Is It Too Late To Start Making Content Now?

Summary

This transcript captures a dynamic conversation between a marketing professional and Gary Vaynerchuk, focusing on the transformative power of digital platforms and personal branding in today's market. They delve into the evolving landscape of marketing, emphasizing the importance of adapting to changing cultural trends and consumer behaviors. Highlighting stories of individuals breaking through barriers using digital tools, they discuss the potential for anyone, regardless of background, to become influential in their domain. The dialogue also touches on the significance of authenticity, the impact of corporate culture, and the promising future of Africa in the global arena.

Takeaways

• 😄 Don't be afraid to take risks and pursue your dreams, as the regret of not trying is far worse than potential failure.
• 🤝 Maintaining authenticity and staying connected with your target audience is crucial for effective marketing and content creation.
• 🌐 The rise of digital platforms and social media has created a level playing field for anyone to build an influential presence, regardless of their background or location.
• 🌍 Africa is poised for significant growth and cultural influence on the global stage in the coming decades, driven by its talented and creative youth population.
• 🧠 Successful marketers must have a deep understanding of consumer behavior and trends, rather than relying solely on theory or assumptions.
• 🏢 Corporate hierarchies and brand elitism can breed insecurity and hinder genuine connections with consumers.
• 🎥 Consistent content creation and being present on emerging platforms is essential for staying relevant and building a following.
• 💼 Entrepreneurial experiences, even if short-lived, can provide valuable insights and skills for corporate roles.
• 🌍 Geography and location should not be viewed as limitations for success, as technology has enabled global connectivity and reach.
• 🤝 Building genuine connections and finding like-minded individuals who share your vision is invaluable for personal and professional growth.

Q & A

What is the main topic being discussed in the conversation?

The main topic revolves around marketing, influencer marketing, brand management, and the future of marketing, particularly in relation to Africa and the rise of digital platforms.

What advice does Gary Vaynerchuk give to someone who wants to leave their corporate job and pursue their entrepreneurial dreams?

Gary advises that if someone has a burning desire to try entrepreneurship, they should go for it. He says that regretting not trying is worse than trying and failing, as one can always go back to a corporate job. He emphasizes that having a gap in a resume is not seen as negatively as people think.

How does Gary suggest brand managers stay in touch with consumer culture and trends?

Gary suggests that brand managers should not live in ivory towers and boardrooms, but rather should immerse themselves in understanding their consumers' interests and what's happening on the ground. He emphasizes the importance of being consumer-centric and relevant.

What is Gary's perspective on the rise of influencer marketing platforms like LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube?

Gary believes that the attention economy is a free market, and if someone is good at creating content on any platform, whether it's LinkedIn, TikTok, or YouTube, they can succeed regardless of their past performance or lack of experience on that platform.

How does Gary respond to the notion that someone's background or location can limit their opportunities?

Gary firmly believes that one's background or location should not be seen as a limitation. He argues that if someone from a particular place has succeeded, it proves that it's possible. He emphasizes that believing one cannot succeed is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

What is Gary's perspective on the perceived hierarchy of brands and the elitism associated with working for certain brands?

Gary dismisses the notion of brand elitism and judging someone based on the brand they work for as a low form of intellect and kindness. He believes it's an insecure framework perpetuated by insecure people.

How does Gary view the future of Africa in terms of business, culture, and talent?

Gary is incredibly optimistic about Africa's future, predicting that it will rise as a world business power and cultural force in the coming decades. He believes Africa has immense talent, brilliance, and creativity that will propel it to the world stage.

What role does Gary believe digital platforms and technology will play in Africa's rise?

Gary acknowledges that digital platforms and technology have been catalysts for many African creators and talents to break through globally. He recognizes the increasing digital maturity and mobile-centric nature of African markets.

What is the significance of the Black Coffee interview mentioned in the conversation?

The Black Coffee interview at the Cannes Lions festival is seen as important because it showcases a renowned African artist sharing his story with Gary, indicating a recognition of Gary's value and influence in the African market.

How does the conversation aim to inspire and empower brand managers and aspiring entrepreneurs?

The conversation aims to inspire and empower brand managers and aspiring entrepreneurs by challenging conventional norms, encouraging risk-taking and self-belief, and highlighting the vast opportunities emerging in Africa and the digital space.

