How to Build Confidence and Self-esteem | Aubrey Marcus Podcast w/ GaryVee

Do not [ __ ] confuse confidence with ego. Ego is [ __ ] insecurity. It is not confidence. You got your perspective. I just want to be happy. Don't you want to be happy? Gary, what's up, my man? Life is good, brother. It is good, isn't it? Yeah. That's one of the [ __ ] things that, you know, I've had the opportunity to get to know you, not only in the professional context, but also just as a homie. And people always ask me like, "What's he like? What's he like? " And I have to say, man, you're [ __ ] happy. Like, there's no doubt about that. Yeah. You know, you were like one of the busiest and happiest people. Like, if you would turn the dials of both of those things up, a lot of times those things don't coincide, but for you, they do. And I think the thing that I'm conscious of is off the screen I'm real happy too, right? Like you know I think something one thing that's really been interesting is [clears throat] as awareness around an individual grows a level of responsibility comes along with it. I'm definitely in a point right now where I'm really am being thoughtful of like look there's a lot of eyes on me and a lot of people who are not happy are putting their eyes on me and I'm helping them through that and I need to be hyper sensitive in my own self of articulating things that I'm unhappy about and but what's been really interesting is I've been really on this kick for six or nine months I'm struggling to be unhappy happy because I've come to realize it's unbelievable how simple my life is. If I genuinely wake up in the morning and 8 to 10 people are actually still alive. Um I'm just struggling to be upset about stuff. I'm I don't know what else to say. I struggle with my perspective on life is very simple which is it's such a blessing. It's so rare, you know. Um, last time we were here, I made a video with you guys and in there I talked about the 400 trillion to one and that micro piece of content which I've chopped up and used. It's one of my most successful piece of content ever happened in this building a couple years ago and I I've really inter I've always internalized it. I finally articulated it a couple years ago and I continue to internalize it which is I am happy because I'd like to understand I'd like somebody to sell me on what to be upset about. Well, it's a failure of perspective when you're upset. experience. It really is. And if you can keep perspective like you are in line, you are happy. I'll tell you what's really emerged. Entitlement. I was parented in a really and my circumstances put me in a place where I just don't think anybody owes me anything. Not society, not the government, not people I do nice things for. That's a killer. Yeah. People struggle so much when they do something nice for somebody, they think that person owes them something. I'm desperately trying to give more value to every person I ever cross paths with and never ask for anything in return. That is literally the framework of my life. My great hope is that I can bring more value to people than they bring to me and I'm never in a dire situation where I ever have to ask for anything in return. Well, you keep yourself in that abundance state, right? So, you're not in need. You're not desperate. You don't have the expectation, oh, I'm giving this transactionally so that I receive this. And then when those expectations aren't met, then you have the hangover of that expectation, the sadness that comes from chasing that thrill of hoping to get something and then it failing. Instead, if you just give and have the act of giving be the gift itself, like, oh, I helped this person and I'm in that in a lot of ways. That's how that's right. And then it's the same reason I'm an entrepreneur. Being an entrepreneur is the win. And I

believe we're living through a great era right now where people are looking for the money and the things you can buy with the money from entrepreneurship. And that is why I believe that in the next decade there will be an enormous conversation of people being unhappy entrepreneurs during this generation. Yeah. because it is so in the air in your Instagram stream success and the perception of success and I've really started to articulate something that feels really true to me which is how do I you know I can only be responsible for myself I hope it encourage others but how do I start making happiness the true north star not money I don't know what else to say like not stuff like well anything that you place outside of yourself for happiness is going to be a dead end street right because that thing is something that you'll have to constantly chase that'll be the rabbit that keeps you on the greyhound track always running around oh if it's money well then you're going to need more money when you get money and you're going to need more and more and you'll keep feeding this thing rather than recognizing that happiness lives within us as soon as we acknowledge it and for everybody who's watching right now do not confuse this for a lack of ambition I'm ambitious as [ __ ] I just, you know, I just am really happy with the process and I'm also super weirdly happy with losing cuz that's the process. I lost to you in pool and in what is that thing again? Sauce. Sauce. I beat you in free throws and darts. I'm sitting here and I only want to play sauce and pool. And I think there's something in that. Right. The Rangers, New York Rangers and the Yankees have won World Championships

during my fandom. The Knicks and Jets have not. I do not watch the Rangers and Yankees anymore. I'm dieh hard on the other two. I'm in it for the process. Like I watch I watched I was at the airport. I took a I told you off camera I took a redeye which I'm trying not to do for my own body and like rest and all that but I did and I was in San Francisco and the Warriors game is on and I actually just don't consume a lot of like stuff in general but like I was watching this Warriors game and I grew up in the kind of like tech boom of 2005 through 11 in and I'd go to San Francisco a lot and when I tell you not one [ __ ] human in San Francisco knew who the Warriors were in 2005 to 11. not one. And I'm watching this game. It's the end of the game and I'm watching these fans celebrate. And there was just this wild feeling going through my body of almost like a really funny mix of like I don't know. I find it crazy when people become bandwagon fans and think that they're successful through their team success. Yeah. They use the word we when they're talking about a pro team. Yeah. And I do that as well, you know, so I don't want to be a hypocrite, but I'm literally talking about you don't like the team or care about it. Then they start winning championships and you're going to games and you and then you're making fun of like hardcore Houston Rocket fans. And I watch this play out on social and like in culture. And I'm like, I don't know. I just I think a bandwagon sports fan is one of the great tells of somebody who's insecure. And it's just something that has always run through my mind. Literally, when I think about the Bulls fans and the Cowboy fans of my high school years in New Jersey when they were good, um just a lot of those bandwagon fans in my school are not happy or successful. Well, when they're when you attach your identity to some other thing and then that identity makes you good whether or not that thing is successful or not. So if your identity is a sports fan of X

team and you only feel good about yourself when X team is there because it's like you had some [ __ ] insight that made you smarter or made you better or made you something that your ego can latch on to is like I am superior to something else. And if you're in it for that well you might get a thrill every once in a while but you're going to have a lot of [ __ ] heartbreak rather than being in it as you were saying being in it for just being a fan. Whether you're winning or losing the joy of being a fan is being a fan, not to [ __ ] win. It's crazy while you were just talking where my mind went. It went to people's social media profiles versus their actual truth. I am petrified that everybody is a PR version of themselves on social and that it's now a thing like a sports team. Yep. It was really interesting where my mind just went. I'm like, [ __ ] those likes and those followers and that stuff. Like, you really meditate on that? I mean the amount that you get out of that the dopamine validation people are not posting because they're petrified for it not to hit the metric of their prior post like literally humans are not sharing stuff with other humans which is like the core thing of why this all worked because they're worried that this picture of this coconut shake is not going to do as well as the picture of them hiking and so they're literally not posting. I mean to live a life predicated on your your success and happiness is predicated on likes or followers in a social network is a very vulnerable state but has always been our vulnerable state. Yeah. Do not confuse this. This is not a social media problem. This is a human problem. It's the same reason that people buy Mercedes that they can't afford or buy homes wear sneakers that they can't afford or I mean high school never really ends for 99% of people. Well, that was that initial tribal impulse, that evolutionary biology that [clears throat] said, "Get along with the tribe. Make sure the tribe likes you. You won't get exiled, and then the tribe will take care of you. " But now there's no actual tribe that's hunting for food and foraging for [ __ ] berries. But we've universalized it to social media and the entirety of the world. So it can become this paralyzing thing that our brains which we're used to the Dunar number which was 150 people the maximum amount of people that you could actually give a [ __ ] about in your tribe really is what the psychologists assume. But now it's like everybody and that's kind of [ __ ] overwhelming. And I don't think we've really adapted people are really keen to how much of that social pressure actually affects us. And the modern day parent is blaming the network, not the way they're parenting their child, right? With extraordinary forces. This is I want to stay on this. I apologize. This is a very big thing for me. There is no social network. It's a platform. Everything on Instagram was done by a human. People like, Gary, I'm so crippled by this [ __ ] And like I'm like, delete Instagram. I I'm [clears throat] really really passionate about accountability. We need to we need to put it in the right place. We don't need to look the other way where there's systematic issues. There are but we have to put accountability on a pedestal. Back to lack of entitlement. Accountability much of a kissing cousin of lack of entitlement is such a driver for me. Every time something happens bad, I'm like, that's my fault. And that makes me happy, not sad. It makes me feel empowered. Yeah. I think with what we have to recognize is this is an extraordinary force. The access to social media Doesn't mean it's good or bad. It's just a force that exists. So when you have a force that exists like that, it's the job of parents. me and you.

