MicroVee: How to Balance Your Main Gig and Your Side Hustle | GaryVee Advice

Summary

Summary of “MicroVee: How to Balance Your Main Gig and Your Side Hustle | GaryVee Advice”

Podcast Information:

• Title: The GaryVee Audio Experience
• Host/Author: Gary Vaynerchuk
• Episode: MicroVee: How to Balance Your Main Gig and Your Side Hustle | GaryVee Advice
• Release Date: April 21, 2025

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1. Introduction: Setting the Stage for Entrepreneurship

The episode begins with Gary Vaynerchuk addressing listeners who juggle a primary job alongside a side hustle. He introduces Destiny, a young entrepreneur balancing a full-time 9-to-5 job with her online hair business, Diamond Extens 31. Destiny shares her struggles with burnout, slow business growth, and time management challenges.

• Gary Vaynerchuk [00:00]: “If you've got a side hustle or you've been thinking about starting one, this episode might be a wake up call for you.”

2. Destiny’s Background and Current Struggles

Destiny provides an overview of her journey, including moving from Charlotte to Jersey City to expand her business. She launched her e-commerce hair boutique in February 2022 and has been working full-time while trying to scale her side business. Despite her efforts, Destiny feels overwhelmed and burnt out from managing both her job and entrepreneurial endeavors.

• Destiny [00:23]: “I currently work a full time nine to five and I'm completely burned out at this point.”

3. Identifying the Root Causes of Burnout

Gary delves deeper into the reasons behind Destiny’s burnout, questioning whether it stems from her work environment or a general dissatisfaction with her career path. Destiny acknowledges that her current job in merchandising is no longer fulfilling, contributing significantly to her exhaustion.

• Gary Vaynerchuk [01:18]: “And do you think that's a product of whom you're working for and where or just a general overall thing or do you not know?”
• Destiny [01:26]: “I would say yeah, definitely where I'm working.”

4. Gary’s Candid Assessment and Actionable Advice

Gary encourages total honesty about Destiny's daily schedule to better understand her workload. He emphasizes the importance of transparency and warns against trying to present a façade of productivity. Gary is direct in highlighting that without sufficient marketing, Destiny’s business cannot thrive.

• Gary Vaynerchuk [02:31]: “Tell me what you're doing from six to midnight. Real talk. Don't bullshit me, Destiny, because I'm gonna get Crazy on you.”
• Gary Vaynerchuk [09:14]: “The number one task for a business that doesn't have enough customers is to market.”

5. The Critical Role of Social Media in Business Growth

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on the necessity of active social media engagement. Destiny admits that her current posting frequency is inadequate, primarily limited to holiday-themed content. Gary strongly advises increasing her social media presence, suggesting multiple daily posts across platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest to enhance visibility and attract customers.

• Gary Vaynerchuk [07:06]: “I'm gonna go TikTok. Abby's face is. They know when I hear. When I hear once a day, I'm mad.”
• Gary Vaynerchuk [10:17]: “Maybe you have to post two posts a day for your business and post them on TikTok so people discover it because you might go viral, you might get more views.”

6. Time Allocation and Strategic Focus

Gary advises Destiny to allocate a significant portion of her limited time to social media marketing, stressing that without customers, other business aspects are irrelevant. He underscores the importance of prioritizing marketing efforts to drive sales and sustain the business.

• Gary Vaynerchuk [10:55]: “And before you go into next, like, what do I post? You have a million businesses that are in your business. Go look at their.”

7. Overcoming Burnout Through Effective Strategy

Throughout the episode, Gary emphasizes the importance of strategic focus over sheer hours worked. He encourages Destiny to optimize her time by concentrating on high-impact activities, particularly marketing, to alleviate burnout and foster business growth.

• Gary Vaynerchuk [09:46]: “I’d rather you just relax and enjoy your evening so you're not burnt out than to not do the right strategy on the three hours that you're on.”

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Key Takeaways:

1. Prioritize Marketing: For any side hustle to succeed, especially in its early stages, active and consistent marketing is crucial. Social media platforms should be leveraged to their fullest potential to attract and retain customers.

2. Honest Self-Assessment: Entrepreneurs must be transparent about their efforts and time management to identify areas needing improvement. Pretending to be more productive than one is can lead to stagnation and burnout.

3. Strategic Time Management: Balancing a full-time job with a side hustle requires strategic allocation of time. Focus on high-impact tasks that drive business growth rather than dispersing efforts thinly across multiple low-yield activities.

4. Avoid Burnout: It’s essential to find a balance between work and personal life to maintain long-term productivity and avoid exhaustion. Burning out can hinder both career and entrepreneurial aspirations.

5. Leverage Social Media Effectively: Consistent and strategic use of social media is non-negotiable for modern businesses. Regular posting, engaging with audiences, and experimenting with different platforms can significantly enhance business visibility and growth.

