“college dropouts at VaynerMedia?” – Do you, and have you, yes! Where’s the, Stephan, Lee Jeneau, like, we’ve got ’em, we’ve got ’em. (laughter) This is not something that
even registers in my mind, as a matter of fact, you guys
know how I feel about school, pretty hard core. I’ve gotten hit up on
Twitter a bunch of times, that says VaynerMedia has this need for, two years of, I don’t know,
college, like, whatever. Whatever our requirements are, and I didn’t even know. I assume that we did
that as a standard thing, that HR at one point did it. A.J. or Kelly when she
was Managing Director, or somebody in HR. And literally I reached
out and we’ve changed it. I think we’ve added, like, or have, I didn’t even know Staphon was or wasn’t. Like, that doesn’t even register for me. If you’ve got the skills,
you’ve got the skills. I have no idea, once you get in here. Whether you go to Harvard, or you’re from Schmarvard,
it doesn’t matter. The game starts and then
that’s what ends up mattering. – [Voiceover] Schmarvard College shirt? – Schmarvard College shirt is a good idea.

a potential VaynerMedia employee can make during an interview with you? – Nothing. Because mainly I’m on feel. I’m actually not even paying attention to what anybody’s saying. I’m actually more trying
to get the vibe of it. So, you know obviously
then, that would mean lying, or trying to fake the funk. I don’t mind when people
come in and pander to my ego, I like it. I don’t mind when they don’t
know who the hell I am, I like it. See that’s what’s fun. When you want to rise
like a phoenix, it’s cool. And when you think highly
of yourself, it’s cool. I get to win, no matter what. It’s a great structured game. So, I’m not really analyzing for, there’s nothing anybody can do, literally nothing. You tell me that, eh, you
know, this company stinks. I’m just here for whatever. I kinda weirdly get into
teenage girl dynamics, I’m like, ooh, I’m gonna
turn this guy around. Right, so I’ll go that route.
Or you come in and say, this is the greatest thing
of all time, I’m like, yeah, that’s somebody that’s all bought in. I think I’m so goddamn optimistic, that it really doesn’t matter what you do, I’m probably gonna want
to hire you regardless. If you don’t get hired
by me, it means that there just wasn’t a
practical puzzle piece need. It wasn’t something you did. And that’s that. – [Voiceover] Mike asks,
“Do you or have you hired

