytogetout,theirworkwillreflectit.Wouldn’titmakesense,then,tomakeyourcultureapriority?Andgiven thatpeopleshapeculture,wouldn’t itmakesensetokeepitattheforefrontofyourmindeverytimeyouhire?

Because that’showyoubuild a strong internal culture—youhireone.Andyoudon’tmakehiringor firinga financialdecision;youmakeitanemotionalone. Just because you suddenly have the budget to hire someone new doesn’tmean you should. Just because someone isn’t performing theway you expectdoesn’tmeanyoushowhimorherthedoorrightaway.Youhavetothinkabouthoweveryhiringand firingwill affect thecollectivecommunitybefore takingaction.

Hiringandfiringshouldbeemotionaldecisionsbecauseyou’redealingwithpeople, not contracts.We’re all told to think “business is business,” which isgenerally interpretedasamandate to removeouremotionsoutofourdecisionmakingso thatwecanarriveat themostobjectivelyand financiallyprofitable

end. Well, I disagree. Business is business when it comes to financial orcontractualnegotiations,butnotwhenitcomestodecidingwhathappenstothehuman beings who make your business run. Besides, there are financialconsequenceswhenyoutreatanindividual’sjobprospectsasafinancialreturnoninvestment;they’rejusthardertoseebecausetheydon’tshowuprightawayon the balance sheet. They’re there, though, coloring the unmade profits, themissed opportunities, the lost innovation and enthusiasm that results from thelowloyaltyandmoralethatpervadescompanieswherepeopledon’tcomefirst.

Thatdoesn’tmeanyoucan’tfirepeoplewhoaren’tperforming,ofcourse.Itjust requires that you take more time to think through other alternatives. Forexample, let’s say you’re unhappywith someonewho is extremely popular atyourcompanybecausethey’vegotgreatpeopleskills.Howmuchwilleveryoneelse suffer if you let himor her go? Is it possible they’re just not in the rightposition, and that maybe putting them in a different department would solveyourproblem,increaseandimprovetheirwork,andkeepeveryonehappy?

Maybe you really need to let this person go. Could you help them findanother position outside the company over the span of sixty days, rather thancutting them loose in one day? It’ll cost you a lot more money, but it willsalvage justasmuchin theformofan intact,vibrantcompanyculture.Andatsomelevelit’sjustagreatthingtodo.

Never underestimate the power of great culture. You want outstandingresultsandsalesandprojectsandawardsandaccolades,andyouknowyouneedgreat teams, great leaders, and hardwork to get them.Well, howmany greatteams have you ever encountered that aremade up of tired, resentful people?How many great leaders hate what they do? How many unhappy people arewillingtogivetheirjobseverythingthey’vegot?Notmany.Agreatcompanyisgrounded in great culture, and great culture begins and ends with whom youhire,andhowtheyleave.

What’syourbesttimemanagementtip?

Hire an assistant and make him or her the czar of your time. If that’s notpossible, use technology apps and programs like proworkflow.com, Evernote,Calendly,Asana,timetrade.com,andeventheAppleWatch.

Maketimemanagementyourreligion.Learntosaynotothethingsthatkeep

yououtofthecloudsanddirt.

Whatdoyoulookforwhenhiringcreatives?

Goodcreatives love theirart,butgreatcreativeswhowork inbusiness love touse theirart tosell. Inotherwords, theyaren’theldupbyromanticnotionsofartistic integrity. A creative who wants to work effectively and happily at anagencyshouldn’tcaremoreaboutthecraftandwinningawardsthantheagenda.So that’s the kind of person I’m looking for—someone with tons of creativetalentwhowants tomake fantastic art, yetwho understands thatwe’re in thebusiness of selling stuff and gets a thrill out of that, too. If we don’t moveproduct,orraiseawarenessforthecause,orinspirepeopletodonate,orclick,orbuy,wehaven’tfulfilledourobligationtoourclient.

BenjaminIsraelLazarus

Doyoudrug-testyouremployees?Whyorwhynot?

Wedon’t.Thereisnorealoverwhelmingreasonfor it. It justdoesn’tseemneededor

appropriate,orsomethingIhaveanyrealemotionabout.Idon’thaveanyhugestanceondrugculture.Itjusthasn’tcomeup.

SEANBURROWS

DIGITALMARKETINGCONSULTANT

@SeanThoughts

Whenrunningacompanyorprovidingmarketingservicesfora

VaynerMediaclient,howdoyousegmentoutsales,marketing,and business development? All three disciplines overlap somuch,and thewaterscanget reallymuddywhenoneormoreofthoseareasareclearlylackingandtheothersarestrong.

Theyallworktogether.Beinggoodatmarketingisdifferentfrombeinggoodatsales,butagoodmarketingcampaigncan lead tomassive sales.By that sametoken,businessdevelopmentisjustagatewaydrugtosales.Now,whenallthreeare working in harmony, you’re obviously cruising. A great example of thatwould be SalesForce. They’ve invested heavily in salespeople, they marketthemselvesexcellentlyforaB2BSAASbusiness,andtheyexecuteonbusinessdevelopmentthrougheventslikenobodyelse.

ButnoteverybodyisSalesForce,and that’sokay.Takea lookatHubSpot,which is oneofmy investments.Maybenot as strongwith sales earlyon, buttheycrusheditonbizdevandmarketingandhadahighlysuccessfulIPOasofthiswriting.

I would argue that a business’s strengths and weaknesses will always besomewhat uneven depending on the composition of its DNA, culture, andpeople.Whatitcomesdowntoisrecognizingifoneofthosethreeareas—sales,marketing,orbizdev—isbringingyoudownasacollective,andaddressingtheproblem through hiring, training, re-orging, or some other solution. The goodnews is that unlike a car, where the failure of one cog can cause the wholesystemtobreakdown,Ihavefoundthatwhenonebranchofaclient’scompanyormyownbusinessesisn’tworking,itdoesn’tnecessarilydragdowntheentireorganization.

Thetruthisthatallthreeofthemleadtothesamefinishline,soifyouhaveonethatisoverindexing,it’spossiblethatyoucanrideithome.Obviously,I’dloveforyoutobegreatatall three,butdon’tgettooworriedifoneislaggingbehind theother two.Thisall speaksback tomycore tenetofbettingonyourstrengthsandnotyourweaknesses. I’mmuchmore interested inyoudoublingdownonthetwothingsyou’regoodatinsteadoftheonewhereyou’rebehind.

When transitioning to a newprojectmanagement role, howdoyoumaintainhighstandardswithyourteamwhilestillkeeping

projectsontimeandonbudget?

Use your earsmore than yourmouth. Take the time to understand everythingthat’s goingon in your department, and listen before trying to take control. Ifyouseeaproblem,letyourteamexplaintoyouwhattheythinkistheproblem,andtheninsteadofcomingupwithasolution,guidethemtocomingupwithitthemselves.Thatmayrequireyoupitchingin,butyou’renotabovegettingyourhands dirty, are you? Become known as the person who “gets it” and you’llalwayshave all the informationyouneed tomake the important calls becausepeople won’t be afraid to come to you for help. Creating an open, trusting,compassionate environmentwhere everyone knowswhat you expectwill saveeveryoneatonoftimeandhelpyouachieveyourobjectives.

Asyourteamcontinuestogrow,hireothergreatlisteners.Thebestlistenerswhoknowhowtocalibrateallthedataandactonitwillbethewinners.Nooneeversolvedaproblemalone.

Howdoyouprioritizewhichprojecttoexecutefirst?

I takecareof thebiggest fireswhereIget thebiggestupside if Iput themoutquickly, like calming a new client or handling an employee disagreement. Ifocusonthoseimmediateconcernswhilemakingsurethecompanyvisionisstillclear and that everything I dowill eventually helpme build the company andteamIwant,whichwillladdermeuptobuyingtheJets.Youknow,cloudsanddirt.AndIdon’tworryaboutanythingelseinthemiddle.

Howcanagenciesmakestaffmeetingsmoreproductive?

Bycuttingtheminhalf.Now, how are you supposed to do that when you’re also supposed to be

giving your employees room to talk, spending time with them, beingcompassionate,andallthoseothertouchy-feelybitsofadviceItendtooffer?

Youjustdo.

Isweartoyouitworks.Estimatehowmuchtimeyouthinkyouwillneedtocoveryouragenda,andthenhalveit.

Ifyougivepeopleaten-poundbag,theyaregoingtofillitwithtenpoundsofcrap.Ifyougivethemafifteen-poundbag,it’sthesame—fifteenpoundsofcrap. They will never overfill or underfill the bag.When I schedule an hourmeetingwithmyteam,we’llbanterabitand talkabouta fewother thingswedidn’tplanontalkingabout,butwewillfiteverythingweneedintothehour.IfIcut that samemeeting to thirtyminutes,we’ll still accomplish everything thatneeds to bedone, handsdown.Andwe’ll have saved thirtyminutes,which isreallywhat this isallabout, right?Our time isvaluable.Whenyou’rehustlinglike I do—and which I’d like to think you do—every minute, every secondcounts.

When everyone knows they’re going to lose your attention as soon as theallottedfifteenorthirtyminutesareup,theyprepare.Noone’sshufflingaroundpapers,noonesharesirrelevantanecdotes,noonetalksaroundthepoint,andnooneiswingingit.Peoplehavespenttheir timebefore themeetinggettingtheirinformationstraight,pullingtheirpaperstogether,andtighteningtheirmessagebecausetheyknowiftheydon’t,theywon’tgetasecondchance.

Allthatfriendlytouchy-feelystuffIbelievein?Idoit,butIdoitfast.Heck,IdothatasI’mwalkingintothemeeting.Buttheminutemybutthitsmyseat,everyonehadbetterbereadytogo.I’mpositivethatifthereisanyoneanswerthatcouldprobablybenefiteverysinglepersonreadingthisbook,it’sthisone.

What’sonequestionyouaskininterviews?

ThereisonequestionIonlyraiseifaninterviewisgainingmomentumandIfeellikeImayhavefoundagoodfitformyteam.It’snotjustaquestionIlovetoask, it’soneIneed toask. Infact,atsomelevel it’s theonlyoneI reallycareabout.

“Wheredoyouwantyourcareertogo?”I spendmost ofmy interviews trying to get people comfortable enough to

answerthatquestiontruthfullyshouldIdecideIwanttoaskit.Idon’tcareiftheanswerisyouwanttobetheCEOofVaynerMedia,oryoujustwanttomoveacoupleof levels up andhavegreatwork-life balance. I don’t even care if youwant to come work for me for two years, suck up all my IP, and then go

somewhere to start your own agency. I really don’t. Truly. Whatever youragenda is, I’mfinewith it. I justwant toknowwhat it is,soIcanhelpusgetthere.Youandme.

See, I’m a creature of contradictions. I welcome chaos and love to takeadvantageoftrendsandhavebuiltabusinessthatservesasaportforcompaniesswimminginaconstantlyundulatingsea,butman,Ihatechangeatthepersonallevel. Iwant tokeeppeople inmyecosystem for as longaspossible, becauseonceIlikeworkingwithyou,Iwanttoworkwithyouforever.AndIknowthebestwaytokeepyoucloseistodeliveronwhatyouwant,sothefasterIcangetthatinsightthebetter.

Bygivingpeopleopportunitiesandhelpingthemachievewhattheywant,Ikeepmy relationshipswithmy employees positive and open. Such a positiveenvironmentnotonlymakesithardforpeopletoleave,itensuresIalwaysknowwhat’s going on. This allowsme to execute quicker, and together we can doamazingworkfaster.

Ihirea lotofyoungpeople, so Iknowchange is inevitable.People fall inlove,theydecidetostartfamilies,andtheirlivesandinterestsevolve.Andthat’sthewayitshouldbe.Butbykeepingthecommunicationfunnelopenandclear,Ihave a better chance of finding away to helpmy best talent achieve all theirdreams while still working with me. And I want to start from day one, fiveminutesin.

What would you do if all six hundred employees quitVaynerMedia?

Well, first I’d be an idiot if I didn’t step back andwonderwhat the hell justhappened.ThenIwouldspendalotoftimegoingtoeachoftheemployeesandapologizingtothembecauseobviouslysomethingwentverywrong.ButthenI’dhave to take a positive approach. I’d have to decide how I wanted to takeadvantageofeverythingI’velearnedforthelastsixyears.I’manemotionalguy,butIwouldworkreallyhardnottoreactwithaknee-jerk“I’llshowthem!”andjustgooutandrebuild.I’dbetemptedbecauseI’dwanttoshowIcoulddoit,butIthinkIhaveenoughself-controltorefrainfromlettingmyemotionsgetthebestofme.Soindecidingwhethertorebuildorwalkaway,I’dhavetoconsiderwhatwouldbethebestuseofmytime,thedecisionthatwouldgetmebackon

track,because I’mfortyyearsoldnowandwant tobuy theJets.Butmakenomistake,ifIchosenottorebuilditwouldn’tbebecauseIcouldn’tdoit.ItwouldbebecauseIchosenotto.

Isthelackofchairsinyourofficeapartofinstillingthehustleinyouremployees?

No, but I wish I had thought of it. Limiting chairs to create a competitiveculture?That’sbrilliant!Someoneelseshouldtotallydoit.

Iactuallyhavenohard-coretacticsforinstillingcompetitiveness.Ijustbreedit because I’m competitive as shit, and I think people know that to keep upthey’re going to have to get hungry. After all, as I’ve said, everything stemsfromthetop.IthinkitisimportantforeveryonereadingthisbooktounderstandtheirDNAandhow they like to roll, allow their companies to ride thatwave,andnotpushagainstit.

Whatmakesmehappy is thatascompetitiveasweare, I’vehearda lotofpeople say thatVaynerMedia is one of the first places they’veworkedwherepeoplewant to competewith the quality of their work, not at the expense ofothers.Thattellsmewe’recreatinggreatcultureandgreatwork.

When hiring for a team, is it better to bring in specialists orsomeonewhocanwearmultiplehats?

You can certainly benefit from both, of course. It’s always good to strike abalance within a company. And since I believe everyone should exploit theirstrengths, it’s important for leaders and CEOs to hire people withcomplementaryskills.

Butifyouhavetochoose,goforthejack-of-all-trades.Andifyouwanttoenhanceyourmarketabilityandvalue,becomeone.Manywould argue that by trying to be good atmany things, you’ll never

masteranything.Bullshit.Ifyouworkhardattryingtobegoodatmanythings,you’llgetgoodatmanythings.Andtakingthatattitudewillforceyoutosayyestonewchallengesmoreoften.Youmightbereallygoodatsomethingnow,but

whynotfindoutwhatelseyoucandominate?BecauseIknowit’snotjustonething.We’reallbetterthanthat.

Beopentoadaptingandevolvingyourskillsetasyourlifeprogresses.Igetso bothered when I hear people say they don’t have to learn anything newbecausethey’vebecomesogoodatthethingtheydo.It’ssuchalimitedmind-set.And it’sdangerous, too,becauseyouneverknowwhenyou’llneed to tapintoanewskill.There’snothinglikealayofftomakeyouregretyoudidn’tpickup thatextraknowledgeorexperience.Expandyourarsenal. It’llallowyou toalwaysproveyouragilityandyourability tooffervaluewhereveryougo. It’snevertoolatetogetbetter.Startmoving.NOW!

When faced with two equally qualified candidates for oneposition,howdoyouchoose?

TwothoughtscametomindwhenIreadthisquestion.

1. Idon’t thinkthere’ssuchathingastwopeoplewhoareliterallyequallyqualifiedforthesamejob.Someonealwayshasaslightedge.Itmaynotbeenoughtomakethatmuchofadifference,butyoucanusethattohelpyoumakethecall.Orgowithyourgut.Thatusuallyworks,too.

2. Ifyoulikethemboththatmuch,considerhiringthemboth.I’mabigfanofhiring aheadofmygrowth. IwouldneverundulyburdenmypayrollbecauseIwouldn’twanttolayanyoneoff,butIanticipate.Alwayslookaheadatwhatyourneedsaregoingtobe,notjusttheonesyouhavenow.Ifyou’vegottwocandidateswhocaneachbringyouthatmuchvalue,acreativesolutionmaybeinorder.

Whatthreevaluesdoyouholdhighestinlife?

Ihavemorethanthree,butthesearethethreethatIlookforinanewhire.

1. Patience

Iwanttoworkwithpeoplewhobelieveinpayingthingsforwardanddoinggoodforothers,butIwanttoknowthattheydon’tdosoexpectingimmediategratification.Becausethereisnoimmediategratificationwhenitcomestobusiness.Youcandoamazingthings,andgetnothingbackforagoodlongwhile.That’sareallytoughpillforsomepeopletoswallow.ButIwanttoworkwithpeoplewhohavethepatiencetokeepgoingevenwhen they haven’t seen immediate results, people who appreciate thatsuccesstakestime.I’veseenhowalackofpatiencecankeeppeoplefromachieving their greatest aspirations, and Iwant toworkwith thosewhowill.

2. WordisbondI’vesaidthisgoesdownasthegreatestlessonmydadevertaughtme.

I want everyone at VaynerMedia to believe it, too. When you make acommitment, nomatterwhat, you stick to it.The best part?Every timeyouliveuptothiscredo,youaddonemorepersontoyourlistofpeoplewhomaydeliverforyouinthefuture.

3. EmpathyI hire for this one because I know it’swhatmakes a great leader. I

needtoknowthatmymanagersaregoingtolistentotheirteamsandworkwiththem,notdrivethem,especiallywhenproblemsarise.Iwanttohirepeople who look for solutions, not someone to blame. I want them toassumethebestofpeople.It’sprettyrareforpeopletofailbecausetheywantedto,soit’suptoagoodmanagertofigureoutwhathappenedandthenofferthesupportsoitdoesn’thappenagain.

4. GratitudeIlikepeoplewhodon’ttakeanythingforgranted.Itmakesforareally

motivatedworker,andgenerallyanicepersontoworkwith.

When you work on projects with clients, how much is doneonline,forexampleviaSkype,andhowmuchinperson?

I can’t speak for anyone else, but I predominantly like towork through emailandmeetingface-to-face.Igetachargeoutofotherpeople’senergy,soface-to-facemeetingsarealwaysmoreproductiveforme.Plustheyallowmetogettoknow my client better and build a stronger relationship, and you know how

muchIvaluethat.Ihardlyeverusethephone,thoughIamtryingtopushmoreclientsintousingtext,andIamusingSkypeandGoogle+moreandmorelatelyandseeingrealvalueinit.

IfyouweretheowneroftheJetshowwouldyouturnaroundtheteamandmakeusaSuperBowlcontender?

Icouldhaveputthisanswerinthesportschapter,butIthinkmyanswershowswhatkindofmanagerIamingeneral.

AsobsessedasIamwiththeJets(andenjoyedmytimeworkingwiththemduringtheyearstheywereaclient)therearestillthingsabouttheteamunknowntome.SoI’dfirstrunanauditsothatIknewwhatIwasdealingwith.

My first order of business after that would be to mandate that every twoyears,wedraftaquarterback in the first tworoundsof theNFLdraftuntilwehadourguy.We’dbringaguyin,givehimtwenty-fourmonthssohegot twoseasons,and then if itwasn’t theright fit,whetherheplayedasnapornot I’ddraft another guy, and two years later another, until I had one, because thequarterbackisthelinchpinoftheteam.

I’dalsoworkonPR.Imightdoaweeklylive-streamshowsothefanscouldpound me with their anger. But guess what? I’d pound them right back.Different,right?IthinkIcouldgetawaywithitbecauseIamoneofthem,andmostlikelyanevenbiggerfanthantheyare.

I’dexecutesomefunmarketingideaslikesendingaJetsjerseyonthesixthbirthday of every kid living in the New York–New Jersey area. I’d doinappropriatethingslikegetintoitwiththemediabecauseIthinkthey’reoutoftheir collective mind with the way they are handling the Jets in this city (adangerous idea, I know, but Iwould do itwith respect). I’dwatch the gamesfromthestands(andthenprobablygetreprimandedbytheNFLforcursing).

That’sthekindofownerI’dbe:methodical,obsessive,creative,combative,passionate,loyal,un-PC,andlovingeveryminuteofit.

Would you support Vayner employees who wrote their ownbooks and curated their own content streams and personal

brands?

Inotonlywould,Ialreadyhave.AskJasonDonnelly.HeleftVaynerMediatogowriteabook,andwhenhewasdonehecameback.Iboughtcopiesandgaveittopeoplethroughouttheoffice.

I didn’t do that to be nice. You can’t say you care about helping peoplesucceedandthensuppressthemwhentheyactuallydo.Andyoucan’tbeafraidthatsomeoneelsewill trumpyou.That’soneadvantage tohavingabigego—whenyouthinkyou’rethegreatestofall time,you’renoteverworriedanyoneelsewillsurpassyou,sothere’snoreasontoholdthemback.Ihavenoreasontofearanyoneelse’s talentorkeepthemdown.If theywindupbeingbetter thanme,sobeit.Ibelieveincapitalism,meritocracy,andfairness,andthat’swhatitshouldlooklike.

Howdoyoupushyourteambeyondtheirbest?

There’sa rightway todo it andawrongway.Thewrongway is tocrack thewhipandcompensateforthebrutalworkconditionsbypayingpeoplewell.Therightwayinthisoneman’spointofviewistoappealtotheirsenseofguilt.(I’mnotjoking.)

I’ve already talked about what it takes to be a great manager, such aslistening, getting to know your team’s ambitions, and being supportive in alltheirendeavors,eveniftheydon’tnecessarilybenefityou.Now,youwanttodothatsoincrediblywell,andinstillsuchasenseoffamilyandloyalty,thatyourteamwould do almost anything rather than let you down.Relationships are atwo-waystreet,butwhenyou’retheboss,andyougoinabout51percentoftheway,your teamwill go above andbeyond togiveyou that 49percentback. Iknowit’struebecauseI’veseenitworkatbothofmyowncompanies.

Ididn’ttakehomemorethan$30KforthefirstfiveyearsIworkedatWineLibrarysothatI’dhavethemoneytocallpeople’sbluffs.You’retellingmeyoucouldreallycrushitifIhiredsomemorestaff?Great,hereyougo.Nowshowme.Weremyfeelingshurtwhenthingsdidn’tworkoutaspromised?Yes,butthatdidn’tstopmefromgivingpeoplewhattheyaskedforwhenIcould.Thatworkedasahugemotivator,because theneveryoneelseon the teamsawtheir

friendsgettingwhattheywanted,andthey’dworkhardtogetwhattheywanted,too.Itmadeforaveryhappyplacetowork.

Agoodboss isdoinghisemployeesafavorwhenheorshepushesa teambeyond their limits, because otherwise they’d never know what they werecapable of. But you have to make them believe they can do it before theyactually do it. If youwant people to overdeliver, you’d better overdeliver forthem,too.

JUSTINBROOKE

FounderofIMScalable.com

Howdoyouholdyouremployeesaccountable,akaactuallydoworkandgetresults?Imeanit’snotlikeyoucansendthemtotheirroom,andfiringthemstillleavesyouwithnoworkdone.

TherearealotofwaysthatIdothisandthatwe’vedoneinthecompaniesI’verun.

