Forget Algorithms - Here's How to Actually Grow in 2026 l Best Episodes of 2025

0:00Hey, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of the Gary V Audio Experience. Before we jump in, today's episode is from Gary's keynote and Q &A at the BizX 2025 conference. If you run a business or lead a team, this one is packed with brutally honest, tactical advice around brand building, pricing, and getting real with your content. Pay close attention. This is one of those talks that you'll want to play back twice. This is the Gary Vee Audio Experience. Before you go to the podcast, I've got a big announcement. I know several years ago, a lot of you bought 12 books of 12 and a half to get the NFT, the book games NFT.

0:34I also know that a lot of people have dropped off on their journey with VFriends, which is a massive mistake because what we're doing on Burn Island and what we're doing on base with book games is remarkable. So you need to go to VEEFriends, VFriends.com slash old books. Go to VFriends.com slash old books with an S. You will go to that landing page and we will help you explain if you are trying to figure out where your NFTs are, how to bring them over to the website, and how to start activating them so that you can start using them for all the incredible exchanges and draws and raffles and experiences that we're doing for people that actually own the book games.

1:15So please go to vfriends.com slash old books where you can start your journey on reactivating your book games journey. I wanna start with a question that is really important for small business, the word resilience. Yes. How do you see resilience for us as business people and business owners? Well, this, you know, first of all, thank you for having me at this great conference. It's kind of, I don't know if you noticed, it was very important for me to say what I said up front. I love this audience. You know, I've been in corporate Fortune 500 land for a while. This is my favorite crew because how do I think about resilience for this crew?

1:50Like oxygen. That's all they know. The greatest thing about entrepreneurship and owning your business is you have no choice. You have no choice. If they're here, every single person here is actually delivering on a level of resilience that is not found in society because if they weren't, they'd be out of business and they wouldn't be here. It is my great admiration that I have for all of you because all of you know what I know and I've known it since I was 20 years old. the buck stops with you. If you aren't resilient if you're not adaptable this is what I'm talking about that was my whole talk the entire talk I just gave is strictly about adaptability.

2:33I know that they're about to feel pressure for the optionality of their employees so I'm trying to get them to care about their employees a little bit more because that's going to create more retention. I know that the biggest way to grow their business by a country mile with no money is social media creative. But when it comes to resilience, that's my great admiration of this room. That's all they know. Otherwise, they go out of business. So you ended off saying Google AdWords dying. How do we get found on ChatGPT today? How does ChatGPT bring us business? So for the people that are most advanced here, there is ways to do SEO on ChatGPT.

3:12And good news, this is why I'm yelling at you for social media. chat GPT and whoever else wins whether they win or somebody else whoever the Google is or the Facebook is of the AI era I have good news for you they're going to be very happy to take your money when you type in I need a plumber they'll take your money what I'm more scared about is the companies that are building the best tech I'm not sure they're going to be as gracious as Google and want to give away the business when someone types in I'm looking to buy a new home in Bristol, I'm not so sold that ChatGPT is going to send you to a real estate agent.

3:53I think they're going to send you to their real estate agent. I think we're going into a very dangerous era of big tech where they're going to be like, fuck the nickels that come along with advertising. We're going to take the whole funnel. Yeah, Google started free. ChatGPT started with money. You got to sign up. You got to pay right from the beginning. And that's because the tech was so expensive in the processing, but we all know this. All tech starts off expensive and gets cheaper. Remember the cell phones that look like this? They were like$2 ,000 in the 90s, right? Now, you know, they go down and down and down in price.

4:27And I think we've seen with, you know, all the deep seek and all that stuff, like there'll be free versions of this. I'm more worried that we have to build a brand because when I, I don't want to be at the mercy of people like this going to chat GPT and say, hey, ChatGPT, I've got an entrepreneurial question. Let me ask you this. I want them to be like, hey, ChatGPT, what would Gary Vee think about this? I'm out here trying to build a brand. Got it. Got it? Brand. Not, hey, ChatGPT, hey, Alexa, send me a pizza. No, no, no. Hey, Alexa, send me a pizza hut. Send me Domino's. Everybody in here is looking to build a brand because if you do not build a brand, you will become a commodity.

