Podcast Summary: How to Win on Facebook and Social Media in 2025 | The 505 Podcast PART 2

Podcast: The GaryVee Audio Experience
Host: Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee)
Date: August 27, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively and candid episode, Gary Vaynerchuk sits down with the hosts of The 505 Podcast for the second part of an in-depth conversation about the evolution of social media marketing, growing companies, and preparing for the landscape of 2025 and beyond. Gary provides tactical advice on building winning cultures, adapting to tech shifts like AI and live shopping, creating content at scale, and identifies platforms and strategies that businesses and creators should pursue to find success on Facebook and beyond. The conversation is peppered with insights on leadership, humility, patience, and the realities of growth in the digital age.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Lottery Story & Early Hustle (00:00–02:03)

• Gary retells the story of his minor lottery wins—using personal phone numbers as picks, cashing in significant (for a teenager) wins, and watching the draws with friends.
• Underlying theme: Even in randomness, his story is about optimism, hustle, and community.
• Memorable Quote:
  • “I've literally won the lottery. Pick three, pick four. Three times in my life. … I've only watched the lotto on TV like five times. It’s super wild.” – Gary Vee (01:40)

Macro Patience, Micro Speed (02:03–02:42)

• Gary explains the secret to fast-moving success at large scale:
  • Macro patience, micro speed.
  • One-second videos now outperform photos on Facebook; Gary personally emails the company when he discovers such trends.
• Key Tactic: Turning photos into one-second videos for superior Facebook reach.
• Quote:
  • “Macro patience, micro speed.” – Gary Vee (02:11)
  • "If you post photos on Facebook, ... make it a one second video. It will get dramatically more reach." (02:43)

Company Culture and Building Teams (03:28–07:30)

• Maintaining a “family business” vibe with thousands of employees.
• Advice to founders:
  • Rule one: “Don’t be a dick… The only reason people are assholes is because they're insecure.” (03:54)
  • “The number one way to build something big is to make the first 10 employees family.” (05:02)
  • Early-stage hiring: prioritize personality and work ethic over 'A players' from elite backgrounds.
• Insight: Humility, overcommunication, and empathy are critical for team building at any size.

Talent, Strategy, and Content at Scale (07:30–08:45)

• When hiring “A players” didn’t work:
  • “They were too bougie. They were too in the old school. They were lazy. They were sizzle, not steak. I’m obsessed with being B player in like skill and like brain, firepower and a fucking down for the cause.” (06:53)
• Content is king—but judged by the audience, not the creator:
  • “Great content isn't judged by you, it's judged by the market. Organic views achieved, not… paid media.” (07:44)
• Advice: Post great content at scale and focus on genuine engagement.

Mastering Multiple Platforms: No Excuses (08:03–09:08)

• On diversifying social presence:
  • “You know what else would be awesome? A million on LinkedIn and 2 million on fucking YouTube and 500,000 on fucking X and 750,000 on Snap. Like, why not?” (08:25)
• Overcoming comfort and contentment; pushing for omni-channel reach.

Adapting to Meta, AI, and Market Shifts (09:08–11:42)

• Reaction to Meta’s evolving ad ecosystem:
  • “Mark’s job is to get every dollar for his company.” (09:20)
  • “Agencies will adapt—the best ones… means there shouldn’t be that many left.” (09:28)
  • Agencies must become leaders in culture, event marketing, live social shopping, and AI-resistant services.
• Defensive strategies for agency leaders:
  • Lean into culture strategy, experiential, and hybrid solutions (e.g., “we’re your marketing department”).

AI in Culture & Marketing (11:52–13:37)

• On AI detecting culture:
  • “AI is my partner in this work because just information. ... I still have to be smart enough to prompt engineer.” (12:03)
• Human experience and smart prompting are still essential.

How to Win Business as an Upstart Agency (12:28–13:27)

• Early Vayner days: Did not worry about big competitors; focused on undercutting, delivering value.
• Pitch focus:
  • “I do not want you to waste money on marketing anymore… work with us. The end.” (13:01)
  • Social, creative, and media is “the game”.

Strategy vs. Scale—And the Power of Niche (13:37–15:14)

• Content at scale with strategy:
  • “If you don’t know what the fuck you’re doing, you’ve lost. But strategy comes in all shapes and sizes.” (14:11)
• On building VeeFriends and niche brand awareness—even for a handful of new fans each day.
• Fast money is fleeting:
  • “Fast money is vulnerable… If you go nice and slow and build it properly, you will have unlimited fun.” (15:15)

Advice for College Seniors & Young Risk Takers (15:40–17:27)

• Iconic "22–30" speech:
  • “22 to 30 is when you go high risk and dream… I see no downside in living with your parents at 25 to chase your dream… 22 to 30 should be when you go crazy.” (16:11)
• Reject the notion that you should "settle down" right after college; these years are for bold risk-taking.

GaryVee’s Content Philosophy: Why He Creates (17:50–19:09)

• Impact through content:
  • “That sentence you just delivered is singlehandedly why I continue to make content. … That’s not what I was chasing. … This YouTube thing is the next email.” (17:50)
• Gary has always been looking for the next big communication medium, from email and AdWords to vlogging and IRL.
• Didn’t connect with blogging—turned to vlogging as a natural communicator.

