Why You Need Take the Time to DM 4,000 People

0:01This is the Gary Vee Audio Experience. Hey everybody, it's Gary Vaynerchuk. New interview session right now with Josh York. I'm gonna, let me say this simple. There's a single, single reason this episode is happening and it's called Perseverance. I am a big fan, excuse me, of telling a lot of you right now to DM 100, like every day all I hear is complaining. I read it all day. My life is garbage these days. All I do is read complaining. And there's so much solutions in an internet world that it just makes me like, I'm so passionate, if you're listening right now, for people to know how in control you actually are with the internet.

0:43Because the internet doesn't know what school you went to, where you came from, what your family's last name is. It's just a platform. And so when I say my hyperbole of like, hey, just DM 100 people that you want to work for. or just make content for somebody and show them. Just take it. I mean it. 4 ,000 will say no, but 4 ,001 says yes and isn't that better than the shit job you have? Everyone's like, I want to live my dream. I'm like, wouldn't you? If I told you you would 100 % have your dream come true if you actually DM'd on Instagram 4 ,001 people, I would argue almost everybody would do that logically.

1:19It's just that you don't believe me when I say it. And so the reason I really wanted Josh on the show is he just basically outwilled me to be on this show. And then when I sat down with him, I did some speech in the Upper East or West Side, and then we had a coffee or lunch, and basically that's all he's ever really done. And very honestly, he's here for his selfish wants and needs of exposure, which is right. All humans are right in a good way. I'm here selfishly because I think me setting up this podcast and telling you how we even got on it. Now, what's gonna happen next is 8 ,000 of you are gonna bog the shit out of me, and I'll tell you right now, 7 ,999 of you will never be here.

1:58You know, it took, you know, serendipity, moments in time, and the fact that he's actually built something, which is an important part of this story. But for there to be no confusion, there's one selfish reason he's on this show, which is every one of you can have the business, the job, the show you want to be on if you actually understand how to ask. I do think that there's a fine line between annoyance. I mean, there's so many people bugging the living shit out of me, right? Actively right now, there are thousands of people bothering me with the way they're emailing me. My favorite is when you email me 97 times in a row, thinking that's gonna, what happens is we, my admins delete it, and then the IT department blocks your email and anything to associate with you in perpetuity.

2:46So like, there's the right way to jab, there's the right way to have, listen, the perfect balance of persistence and charm is very difficult. It's a natural, innate thing, but here's what I will say. If you try to figure out how to bring value to somebody and you persevere, like I really do think there's a play here. And honestly, to be very frank, I think Josh Bilyer, really meaningful business. I'm not in the mindset of investing now. I'd rather buy sports cards than invest in companies. but even though it wasn't like a perfect execution for me of like I'm getting this value, then let me have him on the podcast, it was so important for me to have an actual human manifestation of the thing that I want all of you to do out there, which is like look, if you wanna be a rapper, a producer for rap, like go ask 47 ,000 times, Metro Boomin, you know, Sunny Digital, like Murder Beat, Just fucking ask, like fuck, ask.

3:49Now, if you know how to ask with grace, it's gonna work better. If you know how to reverse engineer the person of what they care about at this moment, like if somebody has a new album coming out and they're your favorite rapper, Young Nudie has an album out today. If Nudie's your guy, like you could have made 25 pieces of content if you're that person and sent it, DM'd to him to help him post on his social channels because everybody needs more content and then that might have been the reason you got the job. So there's a cadence to it. There's one huge setup, because I'm going to let Josh talk most of the rest of the way, of why he's here.

4:25And that's it. That's fucking it. What's up, bro? Well, listen, first off, I want to say is that the value is definitely coming your way. Okay, good. And I'm telling you right now, not to be ballsy, but this is going to go down as the greatest podcast you've ever done. The content is going to be pouring through this microphone. I'm telling you that right now. I believe you. Because my story is incredible. I've done it bootstrapped, as I like to refer to it with a shoe dog in it. I've done a bootstrap. Today we are the fastest growing in the fitness space. We're disrupting the entire fitness industry.

4:51And in 15, 20 years, just like I know you're gonna own the Jets, and I know why you're gonna own it, because you already own it in your head. I'm the same guy as you. I know exactly how you think. So Josh, help everybody who hears that. Why do so many people have it in their head and it doesn't happen? What's the disconnect between having it in your head and it actually happening from your perspective? Yeah, well, first of all, everyone wants the gold. but people just say, you know what? I'll settle for the silver. People don't actually cross the finish line. People, as it hurts. Why? Number one.

