Transcript of This One Episode Will Motivate You to Change Your Entire Life

Hey, it's your friend Mel, and welcome to the Mel Robbins Podcast. I am so excited that you're here with me today because I'm going to introduce you to somebody who has had a profound impact on my life. 12 years ago, I started posting on social media as a 46-year-old woman Because of one human being. His name, Gary Vaynerchuk. I would not be the person I am today. I would not have written The 5 Second Rule, The High Five Habit, The Let Them Theory. I wouldn't have started this podcast, and I probably wouldn't have gotten out of $800,000 worth of debt if it were not for Gary Vaynerchuk. Now, if you usually turn to me in order to feel better and to be reminded That, yes, you are capable of extraordinary things. You are capable of changing your life. Well, if you're turning to me for that, I cannot wait for you to meet Gary Vaynerchuk because he's the person I turn to for that kind of encouragement. He's the person I've studied the most about putting yourself out there, reinvention, seeing around corners, forgetting about what everybody else thinks, doing the thing you've always wanted to do.

So I'm going to tell you right now, if you are not interested in changing your life, if you are not interested in being motivated, if you are not interested in going for the things that you want in your life, you better stop listening right now. Because this is going to be a conversation that you will save, that I will save, that you will listen to over and over and over and over again. After today, You will stop waiting for the right time, the right answer, the right feeling, the right person, and you will finally do the thing you need to do. Open the Etsy shop, sell your art, change careers, start the business, start your life. Hey, it's your friend Mel, and welcome to the Mel Robbins Podcast. And if you're a new listener, I just wanna welcome you to the Mel Robbins Podcast family. If somebody shared this with you, I want you, after you're done listening, to call them and say thank you. Thank you for sharing that episode with me, because Gary Vaynerchuk, also known as Gary Vee, is here to tell you, stop making excuses. He's gonna teach you how to change your life right now.

Some of the things you're not gonna like to hear. Because Gary goes right for the truth. He's kind of like a punch and a hug guy. And he has been my mentor from afar for 12 years. This is the first time that I am sitting down with the person who inspired me to start posting online. I would not be hosting the Mel Robbins Podcast. I would not be the person that you know me to be today if it were not for Gary Vaynerchuk. And GaryVee, oh my gosh, he's one of the most successful entrepreneurs and creators of this generation. He is considered one of the leading global minds on what's next in culture, business, and the internet. 6-time New York Times bestselling author. 45 million people follow his work. He is the chairman of VaynerX, the CEO of VeeFriends, and the CEO of VaynerMedia, one of the largest global advertising agencies in the world. Today, Gary has flown to Boston for one reason. He's here for you. He wants you To stop making excuses. He wants you to take control of your life. He knows you have so much more that you can give and do and experience in your life.

And today he's going to ignite something in you and show you how. Please help me welcome the one, the only Gary Vaynerchuk to the Mel Robbins Podcast.

I'm so happy to be here, Mel. Thank you.

You have been an inspiration to me For 12 years. I would not be where I am today without you. And so where I wanna start, because I'm so thrilled that the person that's with us right now is gonna get to be infused with your wisdom, your energy, the lessons from your life, the way you think about life. How might the person who's listening's life change if they take to heart everything that we're about to talk about today?

They'll become dramatically lighter. We are incredibly capable of making mountains out of molehills, and we focus on dumb shit until real shit happens, and then we recalibrate. I'd prefer the person that's listening right now enjoy life or understand life before something bad happens in it. And I'm very focused on that. And that's a lot of what my content and my life is about.

Well, we're going to get into how you actually do that. But before we get into that, I want the person listening to understand a little bit about how your life has shaped you.

Yep.

You know, what's interesting is I said before you were coming into the team, I said, I've heard you for a decade say, I'm gonna buy the Jets. I'm gonna buy the Jets. And I said to my team of almost 50 people, how many people here think he's gonna do it? Every hand went up. And what's interesting is that I don't know if you will or won't, but what is powerful is that your belief that you might is something that other people can catch.

What's even more interesting on a personal level is the joy of chasing it is dramatically more delicious than achieving it.

Say more about that.

You know, somewhere around my early 20s, I think I realized, oh shoot, I like the chase more than the getting it. I like the practice more than the trophy. I don't live for outside validation. I didn't use that term, but I, I realized very early in my life, oh, I'm different. By the time I was 25, I had gone through being an immigrant that couldn't speak English, misunderstood, being a ridiculously bad student, being misunderstood by parents of your friends and teachers, innovating in my dad's liquor store, things that people told my dad would ruin his business if he let me do it. By the time I was 25, I was told by the world that I was wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. And everything was right, right, right, right, right. And that made it very easy to live the last 25 years because I had it figured out early. And I say that from a place of gratitude, not audacity. Like, I hate the word luck because I believe the world likes to weaponize it as an excuse to why they're not doing their thing. But it is not lost on me the serendipity that got me out of the Soviet Union, got me to the US.

gave me the mother that I had, gave me competitive spirit, but also just pure love in my heart. You know, I'm 50 now. I've watched many young children, nephews' children, nieces', friends' children. Like, some kids are just born with some shit, and then if they're fortunate enough that those ingredients are cooked properly in the proper restaurant, well, then shit gets crazy. But here's what I'm intoxicated by.

Tell me.

That if The person watching right now did not have all the best ingredients. DNA.

Yeah.

Did not have the greatest chef and sous chef parents, were not served in the best restaurant, the neighborhoods and environments they grew up in. What I'm intoxicated by, why I exist in public, is my belief is that people are obnoxiously more capable of changing than they realize. And it's actually shockingly simple and the hardest thing in the world.

Shockingly simple and the hardest thing in the world. There were so many things that you just said that I wanna make sure as you're listening, you really heard it. Because when you started to do the cadence of misunderstood, misunderstood, misunderstood, misunderstood, the majority of people who feel misunderstood start to withdraw.

Correct.

And start to say something's wrong.

Yes.

So for the person who's listening right now that feels like I suck at school, I just got fired from a job, I'm so different from my family. I can't find somebody to date that's interested in me, or that I like. I'm misunderstood, misunderstood. And it is like dragging around a lead weight. How do you flip that sense that the world doesn't get you into something that propels you?

By not wanting the world to get you.

Say more.

You know, I'm just confused why you need your spouse to fully understand you. Why you need your mother to fully understand you, why you need your fucking coworker to fully understand you. The answer to your question, Mel, is being comfortable with being misunderstood by realizing someone's subjective opinion of you, who is not you, can never fully know you, not even the people that are closest to you. So how could a stranger in the comments of an Instagram post have a prayer of knowing who the fuck you are? By the way, Mel Mafia, that's what I call you guys. I apologize for the cursing. I'm a little bit of a Jersey boy. I'll try to rein it in because I know occasionally it allows someone not to hear me.

I appreciate you saying that because there are a lot of people that listen to The Kara with Littles. However, however, it is important that you also acknowledge that that is just who you are.

Comma. I'm incredibly empathetic to the people that have historically not consumed my content or not followed me, because if they in their life genuinely believe that cursing is atrocious and a sign of lack of intelligence or whatever they may think it is.

Right.

