Advice to My Younger Self, Success Metrics & Overcoming The Past | #AskGaryVee 217

- On this episode, India comes back. - Hey. - [Gary] The #AskGaryVee Show. Hey everybody this is Gary Vay-ner-chuk and this is Episode 217 of the #AskGaryVee Show. I feel like we're in a 2015 zone. Where like we're actually doing shows day in and day out, and there's no other characters on the set. And India is back which I think makes everybody very happy, me especially, it's good to see you. - I'm back. - You have a good Fourth of July? - Yeah, it was great. - Very nice to hear. I thought yesterday's episode was really good. Thought I was zoned in. You didn't watch it. You were shaking your head. - [India] No I did, I watched it Facebook Live. Because I was like, oh my god, they're doing, like I was like the questions, I think they used the wrong part of the doc. (laughter) - You're like worried. Awesome. All right, India, I've missed this very much. - Yeah. - When's the last time you think we did this? - Just a normal episode? - Like a normal episode where we got to do our little thing here. - I don't know. A while ago. - It feels like a while. - Yeah, too many. - Alright, you ready? - Yes, ready. - So let's - Get into - [Both] The show. - That's good. - Oh, like riding a bike. (laughter) - [India] I don't even know how to ride a bike. - Is this a true fact? Yes, this is a little fun fact, AJ does not know how to ride a bike. Though, I think he's learning this summer. I have to ping him. I haven't heard anything so I still don't think my brother who is 29-years-old, knows how to ride a bike. - [India] From Abdur. - Abdur.

- [Voiceover] Abdur asks, "If you're starting "from scratch, what metrics would you look "at to determine success? " - Uh, if you're starting from scratch, what metrics would you look at in measuring success? - [India] Yes. - Money in and profit post money in. And I'm actually making a joke but I'm being serious. It's so funny, I just had a business meeting. I think a lot of people have metrics for the sake of metrics. Marketing marketing. If you have a business the only metric that you should be paying attention to is your top line revenue and your profit at the end of the day that can afford to pay your costs that are driving your business. Now, if you're very, very early on, you want to see traction. But I think the reason I'm jumping on this question is we now live in a culture where so many people think the following, which is they've been affected by Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat. If you get tens of millions of followers it doesn't matter that you don't make money. You eventually become a billionaire. The problem is that works for seven companies. That is not the norm. Most people try to, and this is what's going to happen over the next decade my friends, you will see, and over the next three years, you will see an enormous amount of companies that went and tried to get 10,000, 100,000, a million users, didn't get there, weren't the hot product, the unicorn, the once in a generation business. And they ran out of money. And then you go out of business. So what I really want to ground this first question in, in practicality. The only metric a business person should be understanding is their cash flow. Money in, money out. How do you build momentum? Is it heading in the right direction? I'm very proud that AJ and I and the senior leadership that helped us along the way, we built an actual business here. VaynerMedia wasn't a valuation. VaynerMedia is revenue and profit. And I do think that we have gotten way too into users and mentions, and the one that bothers me the most, number of followers, and we've got away from what are you doing? Do you know how many people have come up to me and they're like, yeah I'm struggling, and they're like this is actually, DRock you were with me, it really hit me during that one kid coming up to me in Colorado, and I don't want to pick on the kid, but like everybody thinks that amassing a following on social media is a business. platform for you to create a business on top of. A business, is a functioning organization that sells something that you make profit in so you can sustain that business and grow (snap) - [India] Joe. - Joe.

