Gary Vaynerchuk's Blog, page 16

Why 1+1 Equals 11

When I was growing up, I was a huge boxing fan. 

There’s a great boxing saying that says, “styles make fights”. What that means is, you could have the two best boxers in the ring, and the fight might still be boring. You could also have two below average fighters and it could still be the most exciting 12 rounds you ever see. Think about fights with Muhmammid Ali and Smokin Joe Frasier or Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfeild. 

I think there’s a similar phenomenon in business. Business relationships and partnerships oftentimes can be great (they could also be terrible), but when I see two companies or two individuals coming together, and working together, and I just know that the stars completely aligned for them to both extract enormous values–I think about how 1 plus 1 equals 11. 

What 1+1=11 Means In Business 

For example, when I saw that Disney bought Marvel, and then Lucas Film, I said to my friends, “That was a 1 plus 1 equals 11”. 

I understood that the Disney infrasture, with that IP coming into it, was going to work. Both because Marvel and Lucas made a lot of money in their transaction, but also because I thought Disney underpaid for that IP.  Considering the future world, with so much video online streaming, that’s why I think we’re seeing these deals play out. Look at Disney+ and this growing sector, we’re all gonna subscribe to something. It could be because of Star Wars and Avengers, or it could be because of The Little Mermaid and The Lion King.  Disney had the foresight to understand that the IP was the thing that had the most leverage in a decentralized internet world. Hence I use the term a lot. 

What 1+1=11 Means In Partnerships 

I look for it in every relationship and every potential relationship. Will this just be a good partnership, or does this have the potential to be 1+1=11? To make it even more macro, I’ve done many partnerships through the years where I’ve realized the partnership itself –  the thing we were trying to accomplish – was going to be just okay or maybe average. I didn’t have the greatest feeling.  However, I was so enamored or respected that I and the person I was doing the deal with, were aware that my intent would be to be a great partner. Therefore, I would be able to leave that partnership in great shape. When I left, I left a great impression, hence one plus one equals 11 in the macro. 

For me, a lot of the time 1+1  is the marco conversation, not the micro. I know people like Guy Oseary  weren’t amazing for Vayner or Maverick but our partnership did deepen our relationship and it served as the foundation for many other fruitful things. That’s because we were both good actors during the partnership even though the partnership itself didn’t crush.

As a matter of fact, a lot of times a partnership may look like it’s 1+1= 11 to you on the outside because both entities made some money but meanwhile, neither respected the way that the other was dancing during their time together. In the long term it was actually a negative.

1+1=11 is the macro way I look at partnerships and relationships, and it is a term I throw around often, and that is the foundation of how I see it.

The post Why 1+1 Equals 11 appeared first on GaryVaynerchuk.com.

What New Brands Need To Know

What’s up VaynerNation!

Many emerging entrepreneurs understand one thing: they need to build a brand. A business is much more than the goods and/or services you provide. Your business is your relationship to your customers, your reputation in the marketplace, and what people think of when they think of your company. All of this equals brand. The problem is, while many people understand what a brand is, they don’t understand how to build one themselves. Keep reading to find out what I think most new brands need to know.

Which is more important, “brand” or “product”?

Many people have internalized “brand” over “product” for a long time. However, I would argue that it’s brand and product. The Nike swoosh really matters, but making tremendous sneakers that function is also a part of it. I think we’ve all seen great brands get diluted due to execution. There are many things that start off remarkable but as they expand into other areas, they dilute. Keep that in mind.

How much does the price of a product or service impact a brand?

You know, I’ve always been fascinated by the price of a brand. Coming from the wine industry, I know there’s an ungodly amount of wines that are $100 dollars that are not as good as a ton of wines that are $30 dollars. Like, what is that all about? What does that mean?  I believe that people have a subconscious belief of something’s value based on what they’ve paid for it.

And I do think there’s a correlation between price and quality. However, I think equally and in conflict with that, people are aware that some things are better values than others. Both co-exist and I think, for me, with VaynerMedia, Wine Library, my personal brand “GaryVee”–given that I try not to monetize my content, I’ve always tried to be best in product and best in value.

That probably seems obvious. My dad’s liquor store was called Shopper’s Discount Liquors. It was a “discount store” but we were selling the best brands in the world, only we were selling at discounted prices. I come from that background. So, I think, whoever brings the best value and the best product becomes the ultimate winner.

Yes, the perception of price dictates people’s beliefs about brands, but I think that oftentimes leads to people over paying for things. It can lead to people not finding great opportunities and bargains. I also think, sometimes, it’s exactly right and I do believe that some of the best products and brands do command the prices associated with them. It’s a complex environment. If you took an item you were selling for 18 dollars, and you decided to raise it to $80 dollars because there’s no understanding of it’s value (say, it’s in an antique shop, for example) do I think that would play out? I do. I think people would perceive that $80 dollar item better due to that price change.

The statement for new brands should be, “try us”. By saying it, by saying hey, our coffee is better than Starbucks, but we’re a dollar a cup instead of four– come and try us. Then deliver on that promise and be close enough that people’s subjective opinions can go either way. You definitely can’t say “try us” and serve coffee that nobody on earth would agree is better than Starbucks’. 

Why some brands, like our partner’s at Asterisk, have eclectic leadership.

Coming from the wine business, I think the best meals have multiple ingredients. Cheeseburgers are epic because they have cheese and a bun and lettuce, tomato, onions, ketchup, and mustard–not just the burger. I think that eclectic, different, diverse backgrounds and experience levels lead to better meals. I think it’s really unfortunate that people don’t see that and it has been a calling card for me. 

