This special episode captures a keynote speech Gary Vaynerchuk recently gave to a room full of teenagers (and educators) at Newtown High School in Queens, NY. Gary gets real about the pressures kids face today, the twisted definition of success pushed by the outside world, and what actually matters for building a fulfilling life.
He tackles everything from grades and procrastination to the opportunities (and pitfalls) of social media, TikTok Shop, AI, and finding your path after high school. This is raw, direct GaryVee talk aimed squarely at the next generation, but with wisdom applicable to any age.
Here are the detailed key insights and takeaways:
1. Redefining Success: Happiness Over Everything
- The Twisted Narrative: Gary emphasizes that the modern definition of success (money, fame, followers) pushed by the outside world is “incredibly twisted” and confusing.
- The True Mark: As you get older, the only mark of success becomes sheer happiness, simplicity, and joy. Money isn’t the unlock to happiness. (He acknowledges teenagers might not fully believe this yet).
- School Grades Aren’t Destiny: Bad grades won’t end your life. Academic performance is not an indicator of future joy. Learning discipline is important, but don’t overstress about tests. Life is very different than school.
2. School vs. Real Life: Extracting What Matters
- Dealing with Adversity: School’s real value isn’t just academics, but learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable and getting through things you don’t want to do. The world has lost its way with adversity; life has challenges.
- Your Strength: For many kids facing adversity, that struggle becomes their foundation and strength later in life, building resilience that others lack.
- Practical Skills: Schools should focus more on practical skills for tomorrow (like prompt engineering for AI, understanding social media) rather than being overly ideological or focused on yesterday’s problems.
3. Harnessing Opportunity: TikTok Shop & Social Media
- Current Arbitrage: TikTok Shop: Gary identifies TikTok Shop as a massive, current opportunity, especially for those starting with nothing. He advises kids to grab items from dollar stores or TJ Maxx, go live on TikTok, and flip them for profit. Even with zero followers, the algorithm can give you reach.
- Content is King (Still Free): Social media content is the “biggest weapon in the world” if used correctly. Your first post can get 10,000 views if it’s good, even with no followers. The game has flipped from needing followers first.
- Stop Talking, Start Doing: People talk too much about what they’re going to do. Shut your mouth and start doing. Reading about push-ups does nothing. Actually posting content is the game, not just reading about it.
- Platform Native Content: Reiterated his core message – you MUST create content slightly differently for each platform (LinkedIn vs. TikTok vs. Instagram, etc.). It’s your job to adapt, not the algorithm’s.
4. Mindset: Overcoming Procrastination, Self-Doubt & Burnout
- Procrastination = You Don’t Like It: Procrastination isn’t something to “fix”; it’s an indicator that you fundamentally don’t enjoy the task. Focus on finding things you do like, where procrastination isn’t an issue. Work on discipline for the things you have to do but don’t like.
- Dealing with Burnout & Negativity:
- Perspective & Gratitude: Recalibrate by focusing on what’s not wrong (e.g., “My family is okay”). Use gratitude as a tool.
- Stop Caring What Others Think: Realize that most anxiety and burnout comes from worrying about others’ judgment (teachers, parents, peers). Play a trick: “I’m the only person on earth, nobody else can say anything.” Focus on your own path.
- Business is Sports (UFC): Expect to lose sometimes. 90-95% of businesses fail. Get comfortable with losing; learn from it. Losing early is better than losing later. View losses as battle scars.
- It’s Okay to Be Insecure: Everyone is insecure about something. You’re allowed to be. Acknowledge it, work on it (therapy, meditation, breaking habits), but don’t let it stop you from acting.
5. Practical Advice for Starting Out (18-30 Year Olds)
- Highest Risk Time: Ages 18-30 are when you should take the biggest risks around things you’re genuinely interested in. Follow your passion/curiosity.
- Work for Someone First: Before starting a business, consider working for someone already in that industry for a year, even if it’s a “shitty job.” They’ll pay you to learn. Build your own thing at night.
- Do Something You Like: Business is hard as shit. If you don’t fundamentally like it, you’ll quit when it gets tough. Passion provides the fuel.
- Ivy League Practicality: While advocating practical skills (HVAC, plumbing), Gary considers Ivy League schools practical due to the immense leverage and opportunity the brand provides upon graduation. If you can get in (without crippling debt), go.
- Debt is Scary: Be wary of college debt. Choosing a slightly lesser school with a full ride is often better than taking on huge debt for a slightly better school (Ivy Leagues might be the exception due to brand leverage).
6. AI & The Future:
- AI is Massive: It will be the biggest technology impacting everyone in the room.
- Human Negativity Bias: Humans always focus on the negative when new tech emerges (like initial fears about electricity). That negativity is where the opportunity lies for entrepreneurs and optimists.
- AI Won’t Eliminate Jobs, It Will Shift Them: Just like the tractor didn’t end farming (it allowed humans to do bigger things), AI will change the world significantly, allowing for new levels of creativity and productivity. Embrace it, learn it.
7. Marketing vs. Product:
- Product Quality is #1: Marketing is crucial (#2), but only if the product is good. If your product sucks, marketing just speeds up the process of everyone finding out it sucks.
- Modern Marketing = Social Media: For those with smaller budgets, organic social media is the lowest-cost, most effective way to reach an audience today.
Final Thought:
Gary delivered a powerful, direct message to these Queens teenagers: Choose optimism, take responsibility, embrace discomfort, stop worrying about judgment, leverage the incredible tools at your disposal (especially social media), find something you love, work hard at it, and be patient. Success is a marathon measured in happiness, not just dollars or followers.
Listen to the full episode here: [Link to Episode – if applicable]
Until next time,
The Podcast Notes Team