1. Company culture. If you’re able to build an environment where peoplereally enjoy thework they’redoing,believe in themissionathand, and(most important) really love their coworkers, you probably won’tencounterthesecircumstancesinthefirstplace.I’moftenshockedtoseeemployees atVaynerMediawho aremore afraid to fail their coworkersthananythingelse.Thebestresultscomewhenemployeesfeelliketheirresponsibilityistowardtheirteammatesmorethanacharismaticboss,oraclient,oreventheirownpride.

2. Ithinkyoudofire.Ifyou’reinthemind-setthatfiringsomeonewillleaveyouwithnoonetodothejob,thenyou’reinbigtrouble.Ifyouhonestlybelieveyoucan’thiresomeoneelsetodothejob,maybeyouneedtolookatyourselfmorethananythingelse.

3. Finally, I really do think it comes down to communication. Manyorganizationsdon’tactuallydoagoodjobatcommunicatingthatthereisaprobleminthefirstplace,sothatisonyou.Sometimesallittakesisan

honestconversationwiththatpersontoaskthemwhatactuallymotivatesthem.Oncetheproblemisagreeduponbybothparties(andmakesureitis!),youneedtofigureoutwhatmakesthatpersontick.Youmightfindthat a coupleof extraweeksofvacationmakes thatpersondramaticallymoreproductivewithinforty-eightweeksinsteadoffiftyweeks.

At the end of the day, helping your employees get the work done has asmuchtodowithyoulisteningasitdoeswithyoutalking.

ThedresscodeatVaynerMedia isclearlycasual.Doyou thinkdressaffectsprofessionalismorperformance?

Dressdoesn’t impactperformanceorprofessionalism. Iworkwithpeoplewhoexecuteincrediblywelleveryday,andIthinkthey’ddothateveniftheycametowork in their bathing suits. I think the peoplewhodisagreewithmewill losebecausetheyareholdingontoatraditionthatiscrackingastheworldevolves.Iwanttousethisbooktohelpyourecognizethesubtleandnot-so-subtlechangesoccurringinoursocietyandhowtheyimpactthebusinessworld.Anyonewhodoesn’t yet hear the sound of modern business dress codes changing, andquickly,isbeingtonedeaf.

Whatareyourthoughtsonemployingfriends?

Workingwithfriendsisthebest,anditworksifyoupracticeameritocracy.Alotofmanagerswillprobablydisagreewithme.They’llsayitcanruina

friendship, and that nepotism is inevitable and lowers people’s motivation toworkhard.TothatIsay,seriously?Ifyou’reinchargeofhiringandrunningthecompany,areyou reallygoing to let thathappen?Giveyourself a littlecredit,whydoncha?

Ratherthanbeingarisk,there’sahugebenefittohiringafriendwithjustasmuch experience as a stranger. I hiredmy best childhood friend, Brandon, toworkatWineLibrarybecauseIknewhewasawesomefromourbaseballcard

days and I trusted and loved him. When my brother, AJ, and I startedVaynerMedia,wehiredahandfulofAJ’sfriendsfromcollegeandhighschooltoget theball rollingbecauseweknew that theseparticular individualswouldbring a certain energy to the company and establish a fun, awesome,hardworking,passionate, andcompetitive culture rightoff thebat.After them,wehiredafewmorepeopletoroundouttheorganization,andcontinuedtohireasweneeded.

Fast-forward,andthoseinitialemployeesarenowworkinginverydifferentplaces within the organization. But as we’ve grown, they’ve been key inestablishingandcommunicatingourculturethroughoutthecompany—justasAJandIknewtheywould.

The key to hiring friends successfully is simple: Be ready to enforce ameritocracy.Sometimesitcanbehardtodivorceyourselffromyourfriendshipandevaluatepeoplesolelyontheirworkperformance,butitispossible.I’vehadto fire friends. You hire friends because you think you know what you’regetting, but sometimes thenewenvironment opensyour eyes to parts of themyoudidn’tknowaboutbefore.Thatcansuck.Butifyoucanbeprofessional,thefiringwon’tbeashorrible asyoumight think.After all, if you’vebeendoingyour job right, itwon’t comeasa shock.You’llhaveworkedwith them foralongtimetotrytoimproveperformanceorfixaproblem,andevenhada“lastwarning”talkinwhichyoualsoask“HowdoIhelpyou?”Bythetimethefiringcomes,you’llprobablybothberelieved.Andgreatfriendsknowthatyoudon’twanttohurtthem.

Onceyourecognizeyourweaknesses,shouldyoukeepworkingonimprovingthemordelegate?

Idon’tknowthefullanswer.Ihadtoworkongettingbetteraboutbeingclearerwith negative feedback because I led with so much honey that people didn’trealizetheywerebeingtoldtheyneededtoimprovetheirperformance.Ineededtobemoredirect,andI’veworkedonstrengtheningthatskillbecauseIthoughtit was important. I wouldn’t say I’m particularly scary, but I’m no longer apushover,either.

Tryapplyingthe80/20rule,alsoknownasPareto’slaw.It’sprobablyagoodideatospend80percentofyourtimeonyourstrengths(thoughIreallywouldn’t

mind95/5becauseIjustbelievesostronglyinbettingonone’sstrengths)and20percent on shoring up yourweaknesses.We all have them. If you’re not surewhichoneneedsyourattentionmost,askthepeoplewhoworkforyou,whomyouworkwith,andyourclosest friendswhat they think. Itmeansyouhave torollwithhumility,butyoucan’tfixaproblemifyoudon’tknowitexists.

Doyouhaveanytipsondelegation?

Sure.Onceyouaccept that99.9percentof the thingsyoudealwitheverydaydon’tmatterasmuchasyouthink,it’saloteasiertoletotherpeopledothem.Goodleadersknowwhentoletgo,andtheyletgoofalotbecausethey’reinthecloudsanddirt.

Somepeopledon’tdelegatebecausethey’repositivenoonecandoasgoodajob as they can. That may be true, but not every job needs your level ofperfectionanyway.You’vegot toknowwhengoodenough isenough.Let thebright,interestingpeopleyouhireddotheirjobsandmakeyourseasier.Ittakeshumility to accept you’re not as uniqueor indispensable as you think, but it’salsofreeing.

GREGPESCI

SPERA,INC.

PRESIDENT&CEO

WWW.SPERA.IO

@gregpesci

What are some of the key challenges facing freelancers today,andwhattoolscantheyusetoovercomethem?

I think the biggest challenge thatmost freelancers have is thatwhile they aregreat at their individual specialty (design, consulting, video, etc.), they don’tactuallyknowhowtorunabusiness.Thedifferencebetweenhavingexpertisein

an individualskillandbeingabusinessoperator ishuge,andat theendof thedaybeingafreelancermeansyou’rerunningyourown,one-personbusiness.

Afreelancer’sbiggestassetistime,soanytoolsorsoftwarethatcanhelptosavetimeisgoingtobehuge.Imeanitappliestome,too.Idon’tlikedoingthebilling,followinguponinvoices,ormanagingourP&L.Noneofthatstuffisfunforme,andit’sgoingtobeevenlessfunforafreelancedesigner.Theoutputisthefunpart.Thereasonsomanyprofessionalsdon’tfreelanceisthattheywanttodotheirthing,butwhentheystartgettingintothegoopandthegopofbilling,insurance,andalltheotherstuffthatcomeswithrunningabusiness,theycheckout.Youshouldbelookingforanyandeverytoolthathelpsyousavetimewiththosetasks.

Theotherthingthatmightbehelpfulwouldbetofindabusinessmentor,oreven take business classes. Learn everything you possibly can about businessmanagement so that you canworry less about the side stuff, and spendmoretimeonthefunstuff.

I need to hire an office assistant, but though sales are great Idon’thavethecapitaltohireanyone.Gotanycreativeideas?

Useyoursocialcapital.Mostpeoplethinkmoneyisthebestcompensation,butthere is somebody out there who needs experience or visibility more thanmoney.That’showDRockfirststartedworkinghere.Heaskedifhecoulddoavideoforfree,hedidagreatjob,andweformedarelationship,whichledtoafull-timegig.Withouthim,Imaynothaveeverdonetheshow,letalonewrittenthisbook.

There aremanyways to barter your services.Announce onCraigslist andsocialmediawhatmoneyyoucanoffer,andthenaddallyourservicesfreeforayear.Makeavideo that showswhyyou’re agreatperson toworkwith.Offeryourstuff,yourservices,yourtime,oryourname.Makeadealwhereyoupayout very little in the beginning of a project but your assistant gets a sweetpercentageofthefinalpayout.Leavenorockunturned.

Whateveryoudo,however,makesureyoucandeliveronwhateverpromiseyoumake.

They say you should hire slow and fire quick. How manychancesdoyougiveyourstaff?

There’snothingworsethanfiringsomeone.I’mnotusuallytheonewhodoesithere anymore, but when I was I’d spend a month figuring out how to makemyself feel better about it.We’re not in the one-, two-, or three-strike policyhereatVaynerMedia.Weactuallyhaveenormouscontinuity,andIthinkpartofthat is thanks to the firingpolicy.Peoplesee thatwe try tohandle thingswithempathyandgrace.Also,nofiringevercomesasasurprise.Weworkhardwithpeopletotrytohelpthemachievewhattheywantedtodowhentheycameonboard,ortohelpthemfindabetterfitwithinthecompany.Ithinkwordofthateffortgetsaround,anditmakespeoplefeelgoodaboutworkinghere.

Idon’tthinkwhat’smostimportantistofirefast,buttofirewell.It’sbetterinthelongrunforeveryone—you’refreetofindabetterfit,andtheemployeeisfreetogosucceedsomewhereelse.Butifyoudon’thavetheEQtodoitwell—tomake it feel likea liberationandnot likeapunishment—findsomeonewhodoes. If Ihadn’thad itwhen IworkedatWineLibrary, I swear Iwouldhaveaskedmymom to do it. She couldmake you see how death by firing squadcouldbereasontocelebrate.

How do you motivate teams of remote workers without apayment incentive? So far positivity and hustle are notproducingresults.

Taketheblame,andthenstartcommunicatingbetter.Iftherearepeopleonyourteam who are not performing to their best abilities, that’s on you. But it’s arelatively easy problem to solve. Arrange for a meeting and then tell themthey’renotexecutingatthelevelyouwerehopingfor.Thenask,WhatcanIdotohelpyou?Andthenstarthelping.

WhatdoesittaketoworkatVaynerMedia?

Italldependsonwhatjobyouwant,ofcourse.Themoreinterestingquestionis,Whatdoesittaketowin?

The losing players at theVaynerMedia game tend to disappearwithin thefirstyearoryearandahalfbecausethey’renotplayingthelonggame.They’reeither solely motivated by money, or they have the audacity to think they’rebetter than they are. I like bravado and confidence, but you’d better have thegoodstobackitup.Admittedly,onoccasionVaynerMediahasmissedthattalentand theemployeehadnochoicebut to leave. Ihate itwhen thathappens,butevenIknowwecan’talwayswin.

Whataboutthewinners?Theytendtohaveallthequalitieswe’vediscussedbefore: empathy, self-awareness, respect for others, amazing work ethic, andpatience.They’renotonlygoodcommunicators;theyadvocateforthemselvesina constructive way (hey, I know we’re not perfect). It takes hard work andsmarts tosucceedhere,butwhat trumpsallof it isheart.Skillscanbe taught;heartjustis.Ifyou’vegotit,I’minterestedinworkingwithyou.

WhatkeyfactorsshouldaMillennial-ownedbrandingcompanylookforwhenhiringotherMillennialsasitquicklyscales?

Why are you intent on hiringMillennials? Lou Pearlman was a middle-agedblimp marketer before he put together two of the biggest boy bands of thenineties, theBackstreetBoys andNSYNC.Hewasn’t a thirteen-year-old girl,butheknewhowtomarket to them.IamnotaMillennial,butIknowhowtomarket to Millennials better than many, including Millennials. Just becauseyou’re twenty-fourdoesn’tmeanyouknowhowtosell shit,even toa twenty-four-year-old.

The questions you need to ask Millennials are the same ones you’d askanyone.Doyouknowhowtomarkettothisagegroup?Doyouunderstandtheirbehavior?Doyouknowhowtocreatecontentthatwillalsocreatethesale?

Where would you start building a digital team in a traditional(TV/print)agency?

Traditional agencies that sell print, direct mail, outdoor media, or PR are allshifting to digital because that’s where the dollars and storytelling are going.This isn’t difficult.Hire sevenpeople skilled in digital social, bring them intoyour department, and work with your CEO to integrate this new thing.VaynerMediaoften starts newdivisions, from live events to videoproduction.Wehavetointegratethemintothebusinessandwedoitbybringinginpeoplewiththerightskillset.Now,howdoesthatpracticegetmoldedintotheorg?I’moftenhandsoffforthefirstthreetosixmonths,butthenIgetmyhandsdirtier.Leadingisknowingwhentostepinorstepback.It’sjustaboutdecidingwhentodoit.

When do you shift from hiring a freelancer to hiring someonefull-time?

Youshouldtransitionafreelancertoafull-timeemployeethemomentyoufallinlovewiththatperson’sworkandpersonalityandknowtheyaregoingtobringtremendousthundertoyourbusinessandyourworkday...

Or...When you need to because your business is growing or your client is

producingmorestuffandwhywouldyoulookforsomeonenewwhenyouhavesomeoneyoutrustandlikewhoknowsthebrandrighttherewithyou...

Or...Whenthefreelancerfallsinlovewithyourbusinessandkeepspushingyou

tolethimorherjoinyourteam.Itmaynotbeapracticalmovetotakeonahire,butdowhatyoucantorewardthatpassionandinvestintherelationshipforthelong-termstickinessandROIitwillaffordyou.

Isterminatingthebottom10percentstillagoodidea?Evenonateamofall-stars,someonehastobelast.

ThisisalegendarymantrathatJackWelchintroducedtothebusinessworld,andthis answer came straight from the horse’s mouth when he appeared on theshow:

Ifyoubelievethatthebestteamwinsandthatbusinessisagame,youhavetofieldthebestplayers.Soyouhavetobeawareofwhoareyourtop 20, middle 70, and bottom 10. Make your top 20 feel 6'4". Ifthey’re already 6'5", make them feel 6'8". You let them know youthinkthey’rethatgood.Tellthemiddle70youwantthemtostrivetobelikethetop20.Tellyourplayersatthebottomoftherankingswhythey’rethereandgivethemachancetofixwhat’swrong.Iftheycan’t,letthemgo.Butalwayslovethemasmuchonthewayoutasyoudidwhenyouletthemin.

IaskedJackwhetherthisadvicewouldbetrueforpeoplewhoonlyhad500employees,not400,000likehedidwhenheranGE.Hesaiditwouldbeevenmoreimportant.ThenIpointedoutthatalotofpeoplewhowatchmyshowhavemaybefiveemployees.Andheacknowledgedthatthatwouldbeverydifficult,becausenowyou’relookingatthepeoplewhogotyoustarted.Butyouhavetodoit.

SuzyWelch, Jack’s wife and writing partner, who was also on the show,pointed out that there is no perfect team. There is always someone who isperforming better than someone else. Instead of bemoaning the fact that youhave to let go of the bottom 10 percent, celebrate everything you’re doing tonurturethetop20percent.

Asabusinessgrows,what is thebestsolutionfordocumentingpolicy,procedure,andprocesssoallareonthesamepage?

There is no business on earth thatwon because it had a supertight handbook.MaybeabehemothlikeGEshouldhavesomethinginplace,butthat’swhattheirlawyers are there for. A company of only five hundred or so employeesshouldn’t have to document every little thing. As SuzyWelch said, work onbuildingyourvaluesandculture.Makesureeveryoneknowsthemissionofthecompany,wherethey’regoing,andwhy.Holdontoyourentrepreneurialspiritforaslongasyoucan.

Howcanefficiencyandcreativitybetterworktogether?

JackWelchalsopointedoutontheshowthattogetcreativestobeefficientyouhave togetcreative.Thatmeanshiringcreativepeople.Youwanteveryone inyourcompany,nomatterwhetherthey’reontheaccount,client,orcreativeside,tobethinkingofbetterwaystodowhatthey’redoing.Ithinkonewaytodothatis to put your players in a position to succeed. So long as thework that getsproduced is quality, I don’t really care how you get it done. I’ve tried to getpeopletoworkwithinmyversionofefficiency,andIfindthatit’sjustbettertoletpeopledothingstheirway.ImaynotlikethatyouneedtoretreattoaprivateZengarden,butifIlikeyouroutput,whyshouldIcare?Primadonnacreativescanbeirritating,butiftheirROIisawesome,it’sworthit.Asupremelyefficientcreativewholacksthemagicisnot.

OnethingJack,Suzy,andIwereallinagreementaboutwhenweheardthisquestionisthatit’sanawfulthingtoelevatetheinnovatorsinacompanyaboveeveryoneelse.Don’tputthemonanaltarandtelleveryoneelsetojustputtheirheadsdownandget towork.Don’t let anyone’smindgo towaste.Encourageeveryone to be an innovator. At VaynerMedia we expect our creatives to bepractical, and our account strategists to be creative. It works, creating anenergizingsenseofmutualrespect.

My business is completely digital. How important are real-lifemeetings?

The number of online tools at our disposal makes it extremely easy to allowpeople towork fromhome,or to facilitateconversationsand transactionswithpeople working across town, across the country, or on the other side of theworld.Butevenifyourcompanyisentirelydigital,youshouldnoteliminatein-personmeetings.

Why?Becausehumanbeingsmakedecisions,notmachines.Digitalshouldbeseenas thegateway toahumaninteraction,butnotasa

replacement for it. You just can’t get the same nuance or establish the samecontextviaconferencecallorGoogle+asyoucan inperson.That isn’t to sayemotioncan’tbeconveyeddigitally;IgetplentyemotionalonTwitterandmore

andmoreonInstagram.Butthoseexchangesdon’thavethesameenergyasanin-persononedoes.Andit’simportanttokeepfine-tuningyourabilitytoreadaroomandpeople’sbodylanguage.It’satremendousskillthatdoesn’tjustmakeyouabetterbossoremployee;itmakesyouabetterperson.

So whether you need to talk to an employee, client, or your boss, createopportunitiestomeetinpersonsometimes,especiallyifit’sbeenawhileoryouhavesomethingimportanttodiscuss.Keepdoingthatuntiltherobotstakeover.Whenthathappens,wecanreevaluate.

How do I keep my old employees from hazing my newemployees?

Betheparent.Tellthemtostoporyou’llfirethem.

IhadasimilarproblematWineLibrary.Mystaffwasn’thazinganyoneperse, but theyweremaking immediate judgment calls onnewhires.Within twodays, if they had decided a new person sucked, they froze that person out ormadetheirlifehard.Myultimatesolutionwastositdownonebyonewithmyentirestaffandtellthemthatiftheydidn’tworkwithmetofixtheproblemandbecomepartofthesolution,theywouldbegone.Andyouknowwhat?Ihadtofireafewpeople.Ithappens.

Howmuch of your staff’s time is spent on you as opposed tootherprojects?

If youmean the staff that helpswithmy content production and the businessdevelopmentaroundit,thenthatentireteamispartof“BrandGary”team.Somewere already working within VaynerMedia and were plucked out of themachine,andotherswerehiredspecificallyfortheteam.Ididn’tneedthismanypeoplewhen Iwas producingWineLibraryTV, but now that I have somuchmorescaleIcanproducemorecontentoutsidetheshow,andIneedhelptodothat. This is what a production team for one person looks like. I believe thefuture for peoplewith sizable audiences is less about having aPRperson andmoreaboutbuildingamodernproductioncompanyaroundthatperson.

Howdoyouhandleitwhenpeoplemisstheirdeadlines?

It all dependsonwhat I expect fromyou. If you’re apersonwho is usually ahard-coreexecutorwho’sextremelyreliableandIrelyonyoutobethatallthetime, I’mgoing tobepissed. Ifyou’rekindofdisorganizedanda littleweird,andIneverquiteknowwhat’sgoingonbutsomehowyoualwaysmakemagichappen, I probably didn’t ever believe you’d make your deadline and hadplannedaccordingly.Bottomline,thelevelatwhichIoranyoneelseshouldgetupsetatamisseddeadlinewillprobablychangedependingonourexpectations.Ifyouknowwhatsomeoneusuallybringstothetableandthey“miss,”youhavetowonderwhose fault that is. Is it possibleyouput them ina situationwherethey weren’t working to their strengths? It’s great to challenge your strongplayersbutyouneedtobefair.Putplayersinpositionstosucceedandwhenyouputtheminaspotthatischallenging,makesureyouremainempathetic.Aboveall,befair.

Howdoyoudiplomaticallytellthebosshe’sf***ingitup?

Ithinkanybossworthhisorhersaltwillbepumpedifyou’rebraveenoughtorespectfully point out where you disagree, and I think it can be a win-winsituation.Ifthebossagreeswithyourfeedback,you’vewonpoints.Ifheorshedoesn’tandstartsdisrespectingyou,thenyouknowyouworkforadipshitandneed to look for another job.For that reason, there’s no risk in giving criticalfeedback, especially if youdon’t love your job. It’s a goodway for people toaudittheirbossesandgaugewhetherit’swisetoputtheircareerintheirbosses’hands and follow his or her leadership. I havemassive respect for the peoplewhoarecomfortabletellingmetheydisagreewithme.Thekeyistomakesureyou remain gracious and respectfulwhile still expressing passion and holdingtruetoyourpointofview.Andofcourseyoushouldgoinwithagoodsenseofwhoyourbossis.Mydirectreportsknowtheycangetawaywithalotmorewithme than they could with many of the bosses in my own companies that arebelowme.Knowyourjudge.

When trying to get your point across to meet a goal, do youprefertobeabrasiveorcompassionate,andwhy?

I’mconstantlyadjustingtomyclients,start-ups,employees,andinvestorsinrealtime. Compassion, empathy, competitiveness, warmth, straight disrespect—every situation calls for a different brew. I have neither a favorite move nortactic.SometimesI’lltrysixmonthsofcompassionandthenkarate-choppeopletothematbecauseclearlythatisn’tworking.Managingisanever-ending365-daytest-and-learn.Youdon’twanttogetintothehabitofusingonemoveoverandover.It’skindoflikemedicine;ifyouuseittoooften,itstopsworkingaswell.

Whatareyoursuggestionswhenyouhavetoworkwithexternalpartnerstogetthejobdone,buttheydon’tshareyourhustle?

Youmeanliketherestoftheworld?Ha!Ifyouworkforanagencyoraclientservicebusiness,you’restuck.Youhavetoplaywell inthesandbox.Itcanbehard for people in the trenches when I insist they be nice to a partner that’sdropping the ball.But I don’t thinkwegainmuch fromcallingpeople out ontheiridiocy.Ithinkourworkspeaksforitselfandthatthetruthisundefeated.

Here’s a challenge:When you’re having trouble with a partner, don’t getaggressiveornasty.Winthemoverwithkindness.Goforadrinktogetherifyoucan.Build a real relationship andyoumay just find that theyknow they stinkbecausetheircompanystinks.Whenyoucanfindsomecommongroundandawaytoalignyourselvesitcantakesomeofthevenomoutofthesituationandmakeyoufeellessresentful.

Communicate with your team. Communicate with your partners.Communicatewithyourclients.Communicate,communicate,communicate.

Ifyouhaveabusinessthatisgrowingfast,isitmoreimportanttoperfectthesystemortofocusonaddingmorepeopletotheteam?

