getting more and more intrigued by
mindset because I used to think of it as
fluffy like self-help and now I think it
more as strategy what’s your strategy in
life somebody asked me on Instagram
after I posted a scary if the mindset
has been skewed how can you bring it
back and I answered with by surrounding
yourself with people who have the
mindset you aspire to my friends please
understand that mindset is controllable
in the same way that all our opinions
are controllable the key is to add more
people with optimism and cut people with
negativity it’s very very simple now
it’s very hard to cut people with
pessimism cynicism and negativity when
they are the people that are the closest
to you parents siblings spouse but the
bottom line is if you’re asking the
question I’m gonna give you the answer
the answer is add more people with
positivity and optimism and cut people
with pessimism and cynicism who you
surround yourself matters what content
you consume matters I basically
suffocate myself for a long period of my
time and created an environment that was
based on offense and optimism and now I
know no different please do the same for
you make that move mold and I mean mold
your mindset by what you consume and
with whom you consume it enough enough
enough like living by somebody else’s
rules is a humongous mistake I’ve just
literally sat down with five people
under the age of 27 and it’s so
refreshing it is so refreshing if you
have not jumped on the bandwagon of
doing exactly what the you want to do
which is skiing for the next three years
or working at a job that’s not what your
parents want or what society wants this
video is just called enough enough make
this little in one two minute video
depends on when I finish the piece of
content that gets you to stand up and
take life by its throat do something
stopping scared stop letting the way you
were raised the fear as an offense take
that away let me
be the person I’ll take the blame I
loved that some of my employees are like
my parents don’t love what you’re saying
good parents because if you are playing
defense and if you are living a life
where your kids lives are the way you’re
being fulfilled you’re a loser
parents and so enough enough parents
imposing their way you want your kids to
be happy on your terms
enough the kid that’s sitting right now
at a desk and saw this in a feed and you
hate your job
I’m not stand up get the out of here and
do you live your life you’ve got one
life do something about it first thing
that you need to think about is you sort
need to thinking about yourself as ESPN
and HBO and CNBC and the New York Times
the quicker all of you think of yourself
as that everything changes I literally
think that I garyvee don’t compete with
Richard Branson or with you know Mark
Cuban I think that Gary Vee competes
with Business Insider and Forbes and and
you know the Wall Street Journal and
complex magazine like I I don’t think
about competing with humans
I spend zero time even debating that and
so I think of myself Carlos is a media
company and so it’s the difference
between you know what I think a lot of
people do in our world they turn into
infomercials versus 20/20 if you make
content on Facebook and LinkedIn and
your email and everything you do if you
think of yourself as ABC News if you
think about yourself as fox or CNN
instead of an infomercial changes
everybody’s thinking like an advertiser
not as a media company and I think for a
lot of you seems like a lot you know I’m
watching your kind of behavior that’s
why I feel a little bit different I’m
not putting out content like an
advertiser with a short-term goal I’m
putting out content like a media company
with a long-term goal which creates
short-term opportunity it’s a very very
subtle but disproportionate reason and
and the luckier you are if you’re this
legendary as people are whispering to me
well then that means you’re sitting with
something which means you should be
recording all of it all of it that’s
right and the way to think about it is
some of you don’t have the dollars to
hire somebody yet and neither did I for
the first eight years the whole d-roc
thing and all this doesn’t you know I
love what never was like easy for you
Gary
you have d-roc now in it I’m like BIC I
didn’t have anybody for eight years and
I built up to it and then I had somebody
so like if you got to do it in selfie
form good and if like for me I can’t
write I’ve ghostwriter for my books I
have a ghostwriter for my LinkedIn a
medium right now I can’t write it’s not
how I communicate but I can do video
some of you are scared of video and get
awkward you’re more introverted so then
write use the medium that helps you best
communicate and then build around it
stunned by how many people here don’t
realize that the quickest path to
happiness or more economics in business
given the context of this talk happens
to be in the thing that they love the
most yet they’re not willing to each for
the next three to five years to get
there let me explain it blows me away
that if you’re ridiculously passionate
about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
now stick with me I know this is going
weird
that starting your Instagram account
your podcast and your YouTube channel
about Leonardo and Michelangelo and
putting out that content for a
three-year period in the long tail of
the Internet in the way that niche
marketing works if you focus on that
7:00 p.m. to 2:00 in the morning around
that world that literally within three
to four years the practicality if you’re
consistent to making between fifty and a
hundred thousand dollars a year in
affiliate email inks and sponsorship
around being the foremost expert of
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a very
fascinating thing how many people here
and across this country right now rushed
to buy cryptocurrency because that’s
where the gold rush was I’m just
fascinated by people’s passion for the
quick fix versus the marathon I’m
fascinated by people willing to put in
their body to lose 15 pounds that’s some
private-label horse from China versus
eating right and exercising let me
promise you something good and that’s
how I want to say it everything special
is hard I was at the top of the wine
game and I left because I won I didn’t
want to do it anymore and went into
marketing where everyone liked the first
article written about me was like this
guy had wine Twitter I think the article
in the big advertising magazine was
Twitter boys what they called me Twitter
boy thinks he’s gonna come and win
Madison Avenue hahahahaha
they’re not laughing anymore you know
and even this game now I can already
feel it I’m like oh man three four or
five years from now this thing’s a rap
I’m gonna be the guy someone have to
start selling oranges or something you
know I got to figure you know benefit
figure something out because I lose like
I’m about to climb back to sports I grew
up with diehard Yankees Jets Rangers
Knicks fan the Yankees and Rangers won
their championships I literally stopped
watching them Nixon Jets are gonna take
me a minute you know but like but like
I’m just about because I just love the
I’m like even like back to sports cuz I
think it’s great analogy I’ll turn on a
random game I need to know who the
underdog is that’s my team I’m just
about to climb you know like to me when
I see a kid wearing a Steph Curry Jersey
and that kid lives in New York I think
I mean it he’s he’s using somebody
else’s success to make himself feel good
I think the biggest tell of a losing
person is wearing a jersey outside your
own city I love the passion to win the
problem is you tried to close on the
first move you brought them no value and
you asked them to bring you value like
you gave like I will stand up here and
give a glow to value and never mention
one time for any of them to follow me
and a lot more of them will follow me
