B (3:13)

What about Miami? A lot of companies are moving to Miami. A lot of friends that I grew up with in New York have moved to Miami.

A (3:18)

Listen, I don't judge another man and women's objectives or what makes them happy, but if we're talking about like the game of life, like, you can play in the G League or you can play in the NBA.

B (3:32)

Is Miami the G League?

A (3:38)

Yeah. And by the way, that's giving love to Miami. I mean, like, there's other places like Boston, that is like high school basketball, right? So love to Miami, but like, this is the fucking NBA.

B (3:50)

What about for business opportunities? You've built such a successful career and a lot of that was HQ'd in New York.

A (3:57)

Yes.

B (3:57)

Do you think that young people need to be in New York City to start their careers and take advantage of those opportunities? Or now with everything that we do remote, like, do people need to come here to build their careers?

A (4:08)

I think they need to come here if they want the serendipity of humanity. What does New York offer the serendipity of humanity? Right. Like, listen, again with all jokes aside about Miami and Boston, all this. Please, please edit this properly. Men, like, everyone should live where they want, how they want, what they want. Everyone has different needs, right? You know, like, some people need to live by the water. Some people need to hike every day. Some people want to live by their parents. Some people need more backyard for their dog. Everyone needs to decide what they need to decide. There is no should. There is no should. I can have passion at New York's the best of all time, but, like, there is no that works for me. That being said, if you're a youngster, I see a lot of youngsters in my DMs right now talking about, like, fuck, man, I'm starting to get tired of this remote work thing. Like, they're in Bergen County, New Jersey, right there, which I love. I'm a Jersey boy, so I love Jersey the best. But, like, the difference is when you're in the office in New York and it's 6:45 and you go outside, like the day begins.

B (5:05)

Yeah.

A (5:06)

6:45 in the suburbs, remote work. Like, you're drinking a soda and watching Netflix. Like, you know, it's a different life. And so there's the serendipity of humanity, the experiences, the just like the fucking culture, the vibe, the living. So, no, I don't think they have to. But I think for many of us who are extroverts, who love people, who love chance, who love stumbling on something new or are curious, are hungry, like, of course it's better to be here physically.

B (5:38)

So for those youngins, because you have a lot of youngins in your DMs, we have a lot of youngins that follow the New Yorkers page. What advice do you have for someone that's trying to make it for themselves? We have high schoolers that follow us that want to go to college. I speak to high schoolers that don't want to go to college. You've been talking about this for a long time about people that maybe college isn't for everyone. If someone's planning to skip college and they're getting into the business world, what advice do you have for them on navigating that?

A (6:04)

So college. I think for someone who's creative or entrepreneurial, if you're going to college and you're collecting debt because mom and dad are not supporting that, you've got to really think twice because you're putting yourself in a very tough hole and you're going into an institution that doesn't really map to your skill set. It's just real talk, obviously. Lawyer, doctor. There's so many things that should go to those infrastructures, especially if Mommy and Dad. I mean, by the way, if mom and dad are paying, you should all go. It's a vacation. Go do keg stands and hook up. And it's the best. But what I would say to them is, try to get close to the sun. Meaning if you want to be in the music industry, go be a fucking intern or fucking admin for an executive that you admire. Like a lot of people will pick five or $10,000 more in salary and be like low man on a totem pole around industry they don't care about. If you're a Knicks fan and you want to be in the sports business, go be the assistant of the assistant at the Garden to Leon Rose, because that's what you want to do. Yet they'll go and work at VaynerMedia for 5,000 more. What the fuck does that have to do with your dream? When you're a kid, you need to fucking go full tilt on your dream. 20 to 30, 18 to 30 is fucking straight. High risk, high reward fucking life. You will never have less fucking responsibilities and you will never have more energy and you'll never have. You're now grown, but you're not fully responsible grown. 2030 is a fucking movie and people are settling and going safe. When you should be a psycho, you should go do stand up comedy. Go right now to the fucking, to the Cellar and just fucking try. This is when you need to be a maniac and bet the fucking balls on it. And so to me, what but what I do, get a job that's closest to who you want to be one day and live within the means of that job's pay that you love.

