
Loading summary
Gary Vaynerchuk
Everybody, this is Tea with Gary Vee. Thank you so much for being on. Aaron, you got questions?
Aaron
I'm selling a book about people with autism that have gone on to live extraordinary lives. But I have 0 sales so far in the past 3 months. My average view count on IG is 10k per video, with one video getting almost a million views. I'm paying for ads and driving traffic to my website. Viewers are there, purchases are not. What am I doing wrong?
Gary Vaynerchuk
Clearly something like that's crazy to me to hear that many views with that few sales for something that's so inexpensive. So, friends, I'm gonna teach everybody one of the great lessons of business right now. The number one reason I am sitting here today is because I spent all of 2007-2011 interacting with people in comments. The reason Veefriends has had a very good launch just now. If you talk to Shep and Kirby and some of the kids on the Veefriends team, they will tell you the one on one DMS and the content. Excuse me, the community engagement, replying to comments in our posts has been everything. I will tell you that what I'm doing right now in this nanosecond is deepening the relationship I have with this audience. 100% of why people are getting caught in this question is they think views means community. Views do not mean community effort. In talking to people on DM and in the comments and going live and interacting with people is community. These little interactions, when I mention names, when I engage, when I reply to people on text, when I took that flight last night and replied to 4 to 5 dms, this is depth. This is depth. And I think the reason they haven't sold any books is no one gives a shit about them. And that's because getting views does not mean people care. Getting engagement is where all of you have to get up. You have to get that up. You have to go back and forth. On Twitter. In 0789, it wasn't even just one reply or a heart or a thumbs up. Somebody would say something about wine. I would reply. They would reply, I would reply. This was 4, 5, 6, 7 hours a night of engaging with 13, 15, 23 people. Rips will tell you other people, Ross will tell you people you know, Zach will tell you. Like in the chat I keep saying one person at a time, one person at a time, one person at a time. This is a one person at a time thing. There is no way you should have 10,000 views on average and some with millions and zero book sales. It means that the community can sense that you're not in it with them. The end. Yesterday I was in Nashville. I went to two different card stores. 30, 40 people. Not 5030, 40 people. Shake a hand, kiss a baby, hug it out, answer a question. It is scaling the unscalable that will lead to the leverage you're looking for. Everybody scale the unscalable. Dylan Y says. What does scale the unscalable mean, Dylan? It means to reply to people one by 1in DM and comments on every piece of social media that you post. And going live for an hour a day and just answering people's questions. That is the firm definition.
Kiefer Cox
So my question is, I mean, I know I need to build a personal brand, okay, Just by. I mean, but I'm also not blind to the fact that I'm super blessed. Like, I have a really good life. I'm 20, 28 years old on Saturday.
Gary Vaynerchuk
Happy birthday, bro.
Kiefer Cox
And like, my life. My life, by all any measure, is good. I have a good job, great wife, everything. I'm also like, yeah, I'm interested in a lot of things, like barbecuing, camping. I decided to go back to school for software engineering. And so my question is, like, how do I build a brand around that when I have so many interests? But I'm not, like, super deep in.
Gary Vaynerchuk
Any one thing by not over worrying about that thesis. Like, why is that bad? Why is it bad that you're into barbecuing, outdooring, software, you know, engineering, the Utah Jazz, you know, beer, video games? Like, I talk about a hundred different things.
Kiefer Cox
That. That's my. I guess. I guess my thing is, like, who am I and why would people even want to follow what I do?
Gary Vaynerchuk
What's your full name? What's your full name?
Kiefer Cox
Kiefer Cox.
Gary Vaynerchuk
You're fucking Kiefer Fox Cox. That's who you are. But how do I bring value?
Kiefer Cox
Like, how do I bring value to people to, like, say, oh, hey, I'm just this. This guy from Utah doing what I.
Gary Vaynerchuk
Think is fun by talking about shit you're interested in and seeing if people find what you're talking about interesting?