Outlines

00:00

🤝 Advice on Taking Entrepreneurial Risks

Gary Vaynerchuk shares advice for aspiring entrepreneurs who feel held back by societal pressures or parental guilt. He emphasizes that the fear of having a gap in one's resume should not deter them from pursuing their dreams. Even if the entrepreneurial venture fails, the experience will make them wiser and more attractive to potential employers. Regret is the ultimate poison in life, and one should take the risk if they feel the burning desire within them.

05:02

🌐 Staying Relevant and Understanding Cultural Trends

Gary stresses the importance of being consumer-centric and understanding cultural trends. Most brand marketers live in ivory towers, disconnected from their actual consumers. To stay relevant, marketers need to immerse themselves in current platforms and trends, regardless of whether they initially grasp them. Gary emphasizes that attention is a free market, and one can succeed on any platform if they are genuinely good at their craft and authentic in their approach.

10:03

🏢 Overcoming Corporate Elitism and Brand Snobbery

The conversation touches upon the prevalent issue of corporate elitism and brand snobbery within the marketing industry. Gary criticizes the narrow-minded mentality of judging someone's worth based on the brand they work for, calling it a low form of intellect and kindness. He argues that success and learning opportunities exist across all brands, whether well-known or obscure, and that insecurity drives this elitist mindset.

15:06

🌍 The Rise of Africa's Influence on the Global Stage

Gary expresses his optimism and excitement about Africa's imminent rise as a global business and cultural powerhouse. He acknowledges the continent's vast potential, driven by its burgeoning youth population and untapped talent. Gary believes that Africa's influence on the world stage, particularly in areas like music and creativity, will become increasingly prominent between 2030 and 2050, and he looks forward to witnessing and being a part of this transformative era.

20:07

🙌 Appreciation and Advocacy for Africa's Potential

The conversation concludes with Gary reaffirming his belief in Africa's immense potential and his willingness to be an advocate for the continent's rise. He acknowledges the confidence and self-belief within African communities and expresses his desire to collaborate with peers and stakeholders to amplify and echo this sentiment, particularly for aspiring individuals seeking inspiration and reassurance.

Keywords

💡Influencer

An influencer is a person who has the ability to influence or persuade people, especially through social media. In the context of the video, it refers to individuals who have amassed a substantial following on platforms like LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, or Twitter, and can leverage their influence to promote brands or products. The script discusses the different types of influencers (B2B, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter) and the significance of building an influential presence on these platforms.

💡Free market

A free market refers to an economic system where prices, production, and the distribution of goods and services are determined by the forces of supply and demand with minimal government intervention. In the video, the concept of a 'free market for attention' is introduced, implying that success on social media platforms is driven by the quality of content and the ability to capture people's attention, rather than external factors. The market analogy suggests that those who create engaging and valuable content will naturally attract a following, regardless of their prior success or failure.

💡Regret

Regret is a feeling of sadness or disappointment over something that has happened or been done, especially a missed opportunity or a wrong decision. The video emphasizes the importance of avoiding regret in life, particularly when it comes to taking risks and pursuing entrepreneurial dreams. The advice given is that it's better to try and potentially fail than to live with the regret of not having taken a chance, as regret can be a 'poison' that haunts people throughout their lives.

💡Consumer-centric

Being consumer-centric means placing the needs, preferences, and behaviors of consumers at the center of a company's or brand's strategies and decision-making processes. The video suggests that many marketers and brand managers fail to be truly consumer-centric because they are more focused on internal dynamics, such as pleasing retailers or navigating corporate politics, rather than understanding and connecting with their actual end-users or customers. The importance of being consumer-centric is highlighted as a key to creating relevant and successful marketing campaigns.

💡Culture

Culture, in this context, refers to the collective beliefs, values, and behaviors that characterize a particular group or society. The video emphasizes the need for marketers and brand managers to stay in touch with and understand cultural trends, as consumer behavior is heavily influenced by cultural shifts. It suggests that many marketers struggle to keep up with cultural changes, often due to being disconnected from the actual experiences and perspectives of their target consumers. The ability to immerse oneself in and adapt to evolving cultural dynamics is portrayed as essential for effective marketing.

💡Authenticity

Authenticity refers to being genuine, real, and true to oneself. In the context of the video, it is emphasized that influencers and content creators should strive for authenticity in their online presence and content. Rather than showcasing only the positive or polished aspects of their lives, authentic influencers are encouraged to share their challenges, struggles, and 'bad days' as well. This authenticity is believed to resonate more with audiences and foster a deeper connection, as opposed to presenting a carefully curated, inauthentic image.

