Transcript

Gary Vaynerchuk (0:00)

So the thing that's definitely happening in your world, you're not challenging yourselves to figure out other ways to do content. People get into ruts, they have something that works and they do it for next seven years. Like you have to try different shit. Like again, the thing I'm most proud of, and I want you all to go look at my last hundred posts on Instagram. We're trying all sorts of shit. I'm saying the same shit for 20 years, but if you find different creative ways and you understand, you can find that pay dirt. This is the GaryVee audio experience.

Sports League Organizer (0:27)

How do we not be commoditized against our peers? You know, if you look at the on the field product of, you know, competitor of the adult sports, you know, world over in New Jersey, it's very similar. So often the first time we're compared to our competitor, like, hey, how come they're a hundred dollars cheaper or you know, this or that?

Gary Vaynerchuk (0:45)

Why are they $100 cheaper?

Sports League Organizer (0:49)

Most people are just doing it not to run a business and just kind of as a passion project, side hustle and not really into make money. They usually have like side work or other work to do.

Gary Vaynerchuk (0:58)

But as you can imagine, the consumer doesn't care about that. Absolutely. So from a consumer standpoint, how do you answer that?

Sports League Organizer (1:04)

Yeah, so well, to answer the question to them, it's, we're more organized, we have a website, we have back end coordination of schedules and all this other kind of stuff. Some people as you can imagine are like, take a picture of the Google sheet, email it out or text it out or whatever.

Gary Vaynerchuk (1:19)

So, so first, first you feel like you will. If they value their time, you can sell it back to them. Yes, right. Like, yeah. So I think, I always think time is like the ultimate thing to sell. Like there's people in here who've literally ordered From Postmates a $4 candy bar and paid $27 in shipping just so they didn't have to go downstairs in New York City to the local budeha and pick it up. So you do answer that by saying we save you time because of the tech stack or don't you? That's a question to you all. Before you go to the podcast, I've got a big announcement. I know several years ago a lot of you bought 12 books of 12 and a half to get the NFT, the book games NFT. I also know that a lot of people have dropped off on their journey with veefriends, which is a massive mistake because what we're doing on Burn Island. And what we're doing on base with book games is remarkable. So you need to go to vee friends vfriends.com oldbooks go to veefriends.com oldbooks with an S. You will go to that landing page and we will help you explain if you are trying to figure out where your NFTs are, how to bring them over to the website and how to start activating them so that you can start using them for all the incredible exchanges and draws and raffles and experiences that we're doing for people that actually own the book games. So please go to veefriends.com, where you can start your journey on reactivating your book games journey. Because I think I'm empathetic that you may not realize how big of a deal that is. And it might seem like not the biggest thing to sell on. And I would argue it's definitely something you should sell on. And in fact, I would try to, like, really think about it and get into, like, text notifications and other things. Because I think one thing I really enjoy in these things, I really pay attention. Right? So you talk, I hear something. I say, why is it $100 more? You say, well, it's a side hobby for them. They're not writing the same P and L. I'm like, that's good businessman stuff. But I don't give a fuck if I'm Johnny about your problems. I'm trying to save 100 bucks. If you can then communicate what the value props are, that will become really important. Because nobody's commoditized. It's a really funny thought. Like, everyone's commoditized and no one's commoditized. Like, everything we're wearing right now is actually commoditized. Yet we chose to pay more for many different reasons. And everything else, I think the question becomes, can you articulate why you're a better option? Like, every single person in here is looking to articulate the value proposition in a better way so that they get more people to decide. Yes, them. So I think, you know, I think keep going. Besides that, is there other things that you can speak to in terms of the value? Because, by the way, it's okay to go as blank as we think we run a better ship and it's worth more. And then if they say, why? You say, like, our people are better. You know, we do think we're saving you time and you're all busy. Cause the cool thing is the people you're talking to, you Know, it obviously runs the gamut, but one of the great things about being in a tri state area is everyone's busy. Yeah. Like inherently it's in the DNA in the fabric, you know, it's just in the energy. Right. But I think right off the bat for everybody and definitely for you is like, you've got to be okay with saying our people are better and thus. And for someone like me, I'd be like, well, yeah, I want better refs or I want better. You know, like when I walk into the, like, I don't know every detail yet, but like, like that.

