The GaryVee Audio Experience

Episode: The Future of 9–5 & Why a 4-Day Work Week Will Make Most People More Broke
Date: December 9, 2025
Host: Gary Vaynerchuk

Episode Overview

In this vibrant, candid episode, Gary Vaynerchuk addresses his audience in a live Q&A, tackling tough questions about work culture, the evolving 9–5, mental health, personal responsibility, and the power of gratitude. The central topic is the looming transition to a 4-day work week and why Gary believes it could lead most people to be financially worse off, unless they increase their self-discipline and financial literacy. The conversation weaves in themes of self-awareness, generational attitudes, family dynamics, therapy, and actionable advice for those dissatisfied with their job or direction.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Mental Conditioning & The Internal Bully (00:00–04:46)

• Many people are conditioned to "look for bad even when it's good" because of upbringing or societal influences.
  • "The number one issue in your life is you're looking for bad even when it's good." (00:06)
• Negative internal dialogue often originates from others—parents, teachers—not ourselves.
  • "The voice in your head that says you suck are just not real. And you've decided to believe it. It's the boogeyman. It's being scared of the dark. It's completely fake." (02:43)
• Over-coddling can create fear of losing, while adversity creates resilience.

2. Accountability, Adversity & Self-Help (04:46–06:20)

• Gary emphasizes adversity as a positive force, noting that only individuals can truly help themselves, not politicians or outside saviors.
  • "I can't help you. You can help yourself." (03:53)
• Warns against falling for leaders who capitalize on fear.

3. Kind Candor in Workplace Conflict (06:20–08:37)

• When faced with difficult colleagues, Gary suggests "kind candor"—being respectfully direct.
  • "Delivering truth respectfully and nicely is a lost art." (07:39)
• If respectful confrontation fails, take formal action or consider leaving the job.

4. The Future of 9–5 and 4-Day Work Weeks (08:37–11:10)

• AI will enable shorter work weeks, possibly shifting towards 4-day or even 4-hour work weeks for some professions.
  • "I think the future of 9 to 5 is less 9 to 5... We're already kind of in a four-day work week. We just haven't structured it that way." (08:41)
• This structural change may not improve financial wellbeing—more free time could mean more spending.
  • "If we go to a four day work week, my prediction is that people are gonna be more broke. They'll make the same amount, but by having that extra day..." (10:40)
• The key: discipline over your spending and saving habits, regardless of how much you work.

5. Tech, Live Shopping, & The Coming AR Era (11:10–14:03)

• Live shopping and streaming will only become more pervasive; eventually, AR glasses will make 24/7 "screen time" the norm.
  • "We will be digital at every minute... The world's gonna be activated with AR." (12:35)
• There will be early divides between "haves and have-nots" in adopting new tech.

6. Self-Awareness: Confidence or Anxiety? (13:58–16:54)

• Self-awareness, when rooted in honest appraisal, breeds confidence—not anxiety.
  • "Do you have the humility to be bad at things? Do you have the confidence to expose what you're weak at?" (14:25)
• Gary frequently admits his own weaknesses to set an example ("I can't spell for shit." (15:35)), but stresses that focusing on strengths is crucial.

7. Therapy, Marriage & Communication (18:36–21:48)

• Advocates for therapy (even preemptively) to resolve relationship challenges and facilitate honest communication.
  • "Most people wait till that feeling boils over and snap back. And people get into fights. Right? Most fights that couples have isn't about the thing that just happened. It's the deep rooted resentment of the macro." (19:25)
• Venting to friends/family damages those relationships over time; therapy is healthier.
  • "Most people use a parent or a sister or a best friend to dump. What they're actually doing is chipping away at that relationship and making that worse." (21:01)

8. Gary's Personal Practice of Gratitude (24:12–26:56)

• Shares personal childhood anxieties and how they shaped a lifelong practice of gratitude.
  • "My mental health comes from gratitude." (25:13)
  • "Gratitude is the potion." (25:53)
• Critiques materialistic or comparative mindsets, urging people to appreciate what they have.

9. Comparisons/Winners/Privilege Check (26:56–29:39)

• Reminds listeners how fortunate they are if they can access the internet, own a smartphone, or have loving family.
  • "If you have a smartphone that has TikTok on it and you have the ability to be watching this... you already have a better life than most people on Earth." (28:35)
• Compares toxic cycles of self-pity to conditioned negative thinking.