parents. It's the job of me and you. everybody who's talking about it to just remind people like this is a strong force. Everyone use it for good. Use it how you want, but be mindful of it. These are the ways that it can actually be using you. almost drag you like a drug addiction, right? Like it's fine to have a few glasses of wine, but if it's a bottle of wine every night, then the wine is using you. You're not using the wine, you know? And that's the exact same way you can look at social media. I I believe that is absolutely true. And I believe that we struggle when new things happen in our society to fully wrap our heads around them. The internet is the biggest impact on humans. You have to assume I'm just, you know, fire. Like I'm talking like on a real level here. Like the internet, we are all super lucky. Like if you think about how long humans have actually been around like the airplane seems pretty intense. Like there's a ton of [ __ ] that has happened, right? Electricity. I the printing press, but like it's on that level. There's a lot of people who Right. Yeah. But don't live, you know, I'm looking at this room, everybody kind of in a in an age group where like the like we are living through the beginning of the platform that arguably is one of the one to five biggest inventions and impacts on humans ever. And so that's intense. It just is like in some ways certain generations had world wars and other things. Ours is this incredible acceleration of technology. And look, this may seem mundane for somebody who's watching this in a thousand years because the robots took over and like there's just million things that could happen, but we are in a very special time. And right now we have gone into chapter two. Chapter one in 2005, 67, 8, nine about all the maturity of the internet was Nirvana, right? It was all good. Look at all these people doing well, super cool, super nice. The cliche thing that always happens is what's happening right now. Now we're demonizing it. America and humans love to build [ __ ] up and then tear it down. We loved building Zuck up. Now we're loving demonizing him and then we're going to love for him to come back. Like this is what we do. Um I just really really want people to stop blaming Instagram. Yeah. There is no Instagram. There's you. You don't like it, don't consume it. It's free. Yeah. I mean, just the same as don't blame the wine. You know, you're the one who unccorks it. drinks it. And I understand that there's pressures addictive tendencies and I understand the way that the brain works and I understand it's not easy and some people may have it rougher than other people and all that's understood. But fundamentally, it's your hand. It's your bottle. It's your corkcrew. You know, you can make a different choice. And if you need help making that different choice, [ __ ] go get choice. It's still

making that different choice. It's still though like we I agree with you with that accountability. Like we have to remember that this isn't about nerfing the whole world and saying, "Oh, video games and [ __ ] Instagram, it's all bad and it's ruining the kids. " Like, no, these are extraordinary forces, so let's acknowledge those and let's just teach and coach and like help people out. Sugar is an extraordinary force. It is. Right. Like I think that's right. But I think right now we're in a very convenient state and everybody's throwing around judgment and blame like it's free and we need to I feel a huge sense of responsibility to articulate accountability, lack of entitlement and positivity because I believe in it. Yeah. And I by the way there's a you know it's funny there's a very interesting thing going on here right now which is there's an extraordinary amount of people that are content or happy they just don't communicate right like negativity by nature is louder has always been your grandmother who's miserable was louder than your grandfather who's content the problem is now words are being documented at scale this has always been the way there's nothing different right now. It's just that we can't look at our grandmother's tweets. [ __ ] If we could. I mean, my grandmother was one of the most super negative people I've ever come across in my life. Just unbelievably negative. Everything was negative. Every good thing that happened was a conspiracy theory. And I used to be mad at her and then I had to remind myself as I got older and more thoughtful. I'm like, this is a woman who lived in the Soviet Union who went through World War II and, you know, who saw some [ __ ] and who lost her husband and who had a because I knew my great-grandmother too had a negative mother and like you become more empathetic as you become more thoughtful. But it doesn't take away from the fact that my grandma would have been spitting [ __ ] venom on Instagram if that [ __ ] was around in 1957, you know? And so, like, I think we need to get into some real conversations. And right now, the conversations are lazy. Social media is bad. It's Apple's job to restrict it. And that's cool. I'm like fine with a level of like platform and government involvement. I'm fine with that. But like you'll always be disappointed if you think some big force is going to save you. You'll always be disappointed. So just solve it for yourself. That's what we But that's people make

money off that idea as well, which is one of the things that in the health world is really challenging to look at when people give some kind of diagnosis for every little thing and give some magical cure that's outside of someone's [ __ ] vinegar or [ __ ] celery [ __ ] vinegar. Like I see all this [ __ ] And I'm like, "What the fuck? " Well, in anything, it's like, "This thing is out of your control. You can't fix it. Oh, you're having a little trouble focusing. Don't worry. We got you covered. " Like, "You're broken. You're broken. " Like, all the messaging coming across is you're broken. We can fix you. You know, somebody Yeah. The end. Yeah. And I'm like, "You're not broken. You're not broken. That's the secret. Nobody here is broken. " Nope. We all suck [ __ ] at a ton of [ __ ] We all are actually good at a couple of things. spend all your [ __ ] time trying to figure out what you're good at. And if, god forbid, one of those things is something you actually like, too, you're off to the [ __ ] races. Yeah. And if and in 2019 when you can make a podcast or an Instagram account or a Shopify store around Dragon Ball Z and make 73,000 a year doing that, that's real. What I just said is real. That's [ __ ] crazy that if you go pot committed, you have a job that you don't like, paying college debt that you're pissed about, but instead of coming home and having a beer and watching Netflix and playing [ __ ] Fortnite to escape, I get it. You want to escape. I get it. What I'm saying is just take a step back. Listen to me for a second. Come home and start building your Dragon Ball Z eBay account by buying [ __ ] on Craigslist and flipping it. Start a podcast and go Dragon Ball Z episode one. Here we are. Duh. Start an Instagram account around Dragon Ball Z. Build build. If you [ __ ] did that around somewhere 12 years ago loved Black Panther, somebody did. It was a rare comic book. It wasn't the biggest of the world, but somebody loved it. But they didn't think that they could build a business about Black Panther. What they didn't know was 10 years later, Black Panther was going to be made a feature film that was going to completely penetrate culture. if she or he had a podcast and Instagram account that really was the nichiest of niche Black Panther fans, which made no [ __ ] sense 10 years ago, but it had its 43,000 people that [ __ ] with Black Panther. When that movie came out and had that huge marketing budget, that [ __ ] would have gotten 50,000 bucks to market the [ __ ] out of that movie on his Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, podcast, blog. And that same person right now is still sitting in their cubicle making 79,000 a year hating life. I'm fascinated by that. It's interesting, you know, like it's almost like we all have the chance to drill our wells. And we drill our wells through our effort, through our sweat, through our focus, through our intensity, but the water table may be at

