How to Speak Up at Work Without Getting Fired | Tea with GaryVee Ep #79 PART 1

Summary

Podcast Summary: "How to Speak Up at Work Without Getting Fired | Tea with GaryVee Ep #79 PART 1"

Welcome to an in-depth summary of Episode 79, Part 1 of The GaryVee Audio Experience, titled "How to Speak Up at Work Without Getting Fired | Tea with GaryVee." In this episode, host Gary Vaynerchuk addresses various listener questions, offering candid, no-nonsense advice on navigating the professional landscape, pursuing entrepreneurial ventures, and personal growth. Below is a detailed breakdown of the key topics, discussions, insights, and notable quotes from the episode.

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1. Communicating Effectively in a New Position

Listener Question: Michael asks, "How do you go into a new position with little influence within your organization and communicate with a little grace and dignity that they are doing it wrong?" [00:00]

Gary's Response: Gary emphasizes the importance of communicating with grace and dignity while not fearing potential negative repercussions. He highlights that VaynerMedia's success stems from his commitment to telling the truth, even when it's uncomfortable. Gary states:

"We do not get clients a lot because I tell them directly the truth and they don't like the truth. But we get a lot of clients because of that." [00:08]

He advises Michael to respectfully and humbly share observations, suggesting that doing so can reveal much about the workplace environment. Gary underscores the significance of being authentic and accountable:

"Respectfully and humbly communicate observations because that will give you an indication of where you work." [02:24]

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2. Taking the Leap: Quitting a Job to Pursue Passion

Listener Question: Tallinn shares his dilemma: "I'm struggling with quitting my job. I absolutely hate it. I've been flipping items on eBay for almost two years, turning $20 into $4,400 in monthly revenue. I've also started another business on the side, working 14 hours a day, but I haven't been able to make my full income yet. My theory is if I quit and risk it, I can at minimum double my revenue to live on." [02:24]

Gary's Response: Gary passionately encourages taking risks to pursue greater financial and personal fulfillment. He dismantles the fear associated with quitting by highlighting the potential for exponential growth:

"Anybody that can make that kind of money part-time while having a job, when they quit their job and go all in, he's going to triple his revenue." [03:00]

Gary remains candid, expressing frustration with widespread fear and lack of accountability:

"Everyone's a fuck face and just needs to fucking stop being scared of shit and stop judging everyone else. Start judging yourself and being accountable." [03:18]

Ultimately, Gary advocates for embracing risk to achieve significant rewards, assuring that jobs will always be available if entrepreneurial efforts falter.

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3. Building Resilience and Embracing Daily Grind

Listener Question: Ava asks, "What advice would you give someone that struggles to do the mindless daily tasks that need to be done to be successful? Because the lack of immediate gratification is like eating glass." [05:33]

Gary's Response: Gary fervently defends the necessity of enduring daily hardships to achieve success. He uses the metaphor of "eating glass" to represent inevitable struggles:

"Life is about eating glass. There's not a single person that you know, everyone that isn't eating glass." [05:49]

He stresses that even public figures and successful individuals face their own struggles, emphasizing that resilience is universal:

"Who doesn't eat fucking glass? Every single human being on earth eats glass." [06:00]

Gary encourages embracing these challenges as part of the journey to success, highlighting that perseverance is key.

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4. Balancing Education and Entrepreneurship

Listener Question: Sean, a 21-year-old third-year college student, asks, "I hate going to school, pumped about my side hustle as a video editor. What advice would you give me as I balance school and work?" [07:32]

Gary's Response: Gary advises Sean to quit school if it doesn't align with his entrepreneurial goals, arguing that college credentials are increasingly less relevant in the current landscape:

"Quit school. Especially if that dude's taking on debt. If you are taking on debt in college, mommy and daddy aren't paying for it, the state is not paying for it, and you hate it, quit now. Yesterday. Period." [07:44]

He downplays the traditional value of higher education, suggesting that practical skills and real-world experience are more valuable for building a successful career.