The most effective way to bring different elements of culture into your brand.

It’s around authenticity. Brands should feel comfortable incorporating. So much of what I incorporate is because I’m actually comfortable in that world. Knowledge helps too. For example, I know that there’s a huge opportunity for me in the surfing and skateboarding community. I also know that me, GaryVee, just doesn’t know it as well. It’s just not as authentic to me as sports cards, sports, or hip hop because  certain things are just not life experiences. I didn’t grow up in Malibu, surfing all day.  

Trust me, if I did, my audience would be bigger in that world because my analogies and my adjectives and my vibe would have more of that incorporated. I can speak to that group on a human level, but I can never explode in that group because I don’t have the full context. Unless I move and surf for ten years, I won’t have context. 

That’s what I think about brands. Play where you can and if you’re a brand, as opposed to a solo human being, hire people that understand those variables and then that gives you permission to play in those places. That’s a good idea.

If you liked this article, let me know on Twitter.

The post What New Brands Need To Know appeared first on GaryVaynerchuk.com.

What you need to know about LinkedIn Stories

Recently, LinkedIn has updated their platform to include a stories feature. It’s just like Instagram, Facebook, or Snapchat–only completely different. LinkedIn has contextualized the feature for their audience, taking cues from the platforms before it. Keep reading to find out what, I think, you need to know about the latest marketing feature on one of the largest social networks in the world.

How should a business adapt to LinkedIn Stories? Is it similar to Instagram Stories?

Businesses should recognize that being familiar with the stories feature is already a big advantage. However, the only thing that’s similar about the two is the format. The “room” is very different. It’s almost like you’re a bartender but you’ve only bartended at a dive bar in Idaho. Now you’re a bartender in a swanky, New York City, rooftop bar. You’re still bartending, but it’s different. 

LinkedIn is gonna have different mentalities and different vibes. People think differently when they’re on different platforms.  Consuming content on Instagram is not the same as consuming content on LinkedIn. It’s a game of context, context, context, context. 

Still be yourself, but it’s going to be more contextual and relevant to a LinkedIn, B2B, and/or business centric audience.  

It’s an audience that is looking for efficiencies in travel, or insights to marketing, or new slang and terminology.

Everyone reading this acts differently among our best friends than when we’re with people we don’t know. We act differently when we’re in a swanky neighborhood, a cool club, a sporting event, or when we’re in Vegas. I literally watch people change their vocabulary based on who is with them. I see it all the time. Contextualize your vocabulary and you’re slang when you’re on LinkedIn.

Why do you think LinkedIn made the decision to add stories?

The same reason Instagram copied Snapchat; it’s a format. I look at stories the way I look at “feed”. Nobody asked why Instagram made a feed because Facebook and Twitter (on mobile) already established it. I think the hubbub about Instagram copying the format of Snapchat, the politics, the headlines, and the moment made it a big deal. But, stories are a feature. Every single social media app in 2022 should have a stories feature. It is clearly something we as humans have adapted to wanting. Which is ephemeral, content disappearing in and out, while having something that’s more evergreen in the feed.

What types of industries are the best fit for LinkedIn stories?

I think LinkedIn has crossed the chasm into Facebook territory, where you can literally do anything. Like if you sell puppies, or ice cream, or candles, or T-shirts, or have a club–you can have a LinkedIn presence. Same if you’re a financial advisor, a lawyer, or you’re trying to sell concrete to a B2B executive. I genuinely believe they all can play. 

However, when you’re selling puppies and ice cream, you need to be thinking that you are on LinkedIn. So, say things like:

Are you working in your home office 15 hours a day? 

Do you need a companion? 

Here’s fluffy! 

You should buy fluffy! 

You know, you gotta think contextually. But I think everyone should play.

How can someone maintain a professional LinkedIn presence while using the stories feature?

I think the best way to do that is to shed the worry about being professional. The fact that’s even a question is what I think the insight is. I think you should be yourself on LinkedIn, not wear a tie and act weird. 

By the way, on the record, I believe that will lead to more business, not less. Will there be a subset that eliminates you because oh this is so unacceptable? Maybe. By the way, that’s my career. I was very casual and I was crass on stage and, in the beginning, many people cancelled me. But far more accepted me because they enjoyed the truth. The end. That’s what I think everyone should do in life.

That’s all for now! If you enjoyed this post, let me know on Twitter!

The post What you need to know about LinkedIn Stories appeared first on GaryVaynerchuk.com.

Ask GaryVee: How To Build Your First Business

Recently, I’ve received a lot of questions. Although some vary, many are similar. Questions like, how do I start my first business or how do I keep a new business afloat. People want to build and I get it. Times are hard and businesses are trying to find new ways to be creative and stay on the offense. Here are some answers to the business questions I get most often, I hope it brings you some value. 

What is the best way to keep my startup competitive? 

You know, I default as an entrepreneur thinking it’s always going to be competitive. If you’re good, everybody’s gonna be in your space, right? You figured something out, now you’re gonna have plenty of competitors.

To me, it’s the same old game. It’s better execution, it’s better product, it’s better service, it’s better everything that’s actually going to drive your business. I can’t give a blanket answer that will work for everyone, but I can give you general answers.

I’m trying to go deeper but I would need to know who everyone’s competitors are to answer this question thoroughly. So, for you and your business, are your competitors bigger entities with more money? When you’re David, you don’t play Goliath.  Escape. When you’re Goliath, destroy David. Like, that match-up, it should have never gotten to the slingshot. Just squish that guy.