– [Voiceover] Sam asks,
“What is one of your favorite “questions asked by an
interviewee for a position “at VaynerMedia?” – I don’t like when Interviewees talk. What is my favorite question, by the way there’s a little bit of a truth in that statement. It’s something I’ve been
giving a lot of thought to is, I’m live. Oh, you got something? Oh, A.J. – Did you see the
Outside the Lines report? – No. Oh, AJ, bring some news here on the Ask Gary Vee. – I’m breaking a scoop. – I see you’re happy too, so it’s not the Jets are
in big trouble again. – No, it’s about Spygate. – Oh my God, what? – Three aspects that
came out of the report: one, a owner confidentially
told Outside the Lines that he thought deflategate was a make up call for Spygate. – Makes sense. – Owners are probably generally happy with how good Al handled it,
even though he lost. – Yep. – Outside the Lines is reporting can’t be completely based in fact that they think Spygate
was 40 games worth of tape at least. – Wow. – And, there was one other fact. Mike Marts, former coach of the Rams, – Yes. – on the record is saying
that he put out a statement saying he was satisfied
with the investigation, but that Goodell called
him and asked him to do it and Marts is now on the
record with Outside the Lines saying that he believes
Spygate was really bad, and that, – They lost the Superbowl because of it. – He didn’t say that. – I’m saying it. – But he’s saying Goodell asked
him to put out the statement and he didn’t believe it,
saying that he put out. Outside the Lines, huge
story, exploding right now. – I love it. We hate the Patriots around here. And that’s just a bottom line. Wow. – [Steve] That’s good, I got
a question about Deflategate. – You know what, is that right? That being said, I do
wanna say the following. I’m not upset about the Tom Brady ruling, a lot of you asked me, I’m
happy that he’s playing. I’m happy. Alright, I’m serious, by the way. I’d rather him play. We don’t play them in those sport games. – [Steve] Interviewee questions. – Oh, interviewee. Yeah, you know, the truth is, I don’t have a really
great answer for this. I like when interviewees
ask me honest questions. I think a lot of times,
they’re just mailing it in, they went to some website that says, ‘seven best question to
ask during an interview’ or they have an interview coach, or their dad told them to say something. I hate mailed in bullshit,
I like when they ask, or when they pander to me, like, ‘Gary, what’re you gonna
do when you buy the Jets.’ Like, I don’t need that
either, though I like it, I like being coddled, I don’t need it. We’re there to try to help
them help me help us help them as a team, and the truth
is what I’m looking for, so, you know, not that they
have to go the other way and ask a hard-hitting question, either. I don’t care if it’s,
if they truly wanna know what I’m gonna do when I buy the Jets, then I’m happy. If they truly wanna ask me, like, is the vulnerability of
this company your charisma and personal brand of
what happens without you, if they truly mean it and
they’re not just trying to win points on asking
the hard-hitting question, you know, I think that that
has always been my thing. I don’t want anybody going
too far in either direction of bullshit, just keep it in the lane of something that really matters to you, and so, sometimes I like the, you know, now it’s spurring some memories,
sometimes I like when they ask about, like, how much can they contribute to the 401k, or, do
you really, truly allow unlimited vacation time, like, like, I like when it’s just
actually coming from something they wanna know for themselves. I feel like I’m there to
provide value to them. I don’t think an interviewee
is trying to sell me on them to work for me, I think I’m trying to sell
them on working for me. And so, I really flip interviews
on their head that way, and that’s an interesting
thing altogether. Maybe I just love selling so much, maybe I’m trying from the day we meet, create an environment of safety, which I’m very proud of
that I think I create here. That’s the answer.

digitaljeff asks, “How important
is it to love the product “that your company sells? “Would you hire someone that
had never used your product? “And can being too much in
love with your own product “work against you? – Yes. I would tell you that it’s the
single most important thing. I think the reason that
I’m a great salesman is that I really, fundamentally
believe in everything that I’m selling. The advice here, my books,
wine that I recommend. I’m about to an Instagram
wine offer for the first time in a coupon. Right after we tape this. I really believe in this Rosé. I know, it’s a little side thing. Sorry, Steve. Steve’s my wine boss. And so, hash tag wine boss. Show him and show hashtag wine boss. Love it. So, we cookey here on Friday. Really your fault DRock
for the battery thing. And so, I can’t wait for the edit of this. Share. (monster voice) Remember the oak monster? DRock, the Share Monster. (monster voice) When the share monster comes out, you have to stop what you’re doing and hit the share button on Facebook. All of you online, you
have to do that right now. Sid the intern, have them
say, yes they just did it, and see how many yes’s you got. And if you don’t count
1,900 to match the thing, start yelling and getting crazy in there. You have to sell what you believe in. The reason salesmanship has a bad name is because 98% of
salespeople don’t believe in what they’re actually selling. They’re just going for the commission. The money is what drives them, not the pride and the lifetime value of selling something good. When you sell something you believe in, you get so much more money out of it, because people come back. Guys, it’s all about the
second and third and fourth and fifth and sixth and
seventh and eighth and ninth and tenth and eleventh
and twelfth and thirteenth and fourteenth and fifteenth and sixteenth and seventeenth and
eighteenth and nineteenth and twentieth sale. Not the first one. And what happens is, if you actually really believe
in what you’re selling, it gives you more conviction and belief that you’re gonna get that sale. And I believe in that tremendously. I think that’s why I
think a great salesperson is somebody that truly
believes and are passionate about what she or he sells, is the number one kind
of person in the world. And that’s what I focus on. And so, I think it is the
prerequisite to being successful. The way you think your
children are the most beautiful and the smartest, that’s the blind faith
you have to be having in what you sell.