I have the humility and the empathy and compassion to understand that. It's funny that I called it out. I tend not to.

Mm-hmm.

But I think it comes out of just deep respect I have for you and what you're building and kind of like, I know I'm different and you have incredible people on here. And I know just like you are the exact human that was built to break through for someone. I know that I'm the exact human to break through for a lot of people right now. And I worry about the 7 or 9 that won't go much further because of the cursing.

Right.

Yet I'm the human on earth that is about to say the sentence or two that fundamentally changes their perspective. And the only thing life is, is how you see it. There is no life. There is no real world. There's just your perception. There's just what you bring to the table. either cynical because you are deeply insecure, or you are deeply optimistic because you're incredibly, purely confident. You have your life experiences, you have the things you were told. Most people that are listening right now, Mel, are scared. This is something we need to talk about.

So when somebody who is listening to you say that the biggest problem right now is that people are scared, there is so much fear. Yes. And there are plenty of reasons in life to be afraid, but allowing it to dominate what you do next is really the skill that somebody can learn to flip from cynicism. There's nothing I can do to there's always something I can do.

Well, there's unlimited reasons to be optimistic.

So talk to the person who's cynical right now and who wants to be more optimistic, who wants to have courage.

Stop listening to politicians. Thanks for having me, everyone. Like, that's it, Mel. Like, there is nothing else. Like, Do you understand who you consume? What you consume is who you become. One of the reasons I schlepped here is because I want to honor you being a human being who I know has fundamentally made it better for people. Like, I do not understand how people continue to be confused. There are 2 ways to build the biggest building in town. One is to just be talented enough to build the biggest building in town, and you admire everyone else's buildings. Even the ones that are even bigger than yours.

Yeah.

Comma, the choice that most people take, which is they build a crappy little building and they spend 100% of their time trying to tear down everybody else's building. This is shockingly hard and wildly easy. Algorithms. Ready?

Yes.

Gary, you don't get it. You always talk about social media. I'm so mad at you. It's my algorithm. Watch this, everyone. You want a task at home right now? Open your Instagram or TikTok, and when you get a piece of content— politics, schmaltics, negativity, manscaping, whatever, you know, whatever you got— literally click the buttons on the top right corner on Instagram or the bottom right corner on TikTok and say not interested. And keep doing that for one day. And then go to search and type in joy, enter, and then like 5 or 6 things that pop up. And then go back to search and type in Happy and get some content and like and follow a couple of things. And this is very important. Then go to search and put in Gary Vee and follow that account. And on and on, my friends, the algorithm did not change you. The algorithm exposed you.

Oh, it's so true.

Oh, I know, Mel.

So for somebody who's listening, because I do think that you're right and most people are in their heads. spending all kinds of time either tearing themselves down and coming up with reasons why they can't.

Correct.

Or looking around at other people and using it as evidence to see why they can't.

That's right.

Or spending a lot of time tearing other people down instead of like spending the same amount of time lifting themselves up.

Yep.

How if somebody who's listening starts to have a moment of reckoning where you're like, you know, I'm kind of sick of this version of myself. I'm kind of sick of feeling like I'm stuck. I'm sick of being jealous of everyone else. I am living in a lot of fear.

Yeah.

Nobody's gonna do this for me, but nobody's stopping me from doing what I'm capable of doing. I'm the one in my own way.

And I'm using excuses at scale. And I continuously go back to my mom fucked up when I was 8. No shit, Sally. And like, you're grown now. You're 34. And the answer is action. Therapy. Therapy's a good one. Instead of buying dumb shit to cover up your hurt, why don't you go invest it into therapy? Do you know how many people have BMWs that actually needed to go buy therapy sessions with that money? Please do not use materialistic things to show the world you're good when we all know you're not. Right, Mel?

Yeah.

Do you know why there's such a big consumer world? Like, people buy stuff. It's because we use it as proxies to disguise behind the makeup of our materialistic things to not allow you to see what's actually happening. We have a pandemic of keeping up with the Joneses, not because of social media and we see other people with stuff, but because modern parenting left accountability out of the ingredients of the last 30, 40 years.

Let's talk about that. You have 2 kids.

Yes.

And you're also, for as public as you are, I really respect the fact that you're very private about your personal life.

Outrageously.

Outrageously. And I would love to have you talk about this in the lane of accountability, because there is a lot of blaming your parents, blaming the circumstances. And there are very real circumstances that are very unfair.

Correct.

There's horrible things that happen to people.

Every day.

I do not believe everything happens for a reason. I believe shit happens. A lot of it's unfair, but you have to find a reason. to move on and to grow.

Because other people who've also been in that situation have found a way. And so the question becomes, it is not impossible.

Yes.

Like, that's important. Like, to your point, there are a lot of atrocious things. What about the fact that 800 million people, roughly 10% of the world right now, cannot get a glass of clean water as we sit here in this room? Like, perspective is confused out there. There are people that have Real alcoholic parents, abandoned by parents, foster home, other scary stuff. The problem is, it's like, it is. I mean, my mother is the most optimistic, joyful, warm human on earth. Here's my mother's story in a nutshell. She lost her mother at 5. Her mother died when she was 5 years old. Her father went to jail for 10 years when she was 9, 10, because the Soviet Union is a really fucked up place. For the things that I get put on Mel's podcast for, my grandfather went to jail for. Like, real shit, right? I mean, that's a tough fucking hand, you know? And yet incredible capacity to choose optimism and is more joyful and optimistic than anyone in our extended families who all quote unquote had it better. And by the way, as atrocious as that was for my mom, There are thousands listening now that had it even worse.

I get that.

Yep.

The question becomes, when is it not your parents' fault anymore? Let's start with that one. Mel, I'm actually asking you, let's flip it. This is the GaryVee Audio Experience.

Here we go.

At what age, roughly? You're just one woman. You just have one subjective opinion. There's no right or wrong answer to this. But sister, talk to me like we're just walking in the backyard.

Okay, we're on a walk.

Just for fun.

I—

A general number.

Yeah.

This is just the world, obviously incredibly circumstantial, everyone's life, but for fun, At what age, Mel, do you believe that it is no longer fun or interesting to just keep blaming your parents? At what age are you able to stand on your own 2 feet and choose who you surround yourself with, what you actually believe, how you limit your interactions with those parents or any other person that pushes negative propaganda 24/7? At what age are you a big girl now?

Well, I wouldn't say it's an age. I say it's the moment you decide to pay for your life.

That's right.

There is a point of view that has been very helpful to me, which is understanding that people can only give you what they have to give, and people can only provide you with the parenting experience largely based on what was done to them.

That's right.

And a lot of that— there's some real evil people out there, but there's also a lot of people that do bad things that don't know what they're doing.

And we've got to get into a place of what's an inconvenience or a darn it versus a catastrophic— I mean, what people now deem as my parent fucked me up only 40 years ago was like a skinned knee. I mean, there are people who blame their parents for things that were inconceivable I mean, like missing one football game. Well, you missed the big game where I threw 3 touchdowns.

Well, here, here's the thing. Like your parents did the job that they did. And at some point you have to take that as a fact and decide what are you gonna do next? That's it.

100%.

