Find your passion…check. Define your niche…check. Work your face off…check. Completely revolutionize the way this world looks at wine…if you are Gary Vaynerchuk, that is a big time check! Going from working in a liquor store earning $27,000 a year to building a $150 million wine empire with thousands of raving fans, I can comfortably say Gary is definitely “changing the wine world.” I recently had the chance to conduct a video interview with Gary, and truthfully, you have never met anyone like him.
The most fascinating part is that he is teaching entrepreneurs and companies to wake up to his all too simple business plan. His formula for success? Hustle, passion, patience and a whole lot of caring.
“I’m bringing it all the time. It’s just how I’m built. I’m Raw.”
Gary is not your typical entrepreneur. While some rise in the morning to participate in their morning activities and rituals to prepare them for the day, Gary is answering emails within minutes of being awake. And he doesn’t recommend it to everyone. You have to be specifically designed for the lifestyle that Gary has chosen.
“Doing the right thing and doing the nice thing is never the wrong thing.”
Many people reach out to Gary because he makes himself so accessible. He makes it his priority to respond back to the thousands of emails he get’s daily. Although I don’t drink much wine, his contagious personality drew me into the Vayniac club. After following Gary for many months seeing his rise to fame, I knew that when the time was right, I would reach out to him. Gary doesn’t put too much thought behind the people he connects with. Some will may continue to support him and some won’t, so Gary just keeps serving people because in his mind, that’s what he believes is right. Doing the right thing will always, always, always move you closer to where you want to be whether you think so or not.
“Money is not what I’m about. Screw money. I’m about the grind…”
Of course, that is because Gary has it, right? The truth of the matter is that Gary doesn’t care about flashy cars, first class flights or buying flat screens. As long as his family is healthy and he is moving closer to his goal of owning the New York Jets, he is happy. It’s all about the journey.
“Fame and opportunity only accentuates who you are. I am only going to become nicer because people are going to respect my caring.”
My first experience with Gary was when a friend told me to check out his online show Wine Library TV. Immediately I knew there was something special about Gary. I was thinking this guy was off the wall…and he was the kind of guy I could relate with. He was talking about how this wine tasted like sweat socks and cigars mixed with a bit of cherries. Then, I stumbled across his legendary talk at the Web 2.0 Expo which completely blew me away. And then Conan. I had never seen a businessman so real, so authentic and willing to tell it like it is.
“Stop watching this and go hustle.”
Gary’s advice to the many young entrepreneurs who will be watching this interview is pretty straight forward. I have seen “experienced” business owners challenge his philosophy, arguing that success is not that easy. Well, let me take a stab at what Gary is communicating with the world. When you have passion for something, are willing to work harder than anyone else on the block, are willing to wait as long as it takes, and you truly care about the people involved in the process, all the other pieces will take care of themselves.
Am I saying forget reading books and just hustle everyday? Of course not. Your ruthless hustle will in fact lead you to many of the resources you need to move you closer to where you want to be. If you are still struggling with solidifying where you want to be, give Gary “a whirl” and enjoy the interview!
The Gary Vaynerchuk Interview (25:54 video)
Love it or hate it…please leave your feedback below.
photo #1 cred: @AdamHaroun
photo #2 cred: Richard Perry/The New York Times