💡Corporate dynamics

Corporate dynamics refer to the complex interplay of relationships, power structures, and politics within a corporate or organizational setting. The video critiques the tendency for corporate employees, particularly in marketing roles, to engage in 'corporate high school dynamics' where individuals are judged or valued based on superficial factors like the prestige of the brand they work for or the size of the agency they belong to. These dynamics are portrayed as a 'low form of intellect and kindness,' reflecting insecurity and a lack of humility within corporate culture.

💡Africa

Africa, the continent, is a central theme in the video. The discussion highlights the often-overlooked potential and growth prospects of Africa, both in terms of its economic power and cultural influence. The video challenges the outdated stereotypes and misconceptions about Africa, suggesting that the continent's rise on the global stage is imminent and inevitable, driven by its vast talent pool, creativity, and demographic advantages. The conversation aims to shed light on the optimism and opportunities surrounding Africa's future, particularly in the context of business and marketing.

💡Opportunity

Opportunity refers to a favorable or advantageous circumstance or combination of circumstances that can be seized or capitalized upon. Throughout the video, the concept of opportunity is emphasized, particularly in relation to taking risks, pursuing entrepreneurial ventures, and embracing emerging platforms or trends. The message conveyed is that opportunities exist for individuals and creators to succeed, regardless of their background or perceived limitations, as long as they possess the skills, determination, and willingness to seize the opportunities that present themselves.

💡Humility

Humility is the quality of being modest, respectful, and having a realistic view of one's own importance or abilities. In the context of the video, humility is advocated as an essential trait for success, particularly in corporate or creative environments. The script critiques the lack of humility often exhibited by individuals who judge others based on superficial factors like the brand they work for or the prestige of their agency. Instead, the video encourages a humble and open-minded approach, recognizing that true talent and creativity can emerge from unexpected places or unconventional backgrounds.

Highlights

The number one thing she would extract is you don't want to live life for regret.

If you play your life by yesterday's rules you're in trouble, you're better off playing your life on today's rules with an eye towards tomorrow's rules.

Either you won't do it and you'll regret it your whole life or you will do it it'll either go phenomenal and be the great gift or you'll lose and at least you tried and now you can go back to a job.

You must try because regret is the ultimate poison in life.

The reason most brand marketing is very bad is because most brand managers and CMOs live in Ivory Towers and boardrooms, and have no idea what's actually happening to their consumer.

All that matters is relevance, forget about Europe versus Africa versus America, it's about understanding your specific market context.

Whether she wants to be a B2B influencer, on LinkedIn or she wants to be a Tik Tok, influencer or she wants to be a YouTube, influencer or a Twitter influencer the, great thing about attention is it's a, free market.

If tomorrow you are good at YouTube and you had no success prior than that day, whether you've been bad at it for 3 years or you never did it before the day you start it will work if you are good.

Attention is the number one asset.

The most followed person on Tik Tok in the world is from a place people might underestimate.

If someone has ever made it from where you're from they've established the ability that it's possible.

If you believe that you can't, it's already over.

Judging someone based on the brand they work for is one of the lowest forms of intellect and kindness.

Corporations and the marketing world often create fake environments with fake meetings.

The entire world's view on Africa is wildly wildly underestimating the rise of Africa as a continent and a world business power in the coming decades.

Transcripts

whether she wants to be a B2B influencer

on LinkedIn or she wants to be a Tik Tok

influencer or she wants to be a YouTube

influencer or a Twitter influencer the

great thing about attention is it's a

free market yeah it's like sports if

tomorrow you are good at YouTube and you

had no success prior than that day

whether you've been bad at it for 3

years or you never did it before the day

you start it will work if you are

attention is the number one asset Gary

nice to finally meet you meet you in

person finally so we're in your hood and

I have to say this view it's not bad cuz

you know we watch online we're like

we're not seeing all of this that's

right okay cool so as you know I've

started a podcast right but here's the

thing it's very loose I'm not trying to

put a label on it it's basically me

chatting to peers and marketing brand as

well as agency and asking them like

where is marketing going and then

looking at the influential people that I

actually have made it via the brands and

saying like what do you need from Brands

basically now I'm excited for our chat

because you know I went through the

archives okay and I basically feel like

you've said some stuff some iconic [ __ ]