5:19From your perspective. One of the best point of view. Well, first of all, you said something the other day that I was just watching that I love. People fold like cheap chairs. I believe business is 80 % mindset. 80 % mindset. I always put myself in the most uncomfortable situations. Like, just so everyone knows. I'm gonna tell you why. Because putting yourself in uncomfortable situations allows you to get comfortable. This has been going on four years. But I never stop. And you're just talking about a story, and I'll share a really great story. So when I first started my company, it's Jim Guys with a Z, but I needed the S.

5:50Why? Because no one knew the brand yet, and I knew people were going to go to the S rather than the Z. Jim Guys, the S at the end of Guys. It's with a Z now. I know this. Yes, but I needed the S because in the beginning of starting, most people won't think like this. I get it. People are going to come to that site, and I'm going to lose business. Of course. So this guy, Al, shout out to my man Al. He's in Colorado. He was selling the website for$48 ,000. I was lucky if I had 48 cents in my pocket. So what I did was I literally Googled, looked up the domain, went on his site, you know, and I called him once, hang up, hang up, hang up, hang up.

6:21We're like 50 times in now. I was like, you know what? I got his address, I'm gonna go to his house. I book a flight to Colorado, I go to his house. Before we go anywhere else, Josh, how many times have you been in jail? Never. Good, I love it. So even though you're stalking, you're doing it in a tasteful way that doesn't scare people. Because people are scary. Yeah, but I'm not scary, man. No, no, but you're giving advice right now and some people on the other side right now are gonna do the scary version of it and be in jail. So it's important for you to break down. I'm being serious, you agree with me, right?

6:47I agree with you. People go to fucking jail. 100%. And you have a better tact than that. I think actually, for no shits, you have to figure out some of the subtleness in that because some people are just like, some people will run through this glass door instead of opening it and in that is the punchline. Yep, yep. Go ahead. Went to the fucking guy's house. Went to his house, knock on his door, no one's there. I'm like, all right, I'll come back later. No one's there. I'm like, I'm in a rural area. So just with like eyesight, you see the house all the way down, probably like a mile away. Knock on the door.

7:17Chances are, do you know Al? Oh, he's away with his family this week. I'm like, you've got to be kidding me. So I write a note, leave it to his neighbor, go to his house, leave a note. About two weeks later, I get a call from Al. He goes, you know, this is actually crazy now that you're stalking me. I said, Al, listen, I'm not stalking you. Can you not feel my passion dripping through your phone? I said, I'm going to build the largest fitness brand in the world. the chances of that not happening you got a higher probability of seeing elephants fly on the 71st time he gave me the sight for free.

7:46Mic drop, right? Yeah. At the end of the day you got to just if you believe in something some real shit because I think this you know this is my podcast and all I think about is the listeners and how do I bring them value I'm pumped that you're going to get this awareness and people are going to love you and all that I mean that. I think you know me well enough at this point. I really do mean that I'm excited for that to be good for you. I'm passionate about them. So there's so many people that I can't wait to put restraining orders on because they, there's a lot of people that do this wrong. I'm serious, let's really spend some, before we go into, we'll find time for your part in this, straight up on some real shit.

8:24What do you think allows you to go that hard and get things done where 99, I'm gonna say it again, 99 % of the people don't and end up in really weird spaces where they get in trouble, they get restraining orders, they lose their way, what do you think in your tact? You know where I'm going, right? Because there's a real bad version of you. And I know a lot of those people, I've had those people, I know unlimited people that have those people, and those people really lose because it's not just going to jail or a restraining order, you get a reputation amongst winners and then you're blacklisted.

8:59How do you feel like you've been able to, what's your gut tell you on that? You may not even know the answer. No, I do, I do. I think every business in general, everyone's in the people business. I think the number one most important thing is relationships. And if you don't have, I know you and I connected right away. Even when we met two years ago in Vegas, I knew we had a connection, but I didn't go crazy and keep calling you and calling you because I knew that was the wrong play. You know, originally, I don't even know if you know, I sent Tyler, I shipped you a tire. Yes, I remember that. Yeah, and I wrote my drive in intensity to leave tread marks all over your floor.