you have to learn from the best. So, I’m gonna be a little
bit cheeky here and ask, how do I get a job working for you? – Great question, and
it happens all the time. And the reason I want to take this is, obviously after episode
100, I had 12 to 15 people, and by the way that almost fell and broke. I had 12 to 15 people
at the show ask me like, “Hey, I want to work for you.” I’m always flattered by that. I get hundred of emails a month. And I think it comes down
to, there is no right answer. There’s plenty of people
that’ve gotten here by pounding me 15 times, and then eventually I
get them an interview, but I think that’s going 0 for 47. So, that’s like an interesting insight to people that pound me 47 times. There’s people that just
went through the system and just applied, and VaynerMedia’s website
has tons of job openings. I think the one move that a
lot of people haven’t done, other than maybe DRock,
that I can think of. And that’s really interesting, I wasn’t gonna give this answer. I was gonna go in a different direction. Kevin Rose, founder of Digg, internet personality
extraordinaire, great friend, did something super smart. Years ago he wanted to get into Square, he thought it was gonna be a big company, and Jack didn’t let him in. Jack had his homies that came in. So, Kevin went out and made a video that was enormously interesting with great insights and
things around Square. And it was so viral, and it was so strong, and that gave him the
ability to invest in Square at a very early stage where now it’s worth billions on paper. And I’ve always been fascinated by that. DRock. DRock, how many
times did you reach out to do a video for me? One? Was it lucky like that? Three? So, DRock, three times reached out and asked to do a video. Paid forward first,
made a piece of content, showed me his skills, and then, you know. Obviously, the rest is history. Now, he’s like, I mean I
don’t know if you guys are paying attention, but like, he’s got a bigger fan base than I do. So, I, you know. Look, look. Chris Green now could, like I’d hire Chris Green
to make Lego structures for clients at VaynerMedia. I’m not even joking. He’s doing his own thing, but if Chris hit me up and said, “I want to make Lego-like structures for campaigns at VaynerMedia,” I would hire him. Here it is, I see it. I mean, India’s hair is long. Like the Starbucks thing. Like Stephan’s Brooklyn hat. Like the detail is insanity here. I mean, just crazy. So, so, you know. You know. I think doing something
first is a real hack. So, give that some thought. Question of the day.

– [Voiceover] Jeanluc asks,
“This questions really “got me thinking. “When do you shift from
hiring a freelancer “to hiring someone for full time?” – Jeanluc, easy question. It’s just easy. There’s really a couple of scenarios. Number one, the moment
you fall in love with them and you say you should
join my team full time because we’re going to be great together, this well bring value to my business. Number two, when you have a necessity. When you’re business is growing, whether it’s a new
client or you’re selling more of your stuff that
they’re producing for or whatever it may be. Your business has grown and now you have a tested employee that goes to full time. There’s a third scenario when the freelancer is so infatuated with love with your business that
they’re pushing aggressively to join the team. It may not be practical,
you may not be able to fully afford it, but
your intuition tells you that long term, you know
nine months from now, the ROI will start kicking in and I want to reward this
person’s passion around me so I’m willing to make a little
less money in the short term for that relationship and that
stickiness of the long game. Those tend to be the
scenarios when you make the shift, Jeanluc. – [Voiceover] Zack asks, “What’s
your travel schedule like

