The #1 Business Skill to Develop in 2026

Summary

Podcast Summary: The #1 Business Skill to Develop in 2026

The GaryVee Audio Experience | Host: Gary Vaynerchuk
Episode Date: March 27, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode delves into the critical skill Gary Vaynerchuk believes will define business success in the upcoming years: content creation and platform mastery. Gary, joined by guest Andrew Anderson and contributions from a listener/interviewer, explores how attention, platform-specific strategy, authentic personal branding, and cost-consciousness combine to drive opportunity and growth, especially for those starting with minimal resources.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power of Listening and Attention

• Gary emphasizes that behind his energetic, vocal persona is a foundation of deep listening and observing.
  • Quote (Gary, 00:00):
    “The reality is that 90% of the time, I'm not doing things to be seen...I'm doing predominantly listening. My entire career is based on listening.”
• Insight: The most successful creators and entrepreneurs are relentless students of their audience and platforms.

2. Platform Fluency & Algorithm Obsession

• Knowing which platform matches your target audience is key—and algorithms dictate what works.
  • Quote (Gary, 00:57):
    “I'm obsessed with the algorithm. I wanna know how every algorithm works. What are they overvaluing? Do they like reels? Carousels, PDFs?...This is something I spend enormous time on.”
  • Gary and Andrew provide concrete platform-audience matches:
    • Facebook for Gen X/Boomer women’s clothes
    • LinkedIn for B2B/accountants
    • TikTok for younger moms/consumer startups

Timestamps:

• [02:05] – Concrete audience-by-platform examples
• [06:00] – How platform-targeting changes over time (“Facebook is literally grandma’s now…”)

3. Start Where You Are: Cost-Cutting and Resourcefulness

• Runway matters—Gary tells listeners to cut costs to buy themselves the space to “attack your dream.”
  • Quote (Andrew, 01:35):
    “The number one goal for anyone who's trying to live a life on their own means is to cut down their overhead, save money, so much so that you can attack your dream for a year and not worry about money.”
  • Advice: Move in with friends, ditch luxuries, minimize expenses to maximize your personal runway.

Timestamp:

• [05:24] – “18 months of savings against a low overhead, less expensive apartment...”

4. How to Get Started: Direct Outreach and Content Creation

• For aspiring entrepreneurs with no money or connections, the playbook is simple, accessible, and uncomfortable:
  • Film a video announcing your new service and text it to every contact in your phone.
  • Quote (Andrew, 03:12):
    “You’re getting this video because you’re in my contacts...This is my one plea, my one ask as I start on this journey. And I hope my journey, maybe even inspires some of you to finally jump and start your own thing.”
  • Gary punctuates: "You will have a business." ([04:48])

5. The Omnichannel Brand and Content Flexibility

• Adaptation is key—the algorithm now rewards experimentation, not just follower count.
  • Gary relates his shift from wine content, to business, to motivation, and back to tactics:
    • Quote (Gary, 08:06):
      “No longer is it solely about who follows you. I made a hard pivot from wine...to business...to tactical business...then motivational...now back to tactics. You’re allowed to ebb and flow. And good news, the algo has changed...Both [good and bad results] are good.”
    • Advice: Post “left field” content—results can surprise, and all feedback is useful.

Timestamp:

• [08:06] – Pivoting content; value of algorithm changes

6. Building Trust Through Genuine Value

• Content that helps people—even if it doesn’t immediately make you money—builds trust and long-term business.
  • Andrew: Plumbers should make content showing how to DIY minor repairs.
  • Quote (Andrew, 07:36):
    “…the level of trust that happens...when their oldest son took a huge poop and exploded their bathroom and it fucking broke...Which plumber do you think they're gonna fucking call?”
  • Gary: “It’s called Trust.” ([07:52])

7. Authenticity in Selling and Personal Branding

• If you don’t believe in what you sell, you’ll struggle with sales. Authenticity is the antidote to sales anxiety.
  • Quote (Gary, 09:51):
    “How do you get comfortable [selling]? By asking yourself if you believe in what you're selling...If you believe in what you're selling, it gets comfortable. If you don't, you get skittish.”
  • Advice: Only champion products/services you truly stand behind.