5:16Ah, so I'm going to steal a little bit of Gary's time for my own personal reasons here, but I think it'll, it'll,

5:26I've built the biggest business coaching company in the world, a thousand offices, 84 countries, two and a half billion dollars in sales. I still don't want to be famous. my company should be a lot more famous than it is the people we help the way we help them father of five i always worry about that how did you yeah because you know your dad you got all of those things well by the way uh the opening of who doesn't know me let me do the worst how many people here would consider solid fans or have good knowledge of me or follow me carefully raise your hands. So one more time, raise them high. What all these people, brother, will tell you is they don't even know what my kids look like.

6:16I have a 15 and 12 year old. The people that just raised their hands, you include, I'm the most private public person on earth. I don't share my life. I'm exactly like you. I have no interest in people being in my life. My family is sacred. My personal life is sacred. Again, a lot of people just raised their hand and if you're at a table with them, you can ask them right now, is that true? I put out an ungodly amount of content, but it is not about my puppy or my kids. I keep my personal life private. I put out content about business. That's number one. Number two, you still don't even have to do that.

6:54You can make your business famous. To your point, you still don't even have to become the face we're famous, but you need your business to do a much better job in being a brand and build a brand. Nobody knows who Johnny Coca-Cola is. Coca-Cola markets. You don't know the IBM CEO or founder. You know IBM, right? You don't know, you know, Salesforce. Mark Bedioff is pretty known. Way more people know Salesforce than know Mark. So you just need to make the business market data. your business needs to put out 20 to 30 pieces of content a day throughout social you don't have to and you can do occasional stuff the clip from this can be clipped and used and so i think there's ways to do it do you see yeah i think i think from a logical standpoint i can get all that but being a little more esoteric at heart i know that there's a way that if i don't want to do it it doesn't matter how much content I put out if in my heart I don't want that to boom it's not going to boom brother I don't like anything I just know what I have by the way I hate working out and eating well I hate it but I do it because it's right I don't give a shit about your feelings brother I care about your business you don't have to do it you have to hire someone to do it

8:26all right you've all heard the advice makes sense right oh it makes it makes a lot of sense and i don't i don't know if it's also a bit of the australian in me like i i watch you know other guys i won't name them but i i'm not the guy that stands up there going look at me in my freaking jet dude if you're that rich you shouldn't be showing photos in your private jet by the way By the way, I'm that rich, and there's zero photos of me in a private jet. I'm with you. I'm not a douchebag either. Some of them are. It kills me. At the highest levels. If I do any of that, all my Australian buddies call me up.

9:04What? Dude, what was the shit you just put? Why on earth would you do that? I don't know. Some days I read Gary Vee books, and it tells me to just keep putting out content. Yes. You're exactly right. But it doesn't say put out douchebag content. Again, if you're really looking at how I do it, I do none of that. I don't even have a piece of jewelry on. I think the shirt's like nine bucks. Like that's, to your point, some people sell the lifestyle, other people live it. I'm a confusion to a lot of people. Thank you. I'm a confusion to a lot of people. When people come and visit me at VaynerMedia and see 2 ,000 employees, half the people that just raised their hands think I'm a motivational speaker.

9:46I run businesses. you do as well. I admire that. I think that's the content you put out. By the way, just so you know, unlike a lot of other people to your point, all the advice I just gave for the last 45 minutes, I do that. Everything I just talked to you about, just so you know, in a world of many speakers that talk about shit they don't do, everything I just told you about, one-on-one time with employees, at scale. Content every day. At scale. I'm gonna show you something, bro. This is my WhatsApp. This is where my team and I make the content. That is me. That is me writing the copy to the content that I put out.