And are you gonna look back with judgment or are you gonna look back with understanding and a bit of compassion? And then be an adult and either forgive and have a conversation about it or have some boundaries around it.

Do you know what my opening line was to VCon 3? My big conference? Literally walked on stage, 10,000 people. Opening line, fuck your grandparents.

What do you mean, fuck your grandparents?

That was my opening line.

Why?

Because I am so tired of people being so mad at their mom and dad without taking a good look at what their grandparents did to mom and dad. We love little Granny because she gives you cookies and gave you $5. But meanwhile, Grammy screwed up your mom so good that you've spent your whole life blaming your mom. Like, at what point are you able to understand it's not their fault either? And now, Mel, let's transition.

Let's do it.

The bigger question.

Okay.

What are you doing by verbalizing to everyone in your world that this happened.

You're keeping it alive.

Yeah. What are you asking for? You're asking for pity. You're asking for compassion. You're asking for enablement. You're creating a framework of entitlement. You're using it as a weapon to justify why not. Instead of going all in on, I'm just not motivated enough right now and I've got to do this or that. Like, once you go fully accountable, When you love yourself all the way, but you also have the humility to understand you're a human being and you just might suck at a lot of things. And that's super duper okay. Once you go there, it gets real light.

I think what you're, you're saying, if I give it back to you, is that what you see in what's holding a lot of people back is so much time and energy spent looking backwards and blaming. Versus standing in the present moment going, this happened, it had this impact on me, and, and what am I going to do next? What am I going to take responsibility for moving forward now that I've acknowledged what's happened? I get it, but I am an adult now and it is time for me to figure out what do I want with my life?

And that's why I get so excited. You know, people make fun of me about how I think about age.

Yeah.

As you see, people probably razz me on the internet like, Gary, I'm 90. And I'm like, you have time. They like these skits. Like, what excites me about that is I do believe people somewhere between 25 and 45 in that kind of window can get to this place where they're exhausted of pointing fingers.

Mm-hmm.

Right.

It took me to about 47. So, well, actually, it was 41 when I woke up and realized nobody is coming to save my ass from this mess that I'm in.

Yeah.

Not my husband, not my parents. It is nobody else. else's responsibility. We're in a gigantic hole. And since I don't see anybody else coming with a ladder, I better stop bitching and feeling sorry for myself and get to work.

And when you go from even we— and I assume you're bringing your husband into that, right?

Yes.

And you go into I.

I, I have to do this.

Like, we is good because that's only 2. That's better than— but when you go to I—

I, it's not a we, it's an I.

But I need all, you know, all the people I'm talking to right now on the camera. I'm like, even if your spouse is the one who's like, let's make this investment, like, what are you gonna blame him or her forever?

Well, I think that's a problem in a lot of relationships. No shit.

Why do you think I'm bringing it up? I'm gonna say it again. If your husband made you buy that third home in South Carolina and it was a flop, or if your wife made you invest in a stock that— what are you gonna just razz her in perpetuity? What are you gonna tell Johnny for the rest of your life? Our life would be better if you didn't make us buy that fucking house in Miami. It's not real. Mel, it's not real.

So what do you do? Because what you're basically saying is you have no idea how much time and energy you spend blaming other people for the state you're in in your life, whether it's people who have what you want or people that had a lot more privilege and had a better start than you did, or it's your parents for the things that they didn't do or that they did do, or it's your spouse because they're not showing up a certain way and you're missing the single most important factor in your life that changes everything, which is you.

Instead of like— like envy and jealousy is driving me crazy. Why have you chosen, friends, to look at the 3 people on Earth that are in their 20s that are trillionaires or who've spent $1 million on plastic surgery to look incredible? Why are you choosing to shape yourself up to them? Don't you know there's 8.3 billion other people that you could shape yourself up to? And I'm going to say something nice and slow. If you are capable to be listening to the Mel Robbins podcast, if you are right now capable of having the time, whether you're on a treadmill, walking the damn dog, driving to work, if you are a human, by the way, that is maybe potentially doing it on a phone that costs several hundred dollars, if you are even a human that is hearing these words, You have it much better than most of the entire world. So how about that? How about not wah wah, I'm not Timothée Chalamet. Like, how about 8.3 billion people? How about 800 million people can't get clean water? How about all the truth of the world? How about you do have it better than your grandma had it?

How about real shit? How about gratitude? Enough of this envy. There's been so much envy, so much jealousy, as if anyone else's life has anything to do with you. and comma, you know anything about their actual real life.

So true.

We put all these people on a pedestal, and meanwhile, that person is drinking a bottle of bourbon tonight because they can't deal with the pressure of the world's judgment because their emotional foundation isn't good enough. When are we going to lead into gratitude?

Do you think gratitude is the way you flip from blame?

Yes.

Because I think a lot of people are probably leaning in going, boy, okay, like if you were to just calculate, okay, what are all the things I'm blaming on my childhood? That's— and it's holding me back because you're dragging it with you. If you're still looking backward.

Blaming your spouse or blaming your boss or blaming your daughter who's living the life you wish you were living and you feel like you're doing it for her and no one did it for you. Blame, blame, blame, blame, blame, blame, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Gratitude. And here's a big one. How about some humility? Can we get humility back into the game?

Like, why do people think humility is weak?

I don't know. I think people think kindness is weak.

I don't get that.

No shit. Neither do I. Like, in this nanosecond, like, taking myself out of the podcast, I'm so happy right now because I'm happy people listen to you. I'm happy people listen to me. I'm happy, you know, people are focusing on all the bad that's out there. There are so many outlets to get good now. Yes, there's so many. And this is the point. First of all, kudos to everyone who's listening. You chose to consume some positivity. You chose to consume some accountability. You may not know why you like Mel, but I do.

Why do they like me?

Because they're on the cusp of change. They're in the pregame. I'm excited. Like, literally, I don't know if you can see these. I'm pumped for them. They're close, right?

Yes.

They're consuming you because they're close. Yes.

And they— and And you listen because you sense something that Gary and I know is true, that you are capable of bananas, extraordinary things.

And let me say that real quick.

If you can shift your mindset.

Let me say something about that. Say it. For extraordinary things, not tens of millions of listeners to your podcast or 33 businesses that you're juggling. The number one thing I have is not all the things you think I have. The number one thing I have is peace of mind. Do you know what I want for everyone? I don't want them to have a blue checkmark, Mel. I don't want them to have a million fucking followers. I don't need them to have a top 5 podcast or big businesses. I need them to have peace of mind.

Hmm.

Do you know how many people listening right now should make a lot less money? They're making $240,000, but they don't like their job. They're living above their means, so they need their job to continue to pay for their lifestyle of things that bring them no actual joy. And you know what they need to do? They need to simplify their life. We must get out of this materialistic keeping up with the Joneses. Now listen, I need action. Like, there's plenty of people listening right now that don't need simplicity. I need action. I need people because I love them too much. I need the game. I'm too creative. It's like too fun. I'm a city boy. I'm a people person. I love everyone regardless of what their intent is towards me. I need it, right? But if I didn't, I would— no one on earth would know me. I would live in the middle of absolutely nowhere and I would do simple things because I'm comfortable in being who I actually am.