right some of it has definitely landed

still stuck but I think some stuff you

know people give you a hard time on so

five questions let's go through them

let's do it now as a true marketer we

start with the end in mind okay so who

are we talking to so for the guys out

there I'm from South Africa proudly

African so we're saying we're talking to

brandley Brenda zandi they're Stu in

maybe the 9 to5 they're a brand manager

they look at you and they're like damn I

want to build an agency I want to do

something so that's who we're talking to

understood so I'm going to play this

first one we're going back to 2007 2007

right so perfectly so I want to set this

up right you know the one thing that's

undeniable about you is that you know

often people say like how does Gary get

it right you know whether it's 5 years

10 years in advance and the question I

put out here is you know so many people

and especially from our backgrounds

right we are brought up in a society

where you've got a it's posted to path

dat you've been through so much right

then there's black tax that you're

paying so it feels almost selfish to say

to your parents you know what I want to

go do my own thing and often you land up

sitting in corporate or agency or

whatever it is for 10 15 years and when

I look at the optimism here and you

foreshadowing and saying you know Web

2.0 let's say you're talking to zandi

and she's like seven years in and she's

scared of leaving what advice could you

give her like right now in terms of hey

you can take the risk and don't have

that parental

guilt that if Zandy spoke to 70 80 90y

old people not named me and not not

someone who is her grandfather or mother

a non-relative yeah that if she's spent

a lot out of if she's had five

conversations with anyone who's 80 years

old and ask them about life the number

one thing she would extract is you don't

want to live life for regret absolutely

the thing I always said to Zandy is if

you quit now working at Miller or Nike

in Johannesburg or Cape Town wherever

you are and it doesn't work out this

dream that you have that's making you

want to jump M well good

news you can always go and work for

Proctor and Gamble or unil lever or

craft the the thing that people that

tend to be stuck in a corporate

environment don't understand is they've

that the world has done a very effective

job to tell you that you having a gap in

your resume is bad at a time when having

a gap in your resume is good yes exactly

cuz rumes is are supposed to oh we say

CVS back home right CVS need to look

certain way I was saying to him like I

started out as a DJ and then I was like

I cannot be a 40-year-old DJ and I took

that and made it into a CV I still to

this day even for my latest job they

were like what's that Gap but I made it

a positive story well that's right and

more importantly like the world's

changing like this company I've never

we've never required a college degree we

don't I don't I have no clue where these

two gentlemen went to college did you go

to college doesn't like oops you know

what I mean like like it doesn't even

cross my mind so the world moving and so

if you if you play your life by

yesterday's rules you're in trouble

you're better off playing your life on

today's rules with an eye towards

tomorrow's rules and so what I would

tell zandi and anybody else is either

you won't do it and you'll regret it

your whole life or you will do it it'll

either go phenomenal and be the great

gift or you'll lose and at least you

tried and now you can go back to a job

and you know the fun thing is when you

go back cuz I did a stint in

entrepreneurship it actually just makes

you smarter to handle your p&l right

like I handle the risk on my own yeah a

lot of people are being humbled in the

last 10 years of not being capable of

being entrepreneurs and that's okay I

was with a Creator today at an event who

has amassed millions and millions of

followers through ice cream and viral

ice cream he thought like oh let me go

build an ice cream store too he realized

he couldn't and so now he's back to

doing full-time and that's great that's

not a l that's not a Scarlet Letter

absolutely as a matter of fact it's

going to make people realize that

entrepreneurs who could pull it off it's

a very small rare Talent absolutely and

and I don't think I'm special for that

that's like an athlete or a singer or an

art like everyone has different skills

and so I would say that if it's burning

inside of you and you want to try you

must because regret is the ultimate

poison in life absolutely I think that

sets the tone perfectly number one I

love when you do these Vlogs right

because you did one in Dubai as well it

innately shows us like how hard it is to

actually do the thing cuz it's easy to

look in and say yeah you've got a team

it's so easy to roll out but the iconic

part here was the fact that number one

you were learning from the market I

don't want to swear but I have to say

like the thing that I hate with my peers

is they all we have like a little

WhatsApp group right so we're all from

different brands and they're like oh but

like this culture thing it's moving so

fast like where can I learn and I'm like

have you opened your feed like you can't

just expect to get it in a book or just

sit with the the CMO right and so again

let's talk to proverbially zandi they're

sitting there and they're like I just

feel like I'm not in clue with culture

