Chasing Purpose Over Profit: Finding Meaning in Your Work

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Chasing Purpose Over Profit: Finding Meaning in Your Work"
The GaryVee Audio Experience
Release Date: January 17, 2025
Host: Gary Vaynerchuk

In this compelling episode of The GaryVee Audio Experience, Gary Vaynerchuk delves deep into the themes of purpose, authenticity, and the evolving landscape of business and technology. Through engaging conversations and audience interactions, Gary offers actionable insights and profound wisdom to help listeners navigate their personal and professional lives with intention and meaning.

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1. Balancing Speed and Rest: Embracing Human Energy Cycles

Gary opens the discussion by addressing the often-overlooked aspect of personal energy management. He emphasizes the importance of recognizing and respecting one's natural energy fluctuations.

Gary Vaynerchuk [00:56]: "We're all human beings... I think I'm being practical in what I feel in that moment when I am resting. There has been years in my career where I've been slower because of things happening in my personal life. I don't think I'm a loser... I think I'm a fucking human being. Stop beating yourself up."

Gary highlights the societal pressure to constantly hustle, encouraging listeners to embrace their humanity without self-judgment.

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2. The Resilience and Future of Podcasting

An audience member inquires about the future of podcasting amidst the dynamic shifts in social media platforms. Gary shares his long-term perspective, rooted in his early adoption of podcasts.

Gary Vaynerchuk [02:29]: "Podcasting will keep going and I think social media will keep going until there's a huge shift in distribution... podcasting is radio, this is just... social media is television and magazines. Everything changes and nothing changes."

He predicts the integration of advanced technologies, such as augmented reality glasses, enhancing the seamless consumption of content. Gary underscores the enduring relevance of podcasting through continuous adaptation.

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3. Building Authenticity in Personal Branding

Addressing the quest for authenticity, Gary advises against promoting anything one doesn't genuinely believe in. He underscores the significance of personal experience and sincerity in branding.

Gary Vaynerchuk [06:10]: "Authenticate when developing my personal brand and to connect with others by never saying anything you don't believe in."

Drawing from his own experiences, Gary illustrates how authenticity fosters genuine connections and long-term success.

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4. Purpose Over Profit: Redefining Success

A pivotal segment revolves around the tension between chasing money and finding meaningful work. Gary passionately advocates for prioritizing purpose, sharing his personal journey from working tirelessly for others to building his own ventures aligned with his passions.

Gary Vaynerchuk [08:45]: "Money is a thing in our lives. It's okay. Don't demonize money... I like making money to give me optionality to fill my soul."

He emphasizes that financial success should serve as a means to achieve personal fulfillment and not the sole objective.

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5. Embracing AI in Creative Services

When questioned about the impact of AI on creative industries, Gary provides a nuanced perspective. He acknowledges the disruptive potential of AI but emphasizes that creativity and original ideas remain irreplaceable.

Gary Vaynerchuk [11:52]: "Ideas are still going to be the punchline... if you can make a video or a picture in three seconds for no money... the word prompt engineer is going to be something everyone eventually is going to know."

Gary reassures creatives that their ability to generate and execute unique ideas will keep them indispensable, even as AI evolves.

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6. The Role of Mentors and Learning from the World

Gary reflects on his unconventional mentorship journey, attributing his growth to observing and interacting with the world rather than traditional learning methods.

Gary Vaynerchuk [14:55]: "Mentally, passionately, emotionally, my mentor are my parents... I've been 100% for the last 43 years of my life, making every marketing decision by watching human beings."

He emphasizes the importance of experiential learning and staying attuned to societal changes as key drivers of personal and professional development.

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7. Embracing Trends and Valuing Time

Discussing the importance of trend observation and time management, Gary advises against hesitancy in adopting new platforms and technologies. He criticizes the myth of "not having time," advocating for deliberate prioritization.

Gary Vaynerchuk [17:01]: "You have fucking time. I have 3,000 employees. I produce 50 pieces of content a day... What the fuck are you talking about?"

Gary encourages listeners to invest their time wisely, leveraging it to explore and capitalize on emerging trends rather than succumbing to excuses.

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8. Vision for the Future: Family, Business, and Giving Back

Gary shares his long-term vision, rooted in family values, continuous business growth, and altruism. He expresses a commitment to staying true to his essence while expanding his entrepreneurial endeavors.

