Status quo is not an option: An interview with Gary Vaynerchuk

Gary Vaynerchuk (Gary Vee) is a serial innovator, social media icon, chairman of VaynerX, and the active CEO of VaynerMedia. He wants you to have a proactive approach to marketing and be willing to disrupt yourself to avoid obsolescence. In this Q&A interview, Gary discusses the use of social media, the need for supportive culture and leadership and the importance of a personal brand.

Upon meeting Gary Vaynerchuk in person for the first time at this year’s Financial Brand Forum, I was immediately struck by his energy, enthusiasm and gratitude. Having followed Gary on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other channels, this wasn’t a complete surprise, but you need to see him in person to realize that his level of engagement and passion for what he does and communicates is no act for social media. He is a huge believer in the value of hard work, testing new ideas, helping others succeed and disrupting oneself.

He is also a social marketing machine, continuously on his smartphone, generating a never-ending barrage of great content of video, audio, and blog material every day. At the Financial Brand Forum, he even had his personal videographer with him, capturing every moment of the day for future distribution. Despite his amazingly busy schedule, however, he never is too busy to engage with one of his fans — who, like me, are somewhat awestruck by his message and presence. He is genuine, grateful for his followers, and never turns down a request for a selfie.

Gary’s opening keynote presentation at this year’s Financial Brand Forum was direct, insightful and without compromise. His message of using social media marketing to improve results in an increasingly digital world was well received by the audience in excess of 2,000. His ability to combine his personal story with industry insights and humor was entertaining as well as educational. While not being hesitant to call out marketers in the audience for being late in the use of social media marketing, he provided inspiration that it is not too late to get on the bandwagon.

 

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