Why Electricians and Skilled Manual Labor Will Become More Valuable in the AI Era

0:00Life is fully predicated on your ability to lose in front of other people. Every one of you is unhappy, not as successful as you want, things are confusing, anxious in the tummy, because you have way too much energy put in thinking about what other people think about your losses. This is it. The second you realize the reason things are not going well for you is because you actually care what strangers, or even worse, what people that you don't even like or want to be like, think about your failures. You did not learn how to get comfortable with losing as a child. You did not understand that losing was the great thing.

0:40In fact, if you're under 40, unfortunately, most parents raising during your era thought that losing was bad. So we made eighth place trophies. So we fought our fights for our kids. We over coddled and we taught all of you to be scared of losing and to think that losing is bad. 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. I 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.

1:21So you need to go to VEEFriends, VFriends.com slash old books. Go to vfriends.com slash oldbooks 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. So please go to vfriends.com slash oldbooks where you can start your journey on reactivating your book games journey. I've noticed from the Sora 2 platform now, what are your thoughts on how to engage with the audience authentically on a tool where everything is AI generated?

2:09Well, ideas are coming from humans. Like people have been making videos with me on Sora 2. If everybody goes to my schmista scam, if you're asking me why I'm calling the very popular app schmista scam, it's because I don't want the algorithm here to hurt me. When you mention other sites, it hurts you here on TikTok. So if you all go to my SchmistaSam, you'll see my latest post and the link in my bio is to an AI-generated social network. Sora 2 is going after that space. I'm very excited about it. The AI ideas are authentic because they're coming from a human. The output is obviously generated, but like, I don't know, like when we Photoshop, when we use Photoshop and we put edits on top of, I mean, what's authentic?

2:55People use unlimited, Raghav, do you know all these ladies are trying to trick us with all their filters and all these angles? I mean, people know how to angle as if they've been doing glute exercises for six years. Is that authentic? What's authentic? I mean, I actually think the idea is authentic. All the videos that people have made with me, and by the way, all of you can go to my schmistagram, hit the link in the bio, download the new app, and it's unbelievable. So that's it. I think we're gonna forget about AI's authenticity pretty quickly. I do think that videos of people saying things they didn't say, there's a TikTok ad running right now with me promoting a product, and it looks like me.

3:40So there is gonna be that authentic issue that we're gonna have to deal with. All right, let's keep it going. Johnny asks, can you break down the skillset required to be a great content creator on social versus a skill set to be a great live seller? Social media creative. So for example, Seth is in the building, lead creative in our world, great madman, Madison Avenue dude, also has YouTube skills, one of the reasons I hired him. What I'm pushing him and everybody at Vayner to understand, and you know this, Raghav, you and Nareya, as you know, as Team Gary has leveled up in the last three to four months compared to where we were, we've become hyper-focused, less on operations or other things.

4:17we're just focused on views, right? And so what does that mean? That means thumbnail understanding. That means platform understanding. What do I mean by platform understanding? That means understanding that Instagram might be valuing carousels more than videos, videos more than pictures, 10 second videos more than one minute videos. Thumbnails, how do you stop someone? Do you have the strategic and creative skill to stop someone in one second, right? Do you keep them engaged three to five? You know this, I keep bringing it up. It's not something we've cracked yet. I'm trying to understand, is it three, four, five, six, seven, eight seconds into a video?

4:51Do we need to do another? You know this. We've never done this, Narayan Raghav. This is now a Team Gary meeting. I want something to pop up six seconds in to distract them, to throw them off, right? They're like five or six seconds in. Pops up, follow me on Sora. First five people to DM me comic books right now will get a free comic. Just that pops up. Remember old pop-up video on VH1? Like what are we doing five, 10, 15 seconds in? For brands, five seconds into the video, DM us and we'll send you a coupon. No one of my companies thinking about that yet. We've gotta get more advanced in that skill.