Gary Vaynerchuk [18:27]: "I'm going to build businesses. I'm going to spend time with my family and I'm going to continue to put out information that I think could help people with no expectation in return."

His focus remains on creating value, fostering relationships, and contributing positively to society without the immediate aim of personal gain.

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9. Intuition vs. Logic: The Future of Human Consciousness

In the concluding discussion, Gary explores the evolving human consciousness, advocating for a balanced approach between intuition and rationality.

Gary Vaynerchuk [21:26]: "The next pedestal will be your intuition. Will be your gut health. It will change the world in a very positive way... The number one mistake you can make is to not listen to your intuition."

He posits that fostering intuition will lead to more authentic and fulfilling decision-making, enhancing both personal well-being and societal progress.

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Final Thoughts and Call to Action

Towards the end, Gary makes a heartfelt plea for listeners to support the podcast through reviews, emphasizing the value of feedback regardless of its nature.

Gary Vaynerchuk [07:56]: "If this podcast has ever meant anything to you, please, please go to Spotify or Apple right now and leave a review... Even if you give me a one star review because you think it's shit, I respect it."

He demonstrates humility and a genuine desire to engage with his audience, reinforcing the community-driven spirit of the podcast.

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Conclusion

In "Chasing Purpose Over Profit: Finding Meaning in Your Work," Gary Vaynerchuk masterfully intertwines personal anecdotes with strategic insights, offering listeners a roadmap to align their careers and lives with their true passions. His candid discussions on authenticity, the future of media, and the balance between intuition and logic provide invaluable guidance for anyone seeking to find deeper meaning and fulfillment in their endeavors.

Transcript

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

This is the GaryVee audio experience. Hey, everybody. Before we start today's podcast, I put out a new deck. I know the pyramid deck changed everyone's life. Go to GaryVee.com attention. A free. How many pages does it sid? A free 47 page deck that is free. That will change your business, your life, your brand, your world. Go check it out now to the podcast. Thank you.

[Interviewer]

Okay, so here's the idea. We have five questions.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Okay.

[Interviewer]

And we want to invite the audience to answer some. Ask some of the questions, please.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I would love to.

[Interviewer]

You speak a lot about speed. Speed and slowing down and speed again.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Yep.

[Interviewer]

Could you. Could you tell us a little bit to all these people that is here, why it's so important to speed up and then, like make some passes in order to create a plan?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

We're all human beings. I don't think this is going to be confusing to any of you. There's certain times in your life that you're very high energy and you're excited and you want to do. Then there's certain times when you're tired and you need rest. I am shocked by people's inability to not judge themselves. I'm going to say that again, nice and slow. I am shocked in the inability of humans to not judge themselves. When I'm going hard, I don't think I'm burning out. I don't think I'm hustle porn. I don't think I'm a workaholic. I think I'm being practical in what I feel in that moment when I am resting, when I take a weekend a month. There has been years in my career where I've been slower than I was because of things happening in my personal life. I don't think I'm a loser. I don't think I lost it. I don't think I'm complacent. I think I'm a fucking human being. Stop beating yourself up.

[Interviewer]

I think that's a great question.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

You want to ask something like I.

[Audience Member 1]

Was telling you backstage? I. I have a podcast I started almost two years ago and I've seen the podcasting industry grow so much. Where do you think it's going now? Because, I mean, people were on Instagram before, and then it was TikTok, and now it's the podcasting world. So where do you think kind of the industry is going to?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I was doing podcasts in 2010 when you were a thought in his mind. 11. So I'm gonna give you a really good answer that's gonna help A lot of you. This is actually. I'm really. Thank you for asking that question because it's gonna allow me to say what I'm about to say. This may be the single thing that helps a lot the most people in here. I'm passionate about this one. I think everybody thinks in or and I only think in. And so I think podcasting will keep going and I think social media will keep going until there's a huge shift in distribution. It's why I talked about glasses, but with glasses. I don't know how many of you have used the meta glasses, but the audio is incredible. Most of my friends that are now wearing the Ray Ban meta glasses no longer have AirPods. That's how good the audio is. So when I think about that, I look at all the people in the audience with glasses. In the future when I'm speaking, I'm going to be thinking, are these guys listening to a podcast while they're watching me? Because it's that seamless. I'm not kidding when I say we're going to be robots. It's one step at a time. This is the beginning. Do you know what? I want all of you to stay for a second and remember the last time you either lost, broke, or really, really, really fucked up your phone, how you reacted. You see? Step one, step one, you literally, like, if I literally came now and said, bad news, everyone, I have to take your phone and you can never have another one, you would be fucked up. Step one. So I think podcasting will stay. I think because podcasting is radio, this is just. You understand, Social media will stay because social media is television and magazines. Everything changes and nothing changes. You understand? And so that's the game. You're welcome.