That is the secret to life, period. Are you comfortable with yourself? Are you proud of yourself? Peace of mind means you're not questioning Who am I? What should I be doing today? What does this person think of me? That lasts forever. You know who you are. You know your intention. And I think this is really, really important because you chase the material thing because you think that if you have the right purse or the right car or the right outfit on or the right house in the right neighborhood, or you belong to the right club, or you have your nails done the right way, that other people are gonna think You are a certain person and that is going to give you the confidence and peace of mind. It doesn't. It anchors your self-worth in someone else's opinion, which you will never control, which means you will always be chasing other people's opinions in order to get the validation that you can give to yourself.

Yes. You know what my great hope is for 2050 to 2060 is that the advancements of technology actually bring us back to simplicity. I believe this, by the way. This is one of my theses of how it could go. And yeah, you might not have the same car. Your friend's husband might be just much more attractive than yours or whatever it might be. You might be a director and not an SVP in your company. But I can tell you about me, Mel.

I—

the way I view people is 100% based on their humanity. The way I view, do I like someone, do I not? Are they— Mel, this may interest you. This you may not know about me. I am wildly unimpressed, including myself, in people's business accomplishments.

That does not surprise me in the least. I want to keep going, going, going. But you know the deal. I got to— I got to hit the pause button so we can give our sponsors a chance to share a few words. And I know you're thinking of people in your life because everything Gary is saying is Hitting you is the truth. It is practical. It is tactical. And so while you listen to our sponsors, I want you to copy and paste and dump this in the family group chat. I want you to share this with your friends because there are people in your life who need to hear everything that Gary is pouring into you today. And don't go anywhere, because when we come back, Gary and I are going to unpack the topic of time, regrets, and the 3 words That are keeping you feeling stuck and unhappy right now. Trust me, the next part of this conversation is going to wake you up and change the way you think about how you're living your life. Don't go anywhere. Gary Vaynerchuk and I are going to be right back. A lot of listeners from around the world have been writing and asking me, hey, Mel, what's your relationship with this Pure Genius Protein?

So let me tell you, the medical experts and scientific researchers on this podcast kept coming on and telling you and me we need more protein. I found this tiny 23-gram protein shot that you could drink in 3 seconds. It changed my life and health for the better. So much so, I decided to get involved and I became a co-founder. But there was one thing we wanted to add— fiber. Did you know 95% of Americans are not getting the recommended amount of fiber every day? And that's why I love what we have created, a 20-gram protein shot with 5 grams of fiber. You can drink it in 3 seconds. It's delicious. You're not gonna feel bloated or full. You'll have all the benefits of protein and fiber in one shot before you even have your cup of coffee. You're gonna love this. Use code MEL10 at puregeniusprotein.com for 10% off your first order. 20 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber for under $3 a shot. Welcome back. It's your friend Mel Robbins. Today you and I are here with Gary Vaynerchuk, and he's teaching you how to stop making excuses, change your life right now.

All right, Gary, let's just jump right back in. I really truly believe, and I'm glad we're lasering in on this, that the measure of a person is not what they have, it's how they treat The only thing I actually live my life for is my funeral. Let's go here, because one of my most favorite things that I have ever seen you do or say— it is a video. You're going to know exactly which one it is as I start to speak. You are in a cab, I believe, and the window is down and you're at a stoplight and a woman runs over and is like, Gary, Gary, oh my God, Gary, I love you. You know, I need some motivation today. Give me some motivation. And you look out the window and you look at her and you say, you're going to die. And she's kind of startled. And I don't remember the exact words, but it was, you're going to die. We're all going to die. What really matters is how do you want to live? How do you want to live? And while you're here and while you're still on this side of the dirt and while people that you still love can still walk into the room, How are you going to live?

Because you do not want to get to your funeral and go, God, I wish I had. Boy, I wish I was a better person. See, I am like you. I constantly think about that moment. I want to reflect back and go, I was a good mom. I was like a good friend. You know, I gave a good—

I gave more than I took. I scratched the itches. You know, I'm very passionate about what I'm about to say. I think we've lost our way with the elderly. I think the last 30, 40 years of technology advancements have made us make fun of grandparents because they don't know how to use OpenClaw or, you know, Instant Messenger or Snapchat. And I think we've really done a disservice to ourselves by misunderstanding what true wisdom is. 100 years ago, the thought of disrespecting an elder was as foreign as you can imagine. I like tactics sometimes. I got a weird one, everyone. This is a big one, actually. It's a very left-field one. I'm— I promise you, I've literally never heard anyone else get hot on this one, so I like bringing it up. If you can volunteer 5 hours to a retirement home in your general area, Like, literally call them, email them, be like, hey, was listening to Mel's podcast. Like, super weird, you might think, but like, is there any way for me to like give 5 hours? So much good will happen in that 5 hours. First of all, a lot of people in those places are quite lonely, unfortunately.

And really, right? You like— I see, like, even saying it, like, coming out of my mouth, I was like, mm. And then you're mm. And I know a lot of people just went mm, right? It's just the way it is. It's really tough. So that breaks my heart. And you would be doing a real mitzvah, a real gift, a real nice thing. Like talking to a 91-year-old woman about her life will bring her incredible joy of just companionship. But here's a little secret. It's gonna do a lot more for you. And let me tell you, as someone who has gone out of his way to sit with people in their 80s on planes and at airports, And in random moments in my life, the number one thing everyone listening to this podcast wants to avoid is regret. If anything comes out of this podcast, if one person, if one of you, if one of you decide to do something tomorrow, jump out of a plane skydiving, quit your job and become a dog walker and live more humbly, Get out of a toxic relationship.

Yeah.

Get out of regret. Do something tomorrow. Tomorrow. Do something tomorrow. This is probably air— this— you're probably consuming this right as the fall, you know?

Yes.

The seasons change, right? Everyone in your life and in real life, we're coming out of summer like we're in the go time. It's September energy. It's football season. Tomorrow. Tomorrow. Do something that's been sitting in your tummy for a day, a year, and most likely a decade, Mel, and just do it. Actually, I promise you, whatever you're scared of is far less scary than 30 years from now telling some random stranger that looks like Gary that you— the worst sentence, Mel, is 3 words. I wish I... And my great joy is that I don't live that way. 400 trillion to 1, Mel.

Yep.

400 trillion to 1, my friends. The current scientific— I'm no scientist. I got Fs in science, so—

Wait, here we go.

Here he goes. But what I've been able to consume, modern scientists that are way above my pay grade currently have the likelihood of becoming a human being at 400 Trillion to one.

That you are you.

That you were born. Mom could have went for another glass of wine before it went down and the whole game would have been different and you would not be you. Like, it is a—

it is—

miracle is disrespectful to how impossible it is to have a life. So you're going to mope around your whole life? Let me get this straight. You've won the ultimate lottery of the universe, of the actual universe, and we've decided we're going to mope and cry about dumb shit. And here's the best part. You don't like it? Go change the room, right?

Yes.

You don't like it? Change the room. You don't like your relationship? Change the house. You don't like your boss? Change the office.

You don't like your mindset? Change it.

Consume shit like this.

Yeah. You don't like what's showing up on social media? Change what you follow.

The algorithm is exposing who you actually are.

