Gary Vaynerchuk

Family business, immigrant vibes. He made two bucks an hour when he started, so I have to. I was like, yeah, but dad, that was 1978. It's 1990, you know, 1990. Nope, doesn't matter. Two bucks an hour, and I'm doing hard labor. I am bagging ice from an ice machine for hours. Or, finally, a little bit, a couple months in or a year in, I'm allowed to stock the shelves. That was my promotion.

Like, I'm a 14-year-old kid, and by the way, no thought on all the things we think about now. I'm carrying huge cases of alcohol, hurting my back. I mean, I had a bad back my whole life because of this. Stocking shelves for 12 hours a day, back to before we started filming, lunch, water. Yeah. Didn't eat lunch. It was immigrant 101. Son of a merchant. 1930s Brooklyn life. That's what I was living.

Like, I'm a 14-year-old kid, and by the way, no thought on all the things we think about now. I'm carrying huge cases of alcohol, hurting my back. I mean, I had a bad back my whole life because of this. Stocking shelves for 12 hours a day, back to before we started filming, lunch, water. Yeah. Didn't eat lunch. It was immigrant 101. Son of a merchant. 1930s Brooklyn life. That's what I was living.

And the first year, I hated it. The second year, though, something miraculous happened. A gentleman walks in, asks for a wine. I remember it like yesterday. Caymus Special Select Cabernet from Napa Valley. He said, do you have it? I said, no, I might be able to get it. I go, how many would you like? This is blurry, but he said a lot. So he said three or four cases, which that seemed like a lot.

And the first year, I hated it. The second year, though, something miraculous happened. A gentleman walks in, asks for a wine. I remember it like yesterday. Caymus Special Select Cabernet from Napa Valley. He said, do you have it? I said, no, I might be able to get it. I go, how many would you like? This is blurry, but he said a lot. So he said three or four cases, which that seemed like a lot.

I say, are you having a party? He goes, no, I collect wine. Do you know those moments in your life where like the fees part? Yeah. I was already passionate about helping my family. I was an immigrant. So like me putting in those 15 hours, I felt like I was contributing to our family getting out of, you know, I felt proud about that. I wanted to help.

I say, are you having a party? He goes, no, I collect wine. Do you know those moments in your life where like the fees part? Yeah. I was already passionate about helping my family. I was an immigrant. So like me putting in those 15 hours, I felt like I was contributing to our family getting out of, you know, I felt proud about that. I wanted to help.

And I thought I was a good businessman already as a kid. I wanted to help my dad. I was still scared of my dad and couldn't share my ideas yet. But I didn't like what my dad sold. My mom, because of all the alcoholism in Russia, demonized alcohol. I didn't drink alcohol until I was 21 years old, which is wild. My family had a liquor store my whole life.

And I thought I was a good businessman already as a kid. I wanted to help my dad. I was still scared of my dad and couldn't share my ideas yet. But I didn't like what my dad sold. My mom, because of all the alcoholism in Russia, demonized alcohol. I didn't drink alcohol until I was 21 years old, which is wild. My family had a liquor store my whole life.

I went to college like every other normal kid in high school and did not drink, did not have a beer until I was 21 years old because my mom scared me so much. Nancy Reagan, drugs. I still to this day have never smoked anything or done a drug in my life. So very, very much had a mother that was passionate about that subject.

I went to college like every other normal kid in high school and did not drink, did not have a beer until I was 21 years old because my mom scared me so much. Nancy Reagan, drugs. I still to this day have never smoked anything or done a drug in my life. So very, very much had a mother that was passionate about that subject.

It wasn't cool to me like other high school kids of selling Budweiser or Crown Royal. Like I didn't think it was cool and it was boring compared to sports cards, but collecting because I was into collecting sports cards. So I took all my energy of knowing everything about baseball cards, reading the Beckett, and I took it to wine.

It wasn't cool to me like other high school kids of selling Budweiser or Crown Royal. Like I didn't think it was cool and it was boring compared to sports cards, but collecting because I was into collecting sports cards. So I took all my energy of knowing everything about baseball cards, reading the Beckett, and I took it to wine.

I was going to learn everything about wine because people collect it. And I read the Wine Spectator now instead of the Beckett baseball card guide. And that changed it. And so how was it? Horrible year one. It's been nirvana ever since. You know, from that moment on, I just became incredibly educated about wine. By the time I was 18, I knew everything on paper. I didn't taste yet.

I was going to learn everything about wine because people collect it. And I read the Wine Spectator now instead of the Beckett baseball card guide. And that changed it. And so how was it? Horrible year one. It's been nirvana ever since. You know, from that moment on, I just became incredibly educated about wine. By the time I was 18, I knew everything on paper. I didn't taste yet.

You know, it's funny. I just turned 49 in November. And, you know, my parents are 72 and 70, so still young, thank God. But I'm not 20 anymore either. and I'm gonna be 50 this year. That makes you think about stuff. Those are fun things to think about. And I also think I'm gonna live to 100. That's always been important to me. And I believe in it and I live my life based on that will be true.

You know, it's funny. I just turned 49 in November. And, you know, my parents are 72 and 70, so still young, thank God. But I'm not 20 anymore either. and I'm gonna be 50 this year. That makes you think about stuff. Those are fun things to think about. And I also think I'm gonna live to 100. That's always been important to me. And I believe in it and I live my life based on that will be true.

And I feel like I'm at halftime, just like a good sporting event. You go into halftime and you reflect on the first half and try to adjust. I will tell you, and I've said this for a long time, building my father's business for him. And that's what happened.

And I feel like I'm at halftime, just like a good sporting event. You go into halftime and you reflect on the first half and try to adjust. I will tell you, and I've said this for a long time, building my father's business for him. And that's what happened.

Just to give the punchline to everybody who doesn't know, I built my dad's business from four to $60 million in a very short window and changed my dad's life. But I didn't own it. And I also didn't get paid much because that's how immigrants do it. So I had to leave at 34 to start my own life. I gave up 22 to 34, 100 hours a week to build a business for my parents.