Kiefer Cox
Okay, so it's not like, because I thought, like, oh, do I just pick a lane and go deep into that lane, or do I keep doing what I like to do, what makes me happy?
Gary Vaynerchuk
Number two.
Kiefer Cox
Okay, Yeah, I guess. I guess my main thing is just, like, who. Who would want to see what I do?
Gary Vaynerchuk
People. Have you noticed what the fuck is going on out here, Keeper? People just follow People.
Kiefer Cox
It's true. That's true.
Gary Vaynerchuk
Like. Like, I'm not interested in your insecurity around this issue, okay? Like, and by the way, the answer might be nobody. There's million, there's billions of people putting out content that nobody gives a fuck about because they are not bringing anything interesting. They don't have. Yeah. They don't have knowledge. Like, I don't know. Like, but, but to. But for you to decide that nobody gives a fuck before you tried for a full year posting every day to see if people gave a fucking. And let me. And let me play this out for you. Would it be so horrible for this great life that you have that if you did this for a year and the outcome was that you didn't become fucking Gary Vee and you didn't make millions selling barbecue sauce, but the outcome was you made seven new really good friends in Utah. Cause they also liked your shit and you just became friends through the process. Cause they also barbecue with you and they rock climb with you. And like, the outcome of this whole thing was that you made seven great new friends and you had videos on the Internet that one day your grandchildren will get to watch and will be able to say, oh, fuck, I was like, grandpappy. I also had a red beard. I have a red beard. Like he did. And oh, shit, he was into rock climbing like me. So you would have content on the Internet that your grandkids would get incredible value out of and have great memories. You would find six to seven new friends. You might get a random barbecue company sending you some free barbecue sauce out of it. It sounds like there's a lot of winning even if you don't go on to become the most famous fucking person on Earth around fucking outdoors.
Kiefer Cox
Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense. Thank you. Yeah, I get it.
Gary Vaynerchuk
Just.
Kiefer Cox
It's just weird coming from such a place of, like, my life's good. Like, I don't need. I feel like I don't need to build a brand, but I'm also sold. Like, I need to build a brand.
Gary Vaynerchuk
Yeah, I think it sounds like you want to build a brand.
Kiefer Cox
I do.
Gary Vaynerchuk
So build a brand. Try. And if it doesn't work, it didn't work. Who gives a fuck? Lots of things didn't work. Like, my jumper didn't work this morning. Shit happens. Like, I don't know, like things don't work all the time.
Aaron
What do you think the second and third wave reactions to the AI ification of life will be?
Gary Vaynerchuk
That's a very profound question, Aaron. Thank you. I have no Idea man. Meaning I do have an idea, but people don't like my ideas. I don't know if you saw that post we posted yesterday about the grandkids being a. I fucking people had all sorts of feelings of me. I've never had so many people tell me I needed Jesus in my life. I, I look, I think it's big. I think it's fucking big. I think that this is going to completely change the world in the same way that the Internet did and that we are going to have a lot more time on our hands because a lot more is going to be done for us by machines. That's gonna open up for creativity, for love, for health and wellness. I'm excited about that. There'll be some economic changes, but I think that the governments are gonna play a huge role in this. My prediction as of right now, and this is a full guess, is that you're gonna be looking at Russia, China, America, Saudi, India actually creating a unified global kind of almost like nuclear. The way nuclear was so big and was so profound and could change the world. The only way we're here is that there's been a lot of global government alliance. I think there'll be a lot of government alliance. I think China, Russia, America, they're going to be scared of what this is all going to lead to. I think you'll see some heavy regulation, some heavy handed government stuff on this. That's how big I think this is. That's my prediction for wave two and three. Governments are gonna have a lot of burden to figure things out because it's that big. Big. Are we gonna subsidize workers? Are people gonna get paid to just be alive? These are things that we've not had to think about that's gonna bother people. You're talking to somebody who doesn't like laziness. Imagine someone like me who thinks we're too lazy to begin with. Now motherfuckers are just gonna sit at home and get paid. But when you're talking about such profound technology shifts, everything's in play. And I think it's too early to start guessing. But I can tell you that I'll say this to make this a productive question. Every person watching this show right now must spend one hour a day researching and using AI. Everybody, all of you kids, I'm telling you, one hour a day. One hour a day, no matter what. One hour a day. One hour a day. 1 hour a day. All right, let's keep it going. Aaron, what do you got?
