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Mike: Hi, this is Mike Freeman from Shopify. Today I’ll be talking to Gary Vaynerchuk,
about our second Gary Vaynerchuk power contest. This contest is a great opportunity for Shopify
owners, to win a 45 minute one-on-one power session with Gary. You can talk about anything
they want, and learn from one of the masters of online marketing. Someone who’s built
an e-commerce store from scratch themselves, and grown it to huge success.
You can find out all the details about our contest over on our blog, Shopify.com/blog.
It’s easy to enter, and Gary himself will be picking the winner. So without further
ado, let’s go to my interview with Gary about the power session.
Hi, Mike Freeman here with the Build a Business series of videos. Sitting down today with
Gary Vaynerchuk, and we’re going to talk about the next power session contest that
we’re running, where you can win a one-on-one Skype call with Gary Vaynerchuk, to talk about
your business, and learn everything you can, just soak it up like a sponge.
So earlier this week, I spoke with Deckster, the fine folks who had the first power session
with you Gary, and they really got a lot out of it, really learned a lot. Something that
stuck out from that video is the gut reaction you had to the Deckster watch product. What
did you think of that?
Gary: Hey everybody, first of all. The way I roll as an entrepreneur… it hit me right
away, I was blown away and understood the product so quickly. It spoke to me, I understand
the team, I liked their passion, the quality, I’m excited to rock one. I understood where
they’re going. My lady friends always say they knew without one second if they were
going to hook up with a guy, I am like that with businesses. I know right away, it spoke
to me, I understood their vision, I was able to articulate some stuff to them.
Mike: I know that they got quite a bit out of it. You’ve actually gotten in touch with
them since that first video?
Gary: I took the bull by the horn, I made some powerful intros for them, I really wanted
to come through. I’m excited to be part of this for you guys. Ultimately, I want to
come through for you guys, I want them to come back to you and say, “Gary V is the
man!” You obviously want to come through for your community. My brand equity matters
to me, so I’m taking it very seriously, I’m trying to hustle a little.
Mike: I think that’s what’s so great about these videos. It’s not just five minutes
of talking back and forth, they really have a chance to get in depth with you and get
into the business. So speaking of business advice, we’ve got a lot of entrepreneurs
like Deckster who are working really hard, getting their product manufactured, getting
their site up, branding, the whole kit and caboodle. They’ve got mile-long to do lists.
Do you have any tips for people in that starting phase of business on how to choose what to
focus on?
Gary: First of all, they have to stop worrying about dumb ***. Small businesses, a lot of
the time, especially when they’re starting out, are worrying about problems that don’t
exist yet: the logo, the marketing campaign. Some of these things matter, but a lot of
companies fail because they worry about problems that are going to happen, instead of being
worried about the problems that are happening right now. I also think people are softer
than they used to be, too much work/life balance conversations going on. I view it as raising
a child. You don’t have work/life balance in the first three years of raising a child.
I hate when I see entrepreneurs, like, “We’re taking three weeks off” You’re going to
lose, you need to work your face off in the first three years, 17 hours a day. No watching
Lost, no Nintendo Wii, no bowling, no drinking with the guys. I’m blown away by how soft
the new-age entrepreneur is. They may live longer, but they’re definitely not going
to win, and they’re not going to build big businesses, with that mentality.
I believe in balance, but I think balance has to come in year three or four, when you
can actually go out for dinner with your wife. I don’t think an entrepreneur who can’t
afford a nanny should be taking the break. I think the work ethic is a little soft these
days. People are underestimating how much hard work it takes to build a business, and
how good you have to be, and how competitive it really is. Everybody’s got an idea, it’s
about execution.
Mike: You really got to live it and breathe it in that first period of time, whether it’s
a year or two years.
Gary: I can’t wrap my head around success in the early stages of a company without that
commitment.
Mike: So you’re going to be picking the winner from the top ten finalist videos. So
what do you look for in a business or an owner that really gets you interested in that business?
Gary: Putting it in product terms, I would say it’s products not features. Too many
companies are nuances, little niches… Can this business run the marathon? Is this entrepreneur
good enough to build a real business, not have a moment in time? It’s like a one-hit
wonder versus The Rolling Stone. That’s what I’m trying to figure out when I’m
looking at businesses. Do they have the potential to really be something, or are they going
to be a fad in five minutes? Are they a mobile, in the Cloud, group-buying site? I don’t
want buzz words, I want practical. Do they understand their user, do they understand
what the finish line looks like? That’s what I’m looking for.
Mike: For the winner, what can they expect to get out of this experience with you?
Gary: For me to listen. No cookie-cutter play. The Deckster call is going to be very different
from the next call. I’m here to listen. I can talk a lot, I’m not interested in
schooling anybody, I want to hear what their thoughts are and then critiquing… I want
to come through, I want to over-deliver. A lot of that has to do with my ears, not my
mouth.
Mike: So everyone, that’s a great opportunity for you to learn from one of the masters,
and get a one-on-one session with him. You can visit the Shopify blog for more information
on how to enter, all the important dates, and all the details. Thanks a lot Gary.