It's so true.

And, you know, listen, friends, the number one thing that's holding so many of you back is your lack of humility. I'm telling you, my friends, I'm begging you. I'm like, nose to mic. I'm begging you, lean into these old school values. Humility, civility, like kindness towards strangers. Like, open the door for someone. Smile. Do you know how many people I smile at, Mel?

Everybody.

You should see me in an airport. I'm a— I'm like, it's like a joke. I don't even know. Like, you know, and now people know who I am. So it was a lot more fun back in the day because You know, like, no one—

you're just a goofy guy with a big smile.

And like, and by the way, a lot of people smile back and they need it. And then I would say this. I think people like myself, like you, I believe happiness has done a bad job. Let me explain. I think the last decade unhappiness has been amazing at marketing, that the people that are unhappy are doing a great job. They're taking time to go around the internet, look at people's clips, allow themselves to get triggered, and then leave nasty comments. They're working.

It is a full-time job to leave negative comments.

I believe happiness is doing a bad job. I believe there are not enough of us. And Mel, I'm going to say something right now that's really powerful. There's a lot of us, but they're quiet. They are quiet because they're not at the full place yet where they're willing to deal with the ridicule and the judgment for the bigger purpose. I didn't deal with any issues in high school or junior high around trying to fit in. Like, I was incredibly well-liked because of how, you know, my personality is my personality. Peer pressure was nonexistent. I never compromised my morals or who I was in junior high or high school. I'm definitely not going to fucking do it as an adult.

So for somebody, though, who is crippled by other people's opinions— and I remember when I first started putting myself out there online, I was absolutely terrified of what my friends were going to think. I was— I felt cringy as hell. And it is human nature to post, then to check how many people, then to question what you post, then to go down and you've got a couple likes, and then see who's not liking it, and then look at the one comment that is the weird emoji. And then you wonder what they were actually thinking when they put the weird emoji and then laser focus on the thing that's negative instead of focusing on the thing that's positive. And I think that habit and instinct to go to what's wrong keeps so many people from leaning in and experimenting. Because you say, Gary, life shrinks and expands in proportion to your willingness to take risks and try new things. And for most people, Putting yourself out there, whether it's posting online or changing your career or starting to exercise or starting that Etsy shop, is freaking terrifying.

Yes, because their entire framework of how they see life is predicated on other people's opinions. Everybody but them own selves.

So how do you stop caring about what other people think?

Practice.

How do I practice?

By doing it. You're looking at a boy who literally was scared shitless to swim and ride a bike. Like, there was a lot of things I was scared of that I think I just got it all out of the system by the time I was 15, 16, 17, 18, somewhere in that range.

Okay, so for the 57-year-old or the 27-year-old or the 37-year-old—

Let me give you the big one. Parents, if you have a child that gets bad grades, I'm gonna say something weird. That I'm— I don't even know if I'm right, wrong, left, right. But I'm telling you, there's some real value. I see so many people, so many people, Mel, that are scared right now were too good of students. They drew too much in the line. They get validation from the outside every 90 days from a teacher. A+, B+, A-. I think there's a lot there. And so to answer your question, practice. You've got to get used to get ridiculed so much, get judged so much, get pushed back so much that you can't hear it anymore.

What's interesting is that if you really think about the stepping up to the line, like, I feel like you and I, our philosophy in life could be explained by the Nike tagline, Just Do It. And the— most people don't understand the most powerful word of those 3 words. It's just because if their tagline had been Do It, that's not that inspiring. The just is so powerful because it honors this very human and universal moment of hesitation. You said that the person that's listening right now is on the cusp—

Yes, I believe that.

Of something. You have gotten up out of the stands. You've been watching a game. You're now standing there on the sideline of the pickup basketball court, and you are hesitating. That just is an acknowledgment that the hesitation is normal. The hesitation is what you feel Right before 100% you push through.

Can I use that analogy, please? This is very important, everyone. I feel like I'm on to one here. So, so lock in. If I went on a basketball court right now.

Yep.

I'm a decent little player, but let's say this was just a really high-level game and I sucked and the other 9 people really went there of trying to make me feel bad about it. There's something in me that asks them in return a very simple question, which is like, you are correct, you 9 are better at basketball than I am. But now I have a question for you. Are you a nicer boy than I am? Are you as good at making money as I am? Do you know how to make social media content as well as I do? Do you understand what live shopping is and how much that can change your 9 persons' lives today? Today, why have we gotten into a place where 1 or 2 or 3 things that you're not as good at are eating up all the oxygen. My friends, every one of you is great at something.

It's true.

I have a great friend, Nate, who was my admin for a long time. My co-founder in Empathy Wines now works in the golfing industry. He was my admin when I had my son and we got to play tennis a bunch because I had a couple of weeks off.

You're a tennis player?

Yeah, I hack a little.

I kind of see you in whites. Okay.

So we would play one set because I'd want to go home back to this, to the boy and like that. And twice in that summer, he was up 5-1 and I won. Came back and won 7-5 and 7-6. Couple things. One, it's because when I was down 5-1, I started to change the energy of the court. I started to verbalize towards him and to myself.

What did you say?

The first time I just started talking of like, Nate, I have a feeling I'm gonna come back. Like, it's crazy what verbalization does.

Yes.

And then sports is wild. Life is sports. It's momentum. Right now, people, there's a 39-year-old woman right now listening to this, and it's just not been going well. And literally one point, a.k.a. one action she takes tomorrow, changes the whole calculus of the game, and her next 50 years are epic. Do you know how intoxicating that is to me?

Oh, I love this too. I love that you're one decision away, one action away from a completely different life.

So anyway, I beat him.

Okay.

And then the second time I'm just like, Nate, you know this is about to happen again. And it did. For years when we would be together, I would bring up these 2 comebacks to razz him a little bit in like boy talk in business settings and different things, and he would always eat it. And finally I turned to him and said, Nate, like after 9 times using this on him, I looked at him and said, Nate, the next time I fucking say that, you look me dead in the face and And asked me what my handicap is because he's a remarkable golfer, scratch. And I've played 9 times in my life.

Everybody's good at something.

And that something might be you're just a nice person. And I would argue in Gary Vaynerchuk's scale of life, being a good human is way ahead of 10 million followers and $10 million in cash. And you may not believe me because you don't know me. But that's because you just don't know me.

Gary, you and I are going to talk for 5 hours if I don't stop us right now so I can take a break and let our sponsors share a few words. Do not go anywhere. I know you're loving the conversation, but hang with us because when we return, Gary is going to give some career advice, especially right now if you're looking for a job. He's also going to tell you one word to never say again. He also has advice for you if you think You wanna start a business, and this is gonna be coming from one of the most successful and respected entrepreneurs on the planet. You don't wanna miss what's coming next. Gary and I are gonna be right back. Welcome back. It's your friend Mel Robbins. Today you and I are here with Gary Vaynerchuk, and he's teaching you how to stop making excuses. Change your life right now. All right, Gary, let's just jump right back in. I wanna circle back because you told that story for a reason, and the reason why you told that story is because you just gave the tool and the tactic that gets you off the sideline.

That's right.