- [Voiceover] Joe asks, "You say to be ourselves 100%. "What if you have a troubled past that you overcame? "Hide it or embrace it? " - Well listen, I mean, this is a tough question, it's something I think a lot about, and I do think, and you've been hearing from me, meditation, mental health, I think the next frontier in the next 50 years of society, within the business context, within society, gun control, all these other things, we're going to be talking more and more about the brain. Mental health, mental status. You know, there are people in this world that come from such tough beginnings. We talk a lot about poverty, and opportunity, I think because we talk about entrepreneurship. We don't talk, I don't talk, a lot about you know, you were raped as a child, your parents were murdered. You know, some of these really extreme, difficult things. I don't understand, or know, what Joe's troubled past or if he's referring for a friend or himself. I think we all have different versions of a troubled past. Like some people would say I got bullied, and that was my troubled past. Others would say I was sexually molested, and that's my troubled, like these all vary, and so Joe what I would say is I have no interest in sitting here on a high horse and deploying generic blanket statements. I think that we should be, I do think that being yourself 100% is something that people are attracted to. I think all of us, in the same way that America actually doesn't hate the crime, they hate when you try to cover it up, because we know that you are not being authentic, and you're trying to trick me, I think that's the same reason we react so well to people that go very far, that own up to things, that are super transparent, that are willing to go there, and so what I would say is, you know, you should challenge yourself to go as far down that funnel as you can because it is absolutely an attractive quality that creates opportunity, happiness, business opportunities for one. However, I don't think you have to air your dirty laundry, and I do think that there's a lot of help, and many other things that people have to do to be able to share things. I do not feel comfortable sitting here saying yes, share your deepest, darkest things, because maybe you're not emotionally ready. I don't know you on an individual basis. What I can tell you is that everyday I try to push harder in exposing more of my thoughts, and truths, weaknesses, and exposing more of my scars, and it's a struggle for me, because you guys have seen over the last DailyVee's I don't spend a lot of time on my weaknesses or my past. From yesterday's episode's first question, I don't hold grudges, I don't have a shit list. It's because I just don't believe in containing negativities, and so the only reason at this point in my life I'm trying to think about my flaws or my struggles, is I want to give you, the people who have decided to give me your time, I feel a sense of responsibility to all of you that are giving me your time. How many people are on there right now? - [Voiceover] One point five. - For the 1500 of you right now that are on Facebook Live, I feel a sense of responsibility that in the middle of the day, or if you're in Europe, later in the day. The fact that right now 1500 of you could be doing something completely different, but I have been gifted your attention, which I think is the number one asset, I'm trying to challenge myself, to expose some of my weaknesses and things of that nature, but it's a real struggle for me. You know, so I'm almost the reverse, like I can't even begin to think about my tough upbringing or different things, like I don't think about the bad things. Like I think about them, I deal with them, they're a reality, I don't dwell on them, I spit them out and I move forward. I think this is a very personal question Joe. I think it's like work/life balance. I don't have an interest in sitting on this show trying to force somebody right now that had a very horrible thing happen to them, and they're going to write a blog post about it tomorrow, and they weren't emotionally ready, and they can't deal with the repercussions of putting it out there. That is not my place, but I will say that everybody, if you can get there, I think there's a lot of healthiness to it. Thanks India. - [India] From Matthew, what was it like to go around? - Yeah, I mean that's a heavy subject matter, and I do think that one thing in the evolution of this show is you know there's a lot of tactics we can talk about, how to use a filter and this and that, but you know, it could bore you, and it could become repetitive, but I do think this is a mental game. I do think life is a mental game, I think it's much more about the brain than people realize, and I want to continue to push angles of it because I think it brings people happiness. - [India] Speaking of tactical, from Matthew. - I want to go tactical, I like to mix it up. - [Voiceover] Matthew asks, "How do you create content

"as a retailer selling someone else's brand? " - Ah, I remember this one, I sent this to you. I like this one because I wanted to go tactical. You know it's so funny, talk about the ying and yang meet. Like, I also don't want this to get too heavy and philosophical, I want to go tactical. Anybody who's a retailer that's struggling with like wait a minute, I sell sneakers, so am I going to make Nike content, or Adidas content, or Under Armour content, and put it out, who is this again? - [India] This is from Matthew. - Matthew, read it one more time, cause guys check this out, I think this is interesting, how? - [India] How do you create content as a retailer selling someone else's brand? - Right, this is so interesting. As a retailer, you sell somebody else's brand. That's the definition of a retailer unless you're selling retail your product, and you're the Under Armour store, right? So, I really got a kick out of this question. I think it's when people are looking at the lens the wrong way. We live in a world now where brands are creating content for themselves, at scale, and I wonder if Michael, Michael right? - [India] Matthew. - Matthew, I'm sorry, thank you, if Matthew is looking at this wrong because he sees the optics of brands creating content. If it's what you sell, you create content. Wine Library creates content of other brands all the time because we are a retailer, and we're trying to sell this Pinot Grigio. It is not our Pinot Grigio, it is somebody else's, but we're creating content because we're making margin, and we've chosen in the world of business to be a retailer. Matthew, the way you create content, if you are a retailer of other people's brands, is to create content of other people's brands. - [India] Free content or something like that? - You know, its what you do, if you sell other people's brands you make content. Now, what you could be asking, and more detail oriented, back to being practical, is you may have to follow guidelines of a brand when you're producing content. I think you need to be conscious of putting those brands in a good light, because they're you're supplier, and they are more than capable of discontinuing you selling that product, so you have to be political about what that is, but you also have to find a different angle, that is your angle, from the brand's. I think one of those places is price. You know most brands are not going to price because they know the retailers are selling things at different prices, so their content in the ecosystem is more jab-oriented branding, you could actually be more in the right hook business. This Pinot Grigio got 90 points from Wine Spectator and is on sale for $11. 99, so you could, you know, those are kind of things a retailer does. You could also create content of that product within your retail store, and so you're showing it in that environment. Again, another thing brands won't normally do, because they don't want to allude to being favorite, picking a favorite from one retailer to another. So use the advantages that you have that you know the mothership brand won't do, but you can possibly do, and I think for all of you, now leveling us up back to the theme of yesterday, I'm trying to do that more in the show. I think way too many people dwell on what they can't do, instead of realizing what they can do, right? So focus on the things that make you uniquely you, and do the things that you know that other people can't do. Whether that's your partners, like a supplier and a retailer, or that's your competitors, they happen to be in this state, you Colorado, and you have pretty mountains, use that to your advantage. You know, like I can't make mountain content here. - [India] You hate mountains. - You know I hate mountains. Link it. - [India] From DJ younglegend, - That's such a good recall, I wonder how many people watching right now actually know what we're talking about. Go ahead. - [India] From DJ Younglegend. - DJ Young Legend, do you think I should come up with a DJ name? - [India] Yes! - I love how you're all like yes. - [India] Of course! What advice would? - Have you seen Marshmallow? Yeah, in EDM World, Marshmallow? Very smart stuff, right, like from the whole branding. You're proud of Tyler? - [India] Yeah, that's cool. - Cause he's cool. - [India] Yeah, I know. - I know EDM. - [Gary] He knows EDM, do you know EDM? - [India] No. - Did you watch my Krewella episode? - Yeah. - [Gary] Cool, okay let's keep going.

