Interwebers

Every sport has their superstar. The internet has Gary Vaynerchuk.

Gary Vaynerchuk is the host of Wine Library TV, an internet video blog shot in his Springfield, New Jersey wine store. He’s also an avid interweber – as best I can define the term.

Gary is one of the best examples of someone who rose to the top by balancing and using the internet to show the world who he is, what he does, and what he loves.

He grew up working in his parents wine store reading Wine Spectator. Before he was old enough to drink, he trained his palette backwards tasting the different components wine specialists would describe in their tastings: berries, wood, dirt, leather, grass.

By high school, he was recommending wines to older, more experienced drinkers. His devotion to the product, passion for what he was doing, and resilience to complacency helped him turn his parents’ $4 million/yr business into a $45 million/yr industry stronghold.

Ok, he’s a wine guy. I’ve made that point. But he doesn’t stop there. Circa 1997, WineLibrary.com was launched – SERIOUS props to any small business getting in the internet scene that early. What came next was Wine Library TV, launched February 21st, 2006.

Watching the first episode of Wine Library TV is pretty extraordinary for two reasons. First, it’s fun to see how much the show has evolved from its humbling beginnings. Second, Gary opens by introducing himself and his vision and hopes for the show.

It’s as if he knew exactly how big a sensation Wine Library TV would be. Now, it’s getting 60,000 hits a day.

So what made WLTV such a hit? First, it’s his ability to utilize the internet and social media to define and solidify the brand Wine Library and more importantly, the Gary Vaynerchuk brand. He links his social networks alongside WLTV, he’s on Twitter everyday, he responds to hundreds of fan e-mails daily – if you listen to him, he’ll listen back. He put his passion, his knowledge, his enthusiasm, and HIMSELF on the web for everyone to see.

I was so inspired by what he’s done I scheduled a time to meet with him in his New Jersey store. Our meeting was brief, only about 15 minutes, but it didn’t take long to gain some very valuable lessons. We spoke briefly about interwebers – which I had just launched. His advice was reflective of his Wine Library approach. Be YOURSELF and put yourself OUT THERE. He’d reference his wine show and his never-ending New York Jet references. He’s taken the world of wine and nearly flipped it on its back by bringing his zealous personality and traits to Wine Library TV. What you get is a wine show with a New Work Jets spit bucket, action figure dolls, and early 2000’s catch phrases. Strange? Yes! Successful? Very!

Some argue he’s nothing more than a great salesman. Half of the store’s sales (remember, we’re talking $45 million in sales) come from internet purchases and all the wines he tastes on the show are available on the store’s website.

Yet he’s never afraid to rate a wine poorly. He hardly ever pitches his online store. He could make a killing putting outside advertisements on his sites, but you won’t find one.

Straight up: he’s a sincere guy. He means what he says and he’s doing it because he loves it. I don’t think he does anything related to Wine Library with dollar signs in his eyes. And that’s why I think he’s most successful. Successful by business owner, wine aficionado, and internet marketing standards.

What’s most inspiring about Gary’s story is that we can all do what he’s done. We don’t need a wine store. We don’t even need a video blog. All we need is our passion, our desire, and an outlet to share it with others. In the words of Gary: “We are fundamentally in a gold rush right now. Hollywood understands that their next corps of celebrities are coming from the internet. You are the brand.”

If Gary isn’t an example of what can be accomplished by using web 2.0, I don’t know who is. The question is: who’s next?