So, to give the practical advice, it’s got to be something…here’s an example, back to depth. Was anybody else surprised as hell that I barely talked about VaynerMedia for around three years. For somebody that’s always out there promoting, you might have noticed that if you went to VaynerMedia’s website for the last few years there was nothing there. That’s because I was David.

I needed to make sure that the bigger agencies didn’t realize how big I was actually getting. That was my competitive play in a competitive landscape. Now that I’m getting a little bit bigger, I’m getting a little bit more out there. I’m putting myself out there more because I have the leverage of having more money to hire the best talent or acquire the biggest clients. So, the answer to your question is completely predicated on where you are in your life cycle versus your competitor’s life cycle.

What I would tell you is, and here’s where I can give the most tangible answer (though still theoretical), never play the other person’s game. That’s where everybody gets, like oh, that big guy or gal is now running ads. We’re gonna too. Problem, they have ten million dollars. You have $80,000 You will lose. So, it’s never playing the other person’s game.

How would you promote a Kickstarter campaign beyond providing content to raise awareness? 

I treat Kickstarter no different than anything else. Just because you, for example, have an ice thing that you want to do and you decide to do it on Kickstarter (because that’s a platform that has virality) that’s fine. The answer is the same: Facebook ads, targeting people that give a crap about ice cream and ices, putting out content in blog form, and guest contributing.

I would email every single person that has a blog of any size or magnitude that plays in your space. If you’re in organic ices or desserts or ice cream culture, I would map out the 700 people that are in that space that have blogs or media outlets and reach out to them and say, “I’d like to guest contribute.” Talk about Italian ices or ice cream or dessert culture in America or the world. Speak generally, not spamming like, “I want to tell you about my product.” It’s about content not infomercials.

Too many people think about content and they hear Billy Mays, an infomercial. When I think about content, I hear the New York Times and Scandal. Get it? It’s about making that decision.

So getting distribution, putting out good content, guest contributing, Facebook ads (if you’ve got money to drive towards it), reaching out to influencers and chefs that are in the desert space to see if you can joint venture what I would call business development. 

“Hey, you know, Mario Batali! Here’s what I can do for you. Or, I’ll give you 8% of my company if you can get me the spark that spreads out awareness of my products. Maybe, Hey, Carla Hall, I think you’re amazing in Your Southern Cuisine! I’ll give you five years worth of my product, for free, if you give me a little love. How can you give me love? A tweet’s not enough.”

So it’s biz dev, it’s content creation that’s not infomercial but actual content, and then it’s proper internet marketing.

Should I post articles on my blog or social media?

Those of you who follow me have probably realized that I’m going to say, both. what I think is interesting about this question is most people in the internet marketing world want to keep telling you to do it on your own site, monetize your own traffic, it’s yours, Facebook reach can’t be taken away. All this “own it, own it, own it.”

The problem with “own it, own it, own it” is when you’re doing it on your own site, you’re at the mercy of how much traffic you’re able to establish on your own site, and so from the 99.999% of you that are reading  this that don’t have four million unique people coming to your site every day, every month, the reality is is placed like Medium, can help so much. 

For example, I had a Medium post go extremely viral, viral as in it did really well on Medium. However, that 950 people have clicked over and read the article because of that place, and that’s 950 people that I’m gonna guess 787 of them have never even heard of me before that article.

I’m a big fan of picking spots strategically that give you awareness and then build leverage for you that then eventually you can monetize in your own world.

Too many people are worried about monetizing now, posting on their page, versus using things like Linkedin and Medium, and notice I use those two because they have viral loops. Linkedin, when articles go well, it shows up in Pulse. Medium sends out an email and has the top stories. So I like being in places where there’s viral loops. I noticed the kid on Twitter today tweet out, Hey, I’m number four on Medium, two spots ahead of GaryVee, and then I looked at his profile and he has 1,400 Twitter followers. That got me excited. I’m like “See, great content can rise to the top and bring awareness.” It’s clear, it’s a heavy mix of both.

That’s all for now, VaynerNation! If you liked this article, be sure to share it on Twitter!

The post Ask GaryVee: How To Build Your First Business appeared first on GaryVaynerchuk.com.

Why You Should Put Your Employees First: A Conversation With Arthur Blank

It’s clear that employee first businesses will win in the next decade. Tides are changing and people are evolving to value what really matters. There is no way for CEOs and business leaders to win if they don’t understand this shift. More than a new thing or random part of the “new normal”, employee first businesses have won big for many years now. It’s part of the reason I surround myself with successful people who have empathy for others and understand this cold.

With that in mind, I’d like to introduce the prestigious gentleman, Arthur Blank. He’s an author and I know how much my audience has enjoyed getting to know authors. We’re talking about how it’s clear that employee first businesses will win in the next decade. 

Entrepreneurial Beginnings

Gary: You and I have a lot of things in common, we both grew up in Queens and we both do business differently. How did you start your business?

Arthur: You know I co-founded the Home Depot in 1979 and left in 2001. We were the second largest retailer in the world at that time. Today the company has a capital value of over 300 million dollars. Later, I transitioned into a variety of other things, including ownership of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United, a major league soccer team. We operate the PGA tour superstores, several guest ranches in Montana, and we have a very active and philanthropic family foundation.

The beauty and essence of my book is that all of the values that we cultivated and developed at Home Depot for 23 years are now being shepherded along beautifully by Craig Menear (current CEO of Home Depot) and their whole team. The same values we put in place within all of these different industries, in different settings with different geographies, are all connected to the communities that we live in. You can have both profitability and emphasis on the people side of the equation.  In fact, if you’re going to achieve both at high levels you need to put emphasis on both of them. One feeds strongly into the other. 