300 ft. So if we don't go deep enough, you know, if we're just kind of casually [ __ ] with Black Panther instead of really going deep and continuing to dig, we won't ever hit the water of being lucrative or the water of success. We may pull up at 200 feet. 250 feet and not get any water. And so there's no confusion, somebody's gonna go 400 feet. The great thing is that we could all do it. The bad thing is we can all do it. So now you're competing with the world. You know, there's a lot of people that started wine videos in 2008 after mine popped. Every liquor store in America started their wine show. They just weren't good enough, right? There's a lot of people trying to do Gary Vee videos on Instagram every day. a whole lot a lot more of those than wine shows in 2008, but they're not good enough because it's not true. Yeah. Like the only way to really win is to be true. You got to be it, man. You got to [ __ ] be it. You know, I had an interesting thing happen last night. So, yesterday I was out shooting hoops so I could hopefully beat you today, which failed. I lost. By the way, when we replay the tape, I genuinely think after you drilled that first one, the subtle like way I passed it back and then we laugh. I really believe in that [ __ ] It worked. I believe the majority of victories that I have had in physical sports things have been completely mental victories, non-physical. Well, this all right. So, so Gary throws the ball with the wrong spin, so I have to go reach for it. But I definitely actually soccer kick it back to myself. And actually, what [ __ ] with me, too, was all right. I see Gary playing that trick. I know what it's supposed to do. But look at how smooth I was with that soccer kid. So, I'm [ __ ] patting myself in the back and I'm on my head because the brain is the operating system. And what happened was I stopped the eb and flow of what was naturally going to happen. [gasps] And then you are so in the brain too that you almost overcorrected and away we go. And I pull off a stunning victory. Well, in my efforts to try and prevent that from happening, I'm out there shooting hoops in my backyard and I've lived at this house for almost seven years. And in the front of the house, there's a drainage ditch. And the drainage ditch has some embankments and it has some places where like the drain kind of has a tunnel and I just would think, all right, this is the drainage ditch in front of my house and never thought another thing about it. Well, yesterday there's a kid on a BMX bike and I'm out there shooting hoops and he is just ripping through my drainage ditch, jumping over the things, hitting the embankment, riding it like a vert ramp, and then going back and like peeling out. And I was like, whoa. I never saw the front of my yard as a

BMX [ __ ] terrain park, but he did because that's what he does. Like he was clearly like he is that dude. He was the dude who could see that as a terrain park. And whoever you are right now, wherever you are, you're the dude that sees something that someone else doesn't see. That the owner of the [ __ ] house never saw once. I had no idea. I was like, that's just the annoying part that if I fall off the driveway, I'll get stuck. Like, but I didn't see it as a BMX terrain park. But we all have that ability. We all have I'm such a fan of what you just said, honestly. You know, usually when I go on podcasts or things of that nature, I'm like trying to answer the questions. I'm thinking I've already done it once here. I'm listening. So, I'm thinking of new things to say. That really stopped me dead in my tracks. And I'm going to tell you why. I'm obsessed with perspective. Like, I genuinely believe you find what you're looking for. If you are looking for bad right now, it's a piece of cake. If you're looking for good I'm just asking you what the [ __ ] are you looking for? Like, please. It's just a very simple question. Like, and by the way, I hate in a lot of ways I hate the way I talk because it's super simple. And I'm sitting right now thinking about the kid who's listening to this and she or he is in her room right now, earpods in, listening to this, and they're miserable because their dad's an alcoholic or their mom's this or like real [ __ ] you know, like tough stuff. And they're like, uh, it's so like, [ __ ] you. It's not that simple. Yet it is like, you know, one thing I don't do well is talk about my problems. It which manifests in many ways. It manifests in being taken for granted in my real life and in my collective life, my outward life. Now, I got [ __ ] problems. I got lots of problems, real ones. I grew up with lots of stuff. Like lots and lots of stuff. I just am not capable of going into it. Like I don't get going. Like I can't get there. And so one of the things that you know that I try to remind kids, I'm like, take me out of the equation. Like don't even use me when I'm saying these things for you. If you know of one person that has ever gotten to a happy place that dealt with your circumstance, there is a blueprint. The end. There have been people Night Train Lane, legendary football player, was thrown in a dumpster the second he was born. Went on to be one of the great football players of all time. dated every actress in the game, was Red Fox's bodyguard, iconic gentleman, dumpster. Like, like there's all sorts of circumstances. Yep. And we all have our [ __ ] dumpsters. Everybody's got dumpsters. Everyone, and you know who else has dumpsters? I apologize. You know who has dumpsters? Kids that have too much. You want to talk about who I'm actually getting hit up by? It's not the kid in the hood that saw me with, you know, guna and they think I'm cool now and they're like, "How do I get out of the It's kids that are trust fun babies who are sick. " Listen, and I know this. I never judge somebody that comes from a shitty

circumstance. I'm a cheerleader. I'm an underdog guy, right? I cheer that. I see I meet you and we're friends and then like we're at a dinner party and my friend comes over and goes, "You know who that is, right? Like that's the grandson of [ __ ] Howard Hughes. " I immediately judge that person. Nothing that person ever achieves, I'll give credit to. That's me. That's actually how I see the world. I will not fully give credit to my own children because of that reason. I really I'm being very transparent here. I would much rather in a world of the internet where the internet doesn't care who you are. I would much rather in 2019 come from too little than come from too much. Not in 1984 because there was no internet and all those relationships and all that money really mattered. But I believe that we're living in a very funny time where clout, reputation, work ethic, a lot of different things are starting to be put on pedestals, not just money and earning your keep and who you are and what you're giving to the world. And I think we're living in a very interesting transition. I mean, whatever you have, it changes your start position and that can be overwhelming, right? It's all about what you do with what you have from where you begin. And by the way, it's all perspective, right? For me, as somebody who takes so much pride in the process, I wouldn't have wanted to start on third and a half base. Somebody else listening right now is like, I'm pretty cool with it. Pretty pumped. Pops made 50, you know? And that's you start on third and half base, you better [ __ ] hit it 500 ft and keep by. But here's where it's really fun. Here's where it gets super like interesting. Or not. And guess what? Who the [ __ ] are all of us? You're on third and a half base and you end up on second what you're going to and this is actually the punch line I want like actually if somebody's listening right now if you're somebody who's like 50 60 70 and you started in third and half base and ended on second and half base but you're pumped as [ __ ] and happy for real please email me. I'm really like I just want to know that insight because I actually think it's the reverse of me. What h excuse me I think it's similar to me which is what actually happens when you can calibrate judgment. I believe one of the biggest reasons that I'm one of the forefront faces of all this is because I can handle the judgment. You know how much hate I have? There's a video right now of a young woman doing a motivational speech. She crushed it. It's going a little viral on Twitter. I'm getting destroyed by the comments. They're like, "Yeah, [ __ ] that Gary Vee guy. I know that's who you're freaking making fun of. " That hurts. And most people are folding their chairs when they get judged like that. I'm not because I know every one of those people who said that have never met me. I can handle judgment if you don't know me. If Caleb and Nick Dio thought I was a dick face, then I would have a real problem. Well, then it's a truer reflection. But even still, it's not the truest. Like we ourselves are the truest mirror of ourselves. If we actually are fair and we actually look without the biases that we all bring, then we're the only ones. I mean, Bodie Miller was someone who taught me that, right? He was like

