Why Gary V is a Triple Z-List Celebrity (And You Aren’t)
Gary Vaynerchuk is tired of being called a celebrity. Hence this video.
Gary is right, 99% of people in the world don’t know who he is, but 95% percent of the people involved in this ‘social media’ space that so many of us like to call home certainly do. And for that reason, being a triple Z-list celebrity is an accomplishment.
Most of you reading along are waiting for me to write hard work, and give a spiel about how if you just hustle enough you can be one too. And that’s not true.
There are plenty of people in this world that work their asses off, some doing more important work than others (though who am I to judge), but they are not even on the radar.
It’s not because people want to be Gary either. A lot of people envy celebrities (even triple Z-list ones), and sure they would love to be doing something they love, making tons of money, speaking all over, and receiving acclaim. It’s still not why.
No, the reason Gary V is a triple z-list celebrity is because people want to be themselves.
There are so many people in this world terrified to be themselves. Or maybe just terrified in general. Would you tell your boss you didn’t agree with her — if you thought she was making a mistake to the detriment of the company? Would you confront the guy that blatantly cut you in line? Do you even tell the waiter he got your order wrong?
These masses gravitate towards Gary because he completely embodies someone not afraid of The You Show.
One approach is to be reactive, to sit where you’re supposed to sit, have your resume appear just so, wear what you’re supposed to wear and answer each and every question in the safe and secure way.
The other approach is to put on a show. To be in charge, to lead.
When you go to Las Vegas, Penn and Teller don’t ask you what sort of lights you want, what tricks you want to see and how long the show should be. They put on their show. If you don’t like it, that’s fine. Plenty of other people do. As a result, they win. They get to do their work, their way. And they profit from their confidence.
Some bosses don’t want to hire people who have a vision, a personality and a shtick. That’s okay. You don’t want to work for them anyway.
Gary has a strong personality, in fact I’m certain there are a lot of people that think he’s downright obnoxious, but do you think Gary gives a flip? He ignores those people, he does is thing and he’s thankful for the people that appreciate what he’s doing. He’s 100% authentically Gary, and it’s why he’s been able to obtain triple Z-list status.
Look I get it, the economy sucks and if we are lucky enough to have a job, we certainly want to keep it. I’d be really hesitant to disagree with my boss too, but at some point we all have to stop being scared, and start being ourselves. We can do it together if you’d like.
Tweet This: (Copy & Paste into Twitter)
Why Gary V is a Triple Z-List Celebrity (And You Aren’t): http://tinyurl.com/9jvme9
If you enjoyed this post please consider subscribing to receive future updates or connecting with me via Twitter or LinkedIn
Popularity: 19% [?]
Wow. Really powerful post. It’s so funny because it is exactly what I’ve been struggling with – in my job and with my family. I’ve changed a lot and I have certainly found my voice in a variety of ways. However, there are still those times when I sit back and just “go with the flow” because of being afraid to make those waves. And I do it even when I really feel I have something important to contribute, or simply want someone to stop treating me a certain way. Going along to get along isn’t all it’s cracked up to be!!
Thanks for the post – it’s very inspiring!!
[Reply]
admin Reply:
June 26th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
@Addy – I’m still guilty of going along to get along more than my natural instincts want to, but part of me thinks that depending on the place you really do have to earn your voice, one of those places shouldn’t be in your own house though. I’ve found, that even has a new hire in a more experience office they respect me more for being honest and stating my opinion even if it is dissenting.
[Reply]
I spend a lot of time wondering why it’s so hard for people (myself included) to just be ourselves. You are right on – Gary is so popular because he’s Gary 24/7. Takes lots of courage, but what a payoff! Imagine what we could all accomplish if we stopped worrying so much about what everyone else thinks.
Great post!
[Reply]
admin Reply:
June 26th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
@Lisa – Here’s to worrying less about what people think in ‘09. I’m looking forward to running into you at a social media related event in Charlotte soon.
[Reply]
Wow, this all sounds like an epiphany.
However, I’ll just be myself and completely disagree with the basis of this treatise. If we all “acted” naturally, then most of us would be grossly selfish, self-centered, if not egotistical fat-heads.
It’s not enough to be ourselves. We have to be character-driven and values-oriented in the first place in order to “get away” with being ourselves. Otherwise, being oneself only works when we learn how to get along and act with wisdom.