B (7:51)

And you'll learn from someone who's.

A (7:52)

Yeah, if you get lucky and you have like a real homie that she or he's like really looking out for you. If you're like the admin's admin, well then you'll go to the moon. But even if they're not, you're gonna fucking learn. Even if they're a jerk, you're gonna fucking learn. That's real fucking education. And again, my big thing is in your 20s, there's, there's 22 year olds that are watching right now. If I'm like, yo, go live with three of your buddies in a shithole, they're like, yeah, fucking gonna do keg stands of like Bush Light. You can eat fucking Bojangles and drink Natty Light when you're fucking 23. I promise you can't do that when you're older, you know? And so like, I don't know, like fucking go hard. And now with this shit and social. What the fuck are you doing right now? This wasn't real 40 years ago. So I want people to go, Hamilton 18 to 30 and just fucking don't live Life with regret. Like whatever you want to be, be that. But you're gonna have to eat shit.

B (8:44)

Yeah.

A (8:44)

The biggest thing that people understand is you have to eat shit if you want something really phenomenal or mommy and daddy are gonna subsidize you. But I would tell you that if mom and dad want to pay for your dreams, you should tell them no. So they have no control. So you're a man and woman on your own two feet and you can fucking do it yourself.

B (8:58)

Let me ask you about AI because you've been so early to so many trends, everyone wants to know how AI will impact their lives. People have positive and negative feelings towards it. Our content is all about New York City. So I want to ask you New York City specific. How do you think AI will change New York City? What jobs do you think will be most impacted by AI in New York City? Where do you think the most opportunities will be when it comes to AI in New York City? Anywhere you want to take. What will AI do to New York City?

A (9:26)

AI is going to change the world. You guys all know that. There's going to be job recorrection because of it. AI in New York City will take people's jobs that don't think. They're just, they're. They're taking orders from someone. Hey, design this in Adobe, you're in trouble. If you're a designer in New York and you just take direction from someone, well, you're in trouble, right? I told train, you got to learn how to do views that like, if you're doing something that AI can do without you, that's a problem. So the thinking, the creativity, the strategy, people need to focus on that. What it won't take for a while is the electrician's job, the waiter, the sommelier, and the rest, like the physical stuff, which New York has a ton of. So look, I think the blue collar worker is good. It's the white collar worker. It's somebody making a buck 80 who thinks they're an analyst. That ChatGPT can do, right? So we all have to be on call. This is how it works. Like shit changes. Like, I have one of the biggest marketing agencies in the world. AI is going to change my world. Like, I'm bullish, AI. Cause I believe in technology and I believe in people, but it's gonna affect my world.

B (10:30)

Yeah.

A (10:30)

And if I'm not careful, I'm gonna get cooked. And so I just think this is a mindset how it's gonna affect New York. It's gonna affect New York the way it's gonna affect everybody else in the world. This technology is profound. It's gonna matter. Everybody has to figure it out. And my big thing on this one, I'm just trying to bring value right now to the New Yorkers. But anybody who stumbles on this, this is a tidal wave. You have two choices. Head in sand, pray that it doesn't kill you, or grab a surfboard and ride the fuck out of it. I highly recommend you do the latter. What does that mean? Go start doing research. Figure it out. Don't demonize AI because you're scared of what's going to do to you, because it's going to do it to you anyway. It's like being a sports fan. When we boo the Heat or the Pacers, it doesn't stop them from scoring. In fact, if you're a psycho like me, hate comments, make me better. You know what I mean? And so we can't boo AI. It's not gonna stop it. Johnny, Johnny, who's watching right now from the Bronx? You being like, this AI shit is bullshit. It's not gonna stop AI.