then they’re gonna follow that bull move
I get it I get it but this was back to
the question that just happened this is
why I want you to win that move is
always gonna lose you can’t go tonight
when you go out in Vegas and you see a
pretty girl at the bar you can’t go up
to her and the opening move is like
here’s my key let’s go but but that’s
what you just did let them hold it but
that’s what you just did to this
audience with business I mean because
doing the right thing is the right thing
karma is practical you know I heard
somebody rant earlier right that’s like
hey when I win I don’t think it’s coming
out of you the guy that closed I
couldn’t know who was on stage but I
believe in that right because I love the
idea of 85 people here going and
listening to me winning I didn’t make
anything for it but it then becomes
brand if she goes out and listens and
then two years later she’s having dinner
with a friend and she’s talking about
what happened to her life that friend
might be the CEO of GE you know I’m
playing with the biggest brands in the
world I’m not trying to monetize my
audience I’m trying to like just bring
the most value in the world and let that
lift all my other opportunities so I
think I think giving away your best
secrets is the greatest strategy for two
reasons karma is practical and leads to
more business but here’s the secret and
it’s even funnier 99% of these people
the read somewhere about five or six
years ago I realize this fact holy Sh
people aren’t gonna do anything with
this so like there’s still gonna be
plenty for me and I’m gonna be the most
lovable guy ever I love this everybody’s
putting out the best photo from their
vacation ever everybody’s putting out
the most exciting night of their lives
people are actually now doing things in
real life just for the photo to put on
Instagram and this is very important to
understand because we as humans are
wired often to envy and be jealous and
curious and dwell on not being on that
boat and what that leads to is
short-term behavior everybody’s looking
to make a quick dollar so that they can
go on that yacht or go to Ibiza or buy
that car or that bag or that sneaker and
this is 100 percent the poison that is
in the system and so for me I want to
know why why do you want to be
successful for me I didn’t even really
necessarily want to be successful I just
couldn’t breathe if I wasn’t selling
something or building a business it’s
all I knew there was nothing else it was
why I was such a bad student
I couldn’t even appease the hour I
needed to be a decent student a day
because I needed every minute selling
baseball cards or wine or whatever I was
up to at that point in my life there was
no choice and so that’s what I wish on
everybody else I wish that you wake up
every morning and have no choice that
what you do is how you breathe
I’m born into a rich family you’re the
wrong skin tone you’re this you’re that
I get it but just like a Fiat we got to
get back you got the you won the lotto
you want it you’ve got to get back do
something with it especially now your
grandparents didn’t have this the
Internet is crazy it just is it just is
and so why do you think everybody’s
getting out in now because three old
white guys don’t control the media
anymore do you think it’s happening here
this is the greatest fear ever for
anybody the market the platform is the
Internet this is unbelievable
unprecedented times we will look back at
this 200 years from now like these had a
good opportunity this is buying realist
you know somebody bought the land that
we’re on right now for a dollar at one
point that’s what’s happening with us on
the internet the attention of the end
consumer is cheap right now you can grab
it around whatever you want to be about
and it doesn’t cost you anything other
than your time and so many of you are
complaining but then are too fancy to
put in the 15 hours a day to get it I
got no respect for that I got no respect
for anybody who complains and isn’t
putting in the work because it’s an
excuse to not do they opened a bar a
barber shop you want to sell t-shirts
like the one big advantage you guys have
look I have a huge company my company’s
gonna do 200 million dollars in revenue
I just flew from Kraft we have Budweiser
e of the biggest brands in the world
chase they still don’t get it I’m
sitting the meetings every day and
they’re not pouring enough money into
social media that’s your advantage
they’re still pouring into commercials
and print and things of that nature so
you know where the attention is and so
social matters but humans and
relationships are just honestly my man I
said it like I can’t explain to you
enough how much I want you to meet every
person look some of you were introverts
if you’re an extrovert and you’re social
you need to go all-in on the fact that
you got blessed with that DNA that you
love people and you love saying hello
and you’ve got the leverage of doing
what you’re doing now some of you are
introverts right and that’s hard but
like I’m gonna keep pushing too because
the lever just absurd most people here
will be successful if they could be more
patient for longer yet most people will
fail in here if they’re delusional and
keep doing the same thing for a long
time waiting for the thing to happen
it’s one in the same the most difficult
question for me to answer is when should
you stop doing what you’re doing because
I actually have to spend time with you
and really look under the hood to know
are you completely in outer space and
have a terrible idea and you stink and
of course we should change it or the
other thing that so many people struggle
with you’re so impatient and you’re so
caught up in short-term metrics like how
many followers you have or how many
sales you made or how many leads did you
generate that you quit too soon because
nothing happens overnight it’s one in
the same I’d die if I didn’t work like
to me my game my passion like I love my
family more than life but my wife walked
into my like bedroom tonight and was
like I need you to stop working and be
home
she knows that I’d be like look we
to figure this out or we’re just not
gonna be together I can’t like it’s not
because I don’t love her I’m being
serious I know it sounds weird but I’m
just telling you I would suffocate I
would suffocate and so I’m in it for the
game and honestly I’ll be honest with
you
I I think the quickest way to get paper
is to love the process because you’re
not gonna be able to work 15 hours a day
if you’re doing it for some new Supremes
it’s too hard if you don’t love it the
biggest vulnerability you’ve got is you
actually value somebody’s opinion more
than you value your own look the reason
I’ve been able to always do my thing is
when I was 24 and people are like oh you
work at your dad’s liquor store like I
heard that it’s like a chip on my
shoulder you know I loved it I was like
cool keep sleeping on me you know
like I’m glad you’re on Wall Street
making a hundred thousand buying BMWs
and dumb jewelry I’ll see you in 30
years you understand like to me the way
you win is you realize you can’t hear
nobody not your parents I mean listen
you got to listen to coach and all that
I get it but at the end of the day my
guy yourself you got to get real real
quiet up here I can’t hear anything
you go look at my Instagram right now my
first post I’ll post something first
hundred public applies in one second
you’re Jesus you walk on water you’re
the best you’re the all-time can’t hear
him
the next hundred you’re a piece of your
foolish you’re a snake oil salesman
can’t hear him I’m in my own mind doing
my own thing and that comes with
self-esteem everybody’s trying to keep
up with the Joneses I’m not worried
about you being on the in the Hamptons
I’m not worried about you renting out
cash from the bank and putting it to
your ear I’m not worrying you jump the