Milton Friedman, a great economist, wrote a book 50 years ago. He said, “ The purpose of a corporation is to make money for shareholders.”  Period, that’s the end of the discussion. Today, I think you know the view is different, it’s changing.Good values, based on human relationships between who you’re serving, who’s doing the serving, and the communities you’re living in, and profitability are all equally important. One enhances the other. It’s not that you have to have one or the other or that one takes away from the other. The beauty of a weighted barbell is that it’s balanced on both ends, it’s equally weighted. 

We think these values are transportable to virtually every business–for-profit,  non-profit, and whatever the case may be.

Honey Over Vinegar 

Gary: I call VaynerX my universe, and my honey empire, because I also think that you can win with honey over vinegar. Deep negativity and bad human traits make me uncomfortable. A lot of people are confused when I say: you don’t have to kill or be mean to be a successful business person. 

Arthur: Not only that, but I think it’s counterintuitive to be that way if you want to be successful. I measure success in two ways. One way is with financial results, that most would conventionally asumme, and another way is with purpose. You don’t have to be like Deepak Chopra, but there is more to life than making money. I think young people, in particular, are striving for more purpose than past generations. Although, I was deeply inspired by my mother and the way she ran our family business after my father passed when I was 15 years old. 

She ran it beautifully and eventually, she sold it. I think the notion of pushing through challenges, looking for opportunities to enhance or make the world a better place (if you will) should be foundational. My mother was a woman of principle and, therefore, that became very important to me at an early age. She often uses this expression “do the right things, for the right reasons, and you will live with the consequences.”  I think that’s stayed with me for many years and drives a lot of the cultural aspects of what we talk about in my book. 

Kindness and Competitiveness Can Co-exist

Gary: I resonate with that. People ask why I have this “honey empire” thing, and I always tell them, my mom. She is one of the nicest people and it’s just in her DNA to be nice and kind. People also get confused because I am admittedly competitive and they don’t realize kindness and competitiveness can co-exist. 

It’s actually very easy for kindness and competitiveness to co-exist, but sometimes competitiveness (especially in the heat of the moment) manifests into something that seems a little bit more aggressive and not naturally kind. Do you feel this can confuse some outside observers?

Arthur: Yeah, I think it can. However, there are people that I have great respect for, who have always been as firm as they need to be and as strong as they need to be, with an underlying degree of kindness. Some of the kindest, most considerate, most thoughtful people are also extremely competitive. You can have both. At the end

of the day, you want the people that work for you to feel like it’s not just about making money. It’s about committing to an organization that’s making a difference in the world. It’s about making the difference in other people’s lives.

Karma Has A Practical Impact

Aruthur: Gary, your following comes because those people are listening to you because they believe what you’re sharing with them is making a difference in their lives.

Gary: To your point, I’m reverse engineering bringing value for them, not myself. I understand the karma that it has a practical impact and gives me opportunities for myself. It’s not super complicated. Good builds on good.

Arthur: Exactly right. When you develop that kind of relationship with who you’re serving, it makes an impact. 

That’s all for now, VaynerNation! Click this link for the entire interview. If you liked this article, be sure to share it on Twitter.

The post Why You Should Put Your Employees First: A Conversation With Arthur Blank appeared first on GaryVaynerchuk.com.

Why Now Is The Time To Follow Your Passion

Following your dreams always seems like a risk. As time grows increasingly uncertain, fulfilling a lifelong passion and pursuing a long held goal may feel frivolous or selfish. However, such ideas aren’t always right.

One of the reasons Marketing For The Now, our bi-monthly, marketing State of the Union, is so impactful is because it shows creativity holds an important place in the professional work environments. We hope the thoughtful conversations Gary has with titans of the marketing world can inspire you and bring value into your life. Following your passion can positively impact your work life, and future mindset.

Tom DeSanto on Success 

Tom is a writer and producer for X-Men, Transformers, and Facts2Health

Gary: I know a lot of individuals may be familiar with what you’re involved with but not necessarily familiar with you. What’s your comic book origin story? I know a big percentage of the audience, from age 18 to 81, have aspirations to do similar things you have done. 

Tom: In the same way you were a baseball card kid, like my brother Dan, I was a comic book kid. When I was three years old, I threw myself on the ground in an Elizabethtown, New Jersey candy store because my mom wouldn’t buy me a flash comic book. And I couldn’t even read. I think I saw the images of the superheroes and I knew that was my inner spirit animal. 

My family never wanted money or anything, but we weren’t wealthy. Comic books allowed me to leave that four room apartment and go to different universes. I could go save the planet, and when you’re a little kid I think one of the things you really want to do is make a difference. But you’re small, you don’t have the strength or the ability, and superheroes give you that aspirational thing. When done right, comic books are modern myths and legends we can use to teach kids about humility, arrogance, and hubris. 

I’m living proof that your action figures can become real and paid for many times over. That’s the true success in life. 

Don’t chase money. If your only goal is money you’re only going to want more and you’ll never be happy. Don’t chase success, it’s the same thing, you’ll only want more. Do what you love and you will find success and financial freedom in that. 

Gary: I agree. When you’re truly successful, it’s because you’re enjoying “it”, not what “it” can bring to you. 

Rob Smith on Listening To the Youth

Rob Smith is the founder and CEO of the Phluid Project 

Gary: Hi Rob, tell me a little bit about your origin story. 

