GaryVee & Sam Parr Talk About How The Hustle Started | My First Million Podcast

So how about as a kid, like, were you entrepreneurial?

Yeah. So I grew up in Missouri and then I went to college in Tennessee. And when I was in Tennessee, I owned a chain of hot dog stands called Southern Sam's Wieners as Big as a Baby's Arm. And, and like, how old were you? I started when I was like 20, but before that I was selling stuff on eBay. But like, that was my first legal business where I got a business license and paid taxes and things like that. Have you seen that TV show called American Pickers?

Yes.

So Mike, the main guy, the skinny guy, I met him on the street because I was a big fan and I asked him to work at his company or at his store. He was opening up a store where they sell like all the old shit. And I worked there and it was great, but there was always a line of like 1,000 people and I was like, I'm going to go open up a hot dog stand and sell hot dogs to these people. And that's what happened because the show was so famous that people— yeah, when I worked there in 2011 or no, sorry, 2008 or '09 or something like that, we were number 2 on cable behind Pawn Stars. And all these people from around the world would come and get in this line.

Where was that?

It was in Nashville. And it— but he like, he's into old stuff, right? So he got this old building that was away from everything and there was no restaurants. And I was like, I'm from the South, so I can say this, but they're kind of rednecks who would come and wait in line. And I was like, these fuckers want some hot dogs and water. That's all they want. And I opened up this hot dog stand and that was like my first hustle. Yeah, first business that made money and I'd pay taxes and got licenses.

And how did that go? How long did you do it?

For a few years. I mean, you would make a grand a day on a good day. Yeah, it was awesome. And then I, started a website that made a little bit of money, but I was like, oh, the internet's the way to go. And so I left school and moved out to Silicon Valley, San Francisco, and originally had job offers at Airbnb, but at the time it was called Air Bed and Breakfast. But I was like, you know, screw this, let's try to start something. So I started a roommate matching app that had a small exit and then kind of parlayed that into the hustle and what I'm doing now.

And what was that company called and who did it sell to?

It was called Bunk originally, Bunk SF. It was— so what we would do is It was kind of funny. We would cold email all these landlords and apartments who had 2, 3, 4, 5-bedroom apartments. And then we would host parties so people who had similar wants and needs for living situations could all meet one another. And we would help them move into these buildings and we would take a small cut of like a placement fee. And so it was a small exit, like hundreds of thousands of dollars to ApartmentList. So apartmentlist.com.

And did you have to work in that company or no?

Yeah, and I quit on the 356th or whatever it was. Yeah, like that last day.

How was that? How, you know, as somebody who now it sounds like your whole career has been for yourself, how was that year working so much?

It was good. Like, I still don't know shit. Like, I had to read books on like how to run a meeting. So I felt like I moved to San Francisco from Tennessee. I, and I grew up in Missouri. I always felt really uncomfortable and out of place there, but I love it now. I didn't know anything. Like, I would say things that were inappropriate. I would wear stuff I wasn't supposed to wear. I just felt horrible. So it was good to see like what an actual business is run like. Um, but I was also young. I was 22 and I was partying and I didn't take it as seriously as I should have, and I, I regret that big time. But it was great to see.

What was the biggest take— what would you argue the 1 or 2 or 3 biggest takeaways were from that year, even though you were partying?

Leveling up. Like, okay, so you guys have a great setup here.

Okay.

Um, you started in like a small room, I imagine. Like a shitty office.

That's right.

And so just seeing like, wait, I could take all these little silly things like a hot dog stand or whatever and like properly build it out with nice offices after you get revenue. And like, like, I need you in order to get huge, as big as my ambitions were, you really need to properly approach things and be able to like have a— go up proper levels as opposed to—

Have you started the challenge proper? So like, for example, what was funny running through my mind In, when you just said, you know, I read books on how to run a meeting properly, I was like laughing in my head because I was like, fuck man, I probably hate that book. Right, because like, to me, like meetings, and like how the world, those proper things you're referring to, see meetings, and how I personally see meetings, there's a huge delta, and I'm curi— how old are you now?

I just, I'm 30.

I'm curious, someone who also came from out of bounds and never understood proper, I always wonder, I'm always challenging myself of like, what was I naturally gifted in in an entrepreneurial and human way? What has evolved over these 22 years of operating? And what have I taken on that is horseshit because it's osmosis of the right way?