10:29This is me with my team. I wrote the copy. I'm still writing the copy on my social media posts. I'm in the fucking trenches. I'm in the dirt. I'm in the dirt more than most of you. Get to do the bits, though, that you love still. You don't have to do the bits you don't love as much anymore. This is what I'm trying to tell you. This is why I'm doing this little shtick. You don't have to do the content on social. I don't do the contracts at my company. I've signed 45 ,000 contracts probably in the last five years. I've read none of them. I'm being dead fucking serious. But I have Mark Yudkin, who's my brother.

11:10Not my actual brother, but he's been with me now for 20 years. That's it. fucking figure it out. Huh?

11:23But I am certain someone's going to play that clip back to me every fucking year for the next, like, forever. You know, I'll tell you why I'm passionate about it. I love you for it. I love that you don't want to do what I also don't think is good, which is you're tricking kids and thinking Lambos and watches. That's not what this is about. Why I admire so much about the people in this room is a lot of them are not doing it for the Lambo and the private jet. They're doing it because this is who we are. We're fucking business people. We're entrepreneurs. Hey everybody, I hope you're enjoying the podcast right now.

11:56Make sure you follow the podcast. That's why I'm interrupting. Let's keep going on this show, but follow the podcast. It'll make my mom super happy. So,

12:08business question, charging more, charging what you're worth, being the top of the tree, not trying to be the competing on price people. Thoughts? Always. Until the market says go fuck yourself. Right? Like the concept of not constantly trying to get more money for what you do is crazy. Why wouldn't you? Because the market is the market. When you're like, I mean, this is how speaking worked. The first time I did a speaking gig 15 years ago, I get this email. They're like, would you like to give a speech? I'm like, that sounds cool. It was like, I was running a wine store at the time, but I was starting the internet thing, right?

12:44They're like, do you want to come and give a talk? So I'm like, yeah. I'm like, yes, I'm in. They're like, it's in Florida and whatever. I just thought I was excited to get asked to speak. He then replies, he's like, how much do you charge? I'm like, fuck, you can charge for this shit? My first ever gig, Robert Kiyosaki took me to Hawaii. I was a 20-year-old kid, and he goes, what's your speaking fee? I said, what's yours? He said, this much. I said, same as mine. Mine was pretty funny. So now I get the email from this guy. It's like 2006. He's like, what's your fee? Now I'm like sitting there looking at this email.

13:18You know, this was pre, you know, laptops and cell phones, like big monitor. I'm looking at this thing and I'm like, okay. Because I'm no dope. Back to the answer I'm giving to everyone here. I'm like, I got to come up with the biggest fucking number I could ever imagine to give a speech. And I reply. I'm like, $5 ,000. the guy replies in two seconds to that email. He's like, done. I'm like, fuck. And the way I got to my price was I kept going and then the market told me, you're not that guy yet, Gary. Right? When I got to that 25K number, at that point in my career, they were like, that's it.

13:59Because every time I said 30, 35, 40, it was no, we're gonna go in a different direction. And I was like, respect. The one thing I love about this conversation is this is a humbling fun process. Don't be insecure about this. Don't be scared to ask but when they tell you no don't be offended by it. Just keep asking for more. The market will tell you what you're worth. Where people get this screwed up brother is they're like I know my worth. I'm worth more. I'm like no you're not. Nobody's paying you. But you need to ask for more as often as possible and don't stop. The other mistake people make is they get excited about what I just said.

14:42They get motivated. Whatever they charge and the next time they charge more, the first person says no and they go right back. You need 10 no's, 7 no's before you've really figured out your price. The first time someone said no to me at 30K, I'm like, you know, because then another no, then another no. And then I had to look myself in the mirror one day and be like, okay, you're a 25K speaker now. And obviously that's evolved. Well, yeah, I know how much it's evolved. Quite well, in fact. Thank you, sir. But this goes back to why I want you to build more brand. I want you to be in a place where you can fill out 10 times this many people without needing to use keynote speakers.

15:21Brand is brand is brand. And it doesn't have to be you. How would I do that? Well, the more content. Just put out more content. That's right. And better. That's right. And more people are going to be your fans. And then this becomes double the size because they're there to see you, which gives you more leverage to not have to get a top, top. Like it's the game. Yeah. It's the game. Actually, speaking of, so we've been in business coaching now for 31 years. Your thoughts on coaching, having a coach. I'm a huge fan of that concept. I think it all depends. Like, for example, in business, I never had a coach because it was my God-given gift and I learned more by losing.

