Meeting Gary Vaynerchuk! And What I've Learned From Him.
Superfan (n): a person who shows a great deal of enthusiasm for a sports team or famous person.
To say that I am a superfan of Gary Vee is a bit of an understatement. If you follow me on social, or read my newsletter, you may have noticed that I share his content a LOT. I've been a fan since I read his first book, Crush It! That was back in 2011. I've heard Gary speak once before at an Archangel event in Toronto (2016), but I didn't get to interact with him. You can read about that event in this older blog post.
When I found out that my partner, USANA Health Sciences, had invited Gary to be a mainstage speaker at our International Convention - I was PUMPED. Later, they launched a contest to earn a spot in an EXCLUSIVE Masterclass. I have never, ever been so motivated to earn a contest in USANA in my whole career.
Have you ever worried that when you meet someone who you look up to as a mentor in real life won't be what you expected? I was definitely a bit concerned about the REAL Gary Vee.
No concern needed. He was kind, attentive, generous and authentic. I like him even more than before, which is hard to believe. He called out my friend Karen and I in the audience during his mainstage talk - we were the two ladies who were reacting to everything he was saying - and he recognized me immediately at the book signing. And then, when I had the chance to ask a question during the Masterclass, I felt like we had a true personal connection. He is excellent at his craft.
Here's what I learned from Gary Vaynerchuk during this very special day:
First, his current thoughts on social media
Producing content is the GREATEST opportunity we have - and it's FREE
He spoke about the best places to be right now, including running ads on Instagram stories and on LinkedIn. He encourages us to post 20-30 pieces of content per day (on all platforms combined). Start with 1-2 a day and work your way up.
Gary shares how to re-purpose content in this great slide deck - The Gary Vee Content Model.
Next, he was pretty blunt about what's holding us back
Insecurity is what is keeping people from taking action
He says the reason why most people don't turn the camera on and create a Live video is because they are scared of what others are thinking about them. It's definitely something that we ALL struggle with. What makes Gary different is this:
'I don't hear the cheering and I also don't hear the BOOS.'
He literally doesn't VALUE other people's options. He loves and respects people, but doesn't worry for a SECOND about what others think of him. This, my friends, is extremely powerful and something worth striving for.
Gary was clear that no one is LISTENING to each other
We are so caught up in our likes and comments that we've stopped listening to what others are saying. You want to stand out on social media? Interact with your audience! Post a comment on what they are sharing. Encourage them. Use the DM feature to create a real, human connection with others.
Connection is what we are all craving the most.
And lastly, build a narrative on who you ARE.
This was part of his answer to my question, which was how do I create content around gratitude and USANA in the same feed? How do I connect them?
Gary was clear that what's holding us back is that we are afraid to post WHO we ARE. He said that if you are posting for the algorithm, STOP. Don't worry about the likes, comments and followers. Post what YOU want to post and don't give a sh*t about whether your 'audience' agrees or not. Eventually, the most authentic we are, the more our audience will find us or seek us out.
Seek those who are seeking you.
Thank you Gary, for making the gut decision to speak at our USANA Convention and for the gift of the Masterclass. I will continue to learn and take action based on what you're teaching us.
I'm curious, have you met Gary in person? What was your experience?
If you'd like to see our interaction during the book signing here's a quick video (thank you Kimmy!): https://youtu.be/aJrpxx8ohFc