but here's you every single week you're

putting yourself out there any words of

AD ad advice for the brand managers that

just feel I can't keep up with culture

and the

insights that there's no

choice you know when I hear people say

well I can't keep up with another

platform as a Creator like I don't want

to post on these like all you're doing

is you're limiting your upside abolutely

and I think look I think the reason most

brand marketing is very bad is because I

do think that most brand managers and

CMOS live in Ivory Towers and boardrooms

and have no idea what's actually

happening to their consumer and are more

worried about their customer meaning the

retailer that sells their stuff than the

customer that buys it from that retailer

exactly Joe's T and not you know Kaba

that's buying the C light that's right

and so for me the reason I'm always able

to win historically or why I get a hard

time from The Establishment is because I

don't think about anything but the

consumer yeah I don't know how to how

could you possibly do that why would you

do that exactly that's the ultimate goal

like you say what's a good marketer you

know like you reverse engineer backwards

the goal is for someone to buy your

stuff if you don't understand what's

interesting to them the biggest issue

with professors in marketing is they

speak in theory versus reality

absolutely of course reaching and not

Market context as well cuz Mina is

different to the rest of Africa course

all I think that matters is relevance

it's why the point you just made forget

about me you know forget about Europe

versus Africa versus America I'm talking

about Manhattan this a small island do

you understand how different the people

that live up there that's the upper e

side are than the people live down there

Tribeca this is like a this is not just

America this is not even New York State

this is not even New York City this is

Little Manhattan and

literally 20 minute walk this way and 25

minute walk that way it's like Bizarro

different parts of the world we staying

in a Time Square and we just like what

yeah Time Square is not even New York

it's like a Melting Pot of Tourism and

so and so yeah I think marketers are

looking for Simplicity don't forget a

brand manager has a lot of

responsibilities besides marketing y I

know they have they have supply chain

yeah price increase they have which is

real they have retail relationship

distribution they have to get along with

the sales team like I have a lot of

empathy for everyone we're talking to on

the

call that empathy doesn't allow me to

look the other way go when the last

thing they are is consumer Centric

absolutely no it's well said and the

thing I want to add in is the

unconscious bias as well cuz so many

times you'll have brand managers sit

there oh I don't listen to I'm a piano

now every brand manager wants to book

the biggest I'm a piano DJ because it's

cool now you know that's right like that

stuff I have never understood gar I'll

never forget early in my career I had a

65-year-old white male who was selling

product to teenage diverse Americans say

to me but Gary I don't get YouTube and I

said good news we're not trying to sell

this candy to you yeah

exactly to me I didn't see the ad I'm

like cuz you're not the taret

market okay cool it's like were you

speaking to me at this point by the way

1.7 million views today nice one um so

basically with this one right like

LinkedIn and I love how you show up on

LinkedIn and right now especially in

South Africa sorry in South Africa

there's this whole rise of B2B

influencers right so you're seeing like

brand managers at Nike abev and I love

it but you know again when we have this

offline chat it comes across like oh you

guys are so self- involved you're always

on linked selfpromo you know what I mean

and it's like those that get it get it

and those that don't don't but I found

it to be a very effective you know um

platform even for getting recruited

right of um in now 2024 do you feel that

it's very saturated and do you feel like

there new tactics if someone wants to

come in and disrupt let's just say again

zandi now feels she needs to amplify no

I think zandi whether she wants to be a

B2B influencer on LinkedIn or she wants

to be a Tik Tok influencer or she wants

to be a YouTube influencer or a Twitter

influencer the great thing about

attention is it's a free market yeah

it's like sports if tomorrow you are

good yeah at YouTube and you had no

success prior than that day whether

you've been bad at it for three years or

you never did it before the day you

start it will work if you are good at

the craft it's

marketing yourself is like sports if I

never played tennis and tomorrow I went

on the court and I'm just naturally

athletic and I have good hand eye

corination and it goes well it's the

beginning of me being good at it

absolutely and just be authentic right

nobody wants to know about you getting a

promotion talk about the bad days well

that's that's LinkedIn the to your point

the the that's not even doing content

yeah when people know that you got

promoted on LinkedIn it's because you

update ated your account and it's an

automatic post that's what they think

that's not content it's not that's just

the way that LinkedIn works as a program

and when you update your bio it

automatically no cuz people get so Cho

they like I updated my profile I'm like

you know there's more to it than that

