#davesdailychallenge (95): The Influencer Series – Gary Vaynerchuk. I’ve wanted to do this for awhile now. Today will be the first post in a new series within the “Dave’s Daily Challenge” story. It will be called “The Influencer Series” and each piece will discuss one person whose content, in various forms, I consistently consume. I’ll discuss one thing, among many, that I’ve learned from this person and why I think it’s so important. No influencer I discuss here is perfect, nor do I agree with 100% of what they do or say. That’s not the point. The point is that I learn from them and without fail they are very, very good at what they do.

Gary Vaynerchuk, @garyvee , among many roles, is the Founder and CEO of Vaynermedia. He is also an author, salesman, marketer, and future owner of the NY Jets (just ask him!). I follow Gary on most social channels and enjoy his YouTube series #askgaryvee as well as his published talks. If I had to choose one thing that I have learned from Gary it would be the importance, especially when playing the “long game”, of authenticity. Gary is many things, but inauthentic isn’t one of them. I have no doubt that one of the reasons why he is so popular among his followers is that he brings a level of candor and integrity to his work, regardless of whether or not you agree with him, that is very rare. I encourage you to check out his work on YouTube and other social outlets. Let me know what you think!