Stalking a "Z" list celebrity

Just for kicks, I googled Gary Vaynerchuk (the Wine Library TV personality I mentioned in my last post) and found this video of a presentation he gave at a Web 2.0 Expo in New York:



This guy is so spot on with some of the things he says it is ridiculous.

There were a couple of points he made that I felt were worth noting, especially because they are so relevant to those of us who are in the midst of launching successful careers. Definitely things I have thought about in the past -- however, I do have to say that Gary says them so much more "eloquently" than I ever could. (Seriously, Gary, I smell a Comedy Central tour in the works if you're up for it.)

Garyism #1: There is no reason in 2008 to do shit you hate . . . . because you can lose just as much money being happy as hell.

Moral of story: Do what you love. When people ask me what my ideal job would be, I always come back at them with "one in which I love coming to work every day." If you are stuck in a job that makes you miserable, you will never reach your full potential -- no matter how much effort you put in. In the end, you're still left feeling empty. With a job you love, when those worst of times hit -- like when the economy tanks and leaves you swimming in a sea of turmoil -- at least you'll have something you love to hold on to (much like a floation device).

Garyism #2: Legacy is greater than currency.

I recently wrote an essay for a job application that described my desire to leave a legacy. The basic gist of the essay dealt with my longing to become an exceptional storyteller so that I might leverage my skills to connect brands with people. To me, accomplishing this goal and impacting even just one person's life is a measure of success. Sure, I'd like to make a buck in my lifetime. (And I think you're nuts if you don't.) But to be happy, to be doing something I love, and to be remembered for doing just that -- that is far more important to me.

Garyism #3: . . . never a bad time when you believe, you work hard, and you know what you're doing.

I will break this one down into three parts (obviously):

Believe -- If you don't have confidence in yourself, if you don't think that you are the only person that can do what you do, you will not be able to leverage yourself as an asset to any company, or withstand the pressure of potentially owning your own some day. Believe you will succeed, and I promise your chances of success will rise.

Work Hard -- The people who are most successful in life are not the ones who were waiting around for life to happen. They are the ones who made it happen. You have to get out there and get your hands dirty to get somewhere today. Put forth that extra effort, go that extra mile, and one day -- someone is going to take notice.

Know What You're Doing -- It irks me so much when people tell me they want to be in advertising and yet have never read an Ad Age article before in their life. If you are serious about something, study it. Learn everything there is to know. And when you think you know it all, ask someone what they know because I bet they can teach you something new. I find myself constantly learning something everyday in this field, which is why I love it so much. Yes, I'm young and I probably won't know what I'm doing on most days when I start that first job -- but I'll learn. And I'll do it better than the guy before me.

Garyism #4: You have to connect to your user base -- anyway you can, everywhere you can, as often as you can.

In order to build brand equity, you have to position yourself as a key player on the consumer's stage -- or hockey field or chess board or what have you. One of the things I (like Gary) am most passionate about is the necessity for brands to live in the online space. The game has changed, as Gary mentions. Successful brands can no longer talk at people; they must talk with people. Pinpointing those connecting points where consumers are most likely to establish an interaction with your brand is absolutely vital in today's fragmented world. Whether this point of connection be via Facebook or Twitter or blogs or interactive communities within their own product sites -- brands need to maintain this dialog with consumers. And they have to make it personal. This is the only way to get more people to talk -- and the more people who talk, the bigger your brand equity will grow.

Garyism #5: Everyone has time. Stop watching f***ing Lost . . . . If you want this, if you want bling bling, if you want to buy the Jets, if you want to do shit -- work. That's how you get it.

This is probably my favorite because a) you can't argue with him and b) it gives you a true glimpse into who Gary Vaynerchuk truly is. No-nonsense. Take it or leave it. Yes, some may say he's a bit of a dramatic. But let me ask you this -- do you think he would have become the "Z" list celebrity he is without that in-your-face personality? I highly doubt it.

Bottom line: Gary Vaynerchuk does work.

Do I think he still replies to every email from every person every day? Eh -- probably not. (He's surely gathered a small posse to do that by now.) Do I think he still loves what he does and stays up from the hours of 7 pm to 2 am on occasion figuring out how to do it better? You bet I do.

Thanks for the inspiration, Garyvee.