Loading summary
Schwab Announcer
Trading at Schwab is now powered by Ameritrade, bringing you an expanding library of education with even more ways to sharpen your trading skills. Access new online courses, insightful webcasts, articles, engaging videos and more, all curated just for traders. Plus guided learning paths with content designed to fit your unique interests. No sifting to find exactly what you need so you can spend your time learning to trade brilliantly. Learn more@schwab.com trading I was in the
Gary Vaynerchuk
room with a very conservative CMO and she was really drilling me. She was like, but what's the ROI of social media? And I'm giving her my best stuff. For example, if you want some best stuff, go look at what your engagement rate is on your Facebook page. You have a certain amount of fans and then you have a post, go look at the number. Is it 0.01? Is it 0.02? It doesn't matter how many fans and Twitter followers you have, it's how many of them are going to buy something
and give a fuck.
So she's drilling me and I'm giving her some really good metrics, at least for a 2011 world. And she's pushing and I know why. She works in a conservative company and the more conservative she comes across, the more likely she'll be the CEO. I get it, I'm fine. But she's pushing and pushing and finally I look at her and I go, she's like, but, Gary, what's the roi? And I'm like, duh, duh. She's like, but what's the real ROI of social media? And I'm doing my normal thing, like, can you give me the ROI of television and print? Because I love that you spend a shitload of money on Vogue and you're buying the subscription, but can you guarantee me that somebody's looking at the ad on page 139? Because you can't. And I'm giving her everything I've got and she's still punching me directly in the throat. So I had to pull it out. She goes, what's the ROI of social media? What's the ROI of social media'? So I look at her and go, what's the ROI of your mother? This is the GaryVee audio experience. She said, excuse me? I said, oh. I said, I have no interest in making a mother joke and I'm not making fun of you, but let me explain one thing to you. The ROI of my mother is everything. The reason I'm going to buy a multi billion dollar sports franchise is because of my mother. My mother, the way she parented me, which oh by the way is perfectly is the reason I have the ability, the confidence and absolute wherewithal to execute the businesses that I'm building. However, my friends at Inc 500, I cannot come to you with slides and, and put them on those screens and say over here, click. In sixth grade when I got a mullet, you know, and my mom said I was gorgeous and beautiful and I could do anything, well, that was building self esteem. And so what I did with that on the next slide is, you'll see here I sold a couple more cases of wine in 1994 because of that self esteem which led to this. And now I can't show you, I can't show you in data the ROI of my mother, but I promise you it's all of it.
Interviewer
Your mom, what's the first memory you have with her? Do you remember how old were you? Or was it in Queen?
Gary Vaynerchuk
I think my first memory was when
I
poured hot tea on myself. A story I haven't told much in my life. I poured hot tea on myself when I was three when we first came to America and burnt my skin and went to the hospital in Rico park and spent two days there or one day or three days. Luckily no scarring, but could have been really nasty. I think that's really kind of my first memory. And she was there of course, every second. Yeah, of course. But that's like where my memories start to begin. I would say that it's like when I think about living, I remember my grandpa, my great grandpa quite a bit during that time when we lived in Queens. But yes, I remember that incident quite a bit.
Interviewer
Was it then or at what point did you really start to feel that her talking about her unconditional love. When did that really?
Gary Vaynerchuk
Well, I mean I. Oh, probably in my late teens. And you know when you really understood it right? Like you're just living as a child, you know. But I was incredibly close to my mom. Like there's really funny stories of like my aunt trying to watch me when I was like 2 after my mom like like was literally with me every second of my life and me losing my fucking mind like would not leave the window until she got home. Just looked outside when's my. Like we're incredibly close and like very attached to each other. I was very attached to my mom. It was like spent every second with
Interviewer
her when you made a mistake as a kid or failed or did something wrong. Yes, you've said that she was really good at balancing the warmth with sternness, Whether it was grounding for the grades. Right.
Gary Vaynerchuk
Well, I think when I was doing something wrong, there was not that much warmth with it. She was good that every minute was warmth. I mean, even you two have been here for a second, and definitely trane who's been here for a few minutes. You guys see when I'm upset or something bad happens, I don't explode and make it nasty. Like, I get my point across, but it's like, you know, it's almost like you're more upset cause you let me down than like, you're scared of me. I think she had that. I think I took that from her. You know, though, I mean, like, when I really pushed her buttons, like she could get there.
Interviewer
What did you come to understand as an adult that maybe you didn't as a kid that she did for you and your whole family? What sacrifices did she make that you maybe didn't understand until, you know, you left home for school or you started to build vayner?
Gary Vaynerchuk
I'm sorry, what are some.
Interviewer
Some things that you didn't realize she did as far as sacrifices for you and your family until you got older?
Gary Vaynerchuk
The reality is that I always knew this sacrifices. Immigrant kids know sacrifices more than not immigrant kids. I think it's in the culture, like, also immigrant parents talk about sacrificing more than american parents. They're like, I sacrificed everything for you. Awesome. Thank you.
Episode: What’s the ROI of Your Mother?
Host: Gary Vaynerchuk
Date: May 10, 2026
In this candid and memorable episode, Gary Vaynerchuk explores the true meaning of ROI (Return on Investment) as it relates not only to marketing but also to life—drawing a compelling parallel between measuring business outcomes and the immeasurable impact of his mother on his success. Using an iconic story from his career, Gary dives deep into themes of upbringing, gratitude, and the intangible contributions that shape our character and our achievements.
“It doesn't matter how many fans and Twitter followers you have, it's how many of them are going to buy something and give a fuck.” (Gary, 00:56)
“Can you give me the ROI of television and print? ...Can you guarantee me that somebody's looking at the ad on page 139? Because you can't.” (Gary, 01:18)
“So I look at her and go, what's the ROI of your mother?” (Gary, 01:42)
“The ROI of my mother is everything. The reason I'm going to buy a multi-billion dollar sports franchise is because of my mother.” (Gary, 01:55)
“I poured hot tea on myself when I was three when we first came to America... I think that's really kind of my first memory. And she was there, of course, every second.” (Gary, 03:09)
“My aunt trying to watch me when I was like 2 after my mom—like was literally with me every second of my life and me losing my fucking mind... Incredibly close and like very attached.” (Gary, 04:11)
“When I'm upset or something bad happens, I don't explode and make it nasty... it's almost like you're more upset 'cause you let me down than like, you're scared of me. I think she had that.” (Gary, 05:09)
“Immigrant kids know sacrifices more than not immigrant kids. I think it's in the culture... immigrant parents talk about sacrificing more than american parents. They're like, I sacrificed everything for you. Awesome. Thank you.” (Gary, 06:14)
On immeasurable impact:
"I can't show you in data the ROI of my mother, but I promise you it's all of it." (Gary, 02:41)
On parental influence:
“The way she parented me... is the reason I have the ability, the confidence and absolute wherewithal to execute the businesses that I'm building.” (Gary, 01:59)
On discipline with empathy:
“You guys see when I'm upset or something bad happens, I don't explode and make it nasty... I think I took that from her.” (Gary, 05:08)
GaryVee’s “What’s the ROI of Your Mother?” is a heartfelt, thought-provoking episode that challenges the audience to recognize the intangible drivers of success, both in business and in life. Gary blends personal storytelling with sharp critique of measurement-obsessed business culture, ultimately reminding listeners that some of the greatest returns come from the things and people that can’t be quantified.