There has been a video that has caused a bit of a stir as of late in our entrepreneurial space. A video by Gary Vaynerchuk titled The Most Important Word Ever- with “hustle” being that word. When Gary says “hustle” he means it in the sense of hard work and perseverance, not hustle meaning to trick or connive someone.
Now as many of you may know, Gary is not one to hold his strong opinions to himself. At times he is praised for it and at times he is alienated because of it; this may be one of those times.
What’s all the fuss about? Well, in the video Gary argues that most of us just simply do not work hard enough. We complain we are not “blowing up” in our industry while we put in typical hours, like 9 to 6, and expect more than typical results. Many watch this video and shout “preach on” and others ask “what about work-life balance?”
Before I go on, let me allow you to watch the video. Make sure you watch it in its entirety.
I want to make something crystal clear. I think very highly of Gary Vaynerchuk. He’s been a teacher and motivator to me in many ways. He’s personally shown me kindness and took the time a few years ago to speak to me on the phone and go back and forth with me on email. He’s one of the busiest people on the planet and yet he’s been more generous with his time with me than many other people in our space. I personally believe he is so generous because he actually cares. He really cares about other people in a deep and genuine way.
So when I watched this video I watched it with that perspective. His words, though harsh at times, come from a good place. Call it tough love or saying it like it is, the bottom line is he speaks from the heart with no reservations.
I wanted to agree with Gary, with the entirety of his message but I can only agree with the spirit of it. I believe the spirit of his message is:
If you want something, don’t just talk about it. Do it. This means there will be sacrifices. Nothing is for free, especially things that have significant value in this life. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. Da Vinci didn’t become a Renaissance Man by spending every night going out with friends. Jobs didn’t create the iPhone in between watching every episode of everything on Netflix. What’s YOUR life’s work. Figure that out and then get to work.
I am of the camp that believes hard word is what makes things happen but I am also a believer in living a healthy life. Not because it’s the “zen” thing to do but because our personal health, our family, our close friends all have a right over us. We must give them their due rights. If we don’t, we won’t last. Sooner or later, our bodies will give up on us. We’ll have no one to keep us going. We’ll have no one to celebrate our success with.
I’m sure Gary has it sorted. And for those who don’t know him, he’s not human. Seriously, he’s like a bionic force, but I love him for it.
What do you think? What are your thoughts on this? Do we hustle too hard or do we not hustle enough?