GaryVee’s 2026 Content Strategy (19:20–20:54)

• Personal focus is shifting back to “being GaryVee”—more content, more visible, more engagement.
• Hybrid strategy:
  • “2026 Gary is produced with purpose and ‘document, don't create.’ … I will make content around something I care about.” (20:03)
• AI influencers:
  • Discussion of AI influencers and the likelihood that audience will or won’t care if a creator is human or not.
  • “I think we just care about liking shit. As humans…” (21:14)

Ownership, IP, and New Forms of Content (22:12–23:16)

• Gary’s advice:
  • Encourage making IP-based characters (like the podcast’s idea for a rock mascot).
  • “That intellectual property is worth more.” (22:22)

Reflections on Patience, Hunger, and Growth (23:33–26:08)

• Balancing ambition with patience:
  • “Do not mix up patience with hunger and ambition. I am hungry as fuck. … There’s a reason that they're not the same words.” (24:56)
  • “The friction between ultimate hunger and fire and actual patience leads to the greatest bridge.” (25:46)
• Comparison culture:
  • “Every 26 to 29 year old that has a ton more money, fame and success than you has nothing to do with you... The pie is unlimited. Endless.” (26:10)

Gary’s Influence and Content Vernacular (26:42–28:34)

• Creating one’s own style:
  • “My reading comprehension’s so bad… I came up with so much of my own vernacular. And then I just watch people use that vernacular. … I don’t get upset, I’m flattered.” (26:43)
• Humility is critical; lack of humility is “destroying a generation.” (28:31)

The 2025–26 Platform Playbook (28:39–32:08)

• Gary’s priority for himself:
  • Focus more on YouTube and podcasting, emphasizing deeper, more thoughtful content (28:46).
  • Live streaming is also key.
• Platforms for most people:
  • “Facebook, Facebook, Facebook. LinkedIn, LinkedIn, LinkedIn. YouTube. Shorts. Snap Spotlight is a monster… Twitter X is a monster monster.” (29:24–29:58)
• Secret Opportunity:
  • Live social shopping: Most listeners should not aim for “tens of millions” but can make millions through live selling on Whatnot/TikTok Shop.
  • “If you sell and you’re an influencer, immediately get your ass to Whatnot and TikTok shop and start selling shit.” (31:16)
  • “A lot of young women… Instead of going OnlyFans… consider live social shopping.” (32:08)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On company culture:
  • “Don’t be a dick. … The only reason people are assholes is because they're insecure.” – Gary Vee (03:54)
• On hiring:
  • “I’m obsessed with being B player in skill and a fucking down for the cause.” (06:53)
• On content:
  • “Great content isn’t judged by you, it’s judged by the market.” (07:44)
• On opportunity:
  • “The pie is unlimited. Endless.” (26:10)
• On ambition and patience:
  • “Do not mix up patience with hunger and ambition. I am hungry as fuck. … There’s a reason that they're not the same words.” (24:56)
• On platform focus:
  • “Facebook, Facebook, Facebook. LinkedIn, LinkedIn, LinkedIn. YouTube. … Snap Spotlight is a monster.” (29:24–29:39)
• On live selling:
  • “If you sell and you’re an influencer, immediately get your ass to whatnot and TikTok shop and start selling shit.” (31:16)
• On risk in early adulthood:
  • “22 to 30 is when you go crazy high risk after … 22 to 30 should be when you go crazy.” (16:11)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00 – Gary’s lottery stories & early hustle
• 02:03 – Macro patience, micro speed philosophy
• 03:28 – Building a family business at scale and team culture
• 07:44 – Great content is judged by the market
• 09:08 – Gary’s take on Zuckerberg’s one-stop-shop video and agency adaptation
• 11:10 – Agency defense: event marketing, culture, and the Vayner Collab model
• 13:01 – The ultimate marketing pitch: “I do not want you to waste money… work with us.”
• 15:40 – “22 to 30” speech on high-risk, high-reward years for young adults
• 19:20 – Gary’s 2026 content plans; produced with purpose and documentation
• 21:14 – AI influencers: Will people care about real vs. artificial?
• 24:56 – Balancing hunger and patience; advice on envy and comparison
• 28:46 – Platforms to focus on: personal and public recommendations
• 31:16 – Tactical push: Live social shopping as a new monetization path

Concluding Takeaways

• Be everywhere. Don’t let comfort keep you from new platforms; true scale means omnipresence.
• Build real culture. Humility, kindness, and overcommunication drive lasting organizations.
• Act fast AND stay patient. Macro patience, micro speed is how big things get built.
• Content still rules. But only the audience decides what’s great.
• Money is not the only metric. Fast fame is fragile; sustained impact is built through slow, disciplined hustle.
• Learn, adapt, lead. Agencies and brands must evolve or risk extinction.
• Live social selling and new platform features are the next big land grabs.
• No one is “taking your spot.” The digital opportunity is truly infinite.