yeah LinkedIn is a social network

exactly many people that it sounds like

we when someone says that that's someone

who still thinks of it as a tool

absolutely and it's a long journey so

this is a big one yeah you know like

sorry 9 hours but this is also

controversial cuz I know that people

will say but like you don't really live

where I lived so just for context I'm

obviously South African Indian right

born and bred there and one of the

hardest roles I had was when I was on

Johnny Walker I can say it because I

don't work there anymore and I had to

cover Emerging Markets so I'm talking

banin too quis and I realized when you

travel to these markets yes every place

is going to have a divided Society but

in every single country you had creators

for an example wanting to do the best so

I resonate with this because I think

you're not defined by by a zip code as

what we say postal code right because if

you have it in you and you find the

channel look at the stats I mean Gary

like digital maturity is moving so fast

in Africa you know what I mean everyone

is mobile Centric mobile first so it's

not the fact that everyone doesn't have

access to the internet it's about them

understanding what are you going to do

once you have that access that's right

and by the way when when when I'm

speaking about this of course there's

different opportunities in different

situations but to your point like when

we're talking about internet access

we're in a much better place than we

were 20 years ago when we talk about

social network access like I mean look

do I believe that if you were born in

North Korea today that you have less of

an opportunity of being a Tik Tok star

of course you do you live in North Korea

absolutely like like of course but but

anybody who watched that video exactly

exactly you watch it got it that's when

people when people say to me that's a

[ __ ] video Gary I am defied by my

sick Hood I'm like you saw this which

already defeats the purpose million VI

you're a human being that has access to

the internet and could watch a YouTube

video no exactly and so the most

followed person on Tik Tok in the world

is from where you know it I didn't even

to come back home right and so like I

will never accept that and here's why

even if it's true that wherever you're

from is more challenged it is yeah if

someone has ever made it from where

you're from they've established the

ability that it's possible and more

important if you believe that you can't

it's already over absolutely I mean two

examples Trevor Noah and Tyler Trevor

Noah like we know him as Trevor you know

what I mean we seen him in the malls and

stuff but we see him now like Grammys

and stuff and it's mind-blowing but

digital was a big catalst for him to

break through now you look at Tyler like

Hub went to school with Tyler he

literally just remembers her in the

cafeteria and now she's probably going

to win a Grammy so you're right if

you're watching this and there is no

excuse this was such a great

conversation and I just feel like more

people should have seen it because you

know we we also know black coffee for a

long time and to get him very vulnerable

like that where he talked about like it

it shook me the fact that he said like

he was hurting cows and he would look up

and think about what would his life be

but then you mentioned the point about

digital and how when he even kind of you

know approach digital he realized oh

there's a tangibility element to it so

coming back to this theme of zandi right

so zandi has all these pressures and

she's feeling some type of way about

staying or leaving the thing is what's

also happening is people have elitism

ing where they work right so it's like

if I'm a brand manager oh oh you work

for kid Kat you good people oh sorry

sorry What's That Brand and so you know

when you talk about losses I like it

because in my life I've worked on

Amazing sexy Brands and then I've worked

on Brands where people are like don't

really stock it but I'll tell you what I

learned more on the unsexy brands than

the ones that already have awareness

what is your take on that you know on

that that's that that is

Corporate High School

Dynamics like

that is one of the lowest forms of

intellect and kindness judging someone

based on the brand I get it yeah it

happens honestly I really struggle with

that entire framework like as if to your

point you're talking very narrow

marketing circles as if you're a better

person cuz you work at BMW than somebody

that works at a brand that or or Honda

at least but you're what you're saying

is like there are big Brands and there

are brands that people don't know

exactly look you're talking to someone

who so is not interested and sorry Gary

that also happens on agencies as well

also you don't work for a wpp agency

it's the number one thing I tell people

when they join Vayner media every time I

hire new creatives yeah that work at

droga or widen or Chris or like all

these big shops I'm like you're about to

learn humility because in those other

places in this [ __ ] marketing world

we live in if you're a droga creative

they're going to just think you're good

and at Vayner media they think it's the

Gary V show or social media and they

don't respect it as much but in reality

this is the actual thing just like being

a star on Netflix 7 years ago was not as

fancy as being a star on a TV show and

now it's the reverse it's the same [ __ ]