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5. Pursuing Passion After Setbacks

Listener Question: Jacob, a 31-year-old recently laid off from his fire alarm job, shares his experience: "I decided to go all in on sports and collectible cards, posting daily on various platforms, but sales have been slow, and rents are coming up. I perform better at card shows, but they only happen monthly. I'm all in and working hard every day. Would love any advice from you." [09:39]

Gary's Response: Gary's advice is succinct and direct:

"Sell them whatnot 24 hours a day." [10:07]

Although brief, his recommendation underscores the importance of maximizing sales channels and being relentless in marketing efforts.

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6. Validating a Product Idea Before Building

Listener Question: Shiva asks, "How do you market a product or app that you haven't built yet, but you want to first validate the desirability and viability before building it?" [10:11]

Gary's Response: Gary suggests leveraging AI tools to develop Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) without extensive technical expertise:

"Learn what AI engineering is. You can build MVPs now with AI, even normal people go to ChatGPT and say, 'I'm a normal person. Gary V told me to build an app. This is the app. How do I build that?' It will literally walk you through it." [10:21]

He emphasizes the accessibility of technology in validating and creating product ideas efficiently.

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7. Reinventing Career Paths Later in Life

Listener Question: Deanna, seeking reinvention at an older age, asks, "How do you reinvent yourself if you've always done sales but want to pivot to marketing or another field you believe you're better at?" [14:25]

Gary's Response: Gary encourages embracing change without being hindered by past roles. He advocates for self-promotion and active repositioning:

"Start making content and just changing your LinkedIn profile. You're like, 'I do marketing now.'" [15:03]

He highlights the importance of taking proactive steps to shift perceptions and seize new opportunities, asserting that simplicity is key:

"Life's all about... It comes with eating glass every minute of my life, but it's what I want to do." [15:03]

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8. Reinventing Your Online Presence

Listener Question: Kaden, a 25-year-old with an inactive YouTube channel of 500 subscribers, asks, "My personality and interests have changed drastically. Is this a lost cause? Do I start a whole new channel?" [16:16]

Gary's Response: Gary advises starting fresh to better align with current interests and authentic self-expression:

"Start a new channel. 500 subscribers. Anyway, who gives a shit?" [16:31]

He emphasizes the importance of authenticity over past efforts, suggesting that moving forward with a new approach is more beneficial than salvaging outdated content.

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9. Managing Micromanagement in Consulting

Listener Question: Ronald asks, "How do you deal with a franchisor who micromanages their brand? I'm the consultant, and all creativity and innovation get blocked." [16:39]

Gary's Response: Gary advises asserting control over one's professional engagements by owning the consulting business:

"Stop taking their money and you've got all the control back." [16:46]

He suggests that if a client is overly controlling, the consultant should consider terminating the relationship to maintain creative freedom and business integrity.

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10. Standing Out in the Online Fitness Market

Listener Question: Sunny, a fitness business owner transitioning from brick-and-mortar to online, asks, "How do I stand out in a sea of online fitness businesses and influencers who charge nearly nothing for their content?" [18:26]

Gary's Response: Gary emphasizes authenticity and personal connection as key differentiators:

"Have something to offer which is yourself. People will pay for things that are free out there if they like the person more." [14:25]

He advises building a personal brand and delivering valuable, genuine content to create a loyal audience that values the unique attributes the business owner brings.

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11. Final Thoughts and Encouragement

Throughout the episode, Gary consistently challenges conventional thinking, urging listeners to embrace risk, prioritize authenticity, and take ownership of their professional and personal journeys. His no-filter approach aims to push individuals beyond their comfort zones to achieve greater success and fulfillment.