Why can’t you do both? It takes hustle, but that’s the only way to get hugevictories.IworkedveryhardonthesystematVaynerMediawhilehiringpeopleandtradingthemupandbuildingtheteam.Integratetheteamfrom9A.M.to5P.M.,andthenspend5P.M.to2A.M.perfectingthesystem.Goallthe“hellin”noworyouwillmissyourmoment.Extractallthevalueyoucanoutofyourdaywhile you still can, especially if you’re young. That’s what I’m doing as Iapproachmyfortiethbirthday.Myfund,The#AskGaryVeeShow,VaynerMedia,familylife,myhealth...I’mpushingitallharderthaneverbecauseIknowthatwhenI’mforty-twoImaynotbeabletodoitasmuch.Squeezeeverythingyoucanoutofthetimeyouhaverightnow.

CHAPTER16INVESTING

IN THIS CHAPTER I’LL TALK ABOUT WHAT TO LOOKFOR IN A HORSE, WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A JOCKEY,AND MY BEST HACK FOR FINDING THE NEXT HOTINVESTMENTPOSSIBILITY.

Aside fromqueries looking forbeginnerentrepreneurialadvice, Iprobablygetmoreemailsaskingmetoconsiderinvestinginstart-upsthananyother.Ihavealotofevolvingfeelingsaboutbeinganinvestor.BynowI’veprobablylookedattens of thousands of deals, and yet it’s still a pretty new role for me. Myinvesting career didn’t follow the most traditional path. Most successfulinvestorsprobablystartsmall,takeafewmissteps,andhavesomesuccesshereandtherebeforefinallygettingintoapositiontohit themother lode.Ikindofdidthingsbackward.

WhathappenedwasIstartedrecognizingthatIhadbeenrightaboutalotofthings like email marketing, e-commerce, banner advertising, and GoogleAdWords.AndthenonedayIreadthatYouTube,thevideo-sharingplatformIhadlongbeensayingwasgoingtobehuge,hadsoldtoGooglefor$2billion.Itoccurred tome thatmaybeall this“right”couldprobablymakemea lotmoremoney than just selling a fewextrabottlesofCabernet.So I promisedmyselfthatwhateverIspottedasthenextbigthing—itcouldhavebeenachewinggumaseasily as anewdigital platform—I’d try toget involvedwith it.That thingwasTwitter.

Twitter caught my attention in 2006–2007. While everyone else was

debating the value of a platform that lets you tell the world you were eatingpizza,Irecognizeditasacommunicationplatformthatwouldchangetheworld.I became bullish on Twitter and consequently became friendly with earlyemployees.Eventuallyanopportunitycamein theformofonewhodecidedtoselloffhisstock(talkaboutemotioncausingyoutomakeabaddecision)andafterspendingsome time talkinghimoutofsellingallof it, Iwasable tobuysomeTwitterstockatanoutrageouslylowvaluation.

Once that happened I stepped back and took note of Tumblr. I thought itlookedinteresting,andwhenahighschoolstudent(whoisnowaVaynerMediaemployee)namedLouisGeneuxtoldmethateveryoneheknewwasonTumblr,I knew it had gone mainstream. Eventually I became friends with TumblrfounderDavidKarpandformerpresidentJohnMaloney.Theywerelookingformarketing ideas and by 2008 I had establishedmyself as a personality in thatspace.Thatgavemetheopportunitytoinvestinits“D”roundataridiculouslylowlevelthatturnedaroundsubstantiallyformewhenYahooboughtTumblrforabilliondollars.

During that same period, maybe even within a month, my two-yearrelationshipwithseveralFacebookemployeesputme inaposition to investatverylowvaluationstherewhenamemberoftheFacebookfamilydecidedtosellshares.

SowithinanincrediblyshortamountoftimeImadethreeinvestmentsthatturnedouttobeenormouslyprofitableeventsforme.Istartedoffsohot,maybeitwas inevitable thatwhen I finally stumbled itwouldbe a face-plant of epicproportions. Get this: I was actually in the room with Travis Kalanick andGarrettCampwhentheideaforUberstartedtakingshape.Youknowwhatelse?Lookatthesecond-to-lastlineoftheacknowledgmentsinmybookCrushIt!

AndstillIpassedontheangelround.Twice.IfIhadgoneinitwouldhaveprobablychangedmylifeimmensely.Itsure

wouldhavegottenmealotclosertobuyingtheNewYorkJets.Iliketorefertothiseventasmy“onealmondmoment,”afterthe#AskGaryVeeepisodewhereIpromised Vayner Nation that if anyone could guess the number of almondsfillingabigglassjarnexttomeonthetable,I’dpaytheirwaytoNewYorkandtheycouldsitnexttomeduringthefilmingofanepisode.

Therewere1,424almondsinthejar.@BoostLacrosseguessed1,423.Closebutnocigar.Luckily,TravisgavemeanotherchancetoinvestlaterandIgrabbedit.And

I’msure@BoostLacrossewon’t let thenextbigopportunity slip away, either.Thealmondjaralwaysgetsrefilled,andwhenitdoes,youtryagain.

Ilearnedfrommymistakeandwasluckyenoughtogoontobecomepartofa small group of “super angels,” men and women with personal brandawareness, like Kevin Rose, Chris Sacca, and Jason Calacanis, looking for

opportunities to invest. I latermade some nice investments in companies likeWildfireandBirchbox,andeventuallyinlate2013IstartedaventurefundwithStephenRoss,MattHiggins,andmybrothercalledVaynerRSE,a$20millionseed fund that invests in early-stage Internet media companies. By the timeyou’rereadingthisI’llhaveanotheronecalledVaynerCapital,whichisalater-stageventurefund.

I’vebeenwatchingandlearning,andIthinkwe’relivingininterestingtimes.I see a lot of young companies going for the investments, and then insteadofbuilding up their business they spend all their time working toward the nextround of funding. There seems to be a disturbing lack of patience andscrappiness out there in investment land, to the point I’ve changed theway Iconsider businesses. In fact, I’d go so far as to advise a lot of businesses toreconsider going for theVCmoney. It’s useful, to be sure, but I think it canmakepeoplelazy.Thecompanywhosefoundershavemadegreatthingshappenon a shoestring and spent every dime and drop of sweat on building the bestproduct they canbefore reachingout forVCdollars—that’s the company I’vegotmyeyeon.

WhatshouldIfocusonwiththecompaniesthatIinvestin?

Entrepreneurs often struggle with making the transition to investor.We’re sousedtorunningtheshow,andallofasuddenwehavetostepbackandwatchotherpeopleexecute.It’snoteasy.InthebeginningIdidn’tevenrealizejockeyscouldcompletelyscrewupaninvestment;Ifiguredthehorsestheywereridingwere suchmagnificent beasts the jockeys were almost just there for the ride.Boy,wasIwrong.

Whenconsideringwhethertomakeanyinvestment,makesurethattheidealooksphenomenalonpaperandthatitisingoodhands.

You’ve said that sometimes you invest in horses (companies)andsometimesinthejockeys(founders).Whatdoyoulookforineach?

IfIdon’tbelieveintheupsideinyourmarket,I’mnotgoingtobelieveinyourstart-up.

Thatsaid,whenlookingatahorse,I’mlookingforcompaniesthatarebuilton concepts or ideas that are only about two to three years away fromhittingmassconsciousness.In2006and2007thatwassocialmedia.TodayI’mlookinglessatsocialnetworksandappsandmoreatthingslikesmarttech.Forexample,who isgoing towinwith the smart toothbrush that stopswhenyouhave fullybrushed your teeth? Or smart pants?Who is going to win in a sector like e-sports? I also think there is a lot of potential in consumer packaged goods ascompaniestrytomakehealthierversionsofeverythingwealreadyhave.Mobilecommerce is also interesting to me. Virtual reality. I’m looking at trends. SowhenI’m lookingathorses, I’mfollowingmyown intuition,whichhas rarelyserved me wrong, to help me see what is gaining traction and will soon bemainstream.

At this point inmy career I am spendingmore andmore time vetting theCEOandteam,especiallyifI’mconsideringanearly-stageinvestment.Jockeyscome in all shapes and sizes, even more so than horses. Entrepreneurs oftenstrugglewithmakingthetransitiontoinvestorbecausewe’resousedtorunningthe show, and all of a sudden we have to step back and watch other peopleexecute. It’snoteasy.WhenI first started investing, Iovervaluedanyonewhowas techy. Oh, you can develop? Cool! I also kept looking for people wholooked like me. Are you a good operator? Are you hungry? Are youcompetitive?ThenIstartedseeingallthewaysbusinesspeoplecanbesuccessful—with operational strength, motivational strength, financial strength—and IrealizedIdidn’thavetolookformyclone.Istartedspendingmoretimegettingtounderstandthejockeys’strengths.Iwanttoknowtheyareself-awareenoughto team upwith peoplewho fill out theirweaknesses. I alsowant to know ifthey’vegot thestomachforbusiness.Whenthingsaren’tworkingor timesgetharddotheyknowwhattodotopivotthebusiness?Cantheybegoodwartimegeneralsandpeacetimegenerals?Thelastsevenyearshavebeenboomyearsforfounders. But it’s easy to be a general when there is no war being fought.Wartimegeneralshavetodealwithacrumblingeconomy,moneydryingup,amassive competitor. Ifmyhorse’s jockeys don’t have that, I’mgoing to thinktwicebeforeinvesting.

What’syourstanceoninvestingincompetitivecompanies?

When I was an investor in Gowalla and there was a chance to invest inFoursquare,Ididn’t.Thecostofcompetingwitheachotherismuchlowerthanitused tobe,but investing in adirect competitor just seems like a jerkmove.Period.AsIseeit, thebiggerproblemiswhathappenswhencompaniespivot.I’minvestingincompaniesthataren’tcompetitive,butasanentrepreneurIcanseehowtheycouldeachmakeamovethatwouldbringthemintothesameorbit.AndthenwhatwouldIdo?

The only thing anyone can do is approach investments with openness,honesty, good intent, and the understanding that the scenario I just describedaboveispossible.InfacttheonlyreasonIavoidit,andIsuggestyoudo,too,isthatifyoumakeitahabit,youwillhurtyourreputationandnoonewillwanttodealwithyou.Earnareputationassomeonewhoistrustedandtransparent,andeveryopportunitywillfindyou.Sotoputtheissuetobed,Iamverydownonthepractice.

You talk a lot about upcoming companies and predicting theirsuccess.Whereandhowdoyoufindthesecompanies?

TherearethreethingsIdoeverydaythatyoushoulddo,too:

1. ReadJasonHirschhorn’snewsletterRedef.Hirschhornisoneofthegreatcuratorsofourtime.

2. Start following Techmeme, an aggregator, and Re/code, a blog. AlsocreateaNuzzelaccount.Iskimmineeverymorning.

3. And here’s my best hack: I go to the iTunes app store everymorning,clickontheappstab,andlookatthetopthreepaidappstogetasenseforwhenthingsarebubblingup.IwatchedalotofthebigplatformslikeYikYak and Snapchat grow organically through this channel beforeTechmemeandRe/codeevenwroteaboutthem.

What usually prompts you to walk away from greatopportunities?

Myintuition. Itallowsme towalkawayfrombadopportunities thatmay lookgoodonpaper.I’mnotananalyticalthinker,andit’snotoftenthatthedatatellsmeaninvestmentisgoingtowork.Itasteandobserve,andifIdon’tfeelit’sagoodinvestment,Idon’tdoit.Ithinkmanymorepeoplewhoreadthishavetofindagoodbalancebetweentheirnumbersenseandtheirgut.It’sascienceandanart,andanyonewhotellsyouotherwisehasavestedinterestorjustdoesn’tgetit.

Howdoyoubalanceriskandreward?

Ialwaysvaluerewardoverrisk.WhenIinvestedinMeerkatitwasobviousthatPeriscope was going to launch within the week, and it had the advantage ofbeingbackedonTwitter’sinfrastructure.Infact,TwittershutalotofMeerkat’sviralitydownwithinTwitterbeforeImadetheinvestment.Insteadoflookingatwhatwaswrong I looked atwhatwould happen if they couldmake the rightmoves,andtheupsidewastremendous.Ididn’tworrybecausetheupsidewassogreat. Remember Facebook’s attempt to slow down Snapchat with Poke?Blockbuster was going to go after Netflix. Wal-Mart was going to crushAmazon.Theleaderdoesn’talwayswinwhentheyareplayingtheotherguy’sgame.

DoesinstabilitywithChinaandthemacroeconomicenvironmentaffecthowyouseetheworld?

WhenIfirststartedgettinginvolvedininvestmentsinthemid-2000s,companieswere valued at $2–3 million, even if they had pretty strong seasonedentrepreneurs.Currently it’s not unusual forkids freshoutof school toget an$8–12millionvaluation.Thatisaggressiveinflationanditonlyhappensduringgoodtimes.

I havenoway toknowwhereChina’smarketwill beby the timeyou arereading this, but instability within any of the world’s top four economies, let

aloneatoponeortwolikeChina,isabsolutelygoingtoaffectthewayIthinkabout investing. If the stockmarketcollapses, and theFacebooksandGooglesare nowworth half the price, that usually leaves all the other companies thatwereusingthosecompaniesasabarometeroverpricedinthecurrentroundstheyare trying toachieve.Theeffectsof instabilitywilldefinitely trickledown,allthewaydowntoangelinvestments.

Howbeneficial do you think patents are in being able to set astart-upapartfromthecompetition?

I’vebeenviscerallyagainstplayingthewholepatentgame,butI’dbenaïvenottorecognizethatthereisvalueinit.AlotofcompanieshavesoldtheirIPsandtheir patents over the last half decade for sizable change. However, as aninvestor it’snotsomethingI lookfor. In fact,oftenduringpitches, ifsomeonesaystheyhaveapatent,mynextquestionisusually,“Patentorpatentpending?”Theanswer isoverwhelmingly“Patentpending.”Patentpendingdoesn’tmeananythingexcept somepaperworkhasbeen filed.Mostpeopleuse itmoreas asizzle,atactictosellmeonthecompany,thansomethingmeaningful.Itendtobeinterestedinmoreconsumer-basedproductsthanextremelytechnicalones,soapatentisnotnearlyasvaluabletome.

Whydon’tyouinvestinspace,biotech,orlifesciences?

BecauseIfailedscienceclassfromfourthgradethroughmysenioryearofhighschool.Ithinkit’ssuper-importanttoinvestinareasinwhichyouhaveintuitivestrengthorwhereyourinterestsmatchyourknowledge.Andthatisjustnotthecaseforthesciencesandme.Iwouldbeshootingblindinthosesectors.ForthatreasonIwillalwaysstayawayfromthem.

Howdoesgeographyaffectyourinvestmentdecisions?Iswherefoundersortheirbusinessesarelocatedimportanttoyou?

I consider it a bit, but I don’t value it asmuch as someofmySiliconValleycontemporarieswhohavetotallyboughtintotheSiliconValleybrand.I’mabigbelieverthatgreatbusinessescanbestartedanywhere.FacebookwasstartedinBoston. Pinterest was started in Pennsylvania. Snapchat was started in LosAngeles. Why would a company need to be in Silicon Valley? I’m prettypassionateabouttheincrediblestuffhappeninginmiddleAmerica.AndBerlin.AndAsia.

Locationwould only be a variable if I saw that a company needed heavyinfrastructure.ThenI’dhavetoconsiderthefactthatthey’deventuallyhavetomovetoSanFranciscobecausethatiswherealotofdeveloperslive.IhavetoconsidergeographywhenIlookatU.S.companiestryingtogetintoEurope,orviceversa,mostlybecausetheyeachhaveanastoundinglackofunderstandingfortheforeignmarketthey’retryingtopenetrate.

Forthemostpart,however,thehorseandjockeyiswaymoreimportantthanwheretheraceistakingplace.

Will you ever play in syndicate platforms like CircleUp orAngelListinthefuture?

IhaveanAngelListaccount.Irespectthatplatformandit’sagreatplace.ButItendtoleantowarddoingfarfewerdealsthatarefarmoremeaningful.ThoughIdon’tseeitasagrowingtrendforme,Iwouldencourageanyonewhoisreadingthistocheckoutthoseplatforms.AngelListhasalotofcoolstuffgoingon.

Whatshouldcompaniesexpectfromtheirinvestorsateachstageofinvestment?

Expectationsaredangerous.Everystart-upandinvestorrelationshipisdifferent.Some investors are extremely hands-on, some are hands-off, and I’ve heardfounderstimeandtimeagaincomplainaboutboth.

Ideally, founders and VCs should have a conversation about theirexpectations up front. That’s what I did as I started extending myself withVaynerRSEevenasVaynerMediacontinued itshypergrowth.Myconversation

witha lotofour investmentswasprettyconsistent. IwouldsayIcouldbe thebackbone,butmy teamwasgoing tobewaymorehands-on thanme.Ninety-fivepercentofpeoplewerefinewiththat.Asmallamountweren’t,andthatwasokay,too.Myreputationandremainingamanofmywordwasmorevaluabletome thananydeal. Ipassedonan investment that isnowdoingextremelywellbecause Ididn’t feel Iwasgoing tobeable todeliveron themultiplehoursamonth that would be required forme tomake the investment. It’s admittedlyhardtowatchitdosowell,butI’matpeacewithmydecisionbecauseIknewIwasn’tgoingtobeabletoliveuptothecompany’sask.What’simportantisthateveryonelayouthisorhervariablesandnotoverpromise.

Should founders always be the ones that end up running theircompanywhenandiftheyreachabillion-dollarvaluation?

Absolutelynot.Asamatteroffact,Iwouldarguethatfewfoundersshouldberunningtheircompaniesatthatsize.It’sbeenveryimpressivefromafartowatchBenSilvermanandMarkZuckerbergrun theircompanies fromstart-up to thatbillion-dollarvaluation.Itobviouslycanbedone,buttheyaretheoutliers.

Theskillsetsrequiredtotakeacompanyfromzerototenmillion,letalonezerotoabillion,areverydifferentfromtheskillsetsneededtorunacompanyonceithasactuallyachievedthatmega-dollarvaluation.Thefounderofoneofmymost successful deals no longer runs the company, becausehe justwasn’tcapableofoperatingitatitsnew,biggerscaleandsize.ItreallyexplodedwhenweputamoreseasonedCEOinplace.Thecompanyliterallywouldhavebeenoutofbusinessunderthefounder’swatch,andnowit’sonitswaytobecomingasubstantiallylargebusinesswithmillionsofdollarsofvalue.I’mnotevensureifIshouldrunacompanythatbig.Icouldprobablyruna$500millioncompanybutonceyougetintothebillionsterritory,youstartgettingintodifferentkindsofdynamics.Youhavetoknowwhatyou’regoodat.

CHAPTER17SELF-AWARENESS

IN THIS CHAPTER I TALK ABOUT REACHING HIGHWITHOUT DELUSION, THE BIGGEST DECISION I’VEEVER MADE, AND WHETHER IQ OR EQ IS MOREIMPORTANTFORSUCCESSINBUSINESS.

This chapter means a lot to me because I think the topic of self-awarenessdoesn’tgetenoughattention.Andyet,ifthere’sonethingthat’shelpedmewinoverthecourseofmycareer. . .well,I’vesaidthatabouthustleandgratitudeandallkindsofothertraitsdiscussedinthisbook,haven’tI?Whatever.Thisisanother characteristic that has reallyworked forme. If I could sell a formulamadeupofgratitude,empathy,andself-awareness,itwouldbemybillion-dollarcoconutwateridea.

My self-awareness is one of the reasons why I can comfortably sayoutlandishthingsandmakehyperbolicstatements.Iknowwhatpeoplethinkofme,andIknowthatthesamethingsthatdrawpeopletometurnothersoffandkeepthemaway.I’mokaywiththat,becauseIthinkIcanhelpmorepeopleandgetmypointacrossbetterwhenI’mmyunfilteredself.

Knowinghowyoucomeacrosstootherscanoftengiveyouanadvantageasan entrepreneur. Take sales, for example. You can set the tone in a scenario,anticipate howother peoplemight react, and thusbeprepared to address theirconcernsandquestionsevenbefore they’vebeenable toarticulate them. It’sareallyvaluabletooltohaveinyourcommunicationtoolbelt,andit’ssomethingIlookforandadmireinothers.

Self-awarenessisunderestimatednow,butIknowsomedaywhenI’minmyfifties,sixties,orseventies,itwillbethesubjectmatteroftheday.Ifthereisachapterinthisbookthatyouwouldreadtwice,I’daskthatthisbeit.

Whataresomeeasywaystobecomemoreself-aware?

There’s onehack, and it’s askingpeople straight up to tell youyour strengthsandweaknesses.Thesepeoplehave tobe the five to twelvepeoplewhoknowyouthebestorworkwithyouthemost.Youhavetocreateasafezonewithinwhichtheycandothis,ofcourse.Nooneisgoingtobehonestwithyouiftheythinkyou’llmakethempayfor it lateror if theyloveyoutoomuch.Youalsohavetobepreparedforthemtotellyouthingsyoumaynotwanttohearorthatyoudisagreewith.That’swhyyouhavetogatheradiversityofopinion.Ifyouhearenoughpeoplesaythesamething,whetherit’sthatyou’retookindortooaggressive,you’lleventuallyhavetoacceptthatitcouldbetrue.Infact,embracethepeoplewhotellyouyou’refullofcrap.Doubledownonthoserelationships,becausethey’retheonesthatwillhelpyouimprovethemost.

Getyourselfathickskin.Ihatereadingbadstuffaboutme,butIcanhandleit. I respect it, accept it, understand it, and I try to learn from it. If you’reaggressive about getting the feedback, andman orwoman enough to “eat it,”you canmake changes in your interactionswith people and your approach tobusinessthatcanpayoffinbigways.

What’sthemostcommonmistakefoundersmakewhenbuildingaconsumer-focusedbusiness?

There are so many goddamn mistakes, but the biggest is when they deludethemselves into thinking they are significantlymore talented and special thantheyreallyare.

No one wakes up and says “I’m going to be an NBA player today,” buteveryonetoday—theyoungandhungry,andtheoldandhungry—isdecidingonawhimthatthey’regoingtobeaconsumerproductinnovator,start-upfounder,or cofounder of a consumer product company. The audacity is ludicrous and

stunningtome.Peopleunderestimatehowharditistobuildaconsumerappandcreatesomethingstickythatpeoplecareabout.Ittakesaspecialtalent,yetcareerstudents, corporate people, and bright-eyed hustlers think somehow they’regoing to understand consumer behavior and scratch that itch for a consumerproductbetterthananyoneelse.Sothemistake?Nothavingtheself-awarenesstoknowthey’renotgoodenoughtodoit.

Thatsaid,ifyoucanaffordtherisk,Isaygoaheadandtry,justasIwouldtellanyonetotryoutfortheLosAngelesLakersiftheyallowedit.

It’s good to understand our talents and weaknesses, but I fearwe’llgettrappedintoamind-setoftellingourselvesthattherearethingswecanandcan’tdo.PoetRobertBrowningsaid,“Aman’sreachshouldexceedhisgrasp.”Iwantpeopletotrylotsandlotsofthings.Idon’twantpeopletotellourchildrenwhattheyareandaren’tgoodat.Howcanyouincorporatethatideaintoyourdiscussionaboutself-awareness?