Rob: My origin story is interesting, or at least, I think it is. My very first job was cleaning up after the Rocky Horror Picture Show. You know, talk about glamour (laughs). I grew up in Detroit, Michigan and ended up working for Macy’s for 22 years. After I worked my way up there, I worked for Levi’s, Victoria’s Secret, Nike…then I went to my first Burning Man. I had an incredible experience. There’s a saying, Don’t quit your job after your first burning man. Well, I lasted about two weeks after coming home…then I realized, I had to do something else with my life.

So, I quit my job and backpacked around the world for six months. While on my journey, I came up with the idea for the Phulid Project. It’s my passion; the intersection of fashion apparel and social justice.

Gary: What’s your “hot take” on those issues? If you could create a headline right now, what’s on your mind?

Rob: What’s on my mind is that Gen Z is so inspiring. I built my company on values and on a mission statement that is mine–but it resonates with Gen Z so much. What’s interesting is that I’ve done a lot of pitch decks and I learned a lot of stats. I won’t overwhelm you with them, but you know the Phluid Project at its core,  it’s created for transgender, gender non-conforming young adults, and/ or adults folks who can’t shop anywhere because our entire world is binary. Once you start to understand that every time you go anywhere, whether you go shopping or you go to a restroom,  anywhere it’s divided between men and women. If you’re somewhere in the space in between or if you’re, you know, transitioning, the world isn’t friendly to you.

Over half of Gen Zers, know someone who’s gender non-conforming, who uses pronouns other than he/him and she/her, so this movement is happening. I like to say that Gen Z is not this or that. They’re not these binary boxes.

Impressing them is really hard, so you have to listen. 

Gary: I always tread lightly when I talk about things that are actual shows or podcasts because almost all of my opinions of it are formed by hundreds and hundreds of other people’s opinions. Through their commentary, I learn, because I spend almost all my time practicing anthropological social listening. When you listen, and judge the judge, it’s an incredible vibe. 

Natalie Nixon on Creativity 

Natalie (Ph.D) is the author of the Creativity Leap, president and brand strategist of Figure 8 Thinking. 

Gary: Natalie, thank you for closing us out. Talk to me more about your journey because I think it’s a cool one and it can inspire people. I think Covid is challenging people to think about whether they want to make a change in the journey, and I think your journey is really, really fun to think about. 

Natalie: Well thanks for asking; I have an incredibly loopy background, both in anthropology and fashion.  I think my loopy path is because of the grace of advice from my parents. When I was a 19-year-old sophomore in college, I had a “first world problem”. At this point a very expensive education, I had to declare a major and I wanted to make sure I got a good job. I  called home in tears and I was very apologetic about everything that was boring but sounded impressive.

My parents said, “Well, what are you interested in?”

I began to apologetically explain about Anthropology and Africana studies. At the time this was the 80s [before those subjects were popular].  

But, they said, “That’s what you should study…if you study what you love you will have to turn down opportunities”.

It was like this load lifted off my shoulders.

Ultimately, following your heart is more efficient. I think, right now, in this time of Covid, it’s an incredibly important opportunity to reorient and reroute. It’s both terrifying and exhilarating. I have a saying, if you’re 50% terrified and 50% exhilarated then leap. The terror is what anchors you and the exhilaration is what keeps you buoyant and optimistic. 

Gary: Does that tie into your book in any way?

Natalie: Thank you for asking. I got so tired of hearing people say,  “Oh, I’m not the creative type.” Creativity, to me, is the ability to toggle between wonder and rigor to solve problems. The crossroads of following your heart and doing something practical. That’s why I’m really passionate about leaving people with a playbook, a roadmap for exercising creativity. whether you’re an attorney, environmentalist, a plumber, or  a stay-at-home parent–creativity is essential right now. You just need the humility to be a clumsy student.
Gary: Yes, please. If we could just make humility cool, people would be so much happier and learn so much more.

That’s all for now! If you liked this article, be sure to share on Twitter or your favorite social platform!

The post Why Now Is The Time To Follow Your Passion appeared first on GaryVaynerchuk.com.

Discovering Authenticity with Vegan Foodie Tabitha Brown

Who’s ready for self discovery?

Recently, Gary had the pleasure of speaking with Tabitha Brown, vegan foodie and actress known for her positive, bubbly personality. She also happens to have over three million followers, across her social media platforms. Notably, she gained over one million TikTok followers in only thirty days. Dubbed, “the mom of TikTok”, Tabitha strives to be a ray of light while remaining true to herself. 

As a guest on Marketing For The Now, she and Gary discussed her journey and how she balances positivity with authenticity. Check out the highlights below!

On Confidence and Conviction

Gary: Hi Tabitha! For those who don’t know, can you tell us a little bit about who you are, your brand, and the amazing supernova that is you?

Tabitha: (laughs) Well, I am Tabitha Brown. I am what people call a “vegan foodie”, an influencer (and I’m still trying to get used to that), but most importantly, I am a wife and a mother. I am a real woman and in the real world trying to balance it all.

Gary: Taking it back further, what kind of child were you? What were your interests? Can you describe some of the key moments in your life that gave you the foundation to have the confidence and conviction to be a “real woman in today’s world”. 

Tabitha: When I was a kid I was very free; I had a huge imagination. I knew I wanted to entertain, I knew I wanted to be an actor, but I was from a small town in North Carolina. There were no [television] actors there, so [my mom] got me into the theatre. I would perform anytime because I just loved to entertain people; I loved how it felt. The reactions, the positive reinforcement, the attention–all that energy drew me in. It was that feeling that stuck with me. 