Notable Quotes:

• "Respectfully and humbly communicate observations because that will give you an indication of where you work." [02:24]
• "Everybody's a fuck face and just needs to fucking stop being scared of shit and stop judging everyone else." [03:18]
• "Life is about eating glass. There's not a single person that you know, everyone that isn't eating glass." [05:49]
• "Quit school. Especially if that dude's taking on debt. If you are taking on debt in college, mommy and daddy aren't paying for it, the state is not paying for it, and you hate it, quit now. Yesterday. Period." [07:44]
• "Start a new channel. 500 subscribers. Anyway, who gives a shit?" [16:31]
• "Have something to offer which is yourself. People will pay for things that are free out there if they like the person more." [14:25]

Conclusion:

In "How to Speak Up at Work Without Getting Fired | Tea with GaryVee Ep #79 PART 1," Gary Vaynerchuk delivers a powerhouse of straightforward, motivational advice addressing real-world challenges faced by entrepreneurs and professionals alike. His unfiltered style serves as a catalyst for listeners to take decisive action, prioritize authenticity, and relentlessly pursue their passions despite inherent risks and societal fears.

For those seeking actionable insights on navigating career transitions, embracing entrepreneurship, and personal development, this episode offers invaluable guidance steeped in Gary's characteristic vigor and practical wisdom.

Transcript

[Aaron]

We have a question from Michael. How do you go into a new position with little influence within your organization and communicate with a little grace and dignity that they are doing it wrong?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

By communicating with grace and dignity. He's got it. You know, like, by not being scared of the ramifications. What he's really asking is, I'm a little bit scared to do that because they might fire me or they might think I'm a complainer or they might think of a problem. And he's not wrong. But here's my thing. Do you know why VaynerMedia became the largest independent global agency in the world? Is because that's the only thing I do. You know why we don't get clients all the time? Because of it. We, for a lot of you on Team Gary here or be friends, you don't know this. We do not get clients a lot because I tell them directly the truth and they don't like the truth. But here's the punchline. We get a lot of clients because of that. And so if Mike does this and gets fired, he wouldn't have won there anyway. So you. And I love him because he asked with. You know the problem with a lot of people is they come in and they. And they're like 23, and they think they fucking know everything. And they're like, you don't do social right? And they, like, you know, and they do it audacious. They do it classless. They do it with, like, entitlement. But notice how great that question was, you know, So I think he's on it. And I could not encourage people more to respectfully and humbly communicate observations because that will give you an indication of where you work. Right? You know, Aaron, you already know this. Actually, Aaron, you really know this. We don't really know each other like that yet we're about to get to know each other because of where I'm going with my personal brand come in the fall. But you've come in and you've pushed back. And I would argue I'm just guessing here now, and I'm not trying to put you on a spot, but I've been almost, like, too open to the feedback. Which gave you an indication of who you worked for, right? So for you, it worked. But if I was like, shut the fuck up. Who the fuck do you think you are? Do you understand? I'm Gary vee. I got 55 million followers. How many you fucking got? If I did that shit, you'd be like, I need to get the fuck out of here.

[Aaron]

Okay. This question is from Tallinn. I'm struggling with quitting my job. I absolutely hate. I've been flipping items on ebay for almost two years. I turned $20 into 44. 4400 revenue monthly.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

One more time.

[Aaron]

I've been flipping items.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

No, I heard that part. The math.

[Aaron]

Oh. I turned $20 into 4400 revenue monthly. I've also started another business on the side. I work 14 hours a day. I haven't been able to make my full income yet. I've been stuck with not having more time for sourcing due to my job. My theory is if I quit and risk it double down, I can at minimum double my revenue to live on.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

That's right.

[Aaron]

But I'm stuck because my debt is high and I pay for my house.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

What the fuck does that have to do with anything? Think about how he broke that down my into. Anybody that can make that kind of money part time while having a job, when they quit their job and go all in, he's going to triple his revenue.

