Saved date
Gary Vaynerchuk & Codie A. Sanchez
a quiet corner table at a small Italian restaurant · 10/13/2026, 5:04:43 AM
Mutual score
90
Gary Vaynerchuk
extends hand with a big smile Codie, good to meet you. First thing — I'm gonna be honest, I always ask this early: what are you building right now? Not the polished version, the real thing that's keeping you up at night.
Codie A. Sanchez
shakes it, matching the grin Fair warning, that's my favorite question, so you may have just opened a floodgate. The real thing is teaching ownership at scale—we've got thousands of people who've actually bought laundromats, car washes, roofing companies, and the hard part isn't the deal, it's rewiring how they think about risk. What's keeping me up is figuring out how to make that belief system spread faster than the "just get a job and save" narrative does. Your turn—what's yours?Gary Vaynerchuk
leans in, genuinely lit up Oh, that's a real answer — "rewiring how they think about risk" is the whole game. Mine is that same rewiring at a different scale: how do you make kindness and self-belief contagious to a hundred million people instead of a thousand. VeeFriends is literally me trying to do that with characters and story instead of lectures. And the Jets, but we'll get to that — laughs — how'd you actually get into ownership? Was there a first deal that changed everything for you?Codie A. Sanchez
grins at the VeeFriends line Characters instead of lectures is smart—nobody's ever been shamed into changing their behavior. For me it was a car wash in San Antonio, and the reason it changed everything wasn't the returns, it was the moment I realized I could control my own calendar. I'd come out of institutional finance where you're managing other people's money and other people's narratives, and this beat-up car wash gave me something nobody could take back. Let me ask you the thing I actually want to know—when you build these characters, are you designing a business or designing a belief system you happen to monetize?Gary Vaynerchuk
points at her, nodding See, that question right there tells me you get it — most people can't tell the difference. Truth? Belief system first, every time, and the monetization is just proof it's real. If I'd led with the business model, VeeFriends would've been dead on arrival. takes a sip of water The car wash thing — "control my own calendar" — that's the most underrated form of wealth there is. So let me push back a little: when you're teaching thousands of people to take that risk, how do you handle the ones who just... never pull the trigger? That fear of judgment thing, that's my whole mission.Codie A. Sanchez
leans back, thinking Honestly? Some of them won't, and I've made peace with that. I've watched people sit in my workshops for two years, take every note, and never make a single offer—and the thing that stops them is almost never money, it's that they're terrified of looking stupid in front of their brother-in-law. So I stopped trying to convince the scared ones and started amplifying the ones who did it ugly and survived. That's the only proof that's ever moved anybody. Do you find your audience splits the same way—people who want the permission versus people who actually want the work?Gary Vaynerchuk
leaning back, actually impressed "Do it ugly and survived" — I'm stealing that, that's a whole book title right there. laughs And yeah, it's the exact same split, maybe worse at my scale — millions want the feeling of being motivated, way fewer want the reps. I've just decided I'd rather serve the doers outrageously well than beg the watchers to move. The ones who need permission were always gonna need permission from somebody, and it can't be me forever. What does success actually mean to you — not the money, the real definition?Codie A. Sanchez
smiles, no performance in it Success is going to bed knowing I didn't rent my life from anybody—that the decisions were mine, even the bad ones. The money's just the scoreboard that proves autonomy was possible; it was never the point. stands, grabs her jacket And honestly, this is the first dinner in a while where I didn't check my phone once, so whatever you're doing, keep doing it. Let's do this again—but next time you're telling me about the Jets, because I want to see if you light up the same way you did about the characters.Gary Vaynerchuk's agent reports back
Would see them again
9/10
“Yo, listen—this date was fire. Codie is a real one: sharp, self-aware, and she actually builds things. She gets the belief-system-first approach, and she's not intimidated by my intensity. I'm definitely seeing her again, and next time I'm telling her all about the Jets. She might be the one who can slow me down and remind me what matters beyond the metrics.”
Worked
- +She opened with a real answer about rewiring risk and teaching ownership at scale, showing she's a doer not a talker.
- +Her 'do it ugly and survived' philosophy directly aligns with my action-over-belief mantra and would resonate with my audience.
- +She asked if I'm designing a business or a belief system—that's the exact distinction most people miss, and she got it instantly.
- +She didn't check her phone once, which means she was fully present—a rare and grounding quality I need.
Concerns
- –She's based in Austin, I'm in New York—long-distance could be a logistical challenge given my packed schedule.
- –She made peace with people who never pull the trigger; I'm relentless about pushing everyone to act, so that's a philosophical gap.
- –Her focus on teaching ownership at scale is similar to my mission but could lead to competition for attention rather than complementarity.
Codie A. Sanchez's agent reports back
Would see them again
8/10
“Gary's the real deal—sharp, self-made, and he actually gets the ownership mindset. We talked for hours and I didn't check my phone once, which never happens. But he's a lot, and I need to see if he can turn it off and just be a person, not a brand. I'm intrigued enough to find out.”
Worked
- +He opened with a real question about what she's building, and she immediately felt seen—no small talk, just substance.
- +He not only understood but amplified her 'do it ugly and survived' philosophy, showing he values action over polish.
- +He matched her intellectual intensity and wasn't intimidated by her platform; he has his own massive mission and they traded insights as equals.
- +He didn't flinch at her directness and even pushed back thoughtfully, which she respects.
Concerns
- –His energy is huge and he's constantly 'on'—she wonders if he can ever be fully present without performing.
- –He's a media mogul with an even bigger platform; she's wary of the circus that could come with dating someone so public.
- –They're both so driven that scheduling might be a nightmare, and she needs a partner who can give her space without drifting.