Had the special treat of riding the South Shore Line from
Michigan City to Chicago Thursday evening, and then walking
up the brightly lit Michigan Avenue to a special evening with
“wine-guy” and bestselling Crush It author Gary Vaynerchuk,
hosted by Kelly Olexa and a number of Chicago-area entrepreneurs.
Walking up Michigan Avenue and glancing in all the amazing
store windows, I felt like a tourist, and realized how long
it’s been since I was last there…I’ve been enjoying forests,
beaches, and sand dunes with my wife & 6 kids here in Michigan.
That evening was powerful–both because of the rather “intimate”
time with Gary, as well as the camaraderie with so many
energetic and visionary entrepreneurs, and I wanted to post
a few take-aways from the evening here, both for myself, and
for those of you fortunate enough to stumble upon this post. 
First off, a comment on connecting at events like this–when
I first walked in and saw the “venue” – no chairs or sitting
down to be “presented to”…I felt a little inward groan…even
though “connecting” is a large part of why I came…
Initially I didn’t see a familiar face…
So…
The first step was to connect with a few people there…ask
a question, introduce myself, be interested in finding out
what others do and what had brought them to this event.
Along the way, I ended up encountering both people I’d
recently met at other events and begun to develop a connection
with, as well as meeting some really great “new” people and
even a few I was able to “share” the evening’s experience
with.
Now to Gary…for those of you that know anything about him,
he’s the same in person as on his videos…though one thing
that perhaps strikes you even further in person is the
wonderful combination of extreme energy and self-confidence
combined with a wonderful ability to be self-depracating
and truly connect, care, and be interested in everyone
around him–whether it’s as a group, or afterward when he’s
signing books.
It must have been a long evening for Gary, with all the traveling
he’s been doing…and he ended up forgoing food while he
spoke with us…and then the food was gone…and yet
the compassion & appreciation in his eyes as I thanked him
briefly after getting a picture with him and receiving
his signature on my book was very impactful, and I hope
you all get a chance to meet him in person someday, as well
as to learn from him “from afar.”
Gary Vaynerchuk & Ben Lo at CrushIt Chicago 11-5-09
I also took special note that during the evening
I heard several people mention specifically that they had
made decisions that had set them on a personal or business
course which they were passionate about, and which they
attributed fully to Gary and the vision and passion they
received from him at some point in the past year or two.
Very powerful to see a living example of someone living &
sharing his passion, and seeing firsthand the impact this
has on others’ lives…and I believe the cascade effect
is only just beginning as Gary and others like him live
true to who they are and inspire others to do the same.
…though Gary certainly is leading the way. In fact, Seth
Godin apparently recently sent Gary a very flattering
email that simply said, “You’re making the rest of us look
bad.”
Let me close with a few key quotes I jotted down from
Gary…and also highly encourage you to get a copy of
his book Crush It, as well as visit him at his Wine Library TV video blog
or GaryVaynerchuk.com and then ask yourself, what’s key about
the next step you take in YOUR business and in YOUR life…
…and see which quotes below trigger something in you that you
can act on or apply right away.
Gary Vaynerchuk & Kelly Olexa at CrushIt Chicgao 11-5-09
First, Gary admonished us all to really, really
appreciate this time that we’re in…he essentially
said if we can’t appreciate this time, then we’re not
paying attention.
Then telling us a bit more about himself and how he
thinks, here’s some quotes:
“I desperately want everyone to win.”
“I wrote Crush It in order to get emails from everyone
in this room in January or February saying, ‘Thank you.’”
“I have no emotional attachments to ‘converting’ anyone…
though I love when people ‘get it’.”
**Know who you are.**
“When people don’t like me, I get it. I respect people’s
opinions, and I try very hard to meet them and let people
know who I am…I outcare everyone. It’s who I’ve always
been.”
“I’ve only tried to be really good at what I’m good at
instead of focusing on what I’m bad at.”
“I’m grateful & I’m aware.”
“Your self-esteem & your positive energy is by far the
difference-maker.”
“People that are enthusiasts ARE experts.”
“I’m a very good messenger.”
“When’s the time to leave your job? The second you
can afford it. I’m extremely practical. But you
can live pretty ‘raw’ – that let’s you jump quicker.”
“The softer you sell, the better you sell.”
“Content is at a record low in being monetized & at an
all time high in value — it’s the honey that gets the
bees. You’ve got to have it.”
“If you’re not talking to the world, you are not going
to be in a positive business situation.”
And with your content–”come at it from entertainment,
education, and value — not sales.”
“You’ve got to bring value. The second you stop trying
to sell, the second you start selling better.”
“The reason people root for me to win is because I rooted
for them to win first.”
“I don’t make decisions based on the money; I make
decisions based on the brand.”
“Anything I believe in, I invest in.”
“Education is the game. You don’t win by accident.”
“Hard work, effort, & caring is going to be the game-
changer.”
Here’s to living your passion, making conscious choices
in your own life and business, and becoming one more
person who impacts others by knowing who you are and
sharing it with the world!
And thanks, Gary!
Dr. Ben
Gary Vaynerchuk & Ben Lo at CrushIt Chicago 11-5-09
P.S. If you were there that night, or have been impacted
by Gary or any of the ideas above, would love to hear
your own comments & stories below!
