#AskGaryVee Episode 118: Gary's Dad Joins The Show

on this episode I have my dad joined me you ask questions and I answer them this is the Ask Gary V show hey everybody this is Gary ve Nerd Chuck and this is episode8 118 of the Ask Gary ve show so as you can see this is a this is my father Sasha a lot of you don't know my dad I love my dad very much my dad is a uh an immigrant from the former Soviet Union who I'm very fond of many of you who' crossed over from Wine Library TV to the askary V show know this character many of you are about to uh have some fun times as you can see we have a lot of food and wine here we just taped uh 7 six or seven videos that we run in Wine Library where my dad uh is the founder CEO and owner of uh Stefan Andy Kay and drock are here we played four or five hours of basketball I'm actually on family vacation right now um I'm supposed to be yeah we do it every year I'm supposed to be off the grid but we decided to tape some wine videos and I've been missing the show I know I've been traveling a lot I know I come back are we getting one in on Monday I think we're going to sneak one in on Monday but then again on the west coast uh India unfortunately is not here so Andy let me get up Dr Rock you're going to have to roll with me here Andy who Andy have you haven't really been on the show Andy who's a big part of our team does all the paid acquisition a lot of you who discovered me on Facebook it's because Andy and I but really Andy have been very strategic about finding you in your Facebook feed so Andy let's get into the show I tricked you so what happened to why and made Gary famous no Andy did not make me famous I made Andy famous all right you made me famous dad oh I see all right let's get into the show Andy Melanie asks you've LED Wine Library and bayner media through insane growth what's your best advice to those leading growing teams you know I think one of the things that I think about when growing and you know Wine Library probably from 1998 that until 2004 or five in that in the kind of that five or

6 7ye period we probably went from what how many employees do you think when I with Dick and Bobby maybe 10 12 M to like 80 or 90 right it's what would you saying that five or 600 so but we were over Steed yes no no sted for a reason yeah we were growing we're growing and the same thing's happening now with I'm sure AJ would now say we're overstaffed is we've gone from 30 to 525 people uh in the last 3 years at uh at bner media I think the big thing for me and it's interesting it's fun to have my dad here um the big thing with me that I think is a little bit different than my dad and AJ I'm just I'm kind of when you're going through insane gruth I definitely don't worry about the little things you got to move fast there's going to be a ton of headaches there's going to always be issues um but I try to focus on the top line right when you're trying to grow quickly you're really growing Topline Revenue um a lot of times you know that may be at the mercy of gross profit net profit um sure for sure there's always issues with Personnel there's always disagreements and things of that nature but for me it's not sweating the small things to me I keep my heads very much in the cloud I really focus on the agenda at hand and I think where most people struggle is they focus on the small things they get caught up in the things that may not matter as much in a net game and I think that has been a very major factor in my business success that I'm able to not get caught up in the things that I think the far majority of people get caught up in I think people get emotional about things I think people don't project Financial outcomes you know are you know both when I got involved in my dad's business and with Vayner media the growth of the revenue on the high end on the top line was very extreme and uh and I think that that's something that people struggle to calibrate to me it's not sweating the Small Things Dad yeah great let's get into the next question I think it's uh well right yeah you know look you know a lot of people now watch the show the show's gotten very big I don't know if you know no I didn't know ask SC V show it's very big um so how come I'm the first time on the show well I mean it's all just worked out timing you're very busy you're busy you don't come to New York when I'm taping the sh right that's true um you you have you have a very different point of view unique point of view on me that the audience does not have listen no question about it not because he's my son he's a very special kid no doubt I'm almost 40 dead son you're always going to be a kid I know like your children yes I it whatever that's not why don't you tell the audience when you first realized how special I was oh I knew what very early stage no tell them this will be fun for me [ __ ] I can't get you to tell me on face no no I always give you the credit where the credit always okay what I'm going to tell you to your face or how wonderful you are um no no you sold dra drapery right you're going way back it's to no wait a minute wait AE was 10 what year is it hold on hold 1985 no no before it's dog with matters yeah 1985 I was 10 when I did the mini flea market mini candy mini fle Mar