Timestamp:

• [09:51] – Selling with authenticity; believing in your own product/service

8. Document the Journey, Even if You’re Just Starting

• Gary’s advice to newcomers: work in the field you want, document what you learn daily, build a record of growth and insight.
  • Quote (Andrew, 09:09):
    "So many people should literally take a job at a company or for someone they want to be [like], document every day what they've learned."

Timestamp:

• [09:09] – Documenting as a path to credibility

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Listening vs. Talking:
  “My entire career is based on listening.” — Gary [00:07]

• On Opportunity from Content:
  “I just got offered a board seat...off of one video I posted on LinkedIn.” — Andrew [00:24]

• On The Ever-Changing Platforms:
  “Now, Facebook is literally grandma’s and it used to be literally college kids.” — Gary [06:12]

• On Creating Without Money, Connections, or Experience:
  “So many people should literally take a job...document every day what they've learned.” — Andrew [09:09]

• On the Secret to Comfortable Selling:
  “If you believe in what you're selling, it gets comfortable. If you don't, you get skittish.” — Gary [09:53]

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Useful Timestamps

• 00:00 – Gary on listening as his business superpower
• 00:57 – Algorithm obsession and understanding content types
• 01:35 – Financial runway: cutting overhead and saving
• 03:12–04:48 – First steps for launching a business (direct outreach script)
• 05:24 – Sacrifices to extend your business runway
• 06:00 – Platform targeting breakdown
• 07:36–07:52 – Content as trust-building (the plumber example)
• 08:06 – Gary on changing content and algorithm shifts
• 09:09 – Documenting your learning journey
• 09:53 – On sales discomfort and belief in your product

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Episode Takeaways

• Mastering content creation, understanding platform nuances, and deeply listening to your audience are what will set you apart in business by 2026.
• Ruthless cost control enables freedom to experiment and build with less risk.
• Don’t wait for conditions to be perfect—start with what and who you know, and build momentum through action.
• Brand, trust, and authenticity aren’t just buzzwords; they’re the compounding “currency” of the modern entrepreneurial landscape.
• “Left field” moves and vulnerability are often the real growth hacks.

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This episode captures Gary Vaynerchuk’s trademark directness, relentless practicality, and the empathetic encouragement that has made him a business leader and mentor to millions.

Transcript

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

When people see me, I'm a yapper, right? I'm yapping here. This is how people normally see me. But the reality is that 90% of the time, I'm not doing things to be seen 95% of the time. And in that time, I'm doing predominantly listening. My entire career is based on listening. But it's hard to see that because I'm such an active talker.

[Andrew Anderson]

This is the GaryVee audio experience. I just got offered a board seat, a board seat to a publicly traded company off of one video I posted on LinkedIn. Now you're Gary Vee. Yeah, but I was fucking Gary in a liquor store making videos every day that nobody gave a fuck about too. It's content. You're exactly right. That's where I was hoping you would go. I'm Gary Vee now because I fucking did what I'm telling you to do. For 15 years, every day, I've given away content for free. That's valuable if you are very into

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

pictures on Instagram and you wanna get a lot of people to see it, which is the point of the whole thing. Instead of posting it as a picture, post it as a one second video. As a one second reel. As a one second reel. That will get more views than the picture potentially. And by the way, it flips sometimes. Other times the picture is. So I'm obsessed with the algorithm. I wanna know how every algorithm works. What are they overvaluing? Do they like reels? Carousel, PDFs? This is something I spend enormous time on. I hope you're enjoying the podcast right now.

[Andrew Anderson]

Make sure you follow the podcast.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

That's why I'm interrupting let' going on this show.

[Andrew Anderson]

But follow the podcast.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

It'll make my mom super happy.

[Andrew Anderson]

The number one goal for anyone who's trying to live a life on their own means is to cut down their overhead, save money. So much so that you can attack your dream for a year and not worry about money. Which means you kind of need 18 months worth of money because you attack it for a year and then when you're like, fuck, I failed at my dream. Let me get a job. You got to give yourself a couple minutes there to find a new job.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

If you were selling women's clothes to Gen Xers and boomers, it would be Facebook proper.