fence and took a photo in front of a
private plane what do you think these
people are doing they’re posing patients
long game you know what’s amazing about
being an entrepreneur we get to play
forever I’m gonna be working when I’m 96
trying to find my next hustle nobody is
gonna cry for you they have their own
tears one thing one thing I’m positive
about is how are Y negative complaining
is and how much I’m trying to suffocate
the practice of it I really have been
fascinated by people that have changed
their mindset into understanding that
everything that is not going well right
now is their fault it has been
remarkably important to me in
understanding that everything that I’m
not happy about has on me
it’s it’s a remarkably interesting brain
twist the amount of energy spent on
things that you can’t control versus
being accountable to what you can
control has been a huge separator for me
in the last four or five years as I’ve
dug the no question the quickest way to
happiness is accountability when people
start looking for somebody else to be at
fault whether it’s the government or
their aunt or some or their boss they
always lose the reason people don’t put
themselves in a position to fail the
reason people aren’t patient is they
value other people’s opinions too much
which then dictates their behavior which
then gets into all of this
Wise’s if you like don’t hold on to it
and with the thought of in case it fails
because you just need to realize it’s
your scarlet letter literally the reason
people are scared always is the outside
force
having a failing business and everyone’s
like Oh see you could never do or
whatever the cliche is right yeah it
just doesn’t matter you know why
so that’s one piece even if it didn’t
succeed
what there’s such better people like
what I’m such a better person than other
people because I can build a business
always like I can’t get my cashiers to
like work because they’re only 12 bucks
an hour like no it’s cuz you’ve never
said hello to them face right so like
I’m very people centric I think there’s
enormous ROI either in the short term or
the long term some of the people that
work for me I risk me go on to win an
Academy Award as a filmmaker right like
I’d much rather have her like me than
not like me you know everybody’s playing
short term
I don’t live as if it tomorrow I’m gonna
die and I’m stunned by how many people
do it’s all short term ROI every
decision is short term ROI and I think
that’s a huge decision so internally I
spend a lot of time and money my HR
department to big my time that I spend
with employees too much this is what I
hear from all my business associates who
then spend all their time asking me how
I do it your employees for me it’s my
employees first then the customer then I
can even begin to think about what the
Senate for me and I’ve just watched
ninety five percent of the business and
I interact with start with them then the
customer then they’re in place I think
that most of the people are broken and I
think if you have if you heart if you’re
honest no bull right if you just went
through your mind like I am me then
customer than my employees you will lose
and I can tell you that’s the majority
of businesses you have to reverse
engineer who you’re trying to get to you
know if your sales person out there
right now if you’re trying to get to me
and so many of you are I get 50 70 bulk
emails bulk direct messages bulk Twitter
direct messages Instagram business cards
all sorts of weird stuff sent in the
mail I’m busy I’m busy and like I’m just
not interested in you selling to me not
because I don’t like you because I
respect the game it’s because I’m just
busy it’s nothing personal
so I think the first thing you have to
do is reverse engineer the person you
know because I’m not in the market to
buy anything I’m gonna be tougher but if
I need certain software if I need
something that’s a good time to attack
right so I think the number-one rule of
sales people is to listen know your
audience know what they did if you see
an M&A just happen if you see layoffs
just happening if you see one of them if
I see Burger King doing something I’m
thinking what is McDonald’s think of
Russ I think a lot of you are doing
things that are directly in front of you
numbers that they put in front of you
you’re trying to achieve that because
you have a beach house you want to buy
or go on that vacation sales is a funny
game if you work in a big company they
manipulate numbers to create your
actions I believe that the best sales
people are doing things in a different
way I think you need to care about the
customer for real reverse-engineer them
and give them what they need if I told
you this was the last Monday morning of
your life what if I told you you died
this week would you complain about your
crap job or that test you don’t want to
take I doubt it
do you go much higher level thinking
well that’s really what it takes it
takes understanding that if you’re not
pumped right now if you’re begrudging
what you’re about to do if you’re if
you’re not looking forward to it look I
respect practicality you got to go
through the school because your parents
want to you got to pay your rent you got
student loans I get it but please
recognize the world we’re living in
we’re living in a world where there’s so
much more opportunity this internet
thing created way more opportunity for
all of us way more I mean look you only
not even be alive like your mom and dad
could have had sex like three minutes
later and you wouldn’t even exist and
you’re complaining
you could ended up
three I just don’t get the mentality of
being head down sad on a Monday morning
I’m gonna make Monday morning my I’m
gonna make you Saturday Monday morning
that’s what I want to do every morning
and that’s what I want from you please
take a step back and think about how
awesome it actually is and then
recognize that you can attack the world
in a totally different way because you
were lucky enough to be born during this
era so many people come up to me and say
Gary it’s so hard I look at their
Instagram and they’re not posting any of
their content with hashtags which is a
by accident way to pick up exposure in a
world where they have no money when you
have no money when I took over my dad’s
business it did three million dollars a
year ten percent gross profit three
hundred thousand dollars before expenses
my first year marketing budget was
fourteen thousand dollars when you have
no money and I built that business from
a three to a sixty million dollar
business in five years I had to make
every penny perfect so I was right about
email marketing in 96 and I was right
and because of that I had 91% open rates
when Google AdWords came out the day it
came out I paid five cents a click for
words before anybody bid me up and I was
super right and that worked if it does
that lock versus preparation and do you
ever get anything wrong what do you do
like it make them as high key I get
everything wrong it’s just that I can’t
recall it because once it’s wrong I’m
moving on to the next thing
like dwell dwelling on what you’ve
dumped on is the quickest way for the
next thing not to work right yeah so
like so I think I do everything I mean
you know this this is a fun thing to say
there’s some people in the back know
this I was a breakout YouTube star in
the first year 2006 I decided that the
right strategy was to leave YouTube
completely and go to viddler because
viddler offered me equity in their
company and I’ve left an enormous amount
of attention I deviated from my
intention thesis to do short-term
economics and equity in a company and I
lost I lost Wendy Rock finally came in
my life two years ago we started to try
to build up my youtube for the first
time I was sitting on 40,000 user
followers in a world where I could have
had millions if I just stayed the course