yep we had some uh coam Manan clock dra blue dra and my day at that time I used to take Sunday off once in a while to spend quality time with my children that's right which meant we would sleep right listen I used to work uh 16 hours days 14 hours days it's not so easy nope but uh mom gave you the Drapers right and you sold it and they were stunned yeah and grandma Yeah and yeah well I knew that listen I knew it you're my son right when I get lend you supposedly no I did lend you yep money me,000 to start my baseball card business I was in the business with right and a couple people said to me you know you're an idiot you're never going to see this money back I paid you back fast like within the months mhm and that was hard that was the like 1989 when I could only go to a show once every other weekend and then you start working in the store Kenwood Chardon no seani well I D I asked you to move yeah you can what I sold yeah right yeah and that's uh yeah I listen all right let's go buzz HR asks I started a daily Vlog series should I focus on YouTube Facebook video or both buzzer this is interesting we're in a very interesting time right now with YouTube and a name that's a name d but that's probably a screen name buzzer uh it's a very interesting time right now um I think YouTube and Facebook video

are both the two dominant platforms but I think six or seven months ago Dr Rock are we okay with this sound I know it's windy we'll just go with it um I you know I think that uh by the way I'm so pumped the asgary V show audience is not ready for all this craziness go I think show AJ real quick let's give let's say hi to AJ there we go AJ's got his drone and Nick got problems with the Drone the drone's broken I want dck I need Dr Rock all right we're almost done we're doing a quick ask episode with Dad real quick controller is disconnected to the camera do you think it's because we turned on the app before we synced the two like turn it off and turn it back on yeah we tried a lot of that all right dck let's bang this out this is black and white right now AJ there's going to be a lot of black and white in this black white first thing Buzz yeah I I think that Facebook video is grossly underestimated I think YouTube is obviously the established leader but I think Facebook is incredible Andy and I have been doing enormous amounts of testing on audiences right now we're running a ton so many of you have watched the USC video If you haven't watch it here link it up over my dad's face um uh and so uh I think that um I think it's incredibly effective there's nothing like Facebook targeting and I think both the answer is both um I think both really matter um and uh I can say that you know look I mean eating our own dog food Andy I think we're really focusing on Facebook right now we kind of have understanding of what YouTube's all about but the targeting is just incredible on Facebook so the answer is both brother focus on both let's move on John asks what's one question you get asked all the time that you can't stand answering what's one question I get asked all the time that I don't that I can't stand answering um which one is that Dad the Valdez great penino right love it and I'm not I know you're not a

big penino guy all right d go over here this not a wine show you can finish it um I don't know if there's any question that bothers me that people he's so chill I nothing you know really doesn't question personally ask yeah no I mean go you know what that I'm going to take advantage of having you here you know obviously we're same but we're very different but you got a lot of me yes I know I mean in the better you know the competitive thing yeah you know it's small yeah but were you interested in the fact that I'm so unfaced you get you listen there's a lot of people watch watching tell the you get upset about a lot of things no it's of I'm a human I mean I have yeah but you admit you agree in business I'm kind of weird right I go into this weird state where I'm not he's different and he's very no no I have to hand it to him not because he's sitting here and I really don't give him compliments and you know why he guys just so you know I'm fishing here because I don't get this I'm using advantage of the show yeah but he's very different he made a statement and I can't even repeat this statement because I don't that to me it's against my religion he will do business with anybody Hitler that was the you know it's robs me the wrong way but it's true it's been proven fact and I'm a principal guy you are but you put what good for the business before your my own feelings yeah and I can't I and I'm exactly reverse yeah you know um I don't know and probably that's what was holding me back of yeah listen I'm not complaining I did pretty okay yes you did Mister was no language no you know yeah I can write a book and my book would be better than his but that's besides the point he's making a face you know because it wouldn't be better that's why I'm making a face let's play one-onone show them the basket we're going to play oneon-one to like settle this listen we just had my youngest son got married and AJ a noj everybody knows and you would not what place at the wedding I mean Gary gave my speech I give my speech