This One Episode Will Motivate You to Change Your Entire Life
Episode of The Mel Robbins Podcast · September 7, 2026 · 1 h 16 min
Mel Robbins talks with entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk about accountability, fear, regret, envy, peace of mind, and taking action on careers, business, and social media.
Summary
Mel Robbins hosted entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk, whom she credited with inspiring her to start posting online 12 years earlier. Vaynerchuk described his childhood as a Soviet immigrant and poor student who felt misunderstood, arguing that people are far more capable of change than they realize and that the answer to feeling misunderstood is being comfortable with it. He urged listeners to curate their social media feeds, saying the algorithm exposes rather than changes people.
The two discussed accountability and blame. Vaynerchuk argued people should stop blaming parents, spouses, and circumstances, cited his mother's hardships in the Soviet Union as an example of chosen optimism, and recommended therapy over materialism. Robbins said adulthood begins the moment you decide to pay for your life. Vaynerchuk stressed gratitude, humility, and peace of mind over status, and recommended volunteering at retirement homes, warning that the worst three words are "I wish I."
Later segments covered fear of judgment, practice as the cure for caring about others' opinions, live shopping as an emerging opportunity comparable to social media in 2014, building supportive communities in comment sections, and collectibles as community. In a rapid-fire round Vaynerchuk advised making a video about one's shortcomings to build confidence and, for job seekers, making content on LinkedIn. He recounted being criticized for years for questioning college and closed by urging listeners to live as if their worries will not matter in the end.
Chapters
- 0:00
Introduction of Gary Vaynerchuk
Robbins introduces Vaynerchuk and explains his influence on her career.
- 4:54
Being misunderstood and the power of consumption
Vaynerchuk discusses his upbringing, being comfortable with being misunderstood, and curating social media algorithms.
- 13:57
Accountability and blaming parents
The two discuss when blaming parents should end, therapy over materialism, and Vaynerchuk's mother's story.
- 23:32
Envy, gratitude, and peace of mind
Vaynerchuk argues against envy and materialism and says peace of mind is his most valuable possession.
- 31:25
Regret, mortality, and the elderly
Discussion of living with one's funeral in mind, volunteering with the elderly, and avoiding the words 'I wish I.'
- 38:58
Fear of judgment and everyone is good at something
Vaynerchuk says practice overcomes fear of opinions and tells a tennis comeback story about his friend Nate.
- 47:09
Live shopping and feeling too late
Vaynerchuk compares live shopping today to social media in 2014, and Robbins recalls delaying her podcast for six years.
- 56:10
Building community online and collectibles
Vaynerchuk urges listeners to befriend each other in comment sections and explains why collectibles are about community.
- 1:00:54
Rapid-fire advice: confidence, business, and jobs
Vaynerchuk recommends videos about one's shortcomings, LinkedIn content for job seekers, and owning embarrassment.
- 1:08:52
Should, envy, and abundance
Vaynerchuk discusses rejecting entitlement and feeling joy for competitors.
- 1:11:49
Parting words
Final messages of love and encouragement to take action.
Key points
What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.
Linked moment · 4:54Skip to 4:54 using a listen link in the info box.
Gary VaynerchukVaynerchuk argues that people are far more capable of changing than they realize.
“my belief that is that people are obnoxiously more capable of changing than they realize. And it's actually shockingly simple and the hardest thing in the world”
- Gary Vaynerchuk
Vaynerchuk argues that social media algorithms reflect users' own choices rather than shaping them.
“My friends, the algorithm did not change you. The algorithm exposed you”
- Gary Vaynerchuk
Vaynerchuk recommends spending money on therapy rather than on material goods used to mask pain.
“Instead of buying dumb shit to cover up your hurt, why don't you go invest it into therapy?”
- Gary Vaynerchuk
Vaynerchuk attributes widespread status-seeking to modern parenting leaving out accountability rather than to social media.
“not because of social media and we see other people with stuff, but because modern parenting left accountability out of the ingredients of the last 30, 40 years”
- Mel Robbins
Robbins says the point at which one stops blaming parents is not an age but the moment one decides to pay for one's own life.
“Well, I wouldn't say it's an age. I say it's the moment you decide to pay for your life”
- Mel Robbins
Robbins recounts realizing at 41 that nobody was coming to rescue her from her financial hole.