(laughter) - [Voiceover] Djyounglegend asks, "What advice would "40 year old Gary give 28 year old Gary? " - I was trying to remember why I picked this question, I really curated a bunch of questions by the way. By the way, I want, you know, I'm feeling a renaissance here so, a freshness of not having all of these characters on with me, really looking for more questions. A lot of you have not asked in a long time, a lot of you ask often, as a matter of fact, here's what I want you to do, use the hashtag #askgaryvee, but also for the old timers, the hustlers, that have not had the luck, or the serendipity of having one of their questions on the show, don't lie, because lying is the devil, and I'm going to make the India and team actually do the homework. For all of you, when you ask your next question that you want on the next show, which will hopefully be tomorrow, or the next day, or what have you, or next week, whatever, do hashtag #askgaryvee like we do on Twitter, or Instagram, but also then in the copy put x how many times have you asked for a question to be on the show, and have not had it. So meaning if you asked a question 43 times, but your question has been on the show, don't use the x, but if you are a virgin to the question being on the show, but you've asked 84 times, it might be a nice time to like. Now, there may be a reason you haven't been picked because there could be people that just ask crappy questions. Talent is a variable, you're bad at asking questions, but we're going to push a little harder in trying to get you on the show. - [India] And videos, we love videos. - We love videos. Uh, DJ - [India] Younglegend. - Younglegend, asked 40 and 28 year old self, and again, I know a lot of you, DRock, you and India probably, maybe even Staphon at this point, you guys know me so well, that you probably to keep yourself not bored of filming these things, start answering what you think I'm going to say, and I think go down the traditional path of hang out with more chicks, have more funs on the weekends, that's where I've gone cliche. You got a place where you're about to go? - [Voiceover] Not at 28, I can do - Not at 28, at 22? It's funny you said that, maybe that's why I picked it. Twenty-eight was a very interesting year for me, when I got engaged. I'm going to stun everybody right now, I would tell 28 year old Gary to work more. And I'm going to throw you for a loop, what a lot of you don't know about 28 year old Gary is 28 year old Gary was working nine to seven. Like I'm really sad that my life went this way. Here's what I mean by that. As much as I hustled, 22 to 32, I work way more now. And to be very honest with you, that stinks because I have a family. And at 22 to 30, or 22 to 28, I had nobody but myself, right? And so, what I would tell 28 year old Gary is that in two years you're going to drive on the highway, you're going to look at yourself and say that you're full of shit, and that you're not hustling. I know that just came out right? And kind of we just did content on that. and so why wait two years, in the same way that 38 year old Gary started taking care of his health instead of waiting to 40 which was my main plan. I would say to 28 year old Gary, hey bro, you're going to realize in 24 months that you're not doing the actions it's going to take. You're doing everything right, if you want to be very successful, and live a very nice life, and be rich and all that, but you're nowhere close to all time legacy, and not even in the same realm of buying the New York Jets, so get your shit together. And do it now, and I wished I would because that would have been 24 more months of the hustle that's executed so much happiness for me, and so you know, no question, not a regret, because I don't look backwards, I don't let negativity, but it would be convenient if I was working 20 hour days and traveling 22 to 32, versus now when it's coming out of Misha and Xander and Lizzie time, you know it's tough. So that's what I would say, I would say hey, this is how it's going to play out, might as well get a couple of more years in now. Because if I stop going extreme, and by the way, this is a fun thing for you guys to hear, I am absolutely in the early stages in my own brain, of not traveling to the level that I have been traveling. You know the kids are now seven and four, there's a lot more functions. I want to spend more time with them, these are formative years. Like so, you know, let's say I decide to like really slow it down a significant level at 43, let's say that's my prediction right now, you know, well 28 could have made it that 41. That's kind of how I think about it. It's all just masked with numbers, and you know everybody's going to jump in the comments and say different things of course, and that's not wrong. But 28 year old Gary hustled, but hustled the way a lot of you hustled pre-seeing DailyVee and Snapchat, which is you thought you were the best hustler you knew, and then you got to see how I do it, and you're like Jesus, and that's who that guy was, and he worked hard, and whatever but, he wasn't this guy. Cool. I'm curious what 60 year old Gary is going to say to 40 year old Gary. - [India] Work harder. (laughter) - Work harder, you