my daughter jump and became uh we're very competitive family yeah healthy very healthy slightly unhealthy but I'm comfor unhealthy what do you mean unhealthy end of the day we love each other in no even in the business never left upset you never left upset with me I know always within a year we never left upset in a day we kiss each other well we love each other yeah so I don't remember the question but I think ultimately Andy there's no question that really bothers me I think that most people know the answers to most of the questions that they ask me I just don't think they want to put in the work and one that you know I will say this I think one of the best days of my life and I'll say this in front of you this is fun for me one of the best days of my life the life that I've lived 40 almost 40 years now was when um was when I don't you know it's funny it's greatest a day of this was in my life I don't fully remember it but I do remember several months ago maybe within the year maybe within 18 months you kind of telling me like man for as hard as I work you work really hard I would honestly I felt at the time I would hard working hard 7 days a week 14 hours all this [ __ ] this one but son got for his wife I have to say this not everyone will I mean the guy travels half a year he's in travel these guys know and these guys know yeah they know right CU he's the best yeah that's why these weeks are best I love her I mean matter of fact I just discussed with the mom another day about uh your situation not every woman would uh you know listen it's intense yeah we're going for it but you have dream like I had when I came to this country I'm never going to forget and listen I don't want to tell my story I'll let's do it I came at in 1978 and um I remember I landed in the gfk PanAm is that P PanAm there business yeah managed yeah and I was working on quin's boulevar I know the story go ahead you tell them not me and I saw a sign said Alex Sanders which was a department store for some of the old you right my actual official name is Alexander everybody called me Sasha whatever and I looked and I was with my cousin who was already a year in this country right and we walk by it and uh the whole family was together and I looked and I said you know someday I'm going to have that and she looked at me and she you know like come on and not exactly the same Wine Library is very similar to that yeah so it's uh you know you have to have uh but of course he got bigger dream to well that's the way it's supposed to be to own absolutely to own uh Jets that's real I'm not looking for a lot couple points there you want to own a couple just all right let's keep going Angie asks successful leaders say that you are the sum of The Five People You spend the most time with how do you level up your five this is interesting question this is something I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out do I am I willing to myself with people that are better than me uh I know it's windy D Rock

relax we're outside um I know um you know a lot of times have I I've wondered am I surrounding myself with people that are not you know I'm very nurturing you know I like having a lot of people around me I like building up people you got true yeah I like it very true I mean he listen not because he's my son and again I don't want to sit and Breen in front of him he's extremely special kid if I knew what I'm going to get I would go it's a True Story by the way his mother when before we got married she said she one of his think she wants to have five kids and of course being young I said no problem my parents were married at 20 right we were young and uh you know as the time went on I got scared about the education to be able to pay the kids should not have loans such a nonsense they should all have loans I would have paid it off easy right uh so I mean he he's definitely and again I'm not going to sit and brag about you but I never listen I think I might have you on the show more often this is I'm feeling nice I mean he's you know what I'll be very honest with you maybe somebody out there who's going to stumble on this video whatever his DNA should be bottled very I'm very serious not because we had 12 points well that's helps but I mean he is extremely special in many ways and and you know uh I don't know Barack Obama doesn't invite him to the White House please I'm is nice enough you don't have to be crazy just because I get it I you know it's it's uh you know I'm as a father I'm very proud in the business we had a lot of disagre we could disagree about the color of the goddamn thing but the end of the day we we bounce off each other things and I don't think Gary ever mentioned that because he's a very competitive guy but a lot of good ideas and I don't want to put myself somewhere but a lot in the beginning was a Wine Library it's came driving an hour each way I wrote a medium I wrote you know what I miss this so much and I understand listen he got things going on and but that part I I always miss because it's was very special I you know even today when the family get together it's um I even my daughter's birthday was a couple days ago you know she turned what 30 six right sorry Liz yeah no but you know even her friends