The person who asked this question, speaker and social media strategist TedRubin,wasabsolutelycorrect:Peopleshouldreachhigh.ButnothingIseeinthemarket today indicates to me that people have a problem holding themselvesbackfromtryingwhateverideapopsintotheirheads.Ideally,ofcourse,peoplewouldblendahealthysenseofconfidencewithself-awareness.ButI thinkweliveinaculturethatencouragesustobelievewecanbegoodateverythingwesetouttodo,especiallyintheU.S.market.

Modern parents are telling little Stevie, “You can do anything youwant!”Except Stevie sucks at basketball. They do the same for kidswhowant to besingersorengineers—orentrepreneurs.You’rejustnotalwaysgoingtobeabletodoeverythingyouwant.Ithinkit’sagoodthingtoremindpeopletoevaluatetheir strengths and their weaknesses because not enough people areacknowledgingtheymayhavethelatter.

Sincenotmanypeoplearewillingtohavethatconversation,Ithinkit’sokayformetopush thatmessageouta littleharder thanImightotherwise,andnothedgewithTed’svalidpoint.IdothesamethingwhenIbashTVadvertising.It’snotthatIdon’tbelieveithasapurposeorvalue,butIdon’tneedtoadvocate

foritbecause99percentofthemarketalreadydoes,anditisgrosslyoverpriced.TVdoesn’tneedme.Self-awarenessdoes.

Whatpeopledon’t realize is that theprocessof forcingyourself tobeself-aware requires drinking a shitloadof humbleKool-Aid. It’s insane howmuchhumilityhasbeeninstilledintomebythemarketandhasbalancedmyegoandself-esteem.IgetwhypeoplethinkI’mfullofmyself,butwhatthey’reseeingisthepostgameof a longperiodduringwhich I learned to stayaway fromwhatI’mnotgoodatsothatIonlytalkaboutthethingsthatIknowI’mbetteratthanmostpeople.Everythingshouldbeinbalance,sowhenthemarketisleaningsostrongly in the direction of “Everything Is Awesome!” I think there is anopportunitytotalkabouthowsomepeopleneedtounderstandtheysuck.

Now,here’sthething.Ifyoudosuckbutyoulovethethingyousuckat,doit! Ifyou lovesingingmore thanbreathing,gofor thatsingingcareer. Iwouldjustlikeitifyoucouldgoforitwiththefullrealizationthatyou’remostlikelygoingtowaittablesforyourentirelife.Youcan’tbedisappointedifyougoinwithyoureyeswideopen.I’mnotimmunetoFOMO,butIknewthattodowhatIdo I’dhave to leave a lot of fun and leisureon the table.Youalwayspayapricefordoingwhatyoulove.That’sjustlife.

Doyouhaveanytipsforpresentingyourconsultingservicestoapotentialclient?PowerPoint?Video?

HowshouldIknow?AreyougoodatmakingaPowerPoint?Canyoumakeabettervideothananyoneelse?Orareyouthekindofpersonwhocanjustwalkin and close the deal?Ask your business partners or employees, if you’re notself-awareenoughtofigureoutforyourselfwhatyou’regoodat.

ThisquestionisoneIcouldneveranswerwithoutknowingyouwell.Whatworks for me doesn’t necessarily work for you. Look inside yourself (or getothers to tellyouwhat theysee):Theanswer ispredicatedonyourGod-givenabilityorontheskillyou’veworkedhardesttomaster.Manyofyoudosomanythingsbetter thanme itmakesmewant tovomit.Therearesooooooooomanywaystopresent.Gowiththeonethatletsyoushine.

Howdoeshumorplayaroleinbusiness,ifatall?

It does, and it plays the same role it plays in all of life—by easing tensions,greasingwheels,makingpeoplefeelgood.Wouldn’tyouratherdobusinesswithsomeonewhomakesyoulaughthanwithastickinthemud?Agiftforhumorhappens tobeoneof themost attractivepersonal traits, andmaybeoneof therarest.RemembertheoutpouringofgriefoverRobinWilliams’sdeath?Peoplewhocanusehumortoshowustheworldinawaywe’dneverhavenoticedonourownarespecial. Iusehumor inspiredbystand-upcomedyinmykeynotesbecauseIthinkithelpspeopleremember(andenjoy)mytalksmore.IalsouseittodrivedifficultHRconversations,andleverageitwhenI’msellingtoclients.

Asattractiveasasenseofhumoris,though,it’snomoreimportantthantheother ones people are attracted to: caring, empathy, self-awareness, kindness,andbeauty,amongothers.Butifyouknowyou’vegotit,useit.

What was the biggest decision in your life that made yousuccessfultoday?

ItwasthedayImadethechoicetosuckatschool.Fourth grade.Mr.Mulnar’s science class. I got anF on a science test. To

makeshitworse,Ihadtogetitsignedbymymom.Toavoidbeingpunished,Ihiditundermybed,whereitsatfortwodaysuntilmyconsciencegotthebetterofmeandIshowedittomymother.

Untilthatmoment,though,Iwasinhell.Idistinctlyremembersittinginmysmallbedroom,cryingand trying tomake senseofwhy Iwashaving suchanintense reaction to this test. And then it hit me, the thought that changedeverything:

“Screwschool.I’mabusinessman.”Imadetheconsciousdecisiontoeatthepainfourtimesayearwhenreport

cardscame,toeatthepainoffailingprettymuchdaily.Whocaredifeveryonethought Iwas a “loser,” a kidwithout a shot? I knewbetter. I saw somethingdifferent.Evenatthatyoungage,Iwasself-awareenoughtorealizewhatIwasborntodo.

It’s not that I didn’t care. I went to every class. I was respectful to my

teachers. I just decided that I would be better off honing my skills andconcentrating onwhatmademe happy andwhat fulfilledme. I learned aboutselling baseball cards, which then became wine, which becameWineLibrary.com and VaynerMedia and everything that makes me soimmenselyproud.

That moment marked the first time that I decided to fight what societyexpectedofmeanddeliveronwhatmademehappy.

Andyoushould,too.Bottomline:Stopdoingthingsthatmakeyouunhappy.I’ve been preaching this since my first book came out, and long before that.Sure,itsuckedtogetthosereportcardseveryquarter,butsometimesyouhaveto take a thousand punches before anything good happens. Not everyonewillunderstandwhat you’re doing, and themore youwork, themore chances youhave tobedisappointed.Oreven tobe thedisappointment.Butdon’t let thosemomentsfoolyou.Aninstanceoffailurecouldbeahugeopportunity.

Pay attention. Learn to be self-aware. One F on a test got me started.Countlessbad reportcardsgotmegoing.And if I couldgoback, Iwould faileverysingletestalloveragain.

What was the toughest thing you’ve ever had to do for yourcareer?

Historically,my answerhas alwaysbeen that itwas leaving theWineLibraryandstartingmyventureinVaynerMedia,butthat’snotthewholestory.

Truthfully,thetoughestthingI’veeverhadtodoprofessionallywasdecidethatIwasokayputtingmyselfoutthere.

Manypeoplehaveforgottenthatthefirsttentofifteenheadlineseverwrittenaboutmeinthemediawereessentiallyall“WineWizKidBuildsBusiness.”Allofasudden,alltheseentitiesI’dalwayshadhugerespectfor,liketheNewYorkTimesandtheWallStreetJournal,wererespectingme.Itfeltgreat.

Butnotlongafterthat,IrealizedthattherewasacertainpathIwouldneedtotakeifIwasgoingtogetabiggerreachandgainalargeraudience.AndIwasprettysuretherewouldbeconsequences.Sureenough,assoonasIstartedreallyletting people into my mind-set into business, not wine reviews, andcommunicated it in theway I do, people stopped talking aboutme as a greatbusiness operator—someone who made huge profits by realizing trends and

executing on them—and instead described me as a “self-promoter,” a “socialmediaguru,”andan“author.”

IntheeyesofthoseentitiesandpeopleI’dalwaysadmired,I’dtakenastepback(ortwoorthree).Therewasalotofeyerollingfrom“theestablishment”that looked down on me for my self-promotion, as though it somehowunderminedthesuccessIhadcreateduntilthatpoint.Itwasn’teasytoknowthatmy choices would cause some people to dismiss me and everything I’daccomplished. In fact, it continues to be something I strugglewith, because Ireally enjoy being respected, as does everyone, especially when you work sohard.Ontheotherhand, inaweirdwayI likethefact thatpeople’sprejudicesagainst me cause them to underestimateme. In entrepreneurship, the truth isundefeated.Ultimately, if I executemultiple hundred-million-dollar businessesandmakesmart investments, it’sall “net-net.”Youmightnot like that Idon’tdressup,orthatIcurseonstage,orthatIself-promote,butifIexecute,youjusthaveto“takeit.”

Once I was able to accept the fact that I was going to enhance myaccomplishments and live at ease by being me, at the expense of theestablishment’s respect, I was able to carry on and create everything I havetoday.

How do I keep low self-confidence from keeping me fromsucceeding?

Self-esteem is the ultimate drug of our society. When you have it you giveyourself theaudacity todreambig,andwhenyoudothat, the little thingsstopmatteringandanxietycannotcrippleyou.I’mprobablytheleastanxiouspersonIknow,eventhoughyoumightthinkIshouldbe,withalltheresponsibilitiesIcarryonmyshoulders.It’sjustthatIhavesuchstrongself-esteem.(Thankyou,Mom, you are truly amazing.) I’m absolutely sure that I can handlewhatevercomesmyway.

IwishIcouldgivepeoplewhostrugglewiththisissuearah-rah“youcandoit!”answer,becausewithoutself-esteem,I’mnotsuretheycan.Thatsaid,ifyouare self-aware enough to know that you lack confidence, you could definitelyexecutetogetmore.Youneedtodoresearchandthinkhardaboutwhatyoucanaffordtodo.Alotofpeoplewouldprobablybenefitfromseeingatherapistwho

could help themwork throughwhatever is keeping their confidence down.Attheveryleast,startworkingtosurroundyourselfwithconfident,positivepeople.Beasdeterminedtogetthatself-esteemasanaddictjonesingforahit.

Alotofsmallbusinessesfailbecausetheyrefusetoacceptwhenthey’re not good at something and insist instead on doing itthemselves.Howwouldyousuggesttellingsomeonetheyneedtostop?

It’seasytoknowyouneedtooutsourcewhenyouneedA-levelworkandyou’reanF.It’salothardertoseewhenyou’reaB.Here’stheclue:Ifyoutry,try,andtry but don’t get any better, hire someone who’s an A. There’s no point inwastingenergyonthatstrugglewhenitcouldbebetterusedtoenhancethingsyou’realreadygoodat.

Now, let’s say you know someonewho thinks he’s anA, or at leastwhothinkswithenoughpracticehecanbecomeanA,butafterawhile itbecomesclearthatheclearlyisn’tandwon’t.Doyoujustlethimflounder?Idon’tthinkso.Isaycallhimonit.Idothisallthetime.I’llseeatweetandrespondtotelltheaccountholderhowheorshecouldhavedoneitbetter.I’mverypoliteandtrytoprovidevalue.

Doyou think it isnecessary tohaveanoutgoingpersonality tobeasuccessfulentrepreneur?

It’sneverbeenlessimportant.Don’tbelieveme?Thinkaboutallthesuccessfulentrepreneurswhompeople

talkabouteveryday.Zuckerberg.EvanWilliams.KevinSystrom.DavidKarp.If thosenamesaren’tfamiliar toyou,maybeyou’llrecognizethese:Facebook.Twitter.Tumblr. Pinterest. Instagram.Ringing somebells now?While I don’tknowforsuretheyeachidentifyasintroverts,Idoknowthey’reabsolutelynotthekindofpeoplewhooutwardlyself-promotebytoday’sInternetstandards.

In the past, most of our connections were made through things like

networking eventsor conferences.That setupmade it absolutelynecessary foryoung entrepreneurs to be outgoing andput themselves out there.And if theycouldn’t, theyoften found it necessary tobring someoneonboardwhocould.But technology has changed the game, and now your first impression doesn’thavetobemadeface-to-face.Youcanshapeyourpersonathroughyouronlineinteractionsandpresence.Meetingpeopleinpersonisstillimportant,buttherearemanyotherwaystobuildacompany,talktopeople,andmakeconnectionsinthebusinessworld,allwithoutleavingyourdesk.Weareintheglorydaysoftheintrovertedentrepreneur.

Thereisstillplentyofroomfortheextrovertedentrepreneurlikemyself,ofcourse. And thank goodness for it, because I could never try to fake beingsomeoneI’mnot.I’mverygoodatrepresentingmyselfauthenticallyonline,butIknowmystrengths,andIknowthatIcangettentimesmorewhenIcanmeetpeopleandbringmyenergytothetableface-to-face.

So introverted entrepreneurs, don’t fake it. Bet on your strengths. If youprefertositalldayatyourdeskandfocus,dothatifit’sworkingforyou.Nevermake themistakeof thinking thatyouneed tobe louderormoreoutgoing,orfakeabiggerpersonality.Thisisatremendoustimeforyoutobuildacompany.Theball is inyourcourt,andsocialmediaand technologyhaveput thewholegameinyourfavor.

HowdoIovercomemypeople-pleasingnature?

Whywouldyouwantto?Societyhaslongtaughtusthatwantingtopleasepeopleisaflawandthatit

makesusweak.Butit’snotaweakness;it’sastrength.Ishouldknow,I’vebuiltmyentireworldonit.

Whatiswrongwithwantingtogive?Beingpositive?Makingsureeveryonearoundyouishappy?Itblowsmymindthatpeoplewouldwanttolabeltheseasweaknesses,especiallywhenIhaveseenfirsthandhowmuchROItheseactionsofferwhenyouusethemtobuildabusiness.Theonlytimepeoplepleasingisaweakness iswhen you don’t knowhow to ask for something in return or youonlydoittoaskforsomethinginreturn.

Youcangive,give,giveallyouwant,butifyouneverstepupandaskforsomething back, you’re not going towin.Whenyou give someone something

theyneed,whenyoumakesomeone’sdreamareality,inasensetheyoweyou.Theirgratitudewillmakethemveryopentodoingsomethingforyouwhenthetimecomes.Butyouhavetoask.Nothingwilleverhappenifyoudon’tjuststepupandaskforwhatyouwant,whetherit’sasale,aconnection,orareference.

It’satremendouspersonalitytrait towanttomakeothershappy.Justdon’tforgettolookoutforyourself.

Yougetverypersonalwhenbuildingyourbrandwiththepublic.Howpersonalistoopersonal?Wheredoyoudrawtheline?

Youdrawthelinewhereyoufeelyoushould.I likegettingpersonalbecauseIthinkithelpspeoplefeelclosertome,whichhelpsmebuildmybrandbutalsoallowsmetogettoknowmyfansbetter.GettingpersonalisoneofthereasonsIlovedoingThe#AskGaryVeeShowsomuch.ButI’vegotlimits.I’mwillingtoput out a picture ofme on the toilet, but I don’t share pictures or really anyinformation aboutmy children. Somepeople go nude; somewon’t show theirbellybutton.You’vegottogowithyourgut.Also,rememberthatyou’vealwaysgottherighttochangeyourmind.Whatmightbetoomuchlastweekmightnotbetomorrow,andviceversa.

Whatdoyouthinkismoreimportantinbusiness,IQorEQ?

They’rebothimportant,ofcourse.IknowmyIQiskindofaveragebutthatmyEQisoffthecharts,sothat’swhereIgoall in.It’sbeenthefoundationofmysuccessandallowsmetogivebacktomycommunity,whichgivesmeleverage.It allowsme to form instant relationships,which is quite the advantage inmylineofwork.

Ihearthatalotofpeopletrytoemulatemebecausemywaylooksfunandsizzly, butmywaywon’t work for you as well if you’re putting it on like acostume.Youhavetodoyou.Thereareplentyofpeoplewholovedata,math,and tech and have happilymade tons ofmoney on their IQ. (IwishmymathskillswereasstrongasAJ’s!Theyaren’tevenclose.)

Whetheryou’reallEQ,all IQ,or like themajorityofpeopleanicemixof

both,theimportantthingistobeawareenoughofyourcompositiontocapitalizeonyournaturalgifts.

CHAPTER18GARYVEE’S GUIDE TO PUBLICSPEAKING WITHOUT SHITTING YOURPANTS

INTHISCHAPTERITALKABOUTPUNCHINGPEOPLEINTHEMOUTH,HOWTOGETAWAYWITHF-BOMBS,ANDSTICKINGTOWHATYOUKNOW.

Funfact:Ididnotgivemyfirstpublicspeechuntil2006,whenIwasthirty-oneyears old. It was at an Internet conference, and I really didn’t knowwhat toexpect. But the second I took that stage my world was never the same.SometimesIwonderifmyrealtalentispublicspeaking,notbuildingbusinesses.Ienjoyitalmostasmuch.TheremaybenogreaterhighformethanthatsecondrightbeforeIwalkoutonstage;itfeelslikehome.It’snosecretthatIliketohearmyself talk,and thisgivesmetheperfectexcuse,but I reallydo tremendouslyenjoyconnectingwithmyaudience.I’msogratefulfortheopportunitytospeaktosomanypeopleonaregularbasis.

If you’ve done a good job of building your brand, there is a good chancesomeonewill askyou for an interview,or to sit on apanel, andeventually, ifyou’rereallygood,tohostaconferenceordeliverakeynoteaddress.Whenthisstartshappeningtoyou,you’llknowyou’reonyourway.It’snotonlyfun,it’slucrative.Iloveit.Ireallyfreakingloveit.IhopeIcanmakeyouloveit,too,ifyou’relikeIwasandunawarethatitwaseveninyourskillset.

Given howmany times I’m asked to speak per year, and the somewhat—

howshouldIputit?—colorfulwayItendtoexpressmyself,it’snosurpriseI’vegottenanumberofquestionsaboutpublic speakingon the show. Ihope theseanswerswillhelpyouprepareforyourmomentinthespotlight.

Howdoyouprepareforanimportantkeynote?

Iknowsomepeopleareabsolutelyterrifiedbytheideaofspeakinginpublic.Ifthat’syou,andyou’regrowingabusiness, Ihopeyou’llget somehelp fromacounselororcoach.Somepeopleevenattendacting,improv,orcomedyclasses.Findingawaytofreeyourselffromyourfearofpublicspeakingisanextremelyworthwhile investment, because if you succeed, it sets the potential for anenormousboontoyourbrandandbusiness.

The benefit of doing keynotes or talks is tremendous.You can reach newaudiencesyoumightnothaveencountered.Buildyourcredibility.Taketimetoarticulateyourideasinalongerformat.Andpublicspeakingopportunitiesoftengiveyouthechancetomeetotherinfluencersandcoolpeople,aswellaslearnabitmoreaboutyourselfbyseeinghowyoucommunicatedifferently invarioussettings.Takethefirstopportunityyoucanget.It’sagreatexperience.

Somepeoplehavetowriteoutascriptandmemorizeitwordforwordbeforethey’llfeelcomfortableuponthestageoratthepodium.Somepeoplepracticewith their friends. Others prefer to improvise.Me?Well,my preparation is alittle unconventional. It works for me, but I’m not sure it would work foreveryone.Whatever.Youasked.

Eight minutes before I take the stage, I’m doing my everyday stuff. I’mcheckingemail.I’mjokingwithafriend.You’dneverknowI’mabouttogiveatalk.Ifindthatcontinuingmyroutineactivitieshelpskeepmecalm.

Sixminutesbeforeshowtime, Iget intoaweirdplace. Ibecomeextremelyfocused,likeaboxerabouttohitthering.ButIdon’treviewanynotes.Idon’tfrantically start rattling through the speech to make sure I know it by heart.Those last-minute tendencies people have towant to fix something or changesomethingcanbereallydestructive.Thedayyoufindyourselfinthismoment,haveconfidenceinyourselfandgowithyourplan.You’veworkedhardforthis.You’reready.

Then, rightbefore Igooutonstage, I thinkaboutpunchingeveryaudiencememberdirectlyinthemouth.

Seriously.Thoughnotliterally,ofcourse.Idon’twanttoinflictharmonanyone.But

whenI’monstage,I’mhyperfocusedonbringingmyaudiencevalueandsoI’minasortofaggressiveattackmode.Iknowitsoundsstrange,butIfeelaweirdmixofloveandaggressionforthepeopleintheseats,becauseononehandI’mso grateful for their presence and their support and interest, yet I’m alsodeterminedtosendthemawaywithapowerfulmessageringingintheirears.I’mlikeaboxerinacrazyzonebeforethefight.

Exceptunlikeaboxer, I can’tphysicallygrabpeople’s attention. Ihave todemandtheirattentionwithmyvoice,andconveymystoryinawaythatkeepsthemrapt.Hereiswhereshowingyouremotionisagoodthing.Goaheadandgetexcited,orpissed,orfrustrated.Showtheaudiencehowyoufeelaboutyourtopic. People respond to honesty and emotion. You’ll look strong andconvincing.Mostimportant,you’llbealmostimpossibletoforget.

Sothat’showtoprepareforanimportanttalk.Trustme,thefirstoneistheeasiestoneyou’lleverdo.Knowwhy?Becauseyou’reonlyasgoodasyourlasttalk.You’vegotnowhere togobutup.Thesecondyoutake thatstage,you’rewiping the slate cleanand reaffixingyourbrand inpeople’shearts andminds.Treateacheventasyourlastatbat,andmakeitanamazingone.

Howdoyougetawaywithsomanyf-bombsonstage?

Ithinktheansweristwofold.First,Imeanit.I’mnotjustthrowingcursewordsout there toshockyou, I’mreallyfeelingeachandeveryone. It’snota tactic,I’mjustinthezonewhenI’muponthestage.AsImentionedearlier,asakidIidolized Richard Pryor, Chris Rock, and Eddie Murphy, and their influencetranslateddirectlyintothewayIdeliverkeynotes.Butalthoughthereisalittlebitofastand-upqualitytomyspeeches,I’mnotactingupthere.ThatJerseyboyisallme,andI thinkevenwhen they’reabit takenabackbymypenchant forprofanity,mostpeopleinmyaudiencerespectmyauthenticity.

Second,Igetawaywithdroppingf-bombsbecauseIjustdon’tfuckingcareif I catch flak for it. In fact, I use the f-bomb all the time to vet peoplewithwhom I do business.Howyou react tome tellsme awhole lot about you. Ifyou’reoperatingatsuchamicrolevelyoucan’tgetbeyondmylanguagetohearthebiggermessageI’mtryingtocommunicatetoyou,you’rejustnotsomeoneI

wanttodobusinesswithortakeonasaclient.You’reneverjudgingmehalfasmuchasI’mjudgingyou.

As a speaker, you rarely use filler words and you hardly everlose your train of thought onstage, or in front of the camera.Canyouprovideinsight intohowyou’venurturedyourpublicspeakingchops?

I’vehadalotofpracticesincethefirsttimeIhitthestagein2006,andhereisthebiggestsecretIhavelearnedforaflawlesspresentation:Talkaboutwhatyouknow.Don’t let people suck you into a debate about a topic inwhich you’reneither interested norwell versed. For example, I try not to answer questionsabout foreign policy or currency like Bitcoin. The only reason my opinionmatters about anything is that I am a practitioner and have grounded myexecution in strong research and experience. I’mnot providing value if I startspoutingopinionsbasedonnothingmorethanafewclickbaitheadlines.Istayinmy lanes of expertise where I spend my time honing my craft. If you’recomfortable with your subject matter and speaking from the heart and fromexperience,you’llalwayssoundlikeapro.