so I make mistakes all the time
I’m reorganize its based on a mistake I
made the prior year I just don’t give a
about my mistakes
everybody else cares about your mistakes
if you’re worried about your own
mistakes you’ve already lost times a lot
of people may try in your initiative and
then they don’t get an immediate
reaction they and they think it’s a
failure that’s right
I want to go to your YouTube videos with
the Wine Library you know you had so
much content out there how did you stick
in there how did you keep yourself
motivated because I believe in my
strategies and I’m patient ish like all
great stuff especially when you’re
innovating doesn’t happen right away
this notion that like Oh Gary I tried it
I spent five hundred bucks on Facebook
Ads it doesn’t work well what if your
video sucked what if your product and
service sucks I I tend to do things that
are very early that has been my career
you think I when I do things I believe
in them I stick with them based on
intuition even though for 18 months
nobody watched my wine videos at all I
knew it was right I was right there’s
been things I’ve done that I’ve jumped
off of very quickly I started Gary v app
V chat ve like WeChat that was funny for
my fans great CRM one on one didn’t feel
right after a week or two spend plenty
money building it knew it stopped it
after you know a couple months Wine
Library TV five years every day YouTube
decided to change it to daily grape
insular app you could buy stuff
subscription for reviews it was a lot of
fun
I only did it for five months stopped it
because I didn’t feel right anymore
it’s always hard to know when to jump
off something new but I find that people
don’t believe in what they’re doing they
hear a guru and they do it
begrudgingly because their boss wants
them to or they’re like well Gary’s
right a lot so let me do it but they
don’t believe it and so then they jump
they’re looking for knows instead of
yeses everything I do every business
development every event I do every time
I try new marketing tactics or sales
tactic I’m looking for the yes right I’m
looking for the yes and if the no
punches me will then on my crap then no
punched me I believe the majority of
people when they try new tactics are
looking for the no mm-hmm and you’re
gonna getting a lot of subtle knows
immediately right and so I think that’s
why that happens you didn’t take care
about everything and it starts with
yourself look yourself in the mirror and
ask yourself what do I want to do every
day for the rest of my
I do that I promise you can monetize
that if you love Alf doing Alf blog you
collect Smurfs Smurfs it up whatever you
need to do do it so many people are
talking about I can’t monetize I can’t
monetize there’s a billion
seven-year-old douche bags that are in
control right now but the number two
person that 34 year old lady she’s gonna
buy yours she’s gonna put the
advertising on your stuff it’s coming
stop crying and just keep hustling
problem is if you the greatest hammer
and the greatest screwdriver and the
greatest wrench the greatest in front of
you if you don’t use them properly you
will lose right if there’s a nail that I
have to put in that ground but I take
the wrench and I hit it when the hammer
was right there it still comes down to
the practitioner mm-hmm and you have to
be good at your craft and you have to
love your if you love sales if you don’t
love it you have no chance because it’s
so hard it’s so painful there’s so much
rejection right so those are the things
I think about
so technology’s clear neighborhoods
you’ve just said there that the person
is equally important and we’re important
right and go right for you thank you I
just apologize for jumping in but let me
make it perfectly straight if I go play
Roger Federer right now in tennis and I
have the greatest tennis racket ever
made like from taken from the Mars is
new like resources right and he took a
John McEnroe 1974 tennis racket he would
whip my ass like I’m crushing sales
people that have every sales force every
one of your competitors 37 features
upgraded went to every pro conference
watching this I will beat their ass in
sales every day of the week right your
talent that if I can suffocate all of
you today to take 25% of your take-home
income this year and pour it back into
two people who do video and written word
and put it into Facebook and Instagram
ads literally all of you will email me
24 months actually yet if you can start
right away literally 25% of you are
going to come
me this time next year right here and be
like holy Sh I’ve been listening to your
stuff for seven years your keynote was
different in Miami last year at this
time I listened I said it I don’t need
to go to Ibiza three times this year yet
I don’t need to buy a better BMW this
year to make me feel good with the
neighbors get I don’t need another pair
of Supremes or Yeezys I took the money
and I put it into Karen the film woman
and Rick the ad guy and now my business
is 2x this will 100% work even if you
suck on camera have zero charisma are
only eight days in the industry this
will work because it is such under
priced attention that the ROI will work
that if you’re a two and skill the ads
are a twenty in the ten point scale and
it closes the Delta of you being average
if you literally literally and I’ve said
this for seven years if you literally
literally go interview the guy who owns
the gym in town the guy who owns the
pizza shop the woman that owns the
insurance brokerage if you literally
literally literally just interview your
local community that you become the
local newspaper in three minute video
form on your phone you don’t even need
to hire the rock or babban arrives your
phone if you literally take it selfie it
and interview the principal of the
school in your neighborhood you will
become the local celebrity who can then
transact on whatever you’re trying to
sell that group if you bring value to
people if you interview the best high
school basketball player literally just
that your business will change or if you
literally just give the advice of how
you got here what you learned if you
shared your thoughts if you do not
understand that you were a media company
then you will not be as successful as
you are today in a decade
and that’s not interesting when the
alternative is you’re four to seven
times making
the state guys you have to understand
what happened to Blockbuster and Netflix
what happened with uber and taxi
companies what happened which hotels
versus Airbnb is happening with you as a
human in your business and so when you
have the best hand and you know it
because you’ve been paying attention and
you know how to play poker
you go all-in everybody here is playing
Facebook Instagram social media YouTube
podcasting like they have the best hand
and they’re calling and you’re not going
them into getting all the money you’re
just folding and that’s this audience so
can you imagine what I feel is going on
outside this stadium so this is a call
to action for everybody to do me one
favor and I do think I can get a lot of
you to do it which excites the of
me please right now listen maybe you’ve
laid out money maybe you’re in the
middle of a renovation maybe you’re
paying for your kids college
Mazel Tov I know there’s nuances on
everybody’s life but if you are in a
position where literally your take-home
income this year is literally the stuff
you’re gonna go and do things with
please from 25% to 90% if you can go
humble please take that money and hire
two people to make a lot more content
for you about you and your business and
please give the rest of the money to
Facebook and YouTube and Instagram and I
fundamentally promise you you will walk
here to this conference next year and
personally thank me emotionally because
your business will change and I know not
one of you has gone all-in you