[Interviewer]

Change on the distribution.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I focus on distribution, and once I understand what's happening in distribution, I only focus on the creative that can work on that distribution. That is how it works. So when cable was invented, that changed the world. Just like when television, I mean, my friends, you know, if you're lucky enough to have somebody in your family who's 100 years old, talk to them. They didn't have a television phone. So, you know, people are bad at history. I was a very bad student, but only one subject. I was very good at history, and I never understood. And now I understand. It's how I think. I think in pattern recognition, I'm good at the future because I'm very strong at the past. You understand?

[Audience Member 2]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

History.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Yep.

[Interviewer]

Took you there. So we have one question in the audience already.

[Juan]

Hi, Eric. It's a pleasure having you here.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

What's your name, my friend?

[Juan]

My name is Juan.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Juan. Pleasure.

[Juan]

So I. I really admire your perseverance in content creation. And you. I feel you really do it for your heart.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Yes.

[Juan]

And like, I feel like if you do it, I inspires me that I can do it myself too.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

So thank you for that. Thank you.

[Juan]

And my question would be, what would you recommend me to. Would be a key thing to build authenticity when developing my personal brand and to connect with others by never saying.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Anything you don't believe in. And I'll. I'll expand on that for all of you. In 2009, 10, 11, 12, when I was starting to pop off, there was other people because we all kind of predicted Twitter and Facebook. But then I watched all of them guessing because they wanted the feeling of predicting something. Right. They were just guessing. The reason most of the things that I say come true is because I wait till it became true. Let me give you an example. One of the biggest opportunities for everyone in here today is selling things on social media in live shopping. One of the biggest things that can change someone's life in this room is live social shopping. TikTok shop. Literally going live and selling product. It is going to be humongous. And I'm talking a lot about it. And 90% of the people don't know it. And in three years, I will get a lot of credit. But there are multiple people right now making millions of dollars a month selling stuff. The other thing I'm very good at is I also do so once I realized it was happening. I don't know how many of you follow my vee friends, my Pokemon marvel thing, but I'm selling. We sold $40,000 worth of t shirts in my office last week in two hours. As me, as the host, as me as the strategist. So when you want to talk about doing. I never ever talk about anything. You want authenticity. I don't talk about anything I haven't tasted. And that's that.

[Interviewer]

That is why we call this community the doers. They are doers. That's what we're pursuing.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I love it.

[Interviewer]

Yes.

[Alex]

Thank you, Gary. Thank you for coming. I think this is a diable because some weeks ago I was dreaming that I was in this place asking you this question.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Amazing. What's. What's your name, my friend? Alex. Alex. Nice to meet you.

[Alex]

Do you have any advice for us to. To get our on purpose? Because sometimes we're just chasing money and we're not sure if we're we want to do this for the rest of our lives.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Yeah. Don't chase money.

[Alex]

Maybe today this is a thing that don't fill my soul.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Or maybe, but it makes you money. For now, yes. But that's okay. This goes back to what I said earlier. Alex, if right now, look money like I talk. And a lot of you know this, I talk a lot about like, don't do it for the money, but money is a thing in our lives. It's okay. Don't demonize money. I'm an entrepreneur. I like making money, but I don't like making money to fill my soul. I like making money to give me optionality to fill my soul. And you don't need that much money. Long ago, not seven figures, not eight figures, not nine figures, six figures gave me plenty of optionality. Because there's another thing I didn't do when I started making 100,000 a year. I didn't start buying things to impress other people. There's a real interesting thing about money that nobody wants to actually talk about. Most people want money to buy things to hide their insecurity. The fuck do you think these watches and Lambos are? So there's nothing wrong with you seeing something or doing something right now that is helping you make money that's good for you and your family. You're also a young man. The first 12 years of my entire career, from 22 to 34, I worked 100 hours a week building a business for my father. I didn't start my career until I was 34 years old. I was definitely not making money cause my dad didn't pay me shit and I was building a business for him. But that's what was in my soul at that time. And then when it wasn't and I wanted to build something for myself, I went and did that. So you shouldn't beat yourself up because you haven't found your purpose yet. You should actually be happy that you realize that you haven't found your purpose yet. Oh, you like that, right? That was shit, bro. That was some shit. Ooh, that was a good one. Dustin. You better clip that. That better be Instagram next week. So, bro, that's it. You know, the improv is so much more my natural place. So that's it, bro. Thank you. You're welcome. Hey, everybody. Actually, if you're a really hardcore listener, you know I never do this. I'm sorry to be jumping in the middle of the podcast, but the truth is I'm like shitting the bed on this. Everybody else is getting people to review on Spotify and Apple and like the vaynernation does none of that because I've never asked. So if this podcast has ever meant anything to you, please, please go to Spotify or Apple right now and leave a review. By the way, even if you give me a one star review because you think it's shit, I respect it. But just leave a review, an actual review, four or five stars and the actual details of why. Yeah, that would mean something for me. So thanks. Now back to the podcast.