Aaron
How do I build connections I grew up really shy. I'm a flight attendant and I feel like it's a great stepping stone. I just need to take advantage.
Gary Vaynerchuk
All of life is based on the following thing. We are scared of things. And the only way to cure that fear is to do it. I was scared to swim. The only way I learned how to swim was to jump in and finally learn how to swim. I was scared to ride a bike. Did not want it. There are very few kids on earth that were more scared to skin their knee than me. That's how much I did not want to skin my knee. Right? How could I get over it? I just had to eventually be a big boy and fucking go. And had to take my lumps and hurt my elbow and hurt my knee and finally got there. There is no way to break out of being an introvert until you start going up to people and saying hello and dealing with the thing that you feared, which is rejection. For so many guys. So many guys that are watching this, they missed out on the greatest moments of their dating life and their hooking up life out of the fear of even asking in the first place. Looking at all these dudes behind you, Aaron, they all missed out on some of their greatest stories that they would have lived with forever out of just the fear of going up and saying hello. Cuz they feared getting rejected. That's life, you know, it's. It's not super complicated. There's only one way to defeat fear. Punch it in the face. Because whatever you're fearing is always less scary than you think. I. I watched my sister get out of line from a water slide a couple weekends ago. Just got out of line. I also watched my brother's daughter, who's 6, do it. And then my dog, my sister got out of line and left, right back down. Fear. She decided in her head that she was going to be the first person ever to fall off the slide and die. She just decided that fear is the most fake thing in the world, yet it feels the most real. Fear is what politicians, parents and bosses weaponize against all of you. Fear is what spouses and boyfriends and girlfriends weaponize against you. Fear is what society weaponizes against you. Fear is the biggest issue in our society. And right now fear's having a moment. People are more scared today than they were 20 years ago. It's really too bad. I feel bad for all of you. But I'm not going to coddle you. You're a bunch of bitches. You. Let me say it slow. Y' all are A bunch of bitches. And that's the truth. Like, that's it. You're a fucking bitch. And. And why I say that is you have to understand that's true. Like, you're a bitch. And. And as soon as you realize, wait, I'm the bitch. Not. Not other things, that's when you can actually address this issue. Like you complaining about other people, like, that's you. And so it's really, really liberating once you realize you're the bitch. Because once you realize you're the bitch, you can actually do something about it. When you think that the world's in control, the system's rigged, other people are lucky. Luck is a fuck. I need everybody in this world to get the word luck out of their mouth. Does luck exist? Of course. No. That's how everything. That's the whole thing. It's called serendipity. But if you weaponize luck, if you say, oh, Mike's lucky, Dustin's lucky, if you're the person that's using luck on someone to justify why they're doing something well and you're not, you're a bitch. Did we establish it this morning? You're a bitch. That's right, Dustin. Very. I'm proud of you. That's it. That was enjoyable.
Aaron
Next, if your content hits consistently on TikTok and YouTube. So I don't think the content is outright bad, but it's not hitting on IG or Facebook, even with trying different types of content throughout different platforms, what do you recommend? Been posting consistently every day, everywhere, but no traction on Facebook or Instagram.
Gary Vaynerchuk
That's unusual. So I'd love to understand, you know, when I hitting on what TikTok and.
Aaron
What talk and YouTube, it might skew.