How To Confront Conformity

Tabitha: You know, I wasn’t always free. As I grew into a woman, I found myself working in corporate America and being told to “tone down” my accent. They would say it’s “it’s a little ignorant” or “we want you to be as neutral as possible. Coming to LA, to be an actress, it was the same thing. No one wants to hear an accent unless it’s a character requested type of thing. 

I got into trying to please everybody. That’s not freedom and I was so lost for a little while. I would wear my hair a certain way, cover up my accent, and try to be a certain size, just to give people what they want. 

Gary: I’m always fascinated by people who are able to do accents, or suppress them. I always tell people: the only thing I’m good at is being me. It’s the only thing, it’s all I’ve got. 

Tabitha: It’s a great thing to just be able to be you, let me tell you that. I went through a time where I was really sick and during that sickness is when I found myself again. Many times I’ll tell people I may have even gotten sick because the true me couldn’t breathe. I was suffocating myself. It took me a year and a half to come out of the depression, and anxiety, and dark space and think clearly. When I did find the light, I found my true self again and I said to myself, “Oh, I ain’t never gonna let go of it. I want to always choose light but most importantly, I want to always choose me. Because I am enough. Just as I am.”

That is how I arrived to where I am now.

The moment I did that, my whole life started to change. 

Don’t Confuse Self-Love and Compassion for Self-Delusion 

Gary: You’re right, I think it’s an awareness game. I’m a competitive man, I really like competition, who grew up in New Jersey with nothing. Throughout school I was a poor student and I wasn’t good at sports. I didn’t have a lot of positive affirmations for anything other than me grinding and working hard.Therefore, I’m against entitlement and for accountability–but that creates confusion when I give out love. 

I’m giving out a ton of love on a daily basis and so are you. I’m curious as to how you handle people receiving your positive energy while trying to paint you as something you’re not. 

People, friends, family, even those I know in the business world–try to paint me as the bad guy because I curse or because I’m aggressive. They might say I’m a hypocrite, or crazy, that my positive attitude can’t be for real. It always blows my mind when people say, “There’s no way he’s that happy.” Do you ever feel misunderstood?

Tabitha: I know what you mean, it’s crazy. It’s like, you want to attack me because I’m happy?

Gary: People say they’re keeping it real and I say, “You’re keeping it real cynical.”

Tabitha: (laughs) You know what I tell myself, I tell myself I am not the problem. I know who I am. So, whenever somebody says something like that, I just know there ain’t nothing you can do about people honey. I’m always going to choose light and try to be that light for someone else. 

I always remain true to myself because I refuse to lose myself in the process again. 

Gary: Right, you have to know yourself. Don’t let people walk all over you and don’t do nice things just because you expect something good to happen. There are people like my mother and Ms.Tabitha Brown whose natural happiness comes from making other people happy. You can’t fake it. Judgement on oneself is the foundation to being able to pull off what I’m talking about. 

Tabitha: Yeah, you have to be easy on yourself but you have to check yourself too. 

Gary: People have to be accountable. You don’t have to be judgemental because we’re all doing the best we can, but when you begin to see movement on your journey, you’re going to be so excited. 

That’s all for now. If you liked this recap, be sure to share it on your favorite platform!

The post Discovering Authenticity with Vegan Foodie Tabitha Brown appeared first on GaryVaynerchuk.com.

7 Answers To 7 Questions From My LinkedIn Q&A

What’s up VaynerNation.

I did a Q&A on LinkedIn a few weeks ago, check out the highlights!

The Characteristics of a Scalable Business











Convince People to Take a Chance











The Best Way to Network











On Education











Standing Out In A Crowded Market











How To Nurture Relationships











The Importance Of “Brand”

If you liked this article, it would mean a lot to me if you share it on Twitter.

The post 7 Answers To 7 Questions From My LinkedIn Q&A appeared first on GaryVaynerchuk.com.

The Definition Of A Post Creative Strategist

I don’t always make predictions, but I’m so excited to be at the forefront of what I perceive as a massive shift in the modern ad agency. I believe a “post creative strategist” is necessary for any brand that wants to curate and cultivate exceptional, on-brand content. 

At VaynerMedia, we’re hoping to include a post creative strategist on our team; it’s an important position that’s been wildly overlooked.

How strategy typically works at an agency

If you look at how strategists run at creative agencies, specifically the advertising industry, these are individuals that do the work prior to the content going out to a client. A client gives you a budget and says, “Hey, we would like to win with, say, Black men in Atlanta; we’d like them to buy more of our soap. And we want to win with moms in California.”  Cool.

What ends up happening is, a strategist does research. She’ll conduct focus groups, go on the internet, look at data, come up with a hypothesis, and hand that hypothesis to a creative. 

It’s the same process if they tell the strategist, “Hey I need to win big with frat boys in Alabama”, the strategist will go and do her thing. 

Then, the strategist shares her research with the creatives, and the creatives make their interpretation of her hypothesis. Finally, the client has to make a subjective decision to post it.

I think that’s fine, but I also think it’s highly broken. 

First of all, that whole process takes a long time – could be about nine months. It takes about a month for the strategist, then they’ve got to sell it through to the decision makers for what it’s worth, and after that they go make it and produce it. That’s slow. 

Plus, that’s really the old “commercial.” You would make a commercial then you would make matching luggage. Then, the creative team would give it to the digital team, and they would take still shots and little clips from exactly that same shot. Same color, same fonts. Being on brand. There’s risk there because it’s such a long process that really depends on the one piece of content working out. 

