Focus on building a strong business first: European entrepreneurs should prioritize building a valuable business before seeking external funding in Silicon Valley
Instead of focusing solely on the dream of going to Silicon Valley to pursue venture capital, Danish entrepreneurs should focus on building a strong business first. According to Gary Vaynerchuk, the founder of VaynerMedia, Silicon Valley has successfully branded itself, leading many aspiring entrepreneurs to believe that they need to go there to be successful. However, this mindset can actually hinder their chances of success. Instead, entrepreneurs should aim to build a business that is so successful that it attracts attention from Silicon Valley, rather than the other way around. By focusing on creating a valuable business, entrepreneurs will be better positioned for long-term success and will not be at a disadvantage due to their European background. In today's business landscape, it's essential to prioritize building a solid business foundation before seeking external funding.
Stay consumer-centric for business success: Ignore external influences, focus on creating value for consumers, and build a diverse team to effectively meet their needs.
Focusing on the consumer and their needs, rather than pleasing investors or being trendy, is key to building a successful business. Gary Vaynerchuk shared his experience of growing a business from selling lemonade to building a web 2.0 company, and emphasized the importance of staying consumer-centric. He advised ignoring the noise from Silicon Valley and other external influences, and instead, focusing on creating value for the target audience. Additionally, Vaynerchuk shared a mistake he made in building VaynerMedia - being too slow to bring on people with agency experience. He learned the importance of having a team with diverse expertise and creating a filter to ensure the right people join the team. Overall, his advice is to prioritize the consumer and build a team that can effectively meet their needs.
Mistakes in Hiring and Promoting Talent: Successful entrepreneurs like Gary Vaynerchuk make mistakes in their journey to growth, including not bringing in senior talent early enough, pushing executives too hard, and not bringing in outside agencies early enough, which can hinder financial growth and cultural development.
Even successful entrepreneurs like Gary Vaynerchuk face challenges and make mistakes in their journey to growth. For Vaynerchuk, not bringing in senior talent early enough was a significant mistake that hindered the financial growth and cultural development of his company. He was so focused on nurturing his own talent that he pushed some executives too hard, causing them to quit or get fired. He now recognizes that he should have given them more time to hone their skills before promoting them to management roles. Additionally, he regrets not bringing in outside agencies earlier, as their influence may have helped him avoid establishing a culture that resisted change. Overall, Vaynerchuk's experience highlights the importance of being thoughtful and deliberate in decision-making, especially when it comes to hiring and promoting talent.
AI and machine learning will change the marketing industry: AI and machine learning will automate repetitive tasks, challenge Twitter's customer service market, and require human intervention to perfect bot responses.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning will significantly impact the marketing industry and change the way businesses operate. Gary Vaynerchuk, in the discussion, expressed his belief that AI and machine learning will make many tasks more efficient, leading to the automation of jobs that involve repetitive or "dumb" work. He also predicted that Facebook Messenger, with its AI capabilities, will challenge Twitter's customer service market. Brands will build AI bots and machine learning in messenger, allowing them to handle customer service without the need for external agencies like VaynerMedia. Vaynerchuk also mentioned that there will still be a need for human intervention to perfect the bot's responses. Overall, AI and machine learning present a huge opportunity for businesses, but also bring challenges in terms of job displacement. Vaynerchuk is excited about this space and sees potential for VaynerMedia to get back into community management with the help of AI and machine learning. The impact of AI and machine learning is a significant trend that will affect every business in the world.
Leveraging Conferences for Networking Opportunities: Conferences offer unique content and valuable networking opportunities. Engage in Q&A sessions for new insights and connect with others for potential business opportunities and personal growth.
Conferences are an invaluable resource for entrepreneurs, not just for the content presented on stage, but primarily for the networking opportunities they provide. The speaker emphasized that Q&A sessions are particularly effective in generating new and unique content, as they force speakers to adapt and respond to the specific questions and needs of the audience. He also criticized the repetition of generic presentations by some speakers and encouraged attendees to seek out opportunities to connect with others. Ultimately, the speaker encouraged everyone to attend conferences, but only if they are willing to engage with the people there and take advantage of the networking opportunities. He believes that the human connections made at conferences can lead to invaluable business opportunities and personal growth.
Networking events: More than just handshakes and business cards: Personal branding, social media presence, and preparation are essential for maximizing the value of networking events. Reading books like 'Crushing It' can provide valuable insights and knowledge for personal and professional growth.