There’s no five year old that I want to “be himself” 90% of the time. Otherwise, he would terrorize the household with self-absorbed behavior stemming from, what else, being natural; himself.
“Successfully” being oneself would necessarily mean being disciplined by character and values, with a result of reliability and trustworthiness at least — if not showing love, exhibiting forgiveness when wronged, being long-suffering when its extraordinarily inconvenient, allowing others to be “right,” and overcoming the need to dominate others because we feel slighted, or treated poorly with their “authenticity.”
Otherwise all the folks that “need” to act authentically, and real, and “be themselves” are very scary to me. It all depends on what “real” means. Saddam Hussein was certainly free to be “himself” in an “authentic” way, I would offer. How’d that work out for him? How’d that work out for lots of folks around him?
Adolf H. was certainly authentic all the way to the end of WWII, too. How’d that go? So the value of “being authentic” is debatable from my perspective. All those who act out their “authentic selves” had better be on the same page as me, or I can be “real” and “authentic,” too, and punch somebody’s lights out before they do mine. We’ll see who’s then the most authentic.
So here’s to not “being ourselves,” but much, much more disciplined; character and values-driven; if not wiser than that.
[Reply]
admin Reply:
June 26th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
@Jay – I’ll take a more optimistic viewpoint and say that most people aren’t completely egotistical, in fact I would venture that while many people are self-centered, there are for more insecure people in this world than egotistical.
There’s definitely something to be said for picking your spots, but there’s no reason to get trampled over out of fear either.
I think you’re WAY off base comparing the average person to Sadam or Hitler. Also, being yourself isn’t just about standing up for yourself (a lot of people gleaned from this post that it was so I’ll take the blame). It’s much more than that, and standing up for yourself was merely intended as an example.
[Reply]
I still don’t understand the concept of celebrity. I just don’t get why someone needs to be well known just because they have a shtick. Celebrity, to me, is all smoke, mirrors and illusion. You can get by on celebrity for about 30 seconds. Then, either you can do the job, or you’re toast.
Sure, you can tell me I’m making a mistake, but until you can back it up as to why, and why everyone else advising me is wrong, you have no credibility. And, once the decision is made, continuing to press your case is going to get you banished to “Special Projects”.
Finally, it all comes down to hard work. Celebrity won’t get the building re-wired. A shtick won’t get the server migrations done either. So, in spite of celebrity and a shtick, if you aren’t going to do the hard work that is there, you are useless to me and will be fired.
[Reply]
admin Reply:
June 26th, 2009 at 11:43 pm
@jrandom42 – I typically appreciate your contributions. There’s a large portion of the time that I don’t disagree, and I think that you’re just out to trample all over what you see as Gen Y entitlement, but you still challenge me to expand and clarify. I like that.
But here, I think you’re taking a post about being yourself and making it about being a celebrity. Gary V’s ‘celebrity status’ is clearly a parallel for being ‘your own celebrity’ by being yourself.
I would hope that if you’re standing up for yourself and telling your boss they are wrong that you have a damn good reason and rationale. And whether you’re right or not (sometimes there’s not a right) you can clearly articulate why you think what you think.
I agree that there’s no substitute for hard work. Gary V works hard, but that run of the mill guy working hard doesn’t always get his due anymore. You have to be a game-changer, and having a shtick doesn’t hurt if you want something other than the run of the mill job.
And for the record there’s plenty of people that have attained celebrity status and been garbage since and maintained their ability to remain “on top” if you will. It’s unfortunate, but it happens everyday.
[Reply]
I’m from Jersey, so I happen to know a ton of people who have met the V-man off stage, at sporting events, promotional events, etc. And I’ve basically gotten confirmation that the guy’s a total douche … but it works for him. It’s part of who he is. He makes bank off of it.
I’m not sure if I can honestly agree that the reason people like him is because he isn’t afraid to be who he is. A ton of great entrepreneurs out there aren’t afraid to be themselves. They’re just not Gary Vee.
He’s a shocktrepreneur. He gets people riled up. I think that’s where his Z-list celeb status spawns from …
In full disclosure. I think the guy is a total riot. I love his speeches and I love wine … so he’s kind of my hero. Sort of.
[Reply]
January 19th, 2009 at 4:24 pm[...] you imagine a better way to be remembered? In a time where so many of us are scared to be who we really are, Micah was always himself. And more importantly that never changed, no matter who he encountered. [...]
March 3rd, 2009 at 10:26 pm