CHAPTER19MUSIC

IN THIS CHAPTER I TALK ABOUT THE NUMA NUMASONG, NEW REVENUE STREAMS, AND MAKING YOURFANSFALLINLOVEWITHYOU.

Iwouldhavelostanenormousamountofmoneyifayearagoyouhadtoldmethat Iwasgoing towrite abookcalled#AskGaryVee, andoneof the chapterswasgoing tobeaboutmusic. Iwouldhavemadeabetagainst that formoneythatmatters.Yet asStephanieLand,mywriter, and the restof the teamand Iworked to pull together the material for the book, we discovered that I hadansweredanumberofquestionsaboutmusic.Whoknew?

Mostpeoplewhocareabouttheartformdonotrespectmyrelationshipwithmusic.Ihavenomusicaltalentandmycontemporariesoftendisrespectmytaste.Oneofmy favorite things todo isputa favorite songoncontinuous loopandlistentoitforfivetosevenhours.IoncelistenedtoBoneThugs-n-Harmony’ssong“1stofthaMonth”throughtheentiretraintripfromBostontoNewYork—andIdidn’ttaketheAcela.WhilemakingthefinaleditsofthisbookIlistenedtoDrake’s“BacktoBack”onloop.Butyou’llalsofindLionelRichieandCyndiLauperjamsonmyiPad.

Thisisfunforme.Idon’thaveamazingpassionfortheindieorthehip-hopscene, but I am excited to see howmanymusicians have real talentmixed inwith entrepreneurialDNA, and I’mpassionate about seeing how the changingmarketingandcommunicationslandscapehasprovidedopportunityforthem.

Think about it.Would anyone have ever heard of “Dragostea din tei” if it

weren’tforGaryBrolsma?You’reprobablythinkingyoustillhaven’theardofit,butyouhave.It’smorecommonlyknowninthiscountryastheNumaNumasong,andGaryBrolsmaistheguywhouploadedahomevideoofhimselflip-syncing to it onto the Internet back in 2004. The songwent on to become aninternationallybestsellingsingle,andwhilethebandwhowroteit,O-Zone,splitup, Gary Brolsma endures and, according to his website, continues to makemusicandvideos.CarlyRaeJepsen,whosenewpopalbumisbeingcalledoneof thebestof thedecade,hadbeenwritingand recordingsongs inCanada forseveral years before Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez first tweeted about hercatchysong“CallMeMaybe”andcreatedthefamouslygoofyYouTubedancevideotogoalongwithitthatturnedherintoaninternationalstar.SoyouknowhowI’malwayssayingthatyoudon’twanttoobsessabouthowmanyfollowersandfansyouhave,butratheraboutwhoyourfollowersandfansare,andthatthequality of your content and engagementwith them is everything it shouldbe?That’swhy.

Itused tobe that inorder togetanyattentionyouhad tomakea thousanddemosandpraythatsomemusicproducerwouldbothertolistenandsignyouupfor a record deal, after which you were at the mercy of the label. But nowaspiringmusicians have far greater control over their careers, andmanymoreavenuestheycantaketogettheirmusicheard.Theydon’thavetopleaserecordlabelsanymore.Theyjusthavetopleasetheirfans.

DoyouhaveanyideahowmanybandsandartistshavebeenabletobreakoutandbecomeprofitablebecausetheyknewhowtousesocialmedialikeVineandYouTube to reach their audiences? These are the same bands that wouldneverhavebeenabletogetsomuchasameetingwithamajorlabelfifteenyearsago.Forsuretherearefewerartistswhogoplatinum,butthelongtailhasgottenevenlongerandallowsagreaternumberofperformerstomakemoney.

That’swhyIdon’tunderstandwhysomanypeoplecontinuetobemoanthefate of themusic industry and complain thatmusicians can’t get a fair shake.Theysureashellcan.If theyhustle, thatis.Theyjusthavetostopthinkingofthemselvesasartistsandstartthinkingofthemselvesasabusiness.

Sincemusic itselfdoesn’t create incomeanymore,what advicedoyouhaveformusicianswantingtomaketheirlivingplayingmusicinthetwenty-firstcentury?

Let’s get some perspective—throughout history, maybe 1 percent of allmusicians, singers, and songwriters ever made it big. Most professionalmusiciansworkedtheirwholelivesmakingthebestlivingtheycoulddoingwhattheyloved,whilesupplementingtheirincomedoingworkthattheydidnotlove.But they don’t have to take that second or third job anymore. Just likemanyother entrepreneurs, artists can make a perfectly livable income throughAdSense, YouTube ads, sponsored social media content, and Beatport sales,whichleavesthemmorefreetodevotetheirworkinghourstohoningtheircraft,distributingtheirmusic,engagingwithfansandmusicvenues,andcreatingtheirownopportunitiestoperformlive.Infact,accordingtoaNewYorkTimesarticlecalled “TheCreativeApocalypseThatWasn’t,” “Morepeople are choosing tomakeacareerasamusicianorasongwriter than theydid in theglorydaysofTowerRecords,withasmanyasforty-sixpossiblerevenuestreamsavailabletothem.”*

Musicianshavetoimplementapropercontentstrategyonsocialmediaandbuildawarenessoftheirbrandandproduct,sameasanyentrepreneur.Whereisyouraudience?Ifyou’retryingtoreachnewmusiclovers,youneedtogowherethey are. If you’re not on Snapchat, YouTube, Vine, Instagram, andSoundCloud,youbasicallydon’texist to theaverage twenty-five-year-old.Getovertherenow.

Yourpresencewon’tbeenough,however. It’snotsufficient tomakesomeVines,throwyourmusicuponDistroKid,andwaitforthesalestorollin.Youhavetocultivatecommunity.That’swhatthebestmusicstarshavealwaysdone.Madonna, Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, the Grateful Dead, Phish—istheirmusicthatmuchbetterthananyoneelse’s?Yes,toapoint.Butonethingthat is unquestionably true is that these artists beat the odds by going wellbeyondmerelyputtingoutmusicandbuildinganextremelyengagedandloyalcommunity.

Mostmusiciansthinktheirartistheirpriority,butyouraudienceneedstobe,too.Showthemyoucare.Startdoing things for them.Useall theplatformsatyourdisposaltoknockontheirdoorsandsay,“Hey,letmein.”Livestreamingoffersmusicianstodayaspectacularwaytoconnecttofans,andFacebookLive,Meerkat,andPeriscopehavecreatedanewpipelinetheyneedtoexposeanduse.You can play for people live. You can take requests. You can talk about theprocessthatwentintothecreationofasongorpieceofmusic.Youcantestnewmaterial. Imagine the behind-the-scenes access you can offer. Imagine theconnectionsyoucouldmake.You’dhave fans for life!Oncepeople loveyou,

it’seasytosellthemyourstuff.Createmusic,createcontent,createcommunity,andcreaterevenuestreams.

Ifyou’reamusician,that’sthepaththatwillallowyoutosupportyourselfwithyourart.

As a private music teacher I have limited hours to teach.Thoughtsonhowtoincreasemyincomeandbrand?

OfcourseIdo.There are entire industries that have been transformed by tech, allowing

peoplewhoworkonoppositesidesoftheglobetoconnectandcollaborate.Whosaysyourstudentsallhavetobeinyourtimezone?Therearedoctorswhotreatpatients, andaccountantswhoconsultwith clients, viaSkype.Whycouldn’t amusicteacherdothesame?OfferclassesonSkillshare.Takeapagefromonlineeducationandstartmarketingyourselftopeoplewhodon’thaveeasyaccesstogoodmusicinstruction.Findtheneedandfillit.

Anotherstrategywouldbetomonetizethehourswhenyou’renotteaching.Ashardasteacherswork,theyofallpeopleshouldhavethemosttimetocrushitwhenthey’renotintheclassroomorwithstudents.Teachersusuallyfindtheirschedules open up a lot during the summer, so that’s another timewhen youcouldgetalotofinitiativesgoingthatcouldcarryyouthroughouttheyear.Startputting out content—blog posts, videos, podcasts, anything—about music,teaching,culturalevents,andanyothertopicsthatareeventangentiallyrelatedtoyourbusinessandgiveyouachancetoshowwhoyouareandbuildtrust.UseTwitterSearchandengagewithpeoplewholovemusic,orwhohavekidswholovemusic,orwhomightbeinterestedinmusicclasses,oreventoconnectwithotherteachers.OffertutorialsonSpreecastorMeerkat(I’maninvestor),startaYouTube Channel, and take advantage of Google hangouts. The options areendlessforcreativeentrepreneurs.

Does all of that sound like a lot of work? It is. How people react to theprospectofsomuchworkisreallywhatdifferentiatesbetweenthosewhobuildsuccessfulsmallbusinessesand thosewhoeventuallygiveupandgoworkforsomeoneelse.Ifyoulovethework—iftheideaofputtingyourselfoutthereandsharing your love for your art and reachingmore andmore students gets youexcited—thenthere’snoreasonwhyyoucan’tmakethisworkforyou.Ifyou’re

overwhelmedbyitallandjustcan’timaginegivingupGameofThronesorthemanyotheractivitiesthattakeuphoursinourdays,you’rereallynotcutoutforit.Yourtalentiswhatitis,butthelevelatwhichyouincreaseyourincomeandbrand is limitedonlyby the scopeofyour ambition andwillingness tohustle.Nothingmore,nothingless.

I’m a music producer. How can I use social to promote mycontent?

Whenthisquestioncamein,wedecidedtotakealookatthismusicproducer’sTwitteraccount to seewhathewasalreadydoing.Youknowwhatwe found?He’dpostedaremixofaRihannatrackeighttimesintwenty-fourhours.That’sabitmuch.Overwhelming,actually.Youwanttoputoutcontent,ofcourse,butyouwant to put out a variety of content, and youwant to do itwith purpose.Otherwiseyoustarttolookdesperate.

So,theanswertoimprovingyoursocial,whetheryou’reamusicproduceroramustardseller,is,asalways,tolistentoyouraudienceorthetargetaudienceandproducegreatcontent,inthatorder.GetyourbestworkuponSoundCloudandothermusicplatforms, and then start looking foropportunities to listen topeople and thenengagewith them to thedegree that theydecide theywant tocheckyouout.

Someone in the music scene might go old-school by joining some musicmessageboardsandbecominganintegralpartofthatcommunity.IfRihanna’smusic inspires you, you could use Twitter Search to find every single personwhorecentlytweetedabouthermusicandstartjammingwiththem,sharingwhyyou love her work, too, and how it influences yours. Be interested andinterestingandmorethanlikelytheywillcheckyououttolearnmoreaboutyou.Youmightevensetasideafewdaystoconcentrateonthisstrategy.Ifyoudo,consider this tactic: Change the URL on your Twitter profile to that of yourSoundCloudaccountsoitlinksdirectlytothetrackyouwantpeopletohear.Ifpeopleloveit,they’regoingtoshareit.Iftheyshareit,ithasachanceofgainingmoreattentionfrommorepeopleandmaybeevenhavesomethingpop,akagoviral.Getthatviralloopgoingandyoucangetmajorbrandawareness.Allyoureffortsshouldgointocreatinggreatart,makingitaseasilyavailableaspossible,andengagingwiththepeoplewhomightwanttohearit.Ifyou’retrulyskilled,

yourfansandtheirwordofmouthwillstartdoingmuchofthesocialworkforyou.

I’m holding back tears and my heart is heavy because theSeahawkslostandIbet$225.That’slikefourXboxgamesandanArizonaicedtea.I’velistenedtoDrake,theWeeknd,JheneAiko,andevenPartyNextDoor,butthepainistoomuch.HowdoIcope?

I’m an extremely happy guy in general except when the New York Jets dosomething stupid. And then for a few hours I feel like I’m drowning inquicksand.Whenyou’refeelingthislow,dowhatIdo:playaheavyrotationoftwo songs, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony’s “Tha Crossroads” and Taylor Swift’s“Blank Space.” Put them on loop, repeating each about seven times beforeswitchingtothenext.Drownyoursorrows.Thentakethepainandcarefullyputit in a little compartment near your heart, and let that be an engine for therevengeyouwillstrikeagainstyourenemies.

Howwouldyousuggestanindieartistusehisorhermarketingmoneywhenroyaltycheckscomesixmonthslater?

Simple.Bepatient.Youcan’tdoanythingifyoudon’thavemoney,soyouwaitforit,andthenyouexecute.

Comeon,youdidn’treallythinkthatwasallthereistoit?Useyourtimetohustleandmakesomeothermoney!Lookattheroyaltychecksasgravy.Gooutandplayshows,getanotherjob,gogaragesale’n’andflipthestuffyoubuyoneBay.Whateverit takes!If this isyourdream,ifyouwanttobeafamousandrich artist, or even just a working artist, sitting on your ass waiting for yourcheckbeforedoinganymarketingseemsidiotic.

Read the answers to the first two questions in this chapter and you’ll seewhatyouneedtodowhilewaitingforyourmoneytocomein.Youshouldalsogo back to Chapter 2, “Starting Out,” and reread every single question and

answer.Ifanentrepreneurcanfigureouthowtomarketaproductthat’sstillsixmonthsaway froma finishedprototype,youcan figureouthow tomarket themusicthatisprobablyasmuchapartofyouastheairyoubreathe.

CHAPTER20SPORTS

IN THIS CHAPTER I MAKE A PREDICTION ABOUT THEDALTONDEAL,REVEALWHATTEAMI’DBUYIFICAN’TBUY THE JETS, AND EXPLAIN THE PARALLELSBETWEENTENNISANDBUSINESS.

Unlike music, sports are an enormous pillar of my life. It’s my real passionbesidesbusiness,and factors intoallofmyambitionanddetermination tobuytheNewYork Jets. It’s relevant, too, because over the last decade the sportsindustryhasbecomeveryinterestingtoalotofentrepreneurs,andthelandscapearound it, from communications to business, has expanded and is evolvingrapidly.

Thischaptermaynothavethemostteethinit,butifyouwantthisoneman’s360-degree point of view,we gotta go here. I hope you’ll enjoy reading it asmuchasIenjoyedansweringthequestions.

WhatdoyouthinkoftheDaltondeal?

In2014,quarterbackAndyDaltonsignedasix-year,$115millioncontractwiththeCincinnatiBengals.Andeven thoughhecrapped thebed in theplayoffs, Ithought it was a good deal. Quarterbacks are tough to come by, especiallyredheadedquarterbacks.TheNewYorkJetshaven’thadatop15quarterbackin

25ofthelast27years,andIwouldripmyarmoffforAndy.IhaveafeelinghewillhavethatplayoffrunthatalltheBengalsfansarelookingfor.We’llseewhowasright.

With the NFL in London this week, what do you think aboutsportsfranchisesmovingtoothercitiesorcountries?

Thisquestionwasposed thedayafter theJets lost theirgame,andmyanswerreflectedmymood.AtthetimeIsaidthatsomesportsfranchisesshouldmovetofarawayplaces, like as far awayaspossible.Now that a little timehaspassedandI’mlessdisappointed,Istill thinkit’s interestingtothinkaboutaworldinwhichteamsplayinothercountries.Iamalsosuper-curioustofindoutwhatcityin theUnited States will be next to get its first professional team (OklahomaCity?)andinwhichsport.

If theJetsnevercomeupforsale inyour lifetime,andanotherNFLteamdoes,wouldyoubuythatteaminstead?

Idon’twanttoanswerthisquestion.I’vegonebackandforthwiththis.IntheendIthinkIwouldfocusontheKnicks,andafterthatarandomotherbasketballteam.Ijustcan’tseemyselfowninganotherfootballteam.

Doyouseeparallelsbetweentennisandbusiness?

I’mnotasgoodat tennisas Iwish Iwere,but I enjoy it a lot.Thebest thingabout it is that because thematches aremade up ofmultiple games and sets,evenwhenyou’redown,you’renotnecessarilyout,becauseyou’vegottimetowatchyouropponentandgaugehisorherweaknessesandstrengths.Onceyoufigure it out, you can come roaring back. I’ve done it. Nate Scherotter, myformerassistantandtheCEOofmylastbook,hasneverbeatenmeinagameoftennis,eventhoughtwicehehashadmedown5-2.HowdidIwin?Ireactedto

what was happening, took a step back to observe, made the necessaryadjustment, and started targetinghisweaknesses. I evaluatedNateexactlyas IwouldifIfeltthreatenedbyacompetitorinbusiness.

It’slikeMikeTysonsaid:“Everybody’sgotaplanuntiltheygetpunchedintheface.”Youcanstrategizeandplanaheadallyoulike,butonceyou’reonthecourt, or in the ring, or on the field, you’d better be ready to adjust andimprovise. The same goes for business. You created a plan, you set a pathtoward success, and then suddenly someone copies your product for less.Someoneisbetterthanyou.Nobodywantedyourstupidapp.Timetoadjustordie.

Entrepreneurs need to have the emotional composure and the intestinalfortitude tomake real-time adjustments and come back from the brink. Thosequalitiesdon’thurtinagameoftennis,either.

CHAPTER21WINE

IN THIS CHAPTER I TALK ABOUT HOW TECH BRINGSNEW VOICES INTO OLD INDUSTRIES, I MAKE SOMEWINERECOMMENDATIONS,ANDITELLYOUWHATTODRINKWITHKIMCHI.

Youdidn’tthinkIcouldwritethiswholebookandnotmentionwine,didyou?In this one man’s point of view, what has happened to wine in the last halfdecade since I stoppedbeingas intimately involvedwith it isnothing shortoftransformative.Somanyfunthingshavehappened.Winehasgrowntobecomeastandard inAmerican culture.Rosé has finally established itself in theUnitedStates.Thatmakesmesmilequiteabit.Peoplearetryinglotsofdifferentwines.Thatmakesmesmile,too.Butthethingthatreallymakesmesmileishowmanynewvoiceshaveemerged.IhaveenormousrespectforRobertParkerandWineSpectator, the two powerful voices that dominated the industry long before Ienteredthefieldandthroughoutmyearlywinecareer.Theyweremonumentalandservedarealpurposefortheirtime.Yetwhatagreatevolutiontoseehowmanynewvoiceshavebeenable to emergebecauseof socialmedia and tech.New apps where people can leave reviews, blogs, hundreds of thousands ofpieces of content put out by bright new personalities in thewine community,especiallyonInstagram,Twitter,Facebook,andPinterest.It’sbeeninspiringandexciting tobe able to learn from somanydifferent perspectives in addition toincredible thought leaders like Jancis Robinson, Wine Spectator, and manyothers.Asinallothersectorsthatprovokepassioninsomany,we’relivingina

timewherewehaveaccesstobetterdebatesandmoreoriginalstories,whichIthinkallowsconsumerstoenjoyaricherexplorationofabeverageandculturaltouchstone that’s been around since the beginning of time andwill be aroundwhenmostofusaregone.

Whatwine bar or restaurant would you recommend to a first-timevisitortoNewYorkCity?

Any establishment that has been smart enough to get onmy reservations app,Resy. (JK.)GothamBar andGrill,Rosemary’s,MinettaTavern, Toro, Estela,Scarpetta, Carbone,Marea, CharlieBird, andBalthazar, among others, are allgreatchoices.I’malsoahugefanofawinebarcalledTerroir.

Tea,coffee,orwine?

Theanswerthesedaysiswater,butinmyheartit’swine,thentea,thencoffee.Androotbeer,too.

Whatwinegoeswithkimchi?

We Eastern European immigrants are big on pickled foods, too. High-acidwhiteswouldbegood,oroily thickerwhites.SoI’drecommendaFalanghina,which is a white wine from Italy, or from the United States a Santa BarbaraRoussanneorViognier.ThereisalsoawineweproducedexclusivelyforWineLibrarycalledTheNeighbor2013SauvignonBlanc,whichissuper-creamyforaSauvBlanc,andifit’sstillaroundbythetimethisbookcomesoutyoushouldfinditandtryit!

OnFridayswedrinkwine.What’sagooddrinking-home-alone-bottle-to-yourselfwine?

I’mabigwhitewinefanandI’mobsessedwithItalianwhites,non–PinotGrigio.LookforthingslikeFiano,Soave,GrecodeTufo,andotherwhitevarietalsfromItaly that a lotofpeopledon’tknowaboutanddon’t recognize thequalityof.For8–22bucksyoucangetanenormousarrayof tremendoushigh-acidwinesthatstillgogreatwithcheeseifyougethungry.Somesuggestions:

2012 Bertolani Spergalino Secco Colli Di Scandiano Di CanossaFrizzante

2013GirotondoChardonnayDelleVenezi2012MesaGiuncoVermentino2014CostaAlessandroRoeroArneis

Whensomeonegivesyouahorribleglassofwine,howdoyoupolitelygetridofit?

Imadeabigefforttobetheanti-snobofthewineworldandmymomraisedmerightsoit’snaturalformetobepolite.Iguessmywayofpolitelysayingyourstuffiscrapwouldbetosuggestthatifyoulikethis(swill)youmightconsidertrying thisotherwine (that isnot swill).Sometimespeopledon’tknowwhat’sgoodbecausetheyhaven’tbeenexposedtoanythingbetter.

Actually,Iliketryingtheoccasionalglassofbadwinebecauseitmakesmeappreciate thegoodstuffsomuchmore.Andthesamecouldbesaidfor timeswhen I’m asked to judge someone’s content or social media presence on#AskGaryVee.Often it’scrap,andyet it’smyjob topointouthowitcouldbebetterwithouttearinganentrepreneurormarketerdownsoviciously,heorsheneverwantstotryagain.AndseeingthecrapmakesmeappreciateitthatmuchmorewhenIseeothersexecuting theirsocialmediastrategyandcontentwell.Becauseproducingquality,whetherwineorwebinars,takesmajorcommitmentandeffort.AndIrespectthat.

Isthehigh-endwinebusinessacompletehoax?

Wine isasmuchofahoaxasart,high-end restaurants, stockprices,ormovie

stars.Aremoviestarsreallyworthallthosemillions?Well,doeseveryonehavetheirtalent?Probablynot.Andwhentheydrawaudiencestothemovietheater,they’re supporting an entire creative industry that puts thousands of people towork.AmIworththemoneyIgetpaidtodospeakingengagements?Iusedtowonder, but now I know the answer is yes, becausemy time and expertise isvaluable.Ifpeopledidn’tgetanythingoutofmytalksnoonewouldbewillingtopaymyfee.Butpeopledobecausefromtheirperspective,I’mworthit.Thesame goes for wine. I wouldn’t expect someone who is satisfied with a $10bottle of Cupcake to believe a Château Latour is worth the $800 or even thethousands of dollars it goes for in the right vintage. But for someone whoappreciateswhatgoesintothecreationofaspectacularvintage,oreventhestorybehindit,andwillsavorit,thatmoneymightbewellspent.

Therealityisthatsolongasyouhaven’texperiencedthedifferencebetweensomething high end and low end, it’s hard to seewhat the big deal is.But inmostcases,allittakesisonerideinfirstclass,oronegameinthefrontrowofastadium,oronesipofaChâteauneuf-du-Pape,andyou’llwonderhowyoueverdoubteditsvalue.

What’syourfavoritecityintheworldtodrinkwine?

Wherever my friends and family are. I’d be just as happy drinking wine inNewarkas inanAustinhotel lobby,or theparking lotoutsideaJetsgame,orinsideacaveinaTuscanwinery.Myhappinessisalwaysaboutthewho,notthewhere.