Yeah, no, I feel you, but in my mind it's like this. Okay, when you play an instrument, when you learn guitar, you don't— it's— most people don't play songs of their own songs right away. They kind of copy other people and feel the texture and they go, oh, I see some kind of like the stuff that I like. I see recurring patterns. Yeah, this is interesting. I can, I can disregard this other stuff. So what I do is I'll usually read books. I'll read like I'll read your guys's Glassdoor, other companies' Glassdoor. I'm like, all right, what do people say? Like, what's the baseline for like what is interesting? And you can cherry-pick. But if you don't know anything, it's easier to have a model, and then you can know what to disregard.

Yeah, but I would argue that your analogy for the way you went about it, unless I'm missing something, is actually not flawed, but not exactly the same analogy, because it sounds like, based on your hot dog business, what you're telling me is you didn't play other people's music. You picked it up, started playing something, and within that micro area, it worked. I would also argue that, you know, it's really interesting where the source of information comes from, right? So there's a lot of business books being written by people who've never run a business.

Well, I usually read biographies.

Fair enough. Glassdoor is just anonymous reviews.

Yes, and it usually goes one—

Very dirty data.

It goes one far end or one other end.

That's what I mean. I mean, you're at this young age where you've had these levels of successes. You know, I have such empathy for where you're coming from because I'm sure I had a lot of those same feelings of like, I'm from out of bounds. I don't go to business school and things of that nature. And I remember, ironically, it's interesting for you to bring that up, I also remember kind of hitting the Silicon Valley scene, and like every single person went to Stanford and Harvard. And I was like, thank God for me, very different for you, that I already had such a real significant win that I was able to kind of use that. But I have so much empathy for what must have been going through your mind in that scenario. On the flip side, you're catching me at a very funny time where I would, what are we, February 24th? These 8 weeks are probably my favorite 8 weeks of being an operator in a long time because I decided going into this year that I was gonna go more me because I've really let the company do its thing. I'm running the company, but I've let the osmosis of like classic executives have a lot of say over the last half decade, and I would argue that the last 8 weeks have been some of the most productive weeks of VaynerMedia's history, and definitely my favorite time in the last 4 years because I'm going back a little bit to hot dog with the baby arm shit.

Yeah, I don't disagree. We agree. I think that— but it's still important. It was important for me to understand.

Right, because you needed that context. Yeah, I get it. I get it.

So like, for like my hot dog thing, I'd be like, all right, I'm just going to take this $1,000 in cash. I'm going to put that shit right in my pocket, right? Like, I'm not even going to incriminate myself, but you know what I mean?

You're going to go spend it on some dumb shit.

Well, I didn't spend on that. No, no, no.

Oh, you got it. Keep going.

You know, I just did do things right. Didn't do proper accounting things.

I get it.

Now that we have an 8-figure, you know, we make 7 figures a month. I think it could be a very large company. Just learning how to do shit properly. Now, not everything needs to be proper.

No, no, no.

Like to the outside world, but like there are some things where like, all right, I gotta make sure I do things the right way.

100%.

You know, when things go from just 4 guys.

And have you brought in people? Like is that how?

Adam is our president, which who I knew from high school. He kinda, he's the president, runs a lot of the day-to-day stuff.

He's the straight man.

Yeah, yeah. And so I'm able to like, I'm able to kind of be my wild self and then we'll, we don't always meet in the middle. Sometimes I will still go the wild route, but like there, I have some proper procedures. Dude, for a while I was doing the accounting and not good. And I was like, I thought cash flow and revenue were the same thing. I'd be like, guys, we gotta get these people to put the money in our bank. That's not revenue. I'm not paying your quota on that.

And I get it.

And then you learn all that right stuff, you know how the right way to do it. That's what I'm referring to.

I totally understand.

You know how it is, like not coming from this area, it's really uncomfortable at first, but it's actually an advantage in the end, I think.

100,000%.

I used to have this book club called the Anti-MBA because when I moved to San Francisco, I was so jealous of all these Stanford people. So I would create this book club and we'd meet once a week and then we'd get experts to come in and lead the discussion. And I was like, look, we just did the same thing as Stanford.

Of course.

Uh, but yeah, it's really uncomfortable, I think. You know how it is.