if someone pumps your tires, they don't know you. If they congratulate you on that, like he would get congratulated on finishing a race and he didn't like the race. He couldn't take that. He's like, "Well, I didn't [ __ ] ski at my best. " And he would ski his best sometimes, crash or not finish well, and everybody like, "Oh, sorry, man. " He'd be like, "Fuck you, man. Like, I [ __ ] skied my best. " You know what I mean, man? It's honestly like that just got me fired up about Bodie. I'm the same way, man. Like, it's unbelievable how I just I do not take the accolades and hate. I'm just [ __ ] in the middle. I'm in my own head. It's really a reflection of who's saying it. It's not even a reflection of you. I'll appreciate you'll appreciate this. It doesn't even go that far, bro. Honestly, I've got earpods in 24/7. Can't hear [ __ ] From my mom to a stranger. Just don't hear it. I don't know what else to tell you. I'm in a very [ __ ] place, a very interesting place on this. You know what? It's driven by empathy. I know they don't know me. They just can't [ __ ] begin to know me. Like, I hate Scotty Pippen. I don't know Scotty Pippen. So, I understand it. I [ __ ] hate Scotty Pippen. I despise Tom Brady and I actually know a lot of people that know him. It sounds like he's a fairly solid dude. I still [ __ ] hate him. And so like if I'm willing to do that, then everyone's willing to do that and everybody gets permission to do that. That's it. And so like but I think judgment is on tilt. Judgment is like [ __ ] I'm telling you, man. Like that's all we're doing now. People are just [ __ ] hot taking each other 24/7 365 casting judgment at scale. Judgment is on tilt. Judgment is has momentum. Judgment is the is the undertone right now. And honestly, I want to push so against it or calibrate it. Yeah. You know, like I'm just I I've lost so much momentum in judging somebody, you can't imagine the last 5 years. Everybody does it. It's a human trait. But like mine doesn't get going anymore. Like I'm just like I don't know anything about anybody. It's true. It's hard enough to know ourselves, let alone sucking somebody else. Like to really have a clear view of us who was looking in the [ __ ] mirror back at us. Like to really see that [ __ ] I mean that's hard enough work. Let alone somebody else, another entire human being and all of the pressures and all the urges and all the things. And the amount of hypocrisy people spit. Like just like, "Oh, [ __ ] that guy. Look what he just did. " And like literally they did that [ __ ] yesterday. Like I just see it every day. It's crazy. Like I'm just shocked by people's

ability to be such insane hypocrites. Well, the ego needs to put them in a position where they feel superior. The ego only judges itself in relative position. So no matter what, if someone's uncomfortable with their relative position, they'll have to make [ __ ] adjustment. Bro, we have to [ __ ] redefine ego. Cuz for some reason, a lot of alphas like to think ego is decent. Let me just explain this very clear to everybody straight up from one man's point of view. Ego is insecurity with makeup on. So like we need to redefine ego because when people hear ego 40% of like yeah but the [ __ ] ego like they think there's a lot of good with that. Do not [ __ ] confuse confidence with ego. Ego is [ __ ] insecurity. It is not confidence. It's [ __ ] insecurity. Yeah. Always. Because it's always trying to put yourself in, as I said, not absolute position. Not where you absolutely know who you are and absolutely know what you're doing and you're not phased by other people. It's all relative. It's all based on some [ __ ] delusional Wizard of Oz, you know, sorcerer game where you're trying to create some structure and some rule book for life itself in which this person is below you or this person had this advantage disadvantage. You know, playing up your disadvantages is also another game like, oh well, I'm in the most disenfranchised group of the disenfranchised group. So, basically, I can't lose. And you were in this enabled group. I mean, that's something that I get all the time. My dad was a successful commodities trader. He went insane before on it was ever successful and I never got a dime from him. But some people will go look up my father. Oh, he was a commodities trade. Look at this [ __ ] rich boy. Of course you created on it. And I'm like and then that's a way that they can put themselves business for my parents and get I [ __ ] took 22 to 34. Gave up my entire This is insane to me in hindsight. gave up my entire best dude years to spend every minute in a liquor store to build a business for my parents. Left at 34, had no money. So much so that Vayner Media started in the conference room of Buddy Media cuz I had no [ __ ] money to even pay rent. And all that, you know, and a small percentage of people anytime I say anything's like, "But Daddy's liquor store. " Or, you know, and then it manifests or he was given $4 million. Like I read this [ __ ] sometimes and I'm like and honestly I mean it. I'm like [ __ ] man I feel bad. Like for that person to like want to say that because it makes them feel better that they're not willing to put in the work or they're unhappy or whatever is going on for them. That makes me feel like you

know sympathy. Like honestly like this is what I'm trying to tell people. This is a good topic. There's a lot of you out there that are happy, that are successful, and you're and one of the things that's happening is you're putting out stuff and you're being crippled a little bit by the comments and you get angry and we've created this term trolls. I don't look at as trolls. I really don't. A lot of my friends back in the day were like, "Why do you feed trolls? " I'm like, "Because I respect other people's points of view and I want to learn from conversation. " Like everybody now is just like trolls, trolls. And any negative thing you get, people dismiss as hate, haterade, trolls. I [ __ ] read that [ __ ] I read it because I never want to become a character of myself. I need to make, you know, do I need to calibrate it. I definitely doesn't bring me down. I want to understand it. Allows me to adjust and I have to adjust. We all have to adjust. I just think there's a lot of things going on in the system. But I really want to get people's minds more quiet because it is just one big game of are you valuing other people's opinions or are you valuing your own process? Yeah. and just the validation from others is a no-win game. And I don't know what happened. I mean, I know what happened. Parenting and circumstance and environment. In hindsight, my ability to navigate high school without peer pressure, which is what I did straight up. Like, it's been fun for my high school friends to be hitting me up on Facebook and stuff of that nature, you know? They're just like, "Yeah, you really did do that shit. " Like, I just didn't give a [ __ ] I was selling baseball cards and by sophomore year, you said something in the gym. You're like, "I was into magic. So into it. " And then you're like, and then I gave it up. And literally where my brain was, I'm like, "Yeah, cuz you're a good-looking dude. " And you got to high school, you're like, "I'm not getting [ __ ] if I play Magic. " No, I Gary, let me tell you how it actually went. I was playing I had my little Magic Circle out in California. I used to play at this [ __ ] Johnny's Pizza and there was this one [ __ ] kid who would just always beat me, take my cards, whatever. I would battle him. I would sweat and we'd listen to Rolling Stones and I'd usually lose. But nonetheless, I was [ __ ] feverish about it. I was in it from the drop. And then when my parents were like, "Hey, we're moving to Texas. " I was like, "No, we can't. Nobody plays magic there in Texas. " Like my circle, I was like 8th grade. And I it was like I was wrecked. This nerd Aubrey is my favorite. I was [ __ ] wrecked because then there wasn't like internet. There wasn't like a an app that I could go like find the Magic the Gathering circle near you or some [ __ ] Tinder for Magic the Gathering player. No, there was nobody. And I got to [ __ ] college and lost every friend I had. Like we didn't have phones. Like you didn't like it was over. Like these kids don't get it. Like it was over. Yeah. And that's when so I didn't have there's no players. So what happened? And then you lean into sport. Yeah. Lean into basketball. Lean in the girls also did for sure come. But nonetheless, I probably I didn't give up baseball cards for girls cuz I was quiet. I was like this. And like and to that point, it's really funny though. I got to be honest with you. There's something happening with me in the last three to four weeks where I'm starting to get ambitious. I am starting to see the fruits of my labor. young alpha dudes start to throw around words like gratitude and empathy and kindness. And it's really starting to really make me feel good. And it's like really [ __ ] with me. It really is exciting. And I do think you know much like you know you do there's a real interesting reason that I gravitate towards you have some strong points of view that are not fully accepted you ferris others and I don't consume a lot of content so I don't need I'm going to tread lightly here because since I don't really it's very top line right but like everything's cool in moderation as a simplification of meld like I think you're talking about things that are going to really show that you're historically correct and I think you're gonna help people you're giving people permission And as somebody who was super affected also by his mother on the Nancy Reagan kick and has never [ __ ] done a single drug in his life, I've never done anything anything. I'm inspired by it. I mean it. Oh, thank you, brother. I mean it cuz I'm seeing you do [ __ ] again, you know, because I don't really consume. I'm very funny in my process, but I know you're up to something that is a different thing. It's a different category of things. You know, one thing you've touched on in the past that has hit my radar, I think I'm talking about parenting and insecurity and truths that people are uncomfortable with. I think America's unbelievably uncomfortable with sex and like, you know, like and drugs and I know that you're playing a little bit in that space and I'm that sounds really fun, but it's a little less fun. It is less fun. You're doing it from a far more thoughtful uh really thoughtful like mental place in my opinion. Yeah. From a soulful place, you know, and what we're talking about is psychedelics and open relationship. And I think you're talk and I think you're creating safness. That's what I think you're doing. Uh [sighs] and that's what I'm trying to do. I think we have an entire generation of people that are trying to be successful and I have enormous ambition to redefine it. I just really want people to be happy. It's so much more fun super fun to be happy, bro. And and I don't mean pretending to be happy. what everybody's doing, which is spending all their time to appear happy. And so I'm uh yeah, I'm really in it right now. I'm in a zone. And you know what? Like the thing the key one of the keys that I find to happiness is when happiness lives in the moment you're in. And really happiness is acceptance of like whatever process that might be and just recognizing that and whenever you're doing something for some other reason and projecting it's harder to be happy. There was a good example of this morning. This morning I'm taking a [ __ ] selfie in the sun. I don't do that often but I was like ah nice sun. It's important day. I'm going to take a [ __ ] selfie. And there was a butterfly that came and I don't get a lot of butterflies in my backyard. This