Attending networking events can provide valuable opportunities for handshakes, business card exchanges, and meaningful conversations. However, if an individual lacks the courage or networking skills, they may only find value in the content or speakers. Gary Vaynerchuk, a renowned entrepreneur and speaker, emphasizes the importance of personal branding and social media presence. He encourages listeners to pre-order his upcoming book, "Crushing It," which serves as an update on his thoughts regarding various social media platforms and includes success stories of entrepreneurs who have read and applied the principles from his previous book, "Crush It." Overall, networking events offer potential benefits, but personal motivation and preparation are crucial to maximizing the experience. Additionally, investing in books like "Crushing It" can provide invaluable insights and knowledge for personal and professional growth.
Building An Agency, Speaking and Silicon Valley | An Interview With Saxis.DK
Recent Episodes from The GaryVee Audio Experience
How To Build Your Self-Awareness & Self-Esteem
Today's podcast is a virtual Q&A I had with Ethan Donati last year! we talk about advice for people who are scared to share their message on social media, the difference between being driven by insecurity and confidence, what platforms marketers and creators should pay attention to, and much more! I hope you enjoy it!
Mastering Patience, Tenacity, and the Power of Positivity
In this episode, I get real about the balance between patience and tenacity—two traits that seem like opposites but are both critical for success. I share some personal stories that shaped my understanding of how the positivity and negativity we surround ourselves with can make or break us. I also dive into the power of public accountability and why it's crucial to own up to your challenges. Leadership isn't about being the boss—it's about serving your team and being self-aware enough to know when you're wrong. If you're serious about growing in business and in life, this episode will give you the tools to do it by mastering patience, tenacity, and positivity. Let's get into it.
The Evolution of Marketing and the Power of Social Media
Today's video is an interview I had with Jasper Mulder from Adformatie. I share my marketing thesis, drawing parallels between social media and the local newspapers and radio in the 1950s and 60s. I emphasize the importance of leveraging data to create stronger campaigns and mitigate risk. I also share my approach to consumer segmentation, which involves a blend of first-party data from clients and qualitative data from social listening to warn brands about the potential pitfalls of social media marketing, and offers advice on how to use it effectively. I hope you enjoy!
My BIGGEST achievement in life
On today's episode of the GaryVee Audio Experience, I sit down with Massimo Marioni of Fortune Magazine! And what about what achievement in life im most proud of and much more. I hope you all enjoy it.
Check Out Massimo & Fortune Magazine!
Twittertwitter.com/fortunemagazine
Facebookfacebook.com/FortuneMagazine
Instagraminstagram.com/fortunemag
TikToktiktok.com/@fortune
The One Truth I'll Never Stop Trying to Reveal
Today's episode is a great Q&A I gave last year! I discussed my early life and the things I was exposed to and how that shaped me into who I am today. I also talk about the importance of saving money, why I believe everyone knows what their passion is but hides it, and the reason I have always been myself. mistaking self-love for ego and so much more! Enjoy! Let me know what you thought! —
GaryVee On Advice To Young People And Being A Contextual Creator
In this episode, I talk about what it takes to be a good online creator, the power of creating content that is contextualized, my advice to young people, and how to be a good parent. Enjoy!
Patience vs. Complacency | How to Keep Moving Forward While You Wait
Today's episode is a fireside chat I had with Drum Labs. I discuss various topics such as the importance of patience when building something meaningful, methods I use to optimize efficiency, strategies for developing and sustaining a successful company culture, and my perspective on how creativity should be defined in the Ad industry. I also reflect on the work that I feel the most proud of at VaynerMedia and delve into other related subjects. ENJOY!
What Every Marketer Can Learn From Politicians On Social Media
Today's podcast episode is my appearance on CNBC's Squawk Box, where I talk about the power of social media. Looking at the Obama win in 2008 and Trump in 2016, I share why I think it all comes down to social media. Many people underestimate social media's organic reach. I also share my thoughts about hope vs. fear and much more. Hope you enjoy!
8 Minute Rant on How to Do Marketing The Right Way
In this episode, join me for an eight-minute marketing rant recorded in the back of the car during my recent trip to Dubai. I talk about the importance of focusing on where the consumer attention is and making content and ads in those channels, why creative agencies and brands need to produce 40-70 pieces of content a day, and much more!
2025 Marketing Strategy That Will Revolutionize Your Ads
Today's podcast is my advice to companies who are looking to bring common sense back into their marketing strategies. Too many companies get scared of taking risks and go back to what's tried and true. I also share my two cents about the importance of the creative and why it is the variable of any marketing conversation — a winning strategy is going consumer up, not boardroom down. It's all about trying new things in your day-to-day advertising and letting the intelligence of AI bring your ads to the right audience!