How do you tell the difference between all the wines in thestore?

Buyingwinebasedonalabelcrushesmysoul,asdoesbuyingbasedontheshelftalkers (althoughWineLibraryputs themupbecause theysellwine).Thebestway tobuywine is to formarelationshipwithyour localwinesellerandhelpthemgettoknowyourpalate.Ifyoucan’tdothat,tryadifferentvarietaleverytimeand seewhatyou likebest.Whenyouhaven’t tried somethingyoucan’t

judge it.Onceyouhave,you formanopinionandyoucanstartmakingbetterdecisions.

CHAPTER22THE PERSONAL, THE RANDOM, ANDTHEWEIRD

IN THIS CHAPTER I TALK ABOUTMY SPIRIT ANIMAL,MY FAVORITE ROOT BEERS, MY BIGGEST FEAR, ANDWHOSHOULDPLAYMEINMYBIOPIC.

The#AskGaryVeeShowissupposedtooffera360-degreeperspectiveofhowIwork, live,and think. Ialready livemy lifeout in theopen,so I’moftenabitsurprisedthattherearestillthingspeopledon’tknowaboutmeandarecuriousenoughtoaskabout.Buttherearequiteafew,asitturnsout.Whichisgoodandmakes sense because of course there are many topics you should be payingattentionto.Andamidalltheconventionalquestionsaboutrunningcompanies,investing, branding, marketing, and general business development, there areoccasionally some, um, unusual inquiries. We like to respect every type ofquestion,whichishowsomeoftheseoddballsmadeitontotheshow.I’malsoflattered that some peoplewantmy opinion on these random topics. I alwaysfind it interesting to hearwhat’s onpeople’sminds. I hopeyou enjoy readingthisfuncollectionasmuchasweenjoyedputtingittogether.

Legendhasitthatonyourfirstdatewithyourwifeyoutoldheryouwouldmarryher.Wewant toknowthedetails.Andalso,whatdatingadvicedoyouhaveforwomenintheirtwenties?

Lizzie and I are married because the Jets won on the Sunday night we weresupposedtogooutforthefirsttime.Iftheyhadlost,Iwouldhavecanceled.Buttheydidn’t,andsoIdroveintoNewYorkCityforwhatturnedouttobeathree-hour date at an awesome spot in Washington Square Park. She lived on theUpperEastSide,andIlivedinNewJersey.AfterdinnerIdroppedheroff,andtwominutesafterwardIcalledheronhercell.Shewasn’teveninherapartmentyet.And I said, “Canyoubelieve this is it?”We talkedduringmy forty-five-minute ridehome, and thenuntil about four in themorning.Weweremarriedwithintheyearofourfirstdate.

Andnowwehaveadaughter,andithascompletelychangedme.Imeetsomanystrong,smartwomenthroughmywork,anditblowsmymindthatonedaymy daughter will be one of them.What dating advice would I give a youngwomancomingupintheworld?ThesameadviceI’dgiveaman:Thinkaboutyourlegacy.Liveontheoffense.Don’tbeafraidtoshowyourfeelingsandgoforwhatyouwant,whether it’sa jobora relationship. It’spossibleyou’llgetrejected,butit’smorelikelyyouwon’t.Bettertoexperiencethebrief,temporarypainofrejectionthantoliveforeverwithsadregretforallthethingsyouweretooscaredtodo.

Does it bother yourwife that you constantly spinyour ringontheshow?

Allmystraitlacedfriendswhodon’t travelareontheir thirdrings.Me,Idon’tlose anything. I’m dramatically less careless than you might think. I can bechaosandpracticalatthesametime.Lizzieiswaytoobigpicturetoworryaboutsillythingslikethat.Idon’tthinkshemindsmespinningitontheshow.

Howdo I get the cute old ladywhokeeps accidentally callingmyhousetostop?Ijustwanttonap...

Youcalledher“cute,”whichmeansat some levelyou likegetting thesecalls.Flipthescriptandgoontheoffense.Thenexttimeshecalls,trytoengageinatwenty-five-minute conversation with her and form a relationship with her.

Bringingherdeepintoyourheartmaybringvaluetoyoursoul.Whoknows,itmayleadtosomethingmeaningfulforbothofyou.Relationshipsareeverything.AndIthinkeveryonereadingthiscantellthatIfeaturedthisquestionbecauseIalmostalwaysbelievethat thingsyoudoinlifecanbeappliedtobusinessandviceversa.

Whyisyourphonealwaysintheshot?

Becausemyphoneisanextensionofme,justlikeit’sprobablyanextensionofjustabouteveryhumanbeingwhoownsone.Fewpeoplearemorethananarm’slength away from their phone, even when they’re showering and sleeping.Eventually we will embed our phones into our bodies. Yes, we will be likerobots. I have it near me because I need it to be a human. Think about thatstatement!

CakeorPie?

Idon’teatthemmuchanymore,butIamobsessedwithblueberryandapplepie.

Centeroredge?

Edge.

Whatisyourfavoritepairofsneakersofalltime?

Handsdownthe1985PatrickEwingAdidas.I’mahugeKnicksfan.TheonesIhatedthemost?EverysinglepairofAirJordans.IhateMichaelJordan.Everyoneofusshould!

Whatisyourfavoriteholidaytradition?

Going to my parents’ house in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, forThanksgiving. Birthdays used to be sacred in our family, but then my dadscrewedthatupafewyearsagobytakingmymomtoItalyandnowwedon’tshareallof themtogether(yes, that’safunzingatmydad).SonowwemakesurethewholefamilygettogetheratMom’sonThanksgiving.We’veallgottobethereforthefootballgames.AJandIareusuallydoingsomethingcrazy,mysister’skidsarethere,extendedfamily...it’sthebest.

Myhusbandisa“big-picture”kindofguy,butsoishiswishlist.AnyadviceonChristmasshoppingforthistype?

Make something that is one-of-a-kind, something that is not scalable. I knowexactlywhat Iwant: one-of-a-kind experiences.Here’s the greatest giftLizziecould ever get me: She could interview every person I ever met, or come toVaynerMediaandrecordeveryonetellingmeI’mthegreatest.It’seasytospendmoney;peoplewillappreciatethetime,effort,heart,andsoulyouputintoagiftfarmore.

Ifyoucouldcloneyourself,wouldyou?

Easy as they come. I would, 100 percent. I wish this tech existed because Iwouldsendtheclonedversiontospendeverywakingmomentwithmyfamily.No, wait, I meant at work? Uh-oh, is that Freudian? Maybe I do love mybusinessmorethanmyfamily?Notpossible.I’dlovetotaketheequalversionofmeandaccomplishthetwothingsIlovemostattheonetime.Man,IhopeIseethistechnologybeforeIgo.

Doyouwish you had donemore or focusedmore on just one

thingwhenyouwereinyourmid-twenties?

Ididfocusonjustonething,anditwasWineLibrary.IwishI’dgoneoutandhadmorefun,hookedupwithsomegirls.It’sactuallyunfortunatehowfocusedIwasonthehustleandbuildingmycareerwhenIwasstillsoyoung.I’mpumpedaboutmylifeandI’mhappy,andIwouldneverchangeasinglething,but it’shuman to look back and see in retrospect how you could have done thingsdifferently. But I made choices that served me well. I learned the skills,discipline,andfocusthatallowmetorunacompanywhilejugglingawholelotofotherfantasticthingsatthesametime.

What’sthehardestthingyou’vehadtodealwithinthepastfiveyearsandhowdidyougetthroughit?

Handsdown,itwasleavingtheroutineandday-to-dayoperationsofworkinginthefamilybusinessandeasingoffWLTVandDailyGrape.Ijustdidn’trealizewhatanemotionalexperienceitwouldbetotransitionintoanewchapterofmylifethatalsoprofoundlychangedthedynamicsbetweenmyfatherandme.IgotthroughitthewayIgetthrougheverything:Ikeptcommunicatingwitheveryoneinvolvedoraffected.

Are you ever scared before you do something big, evensomethingnotbusinessrelated?

TheonlythingI’mreallyscaredofisreadinginpublic.Iamanatrociousreader.It’s evenaffectedhow I runmybusiness. In2015 I startedcreatingonly5–7-minutemeetingswithmuch ofmy staff because I don’t read fast enough andthereforewasn’treadingtheiremailsinfullaheadoftime.

Even reading tomydaughter,Misha, ishard. If Iwere asked to concoct afabulous story off the top of my head, I’d be goodwith that. ButGoodnightMoon?Oh,God.AndtheHaggadahatPassover?I’manervouswreck.

OneofthereasonsIdidn’taccepttheofferstodoTVshowsisIdidn’twant

tohavetoreadofftheteleprompter.AndevenwhenIdidmywineWebradioshowonSiriusforninemonths,myfirstcommercialreadwasadisaster.Itwasprobably theworst thing I ever did publicly. Then SamBenrubi savedme bycomingintotheboothandsaying,“DowhatHowardSterndoes.Hecan’tread,either. Just read it toyourselfanddoyour thing.”SoI read it throughonce tomyself,figuredoutwhatStellaArtois(nowaVaynerMediaclient)neededtobedelivered with that ad, and then I did an incredible read. Truly, the secondreadingwasinsane.

I’mscaredofsnakes,alittleofheights,andultimatelyofdying.Butreadinginpublic?Pleasedon’tevermakemedoit.

What’syourspiritanimal?

IoriginallyansweredthatitwasRamManfromHe-Man.ButnowthatIthinkaboutit,youknowwhoitreallyis?Mywife,Lizzie.She’sthebest.

Areyouthepersonbehindthe#TomShadybillboard?

IwishIcouldtakecredit.Itwasn’tme.

Ifyoucouldhaveabionicbodypart,whichbodypartwoulditbeandwhatpowerswouldithave?

IwascohostingtheshowwithCaseyNeistatwhenthisquestioncamein,andI’llbetCasey’sanswercameasasurprisetoalotofviewers:

“Idohaveone.Myrightlegfromthekneetothehipismadeoftitanium.Iwas twenty-six years old, lying in the hospitalwithmy leg broken in twenty-sevenplaces,when thedoctorsaid, ‘You’llnever runagain.Youcancatchupwithataxicab,butthat’sit.’PriortogettingmybioniclimbIwasn’tmuchofanathlete or a runner, but since getting my metal leg I’ve run twenty-twomarathons,fourIronmanTriathlons,andcountlessotherraces.”

Asforme, Iwouldgowithears. I’mnot joking.Oneof the thingsIenjoyandthinkIdowellispayattentiontomorethanoneconversation.I’moftenatadinnertableorataconference,andI’llbefullyimmersedinaconversationbutstillabletolistentotwoorthreeothersideconversations.OftenwhenItalktoagroupoffortyorfiftyI’llhearsomeonewhisperingtoafriendorcolleagueandthen incorporate what they said into my talk while looking at the person. Itusuallyfreaksthemout.Idon’tthinkpeoplelistenenough.

What’syourfavoriteairport?LGA?JFK?SFO?

Smallones,likeinDesMoines;Greenville,SouthCarolina;Montana;Arkansas;Chattanooga,Tennessee;theVermontairport...theoneswhereyoucanrollupand be at your gate in fourminuteswithout precheck. I know the big ones—LGA,LAX,JFK,SFO/L,Newark—betterthanIknowmyownoffice.They’vebecomemyhome.Thepeopletherearemyfriends.ThecozinessthatIfeelatanairportisdisturbing.Super-disturbing!

Would you ever automate your position, delegate to as manypeopleasittakes,andfullyengageinyourfamilyandlife?

Absolutelynot.OfcourseIlovebeingwithmyfamily,butIwouldsuffocateifIcouldn’tworktocreatethethingsIwanttocreate.Iwanttobuildcompaniesandcommerceandbeasalesmanandputoutcontent. I lovetheprocess, thegrindandtheclimb.Ilovewhatit’sgoingtotaketogettothepointthatIcanbuytheJets more than I’m going to love actually buying them. Most youngentrepreneurswantstuff—thewatches,thecars,theplanes,andthebling.Ijustwantthepain,thegratitude,andthehappinessthatcomewiththework.

Doyouworkonyourbirthday?

IhatemybirthdaybecauseIhategettingolderwithapassion.I’veworkedon

everybirthdayofmyentire life, includingwhen Iwas a teenager andmydadwould dragmy ass to the store on theweekends. I’ve given speeches onmybirthday.I’veattendedconferencesonmybirthday.I’m100percentallineverydayoftheyear.Youwanttodowhatyouloveonyourbirthday,andIdo.

Whatfood(s)haveyouaddedtoyournewlifestylethatyouareenjoyingthemost?

Therearenonewfoods.My trainerMikeandIwent to thesupermarketandItoldhimwhatIlikedthatwasconceivablyhealthy,likemangoesandshellfish.Luckily for me I like pretty much everything, so this new regimen has notincludedanyadditions.It’sbeenallaboutsubtractions.

Whydon’tyouwatchyourownvideos?Egoortime?

Time.IknowwhatIdid.

Whatvaluedoyoufindinknowingaforeignlanguage?

MyRussian is English-accented. I failedGerman twice and the only reason IgraduatedfromhighschoolisthatmySpanishteacher,SeñoraKennedy,wasthegreatestofalltime.YouneedtopasstwoyearsoflanguageinNewJersey,andsinceIhadalreadyfailedoutofGerman,Ineededamiracle topassSpanish1and2.GodwasgoodtomeandgavemeateacherwhohadahardreputationbutclearlywassmartasshitbecauseshecouldseewhoIwas.Shecalledmymomandsaid,“I’mgivinghima‘C’forcharisma,buthedoesn’tevenknowhowtosayhello.”SheknewIhad“it.”Bigshout-outtoSeñoraKennedy!

I think the business value of learning foreign languages is going down. Ithink tech is coming where we’ll be walking around with earpieces or someothertechthatwilltranslatetouswhilewe’retraveling.Fornow,ourphonesdoit.

What’s your travel schedule like to and from the office? Car,train,Uber,walk?Howdoyouspendthattime?

IliveontheUpperEastSideinNewYorkCityandworkonTwenty-FourthandPark, somy commute is a straight shoot in themorning. I travel a lot to JFKairport so I’malwaysbuckledup in thebackof anUber, a black car, or taxi.DuringmycommuteIcallmymomandIcallBrandonatWineLibrarytocatchup on the day and strategize (I talk tomy dad and sistermore spontaneouslyduring the day). I checkmy email and Twitter and look through Instagram. Icheckuponmyfantasybaseballteam(whereasofthiswritingIamstillintherunning).IcheckNuzzelfornews.IcheckforNFLnewswhentheJetsareinit.Everymorning,that’swhatI’mdoing.

StarWarsorStarTrek?

Idon’tlikeStarTrekatallandStarWarsistheonlysci-fithingIlike.In1981my parents bought me two Star Wars figures for my sixth birthday, and Irememberbeingblownawaybecausewewerestillpoor,andIwasstunnedtheywoulddo that forme.StarWarswasabigpartofmyculture. Iwasachaotickid, and I’d losemy light sabers right away. In 1983 Iwas super-pumped forReturnoftheJedi.Iwasthereatmidnightin1999forJarJarBinksandIwasn’tmadathim.IwillbethereonChristmasDay2015toseethenewone.

What’sthefastestwaysomeonecanpissyouoff?

DespitemyintensityI’maloveandZenkindofguy,soittakesalottopissmeoff.Hypocrisy,cynicism,complaining . . .Man, ifyoucomplainaboutstuff itdrivesmeupthewall.

What’sthemostsignificantthingyougetoutofyourshow?

Ivideobloggedeverydayforfiveandahalfyears,anditfeelsreallynicetobeback in the game. It’s fun forme.But by far one of the best parts about thisventure is that it hasdrawn together a little familyof characterswhoare eachbecominganintegralpartoftheshow,muchthewaymycameramanMottwasbackinthedaysofWineLibraryTV. India,Stunwin,Staphon,Zak,DRock—Isoappreciatethattheycareenoughtohelpmecreatetheshoooooooow!

WhatshouldIgetmymomforMother’sDay?

YournewstrategyneedstoberecognizingthatthemothersareonPinterest.Sogo there and seewhat she’s pinning, andbuy it. Poke aroundher other socialmediasiteslikeFacebook.If thatdoesn’twork,callyourmom’sbestfriendoryouraunt,becausetheywillalwaysknow.That’sthekindofeffortyouneedtoputintobuyinggiftsforthepeopleyoulove.

You’ve repeatedly mentioned your love of root beer over theyears.Why root beer specifically, and any we should give awhirl?

IgrewupdrinkingCokeandrootbeerandlovingit.Incredibly,I’mabouttohitaone-yearmarkofnosodathankstotheeffortsofmytrainerMike.Butifyouare looking to try something wonderful, HenryWeinhard’s is incredible rootbeer. I’m also a big fan ofHosmerMountain in Connecticut; Pirate’sKeg inRochester,NewYork;andThomasKemper.Virgil’sisanentry-levelrootbeerandofteneasiertofindthantheothers.

Doyoueverhavedreamsatnightaboutyourbusiness?

Allthetime.IgotosleepandtellmyselftodreamaboutJetsSuperBowlsandinstead find myself in a meeting. Not that you can remember many of yourdreams.Weactuallylookeditupandpeopledreamfourtosixtimespernight,

butwerememberhardlyanyofthem.

What’sthebestthingthat’shappenedtoyouthisweek?

Igotthisquestioninthesummertime,soIhadspentthatweekendwatchingmykidsplayoutsideatahousemywifeandIhadrentedfortheseason.SoifyouconsiderSundaythebeginningoftheweek,itwasspendingtimewithmykids.It felt different. I saw a preview to the next four or five yearswith them thatreallyexcitedme.

What environment is best for you to have successful businessmeetingsin?Conferenceroom,restaurant,in-flight?

Anywhere possible at all times. Iwill sell and “biz dev” andmake the actionhappeninthebathroom,onthetoilet,outside,atthegame,anywhere.Afuneralparlor.Itdoesn’tmatter.I’mcomfortableinallenvironments.

Doyoubelieveinaliens?

Ido. Ieven think there’sanotherGaryVee inadifferentgalaxy. I justwant toknowifhe’scrushingitoraloser.

If you could go back to your twenties, would you prioritizehealth, or was neglecting it necessary to get where you aretoday?

IknowIalwayssayIdon’tregretathingaboutthewayI’velivedmylife,butIguessIlied,becauseIdowishIhadprioritizedmyhealthmore.Ishouldhavesleptonehour less, playedonehour lessofSettlersofCatanwithmybrother

and brother-in-law, Justin, worked one less hour, done less of a whole lot ofthings so that I could make room for that one hour per day to prioritize myhealth.SoifIcouldgobackandstartworkingoutandeatingthewayIamnow,Iwould.

Whatdoyousplurgeon?

Experiences.LeBron’sfirstgamebackinClevelandagainsttheKnicksbecauseAJisahugefananditwillbesomethingwecanattendandremembertogetherwhenwe’re older.Vacationswithmy family. Paying formy friends to go ontripswhentheycouldn’taffordit.IsplurgeonspendingtimewithpeopleIcareabout.

Backin theold-schooldaysofhip-hop,wereyouEastorWestCoast?

Biggie changed my music life so I was East Coast. But here’s a curveball:During that era I was a bit more Cleveland. I was all in on Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.Takemetothecrossroadseverytime,East99iswhereyou’llfindme.

If itweren’tfor theFourteenthAmendment,wouldyourunforpresident?

This question exposes a dark, selfish part of me. The single reason I don’talreadyhaveaneyeonpoliticsisthatthepresidencyisoutofmyreach.IamnotwillingtoplayagameinwhichIcan’tbetheultimatewinner.Iftheamendmentchanges,I’dgoforit.IpridemyselfonthefactthatIeatpressureforbreakfast.Andifyoulookatpresidents’hairlines,youseetheyagefastintheoffice.I’malreadylosingmyhair,sowe’regoodthere.

My bro has been dating a girl for two years and refuses toacknowledgetheirrelationshiponsocialmedia.Redflag?

Yourbrother is indeep shit.Any relationship that is twoyearsold andhasn’tbeenacknowledgedonasocialplatformisscandalous.Period!

Didyouhaveanybucket-listitemsthatyouwantedtocompletebeforeyouturnedforty?

Idon’thaveabucketlist.Idon’twanttoclimbanygoddamnmountainorjumpoutofaplaneormeet

aspecificpersonorhitsomerandomgoal.I’mjustnotthatdude.Ireallyonlyhavetwogoalsinlife,andguesswhat?I’vealreadycompletedbothofthem.SoIguessyoucouldsayIhadabucketlist,butIalreadyfinishedit.AndbeforeIturnedforty,too.Notbad.

Now some of youmight be thinking,What about your goal of buying theNewYorkJets?

I’veneverbeenmotivatedbytheendresultofa long-terminvestment.I’mallabouttheclimb,andthebattlethatcomeswithit.

Ilivemyothermajorgoaleveryday.It’satthecoreofeverybusinessI’veever created, and is what gets me out of bed every morning: I gain leveragedaily.

Guesswhoyoumeetonaclimb?People.Manyon thesame routeasyou.Find those who fascinate you, who challenge you, and who help you lookforwardtogettingstartedeveryday.Treatthemwell,providethemwithvalue,showthemwhyyou’reworthkeepingaround,andyou’llgettremendousreturn.I find the individuals I think Ican jamwith for thenext fifteen, twenty, thirtyyears professionally, and I bring them into my circle to make them the nextgenerationofoperators.

I don’t believe in bucket lists. If there’s something you want to do oraccomplish,don’tputitoffuntilyou’realmostdead.Godoitnow!

Inthefirstthirtysecondsofsomeonemeetingyou,whatdoyourevealaboutyourself?

That I’m different. But I don’t reveal it with words. I don’t have to talk(althoughI’lladmitit’srareformetostaysilentforverylong)becauseI’msofilledwith energy. Forget thirty seconds: I can set the tone of a conversationwithinthirteenseconds.NoonemeetsmewithoutfiguringoutveryquicklythatI’mnotyouraveragedude.

Whatactorwouldyouwant toplayyou inamovieaboutyourlife?

Thepersonwho’sgoingtoplaymeinamoviemaynothaveevenbeenbornyetbecauseI’maslowgrinderand99percentoftheworldstillhasnoideawhoIam. In twenty-five or thirty-five years, when amovie aboutmy life does getmade,I’dliketobeportrayedbywhoeveristhemostattractiveactorofthatera.

Doyouwatchyourownvideos?

IhaveneverwatchedawholeepisodeofThe#AskGaryVeeShoworanyofthethousandsofepisodesofWLTV.Iknowwhat’sonit—I’mlivingit.

Whathistoricalfigurewouldyouhavelunchwithifyoucould,andwhy?

Nobody. I know that’s an awful answer. It’s insane how little Iwant tomeetfamouspeople.Whichdoesn’tmeanIdon’tfindpeoplefascinating.Ido.LikeWinston Churchill; wrestler “Macho Man” Randy Savage; Pete Rozelle, theformerNFLcommissioner.(Hey,Ireadhisbook!ThatprobablybringsthetotalnumberofbooksI’vereaduptonine!SeeChapter3.)WaltDisney.Butthetruth

is,ifitwerethemonthofAugustandyoutoldmeIcouldhavedinnerwithanyhistoricalfigureorIcouldwatchtheJets’firstpreseasongame,I’dratherwatchthepreseasongame.MaybeI’mbroken.Maybeit’sego.Ormaybewhengiventhe choice, I’d rather spend my time bringing value to the people who payattentiontomeinsteadofpayingattentiontootherpeople.ForsureIwouldpassoneveryhistoricalfigurejusttohavedinnerwiththethreegrandparentsInevergottoknow.