The way I look at strategy is “volume.”  

How would a post creative strategist disrupt that process?

Volume.  Say the hypothesis that the strategist comes up with, after doing research, is what the brand needs to win with Black males in Atlanta. You also can’t forget that the brand also needs to win with a bunch of other groups. Does that hypothesis translate to other groups? If it doesn’t, you may need to create several strategies. 

So, rather than putting all that on the strategist, the creative, and the subjective opinion of the client (then betting the farm on it because you’ve spent a million dollars on the commercial) and hoping it works, utilize a post creative strategist.

For us, this post creative strategist is the most interesting role because it is still an “anthropologist”, it’s still an emotional intelligence focused “psychologist”. It’s still a curiosity finder. However, this individual is still living and breathing “day trading attention” more than “investing in a mutual fund.” 

Meaning, they’re not going into a lab for a month and doing research, coming out and saying Ta Da and handing that research to the creative team. Instead, they’re living and breathing the research everyday just like the customer. Going with our earlier soap example, they might put out soap content for 15-20 different demographics and then see what people are saying & determine what works from there. It’s testing and learning. 

What defines the role of a “post creative strategist”? 

A post creative strategist’s role can be analytical, but a lot of times the media team and the analytics team are taking care of that. What I see it as is, is the skillset that in hindsight became the foundation of my career. In spite of all the talking that I do, and everything you see on the internet, what I’m doing 95 percent of my time is actually listening.

My observations, my pseudo predictions, and my historical correctness, all that comes from a whole lot of listening. It comes from a whole lot of watching. Where I really took it up a notch was in from 2007 to 2011. 

I was watching and replying to everything on Twitter. It led to a place where I would reply to the replies of my content. I would put out a piece of wine content, eleven people would reply, and I would respond to everything. Thus, it meant that I was reading everything. That led to understanding what people were interested in, reacted to, liked, or didn’t like. This led me to say something different next time based on that real time data and feedback. 

That’s the seed in which the post creative strategist role is born.

What type of characteristics does a post creative strategist have?

A post creative strategist is practical, humble, and fast. 

She or he or they must possess a talent for being able to see all of the comments from the (hopefully) 80 pieces of content per week. Someone who’s able to read all of those comments and understand that the comments on Twitter will be one way, and the comments on Instagram will be another way. The comments on LinkedIn will be another way–because the psychology, the audience, everything is different on each platform. The strategist will know how to throw out the edges (the things that don’t mean anything, the things that are probably just noise), and should be able to zero in on the commonality or the insight on the creative to then go back to inform the creative team. 

The ability to say, “Hey, more flower videos” or “Hey, we need more optimism because people are anxious.”  They should be living and breathing content.

I often equate this to the kind of individuals who signed up to go out into nature and the wild and sit in jungles for 15 years, just watching, in order to deeply understand a red-headed ant or a chimpanzee. It’s watching people’s reactions to things and being good enough to understand when people are being keyboard warriors.

Just because nine people said you suck, that doesn’t mean you should stop. The talent of the post creative strategist is to know what’s a throwaway comment because people act tough on twitter but they act differently when they buy or support things. It’s a very interesting skill set that I believe is grounded in deep understanding of psychology and nature vs nurture. Humans behavior in the internet pontificating verus actually doing something about it. 

It’s a very creative role because there’s a need for recommendation of what to make next. I even see it evolving into a place where it’s integrated, deeply, into the creative team where they have the ability to make a piece of creative right on the spot. Perhaps in written form if they don’t possess the video and design capabilities of their creative team. 

The primary drive behind hiring a post creative strategist  

I’d say the primary drive for hiring a post creative strategist is that it enhances creation’s strength the next time it comes out. It’s less about driving down time, it’s more about giving strategy to what should be made. Content will more likely hit if you have a great post creative strategist. What I’ve learned during the past five years of this is you have to be so good at ideas and that comes from this. Otherwise, you’re just sitting around saying, “what should we make?”  

It really is on the creative to create. But the creative needs to be the “match: and the post creative strategist needs to create the “dry leaves and sticks” — it supports the creative to make the content happen.  

“Is the post creative strategist giving feedback like, “You need to make the font bigger” and things like that?”

You know how some people are good at creative ideas everyday and some people are great at one creative idea for a Super Bowl commercial? I would argue that the post creative strategist could come in both forms. The ones that excel the most are going to be great at both. 

I think you can be an excellent post creative strategist at VaynerMedia if you understand human truths. Feed those truths to a team and understand the analytical impact. However, the creatives themselves have to get better at that themselves. 

“If you were hiring someone for this kind of role, who would you look for?”

I would probably hire somebody like a psychology major that is scrappy, or somebody that has that “psychology” skill set of being able to get a feel for human reactions and feedback to content. The dream person for this role would actually be someone like me (I didn’t know I had similarities with a psych major back then, but I was scrappy). 

Domain expertise people could also be fascinating. Journalists might also end up being a good fit for a role like this. A “301” salesperson also does what I’m talking about. 

The post creative strategist’s process is not about having a plan, it’s about countering the other person’s plan, using the other person’s force to win. As a post creative strategist, you’re using people’s reactions from a piece of content, to win. Which is the reverse of what strategy is in “agencyland” now. The current process is subjective and audacious, it’s kind of academic. Again, a post creative strategist is practical, and humble, and fast. 

“Is it someone that has a pulse on different fields and industries? Someone who can understand different areas like environmentalism and hip hop?”