Gary Vaynerchuk
Young or very, very specific. You know, I'm trying to figure it out. Like, look, Facebook and Instagram is harder to break out on because of the supply and demand of attention, but really it's, you know, this is where I sometimes need to be able to follow up, because it's like, how long and what, you know, again, for a lot. Sometimes you don't break out for 18 to 24 months. You know, Like, I just don't know how long they've been at it, but it sounds like they're doing the right things. And I think, you know, I kind of think about it like, chest muscles. For me, like, I did all the right things for, like, seven years and still had not one chest muscle. Like, my little body was just not, you know, built in a way that. That's gonna show. And then literally out of nowhere, I just did a different kind of version of a push up for literally nine weeks. And all the groundwork, it just showed up. It's nothing special, but at least I can see it. And that felt. I felt really accomplished. But it took fucking nine years. It was plenty frustrating. Like, you know, like. And so I think for a lot of people, like, I don't think he's. Or she's been trying for nine years and it sounds like they're doing the right thing and just keep it going, you know.
Aaron
Thoughts on starting and growing a business at 62? I just don't want to retire. Thank you.
Gary Vaynerchuk
Yes. I mean, one of my thoughts. My thoughts is a very good idea. System two is fucking child. 62 is a fucking child. Like, I don't know, like, I don't know what else to say. Like, I know people think it's funny, but like, all you 20 year olds, no shit, you guys don't think 62 is young. You're gonna be 62 and you're gonna realize how fucking young it is. Mike, how old are you now? Do you think at 18 that you thought 27 was like grown? Right. Do you realize now that at 27 you're basically the same fucking kid you were at 18? Yeah, that's it. Yeah. And like, you know, what's my answer to that question? Answer is yes. Next.
Aaron
Aaron, how do you prove out the value of a personal brand in building or boosting a business brand intu and anecdotally, we know it's invaluable. And yet so many CEOs fail or refuse to invest in their personal brand.
Gary Vaynerchuk
So what was the upfront part? How do you. What?
Aaron
How do you prove the value of a personal brand?
Gary Vaynerchuk
I mean, I think based on what I just heard, whether this is an employee or somebody who's running an agency that does that work for people you don't. I'm not in the business of convincing people. I just want everybody who's watching Tea with Gary Vee right now, this morning to know I don't give a fuck if you do anything about the stuff I talk about. I mean, you're not my children. I mean, I. I'm trying to help. Like, I'm out here pushing. I mean, forget gonna. I'm the fucking pushing p guy. Like, I'm doing it, right? I'm doing it, but what do you want from me? Like, I can't fucking. What am I supposed to do? Like, I'm pushing every day, every day in My content. I have a full pledge team. All you fucking employing all of you for us to push positivity, practicality, tactics, and mindset to have a better life. But what do you want from me? And that's how I feel about this, you know, obviously, VaynerMedia, does that work? When a CEO's like, Gary, I don't think this works. I'm like, that's nice. Like, what do you want from me? No sh. Of course it fucking works, you idiot. There's a billion examples of it. Like, But I'm not here to fucking convince you. I have conviction. I say this all the time. Have conviction, don't convince. Like, if you don't want to buy what I'm putting down, don't buy it. I do not care if anybody who's watching right now collects veefriends. I'm just going to make sure all of them regret not collecting veefriends. I don't know what else. Like, what else? What the fuck else? I don't need to convince anyone about anything. These are my opinions, These are my observations. These are my passions. I think it's crazy not to build a personal brand, but, oh, by the way, CEOs don't have to. Like, do you know how many people have huge companies that don't have personal brands? I don't think the only way to win is to have a personal brand. I think it's one of the ways. So that's how I answer that question.
Mike
I'll get straight to it. I was just driving. I'm in the Virginia Beach, Norfolk area. Newport News in Virginia have a meal prep business. So it's about four or five employees right now. Last month or last year, we did about $450,000 in sales. This year we're about to double. So about 750,000 on pace this year. Facebook, Instagram, doing everything that you can to the best of my ability. You know what I'm saying? Like, once. Once a day is, you know, getting there for me. You know what I'm saying? So, yeah, adding. Adding people to the team. Got a videographer. So my brand is 3 PD. I'll just go ahead and plug it real quick. So I got the jacket, I had your. I had yours on real, real fast. So we're 3 PD. So we're based out of, like I said, the Virginia beach area. But we're expanding right now. So right now the demographic that we deliver to and do pick up orders for is just about 500,000, like, demographic wise, that we're like, customer base. We're trying to expand to like the other side of the water, which is Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, that area, which is about a million customers. So we're already doing, you know, on pace, like I said, this year for $750,000 in sale, which I'm super grateful for. It's amazing.