mindset because I used to think of it as
fluffy like self-help and now I think it
more as strategy what’s your strategy in
life somebody asked me on Instagram
after I posted a scary if the mindset
has been skewed how can you bring it
back and I answered with by surrounding
yourself with people who have the
mindset you aspire to my friends please
understand that mindset is controllable
in the same way that all our opinions
are controllable the key is to add more
people with optimism and cut people with
negativity it’s very very simple now
it’s very hard to cut people with
pessimism cynicism and negativity when
they are the people that are the closest
to you parents siblings spouse but the
bottom line is if you’re asking the
question I’m gonna give you the answer
the answer is add more people with
positivity and optimism and cut people
with pessimism and cynicism who you
surround yourself matters what content
you consume matters I basically
suffocate myself for a long period of my
time and created an environment that was
based on offense and optimism and now I
know no different please do the same for
you make that move mold and I mean mold
your mindset by what you consume and
with whom you consume it enough enough
enough like living by somebody else’s
rules is a humongous mistake I’ve just
literally sat down with five people
under the age of 27 and it’s so
refreshing it is so refreshing if you
have not jumped on the bandwagon of
doing exactly what the you want to do
which is skiing for the next three years
or working at a job that’s not what your
parents want or what society wants this
video is just called enough enough make
this little in one two minute video
depends on when I finish the piece of
content that gets you to stand up and
take life by its throat do something
stopping scared stop letting the way you
were raised the fear as an offense take
that away let me
be the person I’ll take the blame I
loved that some of my employees are like
my parents don’t love what you’re saying
good parents because if you are playing
defense and if you are living a life
where your kids lives are the way you’re
being fulfilled you’re a loser
parents and so enough enough parents
imposing their way you want your kids to
be happy on your terms
enough the kid that’s sitting right now
at a desk and saw this in a feed and you
hate your job
I’m not stand up get the out of here and
do you live your life you’ve got one
life do something about it first thing
that you need to think about is you sort
need to thinking about yourself as ESPN
and HBO and CNBC and the New York Times
the quicker all of you think of yourself
as that everything changes I literally
think that I garyvee don’t compete with
Richard Branson or with you know Mark
Cuban I think that Gary Vee competes
with Business Insider and Forbes and and
you know the Wall Street Journal and
complex magazine like I I don’t think
about competing with humans
I spend zero time even debating that and
so I think of myself Carlos is a media
company and so it’s the difference
between you know what I think a lot of
people do in our world they turn into
infomercials versus 20/20 if you make
content on Facebook and LinkedIn and
your email and everything you do if you
think of yourself as ABC News if you
think about yourself as fox or CNN
instead of an infomercial changes
everybody’s thinking like an advertiser
not as a media company and I think for a
lot of you seems like a lot you know I’m
watching your kind of behavior that’s
why I feel a little bit different I’m
not putting out content like an
advertiser with a short-term goal I’m
putting out content like a media company
with a long-term goal which creates
short-term opportunity it’s a very very
subtle but disproportionate reason and
and the luckier you are if you’re this
legendary as people are whispering to me
well then that means you’re sitting with
something which means you should be
recording all of it all of it that’s
right and the way to think about it is
some of you don’t have the dollars to
hire somebody yet and neither did I for
the first eight years the whole d-roc
thing and all this doesn’t you know I
love what never was like easy for you
Gary
you have d-roc now in it I’m like BIC I
didn’t have anybody for eight years and
I built up to it and then I had somebody
so like if you got to do it in selfie
form good and if like for me I can’t
write I’ve ghostwriter for my books I
have a ghostwriter for my LinkedIn a
medium right now I can’t write it’s not
how I communicate but I can do video
some of you are scared of video and get
awkward you’re more introverted so then
write use the medium that helps you best
communicate and then build around it
stunned by how many people here don’t
realize that the quickest path to
happiness or more economics in business
given the context of this talk happens
to be in the thing that they love the
most yet they’re not willing to each for
the next three to five years to get
there let me explain it blows me away
that if you’re ridiculously passionate
about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
now stick with me I know this is going
weird
that starting your Instagram account
your podcast and your YouTube channel
about Leonardo and Michelangelo and
putting out that content for a
three-year period in the long tail of
the Internet in the way that niche
marketing works if you focus on that
7:00 p.m. to 2:00 in the morning around
that world that literally within three
to four years the practicality if you’re
consistent to making between fifty and a
hundred thousand dollars a year in
affiliate email inks and sponsorship
around being the foremost expert of
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a very
fascinating thing how many people here
and across this country right now rushed
to buy cryptocurrency because that’s
where the gold rush was I’m just
fascinated by people’s passion for the
quick fix versus the marathon I’m
fascinated by people willing to put in
their body to lose 15 pounds that’s some
private-label horse from China versus
eating right and exercising let me
promise you something good and that’s
how I want to say it everything special
is hard I was at the top of the wine
game and I left because I won I didn’t
want to do it anymore and went into
marketing where everyone liked the first
article written about me was like this
guy had wine Twitter I think the article
in the big advertising magazine was
Twitter boys what they called me Twitter
boy thinks he’s gonna come and win
Madison Avenue hahahahaha
they’re not laughing anymore you know
and even this game now I can already
feel it I’m like oh man three four or
five years from now this thing’s a rap
I’m gonna be the guy someone have to
start selling oranges or something you
know I got to figure you know benefit
figure something out because I lose like
I’m about to climb back to sports I grew
up with diehard Yankees Jets Rangers
Knicks fan the Yankees and Rangers won
their championships I literally stopped
watching them Nixon Jets are gonna take
me a minute you know but like but like
I’m just about because I just love the
I’m like even like back to sports cuz I
think it’s great analogy I’ll turn on a
random game I need to know who the
underdog is that’s my team I’m just
about to climb you know like to me when
I see a kid wearing a Steph Curry Jersey
and that kid lives in New York I think
I mean it he’s he’s using somebody
else’s success to make himself feel good
I think the biggest tell of a losing
person is wearing a jersey outside your
own city I love the passion to win the
problem is you tried to close on the
first move you brought them no value and
you asked them to bring you value like
you gave like I will stand up here and
give a glow to value and never mention
one time for any of them to follow me
and a lot more of them will follow me
then they’re gonna follow that bull move