5:26That is a content creator, right? A live shopping person needs to understand how to get people excited about buying something. Right now I have a comic book pinned. Do notice what I'm doing right now. I'm post-producing. Above me right now is sold items on the bay. Rogoff, you see that? This is sold items on the bay. That's a$3 ,000 trading card. This is intriguing people. How many of you are watching right now and you're intrigued by the VFriends things up above and you're trying to figure out like, what is this VFriends thing? This Gary V's Pokemon thing. Has the sold items intrigued you, right?

6:01Has it been intrigued, right? Mel's Heart Studio, John's, people are intrigued. That may get them to understand. Not my hyperbole saying, hey, buy my stuff. No, no, we're actually building it. it's been building for four years they might have heard about it but they might not fully understand what's happening let's keep it going what can I answer for you what's the next question hey everybody I hope you're enjoying the podcast right now make 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 we got a question from Blue Mayor I'm an electrical engineering graduate I want to move into the electrical designing field but I have a fear that if I keep changing jobs that it will make a bad reputation on my CV, is it okay to change a job again if it doesn't suit you and how do you think about that?

6:46This is one of the things that is the pet peeve of my life. Your CV slash resume having different jobs jumping around different industries has historically been frowned upon. That was propaganda of corporations to make employees stay in companies. I have no idea what any of you, like I don't know anything. In fact, Seth was at Anomaly too long. I almost didn't hire him because he was at a company too long. I'm obviously joking. I do, you know, as a business owner, you do like to see longevity and loyalty because you value that, you're looking for that. But I have hired unlimited people that have been at six different places, six months apiece because I'm a human being and I'm empathetic and I understand some people need to do that.

7:27Everyone, if you are not quitting your bullcrap job right now, if you are not quitting your bullcrap job right now because you're scared of how it's gonna look on your resume, quit.

7:45People, I don't even know a single, if you ask me what college court, train, or Seth went to, no idea. We don't even require a college degree at VaynerX. It's just not even on, the rules have changed. Yes, this guy again, my bucket list 88. It's good to see you. Good morning. And see, the college isn't a scam. College is a problem for creative and entrepreneurial people who collect debt. to go to college. If your mommy and daddy pay for college, it's the best. It's a four-year vacation of pure fun and debauchery. But if you're collecting debt and you're creative or entrepreneurial, you're in deep doo-doo.

8:28It's one of the great mistakes. All right, let's keep it going. Katie's asking, you just turned 50. I'm about to turn 37. What would be the advice you would have given yourself about 13 years ago in retrospect at that age. Listen, I'm one of the most consistent content creators in the world. My belief systems are really simple, which is all of you are crippled by insecurity about many things. Random strangers' opinions about your looks, how much money someone else makes, how much fame someone else makes. In fact, one of my biggest pet peeves in the world, get ready to clip this, how on earth did 8.3 billion people decide to focus on 83 people that are billionaires and the most attractive and the most unbelievable people on earth and decide their life sucks because of 83 people instead of looking at the other 8.3 billion people.

9:26We've completely lost our way. Nobody else's life, happiness, success, beauty, fame has anything to do with you. No one else is taking anything from you. and if you're 37 years old and you think you're finished and it's over, well then you are hanging around the wrong people. You are listening to the wrong people. In fact, many of you, let's get into some real talk here. The great mistake of the 1 ,200 people, the 1 ,148 people that are watching this morning right now, the greatest mistake is they are listening to people that they don't even want to be like. The amount of you that listen to your mom who's also cynical, or your aunt, or your boss, or your coworker, the amount of you that listen and believe people that you don't even wanna be like is blowing my mind and upsetting me.

10:27It's a problem. You need to start paying attention to people you want to be like, but people that you want to be like are pushing love, not hate. People that you want to be like are choosing accountability, not blame. People that you want to be like are talking about hard work, not blaming a system. People that you want to be like are talking about patience, not instant gratification. People that you want to be like are talking about hard stuff, not easy stuff. And that's it. That's it, friends. I got nothing else for you at 921 a.m. Eastern. Stop listening to people that are losing that are trying to misery loves company you and start putting positivity, accountability, and optimism.