Because as you're standing there, whether the sideline for you is, I'm taking the real estate exam, that's right, I'm quitting this job, I'm leaving this relationship, I am going to learn how to make money online and do live shopping. Yes, I am. When you're standing on that line and the just do it and the hesitation is building, the only one criticizing you is you. And when you start to smack talk yourself, I'm doing the damn thing. I know I'm scared. I know it feels weird. Watch me make a comeback. Watch me change my life. It changes the trajectory of your life because now instead of arguing against yourself, which is what's creating the hesitation, by the way.

Yes.

Nobody else in your life is going, don't you dare do that thing.

Of course.

It's you. It's heartbreaking. Don't you think it's heartbreaking?

Yes. And let me paint another picture, if you allow me.

Of course.

Live shopping. I'm obsessed.

I know you're obsessed. So explain what live shopping is. It's QVC on social media.

That's right.

Yes.

Not complicated. Yes, it is. Go on TikTok right now and scroll for a while. Inevitably, within your first 15 scrolls, somebody is literally, instead of a piece of content, There's somebody who's actually live selling normally some tchotchkes that you don't need. Okay. Okay. But it is, but Mel, exactly where social media was. You know, you, you said you stumbled on me 14 years ago. So we're talking '12, 2012.

Yes, 2012.

I had already been making content about social for 5 full years every day.

No kidding.

Social, social, social.

Wine Library TV. Yes. Yeah.

Wine Library TV was '06. By '07, I'm making content of like, you can change your life on social. Everyone can do this. YouTube, Twitter, Facebook. Then a year later, I write this book. It comes out a year later, '09. That really puts me on where live shopping is right this second is exactly where social was in 2014.

Okay.

People know it. We've accepted that it's out there.

Yep.

You've heard of it. People know what TikTok Shop is. People maybe have heard of Whatnot. People have seen the headlines. It's not like Everyone who's listening is like, what is that? Like, they might be like, what is that? But also a lot of people listening right now are like, oh, I know what that is.

I know what that is. It's the shop now button. It's the this button.

A lot of people think they've already missed it. Like, oh darn. Or like, I don't get it.

Okay, this is a big theme. Now, as you're listening to Gary right now, I want you to pay attention because he may be talking about live shopping. This is what's meant for you. This notion of I missed it, I'm too late, I missed the window. Somebody else is doing it now. I can't do it.

There's too many— there's too many people selling.

Too many people already on shop.

Yes. Yes.

Yes. But because of out there, your internal dialogue goes, not me. And a lot of times this sounds like I'm too old, I'm too late, there's too many other people. And you're about to say you're wrong.

Not only are you wrong, we represent it. I, I've been podcasting since 2007. From 2000— when was COVID-19? From 2014 to '19, I had a top 100 podcast. Mine was different. It was ripping audio out of things that I were doing. And in 2 seconds, because you did it better, it didn't matter how many years of a head start.

Do you want to know something crazy though, Gary? In 2018, yes, I remember seeing your podcast. I remember seeing other people's podcasts. I wanted to do a podcast because I had gotten my start in the media business by hosting a local radio show Saturday mornings here in Boston. You know what I told myself as I'm standing on the the sideline watching your ass do your podcast, and I'm feeling the just do it hesitation. Oh my God. I said, well, Gary's already done it. So the motivation and the, you know, that kind of thing that I want to do, it's already taken. It would be another 6 years before I stopped talking myself out of it and actually did it.

How about this? How about in this podcast, I said very clearly, There are 10,000 listeners that are nice people too and want good for others that actually can do it. Of course. But do you know how crazy that is? Just this listener group. There's 10,000 people that can start right now. They're in dead zero. We— I'm—

Well, everybody starts at dead zero.

No shit, Sherlock. But— and in a year they could have a totally different life.

The actual message to the person listening is there is something that you are on the cusp of. There is something you are amazing at. And the more you sit around and watch everybody else do it, the more you are going to rot inside because you're not doing anything.

The more you get your 2 index fingers and put them in your ears and you can't hear others and you take these risks and do things, the more likely your life will be joyful. You are literally I'm thinking about this woman right now. I could just see her. You're not gonna do this because when you go on TikTok and you sell something, you're concerned about the looks of the fellow moms when you drop off your junior high daughter, because you, for some reason, value if they think that you're doing it because you don't have enough money or all these—

Or you're trying to be an influencer.

You're stuck in 6th grade. And my thing is, When the alpha of your group, because you're not, comes up to you and says, hey, Mal, saw your little TikTok thing. Like, what's going on? Is John not bringing enough money home? You guys need a couple bucks? We're happy to give you a couple of dollars. When she goes there, my brain goes to that basketball game. And you say to Susan or Sally McGee or Jocelyn, hey, Joss, how about X, Y, and Z? Because the thought That Jocelyn, the alpha that's going to razz you, has everything perfect is insanity.

Well, the other thing that's insanity is that you're allowing another person's opinion to stop you from living your life.

And this goes to regret mill.

And it goes to you're going to die.

That's right.

And is the eulogies at your funeral going to be, well, she had all these dreams in her heart, but she was afraid of Jocelyn.

That's right.

And so instead, she kind of lived a small thing and didn't take any risks and lived with a lot of regret. And really, you know, at the end, Jocelyn moved on to a different friend group, but she thought a lot about how she should have done it. And then she beat herself up about regret.

That's right. And so if we've learned anything in this podcast, it's fuck Jocelyn. I mean, like, really, though, like, friends, when are— and again, this is what intoxicates me about being here. You are not choosing as a human being to listen to this podcast over tuning into CNN and Fox and scaring yourself.

Or celebrity, like, interviews or whatever.

Or the reunion show of, like, Housewives. And by the way, all of that's fine. Like, it's great entertainment. I watch sports. Like, that doesn't mean anything. It's an escapism. It brings me joy. It's a balance to all the other stuff. Yes, but I know this. If you've decided to listen to this podcast, you're close. You're close. I can't get over this. This is what keeps running in my head. I know they're close. I know it.

Yes.

Because I've lived it my whole life. Also, the last 20 years, people that consume my stuff are close to action. And here's—

you want it like you don't pass time listening to this. You make it because there is something in you that, you know, needs to be unearthed. And you listen to this because you're looking for the, the encouragement. You're looking for somebody like Gary who has been there and who does this every day to say, you can do this, but you have to stop listening to everybody else's opinion. You have to stop letting fear stand in your way. It is about action. Talk is so cheap.

And it's hard, by the way. By the way, listen, friends, I know we— Mel and I have been, like, really jamming like a rock band in our garage for an hour on this one thing. Listen to me, friends. It is not lost on me on how hard this is. when you are fully bought into other people's opinions, you've probably been there for 20 to 30 years to just be like, oh yeah, Gary and Mel like, like are ranting now and I'm gonna do it. It's not quote unquote that easy, and yet it is. And I will say it like, I can speak from personal experience. At some point I just jumped in the pool, you know. At some point you're just gonna jump, you just are. And Here's my big one. Here's my big one tactically. You need to start surrounding yourself with people that are cheering for you to jump in the pool, not making fun of you for not being in the pool.

How do you do that when in the physical world they're not around you? Because I get— we get a lot of questions about this. I bet you do too. So how do you build the cheering group online? Yes. Ready?

