“Creativity is just connecting things.”—Steve Jobs
GARY V
In 1978, a family of nine fled the communist regime in Belarus by migrating to the US. They settled in a cramped studio apartment in New Jersey. The father worked hard at a liquor store, eventually purchasing it. His journey sparked an entrepreneurial spirit in his son, Gary Vaynerchuk, who went on to become a renowned figure in the business world.
Gary V, as he is commonly known, developed his entrepreneurial instincts at a young age. He started by selling lemonade and baseball cards, making up to $3,000 a weekend when he was 14. As he put it, “when you have $30,000 in cash under your bed, and you’re not selling weed, you’re doing a good job.”
Gary honed his salesmanship working at his dad’s wine and liquor store. He kept an open mind and stayed curious about the products and the customers. He had a deep desire to understand what drove their purchasing decisions. Gary once said, “I think I’m a great salesman because I listen and w…