“Actually, it was 41 when I woke up and realized nobody is coming to save my ass from this mess that I'm in”
- Gary Vaynerchuk
Vaynerchuk says his most valuable possession is peace of mind, not his businesses or audience.
“The number one thing I have is not all the things you think I have. The number one thing I have is peace of mind”
- Gary Vaynerchuk
Vaynerchuk recommends volunteering five hours at a retirement home, saying it benefits the volunteer as much as residents.
“If you can volunteer five hours to a retirement home in your general area, like literally call them, email them”
- Gary Vaynerchuk
Vaynerchuk says the worst sentence a person can say late in life is the three words "I wish I."
“the worst sentence, Mel, is three words. I wish I dot, dot, dot, dot, dot”
- Gary Vaynerchuk
Vaynerchuk argues live shopping is currently at the stage social media was at in 2014.
“Where live shopping is right this second is exactly where social was in 2014”
- Mel Robbins
Robbins recounts talking herself out of starting a podcast in 2018 because Vaynerchuk was already doing it, delaying for six years.
“It would be another six years before I stopped talking myself out of it and actually did it”
- Gary Vaynerchuk
Vaynerchuk believes collectibles are poised to become a lifestyle genre alongside fashion, sports, and music because of community.
“Do you know why I love collectibles and believe it's a huge trend and that it's about to join fashion and sports and music as a lifestyle genre?”
- Gary Vaynerchuk
Vaynerchuk recommends that people build confidence by posting a video listing what they are bad at.
“I believe the number one thing that most people watching or listening to this podcast should do is make a video and tell the world what they suck at”
- Gary Vaynerchuk
Vaynerchuk says the top skill for job seekers is making content on LinkedIn, which he likens to Facebook and Instagram with a different audience mindset.
“LinkedIn is exactly the same thing as Facebook and Instagram, except the audience perspective and mentality when they're on it is different”
- Gary Vaynerchuk
Vaynerchuk says he argued for years that creative or entrepreneurial students who cannot afford college should not take on large debt for a degree.
“If you're creative or entrepreneurial and your parents can't afford to pay for it, I do not think you should go take $120,000 in debt”
- Gary Vaynerchuk
Vaynerchuk says he feels genuine joy when competitors surpass him because he views the world as abundant.
“I could not be happier for people that pass me in following count, pass me in financial status, pass me in listener count”
People
In the conversation
- Mel RobbinsAmerican author, podcast host and former lawyer who hosts The Mel Robbins Podcast
- Gary VaynerchukEntrepreneur and social media personality known for the "$1.80" engagement strategy
Discussed
- EminemRapper cited in an anecdote about the moment fame hits
Topics
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From the publisher
This episode is a MUST-listen. If you’ve ever felt behind, scared, stuck, or doubting yourself, you need to hit play. Today, Mel sits down with someone who has been a mentor from afar for more than 12 years. Mel says she would not be where she is today without the person sitting across from her. For more than a decade, Gary Vaynerchuk has been one of Mel’s biggest inspirations - and in this conversation, he is here to challenge you to stop making excuses and start changing your life. Gary is one of the most successful entrepreneurs and creators of his generation, a six-time New York Times bestselling author, and the force behind VaynerX, VaynerMedia, and VeeFriends. If you’ve been sitting on an idea, watching other people do the thing you want to do, worrying about what people will think, or telling yourself you’re too late, you need to hear this. Gary will challenge the way you think about fear, regret, comparison, confidence, your career, other people’s opinions, and the excuses that are keeping you stuck. You’ll learn why the people you listen to shape who you become, why your embarrassment can become your advantage, why peace of mind matters more than status, and why one action could change the entire direction of your life. Gary also shares his advice for anyone who wants to start a business, change careers, put themselves out there, or finally take the risk they’ve been thinking about for years. His message is simple: there is something you are amazing at - and the longer you sit around watching everybody else do it, the more it costs you. You’ll also learn: - What your algorithm reveals about who you are - Why you need to start living your life with your funeral in mind - The 3 words that are keeping you stuck - Gary’s #1 tip if you’re unemployed or looking for a new job - How to stop blaming your parents for your circumstances - How to build self-confidence and let go of your need to be accepted - Why peace of mind is the secret to a rich life This conversa…
Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on October 3, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.