When Mel posts on Instagram, reply to other people's replies to her post and start becoming friends. All of you, Mel Mafia. Start becoming friends with each other in Mel's comments. Here's what's gonna happen, Mel. Sally reads her all the comments from your post. She finds Kristen's comment that she associates with. She replies, Kristen, I couldn't agree with you more. She also clicks Kristen's profile and looks at her profile and says, P.S., your dog is so cute. Got it? We're putting a little effort into positivity.

Yes. Okay.

Kristen is just a regular good old Kristen. She's not accustomed to people liking her comment and replying to it. She sees it in her notification. She then goes, looks, she's on the receiving end of love and warmth. She reads that comment, she looks at the first person's comment and says, oh my God, I love your backyard. You know what happens next? One of them DMs each other. You know what happens next? That goes on for a couple of weeks. You know what happens next? A phone call, a Zoom. You know what happens next? They actually meet in person.

I love this.

Our slogan in BFFriends is strangers become acquaintances, acquaintances become friends, and friends become family. I'm obsessed with this. Do you know why I love collectibles and believe it's a huge trend and that it's about to join fashion and sports and music as a lifestyle genre? Because collectibles, you don't need the cardboard of a baseball card that's worth $2 million. It's worth nothing. You don't need the pieces of paper of a comic book that ends up being worth $10,000. The actual intrinsic value is nothing. You definitely don't need collectibles. It is not a necessity. The only necessity about collectibles is community. Do you know why sports works? It's something that's not the most important thing in the world that brings everyone together, and we're talking about the same thing. Do you know why music works? You all like— it's, it's tribalism on something that's positive. Do you know what Comic-Con looks like? Oh my God. If you wear a Spider-Man outfit and someone else loves Spider-Man, these are 2 strangers that hug it out like they're long-lost best friends. Collectibles are important because when I go to the trade show in Chicago for 4 days, hundreds of thousands of people, we just all like cardboard with athletes on it.

Right?

I want to take this because there is something about your life that you love. Needlepointing, gardening. Like, it could be tractor pulling. It could be anything.

Yes.

People around you misunderstand you. You can find a community of people that are in it. And if you put yourself intentionally in it, get up to the line, just do it. Hesitate, hesitate. I'm doing it. And you jump into that community. You now feel lifted up.

Mel, this whole little rant is why I believe social media is the greatest, not the worst. Everybody has become infatuated with talking about all the bad of social. You said something very important earlier. You said, for the people here who can't physically find it around them, Yes. They were in a neighborhood. All their family members, negative Nellies. All their friend group, cynical cats. The fact that they can open their phone and comment in Mel's Instagram posts and find her people. Friends, all of you that love this podcast, the biggest mistake you're doing is not interacting with each other in Mel's comments.

That is a huge gift.

It's actually—

You're giving me and the person listening right now.

No, it's actually the number one thing that I want to happen with content. I want— one of the things that's not happening is I want everyone to start using the comments like Facebook groups.

Rather than talking to me and commenting to me, comment to each other.

Yes. Because it's bigger than us.

Yes.

What we do for a living is so uncomfortably bigger than us.

I don't think it's about me at all.

Nor do I.

I want to ask you some rapid-fire questions.

Please.

Because this is what people— when, you know, people are looking for advice from you online, these are the top things people ask you.

Okay.

What's one thing the person listening can do today to build self-confidence?

Make a video that tells everybody all their shortcomings.

What?

Mel, everything is the last scene of 8 Mile, Eminem's movie. Eminem's movie 8 Mile. The last scene is a battle rap. Eminem goes first, which is actually a disadvantage in battle rap. So what does he do? He flips the script. He makes fun of himself the entire time. And then at the tail end, he goes, but I know something about you, to Clarence. I believe the number one thing that most people watching or listening to this podcast should do is make a video and tell the world what they suck at.

Wow.

It is the great liberating piece of content that is sitting on the fingertips of society that no one's doing, because once you take control of it, They don't have control of it.

Oh, the thing you're afraid to say actually owns you.

Owns your fucking ass. It's your jail. Almost everyone is not posting because of something like that.

And almost everybody is not posting because they think there's a perfect thing to post.

Correct.

And the only thing to post is the thing you're afraid to say.

And the reason—

I'm brand new at posting music videos and I'm scared to death to do this. And some of you may think this sucks, And I've been talking myself out of it for 17 months. But here goes.

And everybody's not posting. And I mean everybody. Almost no one's actually posting and they're all not posting. You know why? They like their little facade. They're safe in their fakeness. They want everyone to think it's awesome. Johnny and me are doing great. My kids are perfect. Everyone's fucking great. No one's great. And that's what's great. Like, everyone's got something.

Geez. What's the piece of advice you would give to somebody who wants to start a business? And what's the worst?

The best advice is, are you actually capable? You know, one of the proud things I am is I definitely feel like I'm in a very small group of people that made being a business person or entrepreneur cool 20 years ago. It feels really neat.

You know, like you inspired— so what does that feel like to know that you've inspired millions and millions and millions of people around the world to lean in, start, change your life, start a business.

Well, you know, it's so funny. You represent something even cooler, which is I got to do it so early that so many people came along, were inspired by me, that have inspired more people than even I did. It feels so good. All I want is the world to wake up. That's all I want.

And what?

And realize it's awesome. Like, it is. Now, it might not be awesome right now because you're $80,000 in debt, your marriage is falling apart, like, your kid is struggling. It's— but it is. Like, this is the brainfuck. It's awesome because you have a chance to change it.

I think the big mistake that people make is thinking that there is some perfect life, there is some life where you're going to be happy all the time, and that that's the point of life. And the goal is not perfection. What is perfect? It's aliveness.

What's perfect? By whose fucking definition?

So when you say awesome, life is awesome, I think what you're saying is you don't actually have to feel like it's awesome for you to call your life beautiful and good.

Mel, the New York Knicks. Do you know how much joy I still feel and most of New York City feels about what happened a couple of months ago? Do you understand that the Knicks were losing by 29 points late in an NBA Finals and no team had ever done it before? And guess what? We did. There is someone right now who's down 29 points, down 29 points in the 4th quarter, and can win. Do you know how cool that is? Do you know how awesome that is? Everything's gone wrong and one smart decision. But it starts with This is on me. And this is where the politicians have been brilliant. This is where the bosses have been brilliant. And this is where the parents have been brilliant. They've weaponized and manipulated their subjects into thinking they can help them. Mel, do you know what's really cool?

Tell me.

I don't think I can help anyone. I do not believe that GaryVee content or me, the human, can help anyone, but I can help them realize that they can help themselves.

Correct. So if someone's looking for a job right now, yes. Whether they lost it or they're a new grad in this market, Gary, what is the number one skill that you think they should be focusing on?

Making content on LinkedIn.

Making content on LinkedIn.

How about that one? You know why? I'm obsessed with optionality.

What does that mean?

Let me explain. If you lost your job and you're like debating, do I want another job similar or do I wanna do something on my own? If everyone understood what I understood, which is LinkedIn is exactly the same thing as Facebook and Instagram, except the audience perspective and mentality when they're on it is different. If you put out content on LinkedIn, whether it's about the things you think about your industry— so you're an executive assistant.