butterfly comes wafting by me and I was like, "Ooh, sweet. I can get a selfie with a butterfly, right? " And so I spent this time moving myself around and there's this magical moment where there's this butterfly fluttering around me. The sun was just shining. I could have just breathed and enjoyed myself, but instead I'm [ __ ] chasing this butterfly around with my [ __ ] selfie camera and then I wake up and go, "That was really stupid. " Or was it? No, I felt like it was. I could have enjoyed the butterfly. I'll be honest with you, what you just said is something I'm thinking a lot about, which is we're not that we're and you didn't demonize it, but society is starting to demonize like live in the moment, right? I there's this photo that went viral as [ __ ] like four years ago with the Pope and everyone's taking a photo and there's that like 88-year-old lady and she's just looking at it and everyone's like trying to make it to be this great thing and I was like, she didn't have a [ __ ] phone. like like like why are we making letters on a like if I send you a really nice three sentence text tomorrow of like how much I enjoyed today, right? Which now I'm not going to do because I've said it out loud, but like why does putting out on a piece of paper and sending us a note because what because it made seem like I put an extra two minutes into it like we're starting to do things where I think it's awesome that you chased around the butterfly. I think it's funny. I think it's funny and interesting and like I don't know like I don't want to [ __ ] stand there and just take in the butterfly like like I think it's fun to chase it with the camera. That was just fun from a game standpoint. Butterflies [ __ ] move quick. Like that [ __ ] was hard like you know. So like I don't know. I again this goes to like the currents that we live in society where like right now like everyone's like just take it in. I don't know. I wish I had photos of me at baseball card shows. Do you know how [ __ ] pissed I am? I'm Let me say this right now. Do you know how sad I am that I don't have photos from 1989 to 1992 at the 87 different baseball card shows that I have? Because I'd like to see them. So, like, cool. I'm glad that everybody's demonizing selfie sticks and all this [ __ ] But I promise you, in 39 years, while you were making fun of those people, they're going to be thrilled to look at it. And their kids are going to be very thrilled to look at it. And I'm super sad because I don't have jack [ __ ] of my childhood. Like my throwback Thursday game is whack as [ __ ] because I got nothing because us Russians we didn't really take photos. And so like you know like again there is a ying and a yang to everything and we should be the judge and jury of it. And back to your point if it was cool for two minutes to chase it with a selfie. Cool. And then if you're like [ __ ] it I'm an idiot. Let me take this in. Cool. And like that's you and that's it. But everybody's taking everybody else's like I'm watching people like like see one piece of content and be like, "Yeah, that's what I'm doing now. I'm going to sell my phone and write letters. " I'm like and they do

it to me in the other way, right? They're like, "Gary's right. I'm going to do this. " No, I'm putting out my perspective. Filter that through you. Take the good that works for you from that. Le like leave the [ __ ] that you don't like. Most people aren't as competitive as I am. What's that [ __ ] hockey thing called again? sauce, dude. I'm like still kind of like in it. Like I want to go back and play sauce again. Yeah. Like, you know, like not everybody's that like that's why I love this. I love competing and business for me is competing. And I wasn't built enough to be in the league. And by the way, all those years where I was sad that I wasn't an athlete, now I'm the happiest that I'm an entrepreneur, not an athlete. Now that I'm really in the game and the world, um, I feel bad for these athletes. You're super competitive. That is your high. That is what gets you excited. And when you're a rock star, you could like MC Jagger is still doing it, but when you're Kobe's not playing what he was meant to do, he's a child still. And look where he's going to the business world to get that [ __ ] feeling. So I don't know. I think what you're saying is a really good point though because there's a way that you can put a hierarchy of

value in your life and valuable situations, right? and saying that if you're taking a selfie that is of no value because you should be taking the present moment which is instead it's still a judgment. It's still you putting a hierarchy together instead of just going out even further and bursting out of that and being like there's no judgment for any of this [ __ ] as long as you're not hurting anybody. Secret thought in my mind that I'm desperately hopeful will happen. This is a very weird thing I'm about to say. I've never shared this. There's a very big part of me and a conversation I consistently have with myself that secretly though I won't force it. This is where I really know how to like play with myself. I secretly hope I wake up one day and don't want to buy the Jets anymore work the way I want to work and want to do something else completely left field. And I can't wait to wake up, look in the camera, and be like, "I'm out. " And leave and not give a [ __ ] what anybody says. Oh, he figured out that he couldn't do it, so he did this. or see you can't work like Gary Vee he got burned out like don't give a [ __ ] if I genuinely in my soul feel it I can't wait to go build [ __ ] sand castles in Peru for the rest of my life and that's an empowering you see where I'm going so [ __ ] empowering man because we get trapped by the identity that we've formerly created you said it he pegged it for me in a podcast on my podcast he flipped it on me he goes you know what your superpower is I'm like what he's like you don't judge yourself I'm like [ __ ] you're And that's what that was. This is why I'm so hot in this judgment thing. The great blessing of my life is that I don't judge myself. I hold myself accountable. Like it doesn't mean you go and be reckless. Um I'm not delusional when I [ __ ] up and I suck. It's just that I just don't overjudge it. Yeah. Everyone's tearing themselves down. The