[Aaron]

Also, he's 27 years old.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Yeah, he has to quit this. I'm honestly, I'm deciding not to go on a rant. Cause all the rants are the same at this point. Everyone's a fuck face and just needs to fucking stop being scared of shit and stop judging everyone else. Start judging yourself and being accountable. As a matter of fact, I'm never doing this show anymore. Here we go. I'm gonna break it down. All of you are scared. Cause you overvalue people's opinions. All of you are judging everybody but yourself. You're not fucking accountable. You point fingers, not thumbs. And you don't realize how lucky you are. Thank you. I'm never doing this show. No, but I missed the show. I missed the show. I missed the show. I mean, Jesus. Oh God. He needs to jump. He will win. I. I've seen this movie a hundred times. Aaron, can I just say something to everybody? Friends, friends. Jobs will always be there for you. Jobs exist for the people that can't take the risks or don't have the talent or which is amazing. Like jobs are amazing. I don't look down on jobs. And by the way, real talk. And all the entrepreneurs in here, including the successful ones like me, are about to say yes. Do you know me times a year I wish I was the employee. The amount of stress at the top is really gangster. And if you do and if you don't realize it. Let me tell you tell you how every parent in here remember when you had that child, how shit changed? That fear you have every day, that stress you have every day to make that person live and be happy. So anyway, I, I just think that there's such an opportunity for more happiness. This, this guy, if he quits, is likely gonna quadruple his revenue, not double the debt's the debt whether he has the job or not have the job. If he quadruples his revenue, it sounds like he's gonna be able to pay off the debt quicker. And what he doesn't realize is that 27, if he fails at 29, he'll go get the same kind of job, paying the same amount of money. There's almost no risk in quitting a job, cuz there's always another job. Next question, Aaron.

[Aaron]

Okay, the next question is from Ava. What advice would you give someone that struggles to do the mindless daily tasks that need to be. You need to do to be successful? Because the lack of immediate gratification is like eating glass.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I do not understand the lack of resilience in society. Life is about eating glass. What's her name?

[Aaron]

Ava.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Ava, why are you, why are you the chosen one that should have life so easy? Ava, why are you the chosen one that should have life so easy and so great? We all have to eat glass. There's not a single person that you know, everyone that isn't eating glass. Oh, I know what you all do. You look at Kourtney Kardashian and have decided she doesn't eat glass. You look at Novak Djokovic, you look at Cindy Sweeney and you decide they don't. You look at Mr. Beast, you don't think those motherfuckers eat glass? Those motherfuckers eat a lot of glass. You know what it's like to live in the public eye and have judgment at scale daily? Do you know what it's like to have almost every human being you interact with want something from you and not interested in giving you anything? Who doesn't eat fucking glass? Who the fuck doesn't eat glass? Every single human being on earth eats glass. Who the fuck doesn't eat glass? Bug bite says eating ass. Yes, some people eat ass too. Like that's real life. That's Victoria. You like that one? Victoria's usually locked in. Yes, it happens. I mean, we're all grown ups here. Like. Yes, that happens too. All right, let's keep it going.

[Aaron]

All right. Question from Sean Gary. I'm 21 years old, hate going to school, pumped, doing my side hustle, being a video editor. What advice would you give for me as a third year college student trying to balance school and work?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Quit school. Quit. Do companies even look at college anymore? Do you know that I'm looking at all of you? And you could, couldn't I. If you. If you told me Victoria's the most important person in my professional life. If you asked me what school did Victoria, Emily, Anna, Hannah, if you said to me, I will give you $1 billion in cash right now to tell me what colleges they went into, they went to, I'd have no clue. I barely know that Ross went to LSU and he wears LSU stuff every fucking day. I have no clue if ready for this one. I don't have a clue if LSU is a good or bad school. I don't know what LSU's good for. I know that Shaq went to LSU. I know that Joe Burrow went to LSU. I know that a tiger is a mascot. I know it's in New Orleans. If you told me, what is LSU good at? Like, what's it known for? Accounting, Nursing, technology. I don't fucking care. That's not real life. Quit school. Especially if that dude's taking on debt. If you are taking on debt in college, mommy and daddy aren't paying for it, the state is not paying for it, and you hate it. And you don't need it for your profession. You need to be a lawyer. You need to be a doctor. Yes, your mommy and daddy are paying for it. Or you got a full ride because you're good at fencing. Yes. You're fine with it and it's kind of like a vacation and you're like, doing keg stands and hooking up. Definitely. But if you fucking hate it and you're collecting debt, quit now. Yesterday. Period.