B (11:29)

Right? Right.

A (11:29)

What it's gonna do is mean that Johnny who said fuck it? Gary Vee said AI is important. Let me put three hours in, research it that might change Johnny's life. Having a beer with your two buddies and being like, yeah, AI sucks. Right, John? Yeah, AI sucks. Okay? And that's what you said about the computer. That's what people said about the Internet. That's what people said about the mobile device. Like, it's coming and you need to be ready for it.

B (11:52)

I want to ask you about content creators. We work with a lot of content creators. A lot of content creators work with the page. Which content creators most influence you in New York City? And which content creators do you want to put anyone on? Just anyone that you've been watching or anyone that comes onto your feed that you want to shout out.

A (12:11)

So one thing I hate to do is bullshit. So there's nothing right now that's like, oh, my God. I will say that. The food crew, big shout out to all the food critics. I think they do a really good job. New York's so insane with food, so I give a lot of shout out to them. I actually just was at Swish Breaks in Midtown. Big shout out to them. They're doing live shop. I'm obsessed with live shopping. You've probably seen it. You need to figure out how to fucking sell fucking Big Apple T shirts. I don't give a fuck. Figure it out. Here's what I would say. Big shout out to everyone who makes content. There's a lot of New Yorkers that do this who are doing shit that they just. They fucking love painting, they love street interviews, they love fashion, they love the Knicks. They do it because they like it, not because they think they're gonna get money from it or get famous from it or get views from it. They make the content they think that they want to make. They know those other things might happen, but it's authentic as fuck to them. They're the ones that in my feed, I'm like, okay, that kid's got something. And so that's what I look for.

B (13:09)

Are there anything you've been in New York City for decades. Is there anything about old school New York that you miss?

A (13:15)

I hate that shit, by the way. Like, I hate when kids, I hate when they do to you, like, oh, you don't get it in 79, this place was fucking. No, man. I love New York in every phase. It's like people that I love. Yeah, right. Like, I loved the New York when I was a kid and I was scared shitless to be here. Because if you went to 42nd street, you're like, am I gonna lose my virginity or my life? But they both seem scary at this point in my life, you know? Or the New York City of like, you know that two decades later when everything was all cleaned up and it was like, what is this place? Or like New York City is always phenomenal. Period, end of story. And for me, I'm adaptable. I like being adaptable. Like, I don't like being romantic about yesteryear.

B (13:55)

Yeah.

A (13:55)

Did I like the clubs when they didn't have phones? No, I was working. I didn't even go to them. So, like, I hear all the stories from everyone. For me, you know, pre, I heard somebody, I like New York before Uber. Somebody said this the other day. I was like, why? It was more real. People just say shit that makes no fucking sense. Like, nah, man, when Waymo gets here and it's all self driverless cars, or like if they bring back fucking horses and we have no cars and there's horse shit everywhere, I will love instincts. Like, shit, I would fucking love New York. Like, I like every version. I don't like being romantic. I like tomorrow's New York.

B (14:33)

Can I ask you a couple more rapid fire sports questions, please?

A (14:35)

Yes.

B (14:36)

What was your greatest Knicks fan moment of your life?

A (14:39)

I was in the building when John Starks dunked on all the bulls in that playoff game. Yeah.

B (14:49)

How far do you think the Knicks are gonna go this year?

A (14:52)

I think they will be in the NBA Finals. Fuck you, Detroit.

B (14:55)

What do you think they're going to do in the NBA Finals?

A (14:57)

That I'm a little more scared of. The west scares me.

B (14:59)

Okay. Do you believe in Aaron Glenn?