[Interviewer]

So we have another one.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Here we go.

[Audience Member 3]

Hi.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Hi.

[Audience Member 3]

I spoke today about AI. What I want to understand how your company is about services, creative services. So how you are facing this digital transformation of AI in your own company and your services too.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

To me, ideas are still going to be the punchline. I know how to use AI. A lot of people are going to know how to use AI. To your point, anybody who makes content will be affected by AI. If I can make a video or a picture in three seconds for no money and instead it would take three people $50,000 to make it, that's disruptive. I don't think we get paid for the doing. I think we get paid for the thinking. And so the word prompt engineer is going to be something everyone eventually is going to know. So to me, I'm happy for the thinkers because it's the thinkers, the people with the ideas, the creatives that are actually getting the leverage from AI. The creatives are not getting put out of business. They're the architects, the masons are getting put out of business. The people who just hear your idea and then make but don't have an idea of their own. That is what AI is going to do in our world. It's going to do a lot of things in a lot of worlds. But today I feel that people are still confused because it's early. But by the way, let's say the AI gets so remarkable that it's doing the thinking. I'm never scared about technology putting me out of business. I take it on as responsibility that if I see it, I have to change my business. If my marketing company has to start selling mangoes and hot dogs or hats, then that's what I will do. I am not romantic, I am not ideological. Those are things that get you out of business fast.

[Audience Member 2]

First of all, thank you so much to Fred for make these every this experience possible for all of us.

[Interviewer]

Thank you.

[Audience Member 2]

Thank you really much.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Clap it up. What the fuck? Thank you. You're welcome.

[Audience Member 2]

To be honest, since last Tuesday, I didn't know who you are.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Okay.

[Audience Member 2]

And it's pretty amazing and crazy because the Tuesday I asked to chatgpt who are the best marketers in the world, and you were in that place. And I started following you by LinkedIn and that night, I connect to Fernando and Sures, and I won this wonderful pass. But what I want to know, please, is who or whose are your mentors and how did you found. Did you find. Sorry, your passion and how you don't quit in this passion. Thank you.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

You're welcome. Mentally, passionately, emotionally, my mentor are my parents. That's it. Professionally marketing. You're my mentor, and he's my mentor. The reason I became who I became in marketing is I've never read a marketing book in my life. In my life, I've written a lot of them. I have only since I was 6 years old, been mentored by you, all of you. I've been 100% for the last 43 years of my life, making every marketing decision by watching human beings. The humans are my mentors. They're my boss. They show me. And when social media came along, I accelerated because I didn't have to just watch them in real life anymore. I could consume them at scale on social media. There hasn't been an election that has surprised me, not just in America, anywhere. There's not been a fashion trend that has surprised me. There has not been a decline or an emergence of popular culture. I talk a lot for a lot of people because I put out a lot of content. But 99% of what I do for a living is listen, I'm watching. And so my mentor is the world.

[Lucas]

Hello.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

There you go.

[Lucas]

Hello, we go. Thank you. Gary.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Pleasure.

[Lucas]

I'm Lucas.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Lucas.

[Lucas]

Hello, Lucas. And I just want to share a little story, please. Last year, I saw you for the very first time in Cannes, in Cannes Festival.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Yes, sir.

[Lucas]

And you inspired me a lot.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Thank you.