11:11Ayo! That's what we're about here. You like that, Aaron? That was a good one. Ayo! You know what Ayo is? If you've been watching me on TikTok Live, which is a session of mine going into 2026, I will be live all the time, so please follow me. Top left corner. Hit my face, follow me, and hit the bell. Ayo stands for accountability and optimism. Accountability and optimism. Accountability and optimism. It's on me and we can do it. It's on me and we can do it. It's my fault, not their fault. And I know I can. Listen, and if I'm triggering you right now because you don't want that heat, you don't want to be accountable.

11:52You like laying in the mud and pointing fingers at the government, at your boss, at your mom and dad. Well, then you can go to the next FYP. you can swipe away from me right now I don't want you to because I want to grab you and shake you and get you to happiness and lack of anxiety I want that so bad I'm so grateful for my joy my peace of mind my accountability I want that for you I want this for you so bad I want this for you so bad but a lot of you are not ready for my heat you're like screw this guy easy for you you're rich, you're this, you're that, you're a white male. You can excuse me up.

12:34But let me promise you, most of you don't know me like that. You don't know where I'm from. Hey everybody, I hope you're enjoying the podcast right now. Make 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. Actually, I got a good one. Check this out, everybody. Let me show you where I'm from. Because my cousin Bobby found a photo of me.

13:00I love when people are like, let me show you where I'm actually from. This photo's never been seen before even by my family until the other day. Look at this shack. I look like, this is 1976 in Russia, but it looks like 1922 in America. I'm from the, look at this, look at this. Look at this, look where I'm born. Look where I'm from. I'm from the dirt. You understand? That's me, by the way. Look at this sourpuss. I didn't like Russia. Look at this little guy. He doesn't want to be there. He wants to be in America. I was like, I don't want to be in Russia. But look at this. Look at this. Raghav, this is where I'm from.

13:40Yeah, bro. I need you to, I'm happy. I'm so happy I get to see your face, Raghav. That's where I'm from. Dirt. Dirt, bro. I'm from dirt. I don't want to hear it. You can do this. You're right, Dustin. My parents made the move. And we lived in more dirt. studio apartment queens grandma gets mugged first week in america we're all excited america like it was a struggle but we worked anyway let's keep it going how many people have never seen me before just f y p'd and are feeling some value here say first time good time thank you culinary icon thank you lux now let's go the other way oh geez who's been watching me for more than five years, put a five in here.

14:27My plan for 2026 is to be live. Please learn about VFriends. If you're a Pokemon, Marvel, SportsCard watch, sneaker collector, learn about my world, please. Go ahead, Raghav Nureyeh, what's the next question? We got some relationship advice question from Josh. After a big mistake in a relationship, I'm left waiting for the other party to decide whether we'll continue. My instincts say reach out, but I suspect the wiser move is to let them come to me if they're going to. How do I deal with the waiting in between and when is it time to make a move? By being accountable, you made the mistake. You need to wait and you need to sit.

15:01And you know, life is life. Like that person may not be able to forgive you and everything moves on, maybe they will and your relationship is stronger, maybe you've learned from it. But I think you gotta sit in the pain. When you make mistakes, you're supposed to sit in pain.

15:29I mean that's it, that's all I got. Like I think this person needs to wait it out. When he says make a move, whether that's to reach out or move on with another relationship, that's on you. Relationship advice is hard, but I think for everyone that's hanging out here, understanding that when you make a mistake, you have to feel the pain is a great thing to learn. This is why I love sports, losing is good. You played, you lost, you gotta sit with it. you could be a psycho like I was as a kid and say we gotta play again like nobody ever liked to like my cousin my older cousin Bobby hated to play with me when I was little because if I lost and pooled to him play again play again play again that's tenacity that's learning you know a lot of kids by the way if you're a parent that has a kid that shies away from playing board games and other things that's called insecurity you want to teach kids to learn to love to lose my relationship with losing my love of losing is incredibly exciting to me.