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Notable Quotes:

• Gary Vaynerchuk [02:31]: “Tell me what you're doing from six to midnight. Real talk. Don't bullshit me, Destiny, because I'm gonna get Crazy on you.”

• Gary Vaynerchuk [07:06]: “I'm gonna go TikTok. Abby's face is. They know when I hear. When I hear once a day, I'm mad.”

• Gary Vaynerchuk [09:14]: “The number one task for a business that doesn't have enough customers is to market.”

• Gary Vaynerchuk [10:17]: “Maybe you have to post two posts a day for your business and post them on TikTok so people discover it because you might go viral, you might get more views.”

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This episode serves as a practical guide for entrepreneurs struggling to balance their main job with a side hustle. Gary Vaynerchuk’s no-nonsense approach provides actionable insights into prioritizing marketing, managing time effectively, and avoiding burnout to achieve sustainable business growth.

Transcript

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

If you've got a side hustle or you've been thinking about starting one, this episode might be a wake up call for you. You're about to hear Gary in a one on one session with Destiny, a young entrepreneur working full time while trying to grow her online hair business. She's been dealing with burnout, slow progress, and struggling to find time for her brand. Let's dive right into this one and hear what Gary has to say about how she can overcome these issues.

All right, Destiny, what's good?

[Destiny]

Hi, so nice to finally meet you. I'm Destiny. I am the co founder of Diamond Extens 31. I recently moved from Charlotte to Jersey City, so I'm right outside of.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Welcome.

[Destiny]

Thank you. Thank you. So we launched our business back in February 2022 and I currently work up full time nine to five and I'm completely burned out at this point. Just a lot of the workflow. Overall it's, it's been kind of challenging to say the least. And so that on top, the job sucks. Yeah, like I mean I've been in merchandising for eight years now and I think I'm just kind of like burnt out from it. I don't love it as much as I used to.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

And do you think that's a product of whom you're working for and where or just a general overall thing or do you not know?

[Destiny]

I would say yeah, definitely where I'm working.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Okay, so that's a big mistake. People make career changes without realizing. They just don't like the team they're on. Football players don't retire just because they're on a shitty team that they don't like the coach, they wait out their contract and they go sign with another team.

[Destiny]

Yeah, I mean I will say like I get to this point like every two years within my career, like I start putting in like so much effort and then I just get burned out. And so, I don't know, I'm definitely trying to like grow the business at a larger scale so that I can make it more of my, my full time job. Like I would love to just put this as my full time job, but what is this? The diamond extension? So we're an online hair boutique and so right now we just strictly E commerce and we've been having some challenges trying to grow it at a larger scale with working like 9 to 5. So would just love your advice on.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Tell me what you're doing from six to midnight. Real talk. Don't bullshit me, Destiny, because I'm gonna get Crazy on you.

[Destiny]

Okay.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Full transparency, no bullshit. Because you're a, you're a young woman and so you gotta, you gotta rest, you gotta go out, you gotta do shit. I get it. But I need to hear your Monday through Friday, no bullshit.

[Destiny]

Yeah. So like. Yeah, I work 9 to 5 and to be honest, like I come home.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Yeah. Do not come on here. This might be the only time we ever talk.

[Destiny]

Yeah.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I'm gonna give you everything I got.

[Destiny]

Yeah.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Don't come on this show and me and try to make it look good. Tell me the truth.

[Destiny]

Like most days I come home and I'll put additional hours into work, which is why I'm burnt out, of course. Yeah. Till like 10 some nights, 11. And by that time like I'm done, I'm tired.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

What time do you start? You get home at 5.

[Destiny]

Go.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Like, like real talk. Like real talk. I really need to hear it.

[Destiny]

No, I don't leave work until 5:30. It takes me like an hour, a little over an hour to get home. So I'll get home around like 6:30.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Then what?

[Destiny]

Cook and then I'll log back in. I'll log back in. I'll log back in around like 8ish.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Maybe decompress music, watch some teeth, whatever.

[Destiny]

Yeah. I'll put a show on the background, start.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Nobody should be just working.

[Destiny]

Yeah.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

And then so 8 to 10, 8 to 11, you're working on the thing and then you go to sleep and do it again.

[Destiny]

Yeah, pretty much.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

And what about the weekends?

[Destiny]

The weekends is where I definitely spend a little bit more time working on the business. But I have been working like additional weekends as well for like my 9 to 5. So that's where obviously the burnout is coming in. And so I'm trying to find the balance to be able to yet.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Because this other gig is not paying for your life.

[Destiny]

Exactly, exactly.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

So my point of view is. How long you been doing the side thing?

[Destiny]

Since 2022. Fab. 2020.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

It's a baby.

[Destiny]

Yeah, it's, it's fairly, fairly new. Yeah.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

It's a baby.

[Destiny]

Yeah.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Two years old is a baby.

[Destiny]

I know, I just want it to grow.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

No, but I don't know if you heard, but 2 year olds, their pants still.