[Lucas]

And I cannot believe that today I shared this stage with you, because I just opened the event today.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Amazing.

[Lucas]

And I just want to tell you that if I did it, you also can do it.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Yes.

[Lucas]

Okay. So cheers for yourself, and thank you very much.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Thank you.

[Lucas]

You're so inspiring.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Let's clap it up for our opener today. I don't predict trends. I'm very fast at observing trends, then jumping. I don't have any fear of wasting my time. Many of you, you like that. Many of you don't jump on things because you think it might be a fad. And you're like, well, if I give TikTok all my energy and it disappears like vine or like Peach. Well, that was a waste of time. You're wrong. The reason I was so good at Snapchat and TikTok was all the hours I spent on vine and Socialcam and photo booth apps that you don't even remember. I learned the craft of short form video on other platforms and then one stuck. You value your time when your time is not that valuable. Yeah, that one fucking hurt. You notice there's a lot of people with ego and they're like, I don't have time. You have fucking time. I have 3,000 employees. I produce 50 pieces of content a day. I have three full time admins just to check my email and I have time. The fuck are you talking about?

[Interviewer]

And what is Gary's lead going?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Where are you going? I mean, if I was born in America, I'd be going to the White House, but I wasn't. So you know what? Honestly, I know that's a little bit of a joke. I already. I'm not going anywhere. I've been where I'm going. I am a person that these deeply loves his family. I'm a person who deeply loves positivity over negativity. And I'm a person that feels guilt with how fortunate my circumstances were. I was born in the Soviet Union, one of the worst places in the world to be born, and I got lucky enough to get out and come to America where entrepreneurship was championed instead of demonized. I was also born to the single greatest mother that the world has ever produced. And the way that she played me, I got the luck of the DNA. But then she also molded me. I have guilt and gratitude of how it worked out for me. And now I'm incredibly passionate to use those gifts that I was given in the way that I communicate and the timing in the world that I live in where I can reach everyone to try to do for all of you what my mom did for me. So where am I going? I'm gonna be in the same place for the rest of my life, I promise you. I'm gonna build business businesses. I'm going to spend time with my family and I'm going to continue to put out information that I think could help people with no expectation in return. I am comfortable to sell things when I'm excited to sell them, but I don't see much changing for me because this is who I've always been. Long before any of you knew who I was. Amazing.

[Interviewer]

Amazing. One last advice. Oh, you have one?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Yes.

[Interviewer]

Last question.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Hi, Gary.

[Veronica]

My name is Veronica.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Hi, Veronica.

[Veronica]

I'm a holistic therapist.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Yes, ma'am, A holistic consultant. Amazing.

[Veronica]

We are facing a shift of paradigm.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Yes.

[Veronica]

An epoch is ending and a new epoch is coming. In previous time, the codes were left in stone. Now the codes are left in digital. So every content we are doing is plasmin the huge matrix. And the Internet.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Not. Not the Internet. The blockchain. What you're talking about. This is why I'm obsessed with the blockchain. The blockchain. The Internet is owned by corporations and countries. The blockchain is owned by no one. The real artifacts of our society will live on the blockchain, not the Internet.

[Veronica]

What's your position about this new human with new consciousness and with a new WI fi that is erasing the Mayas called them the sixth race.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Yes. I'm a very big buyer of what you're talking about. And you probably know that because you could probably see what I'm talking about. You know I'm talking about right now. I watched you watch me. So I knew. Yeah. Look. I think we have spent the last hundred years overly logical. The last hundred years, we have put the brain on the pedestal. The next hundred years, we will put the gut on the pedestal. I literally look. You see. I wish you could see my goosebumps. My friends. The last hundred years. More. The last three, 400 years, we have put the brain on the pedestal. The next pedestal will be your intuition. Will be your gut health. It will change the world in a very positive way. The faster the better, in my opinion. I'm so thankful for your question because I get to say this as I'm leaving. The number one mistake you can make is to not listen to your intuition. The number one. I will tell you why. If you go with your intuition, you will be stunned how much better it is than your brain. But more importantly, when your intuition doesn't work out because there's a lot of variables in life, you might have made the right decision, but something weird happened. You'll still feel good. Most of you are anxious and not light because you're fighting your intuition. The result won't matter. The process of following it will. I hope you hear that. Love you.

[Interviewer]

Thank you very much. Thank you.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Thank you very much.