Gary Vaynerchuk
That's huge. How. I mean, the Facebook ads should crush for this business.
Mike
Yes, yes, yes, absolutely.
Gary Vaynerchuk
First of all, I'm really proud of you. Second of all, I want you to quadruple down on Facebook ads. Quadruple down. All right, Mike, we're gonna quadruple down on Facebook ads. Mike, what's your customer acquisition cost on your ads?
Mike
We haven't really run a ton of ads. We do rerun them like on sale weekends, like March Madness, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, things like that. Everything else has been social, organic for now. And so we're trying to.
Gary Vaynerchuk
That's a huge mistake. You can't be doing $750,000 a year and not running ads of your best social, organic content to the 5 and 10 mile radius around your business. Because you haven't even, you haven't even come. You have an addressable market of a million customers and you haven't even come close to starting to maximize that area. You're talking about expanding. You haven't done dick shit yet in the general area you're in.
Mike
Yeah, yeah. So like when you. This is my, this is my question about scaling and me being the ce, like the head, the number one, being the leader. Like, how do you go from doubling year over year and still trying to like, you know, I want to keep balance obviously too. Like my me, it's me and my wife. So we're a part husband wife duo. So we're full time in the business and we have three other full time employees. But how do we kind of keep scaling and keep pushing, but not like over exerting, if that makes sense, like doubling year over year and then to even think about doing that again, because right now we're in the area of Norfolk State where Michael Big is became the coach at the college for football. So that's kind of like a partnership and something that I've been working on. And that's where I'm actually coming back from delivering meals from right now. So that's kind of like something else, like doing the more B2B basically with the meals.
Gary Vaynerchuk
You're hiring people. That's how you hire people faster. Yes. And then you gotta fire fast or promote faster, depending on what Happens with those hirings. How many hours a week are you guys working? Don't bullshit me. Tell me the honest truth.
Mike
The honest truth. The last five years I've been six days a week, only off on Tuesdays, pretty much 65 to 75 hours.
Gary Vaynerchuk
I mean, you're building a business like for yourself and you want to live on your own two feet. 65, 70, feels like a bare minimum. So I think you're fine, you know what I mean?
Mike
And we're doing the. I'm taking the advice of like scaling back. So one of our other full time employees, my sister in law, so she's actually moving in with us to cut back on our expenses and our costs for the next 16 months or so.
Gary Vaynerchuk
Yeah, you're fucking doing it, man. I think you're doing it right. I think you would. I think you should hire a little more, you know, More hiring.
Mike
Yeah, more.
Gary Vaynerchuk
More hiring. But you also have to run ads because you'll get customers faster.
Mike
Gotcha, Gotcha.
Gary Vaynerchuk
All right, man. Love you.
Kiefer Cox
What advice would you give to a 21 year old in college trying to.
Gary Vaynerchuk
Balance work and school?
Kiefer Cox
I feel like missing out on school because I'm way too off balance and putting so much time on my work.