Related Episodes
Navigating the Grueling Path to Startup Success with Kenneth Berger
Welcome to another episode of the CCS podcast! In today's episode, we dive into the challenges faced by entrepreneurs with our special guest, Kenneth Berger. Host Karen Rands engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Kenneth as they discuss the struggles, conflicts, and triumphs experienced along the journey to building successful startups. From biases in communication within diverse teams to the difficulties of delegating tasks, Karen and Kenneth shed light on the crucial aspects of entrepreneurship. They also explore the role of executive coaching in uncovering unconscious biases and beliefs that affect interactions and decision-making. Join us as we unravel the complexities of the entrepreneurial world and discover valuable insights from our esteemed guest.
Key Topic 1: Challenges faced by startup leaders and navigating personal and company growth
- Struggles with baggage (emotional, experiential, developmental) and being open to mentorship
- Conflict resolution and toxic relationships in the entrepreneurial journey
- Dealing with persistent problems, interpersonal conflict, and burnout
Key Topic 2: Challenges in delegating tasks and scaling oneself in startups
- Founder's struggle in delegating tasks, even win it is necessary for growth of the company
- Is the challenge in delegating tasks related to lack of planning or personality traits?
- Emotional process of giving up control in the business
- Common archetypes of challenges in delegation - passive aggression the trojan horse
- Working within other people's boundaries and limitations to achieve mutual goals
Key Topic 3: Effective communication, unpacking underlying issues, and achieving collaboration
- Clear expectations and communication for team productivity
- Overcoming internal barriers for effective communication and goal accomplishment
Key Topic 4: Challenges of innate biases in communication within diverse teams
- Impact of biases on communication and effectiveness in the workplace
- Biases related to appearance, accents, and assumptions about productivity
- Addressing biases that may not be explicitly expressed or even realized by person in authority
- Role of coaches in helping clients uncover unconscious biases
- Biases related to education, insecurity, and the need to prove oneself
Kenneth Berger is a seasoned entrepreneur who has experienced both the highs and lows of the startup journey. After working at Adobe for several years, he realized that he craved a more exciting and impactful career. With a friend from grad school, he co-founded a startup and experienced the rush of building a business from scratch. Later on, he joined Slack in its early stages, witnessing the company's rapid growth and success. However, along with the triumphs, Kenneth also faced heartbreak and conflict. His co-founder and longtime friend parted ways, and he found himself in disagreements with the CEO of Slack. Despite the challenges, Kenneth remained determined to leave his mark on the tech industry and make a lasting impact. Visit http://kberger.com to learn more.
Also, as mentioned in the podcast, the link to Karen's "Thumbprint no the World"
https://bit.ly/KCHthumb
Find points of interest:
00:01:09 Early investors crucial, need mental stamina. Feedback vital.
00:06:47 Transition from big company to startup challenges.
00:08:21 Startup founders face dilemma of scaling themselves.
00:12:31 Customized coaching helps individuals navigate distinct challenges.
00:16:47 Passive aggressiveness can be detrimental in workplaces.
00:19:21 Passive aggression often stems from unarticulated needs.
00:26:30 Valid feelings, adapt and overcome entrepreneurial challenges.
00:29:34 Entitlement and confidence affect asking for things.
00:30:45 Share personal experience, open to feedback, humble.
00:36:44 Unconscious beliefs influence behavior, often without realization.
00:37:47 Navigating startup challenges, seeking safety and growth.
00:42:12 Kenneth thanks audience and promotes website.
>>>>>>
Imagine the feeling of investing in a way that had massive impact and a potential pay you back 10x your money. The time is now to find out if Angel Investing / CrowdFunding Investing is the wealth creation strategy for you. Take action on Karen's offer to learn how to invest with confidence in entrepreneurs and sign up (FREE FOR NOW) the new Compassionate Capitalist Wealth Maximizing System.
>>>>>>
Karen Rands is the leader of the Compassionate Capitalist Movement™ and author of the best selling investment primer: Inside Secrets to Angel Investing: Step-by-Step Strategies to Leverage Private Equity Investment for Passive Wealth Creation. She is an authority on creating wealth through investing and building successful businesses that can scale and exit rich. Karen is an enthusiastic speaker on these topics for corporations, economic development groups, angel investor networks, and professional business networks. About Karen https://www.karenrands.co/about-karen-rands/
Visit http://Kugarand.com and learn more about the Compassionate Capitalist Wealth Maximizer System™. Read about the Due Diligence Services, Investor Relations, Capital Strategies, Capital Access, and Capital Readiness Coaching serviced offered by her firm, Kugarand Capital Holdings.
The Compassionate Capitalist Show™ is a Podcast on YouTube. Please visit and subscribe and share. It is great to watch Karen and her guests live, in action. The whole library of podcasts and interviews since 2020 can be found there by category or chronological.
Ep. 100 - What We’ve Learned About Marriage and Business
Happy 100 episodes to us and you for listening for the past two years. In this episode, we want to talk about what we’ve learned about marriage and business from doing this show, and the wisdom from our guests. Just getting to agreement to do this podcast with each other was a conversation in itself. So there are a lot of lessons on teamwork with just that topic.