I get it I get it but this was back to
the question that just happened this is
why I want you to win that move is
always gonna lose you can’t go tonight
when you go out in Vegas and you see a
pretty girl at the bar you can’t go up
to her and the opening move is like
here’s my key let’s go but but that’s
what you just did let them hold it but
that’s what you just did to this
audience with business I mean because
doing the right thing is the right thing
karma is practical you know I heard
somebody rant earlier right that’s like
hey when I win I don’t think it’s coming
out of you the guy that closed I
couldn’t know who was on stage but I
believe in that right because I love the
idea of 85 people here going and
listening to me winning I didn’t make
anything for it but it then becomes
brand if she goes out and listens and
then two years later she’s having dinner
with a friend and she’s talking about
what happened to her life that friend
might be the CEO of GE you know I’m
playing with the biggest brands in the
world I’m not trying to monetize my
audience I’m trying to like just bring
the most value in the world and let that
lift all my other opportunities so I
think I think giving away your best
secrets is the greatest strategy for two
reasons karma is practical and leads to
more business but here’s the secret and
it’s even funnier 99% of these people
the read somewhere about five or six
years ago I realize this fact holy Sh
people aren’t gonna do anything with
this so like there’s still gonna be
plenty for me and I’m gonna be the most
lovable guy ever I love this everybody’s
putting out the best photo from their
vacation ever everybody’s putting out
the most exciting night of their lives
people are actually now doing things in
real life just for the photo to put on
Instagram and this is very important to
understand because we as humans are
wired often to envy and be jealous and
curious and dwell on not being on that
boat and what that leads to is
short-term behavior everybody’s looking
to make a quick dollar so that they can
go on that yacht or go to Ibiza or buy
that car or that bag or that sneaker and
this is 100 percent the poison that is
in the system and so for me I want to
know why why do you want to be
successful for me I didn’t even really
necessarily want to be successful I just
couldn’t breathe if I wasn’t selling
something or building a business it’s
all I knew there was nothing else it was
why I was such a bad student
I couldn’t even appease the hour I
needed to be a decent student a day
because I needed every minute selling
baseball cards or wine or whatever I was
up to at that point in my life there was
no choice and so that’s what I wish on
everybody else I wish that you wake up
every morning and have no choice that
what you do is how you breathe
I’m born into a rich family you’re the
wrong skin tone you’re this you’re that
I get it but just like a Fiat we got to
get back you got the you won the lotto
you want it you’ve got to get back do
something with it especially now your
grandparents didn’t have this the
Internet is crazy it just is it just is
and so why do you think everybody’s
getting out in now because three old
white guys don’t control the media
anymore do you think it’s happening here
this is the greatest fear ever for
anybody the market the platform is the
Internet this is unbelievable
unprecedented times we will look back at
this 200 years from now like these had a
good opportunity this is buying realist
you know somebody bought the land that
we’re on right now for a dollar at one
point that’s what’s happening with us on
the internet the attention of the end
consumer is cheap right now you can grab
it around whatever you want to be about
and it doesn’t cost you anything other
than your time and so many of you are
complaining but then are too fancy to
put in the 15 hours a day to get it I
got no respect for that I got no respect
for anybody who complains and isn’t
putting in the work because it’s an
excuse to not do they opened a bar a
barber shop you want to sell t-shirts
like the one big advantage you guys have
look I have a huge company my company’s
gonna do 200 million dollars in revenue
I just flew from Kraft we have Budweiser
e of the biggest brands in the world
chase they still don’t get it I’m
sitting the meetings every day and
they’re not pouring enough money into
social media that’s your advantage
they’re still pouring into commercials
and print and things of that nature so
you know where the attention is and so
social matters but humans and
relationships are just honestly my man I
said it like I can’t explain to you
enough how much I want you to meet every
person look some of you were introverts
if you’re an extrovert and you’re social
you need to go all-in on the fact that
you got blessed with that DNA that you
love people and you love saying hello
and you’ve got the leverage of doing
what you’re doing now some of you are
introverts right and that’s hard but
like I’m gonna keep pushing too because
the lever just absurd most people here
will be successful if they could be more
patient for longer yet most people will
fail in here if they’re delusional and
keep doing the same thing for a long
time waiting for the thing to happen
it’s one in the same the most difficult
question for me to answer is when should
you stop doing what you’re doing because
I actually have to spend time with you
and really look under the hood to know
are you completely in outer space and
have a terrible idea and you stink and
of course we should change it or the
other thing that so many people struggle
with you’re so impatient and you’re so
caught up in short-term metrics like how
many followers you have or how many
sales you made or how many leads did you
generate that you quit too soon because
nothing happens overnight it’s one in
the same I’d die if I didn’t work like
to me my game my passion like I love my
family more than life but my wife walked
into my like bedroom tonight and was
like I need you to stop working and be
home
she knows that I’d be like look we
to figure this out or we’re just not
gonna be together I can’t like it’s not
because I don’t love her I’m being
serious I know it sounds weird but I’m
just telling you I would suffocate I
would suffocate and so I’m in it for the
game and honestly I’ll be honest with
you
I I think the quickest way to get paper
is to love the process because you’re
not gonna be able to work 15 hours a day
if you’re doing it for some new Supremes
it’s too hard if you don’t love it the
biggest vulnerability you’ve got is you
actually value somebody’s opinion more
than you value your own look the reason
I’ve been able to always do my thing is
when I was 24 and people are like oh you
work at your dad’s liquor store like I
heard that it’s like a chip on my
shoulder you know I loved it I was like
cool keep sleeping on me you know
like I’m glad you’re on Wall Street
making a hundred thousand buying BMWs
and dumb jewelry I’ll see you in 30
years you understand like to me the way
you win is you realize you can’t hear
nobody not your parents I mean listen
you got to listen to coach and all that
I get it but at the end of the day my
guy yourself you got to get real real
quiet up here I can’t hear anything
you go look at my Instagram right now my
first post I’ll post something first
hundred public applies in one second
you’re Jesus you walk on water you’re
the best you’re the all-time can’t hear
him
the next hundred you’re a piece of your
foolish you’re a snake oil salesman
can’t hear him I’m in my own mind doing
my own thing and that comes with
self-esteem everybody’s trying to keep
up with the Joneses I’m not worried
about you being on the in the Hamptons
I’m not worried about you renting out
cash from the bank and putting it to
your ear I’m not worrying you jump the
fence and took a photo in front of a