[ __ ] are you doing that for? Everybody else is doing it for you. Stop beating yourself up. Like what? Yeah. It's like we have this idea of what we should be, what we're supposed to already be. Whoever the [ __ ] you are right now, whoever you are today is tomorrow's idiot. Like tomorrow you're going to look back at yourself of yesterday, last week, last year and be like, "Oh yeah, I was still just figuring it out. " And you're always going to be in that [ __ ] position forever. And parents, if you're listening right now, cuz you know that to be true, stop being a dick cuz you know that you're 57 and you don't have anything figured out. The [ __ ] are you pressuring your 19-year-old to figure it out? Can we just [ __ ] eliminate that? Can like, honestly, maybe we can do it right here. You'll get a lot of listens to this if this is the true moment in society where we eliminate figuring it out. There is no [ __ ] out. It doesn't end. The [ __ ] are you talking about? What? Getting a job in accounting firm when you're 23, you figured it the [ __ ] out. Getting married at 29, you figured it out. What the [ __ ] are we talking about here? There is no figuring it out. It's an endless infinite loop of figuring. And so if you're a 57y old and forcing your 22-year-old to figure it

out because you want to look good to your friends that your child figured it out, not you want your kid. Ah, the secret the ego gets activated again because you can [ __ ] on those other parents whose kids should know better. You love your child, you should tell them to never figure it the [ __ ] out. Just live. And you know what? Can we talk? Can we take another turn? Yeah. Another big thing that is through because it's funny where my body just went with that. All this talk leads to me getting hot on people not buying things. Like I feel people are unbelievably good at trapping themselves in unhappiness because of things they buy based on a lot of things we just talked about. Like I don't know like I don't want people to buy the kind of homes and cars they're buying that puts them into a place where they have to then take a job or stay at a job they don't want to. I'm really hot on this right now. I really, really, really want people to stop buying homes or homes they can't afford. Like one of the funniest moves because I've said it once and I got inundated and I did it and I see everybody doing it. Almost everybody on their first home buy something that completely stretches the living [ __ ] out of them like to the meanwhile there's like usually five rooms in that thing that they don't even use. Like I wish that there could be a new rule. Somebody a little bit more in the trenches in home buying. Can somebody create a rule that like leave 35% like whatever it is like go 35% down so you're not so stretched. Cuz what happens is the next day everyone celebrates you. You have a new home. You're all set. You're now [ __ ] golden handcuffed like a [ __ ] Like nothing can happen to you financially or you can't make your mortgage payments and live the same lifestyle that you like. And h and if you tried to make a switch and go to your passion, go to something that you really wanted to do, build [ __ ] sand castles in Peru, guess what? Well, that means that you have to get rid of your house really quick or change this all this momentum, all of this debt, all of this accumulation, all this depreciation is actually going to restrict your freedom. And freedom, it has to be one of the highest things that we can put number one. Number one, right? I think purebred entrepreneurs love freedom number. I love freedom number one. When people say to me, what does success look like? And that gets asked a lot. I always say the same thing pretty consistently for a long time. Being able to wake up and do whatever the [ __ ] I want whenever I want. The end. That to me is number freedom is number one, two, three, four, five. Maybe this is the first time I've ever made this connection. Maybe it's because I was born in not a very free place that subconsciously wired some way into me. Uh that I mean freedom, bro. By the way, that's why cander and transparency are at my core. That's freedom, too. That is 100% freedom. Imagine if you were trying to hold some [ __ ] secret. Like I just published a newsletter and it was called five uncomfortable truths and it was the middle of the night and I was like you know what there's some [ __ ] that people don't know about me. Boom. And then so I just [ __ ] put that out like here we go. Ha. Isn't that nice? And everybody feel free to tell the truth. It's okay. And if you don't like me because of my truths. Oh yeah. One of my truths is that I've been addicted to sleeping medication for the last year and I run a [ __ ] human optimization company. Good for you. That's tough. It's tough to admit that, you know, but it's the [ __ ] Dude, do you know how many people you just helped with that? Dude, that's incredible, dude. I'm really proud of you, bro. Well, thanks, bro. It takes an enormous amount of strength to do something like that. But it's so liberating. That's the thing. It's Eminem's last scene in the movie, bro. This has been figured out a long time ago. It was called 8 Mile, the movie. Go watch it. It's a rap battle. That is life itself. You're up against it. First move, [ __ ] on yourself in perpetuity. That nothing else is left to anybody else. you've now won. Because when he makes that trans transition to but there's something I know about you, Clarence, that's how I live life. When people judge me, I'm like, what's going on in your life? The reason I don't judge anybody is I don't want people to do that to me. That's the real game. That's the 1% game. When people spit hate, I'm like, but what's going on in your life? What are you up to? and and what I the reason I called my brand empathy and the reason some of my friends have helped me through this feedback why I realize a lot of times it's actually

sympathy not empathy and I'm trying to learn all these things every you know my mom has a Russian saying and basically it translates to everybody's got some [ __ ] in their chicken hen Russia was [ __ ] up but I believe in that and I think the fact that you can do that what you understand is a lot of things but one of them is you got that. That's I said it earlier. Everybody sucks at a lot of things. No doubt, man. Who's this [ __ ] perfect person? And it's just about embracing that. Embrace the fact that you suck and enjoy the suck. Let me tell you something that I think you and I represent. And we're not all the way there yet, but I I have a real interesting observation. I believe that everybody thinks things are super [ __ ] up. And I think this is the beginning of an incredible century of human behavior. I believe what we're living through right now that when we look back at this video and we're like, "Fuck, we were so young. [ __ ] we looked good. " And we're going to watch this exact video in 60 years and we're going to be like, "Fuck, this was right. I'm so positive about what I'm about to say. " This level of lack of privacy, some people like you and I are starting to understand it so well that we're leaning in the other direction. There's always a reaction and a counterreaction. I believe that everybody's about to figure out that there's nowhere to hide, which is going to lead for everybody being more transparent, to people realizing they can't hide, which is going to eliminate so much of the hypocrisy. And once everybody understands that the skeletons in their closet are actually going to be exposed anyway, we're going to start transforming into a lot of the radical what people think are when you say your stuff like open relationships. I laugh. Like that's going to be the norm in a 100 years cuz the shadows were what enabled Yeah. the ability to hold privacy, to keep secrecy, to not get caught that allows these games of these games to exist. And when systematic racism is going to have a problem like it's like all of these things. So I don't know. I'm pretty thankful and I've never been more optimistic in the future. I mean that. I mean this is very healthy. I think it's funny, too. People who are super paranoid and they put little tape over their computer and stuff like that because they're worried that somehow [ __ ] the forces that be are going to catch them jerking off. Okay, if [ __ ] Apple wants to come out with a video of me jerking off, congratulations. Congratulations, Apple. You win. I jerk off. That would be the best ever happened to your brand, Rob. Apple leaks [ __ ] Aubrey Marcus webcam jerkoff videos. You hope that happens. That's exactly right. And that's where this is all going to go. Like I keep telling everybody like I took a lot of heat the last three or four years. There's a lot of content of me out there asked as this started bubbling up, Gary, what about privacy? I'm like, nobody gives a [ __ ] And the whole room would gasp. And I'm like that's not me. That's not my opinion. I'm telling you based on your actions. [ __ ] Facebook. Post it on Instagram. Like what are we doing out here? You know what I mean? Yeah. Like people talk. You know, all your friends that were going to move to Canada when Bush got reelected or when Bob Obama got re-elected or the ones that are saying it now when Trump gets reelected. Where are all those [ __ ] None of people. I mean, I know thousands of people that told me that both parties. That's why I used all the presidents. They're not in Toronto. They're still right the [ __ ] here. So, you know, you know how many people tweet all sorts of things and then are living a complete like just let's get a little bit more thoughtful out here. Yeah. And just [ __ ] recognize

