#AskGaryVee Episode 43: Rich Kids, Birthdays, and Anniversaries

doesn’t invest in rich kids’ businesses. How do you feel about
entrepreneurs from privilege?” – You know, Babs from the Shark Tank is one of my favorite characters,
I like calling Barbara Babs, that’s just something
I’ve been doing for years. Barbara Long, if you’re watching,
that’s where it started. Wine industry chatter. You know, look, I was very much, we all have our prejudices. Since I came from a zero place, I have for a long time talked
about the rich kid syndrome. Right now I talk about
the Ivy League, if I go to an Ivy League school,
I should be a founder because Zucks wears a
hoodie, I’m wearing a hoodie so this is perfect timing. For a long time, I really
pushed against that and said they’re not
hungry enough, they’re not pushed enough. My kids are going to be
rich kids, and I think what I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older, 39 tomorrow, and because of one or two very special friends in my
life right now that grew up very wealthy but are hungry and fiery and making stuff happen,
I think it comes down to anything like a business. I talked about VaynerMedia, I
just had an amazing meeting with somebody and they’re
like, this place is so caring and so good. I thought it was going
to get worse when we got to 400 versus 150, and I said look, it stems from the top. I actually give a crap, and I
think that trickles through. That’s the same thing on this. I, when I meet rich kids,
and see their pitches, spend 45 out of the 50
minutes asking them about how they were raised, how
their parents played the game. The reason I think my rich
kids are going to be OK is because if they act too
rich kiddy, I’m going to punch them directly in their mouth. What I mean by that is, not like literally because I know some of you will freak out. Though I may go there, I’m a little weird and Eastern European. The truth is, I’m going to humble them. I’m going to hurt their feelings, I’m going to make them cry. I’m going to tell them how soft they are. I think that it comes
down to the parenting, just like it comes down
to the CEO in a business. Everything trickles from the top. Just because you grew up
with a hundred million dollar trust, doesn’t mean that
you don’t have the hunger and just because you grew
up with thirty thousand dollars in cash, maybe your
mom did everything for you and took care of everything for you. It’s how you were raised. What’s the foundation? It’s the cement. My dad, Wine Library was built
to be a 16 floor building and everyone made fun of my dad from an engineering standpoint. He’s an old school guy, he
just wants the foundation to be strong and there’s
too much steel and concrete in the basement of Wine Library. That’s how I think about this question. What’s the foundation? I’m not worried about the
optics, the interior decorating. It’s the foundation. – [Voiceover] Zbra Studios
asks, “How long are you going

to make us wait for the Heart
To Brain To Wallet T-shirt mentioned in episode 41?” – Zbra, not too long. (ding) And the link’s down below!