#AskGaryVee Episode 37: Twitter Auto-Replies, Marketing Gurus, and Happiness

– [Voiceover] Ivan says,
“Take us back to the day “when you said yes to Jerome Jarre. “What was it that made you
believe in him and his idea? “Thanks.” – Ivan, great question,
for the ones out there that don’t know, Jerome
Jarre, a very famous Viner, Snapchatter, Instagramer, and I started an agency called GrapeStory, a sister agency that VaynerMedia, all those characters. Last May where we
represent the best talent in the emerging content
platforms to do branded content and things of that nature. Jerome beat me in rock paper scissors in Toronto and what he won on stage, Jerome raised his hand and said, I was doing Q and A, “Can I go up there and play
you rock paper scissors, “if I beat you can I have
coffee with you in New York?” I said yes, I got him up
there and I was hell bent on beating him and if I
won, I swear my children, I would have never met with him. So just amazing how life really is. He wins, pissed me off, and, you know, three months later, I look at my calendar, I’m
like what’s my next meeting? It’s like 10:30 at night on a Tuesday, I’m dead, just want to go home. I’m like, what’s my next meeting? Jerome Jarre, I’m like what is this? I click it, I don’t even know the name, I click into it for the details, that’s how my calendar kind of I do, and I’m like, “Oh, this guy.” I literally thought, I was
like how do I get there and spend four minutes in this meeting and get out of there and go to sleep because I have a 5:30 flight, which was like a 3:45 wake up
call the next day I remember, and Jerome started talking. He’s like, “Look there’s a
platform Vine, I’ve gone all in. “I’m an entrepreneur. “I grew up in France. “I went to China. “I learned how to speak English
by listening to Crush It! “on audio.” Which played to my ego, so
that made me sit there longer and then he just kept talking and basically it was deja vu. It felt like I was having a conversation 2006 except Jerome was
me and I was Eric Kastner my lead developer that I’ve
given a lot of shout out too. @Kastner, give him a little love here. I was pitching Kastner in 2006, should I start a record label? I didn’t even know about
agents and things like that, I remember saying, should I start… I remember the moment in his office, “Should I start a record label “to represent these new
YouTube stars like me?” I should have and, but I let it go and Jerome was talking, I’m like this is the
same moment over again and so, the energy, my gut feel,
the fact that I believed in what he was talking about, he wanted to do a festival,
we turned it into an agency because that’s what I knew about and so that’s what it was. It was the content, the
context, and the intuition and when I have that CCI concoction, I always go with it. – [Voiceover] Jim asks,
“What’s your opinion

– [Voiceover] Jim asks,
“What’s your opinion “on the auto-reply DM services?” – Jim, I really wanted
to take this question because I’m so glad you did it and asked it and I appreciate it and I want to say that I hate it. It is literally the thing
that I despise the most I have actively unfollowed many of you because I followed you and you did that and I unfollowed you because
it speaks to the intent you have on the platform,
which is to use it as a conversion mechanism, you’re looking to scale
social media in a world where social media, especially on Twitter, is not scalable. If you haven’t figured
out why I over indexed on the platform, it’s because
it’s a non-scalable platform when done right because Twitter is the
only true social network, everything else has
evolved into content push. This is the one place we all talk in a town square evironment and we can jump into
each others conversations and it is not creepy and
when you go auto-reply in a town square, you’re the
guy walking around the office and you’re just handing
people your business card without saying hello and
nobody likes that guy or gal at a conference or a networking event. The blindly just handing a card without even really engaging. I think it’s a terrible move. I think it turns off a lot of people, I think even if people don’t unfollow you, which at times I haven’t
because I’m just busy and I haven’t, you think you got my follow or something good happened, it’s the wrong move. All you had to do was engage
with people that followed you twice for about six
minutes, which is time, I’m not saying it’s not, but you could have gotten the
depth you were looking for. So what? I’m going to sign up for your newsletter and then you’re going to e-mail me and it’s going to go to spam, I’m not getting engaged
because the first taste that you have of someone, the initial context, that first moment, that first impression, when it’s (beep) you’ve lost. – [Voiceover] Tyler
asks, “When have you been