think so? Do you think, honestly, without a joke, do you think like on a serious kick, I'm actually a little bit nervous, like let's go into like, I never speak to my fears here, this could be interesting, I'm not sure, you know, I'm very conscious that it becomes like a speed junkie, right? Like I don't even know what it would be like to work nine to eight, like you have to understand the once in a blue moon when I walk home at like, walk into my apartment, I'm talking about three times a year, during work days, I mean obviously I take holidays and all of that, but like to walk tonight to walk into my apartment at eight pm, feels awkward. - [India] Like what do you do? - Like whoa, this is not a joke. There was some funny day that happened maybe three or four months ago when I came home at 9:45 pm, and I walk in, I hear Lizzie in the room, and she's like what are you doing home so early? and I was like Jesus, (laughter) 9:45, it hit me harder, 9:45 is later there are enormous amounts of people, there are an enormous amount of you that are watching this right now that will never come home that late in the history of your work career. You know? Anyway, so back to what I was like fearful of? I'm worried that like the action is so intense that like it's a detox, like I actually already know for me to cut back, what I just alluded to, I'm going to have a detox year. Like it's going to take me a lot of time, three, four, five, like that will be some fun DailyVee's I'm going to be in the corner like (laughter) like it's going to take me six months, like if I want to come home. My weird intuition is it's not that I'm going to come home at seven, it's five or six, spend an hour, 90 minutes with the family and then go back out. That's my intuition, that's my main plan. For the next move, I think. Because the kids are going to go to sleep early anyway, like later, you know seven, eight years from now when they're actually up to eight, 10, 11, 12. - [India] So when you say go out, you're not like going out, you're like to work. (laughter) Not like go back out. - Right, back out, to work. - [India] Alright, last one from Nacer.

- Nacer, great. - Hello GaryVee, my name is Nacer Abdelli, I'm from Algeria, in Africa, and this is my hometown. - Amazing, he loves English peas. - So I'm a teacher of English Content on social media. - This is awesome. - And life skills, and I have some questions to ask you about that because you have a series on all of them. And this also, you're taking care of, thank you. - You're welcome. Oh I got the thumbs up too. - So I started skydiving, and after 200 jumps, I will be able to put on a wing suit and jump with it over our national monument here in Algiers. I'm going to be the first wing suit pilot in the country, and this is going to be the first suit jump ever before. - That'd scare the crap out of me. - [India] I know I'm terrified watching this. - Okay so my question is about blended personal brand. (inaudible) How can I manage the education and extreme sports content given that they're very different, what should I do about it? How would you go about it? - You know a lot of you follow me and you've heard time and time again, one channel, but my friend, I'm glad you asked this, this is the nuances, and this is why the show is so great. I would actually, and it's funny, but I would do separate channels and I'll tell you why. Your first place that you established is so utilitarian. Wine Library TV, though about wine, though about information about wine, still had a lot to do with my personality, with Gary, which then allowed me to kind of blend stuff. You're doing hardcore utilitarian education content, what I don't know is how much it is of you my friend. Looking through there you seem very charismatic. So if you feel like a lot of people watch the first thing because of your charisma, then I think you can blend it in one. But if you think they're there just to learn English, and it's a utility for them, you could start having a schizophrenic issue at hand when you start showing them the skydiving stuff. What I would say is the following, for you, this is my individual advice matters. I would create separate channels. I would use your personal Instagram, your personal Twitter, like I think you can mix them, but from a YouTube standpoint I would have them as separate channels, and I would once in a while mix them in social, and maybe even once, like maybe in one video, like by the way, like I would almost call it By The Way, BTW, this is something else I do. This way it's kind of almost a commercial within your other channels, you can cross pollinate, that would be my strategy. - [India] Nice. I need to show you the ending of this video. - What? - [India] videoI need to show you because it's pretty hilarious. - Gary one last thing, - A banana. - Gary, you're not the only one, check this out. - Very fast, we might have to have a competition. Looks like we're going to Algeria. No, he killed the camera. (laughter) It's great, good show, good show. What were the themes of today? Question of the day, what would you tell yourself if you went back in time ten years and could give that person advice? You keep asking questions, I'll keep answering them.