VUE Long Island

VUE: I want to talk about the early days growing up with your family business, and how that experience shaped your approach to being an entrepreneur. GaryVee: It means everything; I always say that Jersey groomed me. Tingley Ln in Edison, NJ, those lemonade stands, that was a learning experience. I am an entrepreneur that's very heavily skewed towards marketing excellence. I thought a lot about my sign; now looking back, it's actually insane how much this was DNA, because I don't think most 7 year olds, when they want to do a lemonade stand, are fixated on the sign and where to put it. at, to me, is just naturally in you; it's not like I read a business book. So I think that really shaped me. Where I really got shaped was in my dad's liquor store, which I really then converted into a meaningful wine superstore and E-commerce business. I worked in that store every weekend, every summer vacation, since I was 14 years old. So, spring break for high school was, I was going to work that week. At 14, I hated it; by 15, I loved it and I looked forward to that. I think retail is an incredible training ground, and it was a great training ground for me. VUE: What do you think the biggest habits are that differentiate successful entrepreneurs from those who are just kind of struggling, talk about it, and never execute? GaryVee: Accountability. ere's a level of accountability when you're a true entrepreneur where most people, especially in today's age, are very comfortable blaming others–parents, government, bosses. I mean, the worst entrepreneurs blame their customers. ey're like, "people don't get us," and I'm like, "no, they just might find your new bagel/cranberry juice concoction not delicious." So, accountability's huge. I think work ethic. It's just real talk. I think a lot of people talk about wanting to be an entrepreneur, because they see the "you can travel a lot," they think it's easier, but 9-5 doesn't exist. Stress tolerance; I think most people don't have the stomach for it. One of the great things about working for someone else is you can turn off. It's Monday morning. I can tell you right now my yesterday was not chill. I was thinking about 700 things that I need to attack and that are a problem. I also think that for a lot of entrepreneurs, a differentiation is just sheer creative talent, meaning it requires ideas. You have to have ideas, you have to innovate, you have to adjust. I don't think people realize that most everybody fails in their entrepreneurial venture and I think it got cool in the last 15 years. Shit, I was a part of it becoming cool and I benefited from it being cool, but I've been very consistent with my content that like, this shit's hard. VUE: Yea, I mean there's been three failed magazines since I launched one that succeeded. GaryVee: And you know what's fun about that, when you're a true bred entrepreneur, like even in the way you delivered that, like for me, I was like, "yea!" I mean, I like the losing. You know? But for a lot of people, you know this, aer the first failed magazine, they go back to corporate life. VUE: ey go back. Yep, it's the so cushy spot. GaryVee: I think there's a level of true humility that can be seen in real entrepreneurs. VUE: I think you're right. GaryVee: Right? I think there's an ability to be judged, I think there's almost a respect–for the true entrepreneurs– they respect the game so when they're getting beat up, they're like, "well I deserve it." So I think those are the things that stand out. VUE: Talk a little bit about your daily routine. Is there anything that helps you maintain, produce your rhythm, your creativity, are you a gym guy, do you wake up and do yoga? GaryVee: I think mine is more macro than tactical. Meaning, I do go to the gym probably 5-7x a week. I try to get in there every day, but I don't think it's been some remarkable mental relief for me. It's been more about me wanting to live longer. Just being thoughtful about health and so that's not been it. I think it's been a general focus on perspective. I think, for me, my ritual is really around gratitude in a real way. Recently, multiple people, friends, family, are doing something similar. You know, they have a gratitude journal, or they set an alarm to practice gratitude. Gratitude has become something people rightfully have realized has a lot of value and that I don't think comes naturally to most people. "...MY RITUAL IS REALLY AROUND GRATITUDE IN A REAL WAY." VUENJ.COM 71

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