16:25All right, let's keep it going. George asks, given the next 10 years, what are the three industries I should position my kids to work? Next 10 years, industries you should position your kids. I really like HVAC, electricians. You know I like the manual labor thing because I think the data centers with AI, arg, I'm a pirate. I think a lot of people are going to really see that. Number two, actually before I answer the other two, the real answer is you don't position your kids into an industry that you think is gonna have money in 10 years, you position your kids into an industry that they are clearly showing interest in because passion is the fuel to hard work.

17:08Hard work is how good stuff happens. I have no interest in my two kids to be an entrepreneur, to be an electrician, to be anything else I want them to be. I want them to like their game the way I like my game. Whether that's a teacher, a guidance counselor, a softball teacher, a gardener, a ceramics instructor, a ski lift operator, a coffee. Like I don't just like your life. We've become so materialistic. So keeping up with the Joneses. I love how everyone's like all upset out here and meanwhile continue to like strive for like burka bags and a million Instagram followers and they don't realize what the problem is.

17:57The problem is we've lost our way from simplicity.

18:05I want my kids to not have anxiety on their chest which means self-esteem and doing something they like. Real self-esteem, not over coddling bull crap, modern parenting bull crap, where you fight their fights for them. Kids need to lose. In fact, I believe every boy between the ages of five and 12 should get punched directly in the face by another kid. I feel like that is the step one of becoming an actual man. And you know, everybody gets triggered like, Gary, violence, blah, blah, blah. Okay, raise your kid the way you want. I like punched in the face. I believe my punches in the face were good Steve Jobs 719 no that's BS respect respect but I think when a seven year old boy runs his mouth and the other boy punches him in the face it's a good life lesson why do you think we have so many people talking tough shit in the chat right now you all grow up over coddled and never got punched in the face ah man I love it Because when you got punched in the face, you're respectful.

19:15I don't know. One man's point of view. One man's point of view. By the way, I'm not advocating violence. What are we talking about? Talking about old 1980s dirt in the hand kind of stuff. Just a little balance. Parents going to school yelling at teachers because their kid got a B and they want an A? Over coddled. Got 27 year old grown men walking around New York City with their mom having Life 360 on them, asking them why they're still out at 11 p.m. We need men.

19:49Ladies, too. It's all about discipline and respect. I don't know. Everyone's like, everything's all screwed up. Let's blame it on social media. Nah. Let's blame it on parenting. Let's blame it on eighth place trophies. Let's blame it on running our mouth. Let's blame it on people coming on people's social media platforms and being negative on them. I don't know. Of course Washu, don't punch children. When I said a punch, I meant an eight year old against an eight year old. Mano a mano. All right, let's keep it going. Maurice is asking, after spending 18 years in the corporate world, I've decided to quit and you played a role in this bold decision.

20:27But I'm unsure how to unlearn my corporate mindset. How can I discover my true passion and understand what I genuinely enjoy doing given that it's unfamiliar to explore this? It's hard, man. I'm going to say such a weird analogy right now. This is super weird. Everybody follow with me. I've just been diagnosed with a mind muscle issue to my left glute. Have you guys noticed that when I take a photo, my left leg pops out? Yes. Do you know that after years of believing that that's because it's genetics from my great grandfather, because there's photos of him doing it, that in the last three weeks, it's because I don't have mind muscle memory between my brain and my left glute.

21:04It's fully shut off, which is why I have back issues. my adductor and QL compensate. So literally, I have glute amnesia. Like I can't connect it. I am working on that and I'm working through every day the PT. And so I'm really excited about that. I've already paid enormous dividends on it. And the same thing for this gentleman. He needs to put in the PT. He needs to put in the hard work that does not come natural to his brain to explore new things. He needs to sign up for free tango classes. He needs to sign up for cooking classes. He needs to go to master class and buy seven different courses on different things.