the human nature of just figure everybody always in the had a period after the word nature there. Humans. Humans. This why I'm a good marketer. I understand people, right? And the reason I'm happy is I'm so grateful as somebody who's really good at it that I didn't manipulate it for bad. I'm trying to manipulate it for good. Yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah. And when you manipulate for good, you're not even manipulating. You're just exposing and you're allowing for different conversations. Let me say this because you have a very thoughtful audience. We have a good crew of peeps in here. This is real. What I'm about to say, we have to rally around this. If you're in a good place, we have to start sharing more of it. Everybody's spitting hate and everyone's accepting that. Then you have people that are spitting positivity and people are [ __ ] on those people. Like I get [ __ ] on like it's I'm watching this. This is amazing. We have to make positivity louder. But positivity has to be grounded in practicality. The reason I think my voice can be unique at times is because positivity often becomes delusional. Well, it becomes you become the one who is positive. And when positive, when you have those negative thoughts bubbling up from the shadows, you better stuff those [ __ ] away in a drawer somewhere because you're the one who's positive all the time. Like, share your whole [ __ ] journey. And if you're mostly positive, [ __ ] great. negative, don't blame it on other people. just say, "Hey, I'm in a [ __ ] tough spot, world, but I'm figuring it out. " And I appreciate all of you positive [ __ ] too. That's another thing. Everybody thinks everything that we share is the final score. When you're sharing that you're struggling at night, I view that as the other team just went on an 110 run. Yep. But it's still a second quarter. Yeah. And I know you called a timeout and the home crowd booed you, but the true fans didn't. Yeah. Go pay att This is such a good analogy. Go pay attention to this. Go watch a Go to a basketball game. Watch the home team go on a terrible run and pay attention to who booze and who cheers. Very interesting insight. And that's what happens when you sent that email. There were people that booed. Sure. And then there were real fans that cheered. Yeah. And that's how I see it. And so why is everything that's happening in your life the definitive end score? It's a process. Some chapters are good. If I was producing like I would have wish I could have watched my content from when I was in school. Those were dark times for me. I hated school, bro. I hated the [ __ ] out of school. Like the anxiety I had every [ __ ] two months that I had to be punished cuz my mom would ground me back to This is where she did it great. I think one of the reasons I'm happy is my mom made me accountable for the ramifications. Even if it wasn't like I was in school. Like even though she knew that wasn't going to dictate my life, she punished me and that [ __ ] with me. Who likes being punished? Like getting Nintendo taken away for two weeks [ __ ] blows when you're 14. Wow. Yeah, man. That's deep. That would have [ __ ] with me bad, dude. Especially when you're just getting your techmo game going, you know? I was just getting good at Techmobile and then three weeks off the grid and I come back and everyone's [ __ ] schooling me. Bo Jackson style. I'm like, "Fuck mom. " See, you know, like, so I don't know. I uh I think that's right. I think people lack perspective. That's it. You know, one of the things that absolutely I've been sharing that has really been valuable is when I meet 57year-old homies and I keep reminding them like, you do know that you're going to live for another 40 years and like why are you wrapping [ __ ] up? Oh, because your grandfather did and that's what you saw. Conditioning. Correct.

Correct. News alert. It's not 19 fucking73 anymore. Yep. Right. Like I'm sitting here. I'm 43 and I'm like, "Fuck, man. Yes, I know. And everybody loves You could get hit by a bus. " I'm like, "Cool. " And then I won't care. But if not, like if I'm going for another 55, 65 with modern medicine, like late second quarter, we're just getting started. I can handle just getting started, baby. Right. But it's real. It is. It's real. And like I really want that. Like people, you know how many people think they're they're [ __ ] up if they don't have [ __ ] figured out at 30? Like really [ __ ] up. It's too late. I ruined it. I went left when I should have gone right and here I am and it's all [ __ ] I should have taken that job. My friend from Michigan State took that job and he's got a nice house in the suburbs. I [ __ ] up. I thought I was going to be a rock star. I'm like, "Dude, you haven't even started. You haven't even started. " Yes, sir. You know, what didn't we get to in your paper? We didn't get to anything on my paper, but I got Twitter questions and [ __ ] All right, let's do it. Um, so one thing we want to talk about is the force that is the Chinese market and how you view that. You were just talking today. I don't know is that public information about KSwiss. Yeah. Oh yeah. So KSwiss just got bought up by a Chinese conglomerate as you were mentioning. It's a China won. It's Let me just save everybody time. China won and now it just plays out. I believe that China will be the biggest empire in the world and that [ __ ] with Americans because it [ __ ] with people in the UK when it was happening to them and I'm sure the Romans weren't pumped either and Gangghask Kong's crew was pissed too. Uh, yep. You know, in the many things that we're living through, we are living through clearly the early stages of the transition of America losing its grasp as the number one alpha in the world. China's bought up all the infrastructure around Africa already and Africa is not even happening for another 30 years. Like China won. That's a hell of a perspective. So, all right. So, how does So, how do people how do people, companies, other people, how do we leverage this opportunity? How do we like, you know, what do we do? Start figuring [ __ ] China out. Figure out how they do business, what their culture is about, how you can do business there, with them in other places. and also figure out that like plenty of people have won in the last 200 years that didn't live in America. Like there's the richest man in the world was from Mexico a couple years ago, right? Like like and what does that even mean, right? Like this is back to like you're going to be quite easily happy. Like but there's a sense of like [ __ ] we're not going to be number one. [ __ ] First of all, it's back to we you're not America. You just happen to live in it. Um, so yeah, but I listen, I spend a lot of time, we're opening up an office in Singapore and that is kind of uh with this summer and so I'm going to be spending a lot of time there. I am highly interested in doing business and learning the culture and foods and trends and like I think it's exciting. Like I don't I agree. Everything everything's an opportunity that has nothing to do with me. This isn't the time of war anymore. Like when Genghaskhan was [ __ ] rising, that was a little scary, you know, cuz he was like he was [ __ ] you up literally. Correct. Literally, China winning. It's okay, everybody. It's okay. They win. They win the business game. Like, you're okay. That's right. They're not going to come [ __ ] beat down your house. I'll tell you where they are. I'll tell you what America's greatest weapon is and has been and greatest asset. Hollywood. Hollywood is America's greatest ammo. The culture of America is still the culture of America. And most people listening right now, if you for some reason didn't like the last five minutes, here's something you could latch on to. You will probably live all the way through your life with brand America and the American cultural impact as the core ecosystem. You know, the hip-hop artists from the dirty south of Atlanta like become way more global stars. But we're already seeing it change a little bit, right? Like if you like look at new look at America, Bad Bunny and Becky G and K-pop stars like right like you know and like when did you like none of us grew up with K-pop Korean pop stars making 14-year-old blonde girls in Chicago scream, right? So like pay attention. Shit's happening. But the American brand is a [ __ ] beast. Y like a beast. Yeah. You see that when you travel abroad, you no matter what they think about politics or business or whatever else, like the culture, the movies, the music. But China's done [ __ ] They're innovating on AI. They're doing [ __ ] They're building [ __ ] like transportation hubs through their entire country. Like they've invested in Africa's and the resources there. They they're like building great companies. Like they're doing [ __ ] because they have a form of dictatorship and capitalism that allows you to get [ __ ] done. China runs its c country much more