private plane what do you think these
people are doing they’re posing patients
long game you know what’s amazing about
being an entrepreneur we get to play
forever I’m gonna be working when I’m 96
trying to find my next hustle nobody is
gonna cry for you they have their own
tears one thing one thing I’m positive
about is how are Y negative complaining
is and how much I’m trying to suffocate
the practice of it I really have been
fascinated by people that have changed
their mindset into understanding that
everything that is not going well right
now is their fault it has been
remarkably important to me in
understanding that everything that I’m
not happy about has on me
it’s it’s a remarkably interesting brain
twist the amount of energy spent on
things that you can’t control versus
being accountable to what you can
control has been a huge separator for me
in the last four or five years as I’ve
dug the no question the quickest way to
happiness is accountability when people
start looking for somebody else to be at
fault whether it’s the government or
their aunt or some or their boss they
always lose the reason people don’t put
themselves in a position to fail the
reason people aren’t patient is they
value other people’s opinions too much
which then dictates their behavior which
then gets into all of this
Wise’s if you like don’t hold on to it
and with the thought of in case it fails
because you just need to realize it’s
your scarlet letter literally the reason
people are scared always is the outside
force
having a failing business and everyone’s
like Oh see you could never do or
whatever the cliche is right yeah it
just doesn’t matter you know why
so that’s one piece even if it didn’t
succeed
what there’s such better people like
what I’m such a better person than other
people because I can build a business
always like I can’t get my cashiers to
like work because they’re only 12 bucks
an hour like no it’s cuz you’ve never
said hello to them face right so like
I’m very people centric I think there’s
enormous ROI either in the short term or
the long term some of the people that
work for me I risk me go on to win an
Academy Award as a filmmaker right like
I’d much rather have her like me than
not like me you know everybody’s playing
short term
I don’t live as if it tomorrow I’m gonna
die and I’m stunned by how many people
do it’s all short term ROI every
decision is short term ROI and I think
that’s a huge decision so internally I
spend a lot of time and money my HR
department to big my time that I spend
with employees too much this is what I
hear from all my business associates who
then spend all their time asking me how
I do it your employees for me it’s my
employees first then the customer then I
can even begin to think about what the
Senate for me and I’ve just watched
ninety five percent of the business and
I interact with start with them then the
customer then they’re in place I think
that most of the people are broken and I
think if you have if you heart if you’re
honest no bull right if you just went
through your mind like I am me then
customer than my employees you will lose
and I can tell you that’s the majority
of businesses you have to reverse
engineer who you’re trying to get to you
know if your sales person out there
right now if you’re trying to get to me
and so many of you are I get 50 70 bulk
emails bulk direct messages bulk Twitter
direct messages Instagram business cards
all sorts of weird stuff sent in the
mail I’m busy I’m busy and like I’m just
not interested in you selling to me not
because I don’t like you because I
respect the game it’s because I’m just
busy it’s nothing personal
so I think the first thing you have to
do is reverse engineer the person you
know because I’m not in the market to
buy anything I’m gonna be tougher but if
I need certain software if I need
something that’s a good time to attack
right so I think the number-one rule of
sales people is to listen know your
audience know what they did if you see
an M&A just happen if you see layoffs
just happening if you see one of them if
I see Burger King doing something I’m
thinking what is McDonald’s think of
Russ I think a lot of you are doing
things that are directly in front of you
numbers that they put in front of you
you’re trying to achieve that because
you have a beach house you want to buy
or go on that vacation sales is a funny
game if you work in a big company they
manipulate numbers to create your
actions I believe that the best sales
people are doing things in a different
way I think you need to care about the
customer for real reverse-engineer them
and give them what they need if I told
you this was the last Monday morning of
your life what if I told you you died
this week would you complain about your
crap job or that test you don’t want to
take I doubt it
do you go much higher level thinking
well that’s really what it takes it
takes understanding that if you’re not
pumped right now if you’re begrudging
what you’re about to do if you’re if
you’re not looking forward to it look I
respect practicality you got to go
through the school because your parents
want to you got to pay your rent you got
student loans I get it but please
recognize the world we’re living in
we’re living in a world where there’s so
much more opportunity this internet
thing created way more opportunity for
all of us way more I mean look you only
not even be alive like your mom and dad
could have had sex like three minutes
later and you wouldn’t even exist and
you’re complaining
you could ended up
three I just don’t get the mentality of
being head down sad on a Monday morning
I’m gonna make Monday morning my I’m
gonna make you Saturday Monday morning
that’s what I want to do every morning
and that’s what I want from you please
take a step back and think about how
awesome it actually is and then
recognize that you can attack the world
in a totally different way because you
were lucky enough to be born during this
era so many people come up to me and say
Gary it’s so hard I look at their
Instagram and they’re not posting any of
their content with hashtags which is a
by accident way to pick up exposure in a
world where they have no money when you
have no money when I took over my dad’s
business it did three million dollars a
year ten percent gross profit three
hundred thousand dollars before expenses
my first year marketing budget was
fourteen thousand dollars when you have
no money and I built that business from
a three to a sixty million dollar
business in five years I had to make
every penny perfect so I was right about
email marketing in 96 and I was right
and because of that I had 91% open rates
when Google AdWords came out the day it
came out I paid five cents a click for
words before anybody bid me up and I was
super right and that worked if it does
that lock versus preparation and do you
ever get anything wrong what do you do
like it make them as high key I get
everything wrong it’s just that I can’t
recall it because once it’s wrong I’m
moving on to the next thing
like dwell dwelling on what you’ve
dumped on is the quickest way for the
next thing not to work right yeah so
like so I think I do everything I mean
you know this this is a fun thing to say
there’s some people in the back know
this I was a breakout YouTube star in
the first year 2006 I decided that the
right strategy was to leave YouTube
completely and go to viddler because
viddler offered me equity in their
company and I’ve left an enormous amount
of attention I deviated from my
intention thesis to do short-term
economics and equity in a company and I
lost I lost Wendy Rock finally came in
my life two years ago we started to try
to build up my youtube for the first
time I was sitting on 40,000 user
followers in a world where I could have
had millions if I just stayed the course
so I make mistakes all the time