Those specifics are tough because that depends on the accounts (in the agency world). But you have to build a company that understands people on the coast, and moms in middle and rural America. A company that understands people who drive pickup trucks and take daily trips to Walmart. Every company needs someone who is good at that because things are so tense in the United States right now. 

Final Thoughts.

Much like micro influencers, much like community managers, I’m making a prediction (which I rarely do)–that this will be a staple of all agencies and all brands. 

I’m excited to be at the forefront of this shift. I’m excited to find incredibly talented individuals. I’m excited to innovate and create a job that is actually the perfect job for hundreds of thousands of people, even though they don’t realize it yet.   

Interested? We’re hiring a post creative strategist for VaynerMedia, learn more and apply here.

The post The Definition Of A Post Creative Strategist appeared first on GaryVaynerchuk.com.

How To Handle Negative Comments

Whether you are a public figure or not, you’re always going to have to deal with people’s opinions of your work. Sometimes, it will be valid; other times, it won’t. Judge the judger, before you let their opinion get to you. Regardless of who is giving you the praise, or the criticism,  you should never allow someone else’s opinion to make you sad.

I had a conversation with a caller on Tea With GaryVee about this very topic. I hope it resonates with you. 

1. Realize That They Don’t Know You

Whoever is leaving mean comments on your content most likely has no idea who you are. 

Michelle: I get really put down by people’s comments and I’ve been watching what you say about not listening to them…but I’m just a really soft person. I’m really sensitive, so I have a really hard time. 

Gary: Let me try to help.The biggest thing that you need to realize is they don’t know you. People criticize me all the time but they have no idea who I am or what I do. They read one quote or look at one clip, out of context, and they think they know me. I’m not too big on constructive criticism when it comes from people who have no idea what they’re talking about. Judge the judger who’s judging you. 

2. Empathize With Them

Do you know how sad someone must be to take the time and leave a mean comment? 

Second, you have to be empathetic and feel compassion for them. Michelle, listen to me, do you know how sad of a place somebody has to be in for them to take the time to watch your video and say something to make you feel bad? Just so that you feel bad with them.

Do you understand how sad they must feel?  I’m not joking, and I think people think i’m just trying to cheer you up, but I’m not joking. When people say shit about you like: you’re ugly, that’s stupid, you’re not funny, you’re dumb, that’s wrong– I don’t know how to do anything other than feel really bad for them.

3. Be Confident And Comfortable In “No”. 

Michelle: Yeah, I get what you’re saying but what’s really hard for me is…I  have a lot of confidence in my abilities and I believe in myself but there were a lot of people commenting on my appearance [under one post]  which is something that I can’t help. I just think it’s a horrible thing to do and,  for some reason, I believe it every time.  They say I’m ugly,  I believe it, and it makes me not want to post anymore.

Gary: Look we all have confidence in some places and lack self-esteem in others. For example, I can walk into an arena right now with 80, 000 people if somebody called and said,  “We need you.”  Like, it’s the first public gathering in New Jersey, you have to give a one hour keynote, we’re outside,  we’re going to the Jet Stadium, and you have to go right now! 

Now, I would be so pumped, I’d be thrilled.  I’d be in the car thinking what the fuck am I going to say? But,  I’m still going to be like,  all right, I can do it. 

However, if that same person called me and said, “On Tea With Garyvee,  you have to read. Right now. Here’s a piece of paper,  you have to read this .” I would be unbelievably concerned and super self-conscious because I am a very poor reader.  Anxiety for me is sitting around during the high holidays, reading at Passover. Yes, I’m scared with my family. So you have a lot of confidence in some areas and in other areas you don’t–just like every one of us.  

Get comfortable with the word NO, so you’re better able to deal with rejection.  People are too addicted to positive reinforcement; “you’re smart”, “you’re pretty”, “that’s awesome”. Once you believe that, you become susceptible to negative reinforcement. No matter what level of success you have, always remember that you are insignificant. That may sound harsh, but it’s actually incredibly liberating and exciting. It’s a skill you have to build, like a muscle at the gym. 

4. Remember the “Big Picture”

Michelle: So what are some practical things that I can do whenever I get a comment that is mean?  Like, what exercises can I do to build that muscle?

Gary: I think you should pretend that your parents died in a car accident. I know that seems super weird but what I do when I’m struggling is create a scenario in my head that actually speaks about real life. That makes me realize that johnny97 saying that I’m ugly really doesn’t mean a whole lot.

In a world where I’m driving to the hospital because I’ve lost my two best friends 30 to 50 years earlier than i should have, you don’t care about random comments. That’s one tactic that may or may not work for you. 

The other thing that you need to do is go to a place of confidence. For example, in high school, even though I was confident,  I would do really poorly in school. On a tough day, when teachers really shit on me (which was never fun) I would go home and focus on my sports cards.  I would go to a place of confidence. 

5. Realize It’s All In Your Head.

The number one thing you need to realize is that it’s in your own fucking head. You have to understand that you’re deciding that person’s right versus the people that tell you anything else. We all have things that we hate but you have to realize you can actually change it.

Forcing yourself into places that make you happy as a quick juxtaposition to something you’re reading or seeing,  sometimes makes you not dwell on the negative. A place of positivity is immediate medicine. However, it’s only medicine and you have to do work on the macro to really see consistent change. 

I don’t let compliments or criticisms bother me too much. That’s all ego.  Focus on what makes you happy and what gives people value. It keeps things in perspective.

The post How To Handle Negative Comments appeared first on GaryVaynerchuk.com.