21:42You have to force yourself to be uncomfortable. Everything that is not natural is hard. You have to force yourself into it. And it's discipline, it's grinding through the tough days. This morning I did not want to wake up at 6.30 and do PT. Was not something I wanted to do. You know, I'm like, man, it's Tuesday before Thanksgiving. all these motherfuckers are not even working today. I'm like PT and I got all these meetings. You know like, really that's like, I wake up like that too, but that's like four seconds. I'm human, I'm not a robot yet.

22:22But I persevered through it. I fought it, I fought it, I fought it, fought it, fought it. You guys don't want to fight because mommy overcoddled. It's real talk. Got to get out of our overcoddling. Got to get into our grit. We got to get into the mud. I feel like everybody needs to play backyard football this December. Tackle football. I have a big idea for everyone. This Thanksgiving, if it's super cold and rainy where you are, force everybody in your family to play backyard tackle football and tackle the shit out of your grandma. Break her hip. Actually, that's wrong. Grandma went through the struggle.

23:09She knows. Destroy your young cousin. Blow up his spot. We need to get dirtier. We need to bleed. We need grit. We are a mature empire in first world countries. Most of Western Europe. America, like we're getting soft.

23:34Grit, grit. Washu says, guys don't do elder abuse, he's right. Washu is really holding it down in here and hedging my over excitement of trying to make my point in a verbal fun way. Chris G says, bro started falling off and now he's selling his own comic books. Respect Chris, but I don't think so my guy. I think it's the other way. I think I'm building the next Pokemon and I can't wait to chop it. I hope I meet you somewhere in 20 years and we'll see who's right. But Chris, I'm wishing you the best Thanksgiving, my guy, and I know you're just playing. Oh, turkey head! Chris, did you do that? My man.

24:08I like Chris in here. All right, let's keep it going. Go ahead, Rogoff. What's your response to the current housing solution for today's youth? Do you have a perspective on that? I think a lot of people should not buy their own home. I don't think homes are some, like this whole concept that homes are this remarkable investment has not played out for a lot of people. In fact, I think most people are not disciplined and they buy a house above their means. They take all their liquid for the down payment, which makes them not flexible, which makes them lock into a job that they hate. I think a lot more people should rent early on in their careers.

24:38This whole own a home is the American dream and now a home is not affordable. You know this is all the fucking bullshit. Guys, wake up! But rents are high, I get it, but like humility kicks in. There's a million variables to this. Do you have a side hustle? Do you buy$12 Starbucks coffees? Are you taking an Uber everyday? Like how we spend our money, I don't know man. Lipper says I lost 100K on Pokemon and millions of people have made 100K. That means you played it wrong. There is no universal. There is no universal, you have to be good at the thing. So that's what I think Raghav, I don't think you need to own a home.

25:18But I think you need to figure out how to make money. and there's a lot of ways to make money. I'll give you one. Everybody, everyone who's on here, do you have 50 followers on this platform? Do you have, oh, this is very cute. Do you have 50 followers on TikTok? How many of you have 50 followers on TikTok? Please say 50 in the chat right now. I have the 1 ,200 of you. I need to know. Great. Every one of you should go live on TikTok and talk about things in your career or your side hustle or your business. Go live. I have 1 ,228 people here. Yes, I have 15 million followers, but watch this. I want you to watch carefully.

25:57Hey friends who are watching right now, how many of you have never seen me before, know nothing about me, and I just showed up on your FYP and you're hanging around now and learning? Say, I'm new to you. Say, I'm new to you. If you've never seen me before, you've never seen me before. You have no idea what this face is or what I do. Say, I'm new to you. Look, all these people, look at this. For a lot of you, you've watched me every day for 11 years. I have 50 million followers in social. But look at this, look at all these people that are saying I'm new to you. There's a billion people on Earth.