15:59so to me my brain does not process how to be great at business from a coach because i need to taste it i need the l's but many far more successful business people than me a hundred percent attribute their success from coaching i need it everywhere else in my life whether it's therapy whether it's personal training whether like so i'm incredibly bullish of someone looking from the outside in. By the way, I would benefit from business coaching financially. I just like scraping my knee and banging my elbow in business so much that I keep it away, but it is not lost on me. There are many things in my own game that occur, and I could see it.

16:43You know, you all know this, right? You could see the flaws in everybody in your family, but you can't see your flaw. You know what mom and dad and your siblings and your spouse suck at, but you can't see yours. If I had a coach, for example, let me be very vulnerable, my kryptonite, which is crazy. Some people are gonna laugh right now. My kryptonite in business has been candor. Gary V on stage is very good at candor. Gary Vaynerchuk, the human being, is so into the stuff I told you about employees. I get into family vibes with my employees. Like, you know those lover boys that like fall in love at first sight?

17:26that you know like I'm like that in business you like work for me for like a week I'm like we're fucking I can't help it I'm just very team very family but what that created was the more I liked you the harder it was for me to tell you the truth about what I thought you were as an employee which led to me working around it I would always be very like giving on the way out I would have to get years of resentment before I finally had the courage to fire you and then I I gave you a huge severance and you haven't done shit for two years and now I'm giving you a huge severance and the worst part of all, you're then mad at me because I never told you and I surprised you because on Thursday, I'm like, Brad, you're fucking the best.

18:07I'm the best weekend and then Monday, I'm like, hey, Monday, come in and come in and you're the fucking best. Literally Thursday, you're the fucking best. I fucking love you. Hey, by the way, Monday, come in. You come in Monday, I'm like, Brad, we're gonna let you go. What? Yeah. And so, candor was my kryptonite and it took me 20 years and I would tell you as I sit here today in a world where I'm a 10 out of 10 and a 9 out of 10 and so many things in business on a good day I'm still a 5 and a 6 out of a very important trait of a leader and I work on it every day if I had a coach I think that would have been addressed much earlier yeah fun thing the Jets the New York Jets not that fun lately no no very fun how many people here are proper football fans that are diehards of their team raise your hand what about of any sport who here is a diehard fan of a sport raise your hands so here's the weird thing about me and this is why I'm such a good entrepreneur I love my New York Jets my American football team so much they have not won a championship since January 12th 1969 they fucking suck but I like that part see oh the scrape the knees and the New York Jets it makes sense got it I I grew up a New York Yankees fan yeah when they won my first championship with them in 1996 I never watched another game really really I actually make fun of all the fans of very successful teams I feel like you get your self esteem from their victories but you're not doing shit I love the pain I love the grind I love the hardship I love when people make fun of me about the Jets I love that shit I'd love you to help us out with our foundation at some point because we educate kids for free to leave school and be an entrepreneur in because yeah in that's uh in you'll email me in in fact I might have mentioned it earlier actually I don't think I brought this up if I may for a second the thing I'm actually working on right now in my career is the thing I'm most excited about that I've ever done I've started something called VeeFriends VeeFriends.com especially if you have somebody under 10 in your life you should go look at it it is my Pokemon it is my Disney it is my Marvel and it's 250 characters patient panda, accountable aunt, competitive clown.

20:54And it is strictly built to help along with the parenting that is so challenging in today's world. And a lot of it is targeting the kids that should not go to university and should be entrepreneurs. There's plenty of kids that should go to school. They're built like that. But we got into this place in the last 40 years that everyone should go to university and college, which is insanity. And in America, it's a real problem. Oh, it's so bad. Because at least in most parts of the rest of the world, the government pays for it. In America, these kids are going into massive debt to get a piece of cake.

