A very interesting podcast we did last year was with Gary Vaynerchuk AKA Gary Vee. Gary is everywhere on social media, delivering daily inspiration, life and business tips to the masses. It’s always great to be able to interview someone because you often get the real person. What you see on social media or TV, sometimes isn’t the real person at hand and I believe our podcast has provided our guests with safe platform to be themselves.

 

For those of you who don’t know Gary, he is a serial entrepreneur. He has a super strength in building businesses. Fresh out of college he took his family wine business and grew it from $3 million to a $60 million business in just 5 years. Today he runs VaynerMedia, one of the world’s hottest digital agencies. Be sure to check out the ASK GARY VEE Show.

 

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To listen to the entire interview use the player below.

Here are my key takeaways:

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THE UNDERDOG MENTALITY

 

Despite the recent unsuccessful seasons of his beloved NY Jets, Gary is able to garner inspiration from the team. Despite his wealth, the Jets give him the opportunity to have a chip on his shoulder and be the underdog, a feeling he loves. Despite in the past following the NY Yankees (baseball) and NY Rangers (Hockey) he has dropped them the second they won. His very passionate about the climb and journey.

 

“I’m a climber, I’m a hunter and yeah that’s how I roll”

 

I relate in this area. Until last year my sports team in Australia the Cronulla Sharks had never won the competition. It took 50 years however we did it, but that also drove me as the underdog. Now where can you draw similar inspiration?

 

 

KNOW YOURSELF

 

While having no daily ritual in terms of things like meditation or consistent training.  Gary makes mention of his need to talk to himself and stay tuned in within himself.

A big lesson is his own “self-drive”, 

 

“I will tell you that I've never met the person in my life including my parents that was able to out will me about me and that's an important thing that I've not really shared before. There's never been a time in my life where anybody ever was able to tell me who I was more than I knew who I was”

 

Gary Vee also points to hating losing but embracing it. However when a loss comes the important take away from his experience is to appreciate it and use it to build character.

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The big away is that self-drive and getting to know yourself really well.

 

 

DEFINE YOUR OWN SUCCESS

 

Yeah Gary has come a long way in terms of success in business and building a world-wide profile which allows him to give key notes around the world.

Sometimes we get caught up with what everyone else is doing we forgot all the good things we do ourselves. The only person who can define success is you because it means something different for everyone. For some its money others achievements.

 

“It could mean a million dollars, or cool cars or gold watches, it means living on your own terms being happy with what you've got and if that's $70,000 a year or if that's29,000 cash a year but you wanted to spend all your time with your kids or you wanted to create something like Star Wars or game of thrones or you wanted to travel or see the world , don't let anybody define your success, like , my success is not to buy the NY Jets , success for me is the process of trying to buy the NY Jets "

 

 

GOOD VIRTUES WILL CREATE LEGACY

 

Gary’s inspirations include his parents who came to America with nothing and built a life. He draws on their inspiration to help him build towards his own dreams. Gary wants to leave a great legacy and be remembered forever.

 

“I want everyone to come to my funeral. I want the world to stop when I die”

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The thing he points to is not to let money drive you, with millionaires and billionaires dying each day without any one publicly knowing. The big thing for Gary us to pour out something positive. He wants to show people a positive business man blueprint that people can follow and be built on good virtues.

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While Gary is creating a blue print, the key isn’t to be him. However use his experiences to better your own life. If you look to do GOOD first everything will fall into place.

 

A little bonus, not a lesson but some insights into his personality

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HIS PERSONALITY – WHAT 5 PEOPLE WOULD GARY INVITE TO A PRIVATE DINNER PARTY

 

Our go to personality question at the end of the show is to ask who would be the 5 people dead or alive (no family or friends) you would invite to a private dinner party, which always gives some insights into the thoughts and preferences of the guest and learn something new they may not have shared before. His would invite:

 

Macho Man Randy Savage, Walt Disney, PT Barnem, Krushchev (former Russian Premier), Eleanor Roosevelt

 

The interview with Gary brought about a tonne of take home points. The key is to acknowledge and learn and see what works for you. Just remember there is only one Gary Vee but that doesn’t mean you can’t be great also.

 

Be sure to continue to follow Gary on his journey.

 

ONLINE - www.garyvaynerchuk.com/

FACEBOOK - www.facebook.com/gary/

INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/garyvee/

TWITTER - https://twitter.com/garyvee

YOU TUBE - https://www.youtube.com/user/GaryVaynerchuk

 

Let me know what you think of the interview at tristan@talkingwithtk.com

 

I think you would also enjoy interviews that I have done with the likes of Chase Jarvis, Aubrey Marcus, Grant Cardone, Steve Weatherford and Lewis Howes.

 

Enjoy

 

TK