[Destiny]

I mean. Well, will you put it like that? Yeah, it's. It's a baby.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I'm gonna put it like that. You got a two year old, business as a baby, it shits pants.

[Destiny]

Pretty. Yeah, great analogy.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Good news, you're young as. Do you understand that?

[Destiny]

Yeah, yeah.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Do you?

[Destiny]

I mean, I Feel like at. This is just not where I saw myself at 31.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

What the are you seeing yourself at 31 for?

[Destiny]

I just would. Was hoping to be a little bit further along than where I'm at right now.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Why?

[Destiny]

Because I feel like time is just so. That's all we have.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

And you're gonna live for 70 more years. You're a 31 year old in 2024 with modern medicine exploding. You're gonna live to 100.

[Destiny]

Yeah, it feels like. Tom, just watch this. Yeah.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Everybody in the chat, tell me how old you are right now. Tell me how old you are in the chat right now and then tell me when you've figured it out. Yes. Listen, you're. You're a kid. Here's what I'm hearing. Look at all these ages. Like, you're just starting. And we're on Twitch. Look at these numbers. We're supposed to be all 16, but we're not. The problem here is how's the. How's the business? Like, in the first two years, it sounds like you got something going. A little something.

[Destiny]

I mean, we. We've had some sales, but, you know, I definitely. I'm. I want to grow it at a larger scale. I want to see how much.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

How much social media are you putting out?

[Destiny]

Not as much as I should, to be honest. I don't post enough. Yeah.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

How much. How many posts does your business post a week on social media? Don't lie, because I'll look it up and I'll.

[Destiny]

No, I'm. I'm not even gonna lie. Like, barely enough. Like, we'll post during the holidays and that's like it. Like, I barely have enough. Like, I really don't have enough time.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

You saw Abby's face right now. I'm gonna go TikTok. Abby's face is. They know when I hear. When I hear once a day, I'm mad. You said we once posted boring Christmas. You came on this show. I'm out here talking about day trading attention. I want you. I want your business posting four to 20 times a day.

[Destiny]

Oh, my God.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

And you had the audacity to come on this show and said we posted on Thanksgiving once.

[Destiny]

Oh, I feel blasted. Yeah. Yeah.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

That's like coming on a show and be like, yo, I don't know why I got a six pack yet. And I'm like, cool, let's talk it out. How many times have you done ab exercises? And you're like, once.

[Destiny]

But that's the thing. Like, I'm trying to, like, balance that in My job and like trying to.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Find sat here told me you're fucking on work three hours a day at night. The fuck are you doing? Yeah, a lot of people work on side shit and they stand in front of the computer and try to make pretend they're doing something. A lot of people go to the gym and fucking go on their phone on the treadmill and walk at a fucking snail's pace and watch the fucking Netflix show and make pretend they went to the gym for an hour where they didn't break a fucking sweat. A lot of dudes go in the gym and start throwing around weights. Now that I'm educated, big shout out to Mike Vacante and Jordan Syed. I go to an equinox once in a while because I'm traveling and I see dudes go for the vanity and start throwing around weights and fucking doing curls, swinging their whole fucking body. They're not building their fucking shit. You can't fucking move when you do your shit. These motherfuckers are like this and this on some ego shit. They're in for an hour. They're not accomplishing anything. I'm worried that you're going on fucking the computer three hours a night and bullshitting.

[Destiny]

Definitely not that. Like, I'm.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

So what are you doing?

[Destiny]

Just all of the tasks that I couldn't get through to out throughout the day.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Like what? Just because before you say anything, ready for this?

[Destiny]

Yeah, you're gonna love me.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Exactly. Like, before you tell me anything, the number one task for a business that doesn't have enough customers is to market.

[Destiny]

Yeah.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

What are we doing? If you don't have customers, you have nothing.

[Destiny]

Yeah, you're right.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Oh, I know.

[Destiny]

Yeah.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I may not know about a lot of things. This isn't a cooking show. This is not a show about how to get your lawn real green and healthy. This is not a show about how to make perfect roasted coffee. And that's what I do. And I know I'm right. And I want this for you. I'd rather you just relax and enjoy your evening so you're not burnt out than to not do the right strategy on the three hours that you're on.

[Destiny]

Yeah. Yeah. I think I need to dedicate more time to like, posting on social media so that we can read.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Maybe you have to post two posts a day for your business and post them on TikTok so people discover it because you might go viral, you might get more views. Instagram's hard, but you should do it. Facebook's a monster. Facebook fan page. You should absolutely do that. Pinterest. Like, you gotta. If you're giving me three hours a night, I need an hour for social.

[Destiny]

Okay.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

And before you go into next, like, what do I post? You have a million businesses that are in your business. Go look at their.

[Destiny]

Okay, you know, I can do.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I know. You know, I could see it in your face. I can do customers. What the are you doing? That's like opening a store, having no customers and fixing the shelves.