– Lewis asks “Where would
you start in building a digital team within a
traditional TV or print agency?” – Lewis there’s an interesting
thing that I believe in very much which is you are what
your actions show you are. It’s very similar, I’m probably
affected by Bill Parcells, in football legendary hall
of famer coach Bill Parcells former Jet coach always said
you are what your record says you are because everyone’s
like we’re eight and eight but we could have been 10
and six if we you know, but at the end of the
day you are what you are. Thanks Mike. It’s very easy to create
a digital practice within a traditional print or direct
mail, outdoor media or PR. All these agencies now have
to shift into the world that we’ve created because
that’s where the dollars and the momentum and where
the story telling is going. This video will be consumed
a hell of a lot more in YouTube and Facebook
native than it will as a pre roll pop up somewhere. And so I think it’s super
important that you understand you are what your actions say you are. Meaning it’s very easy, go out
and hire seven to 12 people that work in digital social,
bring them into your department and now you have that capability. Now the key for the CEO or
the chairman of the board, her and his job is to
really integrate that new, we’re going through it now
VaynerMedia has a new live division called VaynerLive,
it’s live events activation. It’s not what we’ve historically done. It’s activating at Coachella or South By or things of that nature. And we’re six months in and
we still have to integrate it into the business but we brought in Robert and other people that have
done that work in the past. Now we have the skill set. Now how does that practice mold in to the whole organization? That’s the tricky part, that’s
where dictatorship comes in. That’s where letting things happen the way they have to happen. I’m a big fan of letting things
lie so I’ve stayed hands-off for the first several
six and a half months. Now maybe I feel like maybe
like I’ll get my hands in a little bit dirtier
just get it molded in. Leadership is knowing when to
listen, knowing when to talk. Knowing when to take a
step back, knowing when to jump in and integrate it. But the commodity of
hiring people that have the skill set to do the
work, it’s out there. It’s just making the
leap to decide to do it. – Andrew asks “Do you plan
on embedding Facebook videos

a millenial owned branding agency here in New Jersey. What are key factors we
should be looking for when hiring other millenials
as we quickly scale?” – Well, great picture,
it’s a good time to stop, especially for everybody listening. So, stop your treadmill, pull
over on the side of the road. I need more Instagram picture questions. I need more Instagram picture questions. Tag AskGaryVee or AskGaryVeeShow
on your Instagram. Just like this question. So obviously if you’re listening, go and watch the show just so
I can show you what I mean, but obviously if you’re watching, you know exactly what I mean. I’m going to say it one more time. You, the audience, you, the VaynerNation, oh, go I need a wristband, Steve. You the VaynerNation,
are the oxygen that allows this show to happen. The more you guys check out or take it for granted or get into a rut because I wasn’t on for two weeks, the more likely I will stop at episode 94. So, like I really, really
need your help here to continue the momentum. So, if you like this show at all, and if you’re shy or not shy, either way, I basically
need an Instagram photo with a question. Here’s a link to how you ask the question. And let’s move on. Will, I think building a millenial agency, I always talk about that fat dude that built Backstreet
Boys and N Sync, right? He wasn’t a 13 year old girl. He just knew how to market
to 13 year old girls. I, especially with the gray hairs, even some in the beard which is weird, I am not a millenial. I know how to market to millenials better than all of my millenials combined. Okay? So I would say, first things first, were you thinking I Poppa? First things first, I would say is you don’t have to, and this is a huge mistake that most people make. You don’t necessarily hire millenials to market to millenials. Just cause you’re 24, doesn’t mean you know how to sell shit to a 24 year old. So, first and foremost, what you should be thinking about in hiring people is do people actually know how to market to the age group? The reason I mention that 50 year old fat white dude is he
understood 12 year old girls and pop music better than anyone. Just like this 39 year old old dude understands the behavior
of 13 to 23 year olds better than most people. So, first what you should be looking for is can they talk the game
to the actual audience, not necessarily are they the
demo of the actual audience. (bell dings)

