Image Courtesy of Gary Vaynerchuk's Facebook Page.
My favorite television program today is not on TV at all because it is a web series called The Ask Gary Vee Show. If you are short on time, Gary Vaynerchuk is the one and only marketing expert that you should spend your time following, no matter what industry of business. For those that don't know him, he is all about hustle, passion, putting in the work, honest storytelling and not wasting time. It's hard to capture or compete with his raw energy. I have been hooked since 2011, when I first discovered him online. Vaynerchuk is redefining what it means to have knowledge. For centuries people guarded their knowledge like precious jewels because they thought it made them a sought after commodity. Vaynerchuk, who is quick to point out that he failed many classes in high school and college, suggests that the Internet has made simply knowing information less powerful. Gary flips that model and gives an insane amount of business knowledge away to his followers for free. He does this because he realizes that no one can match his hunger and his ability to execute. Gary Vaynerchuk single handedly gave me the confidence to say, this is bullshit I can do more in my life.
A personal turning point
I discovered Vaynerchuk at a very low point in my life. I was working what was for me a dead end job and my ideas and efforts were constantly being squashed because my superiors viewed them as outside of my job description. At the time I was consuming his second book The Thank You Economy, and quickly losing interest in my job. It wasn't until I was fired from a job that I hated, that I truly woke up. I reconnected with a CEO of a company that I had met in the past and I flew out to California for a job interview and left realizing that he was someone I truly respected. I hustled and put in months of hard work and landed a full time position at that company, which has turned out to be my dream employer. But I didn't stop there. I started doing side work as a social media consultant and was able to increase my income. I reconnected with my first passion, which is writing and started contributing to the Huffington Post, MedCity News, Becker's Hospital Review, Social Media Today, LinkedIn and others. I am also currently volunteering my time to a cause I believe in as the chief marketing officer of the Save A Leg, Save A Life Foundation. Not only was I thriving in my professional life, but also in my personal life, purchasing my first home and having a child. The best part is that I am still so hungry and excited to see what else I can accomplish.
Redefining what a mentor is like
Gary is an entrepreneur, but you don't have to be one to relate to and follow his stuff. I have always been impressed by busy hungry people who give back. In 2011 he impressed me right away by answering my emails and tweets. It reminded me of how in 2006 mentors of mine like Seth Godin, Tim O'Reilly and Jimmy Wales would answer my emails and give me business advice. I consider Gary and all of these men to be mentors. I don't believe that you have to necessarily know a mentor to learn from them. Many people also look at historical figures as mentors after reading their life's work.
Being an audience member
I get excited before each show. There is no set schedule and you never know when one might be popping up. I usually consume the program on YouTube or Facebook and let the audio run while I am working. I really should just move over to the podcast, but I am 37 and still not a big podcast guy. Sometimes I miss a few episodes and have to go back and binge watch. Vaynerchuk has built an entire team that produces the show and it is fun to watch them grow. Audience members ask questions on Twitter and Instagram by using the hashtag #askgaryvee.
The community within his community
In episode number 125 of the Ask Gary Vee show, he mentioned something very important. For years there has been a community growing within his community. Gary sometimes calls this community the Vayniacs. Many of us have different life passions and different goals for business, but we share the common thread of wanting to put in the work for more. Many of us are following each other and supporting the work of other like minded people.
Not his first run at a web series
The Ask Gary Vee show just reached it's one year anniversary with the completion of 125 episodes in that amount of time. The episode time ranges based on the amount of time Gary and his staff have between massive amounts of meetings on any given day. I have been watching this series since day one and knew that I would become hooked. However, this is not his first run at a successful web series. From 2006-2011 he did 1,000 episodes of Wine Library TV. He retired the show for a shorter format series under the name The Daily Grape.
I am eternally grateful for all of the knowledge and time that Vaynerchuk has given me. Although we have never met, I feel like I know him well. In another life if our roles are ever reversed, I hope that I could provide him as much value and confidence as he has done for me. From the bottom of my heart and soul, thank you Gary.