9:26And I know no one ever shipped you a tire, so I was like, you know what, I'll start with something really out there. No, I remember Tyler came in, he's like, dude, did you meet some guy in Vegas? I was like, yeah, I met him in a side room, good guy, bald dude. This is literally what I said. He's like, he shipped. Did you say handsome? I didn't say that, I said bald dude. I said, I remember this moment like it was yesterday. He's like, he said the tire, I'm like, throw it away, and went on my day. But that's an important part of the story. 100 % is important. Because that actually happened. Smart little move, Tyler comes in, I'm like, fuck that dude, I don't want to fucking, throw it away.

9:51I'm like, I know what he's doing, because I know. I get it. I'm like, throw that fucking, now, here's real truth, and this is why everybody has to hear this, because I'm obsessed with this episode bringing value. The only reason I told him to throw it away was when he asked. This is not a joke. Know this. Anybody that you're desperate to meet is busy and is a firefighter. 100%. Right? So if Tyler asked me a different moment where a meeting got canceled and I weirdly had two minutes to my... I would have looked at it. I would have loved it. He asked me... I don't remember this part. Inevitably when a client fired us, when I had a problem with like an employee, right?

10:32I was not in the right mindset to have that hundredth of a second. That is actually real life. Real life, I FaceTimed somebody on Snapchat the other day for five minutes, they want a Twitter thing with me. He said when he posts, when I posted him in the, I had the 90 second clip for like two seconds this year, he posted it, or I posted it, and he said he had 800 friends reach out to him. Like just whatever the number was, a lot. And they're like, oh my God, you got five minutes of care review, I've watched every piece of content of his for four years, two years, nine years. All these stories, and he told me on the FaceTime, he goes, I'm embarrassed because I'd only discovered you 40 days earlier.

11:11And I was like, man, that's so how life is, right? This guy discovered me 40 days earlier, and he gets this five minutes, where there's people who are listening right now who've been following me for six years, have desperately looked for five minutes, and it hasn't happened. Cause that's real life, that's not I'm a bad guy, That's not your unlucky. We have to wrap our head around serendipity and look for the moments. Keep going. But let me tell you something. Please. I'm a big believer and I know you're down with this. I think visualization is a very big important component of success. Like I believe you have to, like I vision this.

11:42Like I've actually seen this and I've obsessed over it. Just like again, we'll go back to the Jets. I know for a fact that you're gonna own the Jets because I know you're obsessed with it. You have to be so obsessed but not to the point where it's crazy. You scare the fuck out of people. Yeah, well you scare people, it's gotta be calculated. Have you ever scared anybody? No, never man. I believe you. Some people are funny the other way. Some people are scared by me and I'm like Jesus. I'm not. No, you're a nice guy, man. You're great. All right. Now you have the S. You have, yeah, so I have the S, got the website, it's great, you know, and.

12:11Tell everybody the model, because I think the model's interesting. Sure, sure. Because I think it's a replicatable model for some hustlers listening. Absolutely, so. It's a franchisee business. It's a franchise business, right? But there's no physical locations. No location, no brick and mortar. It's a van. we bring the workout to you. Home office, pool park, place of worship. You want to work out in the closet. We want to do a Vana Media workout. We literally bring all the equipment right to you. I will give you lifetime free sessions just because I'm going to provide more value to you. I'll let my team work out your whole crew in here for free.

12:35For free. That's on record. That's number one. Number two, we literally bring the workout anywhere. Okay, we're disrupting the fitness industry. Right now we are literally the fastest growing in the fitness space. You think of like - It makes sense, right? Like if somebody wants to buy these other gym franchises, I assume - It's like a million dollars investment. and 500 ,000 money to one territory,$80 ,000. And how big is the territory? It's 100 ,000 people. So you're gonna get, in that territory, you're gonna get 10 ,000 approved households. I see. Over a certain immediate income. I see, and what is that level?

13:02So it's really based on obviously the demographics of the area, psychographics, Alabama, it's cost of living and all that, but I started this with$15 ,000 bootstrapped. How did you know to do franchisee, franchise award, had you seen that model? Did you see something? No, so I didn't learn, I didn't know anything about it, but when I started this in my parents' dining room, I said, I'm gonna franchise this business and just build it up. Why did you say that, McDonald's? Because no, because I like the fact. Orange theory? No. Like what was on your radar? I like the fact that you could bring a lot of great smart minds together and build a very powerful brand.