Whatwasyourfirstormostembarrassingscreenname?

OneofmyAOLchatnameswasGeeNutz.

Would you rather have a pet dragon or be able to turn into adragon?

I’dturnintoadragoncalledRevisIsland.

I’mcurioustoknowhowyoufeelaboutthewayyou’vetouchedandinspiredpeopleovertheyears.

Ithinkalotofpeoplethinktheyknowmewellbecausewe’vebeeninteractingfor so many years. I’m probably a little more real, even tangible, than otheronline personalities because the engagement is so important to me. And yet,somepeopleprobablystill seemyintensityandhearaboutmycommitment tobuying the New York Jets and figure that money means more to me thananything.But itdoesn’t.Moneymeansmuch less tome than thefact that I’vebeen blessedwith a communication style that allowsme to talk aboutwhat IbelieveinmysoulwithsuchconvictionIcanactuallyhelppeopleimprovetheirlives.ItblowsmymindtothinkabouthowmanypeoplehavebeenaffectedbyCrushItandsomeofmyotherbooksandvideos,eveninsmallways.SoIfeelthankful,andIfeelthatI’vegotreasontobeproudifthisisthelegacyIgetto

leavebehind.

Whenhaveyoubeenhappiestinlife?

Rightthissecond.Andit’strueregardlessofwhenyouarereadingthis.It’sthetruth.ItwasthetruthwhenIansweredthisquestionbackonepisode

37,too.BecauseI’macollectorofgoodpeopleandgoodmoments.Thebirthofchildren.TheJetsbeatingthePatriotsintheplayoffs.Gettingstandingovationsat important business conferences. I’m all about momentum and clout. Everydaythatgoesbyinwhichgoodthingskeephappening,andthereisnosicknessorsadnessinmyfamily,feelslikethenextbigday.AllIhavetodoisjustkeepbuildingoneachday,oneafterthenext.

Youknow,earlierIlistedmybiggestfears,butIforgottomentionthisone:I’mafraidthateventuallytheclimbwillbeoverandIwillbecomebitterwhenIrealizeallthethingsIwasn’tabletocapitalize,allthemomentsImissed.That’swhy I pray that I’ll never actually reach the other side, and that my life canalwaysbeabouttheclimb.IhopeIfeelthatwayupuntilItakemylastbreath.

So,yes,thismomentisthehappiestinmylifebecausewitheveryencounter,every adventure, every experience, ultimately everything always getscollectively better. That is, it doeswhen you choose to focus on the positive,whichIdefinitelydo.Youshouldtryit.

QUESTIONOFTHEDAY

Ihaveatonofstrengths.What’sthebestwaytodrilldownonthebesttomoveforwardatafasterpace?

Shutthefuckup,picktheoneyoulikebest,andstartwinning.

A FEW WORDS FROM THE REST OFTHECAST

YOUSEESTEVEUNWINANDINDIAKIESERINFRONTOFTHECAMERAALMOSTDAILY, SOWE THOUGHTWE’DASK A FEWOF THE CASTMEMBERSWHO DON’T GETMUCH SCREEN TIME TO OFFER US THEIR THOUGHTSABOUT THEIR FAVORITE MOMENTS OR CLAIMS TOFAMEONTHESHOW.

StaphonLawrence—Video@staphonlawrence

Episode45wasmyfirsttimesittinginontheshowandactuallymeetingGary.Theprop for this episodewas a jar full of almonds.Garydecided that for hisquestionoftheday,hewantedpeopletoguesshowmanyalmondswereinthejar.Ofcoursebeingthenewguy,IwastheonewhowouldhavetocountthemandIspentmyfirstofficialday,outsideoforientation,countingalmonds.Goodtimes.

DavidRock—Video@DavidRockNYC

Don’teditthis,DRock!I’msureifyou’vewatched/listenedtotheshowyou’ve

heardGaryshoutthistome.WorkingforGaryhasdefinitelybeenachangeofpace,butinprobablythemostvaluablewaypossible.I’velearnedthatspeedissuper-valuable and quality is subjective to that. Gary values authenticity overeverything,andit’snotoftenthatyoufindsomeoneasscrappyandfastasGary;he’ssuper-entertaining.EversincedayoneI’velovedtheenergythathebringstothecamera.Itmakesmyjobthatmuchmoreenjoyable.

Oneofmyfavorite“editing”momentswasthebirthoftheShareMonsterinepisode129.“Share!DROCKdosomethingthere,like,actuallyyouknowwhat,Iwantyoutocreatesomethingrightnow,editthisandwe’llusethisallthetimeShaaare-Monsterrr!, and when you edit it, use fire and crazy stuff Shaaare-Monsterrr!”

WhenwewerestartingIwouldalwaysgetfrustratedwiththe“badaudio,”especially in episode5, andGarywould remindme that it’sokayandwe justneed to learn how to get faster, so since then I’ve strived for a quickerturnaround time while still making slight improvements to the quality of theshow(we’vegottengreataudionow,whew!).

If youwant to go and create your own videos, Iwant you to stop gettingcaughtuponwhatcameratobuy,andwhatmichastheBESTsound.Youdon’tneedtheBESTtostart.GrabyouriPhone,holditatarm’slength,andstart,andwhateveryoudo—providevalue.ThisisNo.1.

Wannaseesomethingreallycool?Checkoutepisode1ofWineLibraryTV,thenskipahead toepisode598.SeehowGary’spersonalityshiftedfromquietandreservedtooutgoingandabsolutelyentertaining?Hefoundhisvoice.Nowforamorerecentexample,checkoutepisode1of#AskGaryVee,thencheckthemostrecentepisode. . . letmeguess,youseethatsamedifference?Hehadtofindhisvoiceagain.

Whythebigdifference?Webegantofindourcadence;weevolved.Aswecontinuedtocrankoutepisodeswewereabletomakeslightadjustmentslittlebylittleandwecontinuetodoso.

Youareprobablyasking,“Aren’tyouavideographer?”and“Don’tyouwantittolookgood?”OfcourseIdo,anditwillkeepgettingbetterbecauseI’llgetfaster.ButIwantyoutorecognizethatthissituationappliestoeveryaspectoflife.Sometimesweoverthinkthingsandyouneedtojuststart.Getfeedbackandcontinuetomakechanges.You’llgetthereifyouputinthework.Youcandoit.It’spossible.

AndyKrainak—GrowthHacker@krainak

Myclaim toVaynerNation fame is that I’vebeenonwhatmanyconsider thebestepisodeoftheshowtodate,episode118featuringGary’sfather,Sasha.Init, Gary’s dad jokes that I made Gary famous via Facebook ads and Garypromptly corrects him: “No, Dad, I made Andy famous.” It was a specialepisodeandIknoweveryoneenjoyedwatchinghisdadtalkaboutGVgrowingupandhowquicklykidGarywasabletogivebackthemoneyhisdadhadlenthimtostartsellingbaseballcards.“Likethat,”Sashasaid,snappinghisfingers.I’mconsistentlytakenabackbythealways-onenergyandgustoGVbrings,notjusttothefilmingoftheshoooowbuttoalltheexecutionaldetails.ThetextsthatIgetfromGaryatanydayortimewithstrategy/executioncommandsfollowedupwith“ATTACK!!!”“ASAP!!”“Yayayayaya”notonlyfiremeupbutalwaysgive me the right perspective on what hard work and passion look like.Hopefully all the watchers and podcast listeners have learned as much aboutexecutionandhustlefromthe#AGVshowasIhave.

AndrewGreif—Design@andrew_greif

So you’re telling me you’ve never heard of Rich Uncle Millford? Oh, well,neitherhadIupuntilthemomentIwascalledintotheshow(outoftheblue)tocreatethisone-of-a-kindcharacterGaryimaginedupthatIknewnothingabout.ButonthenextshowheappearedonaT-shirtandeveryonecouldfinallyputafacetothename,andit’sdefinitelymyfavoriteshirtdesignsofar.

AlexDeSimone—BusinessDevelopment@TheRealDeis

Alargepartofmyjobaroundthisbookwastogetitintoyourhands,soIthankyou for making the purchase, or for kindly accepting it from someone I’dpresumetobeyournewbestfriend .

At thewriting of this blurb, I’m approaching a full year’s time on “TeamGary.”PriortojoiningVaynerMedia,andsubsequentlyGary’steam,IthoughtIknewwhoGarywas—anauthorwhosebooksI’dread,apublicspeakerwhosevideosI’dconsumed.

Boy,wasIwrong.InmydaysbeforebeingonteamGV,theshow(andconsequentlyGary)not

onlyservedasacompanionformyoncetwo-hourcommutetoandfromLongIsland,butalsoalensintowhothecaptainwassteeringthisbeautifulandever-expandingshipwecallVaynerMedia.

NowthatI’vebeenapartofGary’steamforquitesometime,I’vecometorealizethatbothGaryandTheShoooowwwwaremuchmorethanjustasemi-regularvideoseries/podcasthostedbyaguyIcallmyboss.

Althoughweareverymuchacloseunit,therolesweonGary’steamfulfillvary quite a bit, which lends our respective day-to-day to be naturallyautonomous.Theshow,inmyopinion,iswhatbringsusalltogether.Itservesasthe glue, the core of our relationship as a team, as we all contribute to itsexistence,beitthroughitspreparation,production,ordistribution.

Andforthat,I’mforevergrateful.NotonlyamIindebtedtothefriendIalsocallmyboss,butalsototheshow

that’sfosteredlifelongrelationshipswiththe“dopes”Igettoshareitwith.

ZakMoy—Designer-in-Chief@Zakmoy

Likeall thingsinmyGary-centricworld,workingontheproductionteamofashowwasnotsomethingIplannedtotackontomyrésumé.Inearly2014,GarydeclaredtoSteveandIthat2014wouldbethe“YearofYouTube”andhewouldreturntodoingvideocontent.And,intrueTeamGaryfashion,thatideawasputon thebackburner. Itwasn’tuntil a fewmonths laterwhenDRockwashiredthatthesparkwasreignitedand,beforeIknewit,wehadashowtoproduceontopofeverythingelsewedo.Yikes!

Asidefrombringingtheshowartdirectionandworkingonvisualassets,myearlyrolesinthefilmingoftheshowhavealsoincludedemergencyvoice-overs,temporaryquestion-asker/hunter,andsecondarycameraman.Butthoseweretheearlydays,andI’vebeentoobusywithotherresponsibilities(likedesigningthis

book)togotoeveryfilming.NowIonlyappearontheshowwhenGVwantstopointoutmychoiceinattire(e.g.,pixelsunglassesandPokemonhats)orwhenhe needs to know what font something is. My behind-the-scenes stance isprobablywhyIcan’trecallafavoritemoment.

ButI’mcoolwiththatbecauseIthinkthetruebeautythatwe(thecast,thecrew,theviewers)haveexperiencedwithThe#AskGaryVeeShowisthatithaspresentedallofuswiththeopportunityforgrowth.Garyandtheshow’senergyhave pushed me through more doors than I expected as an early twenty-somethingandIcouldn’tbemorethankfulforthat.Theshowwasdefinitelynotplannedtobepartofmy“clouds”or“dirt.”Perhapsit’sthe“gray”thatGVtalksabout—thatmiddlepartwhereallthemagichappens.

THE #ASKGARYVEE SHOW PROP-WORDPUZZLE!

Everyepisode, the teamputs threeorfourwholeminutesof thought intowhatpropisgoingtositonthetabletogivemesomethingtoplaywith.Thispuzzleisalistofourfavoritesfromthroughouttherunoftheshow.Seeifyoucanguesstheanswerswithoutreferringtotheepisodes!

As soon as you finish, post a picture on Instagram with the hashtag#AskGaryVeeProps.Thefirstpersontodosowillgetsomethingawesome.

ACROSS

3. Ep59—KeepingGaryinshape

4. Ep76—TheoriginalGaryVeegiveaways

6. Ep32—Baller’snickname

8. Ep97—Neededforjabbingandrighthooking

11. Ep87—Thebookthatstarteditall

13. Ep123—Budweiseronadiet#client

14. Ep105—Thebookbeforethisbook,shortfor

15. Ep120—Goodforhomeruns,homesecurity

21. Ep34—Go-togourd

22. Ep101—@locomodem’sconstructionmaterialofchoice

23. Ep51—TenutaSanGuido’sstarSuperTuscan

24. Ep11—Kinglyheadwear

25. Ep135—Wecan’trideit,butit’scooltohavearound

DOWN

1. Ep20—Necessaryforlongwinetastings

2. Ep95—QuintessentialNapablend

4. Ep117—Crossbreed-centriceightiescartoon

5. Ep62—TomBrady’sweaponofchoice

6. Ep44—Replyhazy,tryagain

7. Ep91—Sometoysjustwanttowatchtheworldburn

9. Ep41—Home-teamheadwear

10. Ep52—ProwrestlerwhowasalsoaregularonWLTV

12. Ep73—Ephemeralmessagingapp

16. Ep53—Garyjustlovestogivetheseaway

17. Ep45—Theofficialsnackof#AskGaryVee

18. Ep5—ThereasonVaynerMediaemployeeshavecavities

19. Ep54—Forkidswhoplaythelonggame

20. Ep71—Just_____awayfromyourdreams

INDEX

Thepaginationofthiselectroniceditiondoesnotmatchtheeditionfromwhichitwascreated.Tolocateaspecificentry,pleaseuseyoure-bookreader’ssearchtools.

Airbnb,175algorithmicfeedonTwitter,154–55aliens,330Amazon.com,182Americanuniversitysystem,44,45,48–50,53–54AngelList,275Apple,139,173,271–72apps

anonymousappsvs.Twitter,155creationof,29–30downloadsandinfluencers,195investorsfor,26iTunesappstore,271–72videosthroughTwitterapp,117

#AskGaryVeeShowoverview,xvievaluatingcrapgraciously,314gettingpersonal,290guessingalmondsinajarepisode,268GV’sdemeanorovertime,341GV’sreturnon,134–35launch,xiiipurposeof,xiii,xvii–xviii,132,153Q&Asection,xiv–xvresearchingothers’videos,106righthooksonInstagram,136–37videosnativeonFacebook,158

attentiongraph,176audience.Seecustomersauthenticity,340automation,123–25,126,325

bathroomads,176best-casemarketscenarios,38–39bettingonyourstrengths

overview,337asbusinessstrategy,12,166,222doublingdownonstrengths,238

ininterviews,40–41,127asintroverts,289learningasachild,59andPareto’s80/20rule,251Seealsostrengthsbionicbodypart,324

BirchBox,175blaming,91,214–15bloggersandblogging,xi–xii,32–33,106,161–62,271booksales,145–47brandsandbranding

athletes,111–12brandambassadors,190“BrandGary”team,261buildingabrand,81–82,101,186andfollowernumbers,106–7andsocialmedia,128–29,143–44,193–94andstorytellingquality,97–99viralloops,121,305

Brolsma,Gary,300bucketlistitems,332–33burnout,86businessdevelopment,110businesses

forbest-casemarketscenarios,38–39consumer-focused,281andemotionaldecisions,57–58investmentpotentialof,269–70mandatestorunning,224inmegagrowth,264newplatformsfor,99,151–52,203soleproprietors/freelancers,11,252–53,303–4strengthsandweaknessesacrosssegments,237–38Seealsoentrepreneurs;familybusinesses;scalingabusinessbusinessideas.Seeideasbuyer’sremorse,17

BuzzFeed,104

cashcycle,11–12,306changes

adaptingto,6–7,84–85andcommunication,54,322content-driven,142infamilybusinesses,65–66fixingabrokenculture,214–15inGV’sdemeanorovertime,340–41withhustle,75–76toinfrastructure,55Internet-relatedsocietalchanges,13–14Twitter’salgorithmicfeed,154–55

charisma,213,214,222,326

charitiesandNGOs,207–8children

datingadvice,318andfamilybusinesses,59–60,64andinfluencermarketing,186–87andsocialmedia,72–73andtechnology,71–72timerequiredfor,84whinystage,216Seealsoeducation;parentingChina,273

Chrebet,Wayne,92–93civilityvs.rudeness,227–28cloning,321clouds,1–4,5–6,10–11,239“CloudsandDirt”(film),xii,53,93,116–17cofounder.Seepartnersandpartnerships.comdomains,102communication

overview,172askingforwhatyouwant,238,290withautomation,123,124–25,126andchanges,54,322andemployeeaccountability,249expectationsofinvestorsandfounders,275–76face-to-facevs.digital,259–60feedbackfromstaff,262,280–81leadershipaskingquestions,212–13leadershipchallengesfromsocialmedia,212withno-hustlepeople,263personalemails,146righthooks,133,135,136,144–45simpletruth,138andunmotivatedemployees,255Seealsolistening;storytellingcompetitiveness,242

complaining,216–17,328consumer-focusedbusinesses,281consumers.Seecustomerscontent,97–129

overview,97–99andautomation,123–25,126forboringproductorstaleindustry,200–201brandrepresentationonsocialmedia,128–29creationof,xii–xiii,99–101curatedcontent,112–13foremails,170forFacebookads,184andfollowers,110andforeignaccents,115forfuneralbusinesses,202–3growingwith,10,27–28,33,103–4increasingvaluewithcontext,112–13

ofinfluencer’sspiel,194–95infographicsonPinterest,122asjab,140–41ofmusicproducers,304–5andnon-Englishspeakers,116owningandmonetizing,108platform-basedadjustments,99,113,118,131–32posting,107–8preparationsfor,117,118–19forproductpromotion,29–30forrealestateagents,128recycling,118forReddit,170–71RFPsfrom,142sourcesof,121–22valuedetermination,105–6,112–13valueforcustomersvs.delaytactic,103andworkingindifferentspaces,113Seealsocontext;jabsandrighthookscontextandautomation,126increasingcontentvaluewith,112–13influencer’sskillinbringingtoaudience,194–95SeealsocontentCordProject,173

“CreativeApocalypseThatWasn’t”(Johnson),301–2creatives,236,259creativity

contentcreation,xii–xiii,99–101efficiencyand,259opportunitycreation,146–47

criticalfeedbackfromstaff,262,280–81CrushIt(Vaynerchuk),54,57,128,186,267culture

andaskingforhelp,238,290andbusinessstrengthsandweaknesses,237–38competingforbestquality,242andemployeeaccountability,249fixingabrokenculture,214–15inhealthycompanies,225salesexperienceand,207–8andsuccessofcompany,234–35

curatedcontent,112–13cursewordsonstage,296customerbase

findingyour,23–24,29–30innovationand,28

customersaudienceconsiderations,128–29,141–43contentasvalueforcustomersvs.delaytactic,103engagementof,105–6,144–45,159–60,192–93gainingtrust,127–28formusicians,302

respectfor,100andstorytellingquality,97–99

DailyGrape,xiDalton,Andy,308data

evaluatinginfluencercostandsuccess,190–93,195onFacebook,158trackingcustomerengagement,105–6,144–45,159–60,192–93

deadlinesofemployees,261–62delaytacticvs.contentasvalueforcustomers,103delegation,252DeSimone,Alex,342–43digitalmarketingcourses,52dirt,2,3–4,10–11,239.SeealsohustleDisney,Walt,215Disney’sMagicBand,173–74DNAmapping,5domains,TLDextensionsmarket,102Donnelly,Jason,247Dorsey,Jack,93dreamsaboutbusiness,329dresscodes,249–50DRock(DavidRock),xii–xiii,53,93,116–17,340–41drug-testingemployees,236

eBay,160–61,182education,43–55

overview,43–44Americanuniversitysystem,44,45,48–50,53–54choosingtopics,47–48fordiscoveringyourpassion,48–50andentrepreneurs,45–46graduating,41mentors,52–53moraleinpubliceducation,55onlinecourses,51,55parentspushingtheirchildtogetadegree,41,44–45,49

efficiency,31,119,259Elliott,Missy,7Ello,168–69email,170embarrassingortabooproducts,183–84emotionsandemotionaldecisions

appealingtoconsumers’emotions,147automationvs.,124–25,126choosingnice,227–28depressingcontentrelatedtosolvingaseriousproblem,202infamilybusinesses,57–58,61–62gapbetweenwhatwesayandwhatwedo,165–66

happiness,285,335–36hiringandfiring,234–35ofInstagramviewers,107inpublicspeaking,295–96

empathy,245,284employees

accountability,248–49agendaof,239–40buildingretention,225compassionandfairnessqualities,212–13complementarystrengths,135,242–43,270complementaryvs.complimentary,222–23creatives,236,259deadlines,261–62dresscodes,249–50drug-testing,236firing,234–35,249,251,254,260freelancertofull-timeemployeetransition,257friendsas,250–51hiring,233,234–35,236,240–41,243–44inspiring,78–79interns,15,253–54jack-of-all-tradesvs.specialists,242–43motivating,219–20,247–48,249oldemployeeshazingnewemployees,260personalizinginteractionswith,63andsicktime,89–90staffmeetings,239–40supportfor,69–70,232,247valuesof,244–45ofVaynerMedia,255,339–44yourchildrenas,64Seealsoteamsandteamworkemploymentandentrepreneurs,19,20freelancers,252–53searchfor,14–15

engagement,2,4,105–6,110.Seealsohustleentrepreneursadvicefor,36attributes,12,31,280andbest-casemarkets,38–39andbillion-dollarvaluationmilestone,276–77biz-devfromzero,24–25bornrichvs.raisedlazy,70–71extrovertsas,289freedomtoexecutevision,60–61globalsuccessstories,91–92growthsweetspot,40andhustle,75–76andideas,34–35,65–66,82–83introvertsas,288–89

investingin,269–70asinvestors,269,270lookingback,37–38andMBAdegree,50middle-groundpitches,4overcomingnegativeinput,22–23planning,41–42and“real”jobs,19,20real-timeadjustmentsandimprovisation,309startingout,15–16,19–22,47teachersas,303–4SeealsobusinessesEQvs.IQ,291

excuses,90–91,199–203,214expertise,developing,81–82extrovertsvs.introverts,127,288–89

