One is Better than Zero

I always wonder how someone is transformed from nobody to somebody – I don’t really care about the end results; I care about the journey. Why? Because I can’t learn from the end results. On the other hand, following the journey – the map, blueprint or whatever you may call it – is what I need to get me going.

I am having a keen interest in investing. Not in stocks, however. I’m interested in precious metals, real estates and business. I have got my hands and feet dirty in all three asset classes, but I’m still a newbie in many ways.

I need to follow the map; the blueprint that will guide me there. And I don’t want the typical blueprint; I need the one from unique entrepreneurs and investors, with a hope of gaining competitive advantage by following the un-/less-popular but prolific figures.

Gary Veeeeeeeeeeeee

If I have to mention one, I need to shout out Gary Vaynerchuk – the wine guy, the social media guy, the entrepreneur, the investor and the author.

Gary Vaynerchuk is a controversial figure, but I don’t understand why some people are becoming haters when it comes to GV. Yes, he is brash (and curses a lot – even on keynotes,) but he is one of a kind and his insights are ultra-valuable. I want his blueprint. What surprised me, his blueprint is quite simple but difficult to follow and master – which is probably the reason why not many as successful as Mr. Vee.

Here’s one:

One is better than zero

To Mr. Vee, one is better than zero – in anything he does. Meaning, in business (or in life it that resonates with your situation) one is better than zero – every effort, every result you get matters.

Here’s a simple explanation: If GV needs to spend his time to do a 10-minute interview, upload the recorded interview on YouTube, and it only gets 195 views, he’s on it, as one is still better than zero.

So, why would he sweat over such miniscule results compared to the time he spent? (he could use those 10 minutes to make $10,000, you know…)

The answer: Gary Vee is in the long game; he is in the depth game, not width. In fact, his whole entrepreneurial career is built on his ability to play the depth game.

Gary’s principle is this: If that one piece of content can give him an opportunity to engage, say, 100 people, creating 100 pieces of content can expose his expertise and brand to 10,000 people. How about 1,000 pieces of content? 100,000 people. 10,000 pieces of content? 1 million people.

The big question is: Do YOU have the determination, resilience and passion for doing 10,000 pieces of content to get 1 million people to know you? I’m having trouble with this, and I’m sure many of you will say “tough work” – but Gary did and still does that.

Again, going deep with those who are interested in his content – and eventually, business – is what giving Gary plenty of zeros in his net worth (oh, did I mentioned that Gary Vaynerchuk is a billionaire?) and plenty of exposure on major media, such as CNN.

Let the man explain what he’s up to with the one-and-zero thing:

Want 1 meeting with Mark Cuban? Do 1,000+ meetings to get you there. Depth, not width. Capisci?

I’m super pumped. Watching Gary Vee’s video is like watching a motivational video – even when he’s talking about how to do business better.

Lessons learned

It’s plain and simple: If I want results, I need to grind and hustle. I need to focus on “who should I talk to today” instead of “what shortcut should I take today.” I also need to focus on the future value of my content, instead of its value today – even if this blog post only gets me 50 views. I just need to keep going.

One is better than zero. Effort matters, because if you hustle days in and days out, results will pile up and those will eventually bring you success.