Gary Vaynerchuk

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.

As you can imagine, when I left, there was levels of resentment that were real. I worked all this stuff. I was the driving force and I've got nothing to show for it. And now I have to build my life all over again financially. 15 years later, it's the best decision I ever made in my life. Giving that contribution to my parents, who I give credit to everything, feels incredibly appropriate.

As you can imagine, when I left, there was levels of resentment that were real. I worked all this stuff. I was the driving force and I've got nothing to show for it. And now I have to build my life all over again financially. 15 years later, it's the best decision I ever made in my life. Giving that contribution to my parents, who I give credit to everything, feels incredibly appropriate.

And I'm really glad I did it.

And I'm really glad I did it.

It's the reason.

It's the reason.

Thinking about this audience, let me throw a word out to answer your question. I believe one of the most powerful words in the world is maybe. And the reason I think the word maybe is powerful is if you fall in love and become addicted to it, it stops you from the word no. So I believe if I analyze my career that the word maybe that led to yeses and nos has been foundational for me.

Thinking about this audience, let me throw a word out to answer your question. I believe one of the most powerful words in the world is maybe. And the reason I think the word maybe is powerful is if you fall in love and become addicted to it, it stops you from the word no. So I believe if I analyze my career that the word maybe that led to yeses and nos has been foundational for me.

I did not grow up a good student. I did not have a computer in my home my entire life. I was born and I went to college at 18 and I had never had a computer in my home. It was not part of our culture. We wouldn't have bought it and I'm also of the age where it wasn't required. I then saw the internet in 1995 for one second.

I did not grow up a good student. I did not have a computer in my home my entire life. I was born and I went to college at 18 and I had never had a computer in my home. It was not part of our culture. We wouldn't have bought it and I'm also of the age where it wasn't required. I then saw the internet in 1995 for one second.

I watched a kid open a, now we're into the laptop era, so it was cool, or maybe it was desktop. Anyway, a kid goes on the internet, I heard cuckooch the first time, I was like, what was that? He's like, that's the phone line, like literally. And I watch him go on AOL, on different places, and I decide right then and there, right then and there, within the first 10 minutes,

I watched a kid open a, now we're into the laptop era, so it was cool, or maybe it was desktop. Anyway, a kid goes on the internet, I heard cuckooch the first time, I was like, what was that? He's like, that's the phone line, like literally. And I watch him go on AOL, on different places, and I decide right then and there, right then and there, within the first 10 minutes,

that this was going to change my life. Up until five minutes earlier, I always dreamed that I was gonna go help my dad and I was gonna open up the Toys R Us of wine stores, that I was gonna have 100 locations in the country. Within a moment's notice, I said, I'm gonna build this .com thing. I'm gonna build a store inside the computer.

that this was going to change my life. Up until five minutes earlier, I always dreamed that I was gonna go help my dad and I was gonna open up the Toys R Us of wine stores, that I was gonna have 100 locations in the country. Within a moment's notice, I said, I'm gonna build this .com thing. I'm gonna build a store inside the computer.

I didn't even know what I was saying, but it was so crystal clear. And the answer is because the second he said, everybody come and see this thing, because it was like that. I mean, there was six guys hovering over him. It was that like profound. Everybody was in no culture. This is stupid. This is nerd stuff. I'm going to play basketball. And I was like, maybe. And I was not techie.

I didn't even know what I was saying, but it was so crystal clear. And the answer is because the second he said, everybody come and see this thing, because it was like that. I mean, there was six guys hovering over him. It was that like profound. Everybody was in no culture. This is stupid. This is nerd stuff. I'm going to play basketball. And I was like, maybe. And I was not techie.

I still can't keyboard. Thank God there's this. I will tell you that moving our ads from print to Google, me getting in front of a camera at 30 years old and doing a wine show, me taking my life savings and investing it in Facebook and Twitter, me live shopping on social today, Web3, me buying Bitcoin in 2014, 15, like everything I've ever done has been because it's maybe. A lot of it fails.

I still can't keyboard. Thank God there's this. I will tell you that moving our ads from print to Google, me getting in front of a camera at 30 years old and doing a wine show, me taking my life savings and investing it in Facebook and Twitter, me live shopping on social today, Web3, me buying Bitcoin in 2014, 15, like everything I've ever done has been because it's maybe. A lot of it fails.

But here's two things I do. One, I'm willing to play long. I'm willing to invest my time and learn to something I believe will be true in 10 years. So I'm investing. Two, I watch people. And I think too many people make decisions based on themselves. They say, I don't like social media because it's political or it's bad for the kids. So I won't take my dress shop and put it on social.