Summary

Podcast Summary: The GaryVee Audio Experience – "2026 Selling & Social Media Marketing Strategy"

Date: December 17, 2025
Host: Gary Vaynerchuk
Main Topics: Selling, Social Media Strategy, Value Differentiation, Content Creation, Brand Building, Scaling, and Innovation

Episode Overview

In this engaging and high-energy roundtable, Gary Vaynerchuk facilitates a practical discussion with entrepreneurs from diverse industries, focusing on selling strategies, social media marketing, and business growth in 2026. Topics revolve around breaking out of content ruts, articulating value beyond price, adapting to market and technology changes, and day-trading attention on emerging platforms. Gary shares actionable advice, challenges assumptions, and delivers signature motivational insights throughout.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Breaking Content Ruts & Creative Experimentation

Gary opens by encouraging everyone to continually challenge themselves to try new formats and approaches:

“People get into ruts, they have something that works and they do it for the next seven years. You have to try different shit.” — Gary Vee [00:00]
He notes his own strategy:

“I want you all to go look at my last hundred posts on Instagram. We're trying all sorts of shit… if you find different creative ways... you can find that pay dirt.” — Gary [00:00]

2. Articulating Value Beyond Price (Sports League Example)

Sports League Organizer struggles with competitors undercutting on price. Gary counters that consumers care about their own value, not business owner problems:

“The consumer doesn't care about that… So from a consumer standpoint, how do you answer that?” — Gary [00:58]
Time as a value proposition:

“Time is the ultimate thing to sell. There’s people who order a $4 candy bar on Postmates, pay $27 to save a trip... You answer that by saying we save you time…” — Gary [01:19]
Premium Experience:

“You've gotta be okay with saying our people are better and thus [worth the price]. For someone like me, I'd be like, 'Yeah, I want better refs or site managers.'” — Gary [05:10]
Emphasizes inventing new, low-cost, high-value “bells and whistles” (e.g., live-streamed games with commentary, content ties to local eateries):

“Just adding a live stream component to every game...I would pay for that. I'd pay $1,000 for that.” — Gary [07:11] “Try to add four more bells and whistles... You're gonna need the thing on the menu like, 'Oh, oh, oh.'” — Gary [08:38]

3. Expanding, Scaling, and Market Focus

Expansion Caution:

“People get excited about expansion for the sake of expansion. There's still a lot of fucking juice in Jersey. When you haven't fully squeezed the shit out of this grapefruit, what the fuck are you grabbing that orange for?” — Gary [12:42]
Importance of operational focus before geographical expansion.

4. Personal Selling and Scaling the Unscalable (Creators Inc. Story)

Digital Marketing Entrepreneur recounts building a $100M company without brand/content, just FaceTime hustle.
Gary on scaling what works:

“Scaling the unscalable always works... all you'd have to do is replicate what you'd do one-on-one... build a Navy SEALS or a Green Beret to be an A minus, B plus version of you.” — Gary [21:00]
Advice on not hiding behind abstract marketing:

“Number one business that sucks is, at some level, you can get humongous, but it’s going to weigh. The other thing is just on a side note, you have to consider technology—AI will likely eat that business. Put yourself out of business before someone else does.” — Gary [22:05, 23:16]

5. Platform Choices & Brand Diversification

On streaming, blockchain, decentralization, and new platforms:

“All of it is gonna end up going to the blockchain... there is an inevitable outcome of an 'and' to the world we live in now... Both will exist... The best will all gravitate to decentralization once they extract attention from centralization.” — Gary [25:51]
On building brand and pivoting content:

“I was the wine guy, just like you're the real estate guy in Vancouver. I started making content about other things... You need to decide what’s your favorite stuff. Passion or knowledge always wins.” — Gary [29:14, 31:20]

6. The Power of Brand

“All of this conversation is, for everyone, brand is the best selling. I always make fun of people who don’t believe in marketing branding… You built brand, which is why he has sales.” — Gary [33:07]
Use brand authority to move into adjacent fields (finance, podcasting, investments) without over-worrying about strict market perceptions.