over and over exactly what I would say

honestly like I just think that's a

bunch of insecure people running in an

insecure framework and I feel bad for it

and at worst I don't like when people

are mean about it that's what my

reaction is visceral because watching

people put people down as if they're

somebody blow I don't understand the

lack of humility in corporate marketing

wild that's why I think people want to

leave as Wells but that is why I wanted

this conversation cuz Gary like until we

get you to South Africa to come and

speak the thing is so many of my peers

watch you you know and we love what you

say the thing is we go back to our day

today and we like okay but this is the

reality right by the way in America too

by the way you know this is not a South

African phenomenon or a smaller Market

or Dubai or I me it is corporations

exactly people are living in fake

environments they're fake meetings yes I

tell people all the time I don't want to

be in a fake meeting exactly like I I I

just that's why I hate networking events

as well right I mean I love a can's

moment but I also know the [ __ ] that

happens well to me it's funny I

understand what you're saying and I'll

say it a different way but we're saying

the same thing I love networking events

cuz I'm strong enough to realize what's

fake and not absolutely and so there's

always real you can always find 20% of

the crow real exactly like I think what

attract you know what's butting in the

attraction of our budding friendship is

look you find people along the way who

just see what you see yeah just you know

what I mean and it's about also exposing

the world cuz I love this because I feel

like going back home now after we finish

the 199 so which we love you know we

feel like you feel a bit more closer to

South Africa I would say Africa as well

cuz we're a very close Community you

know from Ethiopia all the way to South

Africa and speaking of we got something

he's scared cuz he thinks it's something

real there you go but while you look at

that thank you so much Gary I mean we're

definitely going to have you back the

genuine giraffe this is Beautiful by the

way just saying South African giraffes

are different to Kyon giraffes yes I'm

very aware and then this is a really

nice print uh you must have your morning

coffee or tea in it it's amazing I will

do that listen actually let's talk about

Africa for a second yeah 35% of the

youth in the world in a decade is going

to live in the continent yeah because of

the way the globe and the map work

people don't realize how big Africa is

Absolut it's not actually properly sized

thank you you saw that infographic right

I I've known it for I've known it since

junior year of high school I just don't

think people understand that much like

the Middle look Dubai what's going on in

Saudi now 25 years ago when you talk to

business people I was in business I'm

I'm not a youngster anymore when you

brought up the Middle East you had

people being like aren't they on camels

like people are so silly especially

Americans we're very insular I love

America but we're we're pretty funny in

our world view but the the entire

world's view on Africa is wildly wildly

underestimating like the rest of my

professional career will be under an era

of the rise of Africa as a continent

absolutely as a world business power and

we we're buying because I mean I worked

in fmcg for the longest time and I would

have to go out and find sister market

like say South America and I mean I can

say this now it's a positive story we

will moving Johnny Walker as good as

other markets you know it's not like

everyone whether it's the dusty camels

or it's out on Safari we have this thing

about aspiration afro optimism I'm like

look back to like looking at old videos

as I sit here in 2024 and say what I'm

about to say I will get great enjoyment

watching this video in

2045 Africa look there's incredible

things going on in the Middle East

especially in Saudi absolutely obviously

China has got one agenda to be the

dominant player in the world there's a

lot of geopolitics I'm not going into

politics I'm talking business I'm

talking culture I'm talking Talent it is

so clear to me clear as day that that

Africa's day in the sun in the world

stage you see it with music already oh

my God yes yeah we have playlist for you

guys by the way it's I'm a piano versus

afro beats it's absolutely you see it

it's already happening it's already

clear just the sheer brain power this

becomes another thing that frustrates me

I don't think people understand the

sheer Talent the sheer Brilliance the

creativity it's just going to be a great

joy to watch Africa 2030 to 2050 take

its proper stage on the World stage and

and I'm excited about it I I as you know

behind the scenes like I will be doing

business in the market and I can't wait

I know thank you for saying that because

sometimes you need someone to Echo it we

believe in ourselves we we are very

confident by the way I'm just saying

that you know but I feel like sometimes

having Advocates like yourself say it

especially for the guys that are looking

and watching this right and they're like

oh okay can I tell you that is why this

black coffee one was so important

because yeah besides the fact that it

was at cans we were like wo the fact

that black coffee is understanding the

conversation with you are so powerful

and he were sharing his story it means

that he sees value in you and he's

unlocked you in our market so even it's

me today tomorrow I want my other peers

to come and interview you of course so

yeah that's thank you so much thank you

for having

me