[Andrew Anderson]

Yeah.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

If you are an accountant trying to build an accounting firm, it would be LinkedIn. If you were starting a healthy Gummies candy for kids. And you know that you're targeting moms, but young moms and maybe even 18 to 25. Then TikTok gets very important. So the is you have to reverse engineer the upside of the audience that exists in which platform at that moment. With chatgpt and perplexity like it is scary. You can literally type in to an AI chat GPT environment right now. Like the most hardcore question, you can literally say, how do I find out if I own a pizzeria in Brooklyn to get to More people on TikTok enter the answers are real.

[Andrew Anderson]

Yeah, they're real.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Whether it's LinkedIn or YouTube shorts or Snapchat or Instagram or TikTok or Facebook, every one of these platforms have different algorithms, different features, different opportunities to make different levels of content. One has to get good at understanding the. The overlay of what are you capable of?

[Andrew Anderson]

Everybody who's got a service business, you do. You cut hair, you do consulting, you're a physical trainer. You make a video that looks like this. I will now make it for everyone. Give me a phone real quick. Hey, everybody. I'm making this video because I just started this personal training business. Hey, everybody. I'm making this video because I just started my own accounting firm and I'm looking for clients. Hey, everybody. I'm finally going after my lifelong passion to start my own landscaping business. So you're getting this video because you're in my contacts. Contacts on my phone. Some of you are my best friends since high school. Others I probably met once. And you're in my phone. I'm sending this to literally everybody from A to Z in my phone. I'm not asking you to hire me to do landscaping, but I'm asking if you know anyone who might be in the market for a landscaper. This is my one plea, my one ask as I start on this journey. And I hope my journey, maybe even inspires some of you to finally jump and start your own thing. So I'm starting with Andrew Anderson and I'm editing with Zachary Zazeloff.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Please.

[Andrew Anderson]

I apologize if we've only talked once and you find this to be spammed. I will put the link to my social media and website. If you like my landscaping business, and it means a lot to me if you even watched 30 seconds of this video, because it is really my dream. Have the best day. Make that video, Cas. And literally text every single person. Grab your favorite beverage of choice. Tea, wine, water. Put on your favorite music. Start at 2pm on a Sunday afternoon. Go into 9pm get it done.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

You will have a business.

[Andrew Anderson]

Play, play, play. Everything is. And when you're like in your. When I'm not here with you and you're in your head in three weeks and you're like, should I post on

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

my account or should I post up my personal or the thing or should

[Andrew Anderson]

I post about the business or should I post about this Taco Bell?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

The answer is. And whether it's LinkedIn or YouTube Shorts or Snapchat or Instagram or TikTok or Facebook, every one of these platforms have different algorithms, different features, different opportunities to make different levels of content. One has to get good at understanding the. The overlay of what are you capable of?

[Andrew Anderson]

We need people to understand the game. 18 months of savings against a low overhead, less expensive apartment.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

If you're.

[Andrew Anderson]

If you're 26 and you're living on your own apartment, move in with your roommate, with your best friend and have a roommate and cut it in half if you like, you don't need Paramount Plus.

[Podcast Listener/Interviewer]

I know it makes most sense to build and maintain your brand across all platforms. However, if you could just choose one, what would it be?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I would have to know what the person's trying to achieve. So, for example, if you were selling women's clothes to Gen Xers and boomers, it would be Facebook proper.

[Andrew Anderson]

Yeah.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

If you are an accountant trying to build an accounting firm, it would be LinkedIn. If you were starting a healthy gummies candy for kids that you're targeting moms, but young moms and maybe even 18 to 25, then TikTok gets very important. So the answer to that question is you have to reverse engineer the upside of the audience that exists in which platform at that moment. Because as you can imagine, if I was targeting college kids and this interview was done in 2010, the answer would be Facebook. Now, Facebook is literally grandma's and it used to be literally college kids. And so things. TikTok is very underestimated on how many people, 30 to 50 are on it.

[Podcast Listener/Interviewer]

Yes.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

People want to default and think the kids are on it. It is a huge platform for 40 to 60.