7. Content Distribution and Platform Specifics

Diversify content:

“You need to pay attention to everything that is going on... you need to film them and you need to post-produce them, but you also have to be great at the post production.” — Gary [37:30]
LinkedIn is an underleveraged opportunity:

“LinkedIn is more Facebook 2015 than it is the LinkedIn that I think everyone defaults into thinking it is. If you’re not distributing content there, you’re missing out.” — Gary [38:46]
Organic vs. Paid:

“Media's great... But you, my gut, you’re gonna win on either you love the fucking Canucks more than breathing or you really know something else well.” — Gary [43:23]

8. Industry Timing, Tech Shifts, and Business Model Innovation

AI and sector transitions:

“I love when everyone’s like AI... I'm like, what about all the people that sold Yellow Pages? Some poor dope bought 5,000 horses the day before the car decided to cause trouble. Shit changes. Some things become less valuable. It's unfortunate, but that's how business works.” — Gary [60:29]
On modularizing B2B services:

“My biggest concern is that there’s six holding companies, they're full of shit and there is no business to be had. What I like about dropping it from a 180k to a 36k commitment is you'll find out in a year if I’m right. If you go 0 for 90 at 3k, you gotta rethink… Maybe you should repackage your expertise.” — Gary [55:08, 58:43]

9. Content Creation for D2C Brands (Protein Ball Story)

Go all-in on content:

“The variable of your success will be based on your advertising… If you don’t succeed in this, you will see someone that looks exactly like you two with the similar stories in 11 years and you’re gonna look at each other and be like these motherfuckers.” — Gary [67:05]
On unique value prop and pivoting content style:

“Maybe it’s just audio. Maybe the two of you should have dinner—record the dinner, make it a podcast. That could be the creative pay dirt.” — Gary [47:06]
AI-powered content clipping/distribution:

“There's AI tools that'll help, but without your initial library, you have nothing. The well is producing as much content as possible.” — Gary [71:31 - 72:27]

10. Overarching Theme: Day-Trading Attention

The central act of modern business is staying present, aware, and adaptive:

“I want to get people out of the rut of, 'Oh, this works,' [thinking] it works for the next nine years. You gotta be in it. We’ve all hit fatigue of the style or distribution of creative. You gotta challenge yourself.” — Gary [47:06]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Value Articulation:

“Nobody's commoditized. It's a really funny thought. Like, everyone's commoditized and no one's commoditized… can you articulate why you're a better option?” — Gary [02:20]
On Expansion Logic:

“When you haven't fully squeezed the shit out of this grapefruit, what the fuck are you grabbing that orange for?” — Gary [12:42]
On Brand Diversification:

“You can only win on passion or knowledge... The platforms change, best practices change, but that blueprint continues to be true.” — Gary [31:20]
On Content Strategy:

“Everyone’s so obsessed with their grid being on-brand. It’s just not how people consume. They’re consuming content to content.” — Gary [47:06]
On Platform Shifts:

“Budweiser is the biggest beer because Schlitz and Schaeffer and Pabst Blue Ribbon blew it. They kept holding onto the radio and not realizing what TV was doing.” — Gary [66:19]

Important Timestamps

Opening challenge – Content ruts & experimentation: [00:00-01:19]
Sports League pricing & value differentiation: [01:19-07:28]
Expansion Caution (Sports/Markets): [11:16-12:55]
Creator scaling and selling: [13:00-23:36]
Streaming/Decentralization prediction: [25:47-27:56]
Brand building & personal brand pivoting: [28:00-34:15]
LinkedIn and maximizing content reach: [37:30-39:42]
Brand-formance and media strategy advice: [43:20-46:47]
Paid vs. Organic for D2C, platform focus: [44:45-47:06]
AI/content automation, creative engine: [71:16-72:27]
Final challenge: content as THE answer: [72:27-end]

Takeaways & Action Steps

For entrepreneurs and marketers:

Never stay static—continually experiment with content style and distribution channels.
Compete on value, not solely on price. Turn operational excellence and innovation into customer-facing benefits.
Build a brand foundation and fearlessly diversify your voice/platforms.
Treat each platform as unique—post-produce and contextually tailor distribution.
Don’t overthink personal overlap in brand extension; the audience is more flexible than you think.
Adopt and test new technology and software, but remember—motivation and creative vision are foundational; tools cannot replace them.
Be aggressive in creating content; in a few years, you’ll regret not going harder today.
Treat business evolution as inevitable. Modularize, repackage, and embrace change.

In Gary's Words

“Put yourself out of business before someone else does.” [23:16]
“Content is your answer.” [72:27]

This episode is dense with practical, candid business wisdom and real-world examples, peppered with humor, candor, and Gary’s trademark straight talk. Whether you’re a seasoned operator or building your first brand, these strategies and mindsets are essential for scaling in today’s social landscape.