He's best known for his work in digital marketing and social media, leading his own company VaynerMedia, a digital agency focused on social media-first approaches. He first gained prominence by revolutionizing his family's wine business through innovative online marketing, which included creating one of the first e-commerce platforms for alcohol and hosting a daily webcast called "Wine Library TV."

His efforts dramatically increased the business's annual revenue from $3 million to $60 million. Vaynerchuk has also authored several books, including "Crush It! Why NOW Is the Time to Cash in on Your Passion" and "Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World," which provide insights into leveraging social media to build personal brands and businesses.

He is also involved in venture capital, having invested in companies like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and Uber early on. Through his personal brand and his company, he's become a leading influencer among marketing professionals and entrepreneurs.

Family, Faith and Health

Vaynerchuk was born in Babruysk, Belarus, which was part of the Soviet Union until its dissolution in 1991. His family emigrated to the United States when he was 3 years old. His father opened a liquor store and Gary, even as a young boy, would help out, because that's how families in Belarus work. They work together.

Eastern Europeans also tend to have deep spiritual family values, which is relatively rare in the U.S. these days. I heard him on a few other podcasts and was intrigued by the fact that he was so tuned into the spiritual aspect of reality.

I'm not as interested in WHAT he does, as HOW he does it. Where does the passion come from? I'm also intrigued by how the love of one's parents can contribute to a person's success in life. Are the two connected? I believe so.