Gary Vaynerchuk
I think that's fine. I mean, like, these questions make me laugh. Like, yeah, like, like, I don't know, like neither one of them are gonna matter in five years. How about that? Like real talk, 21 years old, school and work. I have a funny prediction. At 26, it's not gonna fucking matter. The, the mindset you're learning, the habits you're getting are gonna matter. But the schoolwork or the fucking current job doesn't mean dick. I got a secret for all you motherfuckers on this show today. Nothing matters. Yeah, court you like, like, how about that, motherfucker? You guys want a real brain fuck? You want real brain fuckery this morning? Nothing actually matters. Like, it's all chill out here. It's all good. You like that chat. Like, like everything. You are capable of fixing everything. Everything is fixable. Everything is fucking fixable. Like, and because you could take dramatic action, this is what everyone's scared of. People are scared of dramatic action. I said to my trainer yesterday, working out, I will move to Peru in the middle of nowhere and eat carrots and read books that were printed 500 years ago and be fine. Nothing scares me. I am not scared. The fuck am I scared of? What are you scared about, y'?
Aaron
All?
Gary Vaynerchuk
What do you actually fear? The fuck are you scared of? It better not be opinions of strangers. It is dust. That's what kills me. I'm dying on this hill. I'm not scared of the opinions of my most precious loved ones. The am I gonna worry about? Let me pick a random name here. The guy Seeker on whatnot right now. Or Quaso or Salvatore's. Elba. I don't give a. Salvatore, you like? What do you want? What are you all scared of? The fuck are we worried about?
Podcast Summary: The GaryVee Audio Experience
Episode: Tea with GV Ep #75: Why You’re Getting Views but No Sales
Release Date: July 3, 2025
Host: Gary Vaynerchuk
In episode #75 of Tea with GV, Gary Vaynerchuk delves deep into the challenges of converting social media views into tangible sales. The episode features insightful questions from listeners, including Aaron, Kiefer Cox, and Mike, with Gary offering actionable advice grounded in his extensive experience in marketing and entrepreneurship. Below is a detailed breakdown of the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode.
Listener Question: Aaron's Dilemma with Book Sales
Timestamp: [00:03 – 03:31]
Aaron reaches out with a concerning issue: despite garnering significant views on Instagram—averaging 10k per video and even achieving nearly a million views on one post—his book sales about individuals with autism remain at zero over the past three months. Despite investing in ads and driving traffic to his website, conversions are nonexistent.
Gary’s Insight: The Power of Community Engagement
Gary expresses surprise at the disparity between views and sales, especially for an inexpensive product. He emphasizes that "views do not mean community effort" ([00:20]). Drawing from his experience with VeeFriends' successful launch, Gary underscores the importance of one-on-one interactions—replying to comments, engaging in DMs, and cultivating a deep relationship with the audience.
Notable Quote:
"Getting engagement is where all of you have to get up. You have to get that up. You have to go back and forth."
— Gary Vaynerchuk [02:15]
Actionable Advice:
Listener Question: Kiefer Cox on Personal Branding
Timestamp: [03:31 – 07:19]
Kiefer Cox, approaching his 28th birthday, seeks guidance on building a personal brand despite having varied interests such as barbecuing, camping, software engineering, sports, and video games. He struggles with the notion of choosing a single "lane" and questions his unique value proposition to potential followers.
Gary’s Insight: Embrace Your Authentic Self
Gary encourages Kiefer to "be yourself" and share his diverse interests without overcomplicating his brand narrative. He dismisses the fear of not having a singular focus, suggesting that authenticity and passion can attract an engaged audience.
Notable Quote:
"Think is fun by talking about shit you're interested in and seeing if people find what you're talking about interesting."
— Gary Vaynerchuk [04:49]
Actionable Advice:
Listener Question: Aaron on AI’s Future Waves
Timestamp: [07:35 – 10:08]
Aaron poses a forward-thinking question about the second and third wave reactions to the widespread integration of AI into daily life. He seeks Gary's predictions on how AI will reshape society beyond its current state.
Gary’s Insight: AI as a Transformative Force
Gary acknowledges the profound impact of AI, likening it to the advent of the Internet. He anticipates significant government regulation and international alliances as nations grapple with AI’s implications. Furthermore, Gary encourages individuals to dedicate time to understanding and utilizing AI, advocating for at least one hour of daily engagement with the technology.
Notable Quote:
"Every person watching this show right now must spend one hour a day researching and using AI."