“happiest in life?” – Tyler, I took this question
for a very specific reason because I think one of
the interesting things about the #AskGaryVee Show is this content and actual infrastructure has forced me to go deeper than I have in any other platform and it’s been interesting
to watch what a lot of you in the VaynerNation have
been responding well too, which is a little bit more
insight to my psychology and I think this question
gave me the opportunity to answer it, and I’m
going to really throw you for an interesting curve ball, and this is 100% the answer. I am the happiest in my life of all time right this second. It’s just the truth, and what I mean by that is, is this moment with these
characters, show them, you know, you know, do they know drock? Excuse me, do they know AlexDS? (mumbles) – A couple of episodes ago. (laughter) – [Voiceover] He’s a regular. – He’s been sick for a couple days, that’s why he looks terrible. (laughter) Is this moment with these characters the best moment? Of course not! Last night beating the
Cavilers going to Cleveland from Lebron’s homecoming and dominating and stunning the world was an amazing, by the way, Cleveland you’re
going to hate me for this. I’ve been giving Cleveland a lot of love, I was disappointed with the fans. This was Lebron, the
prodigal son coming home and it wasn’t enough. Like a random second round
Knicks home game energy in the Garden was better. I was very disappointed. I’m not dissing and I know Cleveland fans
are awesome and their tough. I respect Cleveland, it’s a tough town, not a lot of championships
for a long time. Was disappointed, I had
to throw that rub in there because that’s how I roll. Children being born. Jets beating the Patriots in New England in the second round of the playoffs after losing 45 to three
in a Monday night game just a couple weeks earlier. Way up there, probably my happiest moment, my wife and kids know, but if you ask me happiness, I’m a collector, I’m a momentum guy, I’m a chugger, and so, you know, everyday that goes by that good things keep happening and no death, and that’s how I look at it, is happening in my family or sickness, or terminal conclusions to anybody I care about, feels like the next best day. It feels like it’s always getting better. I don’t know if one day– Look, I’m going to be
very honest with you guys. In my deepest fear, because I’m positive I don’t talk about negativity, I’m deepest fear is that
eventually I become bitter. Right? That I pushed the long game too long and I didn’t capitalize
and I missed moments, but right now I still
think I’m on the climb, I don’t think I’m on the
other side of the hill and so, hopefully I always
have that psychology even to the last breath that I take, but to me, the happiest
moment is right now because everything is
collectively always getting better even when it’s not. You know, there’s always
going to be challenges. It still is. I just, that’s how I see it. – [Voiceover] Chase asks,
“How can you stand out

– [Voiceover] Chase asks,
“How can you stand out “on LinkedIn with all the chatter from “the “social media
gurus” that are spamming “everyone’s feed?” – Chase, I took this question because I need to razz you and everybody else who asks a question like this, but I want you to know that I love you and I apologize. This is a loser question. If you’re worried about everybody else, you’re not worried about yourself and that’s the bottom line. It is stunning how little
I know about anything else, except my world and you guys. Period, end of story. I don’t know how everybody
else’s podcast is doing, I don’t, I’m not listen
to anybody else’s podcast or video show or anything else. I’m aware, I know that
I’m between 60 and 80 on the podcast ratings, but I don’t look at
Tim Ferriss who’s higher or somebody else, I listen to it and try to figure it out. I focus on my stuff. Way too many people cry, “Oh, these social media
gurus are so loud.” Their loud but if they don’t have depth they’re going to weed themselves out and so if you spend one minute looking at what anybody else is doing versus spending all your time
about what is your audience care about and how are they
reacting to your stuff, you know what I spend my hour on? When I’m like winding down. Instead of looking at
who’s ratings are higher and then trying to copy their moves or complain that they’re putting out shows longer or better or different things or get guests or this and that. Instead of focusing on their context and their competitive advantages or what they’re doing well. What I do, is I read my comments. That’s what I do, because I really care about
what you guys are saying about this show. Where the value prop is, what your opinion on the website is, what your opinion about chugging is, what your opinion about banter is, because that’s how I’m collectively trying to make this show better. I’m focusing on the people
that give a crap about this and so, instead of worrying about what everybody else is doing, I don’t… It’s crazy and I think you
can see my energy on this. I know this is a huge, huge, you know, in lieu of the marathon coming
to New York this weekend, I am not a runner who looks around me. I’m like straight ahead. That analogy that people
use, that’s not my analogy. I have a lot of my own. Oh, by the way. We have the reverse engineer shirt, right, let’s link that up. That’s up. Did I blow it? You put it on TeePublic and it only has like 72
hours where it’s 14 dollars then it goes to 22. – [Steve] That’s right. – So we need to like…
I need put it… – [Steve] You got it. – Do I have a BSU? Can I post it? I need to put… I’m going
post this on Facebook, it’s already up by the time you watch this because DRock’s got some editing to do. Drock, did I ruin your Halloween, did we start to late here, like what time’s this going to be done? [DRock] You’re fine. Okay. My friends, stop paying
attention to everybody else. Who gives a (beep)! I need a lot of beeps in this episode because I want to keep
it clean for the podcast. Who gives a crap, what every
other social media guru and expert, if they’re attracting an audience, maybe they’re doing something right. It’s not up to you to decide
that they’re a fluffy, crappy guru and they don’t deserve it. Clearly, they’re hustling
and putting out stuff and clearly they’ll stay. Don’t forget, I’ve been around since 06 under this kind of monarchy and this is the interesting thing, there’s a lot of people
that were the social media technology gurus in 2007, eight and nine, that you’ve never heard of. They come and go if
they’re not good enough, and if they’re good enough they stay. – [Voiceover] Kahlil says, “Sup?”