similar to the way you and I run our companies than America. You let you don't micromanage anything except when you have something that you need to get done, right? That's what I do. I don't micromanage [ __ ] but then if I have an agenda, then it gets done and it gets done fast. And that's why China's getting a lot of things done. That's really [ __ ] interesting, man. That's a cool perspective. Thank you. All right, Nick Pera 13. How do you deal with distancing friends that slow down your future goals? Um, first by making sure that I'm not being an audacious dick. That's number one. Really, I mean it. Like all of a sudden you decided you're going to be successful and your homies aren't good enough for you. Like don't be a dick. Number one. Number two, by trying to overcommunicate. If these are true friends, overcommunicate the path that you're on and try to get them motivated and excited to be on it with you. Number three, after you did number one and two heavily because these are friends now. Number three is just limiting the interaction. You know, maybe going from hanging out every second and every day to hanging out three times a week. Limiting things that you feel are actually detrimental to you, right? Rather than that hard cut that we think we have to do. Yeah. Everyone's like, "Oh, my friend smokes too much weed all day and he's [ __ ] loser. He's not going anywhere. Now I just started watching this content. I'm [ __ ] fired up and I'm going to be a [ __ ] winner. " Like, you're out, Dominic. Yo, Dominic's been your boy for [ __ ] 20 years. Don't be a dick. Like first I mean I but we're all laughing because we actually know this is happening, you know? So like and it's funny as the person that sometimes is making the content that's making that happen. I don't want that. I want this. This is the process. First, look at yourself. Are you full of [ __ ] Second, try to put your people on with you. Let's do this together. Let's go. Try to hype them up. Then third, if that doesn't work and you're actually genuinely feeling it and saying like, you know, I'm ready like I feel

like I'm getting sucked into that negativity or passiveness and I want to go on a different path, you can go do that, but you can still have that relationship. Yeah. And and I'm just going to add on this because it's important. I believe it's even more of a conversation with your family. There's a lot of people right now really struggling with their transition because they have a negative mother or father and it's a force in their life that is really [ __ ] them up. And I don't think you need to cut out dad, but maybe you don't have to answer every one of his calls where you know the call is going to be negative. Yep. Just limit it. Just limit it instead of those hard cuts because that black and white that binary thing good for computer code kind of shitty for life. you know, life to have that binary philosophy, right? You know, like the person who's most in control, and I know I've used this analogy, but most in control of drinking isn't the one who can't be around to drink, never step into a bar, never have a taste, cuz if they do, they're going to end up in a [ __ ] back alley with a needle in

their arm and seven hookers, right? Like, if you're that mental, like, you're not really over being an alcoholic. Like, if you can have a drink and like be moderate, you're really more in control. And if you can be around Dominic the weed smoker and have a good time every once in a while, you're better off. Or if you can take that energy to something else. Yeah. Like you know, if you can deploy that energy to something else, there's also that part of the equation. But I agree with you. Last question. Um is Calbra asks, "What is the legacy that you want to leave behind? " That I gave more than I took. It's very clear to me. I'm very passionate about this. I want to guilt the world to come to my funeral. I do. I It's very like ludicrous. I'm telling you right now, I think about my the attendance of my funeral often. I do. I think it's the great scorecard. I think in sports, I've used a ton of analogies. I think everything could I The Mets were playing game six of the World Series in 1986 in their home stadium and the scoreboard said congratulations Boston Red Sox 1986 champions because they were down three to one I think the score was they were down two runs and there was two outs and nobody on in the bottom of the ninth in game six of the World Series and Boston was up 3-2 and they won that World Series. If you're 74 years old listening right now and you're a [ __ ] through and through all the way, I think you can be the 86 Mets. I really believe that. I really think that's cool. I Yes, I'm optimistic. It's also real. That's truth. And so I think the final score is when you die. And I think the scoreboard is how many people show up to your [ __ ] funeral. That is my perspective on life. And so my legacy will be will Nick Dio who spent meaningful time with me at some point in our lives hopefully forever but if he goes on to like will he feel so compelled when he's in Arizona doing whatever he's doing with his life that when he hears the news will be so compelled Nick how old are you? 28. So I'm 4 15 years. So will 86y old Nick Dio in Arizona doing his thing when he hears the news that 101year-old Gary has gone sevent time Super Bowl champion owner Gary Vaynerchuk has passed you know will he feel compelled like will he feel it in his gut that he has to go you know um to that funeral is something I think about a lot because it takes a lot to do that right there's a big difference between posting a photo on whatever the Instagram is or the hologram he makes or the [ __ ] VR world we live in. Very different than cuz he hurt his hip because he works out a lot and now he's degenerate hip in [ __ ] 86 in Arizona and flying [ __ ] sucks or whatever the [ __ ] we do now, time machine [ __ ] or whatever the [ __ ] going on. Will he put in the effort to go to the funeral? I think the level of value that I need to bring Nick Dooo86 is a lot more than people think to get him to get up and get on that plane or whatever. And that's what I'm trying to do. Well, you're going to have to scatter your ashes over that Jet Stadium because there's going to be a lot of people come to that funeral, brother. I'm I really hope so. And honestly, one of the things to wrap it up, I also think that we need more people with ambitions like that. Like people hear that sometimes and I'll take like a raz and they're like you were so full of yourself. I'm like are you listening to what I'm saying? I'm saying that I want to impact people in a positive enough like it's we need to have I think people need to have bigger ambitions on impact. Yep. Selflessness, you know, humility. These are things that need to be attractive. I think the biggest winners I know are humble. I mean that truly humble. when nobody's paying attention, you know, how do they like I bro I don't have a lot of friends because I'm busy and I want to spend time with my family. Do you know how much I do you understand why I even interact with you? It's how you interact with somebody when we walk into a gym to play basketball. Like that's what people are going to be nice to me especially now. Like I watch everybody. I'm

collecting data 247. How are people interacting with other people? Who are they in their [ __ ] soul? Are you smiling at a stranger when you're Do you know my favorite thing to do in life? I did the other day. Like it just really hit me like, "God, I love this. God, I love my [ __ ] parents and DNA and circumstance. " Do you know how fun it is to walk in an airport and look at somebody and just smile dead in their face and get them to smile at you back? It's nice. I like that [ __ ] man. Positivity is underrated. No doubt. And there's always that opportunity to do it. When I told that kid who was riding that BMX bike and cruising through and he was kind of ripping through my lawn and stuff and I was like you're the best. When I went to that and I was like man my dad would have punched that kid in the face like you're sick BMX would have stick and punched like and I mean it like that's so rad that you did it. So what did you say? No, I just gave him a compliment. I was like, "Man, you're a pretty sick BMX rider, kid. " Like I didn't say kid. I said, "Dude, what'd he say? " And he was like, "Thanks, man. " Yeah, exactly. But he was like stoked, you know, and I was actually appreciative that he had the courage to do that [ __ ] in my yard as I was shooting hoops. I got [ __ ] tats. I have my shirt off. I'm [ __ ] shooting hoops out there. Like I'm obviously And he was just [ __ ] ripping it. And I was like, "Good for you, man. " Like, and for that kid that's listening right now, if you also would have got punched directly in the face, both are right. No, I mean it point like to wrap up this whole conversation like that's what's so interesting about life. It is not binary in that way, right? Like it would be super acceptable and understanding to many listening right now if somebody rolls into their yard and doing that [ __ ] with a bike and tearing up their [ __ ] that if the person with tats and [ __ ] diesel comes out and [ __ ] creates some warfare like people understand that too. And like and to for that kid that's right too. Yeah. Like it's all right. Yeah. It's all [ __ ] right. Just a choice. Yep. Just a choice. Thank you, brother. I appreciate my man. Let's have fun tonight. Can't wait. Let's do it. Thanks everybody. Peace.