[Aaron]

All right. A question from Jacob, 31 years old. Your video about building fast versus building slow really resonated with me and gave me the push to pursue my passion. I was. I was laid off from my fire alarm job two weeks ago and decided to go all in on sports and collectible cards. I post daily on X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok using hashtag Peak pull daily. But sales have been slow lately and rents coming up. I do better at card shows, but they only happen monthly. I'm all in and working hard every day. Would love any advice from you.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Sell them whatnot 24 hours a day. Next.

[Aaron]

Okay. Shiva asks, how do you market a product or app that you haven't built yet, but you want to first validate the desirability and viability by building it.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

You'Re not going to be able to get the answer she's looking for. Learn what AI engineering is. You can build MVPs now with AI, even normal people go to ChatGPT and say, I'm a normal person. Gary V. Told me to build an app. This is the app. How do I build that? It will literally walk you through it. Next question.

[Aaron]

Okay, from Tootsie Junior. Looking to find my next gig. Post 70, post 67 years old love. In 18 months, my corporate risk management job will be over. Not sure where to start. Not about the money, more about what do I want to do.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

You know what's so funny? Like, this question's interesting to me. Like, the answer is, what are your hobbies? Like, do you love golf? Do you love cooking? Do you like watching whatnot? Do you like. Like, everybody does know the answer to this and everybody's scared of the answer because they don't think it's a job. You know, like, like, again, like, do you like garage sailing? Because, like, it is a job. You can make like 200,000 a year buying a garage sales and flipping on what not in ebay. Like, do you like poker? Like, you could make content about poker. Like, everyone does know if he's. He said he's not. He did well, right? He did well enough that it doesn't have to be about the money. Like, it could be anything. You like the horse track. Like, go to the horse track every day and make content about horse betting. And that can lead to sponsorships that can pay for your betting. You like ice cream? Go work at an ice cream shop. Make $19 an hour working at a fucking ice cream shop in Palm Springs and serve the kids. Like, I don't know, like, everyone actually knows the answer to these questions. Everybody fears leaning into their happiness. There's this almost inherent subconscious misunderstanding that you can't, like, do it. Like, you can't. This is why I'm how I am. Like, I just fully do what I want. It comes with eating glass every minute of my life, but it's what I want to do. This goes back to, like, nothing's perfect, nothing's easy. Even doing your dream job or your dream thing has its ramifications. There is no perfection. There's just life.

[Aaron]

Question from Melissa. Melissa found my dream job at 61, but always wanted to retire at 65. Any thoughts?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Yes, I have huge thoughts. It's called you're allowed to be adaptable and change your mind based on the circumstances of the reality of your life versus the subjective ideology you created for yourself at some point in your younger life. I stayed disciplined there. I didn't go crazy. That's the actual answer to the question. You arbitrarily, in your 20s or teens or 30s, decided that you were going to retire at 65. You're now 61 and you found something that makes you happier. You're now allowed to go to 73. You're also allowed to do it for the next four years. And in four years, by the way, shit changes. It might not be as fun as it is or dream as it is now and then you can achieve your life goal of retiring then. Oh, by the way, when you decided 65 was retirement, probably 20, 30, 40, 50 years ago, people didn't live to 100 the way they do now. You might want to rethink 65. Do you know what I think I'm going to be doing at 65? The same shit I'm doing right this second. Do you know how funny it's going to be when I'm like 78 and clearly 78 years old and still like going to garage sales and still like pounding and still doing tea with Gary? Like the same shit. I'm gonna be such. I'm a ridiculous 49 year old. Imagine how ridiculous this is at 78 and it's gonna be the same shit. I'm in the dirt. I'm a worm from the dirt. Next question.