A (15:03)

Yes, I do. On the record, I believe in Aaron Glenn. I understand why people wouldn't. It was not the easiest season, but I have insider information. We rep Sauce Gardner at VaynerSports. We rep Aiden Hutchinson, Jalen Reeves, Maven Ali. We know a lot of players that have played for this, man. I know a ton of guys on the team. It was a rough year. There was a lot, you know, like. But, like, do you want to be judged on? Like, we judge these coaches and athletes on, like, their lowest day or their lowest moment or their lowest game. Like, I've had tons of shitty, bad days last year as an owner and operator. Like. But my overall. And so, like, to me, I need to give Aaron Glenn two more full seasons.

B (15:44)

Oh, wow.

A (15:44)

Okay. Yeah. To say next year, if he sucks, he's out. Like, bro, we don't have the foundation yet. So to me, I would be fine with three years of Aaron Glenn. That third year. I'd have to see something for real. But next year, look, we have a huge free agency and a huge draft. We could be a very different team. We got a long way to go. Like 7 and 10. Next year is like, oh, okay.

B (16:05)

On that note, do you think the Knicks let go of Tibbs too early?

A (16:09)

I felt like they did, yeah. That was my feeling. I would have ran back tibs, but I'm happy with coach right now. And, like. But I'm happy McDermott got fired in Buffalo. Yeah. I hate the Bills.

B (16:21)

One more question.

A (16:23)

I'm just sliding in. Fucking hate. To teams I hate while I'm on that. Fuck the Patriots.

B (16:28)

Nice. Should the jets target a quarterback via rookie draft or free agency?

A (16:34)

If the jets take a quarterback in the first two rounds, one of their four picks in top 50, I will jump out the window. I will be dead. This is not the class to do it. We're loaded in 27. It's a monster class. It would be insane. I would die. I would be like, mooj, you're such a beast. Why did you, like, have a brain? Like, I get that people are impatient. This is not. I want a veteran. Give me fucking any veteran.

B (16:58)

Realistically, when do you think the jets will win a Super Bowl?

A (17:05)

I have no fucking idea. But I know if my Lifelong goal of buying the jets becomes true one day. It will happen in my lifetime. That I can promise you.

B (17:14)

Okay, that's going to happen. We're going to go back to this clip. I want to ask you about collectibles. You've been a fan of collectibles for so long, you built a huge veefriends ecosystem. IP. Yes.

A (17:26)

This drop, this drop today. Go Google it. ChatGPT. Figure it out. But go ahead.

B (17:32)

Do you think NYC comic world has impacted you and influenced you in a way that is connected to veefriends? Is there any New York connection to vFriends?

A (17:43)

Yeah, Thanksgiving Day Parade.

B (17:46)

Oh yeah.

A (17:47)

You know, when I was a kid, those floats of all those IPs. Snoopy, Star Wars. I remember he man did a reenaction like 85 FAO Schwartz. Yes, fucking you do.

B (17:58)

Ms. FAO Schwartz though. That's something old school New Yorkers miss.

A (18:00)

Oh, I miss plenty of things. I just don't like being like, wah, wah. It was better in the 84. It's always gonna be better. I just love New York and it's a fun place. FAA FAO Schwartz is amazing. You know, fucking Canal Street, $2 fucking Transformer T shirts back in 87. The Pokemon RIP, like that's a real one. But the Pokemon rip, like, you know, like. Yeah. I mean New York's visual of all the IP like through the years in all shapes and sizes, like for sure impacted me. But I would say the 80s impacted me. Right, the 80s, Alf, Smurfs, GI Joe. I had a three year younger sister so we were very close to like the shit she was into. Cabbage Patch Kids, fucking Care Bears, fucking My Little Ponies, Max Headroom mask. Like Star wars, et like we were just getting fed such new ip, which is why I'm trying to build the next big IP. Plus I have an 11 year younger brother, so he got right in there with Pokemon. Exactly. So it's all that kind of stuff. Like yeah.

B (18:58)

Thank you.

A (18:59)

Happy to help brother. Stay well. Appreciate you everybody. If you enjoyed this podcast, please go back and look at the prior episodes. They're loaded. I appreciate your attention and thanks for being part of this journey. See you later.