saw the dynamic of our family it's and I have to give it to Mom built a very strong Foundation uh who grew up without a mother you know she was at age five she lost her mother and uh but she's a very special person who built this family and uh you know I work and she was builing the family and it's a great combination and it's uh you know I mean I'm very proud what this family were able to accomplish and especially what Gary and a I mean uh you know special kids definitely all of them and I I see Grand children the AL Oliver and you know Xander he Xander is eating a lot of olivs we've decided to name him Olive and he wants to call himself Olive and uh it's thanks really real special thanks Dad I have no idea Andy what the question was but what was it again some of the five people you spend your most time with how do yeah I mean I think that how you level up your yeah I think I have I definitely over the last 5 to seven years surround myself with higher caliber characters I think it's a commitment I think but on the flip side I'm very comfortable in bringing value to the people that maybe aren't better than me I think giving back is massively important I think it it's it there's a level of Karma and I think as long as you're focused on surrounding yourself with five people that can bring your level up I I think the real answer is it's about 10 right I think it's about creating a scenario where you have five people that are leveling you up and I think it's around about surrounding yourself with five people that you level up and I think um I think I get tremendous enjoyment on uh leveling up the five people around me Chris asks I got a question for you how bad do you wish Tom Brady was your quarterback again the question is how bad do I want Tom Brady to be my quarterback you don't I'll take

him I mean look Brett Favre was probably the play one of the five players I dislike the most in the NFL but I've said it before in the show the second that a player takes on my logo they're all about right that's true right Wayne graty we didn't like I like well my dad's a devil's fan I'm a Rangers Fan but um I think uh I you know he's getting a little old doph field right I think he's get a little listen I would cut my I I'm gonna say this entire right arm off I would live my please sit calm I would cut my I would cut my entire right left arm off for uh Aaron Rogers cuz I think we'd win the Super Bowl I think Aaron Rogers is the best quarter Andrew Luck I would cut my entire left arm off for Andrew luck I'm going to Indianapolis for uh week two what about Dan Marino Dan Marino's finished right thank God those were tough year the Jets have really struggled I mean we had Dan Marino Jim Kelly and Tom Brady we've had basically all the three other teams in our division and Wood Johnson show Little AJ AJ's very upset he's never won a championship W AJ's AJ's 28 all right we can get over here he's fine he's done A's 28 he's number one a championship because my baseball team and hockey team won before he was old enough to enjoy it so he's a Nicks and jets fan AJ would you cut your left arm off Andrew Luck smart AJ says no smart I would you wouldn't either right I would no I'd cut my left pinky off for sure all that I could would you cut your left pigy off I would 100% what his name cut his uh J PP Giants right yeah because he what's going on was his he lost his index finger all right let's move on that's it move on last question no AJ's calling for time we got to wrap up this show where we going we got to eat dinner with the family that's it I had oh that was it Dad that's it Dad as my special guest you get to ask the question of the day any question you want please don't make it political like you did on my library you know what I have to say something that's not a question no but I want to say it and you were young again I don't know I mean this kid is like I said special kid when the Soviet Union fell apart oh it's a good one how old you were 91 uh right yeah I was it was n yeah I was 15 six I was 15 I think he walked into the room and you know it was obviously a big day for our family CU you know we were born and he said it's the worst thing could happen and I look at him obviously what I'm ad I'm not as smart as my son but he still have my DNA something he said that's the worst thing I said why he said it's going to be unbalanced in the world meaning two superpower countries everything was equal and you know what years later I said he was absolutely right it's good have all the craziness what's going on today in the world because it's unbalanced if we still have Soviet Union here Cold War basically and America here all this [ __ ] with all this all right calm down no politics no politics nothing would happen nobody would throw bombs things would happen absolutely not pre this is supposed to be a question dad AJ so what is the question well you're supposed to ask a question and then people answer and people answer maybe like a Jets thing a wine thing maybe favorite wine maybe keep chill little chill not geopolitical intensity who's more charismatic my son or me Jesus they're going to love you for this episode you're going to get more votes than you deserve you keep asking questions I'll keep answering them