I’m reorganize its based on a mistake I
made the prior year I just don’t give a
about my mistakes
everybody else cares about your mistakes
if you’re worried about your own
mistakes you’ve already lost times a lot
of people may try in your initiative and
then they don’t get an immediate
reaction they and they think it’s a
failure that’s right
I want to go to your YouTube videos with
the Wine Library you know you had so
much content out there how did you stick
in there how did you keep yourself
motivated because I believe in my
strategies and I’m patient ish like all
great stuff especially when you’re
innovating doesn’t happen right away
this notion that like Oh Gary I tried it
I spent five hundred bucks on Facebook
Ads it doesn’t work well what if your
video sucked what if your product and
service sucks I I tend to do things that
are very early that has been my career
you think I when I do things I believe
in them I stick with them based on
intuition even though for 18 months
nobody watched my wine videos at all I
knew it was right I was right there’s
been things I’ve done that I’ve jumped
off of very quickly I started Gary v app
V chat ve like WeChat that was funny for
my fans great CRM one on one didn’t feel
right after a week or two spend plenty
money building it knew it stopped it
after you know a couple months Wine
Library TV five years every day YouTube
decided to change it to daily grape
insular app you could buy stuff
subscription for reviews it was a lot of
fun
I only did it for five months stopped it
because I didn’t feel right anymore
it’s always hard to know when to jump
off something new but I find that people
don’t believe in what they’re doing they
hear a guru and they do it
begrudgingly because their boss wants
them to or they’re like well Gary’s
right a lot so let me do it but they
don’t believe it and so then they jump
they’re looking for knows instead of
yeses everything I do every business
development every event I do every time
I try new marketing tactics or sales
tactic I’m looking for the yes right I’m
looking for the yes and if the no
punches me will then on my crap then no
punched me I believe the majority of
people when they try new tactics are
looking for the no mm-hmm and you’re
gonna getting a lot of subtle knows
immediately right and so I think that’s
why that happens you didn’t take care
about everything and it starts with
yourself look yourself in the mirror and
ask yourself what do I want to do every
day for the rest of my
I do that I promise you can monetize
that if you love Alf doing Alf blog you
collect Smurfs Smurfs it up whatever you
need to do do it so many people are
talking about I can’t monetize I can’t
monetize there’s a billion
seven-year-old douche bags that are in
control right now but the number two
person that 34 year old lady she’s gonna
buy yours she’s gonna put the
advertising on your stuff it’s coming
stop crying and just keep hustling
problem is if you the greatest hammer
and the greatest screwdriver and the
greatest wrench the greatest in front of
you if you don’t use them properly you
will lose right if there’s a nail that I
have to put in that ground but I take
the wrench and I hit it when the hammer
was right there it still comes down to
the practitioner mm-hmm and you have to
be good at your craft and you have to
love your if you love sales if you don’t
love it you have no chance because it’s
so hard it’s so painful there’s so much
rejection right so those are the things
I think about
so technology’s clear neighborhoods
you’ve just said there that the person
is equally important and we’re important
right and go right for you thank you I
just apologize for jumping in but let me
make it perfectly straight if I go play
Roger Federer right now in tennis and I
have the greatest tennis racket ever
made like from taken from the Mars is
new like resources right and he took a
John McEnroe 1974 tennis racket he would
whip my ass like I’m crushing sales
people that have every sales force every
one of your competitors 37 features
upgraded went to every pro conference
watching this I will beat their ass in
sales every day of the week right your
talent that if I can suffocate all of
you today to take 25% of your take-home
income this year and pour it back into
two people who do video and written word
and put it into Facebook and Instagram
ads literally all of you will email me
24 months actually yet if you can start
right away literally 25% of you are
going to come
me this time next year right here and be
like holy Sh I’ve been listening to your
stuff for seven years your keynote was
different in Miami last year at this
time I listened I said it I don’t need
to go to Ibiza three times this year yet
I don’t need to buy a better BMW this
year to make me feel good with the
neighbors get I don’t need another pair
of Supremes or Yeezys I took the money
and I put it into Karen the film woman
and Rick the ad guy and now my business
is 2x this will 100% work even if you
suck on camera have zero charisma are
only eight days in the industry this
will work because it is such under
priced attention that the ROI will work
that if you’re a two and skill the ads
are a twenty in the ten point scale and
it closes the Delta of you being average
if you literally literally and I’ve said
this for seven years if you literally
literally go interview the guy who owns
the gym in town the guy who owns the
pizza shop the woman that owns the
insurance brokerage if you literally
literally literally just interview your
local community that you become the
local newspaper in three minute video
form on your phone you don’t even need
to hire the rock or babban arrives your
phone if you literally take it selfie it
and interview the principal of the
school in your neighborhood you will
become the local celebrity who can then
transact on whatever you’re trying to
sell that group if you bring value to
people if you interview the best high
school basketball player literally just
that your business will change or if you
literally just give the advice of how
you got here what you learned if you
shared your thoughts if you do not
understand that you were a media company
then you will not be as successful as
you are today in a decade
and that’s not interesting when the
alternative is you’re four to seven
times making
the state guys you have to understand
what happened to Blockbuster and Netflix
what happened with uber and taxi
companies what happened which hotels
versus Airbnb is happening with you as a
human in your business and so when you
have the best hand and you know it
because you’ve been paying attention and
you know how to play poker
you go all-in everybody here is playing
Facebook Instagram social media YouTube
podcasting like they have the best hand
and they’re calling and you’re not going
them into getting all the money you’re
just folding and that’s this audience so
can you imagine what I feel is going on
outside this stadium so this is a call
to action for everybody to do me one
favor and I do think I can get a lot of
you to do it which excites the of
me please right now listen maybe you’ve
laid out money maybe you’re in the
middle of a renovation maybe you’re
paying for your kids college
Mazel Tov I know there’s nuances on
everybody’s life but if you are in a
position where literally your take-home
income this year is literally the stuff
you’re gonna go and do things with
please from 25% to 90% if you can go
humble please take that money and hire
two people to make a lot more content
for you about you and your business and
please give the rest of the money to
Facebook and YouTube and Instagram and I
fundamentally promise you you will walk
here to this conference next year and
personally thank me emotionally because
your business will change and I know not
one of you has gone all-in you
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