But we’ve also had some amazing guests we’ve had the privilege to meet and become friends with. We’ve had so many takeaways from them but there are too many to mention. So we highlight the few that come to mind. You’ll notice some hyperlinks below. These are some of the episodes we highlight to make it easy for you to find.
The Struggles of Growing a Family Business
Welcome to the Business Broadcast Podcast! Each week James brings on the show an entrepreneur who shares their biggest challenges and struggles in business.
James coaches the business owner through these challenges by asking those hard hitting questions in order to get to the bottom of these problems and help the business owner soar to success.
Start your 14 Day FREE Trial for the Entrepreneurs University at: https://jamessinclair.net/
In this episode of the Business Broadcast James speaks to Josh Edge who runs Design Office UK LTD. He has been trading for over 6 years and is doing around £40000 in sales each month at the moment. He has number of challenges on growing the business and some of these involve the family.
Check out Josh's Business at: www.designoffice.co.uk / sales@designoffice.co.uk
356: Leverage your Blog for New Opportunities and Maximum Impact with Bita and Beata
In episode 356, Megan chats to Bita and Beata about leveraging your blog for new opportunities using podcasts.
Bita Arabian and Beata Nazem Kelley are two food bloggers who co-host the podcast, Modern Persian Food. Bita / Beata means ‘unique’ and in the podcast the duo share their unique approach to cooking and eating Persian food and how to incorporate the rich flavors and fresh ingredients into today’s modern lifestyle. Both started out working on their individual blogs and then teamed up to launch their podcast with which they’ve been nominated for awards and reached amazing milestones. In this episode, they discuss how they’ve used their blog niche to create a unique podcast with great potential to grow their business and to stay connected to their audience.
- Podcasts is an extension of your blog.
- It offers a different way to stay connected.
- What kind of opportunities can you expect by starting a podcast?
- Audio is about inspiring others and being inspired.
- Using audio, you can share a combination of guest expertise or your own.
- As a new field, podcasts still offer the chance for new bloggers to stand out.
- Take time to plan in order to be consistent.
Connect with Bita and Beata
Growth Hacks for Startups from Elliot Shmukler of InstaCart, LinkedIn and now Anomalo | E1926
This Week in Startups is brought to you by…
NetSuite. The number one cloud financial system, bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, and HR, into ONE platform. Giving you ONE source of truth. Now through April 15th, NetSuite is offering a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program. Head to http://www.NetSuite.com/twist
Squarespace. Turn your idea into a new website! Go to http://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST for a free trial. When you’re ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.
Hubspot. Join thousands of companies that are growing better with HubSpot for Startups. Learn more and get extra benefits for being a TWiST listener now at https://www.hubspot.com/startups Check out their report “How AI is Redefining Startup GTM Strategy” here: https://bit.ly/hubspot-ai-report
*
Timestamps:
(0:00) Elliot Shmukler of Anomalo joins Jason to discuss growth tactics for businesses and startups.
(2:33) A primer on modern-day growth for startups from expert Elliot.
(6:20) Why referral programs are so powerful
(9:59) NetSuite. Now through April 15th, NetSuite is offering a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program. Head to http://www.NetSuite.com/twist
(11:39) The 2nd best thing you can do for the growth of your startup!
(15:55) Exploring "Give to Get" programs with examples from Elliot’s success.
(20:36) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at http://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(22:13) A critical growth action once you have your virality base is “conversion rate optimization”.
(25:45) The most effective sign-up practived today.
(30:31) Hubspot for Startups - Learn more and get extra benefits for being a TWiST listener now at https://www.hubspot.com/startups. Check out their report “How AI is Redefining Startup GTM Strategy” here: https://bit.ly/hubspot-ai-report
(31:52) The balance of adding friction in the user sign-up process.
(33:57) Elliot dives deeper into his best growth hacks and the most frustrating moments while at InstaCart, Wealthfront, and LinkedIn.
(39:51) Elliot discusses his new company, Anomalo, and its mission to solve data quality issues.
*
Check out Anomalo: https://www.anomalo.com/
*
Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp
*
Follow Elliott:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eshmu/
*
Follow Jason:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis
*
Thank you to our partners:
(9:59) NetSuite. Now through April 15th, NetSuite is offering a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program. Head to http://www.NetSuite.com/twist
(20:36) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at http://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST
(30:31) Hubspot for Startups - Learn more and get extra benefits for being a TWiST listener now at https://www.hubspot.com/startups. Check out their report “How AI is Redefining Startup GTM Strategy” here: https://bit.ly/hubspot-ai-report
*
Great 2023 interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland
*
Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis
*
Follow TWiST:
Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups
*
Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast