How GaryVee Would Build a Business in 30 Days (2026 Playbook)

0:00I want to talk to you a little bit about building big companies. You've built a ton. And so with your current knowledge today, I'm curious, like, let's say you had to go back, back to your wine days, almost. Let's say you owned a laundromat, because I'm into those things. So let's say you own one laundromat, and you had to start your entire empire from one laundromat today. Like, what would you do? What would be the playbook? Content. You and I are part of a breed that admires a single laundromat owner. and I think you have really done a good job of tapping into something that I think is black and white which we talked about the last time we hung whether you call it micro P or just practical business obviously Main Street is the way you think about it I think there's a huge opportunity for a lot of those people to build a brand in fact that's what I did I built my brand I am that person I didn't even own the business it was my dad's business since I was the person who built it, but my original content as Gary Vee, after five years or during the five years of doing the wine show, my original first ever thoughts about business and life and perspectives were literally out of a liquor store, one store, and I built my brand.

1:16I could have easily, if that's what I wanted, opened up 10 more stores, did micro M &A, and I would have built a very substantial franchise, which would be worth a lot of money. And in today's environment would be a very attractive PE acquisition as every small business is going to get consolidated. It feels like these days. So I really, the number one thing I would do is get into content for two reasons. One, if you're capable building your personal brand, I do believe is a moat. I've always believed that it was the moat. I've talked about it for 15 years that it's the moat. It is the one true asset that doesn't get commoditized even in the AI world.

1:57You still have your IP, it's your copyright, it's you. Two, if you learn to be a content creator, the other thing that worked with me, and this was hand in hand, and this is what I want for this person, is you start getting good at running ads and doing content for your business too. So in my brain, what I'm dreaming up right now is Sally's building up her, she's like, I did this, this is how I bootstrapped it, or how I inherited it, or whatever's real. here's what I'm doing here's my day to day troubles here's how I think about it oh my god coins when people stopped having change on them we had to put in these swipe your credit card just like the battle stories of that business but also what she will learn in the story that I'm telling is she'll learn what really and by the way I know a lot of small businesses listen so let me give it to you very straight disproportionately the biggest opportunity to grow your business, traffic to your business, average receipt size, if you're a local business that people come to, is to run 10 mile radius Facebook ads.

3:00And so Sally, in this journey of building up Sally, the laundromat entrepreneur, would also start to learn how to be good at these things, which she would then be able to use to run ads to her business, which is advertising matters. It's always mattered and it will always matter. And so content. You know what's so interesting too? In your story, I remember looking back at those old videos of you in your wine business. And today everybody wants to have a set, right? We're on a borrowed set. This one isn't mine. But, you know, they want to have this fancy set. But you know what the sickest set is today?

3:33You're actually a laundromat. I think so. You know, because it's show, don't tell. It's like, no, no, I own this. I'm not, there's no fluorescent lights here. Watch me do this. You don't think I own it? Look, I'm right here. I believe the best studio in the world is the world. I tell my clients, which are mainly Fortune 500 companies I'm like, look, let's make content at stores In parking lots, at festivals I genuinely believe that I've always believed that I was honestly the Pied Piper In 2009, 10, 11, 12 Of no production value Wine Library TV didn't even have a mic No lighting, no lighting, no mic Literally whatever the camera picked up And so, yeah, I agree with you I think that Storra's Studio is a big idea.

4:18It's a good framework. Yeah, I think so. Storra's Studio is something that I've really championed more privately than publicly, so I'm glad we're getting to pontificate about this. And I think that's right. If you have the audacity that you're trying to build something and you're gonna tell me that you do not have time to create content, to build brand, and to grow your business, I don't even know what you're doing. What could you possibly be doing that's more important than letting the world know why they should buy your thing. What would you suggest for brands that are looking to stand out in their brand building?

4:50Where should they start? Social. Social. I'm just so tired of this conversation. Organic social is disproportionately the opportunity for everyone in this room and is clearly, for anyone who's been paying attention, been the model that the brands that many of you aspire to be have executed over the last five years to go from zero to 50 or 100 or 250 million in revenue. Understanding that social media doesn't exist anymore and that we're now in interest media where content is finding its audience, not all of us are getting people that we follow content. All of you know this. When you woke up this morning, your feeds were littered with the things you're currently into, not your cousin or somebody you went to high school with that you follow.

5:38This interest media thing has been a massive opportunity for the room in here that's trying to go from zero to the next level. So more financial and emotional and strategic investment to posting organically across seven platforms, not just Instagram and TikTok. YouTube Shorts has never been more important to this room because the content you put out on YouTube Shorts is feeding the Gemini LLM, which is gonna allow your product to show up when people type in I need a healthy beef jerky or I want a healthy, you know, think. LinkedIn for B2B content. Snapchat spotlight if you're trying to reach 15 to 35.

6:20Nobody's marketing in there because Snapchat's doing a terrible job promoting that they have a TikTok and Instagram. Even the most savvy in this room are not attacking there. The written word, Substack, Beehive, X, long form. LinkedIn has never been more opportunistic, especially for people here that do go deep into their product and resourcing and ingredients. So I believe that every single company represented here should spend 20 % of their entire marketing budget just on organic social production. And at the size and scale that a lot of brands are here, under 100 million, I could argue a lot more.

6:56I know that a lot of brands were built in the last generation of social which was A-B testing, Meta, Roaz, CAC, LTV, but the biggest opportunity to build massive brand is to go organic social and when something, when you normally get 800 views, when something gets 57 ,000 views, 570 ,000 views, 5.7 million views, knowing what to do with that creative, sending it down, this is why I call it the mid funnel, sending it down to the lower funnel and making that a performance ad, sending it up, if you've got the budgets to CTV or making it the campaign or even the commercial. Mary Ruth's Organics, Poppy, Liquid Death, many others in this room represented at this incredible event are playing with versions of this.

7:41I would just say more. My ambition for my personal brand, Gary V, is that I will be posting organically on nine platforms, 57 different handles. So like at Gary V Sports or at Uncle V for like the kids on TikTok or at Gary at Garage Sales for that content. Nine platforms, 55 handles or more, and posting over 400 pieces of organic content a day.

8:26better data across the business. The result? Less time spent on operations, more time connecting brands with the moments and fandoms that matter most. Learn more at Accenture.com slash Spotify. So it sounds overwhelming to someone who is not the greatest on social media. So to scale it back just a little bit, let's just say you're starting today. budget is an issue, time is an issue. What is your simplest advice for someone who's looking to become the next Gary Vee? Very few want to be Gary Vee in this room, but a lot of people want to sell their brand to a food holding company, or go coast to coast and build something meaningful, go IPO, or have a nice side business.

9:12It really doesn't matter what your ambition is in what I assume most of you are doing at this event. I would tell you that the first thing you have to do strategically is understand that every one of your companies are a media company that happens to be selling a product. That's number one. And when that becomes the case, you know, people are always like, oh, easy for you, like you have a full team. I'm like, fuck you. I made my own content for eight and a half years before I hired my first person. The receipts are out there. February 21st, 2006, Wine Library TV, no lighting, no mic. I look like I'm a hostage in Afghanistan.

9:55And I'm just reviewing wine from the bottom of my little heart in a world that nobody was watching. Nobody was on YouTube. You guys are so fortunate. The world's attention is on that phone and you can post for free. Two, I don't want to hear time because if you have the audacity that you're trying to build something and you're going to tell me that you do not have time, to create content, to build brand, and to grow your business. I don't even know what you're doing. What could you possibly be doing that's more important than letting the world know why they should buy your thing? Hey everybody, I hope you're enjoying the podcast right now.

10:32Make 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. Social media doesn't work for you because you're not taking it serious for a million reasons. It's free. Yes, you can run ads, but everyone here knows you can post content. It's free, people see it. I'm like, ChatGPT is better than you. My friends, this is happening. You're not in middle school anymore. We are now in code red. Anybody that is not making content every day on social media is disappearing, whether you like it or not. Now, I don't need you to make video.

11:06I understand that a lot of people are insecure about making video. Not everyone can be so dramatically smart, handsome, and charismatic. though for everyone here who is scared to post videos I'd like to just say one little side thing before I move on you're not in middle school anymore Johnny Pants 49 coming on your post saying you're ugly should not stop you from selling houses I understand you I know that you should all be posting on Facebook on Twitter on Instagram on Snapchat LinkedIn is a monster this is extremely important. Here's why. I have spent, like I just told you, 20 years amassing 55 million followers.

11:51And you can post on TikTok today with zero followers on a new handle you make up called Janet in Atlanta. All right, Janet in Atlanta, I see you. And that post with zero followers that you created today, if you make a good piece of content around asparagus or golf or a home has the ability to get more views than me with 15 million followers on TikTok, this level of democracy should piss me off because I've worked very hard for 20 years to amass what I have, but there's no crying in baseball and there's definitely no crying in real estate. And if that gentleman right there stands up at John in Denver and it has zero followers, well, he would have gotten no views five years ago because you had no followers.

12:38Now you can set up new accounts with no followers and the first post could get hundreds of thousands of views. Many people are destined here, Gary, to start a new account on TikTok or YouTube Shorts. It's going to happen after this event. And the first video they make with no followers is going to get more views than the account they have with 5 ,000 followers. These platforms are gauging the content based on the merit of the content, not how many followers you have. and the algorithms are sending it to people that might have interest in it. I don't even look at following count anymore for anything we do in our companies.

13:14It doesn't mean anything. It's views achieved organically. Social media doesn't work for you because you're not taking it serious for a million reasons. The amount of people that flew here or drove here and think of themselves as business winners that come up with unlimited excuses to why they're not creating unlimited content to drive sales and transactions in the most underpriced opportunity of marketing in the history of the world baffles my mind on the hypocrisy in this room. My friends, every media of advertising for the last hundred years costs money. Social. There's people in here being like, oh, I'm really mad at Mark Zuckerberg.

13:52My Instagram's not getting as many views as it did two years ago. It's free. It's free. Yes, you can run ads, but everyone here knows you can post content. It's free. People see it. But I understand you when it comes to social media content because when it comes to business and content, I'm the most disciplined f***er on earth. But when it comes to health and wellness, going to the gym every day and eating right and getting my protein right and not doing the chemicals, I am not. Some of you are incredibly disciplined at the health and wellness, but you are not on this content. You are lacking discipline for many different reasons.

14:30One, that big game you talk about being one of the best real estate agents, you're just talking. You're not living. You love hearing yourself talking that you're going to build an empire, but you're not about that life. Two, you're not posting content because you're not educated about how to do it. And you've literally convinced yourself that you can't spend 20 hours of homework to get good at this, the thumbnail, the hook, the copy that it takes to actually get views to sell homes. Three, and this is for a lot of you, and I want to get you out of this place so bad I touched on it. You're insecure.

15:01You don't like the feeling of having 313 followers when someone in your office has 50 ,000. You don't like the feeling that you used to have 500 new followers a week, but for the last year, you've slowed down. You don't realize that other platforms are getting more attention and that Instagram has hit its point, which is why the supply and demand works. You're not curious, you're not educated, you're not strategic, and you're blaming China. On the record, this is very important. I need you to stick with me here. China does not give a f*** about you. Your audacity is very high. My friends, this is a warfare of personal brand.

15:40Your reputation, if you don't like that term, is now everything. People knowing you exist is going to be the battleground for real estate agents of the next decade. Reputation and experience will continue to decline. Experience matters, but all the great things you know, AI is commoditizing in your face. It's commoditized now. Zoning and inspections and everything you bring to the table in your interview when you're convincing me you're the right person and you've been doing this for 32 years and you're like, I'll never make a mistake. I'm like, ChatGPT is better than you. My friends, this is happening.

16:15This is binary now. I've been yelling about this for 20 years and you know it. We are now in code red. Anybody that is not making content every day on social media is disappearing, whether you like it or not. You think I'm happy that Substack came out? I had this shit figured out 20 years ago when it was email and search. I'm not happy that social came along. I hate when new platforms come and I have to spend 400 hours of research to get good at it. I just don't know how to live in a fantasy world. So my question to you is, are you ready to wake up this Sunday morning? Has this church sermon done good?

16:49Or are you just going to be hyped for a couple of minutes right now? Be like, yeah, I'm going to do it. And then next Thursday, eat the f***ing gummy bears. How many people here sell a physical item? Raise your hands. So for everyone who just raised their hand, TikTok shop and whatnot are very important because live shopping is here. I believe that attention is disproportionately the most important asset in the world. Money is printed every day without any logic. But attention is finite. I wish people understood. I don't love social media. I love customers' attention so that I can do what I want to get done.

17:25And right now, the underpriced attention is clearly in social. But the tactics, they must become unbelievably adaptable. I did not grow up being the social media guy. I was the direct mail, newspaper, Google AdWords, email marketing guy. Then I became the social media guy. And guess what? You and I will be sitting here in 10 years, And I'll be talking about AR, VR, some sort of new technology that you and I don't even know exists yet. Friends, listen to me. I'm going to say it slow. We have another five to seven years, maybe more, maybe less. This is my guess of the golden era of attention arbitrage for free.

18:09We have five to seven more years of the golden era of attention arbitrage for free. We don't even live in social media anymore. We now live in interest media. Five years ago, you got content from the people you followed, even if you didn't give a shit what your cousin was doing today. I started a TikTok account. The first post on that account with zero followers got 8.2 million organic views. You better understand that every one of you now live in an AI world. This is only going to compound dramatically. Your third TikTok can fundamentally change the course of your career. This, my friends, is about adaptability.

18:48This is being prepared for the moment. Look, there's so much opportunity in social media and whether you make the content or somebody else makes the content, the one thing that we are all bound by is that we are all fighting for attention of a human being to then do the thing that you want them to do. And attention has moved. We now live in a world that is incredibly fragmented and I think we all know that. In fact, we don't even live in social media anymore. We now live in interest media. As many of you know that are on TikTok or Instagram or Facebook, five years ago, you got content from the people you followed, even if you didn't give a shit what your cousin was doing today.

19:23Today, when you opened up your TikTok or Instagram or Facebook, you're getting content of things you're currently interested in. The most intoxicating thing to me right now in the warfare of attention to build your actual business is that even if you've done nothing right for the last 15 years, the world we're in now allows you to close the gap very quickly. I've been making content now for 20 years. You've done nothing right and your third TikTok can fundamentally change the course of your career. I'm just going to leave. Thank you. The point I'm making there is this is insane. I've literally worked my face off for 20 years, 15 hours a day to amass 50 million followers.

20:05And if you make a very good piece of content as your fourth piece of content ever, it can literally lead to 15 to 20 new clients and leads or an employee that you're looking to hire or whatever you're up to. Run for mayor in your town. I don't give a shit. What I care about is you understanding the intoxicating nature of the merit of a single post now, not what you've done to get to that single post. How many of you tried a little bit and didn't get the results you were looking for? Let's raise your hands. Raise it high. So for the 80 or 90 of you, I have good news. It, as you just saw works, you just suck at it.

20:41And that's good. That's not a bad thing. That's a good thing. Whatever you were doing was not working. It could be multiple things you gave up too early because you didn't have the patience for how much content needed to be done to break through. If your content is completely selfish and it's only about like, hey, this is what I do and I'd like you to give me money so that I can do it for you, that is not going to work. It's like boxing. If every single post you have is a right hook, the audience starts getting used to it and they're able to duck. If you do not put out the jab content or the faint content to set it up, you will lose.