[Podcast Listener/Interviewer]

Huge.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

So those kind of things live social

[Andrew Anderson]

shopping is a monster. Like straight up, even like this weekend, sign up for account on whatnot, Sign up to sell and like sit in your living room and sell random shit in your house. It's like ebay. If you're a plumber and you know that a third of your clients hire you for 500 bucks to change a little thing that they could have changed if they went to YouTube and to home Depot. If you make that content and say, don't hire me on this situation, go to this video. In fact, if that person meet, if that plumber made the video, instead of pointing them to a video building brand and said, go to this video that I made and go to Lowe's and spend $19. And this is how you do it. The level of trust that happens that when that same family that didn't need the sink, but when their oldest son took a huge poop and exploded their bathroom and it fucking broke and they actually did need help, which plumber do you think they're gonna fucking call?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

It's called Trust.

[Andrew Anderson]

Just like 14 year old girls live on TikTok executives live on LinkedIn. That's why I've been yelling about LinkedIn for 100 years.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

From 2006 to 2009, I was the wine guy.

[Podcast Listener/Interviewer]

Yeah, that's how I first knew you.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Yeah.

[Podcast Listener/Interviewer]

In my head a little bit. You're still Gary the wine guy.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Of course. I still like bringing it up once in a while. And Dustin's shaking his head in the background. Sometimes I just get on a kick and want to do more wine content. And by the way, it doesn't perform as well, you know, at times and other times it performs great. It's down to the piece of content. So what I would say to everybody is good news. The algorithms have changed. No longer is it solely about who follows you. I made a hard pivot from wine only content to business. And then at first it was tactical business. Then it became like motivational because I realized people weren't doing the things. Cause it was more about emotional frameworks than actual tactics. Now I'm back to like more tactics. Cause I'm like, I've talked enough about the emotional framework and so you're just allowed to ebb and flow. And good news, the algo has changed. I think a lot of people who would be blown away if they went to their platform of choice that they built the most equity with and understand the most and posted something left field today, one of two things will happen. It will do terrible or it will do remarkable. And I wish that people understood. Both are good.

[Podcast Listener/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Andrew Anderson]

When you have no money and you have no experience and you have no connections and you're not doing anything, what content are you gonna put out? So many people, Pablo, that want to be something. I want to be a rapper, I want to be Gary Vee. I want to be a sneaker store owner. So many people should literally take a job at a company or for someone they want to be document every day what they've learned. That day about it in their content

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

for two to three years.

[Andrew Anderson]

And then they will become, I want that content. Like, here's what's going on in the market. Here's what's going on in the market. Here's what's going on the market.

[Podcast Listener/Interviewer]

How do you get comfortable with selling? Giving tips and tricks is great, but how do you use personal branding to actually sell?

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

Oh, it's a good question. I love this question. I love selling because I like what I sell. I loved selling wine because I only sold wine I believed in. I never sold a bottle of Kendall Jackson Chardonnay or Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio in my life. I'm sorry to call out those two wines, but literally did not sell it. Literally, people would come in and be like, do you have a case of Kendall Jackson Chardonnay? I'm like, yes, and I'm happy to get it for you. But have you ever tried other Chardonnays that are buttery and oaky? Because here's this, and it's $2 less. And when they would come back and say, and we're talking in the 90s, when it was 8.99 and 6.99, and when, like, two weeks later, when that customer would come back and be like, oh, my God, I love this Chardonnay. This J Lor, whatever it was at the time, that was everything to me. And so what I would say to all of you is, selling is amazing. The problem with the world right now is a lot of you are selling something you don't actually believe in. So selling. How do you get comfortable with it? By asking yourself if you believe in what you're selling. If you believe in what you're selling, it gets comfortable. If you don't, you get skittish. If you're a good person, sounds like this person's a good person. Now she has to ask herself, does she believe in what she's selling? This is a huge deal, everybody.

[Andrew Anderson]

If you enjoyed this podcast, please go back and look at the prior episodes. They're loaded.

[Gary Vaynerchuk]

I appreciate your attention, and thanks for being part of this journey. See you later.