13:35And I wanna create, this is what I said, I wanna create a powerful movement that I could bring everyone together because if you know McDonald's, the dollar menu, the McFlurry, those are all started by franchisees. Hey everybody, hope you're enjoying the podcast right now. 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. I don't have all the answers, just like you don't, and we can learn from each other. Everyone can learn from each other, but when you're allowed to surround yourself with great people, you can build things at a faster scale.

14:03So you thought that was smart? I thought it was genius. Mm-hmm. Yep. The model of franchisees, franchisor. Absolutely. Yeah, it's an American model. It comes with a lot of headaches, though. You know, listen. Of course. One dope with a van can fuck you up. A hundred percent. Look, being an entrepreneur, everyone thinks it's so cool. listen, lay down on the road, let a car drive you over, go in reverse. Drive you over, then you'll get a break for like three, four weeks. Lay down again, it's going to go over you again and back. What was the hardest moment? When did you start this? I started this in 2008.

14:30On some real shit because I want to bring real value. Making payroll for almost 10 years, every single two weeks, I had to figure out how to make payroll. I think you told me over lunch a scary one where you were like really... Gee, I was in a casino. Right. Yes, you told me this. I drove to a casino, do not do this, do not do this. I didn't do it, but don't listen to me, I'm gonna tell you now. So I'm in a casino, I had my life savings, I only had five grand left, and I was like, all right, I need 20 grand. If I could hit red, red's obviously our color. I was like, if I could hit red. Then I'll have 10, and then I hit red again.

15:03And I'm gonna double it, and I can make payroll. So what happened again? So I sat there. You called somebody, and you already told me the story. I called someone who's very successful, who's been a mentor to me, and I was like, so you think this is a good idea? He's like, that's stupid. Hey, I'm in Atlantic City. I need to make payroll, it's 20 ,000. I have 5 ,000, I'm gonna put on red red. Do you think it's a good idea? He's like, Josh, it is the stupidest idea ever. Josh, you're the stupidest fucker I've ever met. He's like, but you got the biggest set I've ever seen in my life. You're crazy doing that.

15:29So, oh, he loved it, loved it. And this guy self-made, very successful. So he loved it. So I said, you know what, it's a stupid idea. So I went back to my office. Now this is what I can't stand. And you called everybody, right? I called every single client. I'm proud of myself right now. Thank you. So I called every single client. and I gave away over hundreds of free sessions and raised 46 grand overnight. Now, I couldn't take credit cards because I needed the money in the bank. So I literally, I drove to everyone's house to collect checks. If you're listening to this and you complain and you're hanging out at home on the weekend, that's a problem.

16:00This is why people don't get to the next level. This is that$6 coffee thing that I had to create clarity about the other day. I don't mind$6 coffees. I don't mind$70 ,000 pairs of sneakers. I get mad when people complain and do things that make no sense. 100%. To me, this is just about complaining. You could go buy a boat, a Rolex, that means you have a peep of complaining. The second you go into complaining mode, I'm auditing the fuck out of you. G, do you know how many DMs I get a day? And I don't have a lot, I'm still in the early stages. Yeah, like three, four, five. But anyway, I get DMs on a day, oh, you wanna grow your following?

16:34No, no, no, no, no, and people are like, why don't you wanna grow your following? You should have millions of followers. Because it takes time. Half the stuff out there is fake. Half? Probably 90%. Gee, I heard there's a business now that you could rent a private jet, a car, and a whole setup for an hour to do a shoot to pretend like you own it. That's genius. People have been doing that. People have been jumping fences to take photos that they're going on a private plane at scale. Crazy. It's crazy. We also live in a world where 22 year olds are having plastic surgery. I know, I know, it's crazy.

17:07All that people want to do is make pretend they're successful or happy. You're gonna love this. This is great content. You know this tune? Dun dun dun dun dun dun. Yep. Okay, Marrow Brothers, right? Yep. You can compare that to entrepreneurship any day of the week because you always get to live to see another day. But in some situations, I mean, you know like you'll die, but you can start at a certain point because you got to a certain point and you can continue without having to go back to - Yeah, you're at like 3.1 even though you almost got to the end. Exactly. But you know, sometimes you can take 10 steps back to move 20 forward and sometimes you take 5 steps back to move 10 forward.