– [Voiceover] Neil asks, “Looking
for a marketing job right out of college is tough,
especially finding one that’s not sketchy. How do you find a
job that’s the right fit?” – The answer– Who asked the question, again? – [India] Neil. – Neil, it sounds like, by
the way you’re asking the question, I’m glad we’re
getting to attack this, that you’re looking at what is deemed as “Internet Marketing”, right?
When you say that all marketing jobs are scummy out of school,
I think what you’re falling into, is kind of those
e-book, kind of landing page, the bad version of all these
great growth hackers out there, the bad version of that, right?
Lowest common denominator, playing arbitrage, internet
marketing, buy my e-book in the back room, and the discs, MLM. It sounds like you’re going down a funnel, and what you deem as marketing
is scummy, and I understand a lot of that gets into dark
marketing but 98% of the marketing jobs in the world are
like working at VaynerMedia, this is marketing. So
first of all, I recommend recalibrating how you’re
positioning marketing, and make sure that you’re not
going down the rabbit hole of “Internet Marketing”, and
I keep quoting it like this– First, I love air quotes and
we all know that but second, there is that term for just
copywriting, make landing pages of red and yellow, and buy
this, and whether you’re selling supplements, or an e-book, or information, play that game out, that’s
not the world of marketing that I believe in or think about. So I would tell you that there
are eight billion agencies marketing, digital,
social agencies out there, and I would immediately
go get an internship, if you can’t get a job, and
prove that you’ve got the chops. It’s unbelievable how high of
a percentage of the interns that we get here at VaynerMedia we offer a job to. One, we’re growing fast, so that makes sense, but they’ve
come in and they’ve hustled and so the lack of
internship, out of college, if the market is bad, blows me away. It seems like the market
is getting better, jobs are being created more at this scale, than say, 24-36 months ago.
But the famous DRock story, or any other story like,
the ability for you to go and work for somebody pro
bono to get a résumé– Look, to me, if you’re
struggling to get a job for two, three, four, five
months out of school, why in the world you wouldn’t
take a half of your day, each day, to then work
somewhere for free, or intern, whatever it is, to a) pick
up skills, b) network, c) learn your craft in
action and watch it, d) create the leverage and
almost guilt your employer into hiring you, or making
them tell somebody else to hire you. You know,
better than sitting around and moping about why it’s not working out. Unless you’re out there,
literally, in job interviews or sending résumés, you’ve
got 18 hours in a day to execute this. To me, you
could be doing that from seven p.m. to two in the morning, and then from nine to seven, you could go do it. Go work at a pro bono place, or a museum, put your skills into action
if you’re a marketer. – [Voiceover] Dana asks,
“How would you advise

– [Voiceover] Rafael asks, “They say you should
hire slow and fire quick. How many chances do you give your staff?” – I feel it’s funny. On this show, multiple times, I talk about not being crippled by hiring somebody because if they’re not good I’ll fire. The truth is, I have struggled for 15 plus year of my career, at least, 22, 37, I would say for the
first 15 years of my career I was not doing a good enough job in the firing department, and it still is something I struggle with. It’s just not fun. There’s nothing worse
than firing somebody. There’s nothing good about it. I usually spend an extra 20 to 30 days just figuring out the justification, of like, “Oh but they were…” I’m literally making
up stuff to make myself feel better about it. So the truth is, the
real answer for me is, we’re slow to it, even… It’s one of the things I’m trying to get this company better at is, don’t worry, any
VeynerMedia people watching. Yeah, I mean, look. I’ve definitely come to
learn that you’re doing the right thing for them as well ’cause you’re just
dragging out the process, and they’re not growing, and nothing good is gonna come of that, but…. The answer, practically,
is I use my intuition. I really do. You just have to make a gut call sometimes on can you give this
person one more chance? We are not in the one, two,
or even three strike policy here at Vayner. We have enormous continuity, and some of it has to do with
the way we fire, in my opinion. I think people see us
trying to handle things with empathy and grace, and
one thing I’m very proud of is when people are let go here, people aren’t that surprised, right? And so, people paying attention… But you don’t wanna hold on too long because then you lose the
trust of all the great people, and so I don’t think there’s a set answer. You gotta go on your intuition. I think the more interesting answer is do you think you have the
EQ and the people skills and the intuition to do
it, and if you don’t, who do you think has it? And empower them to do it. That’s the more interesting part. And by the way, that could go left field. I would tell you that if
I didn’t have that skill in my early days of Wine Library, I would have courted my mother to come in and be that person because I knew she could do it, so even think outside
of your employee base. It might be a friend who
is not happy in their job, but you know they have
the best people skills you’ve ever seen, and
maybe you bring them in for a pseudo-HR doing other things, and you want them to handle that. The firing process is immensely important in every organization,
one that I don’t think people put enough emphasis on, and there’s a lot of angles. It’s not just firing fast. It’s not just not firing. It’s how you fire. We’ve been letting some people go, at least recently, throughout
the last three or four months, and I usually am not
that close to it anymore because I’m very much
trying to scale this, but I make sure that I reach
out a week or two later, when I find out, to that
person and thank them, if they were here for a day. All those things matter.