[Aaron]

Question from Sunny. I own a fitness business and I'm closing my brick and mortar to go fully online. How do I stand out in a sea of online fitness businesses and influencers who charge nearly nothing for their content?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

By understanding that the market is the market is the market. Like supply and demand, like shit changes by giving better content and by having people care more about them. Everybody who's got a personal brand wants to speak. I get paid more. People feel more connected to me. Give back more, give back more. Look what I'm doing with tea with GaryVee right now. Have something to offer which is yourself. People will pay for things that are free out there if they like the person more. But that's the game. Next question.

[Aaron]

Aaron, question from Deanna. How do you reinvent yourself at an older age? For instance, if you have always done sales, how do you pivot to marketing or something you know you would be better at?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Nobody gave a shit that you did sales. You're allowed to do marketing. People are in their feelings too much. It doesn't matter that you did sales. Now you do marketing by start making content and just changing your LinkedIn profile. You're like, I do marketing now. Nobody cares about these things. That's old thinking. You just need one person to say yes. Do you know that's what life's all about. Everyone like, everyone's like, oh, I can't get a girlfriend. You sure can. Ask out every girl you see in the world. One will say yes. Do you like that one? It's true, Gary. Nobody will take me serious. Cause all my LinkedIn is sales and I want to do marketing. Email 4,000 people on LinkedIn and say you do marketing and you learn these things from sales. And one person will say yes. I'm trying out here folks. I'm trying. Like, life is so simple and yet everyone decided to make it so complicated. I would say humans great skill is complicating simplicity. Life simple. You just made it hard.

[Aaron]

Next, Kaden asks. I'm a 25 year old guy. I have a YouTube channel with around 500 subscribers, but I haven't posted in years. And my personality and interests have changed drastically. Is this a lost cause? Do I start a whole new channel? I need someone to slap me in the face with reality.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Start a new channel. 500 0. Anyway, who gives a shit? Non question. Next.

[Aaron]

Okay. How do you deal with a franchisor who micromanages their brand? I'm the consultant. And all creativity and innovation gets blocked.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

By a controlling founder by not being a consultant. I love when consultants complain. You're an opinionator, not the executor. You want to control shit, own your own shit. And guess what? You do. You own your consulting business. Which means in this scenario, he can fire the client. They're allowed leave. Oh, but you want to keep taking the money. Well, if you're taking the money and somebody else has the control, you have to deal with their shit. There's an old Russian saying that my dad used to love to say, whoever pays for the music gets to pick the song. You don't want mommy and daddy to tell you how to live your Life because you're 24. Stop taking their money. You don't want to have mommy and daddy have power on you and tell you who you should date, how you should live, where you should work because you're 25. I've got a big secret for you. Stop taking their money and you got all the control back. Yeah, Ronald, it's not harsh, it's actually liberating. Ronald said damn harsh. Actually, not really, actually profound. What's harsh is all the kids right now that are 26, that hate that their parents are in their business and don't realize by not taking the money, their parents are totally out of their business. Last question.

[Aaron]

Okay, this question is from Darren Gary. I'm a realtor. You mentioned about going live on Instagram TikTok when you have no one watching. What should I be talking about? Any ideas?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

First, make content. So you build up a couple hundred followers. Text Andy Craniac all the way to Zach Nadler in your phone and everybody in between. Ask them to watch your content. Build an audience of seven. When I started Wine Library TV, I had 30 watchers then 41 and 57. Like, I don't like, you know, like, just make content. Make content. Put in the words, Put in the actions to the words. I'm saying.