10. Extreme Accountability (32:09–34:08)

• Points out the paradox of modern self-awareness culture: therapy is helpful, but too much self-diagnosis can be a way of avoiding hard truths and personal responsibility.
  • "We're talking too much about feelings... The issue is, when I discovered that I lacked candor... I wrote a book and exposed myself to the world. When you guys figure out you have a major flaw, you try to disguise it and blame everyone else." (32:49–33:04)

11. Practical, Actionable Advice

• For Entrepreneurs: Door-knocking, content creation on Facebook/Instagram, and small-radius local ads to grow a business (35:34).
• On Business Loans: Only borrow if you're sure you can repay; prefer the "Flip Life" (making money to invest, not borrowing) (36:24).
• Motivating Kids: Stop funding laziness—financial enablement creates inactivity (37:38).
  • "If your kid is lazy, it's because you made them lazy. What? It's your fault." (38:23)
• For Job Haters: Build a LinkedIn profile—share your learnings, post daily, and you will open new career doors. (41:38–45:00)
• For Nonbelievers: Most won’t follow this advice because of self-doubt; Gary urges discipline and persistence over six months to see real change:
  • "That advice will work if they're disciplined and do it every day for six months." (45:40)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On negative conditioning:
  "The number one issue in your life is you're looking for bad even when it's good." (00:06)
• On helping yourself:
  "I can't help you. You can help yourself." (03:53)
• On workplace confrontation:
  "Delivering truth respectfully and nicely is a lost art." (07:39)
• On 4-day work week & spending:
  "If we go to a four day work week, my prediction is that people are gonna be more broke." (10:40)
• On financial enablement:
  "If your kid is lazy, it's because you made them lazy. What? It's your fault." (38:23)
• On gratitude:
  "Gratitude is the potion." (25:53)
• On LinkedIn for job change:
  "Saying something smart about business in a video on LinkedIn literally leads to a McDonald's franchisee owner sending you a message and offering you to be a manager..." (41:38)
• On the illusion of comparison:
  "But you motherfuckers decided to compare yourself to Elon Musk and Beyonce, and that's why you're upset. We have literally decided to compare ourselves to 96 people to make ourselves upset." (29:12)
• On self-acceptance:
  "We all predominantly suck at almost everything and are kind of good at a few things." (15:13)
• On therapy over venting:
  "Complaining to your best friend and your mom over and over is bad. Therapy. Amazing." (20:44)

Key Timestamps

• 00:00 — Negative conditioning and self-talk origins
• 02:43 — Origin of the internal bully
• 04:46 — Value of adversity; avoiding politicians’ rhetoric
• 06:36 — Kind candor at work
• 08:41 — The future of the 9–5 and rise of the 4-day work week
• 10:40 — Spending habits & 4-day week consequences
• 11:10 — Live shopping, future of AR/VR
• 14:13 — Self-awareness, humility, and personal weaknesses
• 18:56 — Marriage, therapy, and communication challenges
• 21:01 — Why venting to friends/family is destructive
• 24:12 — Gary’s childhood anxiety & foundation of gratitude
• 26:56 — “Privilege check” and comparative negativity
• 32:09 — Are we over-talking feelings and under-playing accountability?
• 37:38 — Motivating inactive kids
• 41:38 — How to change jobs with LinkedIn
• 45:00 — Persistence and action beat doubt
• 46:19 — Show closes with gratitude

Tone & Language

The episode reflects Gary’s signature energetic, direct, and sometimes brash style. He balances empathy (acknowledging trauma, offering love) with tough love and blunt challenges to complacency and negativity. The mood is honest and motivating, with heavy audience interaction driving most segments.

Takeaways for Listeners

• Self-Discipline > Circumstances: A 4-day work week or new tools won’t make you richer—only awareness and discipline will.
• Gratitude as a Foundation: Focusing on what you have, instead of envying others, is the key to happiness and resilience.
• Radical Accountability: Own your flaws, communicate directly (kind candor), and take action rather than complain or compare.
• Use Modern Tools to Advance: Build a digital presence, leverage platforms like LinkedIn, and actively share your story and skills daily.
• Therapy over Venting: Process your issues with professionals, not enablers, for genuine growth.

For the complete Gary Vee experience, listen to the episode to catch the raw energy and audience rapport that text can only begin to convey!