21:14In my world, with the hope to grow your business, the jab content and the faint content is basically information for free with the hopes that it helps. That value will create the karma and will create the energy that will lead to the sale. What has built my career and many people that I've watched, who's the most committed to bringing the most value to the audience and letting the residual effects of that value drive their actual business. Doing good things leads to good results. The issue that I have that's different than a year ago is this social media thing is free. Google AdWords, you pay for.

21:51Direct mail, you pay for. Print ads, pay for. Social is free. Now, you can spend ads on it, which I recommend. By the way, how many people here spend ad dollars on social to get business? Raise your hands. All right, I'm going to give you a very nuanced thing this morning that I hope you listen to me. The days of taking and making a video or an ad or a picture and running media on Facebook or Instagram or TikTok to get clients are over. You should always post every piece of content you make for a sale or an ad organically first. If it does well in views compared to your norm, that's what you start running media on.

22:30Many of you are wasting a lot of money on social because it cannot get views unless the creative is relevant. How many pieces of content did you post in social yesterday? Raise your hand and show me in fingers how many you posted. Six, two, thank you. Ten. Good shit, big dog. I posted 432. I'm being serious. How many people here follow me on social? Raise your hands just to get a sense. Thank you. Have some of you that just raised your hands starting to notice that there's new accounts starting to pop up for me? So it's not just Gary V. It's Gary V on podcast. It's Uncle V on fucking TikTok. I will probably have, by the end of the year, over a thousand different accounts.

23:14Because what I've been telling you that you don't need followers to get views, I started saying to myself, I'm not gonna cry for myself that my 20 years of work have been commoditized. I'm just gonna go on the offense of the same thing. This, my friends, is about adaptability. This is being prepared for the moment. How many people here have seen the piece of content where I met that young girl after a talk and she said, I know one day I'm going to be somebody. And I said, you're somebody now. I started a TikTok account called you're somebody now. The first post I posted on that account with zero followers was a slight edit on the video that did well for me, which is why many of you saw it.

23:51That video with zero followers got 8.2 million organic views. When every single person goes to an AI bot and says, I need a chiropractor now, who should I go with? You better understand that every one of you now live in an AI world. This is only going to compound dramatically. And I need you to have a brand because brand is going to be the only thing that's defensible in this extreme technology world. I'm going to take you to the complete other extreme. And I believe this has the capacity to grow your business dramatically. I am asking all of you to call, text, write to every client you've ever had.

24:31All I am asking you is to reach out to them and see how they're doing. Nothing else. I'm not telling you to do it because I think they're going to re-up with you and you're going to remind them and they're going to be like, oh, I need you. I think if you really do it the way I'm saying, which is just be a good person and just say hello. When you reach out, you are not looking for a transaction. You are looking to say hello. And this is the whole game that we're about to go into, friends. The whole world is about to be a barbell. Extreme technology over here. AI, robots, weird ass shit that we're not ready for.

25:04And then all the way over here, 1950s. And this is an opportunity because now you have nothing to complain about or cry. You don't want to be on this new technology kick with me? Mazel tov. But you better be on some old grandpa shit from the 1940s. And if you don't do one of the two, well, you're a bitch. This episode is brought to you by Accenture. When your advertising operations fall out of sync, everything else follows. Spotify and Accenture are working together to reinvent the rhythm of ad sales, using automation, analytics, and smarter workflows to simplify campaign delivery and access better data across the business.

25:41The result? Less time spent on operations, more time connecting brands with the moments and fandoms that matter most. Learn more at Accenture.com slash Spotify.

25:53You're going to have to pick one. And for whoever's a psycho enough to actually have their actions map their ambitions or the words that come out of their mouth, you need to do both. There's another platform that has really caught my attention and is gaining incredible steam. How many people here do not make social media content because they don't like the way they look on video or they're awkward when they're recorded on video? Raise your hands. It's okay. Be vulnerable, please. Raise your hands. I'm empathetic to that. I will say one quick thing to all of you. We are not in seventh grade anymore.