17:37I'm more like up, up, down, down, left right, left right, BA, BA select start because that's unlimited lives. I love it. Listen, I love it. That's how my entrepreneurship works. Look man. Contra bitch. Look, you know, it's funny, you know, you and I agree with so many different things like school for example, you know, I look back to school, but like, I was a horrible student, horrible. Didn't excite me, didn't love it and people go to college, they waste all their money. I think people should literally be working for people who've done it. How old, I apologize for interrupting you. I'm 36. How old now?

18:07And so that means you started when you were 20? 25. 25. Talk to me about 20 to 25. Oh man. Were you a knucklehead? No, I was just depressed, man. You were? Yeah. Tell me why. I didn't know what I wanted to do in my life. People were driving around. See, I had a rough life growing up, rough. And listen. Where'd you grow up? I grew up in New High Park on Long Island. Rough life, you know. But you can't make excuses, man. No, I understand. Whatever card you're dealt, deal with them. Listen, people win 3-7 offsuit all the time. That's it, you just deal with them. You deal with them. and honestly, I wouldn't change a thing in my life because - What resentment did you have built up at that point?

18:42Did you want to be rich? No. Listen, if you chase the money, you got a problem. Agreed. You cannot chase the money. I'll tell you that right now. So many people have it twisted and wrong. I've always wanted, look, I love fitness. I've always loved fitness. Really? Loved it. The problem is doctors and trainers are exactly the same. A doctor without patients, unemployed. Trainer without clients, unemployed. And I always say, how can I make money when I'm not working? Because you got to work on your business, not in your business. I need to get paid. So you were a trainer. I was a trainer. I see.

19:07and people used to always laugh at me and I look at you Josh, you're working at the gym, you're a trainer making$10 an hour. Did you like it? No, I loved it. When they made fun of you? No, I didn't care because I just said you just wait. Didn't hear. No, I don't, I tune that stuff, listen, I got a problem. It's on my neck. I look this way only. I never turn back this way. You make a mistake, that's it. Someone's gonna sue you. These are things that happen in business. People are gonna sue you, people are gonna lie to you. What are you most excited about? Like when you like now dream, right? You've got this thing rolling a little bit.

19:35What do you really, how do you think about, it's funny when you said, it was funny when you said you're obsessed with the Jets. It's really funny, I'm obsessed with chasing the Jets. It's crazy how much I like process over, let me give you an example. You know a lot about me, right? You paid attention. You know anything about this? I mean it, like real talk. You know anything about it? That I do not know. That is the single biggest exit in the history of my life. that's a company called Resi that years ago I started with Ben Leventhal and we brought over Mike Montero it was incubated at VaynerMedia it was part of the VaynerRSC fund that I had we started it because I didn't want to just invest I wanted to build and Ben and Mike did an incredible job I was on the board there was a time when the company was struggling I put personal money into it real check for me at the time and it exited to Amex within the last year maybe nine months ago maybe a year ago for hefty nine figures.

20:36It is the single biggest win on my record. Nobody knows anything about it. I'm trying to remember why I said this. Oh, I like the process, not the winning moment. I hear you, man. It's funny you say that because, you know, like I was telling some people, you know, I'm going with Gary today and they're like, oh my God, that's amazing. That's great. He's so handsome. What else do they say? Go ahead, go ahead. Scruff looks great, good hoodies. But I didn't look at it like that. I really truly believe you and I are going to have a good connection past this. And I got some big things. We'll talk off record.

21:09But I was just excited to just come here and just provide value. Look, I've always been about when I get a call from a woman who's 414 pounds that couldn't have bariatric surgery, that was drinking 17 Slurpees a day, and all she wanted to do was have a family and have children. Good for her. And I personally changed her life. Yeah, it's insane. And she's 160 pounds, and she literally wants to get my name tattooed on her. She calls me once a month. Like I get emotional sometimes, it's crazy. Or like when someone's mom calls you up because their kid's being picked on because they have no confidence and you help them.

21:39Like that moves me. Yeah, that moves me. And I wanna continue to do that because look, in the fitness world, people are procrastinators. People can't turn on a machine, they can't open an app. Dude, it's so unbelievable. Back to, you mean eliminating friction? Yeah. Listen, it's the half pregnant version. Your model is, I understand super well because I thank God can afford having a babysitter. Like the fact that in two hours, Mike McConte is coming here. By the way, I learned something about myself. I'm getting much better workouts in in the evening than I am in the morning. That's right. So I've like changed that up a little bit.