— Gary Vaynerchuk [09:55]
Actionable Advice:
Listener Question: Aaron on Social Media Performance
Timestamp: [14:26 – 21:34]
Aaron faces challenges with his content performing well on TikTok and YouTube but failing to gain traction on Instagram and Facebook, despite consistent posting across all platforms. He seeks Gary's recommendations for gaining better engagement and conversions on underperforming channels.
Gary’s Insight: Persistence and Strategic Ad Spending
Gary finds the issue unusual but advises sustained effort, noting that breakthrough can sometimes take 18 to 24 months. He emphasizes the importance of doubling down on Facebook ads to tap into the platform’s extensive user base, suggesting that consistent advertising can eventually lead to the desired sales growth.
Notable Quote:
"You can't be doing $750,000 a year and not running ads of your best social, organic content to the 5 and 10 mile radius around your business."
— Gary Vaynerchuk [21:08]
Actionable Advice:
Listener Question: Mike on Scaling a Meal Prep Business at 62
Timestamp: [16:00 – 23:31]
Mike shares his success in scaling his meal prep business from $450,000 to an anticipated $750,000 in annual sales. However, he grapples with the challenges of maintaining work-life balance while managing rapid growth and scaling operations.
Gary’s Insight: Embrace Youthfulness and Strategic Hiring
Gary dismisses the notion that 62 is too old to start or scale a business, highlighting that age is relative and life-long growth is possible. He advises Mike to hire more staff to distribute the workload and to intensify advertising efforts to accelerate customer acquisition. Additionally, Gary emphasizes the importance of maintaining a realistic work schedule to prevent burnout.
Notable Quote:
"You're hiring people. That's how you hire people faster. Yes."
— Gary Vaynerchuk [22:26]
Actionable Advice:
Listener Question: Aaron on Personal Branding for CEOs
Timestamp: [16:51 – 19:16]
Aaron addresses the challenge of demonstrating the value of a personal brand in enhancing or building a business brand. He notes that while personal branding is anecdotally valuable, many CEOs either fail or resist investing in it.
Gary’s Insight: Authentic Branding Over Convincing
Gary positions personal branding as a natural extension of one’s passions and observations rather than a tactical maneuver to convince others. He argues that having a personal brand is beneficial but not an absolute necessity for every CEO. Authenticity and conviction are paramount, and personal branding should come organically from one’s genuine interests and values.
Notable Quote:
"Have conviction, don't convince. Like, if you don't want to buy what I'm putting down, don't buy it."
— Gary Vaynerchuk [18:45]
Actionable Advice:
Listener Question: Kiefer Cox on Balancing Work and School
Timestamp: [23:33 – 25:24]
Kiefer Cox seeks advice on managing the demands of work while pursuing education, expressing concerns about missing out on school due to excessive work commitments.
Gary’s Insight: Focus on Growth Over Immediate Outcomes
Gary downplays the immediate importance of balancing work and education, emphasizing that the mindset and habits developed during this period are far more significant in the long run. He encourages a relaxed perspective, asserting that "nothing matters" in the grand scheme and that resilience and adaptability are key takeaways from juggling multiple responsibilities.
Notable Quote:
"The mindset you're learning, the habits you're getting are gonna matter. But the schoolwork or the fucking current job doesn't mean dick."
— Gary Vaynerchuk [24:10]
Actionable Advice:
Conclusion
In Tea with GV Ep #75: Why You’re Getting Views but No Sales, Gary Vaynerchuk offers a wealth of practical advice centered around authentic engagement, personal branding, and strategic business scaling. The episode underscores the importance of building genuine relationships over chasing vanity metrics, embracing authenticity in personal branding, and leveraging strategic advertising to convert social media views into sales. Additionally, Gary emphasizes resilience, adaptability, and the cultivation of a strong mindset as critical components for long-term success. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur struggling with sales conversions or an established business owner looking to scale, this episode provides valuable insights to navigate the complex landscape of modern marketing and personal branding.