Yep.

And so you're making content on LinkedIn about 5 rules. Hey everyone, it's Susan. I'm in between gigs. I've been doing executive assistant work for the last 9 years. Just gonna make this video, 5 things every executive assistant or someone getting into it should know about the game.

Now, I want to point something out. Notice he said, I'm in between gigs. Most people wouldn't say that because you don't want people to know that. And Gary is telling you, saying the thing you don't want to say is not a sign that you're a loser. It's a sign that you're a winner and that you're secure in yourself. And you're still showing up.

Mel, your embarrassment is your advantage.

What do you mean?

I mean, your embarrassment is your uniqueness. It's your nuance. It's your snowflake. I just don't know how people can't see this. Your unique situation is your biggest advantage, regardless if the world currently thinks it's right. Let me give you a big one for me.

Yes.

I pounded against college for a decade in my content in the early 2000s and got got completely shit on by everyone.

Like, he— what he's talking about is that for a decade Gary was questioning—

2005, '07, '09.

Do you know college is a waste for a lot of people? Do you need to go to college? You do not need to go to college. The world is changing.

2007, I'm making a video saying college isn't right for— and I always was nuanced. If you're creative or entrepreneurial and your parents can't afford to pay for it, I do not think you should go take $120,000 in debt to have a piece of paper that I'm projecting in 20 years won't matter.

Yep.

And Mel, I got destroyed. Well, no, really, Mel, like, it was probably the subject matter that I most got the most private and public comment heat of for a decade.

Wow.

Gary, you're saying this because you were a bad student. You suck. You're not smart. You curse and you're bad at school. You don't have intellect. Blah, blah, blah. And then miraculously, 15 years later, people are like, wait a minute. And so what I'm saying is, if it's your truth— my truth was I thought a lot of kids were getting screwed by college. Yes, I agree with you. But man, was I on an island in 2007. I'm telling you, I was in a really lonely place, and I would not stop because I believed in my soul. And you think I want to tell the world that I sucked at candor for 20 years and was horrible at firing, and that there's people out there that are still mad at me because I pulled the rug from out— I'm embarrassed, Mel. I don't think all my other success hides—

What do you do with those failures?

Adjust. Own and adjust. And then, by the way, my friends, pay attention to your relationship with should. My relationship with should is remarkable. I don't use it. I don't think I should have anything. In fact, I think if I'm working 15 hours a day, let me say this slow, and for 3 years straight, I don't think I should have anything. Because if I'm not working effectively or something that's bringing value to someone, I should get nothing.

Cause and effect.

That's a tough one. You know, like, okay, Gary and Mel, I've been working on my podcast for 9 years, 12 hours a day. Like, what's up? What's up is you stink.

I'm sorry.

I mean, I don't know. Like, it's okay. Like, by the way, like, I stink a lot.

Like, there's a lot of things I've done that stink, which is why I don't do them anymore.

Correct. Now we're getting into like, like, are you navigating? How self-aware are you? Where's your humility? But I'm going to say it again. There's a lot of people exhausted because they are not realizing how much envy and jealousy is eating up their soul. I'm going to say it nice and slow. As of this moment that most people are listening, obviously people will listen to this years from now, but knowing when this is going to air, they just went through June, July, and August and they got triggered by someone else's happiness. We need to talk about this more.

I had a moment in my life where I just got tired of myself.

That.

I got so sick of being a person that thought life should be different, that thought I should have the things other people did, that was jealous of people I wanted to be happy for. And I realized, wait, if I don't like the person I am and if I don't like how I feel, I'm not stuck as this version of myself.

In the realest way.

I need to change this if I don't like the way my life feels.

Even in the most competitive place I am as a professional.

Yes.

Like, I do business the way, like, athletes do athlete.

I know. I love that about you.

You know, like, they're like, in real life, they're very sweet, but when they get on the field, they want to crush.

Yes.

Even in my most competitive domain, my professional career, if you knew how much joy I have for people that are seemingly on paper competing with me when they are winning what many of my contemporaries view as coming out of them, it does not even register. I could not be happier for people that pass me in following count, pass me in financial status, pass me in listener count. I could not be more happy for all of you.

Why?

Because the world is abundant and your joy has nothing to do with me. My joy is my joy and your joy is your joy. And friends, there's unlimited stuff. There's unlimited happiness. There's unlimited love. There's unlimited joy. There's unlimited materialistic things. And just like no one's taking out of you, you're taking out of you.

If this were the last thing that you could share with somebody, the one message that you wanted the person who's been listening to this to remember, what would it be?

That nothing in the end— in the end, none of the shit that you're worried about is going to actually matter. So if that is true, and guess what? I know everyone knows I'm right. Then why not start living your life that way right this second?

What are your parting words?

That life can be so much better than the way it is right now. I think there's a confusion in the system. I really, really love you. And it's time you love yourself.

Gary, I really love you. I do. And I know you don't do a lot of interviews. And so the fact that you wanted to be here, that you made the time to be here, that you did that both for me, as somebody who I truly, when I tell you this, I am where I am in my life because of the content that you put out and the message that you put out and the way that you've changed the way that I think. And I really have always felt in everything that you've done that there is this incredible combination of ambition and confidence and fun and business and go and build and chase. And how fucking cool is this? And at the same time, this humble, connected, profound understanding of what is true in life. And I feel like you are a twin flame and a huge bright light. And I just wanna thank you for truly changing my life and inspiring me.

That is incredibly humbling. And, you know, to me, it honors what I most believe in the world that is so much bigger than me, which is like, this is real. There is so much right now. The world is very confused that hate is winning. My friends, hate's in trouble. Love is always lurking, you know? And I'm really just uncomfortably proud of you. And more importantly, in this moment, there's just a lot of people listening that are on the cusp. I am, I am so proud and pumped for you, but I am here strictly because I know one person's ready to tip and I know our combination today will do that.

Well, GaryVee, I love you.

I love you back.

Thank you for coming here and partnering with me on behalf of the person who spent all this time with us. And I just want to say to you, thank you for making the time. To be with me and Gary. Go follow him. Go comment with the other people in the comments, for God's sakes, and get off the damn line and get into the game. Your life depends on it. In case nobody else tells you, as your friend, I'm gonna be sure to remind you that I love you. I know Gary loves you, and we both believe in your ability to create a better life. Now go fucking do it. All right, you ready? Oh my God, Gary! Thank you, my dear. Great job setting this up, you guys.

Make a video that tells everybody all their shortcomings.

What?

You like that one? You like that one?

He's pointing to Tracy.

Literally walked on stage, 10,000 people, opening line, F your grandparents.

I am a huge fan of fantasy fiction, and I particularly love the series A Court of Thorns and Roses. Love, ACOTAR. Now go fucking do it. Forever grateful. You're gonna be listening to this sucker on repeat. No, you're the best. Thank you. I really— Oh, and one more thing. And no, this is not a blooper. This is Is the legal language. You know, what the lawyers write and what I need to read to you. This podcast is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes. I'm just your friend. I am not a licensed therapist, and this podcast is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Got it? Good. I'll see you in the next episode.

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