– Kahlil this was a great question. I’m actually going to
take more sup questions, so if you want to sneak you’re way into the #AskGaryVee show,
the next couple of months I want to do way more sup, so I would highly recommend
tweeting that out. Here’s what sup. I’m going to be leaving shortly, just got back from Cleveland, had a great moment me and AJ have decided not buying stuff is the way to go we don’t want stuff, we want experiences so we decided to go
see Lebron’s first game because we expected the Cleveland stadium to explode pregame and
when he got announced. Did not happen. I’m just saying Cleveland. And so we want to buy experiences, so we made that decision
then the fact that the Knicks ended up
playing them made it so much more awesome, AJ surprised his assistant, Tyler, let’s go see Tyler. People for example, here’s a good moment, I wasn’t even thinking about Tyler, I wasn’t even thinking about Tyler, but because a lot of you are saying we want you to leave the office more often and go show everybody,
what do they all do, I’ve decided to do it. So I’m going to go see Tyler really quick. Just real quick. Tyler. – Looks good. – Speak the the VaynerNation. – Let’s go baby! – Were you surprised? I like how you went for the high five and I dissed him, make
a comment about that. Were you excited when AJ surprised you to go to the game? – Oh (beep) yeah! But DeMayo… – DeMayo’s right here. Let’s show DeMayo. A selfless fact, DeMayo, what we decided to do is we were going to take one of them and flip a coin, but DeMayo said Tyler did most of the legwork, let him go. A selfless act. – He’s the man! – Go Knicks! – He’s waiting for his
Yankees World Series. – Yeah, let’s go. – Yeah, I know what you’re doing. So that’s it, right? So you wanted more of the office, you got more of the office. You know what one thing we haven’t done is we haven’t gone downstairs. What people don’t know is, and the other thing is we haven’t
shown them the other side, so we can show them one
thing we haven’t done is shown you how deep it really goes, so like it goes further, you can give them a little there. So, look, and there’s a downstairs, and we’ll get to the downstairs. Oh Nick, you want to be on the show? – Hi! It’s the #AskGaryVee Show! – So, that’s that. That’s what’s up. You know, Knick’s, we surprised Tyler. We’re doing the show, leaving in a couple hours to go, go ahead DRock. We’re leaving in a couple hours, in about an hour to take the, take the kids trick or treating, so that should be exciting. Leaving early, you know, it’s exciting, I’m in that chapter of my life now where not only am I leaving
earlier to go trick or treating, when I would never do
that, even like in my mind, three years ago when, don’t
forget Misha was already born but not only am I leaving,
I don’t even think twice and that’s a nice place to be. So that’s what’s up, where like the health and family have clearly
in the last 24 months on family, 3 months on health, they have now trumped my work life, so that my work life is stronger, that’s an evolution within my world. But I’m working harder probably than ever. Like it’s insane the
hustles so that’s sup. Jets suck, that sup. That’s pissing me off. Winelibrary.com, Steve is
doing an incredible job I mean, I would say
basically at this point we’re like still hacking at it but editor like, if we go that route. We’re really excited about the content we’re putting out there. Check that out. Wine is starting to
creep back into the DNA, that sup. We’re excited about the show man, I’m really enjoying this guys. Like, by the way, it’s
insane how much I’m enjoying