21:26My eldest daughter,$350 ,000 to go to college. My ROI on that? Negative$350 ,000. Of course. 100%. It's a joke for half of the people. But I put her to work with my great friends. You guys all know the Irwin family. Australia Zoo, Steve Irwin, Crocodile Hunter. She goes and works with Terry and Bindi and Robert. but she's getting the best lessons in life, working for real entrepreneurs, real planet savers. She's working with them. Robert, she's a photographer. Robert's taking her under his wing, teaching her photography like that's better than me. And that's why I'm smiling, because the creative set should never go to university.

22:03It's not built for that. It's built to make workers.

22:11I'm going to turn it back over to Rachel. and they're going to take your questions now for Gary. Thank you. I'll see you in a minute. Cheers. Let's clap it up for the man. Thank you.

22:22Thank you, Brad. Very powerful conversation and no reflection on his question asking skills, but we are going to democratize it now. We're going to put Gary in the hot seat with your questions. We've had loads of amazing questions in and it's not the last chance. If you still have a burning question, you can still get it in on the app. Slido is still open. QR code is on the table as I know many of you have discovered already. So should we dive straight in? Please. Okay, the first question we have is from Giles. Cleverly, where's Giles? Somewhere in the room. Giles! I see him. I'm getting a handout.

22:59He's over there somewhere. You can ask anonymously. This is not about you, Giles. But great question. You're the first one. If you had only one hour a day, limited resources, and you're building a B2B business selling IT support, what would you focus on? First, I would focus on having more than fucking an hour a day, Giles. The fuck are we talking about? So how much are you a day then? Fucking working 15 hours a day and I made it 20 years ago. This is fucking hour, but I get it. The answer to the question is, I would make social media content for LinkedIn. in. My friends, if you have an IT support business, you making videos to tell the world who you are, that your name is Giles or Sarah or Rick, and you've been doing this for 17 years.

23:53And then remember what I said. Everything I said was important. I said it for a reason. Instead of saying, come and hire me. I'm Giles. I do IT support. You say, hi, I'm Giles. I've done this for 15 years. Let me tell you the three things right now that are going on in IT support that small businesses are not seeing and I'm gonna save you from hiring me because I'm gonna tell you the trick that other IT support people get paid to do that you can fix yourself. Number one, just reset the router, you idiot. By the way, what I'm doing, notice what's happening, right? Like I literally made that piece of content.

24:32We got the laugh on the router. That's gonna be compelling. You're obviously incredibly great at what you do. You have to engage and bring value to the audience. Some do it with humor. Some do it with beauty. Others can do it with information, but you have to bring value. The piece of content that I just showed you that I would do was real. It was real. I didn't do that for the stage. That is what I would say on video. I'm Giles. I've been doing this for 17 years. I do IT. Let me tell you the three things that everyone's doing wrong. Next one, if you have a sense of humor, I use that for the first one.

25:04The second thing that would have come out of my mouth because I don't do IT support, I can't do it as well is something very detailed for six minutes or 16 seconds. Value. Brilliant. And how many hours are we setting jars, homework? How many hours a day are we setting in for homework for making the social media content? You know, look, I think at the end of the day it's, I'm agnostic to how much everybody learns differently. But I will say this. you can't read about doing push-ups you have to do them go it feel it right and if you do 50 push-ups you'll get 50 push-up results and if you do 150 a day for four straight years you will look the part if you put in the work on this remember earlier i don't know if you might have been doing something else but i asked this everyone stand up who's done social media and it didn't work a lot of people suck don't they that's right so i'll take it away from the morning but they don't have to suck.

25:59It requires on how they learn. This is a measly$15,$20 and I'm so passionate about this that I literally told them don't buy this. Go to the 50 page deck that I did this summer. It's there. It's real. And everybody knows it's real. You know it's real from your world. You talked about it. How like the whole world flipped. Like I grew up in that era too and I saw it. I'm like TV's gonna lose. TV beat the radio, but the internet beat TV. It's just the way it works. And so I want them to put in as much work as it takes until they have videos and pictures that actually grow their business. Great advice.

26:35Thank you, Giles.