Facebookadcontent,184adproductevolution,179–81banonlike-gating,156–57contentcreationfor,100,116costofdoingbusinesson,157–58drivingtraffictoawebsitewith,113–14embedproduct,121GVinvestingin,266GV’spostson,141HumansofNewYorkpage,33Instagrampurchase,142potential,157,160responsesto,83ROIandlimitedbudget,80TVads,175valueofads,114videoposts,120–21,158–59

face-to-facemeetings,245failure,lessonslearnedfrom,34,226,237–38,285familybusinesses,57–66

overview,57–59brokenculturein,215childrenand,59–60,64emotionsin,61–62ideadevelopmentin,65–66learningfromeachother,63loveinthemidstofchallenges,62–63

familymembersandbecominganentrepreneur,22negativeinputof,22–23significantother,60–61spouse,60,61,318,319

supportfrom,60,61,69–70,73workingwith,58–59andwork-lifebalance,83–84Seealsochildren;parentingfans,120,300,302–3.SeealsoVaynerNationf-bombsonstage,296

fear,overcoming,22feedbackfromstaff,262,280–81firingemployees,234–35,249,251,254,260five-yearplanvs.adaptingtochange,6–7followers,106–7,110,153–54,188–89foreignaccentandpodcasts,115foreignlanguage,knowinga,326Foursquare,80,271freelancers,252–53freelancertofull-timeemployeetransition,257freeservicerighthooks,141friendsasemployees,250–51funeralbusiness,202–3

giftgiving,290,321,328globalinstability,273globalsuccessstories,91–92goals,1–2,6.SeealsoNewYorkJetsGodin,Seth,104Google,109Google+,150,151,171GoogleAdWords,37,80,167,182,183–84GoPro,190GrapeStorytalentagency,34,187gratitude,205–9Greif,Andrew,342

happiness,285,335–36headlinesonsocialmedia,122–23health,prioritizing,7–8,216,330hip-hop,331hiringemployees,233,234–35,236,240–41,243–44Hirschhorn,Jason,271hobbyentrepreneurs,21HubSpot,237HumansofNewYorkFacebookpage,33humorinbusiness,284hustle,75–95

overview,76–78,84,89acquiring,75–76,78–79balanceofphilosophyand,5–6bornrichvs.raisedlazy,70–71andbudgetconstraints,80andburnout,86earningnamerecognitionwith,15–16engagementas,2,4,105–6,110

excusesvs.,90–91andfamilylife,83–84inspirationfor,78–79asmomentumafterfirststep,21naturaltalentvs.,75offeringvalueforvalue,93passionasfuelfor,86passiveincomevs.buildingwealth,92andpatience,93–94andself-promotion,81–82sicktimevs.,89–90asstrongworkethic,70–71,76,78,255walkvs.talk,46workingharderandfaster,87–88workingwithno-hustlepeople,263

ideasdevelopmentof,34–35,65–66,82–83pitchingtotherightpeople,25–26

imageposts,118–19incumbents,overcoming,27–28indieartists,306indoorbillboardcompany,176influencermarketing,185–97

overview,185–87contentofinfluencer’sspiel,194–95evaluatingcost,191–93followersassignof,188–89inmediastrategy,190–91productplacementcomparedto,189–90

influencers,187–88,196–97infographicsonPinterest,122infomercials,187innovationandcustomerbase,28innovationinfuneralbusiness,202–3insinceritythroughautomation,124inspiration,78–79,335Instagram

adsthatlinkout,195forcheckingfanclaimsofhustling,87creatingopportunitiesforothers,134DirectMessage,166evolutionof,162–63,164followerson,106–7long-formtext,164overlyeditingphotosandtextoverlays,126productadvertisingon,165–66andproductplacement,189responsesto,83andrighthooks,136–37

Twittercomparedto,162–63internsandinternships,15,253–54introvertsvs.extroverts,127,288–89investinginstartups,265–77

overview,268–69appsas,26billion-dollarvaluationmilestone,276–77directcompetitors,271evaluatingpotential,269–70expectationclarification,275–76findingcompanies,271–72andglobalinstability,273GV’sinvestments,265–68intuitivedecisions,272locationofcompany,274–75patents,273–74rewardoverrisk,272sectorchoice,274SeealsoventurecapitalistsIQvs.EQ,291

iTunesappstore,271–72

Jab,Jab,Jab,RightHook(Vaynerchuk),54,105jabsandrighthooks,131–47

overview,131–32askingforthesale,133,135,136,144–45forB2Baudience,141–43buildingabrandprocess,30closing,135andcompanybrandguidelines,143–44contentasjab,140–41exclusiverighthooks,139–40gearingupforrighthook,133jabbingoverkill,139jabbylistening,133–34jabsvs.righthooks,134–35forrealestateagents,137–38andrecyclingcontent,118rightshooksforafreeservice,141andwebsite,144

jack-of-all-tradesvs.specialists,242–43Jeter,Derek,111Jobs,Steve,222Johnson,Steven,301–2

Kalanick,Travis,267–68KarateKid,The(movie),133Kawasaki,Guy,112keynoteaddresspreparation,294–96Kickstarter,168

kimchiandwine,313Krainak,Andy,341–42

Lasorda,Tommy,219Lawrence,Staphon,339–40leadership,211–29

overview,211–12askingquestions,212–13buildingemployeeretention,225celebratingwins,226–27CEO’srole,205–6,211–12changingabrokenculture,214–15changingindustries,224inchaos,216–17,219choosingnice,227–28controlvs.worry,216depthmattersmorethanwidth,218–19employeestransitioningto,220–21lessonslearnedfromfailure,34,226,237–38,285modelingbehaviors,212,224–25,228motivatingemployees,219–20,247–48,249replaceability,223–24responsibility,214,221,255sayingyesvs.bottleneck,221wordisbond,213–14,244–45Seealsomanagement;teamsandteamworklearningasachild,59fromeachother,infamilybusinesses,63fromfailure,34,226,237–38,285newthings,243test-and-learnaspectofmanagement,262–63YouTubeassourcefor,51

lifestyles,31,85lifetimevalue(LTV),191–92,194,209LinkedIn,100,134,142listening

overview,223contentcreationfrom,121–22toemployees,249jabbylistening,133–34toteammembers,238whiletalking,324

Listicles,169LTV(lifetimevalue),191–92,194,209luck,18

MagicBand,Disney’s,173–74management,231–63

overview,231–32

andcompetitiveness,242criticalfeedbackfromstaff,262,280–81delegation,252documentingpolicy,procedure,andprocesses,258andemployeedeadlines,261–62freelancers,252–53hiringandfiringprocess,233,234–35,236,240–41,243–44andhiringorfiringfriends,251megagrowthbusinesses,264projectmanagement,238andrespondingtosocialmediacontacts,83segmentingmarketingservices,237–38teachingotherstothinklikeyou,101test-and-learnaspect,262–63workingwithno-hustlepeople,263Seealsoemployees;leadership;teamsandteamwork;timemanagementmarketingalreadyconvertedtargets,23–24bigandsmallcompanies,10–11digitalmarketingcourses,52findingemploymentin,14–15formediatrainingservice,27–28one-on-onemarketing,208–9onPinterest,167–68postingonblogvs.postingnatively,107–8andproducts,79reverse-engineeringwhatyoucangive,24–25segmentingservices,237–38andsocialmedia,151–52andsocialmedia“experts,”3targetedmarketingonFacebook,180–81withyourstrengths,283SeealsoinfluencermarketingMcMahon,Vince,215

mediacompanies,10–11,24–25.SeealsoVaynerMediamediatrainers,27–28Medium,46,100,108Meerkat,134,172,272meetings,239–40,245,259–60MeetUp.com,29mentors,52–53meritocracy,251middlegroundbetweencloudsanddirt,2,4–5Millennials,xv,13–14,38–39,45,256missionstatementsforchildren,72–73morningpeople,85motivation,8–9,219–20,247–48,249Mottola,Tommy,114Moy,Zak,xii,343–44music,299–306

overview,299–301alleviatingpainwith,305–6expandedarena,303–4

producers,304–5revenuestreams,301–3,306SonyCDartists,114

namingyourbusiness,15–16Neistat,Casey,48–49,324Netflix,98NewEnglandPatriots,124–25NewZealandwinerysuggestions,10–11NewYorkJets

alternativeif,heavenforbid,GVcan’tbuythem,308–9Chrebet’scareer,92–93effectonGV,305–6,308GVasowner/manager,246GV’sownershipgoal,2,6,91,325,332

NGOsandcharities,207–8Nin,Anaïs,49NumaNumasong,300Nuzzel,271

OculusRift,168one-on-onemarketing,208–9one-personbusinesses(solopreneur),11–12,252–53,303–4onlinecourses,51,55onlinevideo.Seevideosandvideobloggingopportunitycreation,146–47optimism,31,201options,choosingfrom,17

parenting,67–73instillingself-confidence,69–70makingeveryminutecount,94–95preparingchildrentolivetheirowndreams,59–60restrictionsvs.developingpersonalresponsibility,71–72,73andsocialmedia,72–73Seealsochildrenparentsandfamilybusinesses,59–60personalimportanceofchild’seducation,41,44–45,49

Pareto’slaw,the80/20rule,251–52Parker,Robert,311partnersandpartnerships

complementarystrengths,110,135,242–43,270findingapartner,24–26,29,31–32ideadevelopment,34–35recruitingmethods,116–17andtakingchances,20workingwithno-hustlepeople,263

passion,48–50,86passiveincomevs.buildingwealth,92patents,273–74

patience,93–94,244paywalls,139–40Pearlman,Lou,256PencilsofPromise,8people-pleasing,289–90Periscope,172personalbrands,111–12,186,290.Seealsobrandsandbrandingperspective,63photographers,177Pinterest

autopostingtoTwitter,119contentcreationfor,100forfindingaMother’sDaygift,328man’sbiasagainst,167asmarketingtool,122PromotedPins,167–68

pitches,4,25–26,39–40planning,41–42platforms,149–78

overview,149–50forbranddevelopment,193–94extinctionof,150–51GV’spersonalplatform,178formusic,302,304–5newplatformsforlowcostexposure,99,151–52,203andscaling,193–94successofsocialnetworks,150syndicateplatforms,275forwine,312Seealsosocialmedia;specificplatformspodcasts,146–47,166

prioritizing,1–12andcashcycle,11–12,306andchangesinwhat’smostimportant,84–85cloudsanddirt,1–4,5–6,10–11culture,234–35five-yearplanvs.adaptingtochange,6–7health,7–8,216,330middlegroundorpolarizationvs.,2–3,4–5andmotivation,8–9andskillsofentrepreneur,12volunteerism,8

procrastination,84–85productplacementvs.influencermarketing,189–90products

Apple’s,139,173embarrassingortaboo,183–84evolutionfrom,4andmarketing,79qualityof,16,136,221

profits,focusontop-linerevenuevs.,28–29projectmanagement,238

Prop-WordPuzzle,345–47publicspeaking,293–97Puzzle,Prop-Word,345–47

Q&A,GV’senjoymentof,xii,xivquality

ofcontent,97–99,118–19,143employeescompetingfor,242offans,300ofmanagement,232ofproducts,16,136,221ofvideos,106,108–10

QVC,187

readingbooks,47–48realestateagents,127–28,137–38realitydistortionfield,222recyclingcontent,118RedBull,98Reddit,170–71Redef(Hirschhorn),271Renaissancepersons,113responsibilityofleaders,214,221,255revenuefocus,28–29Rock,David“DRock,”xii–xiii,53,93,116–17,340–41ROI(returnoninvestment)andpaywalls,139–40rootbeer,329Rose,Kevin,93rosebushes,214–15Rubin,Ted,281–82sales

overview,132–34ageofsalesmanirrelevantin,256askingforthesale,133,135,136,144–45attentiongraph,176ofauthororcreator’stime,146ofbooks,145–47creativessellingproducts,236experienceandculture,207–8findingpeopletosellto,23–24importanceof,47offeringvalue,53,93startingout,26Seealsocustomers;jabsandrighthooksSalesForce,237

scalingabusinessbuildingabrand,33GrapeStory,189withlowprofitmargin,35–36platformswithameaningfulscale,193–94

scalingtheunscalable,10,146smallbusinesses,10,99SeealsocontentScherotter,Nate,309

searchads,183–84.SeealsoGoogleAdWordsself-awareness,279–91overview,279–80GV’s“Screwschool”moment,284–85andhumorinbusiness,284ofothers,288people-pleasing,289–90andpersonalbrands,290andreachinghigh,281–83andself-promotion,285–87

self-confidence,69–70,287self-examination,213serendipity,134ShareMonster,340shockandawe,25sicktime,89–90skillsofentrepreneurs,12smarttechnology,173–74,269–70Snapchat,101,156,187,195socialmedia

adusageandprice,181–82andathletes,111–12brandrepresentationon,128–29andbrands,128–29,143–44,193–94charitiesandNGOs,207–8andchildren,72–73andcompanybrandguidelines,143–44courseson,52anddepthwithincommunity,218–19effectonsociety,54followers,106–7,110,153–54,188–89gainingcustomers’trust,127–28headlines,122–23imageposts,118–19andinfluencermarketing,187knowledgeabout,35lengthlimitationsandstartupname,15–16lowbartoentry,98multipleaccounts,113andmusicians,300–301,302–3andmusicproducers,304–5photographer’sprintsales,177postingandpromotingcontent,105–6,107–8restrictionson,178andtraditionalmedia,175viralloops,121,305andwine,311–12Seealsoplatformssocialnetworks.Seeplatforms;socialmediasoleproprietors/freelancers,11,252–53,

303–4SonyCDartists,114soulandswagger,221SoundCloud,304,305specwork,25sports-relatedstories

overview,307athletethatembodieshustle,92–93coacheswhoneverplayedthegame,81–82Daltondeal,308franchisesmovingtoothercitiesorcountries,308halftimeforturninggamearound,7hockeyteamandSnapchat,101horsesascompanies,entrepreneursasjockeys,269–70skatingtowherethepuckisgoingtobe,24SuperBowlcommercial,133SeealsoNewYorkJetsspouse,60,61,318,319

Square,93staffmeetings,239–40Starbucks,98StarWarsvs.StarTrek,327storytelling

boringvs.imaginativeanddaring,200–201charitiesandNGOs,207–8contextualappropriateness,105–6andfutureofblogging,162method,33qualityof,97–99starstorytellers,187Seealsocontentstrengthschild’sawarenessof,59complementarypartnersoremployees,110,135,242–43,270complementaryvs.complimentary,222–23andcontent,106ofemployees,261–62asguidetowhat’snext,12identifyingweaknessesand,75–76,280–81,282introvertsvs.extroverts,127,288–89ofjockeys,270marketingwith,283opponent’sstrengths,309andPareto’slaw,the80/20rule,251–52Seealsobettingonyourstrengths;weaknessessuccessandcompanyculture,234–35excusesfornotattaining,199luck,DNA,confidence,andhustlefactors,18andqualityofmanagement,232tipsfor,77–78websitecontentasgatewayto,119–20

Swarm,Foursquare’s,80

syndicateplatforms,275Systrom,Kevin,162–63

tabooorembarrassingproducts,183–84teachers,303–4teamsandteamwork

“BrandGary”team,261building,39celebratingwins,227contentcreationteam,xii–xiii,101pushingbeyondtheirbest,247–48

Techmeme,271technology

consumptionbyyoungchildren,71–72Disney’sMagicBand,173–74futureof,173andintrovertCEOs,288,289patternsin,149–50smarttech,173–74,269–70

Teespringadcampaign,183televisionandradio(traditionalmedia),80,175,176,256,282tennisandbusinesscompared,309test-and-learnaspectofmanagement,262–63thankyoueconomy,185.SeealsoinfluencermarketingThankYouEconomy,The(Vaynerchuk),54timemanagement

overview,235–36ageconsideration,264efficiencyas,31,119,259ashustlefaster,87–88staffmeetings,239–40traveltime,327

TLD(top-leveldomains)extensionsmarket,102top-leveldomains(TLD)extensionsmarket,102traditionalmedia(televisionandradio),80,175,176,256,282traveltime,327Tumblr,113,150–51,266Twitter

algorithmicfeed,154–55anonymousappsvs.,155autopostingfromPinterestto,119andBostonMarathonbombing,125challengeofgettingnoticed,155forcheckingfanclaimsofhustling,87,88,304followingandfollowers,153–54GVinvestingin,266forhiringemployees,233,240–41,243–44Instagramcomparedto,162–63likelihoodofcontinuedsuccess,150andMeerkat,272

NewEnglandPatriotsfoible,124–25andPeriscope,172quoteretweets,113realestateagentson,127–28Searchfeature,133–34,305tweetresponses,83videosthroughTwitterapp,117

Tyson,Mike,309

Uber,267–68universitysystem,44,45,48–50,53–54Unwin,Steve,xii,26

valuecontent,103,105–6,112–13,141corethingsthatbringpeoplevalue,14andinvestinginstartups,272jabsandrighthookequality,135offeringvalueforvalue,93salesasofferof,53,93andsalestactics,132vulnerabilityanddisproportionatevalue,25

valuesdepthmattersmorethanwidth,218–19empathy,245,284modelingbehaviors,212,224–25,228patience,93–94,244wordisbond,213–14,244–45workethic,70–71,76,78,255SeealsogratitudeVaynerCapital,268

Vaynerchuk,Gary(GV)burnout,86career,xi–xiiicharisma,213,214,326childhood,67–68DailyGrape,xianddata,51–52demeanoron#AskGaryVeeShow,xivdirtof,2eulogy,self-written,228–29andgolf,51asparent,68–69andreadingbooks,47–48reasonsforthisbook,xvi–xviiischoolissues,43–44“Screwschool”moment,284–85values,244–45,247valuinginputfromothers,222–23volunteerism,8andWineLibrary,xi,3,10–11workingwithfamilymembers,58–59Seealso#AskGaryVeeShowVaynerchuk,Gary,favorites,fantasies,andfears,317–36overview,317–18

airports,324onaliens,330onapplyinglifeexperiencestobusiness,319on#AskGaryVeeShow,328onbeinghappy,335–36bionicbodypart,324onbirthdays,325onbucketlistitems,332–33onchildrentime,329oncloninghimself,321communicationduringchanges,322oncomplaining,328dreamsaboutbusiness,329onenvironmentsforbusiness,330favoritepeoplebesideshisfamily,334fears,323,336onfoods,325–26onforeignlanguages,326ongiftgiving,321,328hiphop,331holidaytradition,320–21andLizzie,318,319onmeetingnewpeople,333onmovingabouthislife,333phoneashuman,319–20onreadinginpublic,322–23rootbeer,329onrunningforPresident,331sneakers,320splurgingontimewithpeople,331StarWarsvs.StarTrek,327traveltime,327onWineLibrary,322

Vaynerchuk,Sasha(father),213–14,216,341.SeealsoWineLibraryandWineLibraryTVVaynerchuk,Tamara,215–16VaynerMedia

“BrandGary”team,261celebratingwins,226–27digitizingtraditionalmediaagencies,256employeequalities,255focusof,9growthof,231–32internshipsat,15musicbackground,216–17startingout,33startupfunding,32websiteasdecoy,114

VaynerNation(fans)guessingalmondsinajar,268GV’sfondnessfor,xi–xiihustlechecksof,87,88,304

successof,xvVaynerRSE,268venturecapitalists(VCs)

effectofinvestmentsfrom,268–69andideadevelopment,82–83pitchingto,39–40SeealsoinvestinginstartupsViddler,153

videosandvideobloggingonFacebook,120–21,158–59andforeignaccents,115GVnotwatchinghisown,333qualityof,106,108–10withTwitterapp,117winevideos,xiSeealso#AskGaryVeeShow;WineLibraryVine,34,109,187

viralloops,121,305visioningwhatyouwant,200–201volunteerism,8,15vulnerability,22,25

walkvs.talk,46,47WarbyParker,175weaknesses

ofbusinesses,237–38denialof,282evaluatingyouropponent’sweaknesses,309identifyingstrengthsand,75–76,280–81,282workingonvs.delegating,251–52Seealsostrengthswealthvs.passiveincome,92

wealthyentrepreneurs,70–71,91wearabletechnology,smart,173–74websites

achievingbusinessobjectivesoutsideof,114–15ofathletes,111–12contentasgatewaytosuccess,119–20drivingtraffictoawebsitewithFacebook,113–14homepageasjaborrighthook,144trafficasaby-productofcontentvalue,141

Welch,JackandSuzy,50,226,257–59wine,311–16

overview,311–12buying,315–16GV’srecommendations,312,313high-endwinebusiness,314–15andkimchi,313andsocialmedia,311–12

wineblogsandvideos,xiwineindustry,201,203WineLibraryandWineLibraryTV

overview,xi,3changeinGV’sdemeanorovertime,340–41

companyaskingforintegrationoftheirproductsinto,186datatargetingandCRM,51–52freshperspective,201GV’sbestfriendworkingat,250GV’scompensation,248marketingpre-notoriety,80oldemployeeshazingnewemployees,260post-GVsuccess,223–24scaling,35–36startingout,37,62,110successof,10–11,109timerequired,322

WineSpectator,311WLTV.SeeWineLibraryandWineLibraryTVwordisbond,213–14,244–45workethic,70–71,76,78,255.Seealsohustlework-lifebalance,83–84worst-casemarketscenarios,38–39

Yahoo,109,266Yelp,80YikYak,155,171–72Yo,172YouTube

Facebookvideosasrivalto,158–59asgoal,41Googlepurchaseof,265–66postingto,120,121assourceforlearning,51successon,152–53

Zuckerberg,Mark,160

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

GARYVAYNERCHUK isanentrepreneur, techinvestor,andCEOofoneofthe fastest-growing digital agencies in the world. Host of The #AskGaryVeeShow, Gary was named to both Crain’s New York Business’s and Fortunemagazine’s40Under40lists,aswellasBusinessWeek’slistofthetop20peopleeveryentrepreneurshouldfollowonsocialmedia.HelivesinNewYorkCity.

Discovergreatauthors,exclusiveoffers,andmoreathc.com.

ALSOBYGARYVAYNERCHUK

CRUSHIT!

THETHANKYOUECONOMY

JAB,JAB,JAB,RIGHTHOOK

http://ads.harpercollins.com/bpbobahc

CREDITS

CoverdesignbyZakMoyCoverphotographs©VaynerMedia

COPYRIGHT

#ASKGARYVEE.Copyright©2016byGaryVaynerchuk.AllrightsreservedunderInternationalandPan-AmericanCopyrightConventions.Bypaymentoftherequiredfees,youhavebeengrantedthenonexclusive,nontransferablerighttoaccessandreadthetextofthise-bookon-screen.Nopartofthistextmaybereproduced,transmitted,downloaded,decompiled,reverse-engineered,orstoredinorintroducedintoanyinformationstorageandretrievalsystem,inanyformorbyanymeans,whetherelectronicormechanical,nowknownorhereafterinvented,withouttheexpresswrittenpermissionofHarperCollinse-books.

Frontispiece©VaynerMediaFIRSTEDITION

ISBN:978-0-06-227312-3

ISBN:978-0-06-247001-0(B&NSignedEdition)EPubEditionMarch2016ISBN9780062273130

16 17 18 19 20 OV/RRD 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

ABOUTTHEPUBLISHER

AustraliaHarperCollinsPublishersAustraliaPty.Ltd.

Level13,201ElizabethStreetSydney,NSW2000,Australiawww.harpercollins.com.au

CanadaHarperCollinsCanada2BloorStreetEast-20thFloorToronto,ONM4W1A8,

Canadawww.harpercollins.caNewZealand

HarperCollinsPublishersNewZealandUnitD1,63ApolloDriveRosedale0632Auckland,NewZealandwww.harpercollins.co.nz

UnitedKingdomHarperCollinsPublishersLtd.

1LondonBridgeStreetLondonSE19GF,UKwww.harpercollins.co.uk

UnitedStatesHarperCollinsPublishersInc.

195BroadwayNewYork,NY10007www.harpercollins.com

*Don’tgetthejoke?Comebyandwatchtheshooooooooow!

*Don’tknowwhatImean?Googlemy“MondayMorningMotivationalVideo.”

* Steven Johnson, “The Creative Apocalypse ThatWasn’t,”New York TimesMagazine,August19,2015,http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/23/magazine/the-creative-apocalypse-that-wasnt.html?_r=0.