The Vaynerchuck Effect
Last week, my team started interviewing for our three available Summer 2019 internship positions. Yes, that’s right: In 2018, the competition is so fierce, that most companies post their summer internship positions in, well, basically the summer before; and college kids everywhere are somehow responsible enough to be applying for things they’ll do in 12 months time instead of doing beer bongs like they’re supposed to.
What is this world.
Back to the interns. I interviewed four of them last week, with another four this week. These were the top eight from about 100 candidates, whittled down to 20 by our thankless talent recruiter (thanks, girl), and whittled down by my team to eight, to interview. The first four knocked my socks off. These kids have more experience at 20 than I had at 30. OK, fine, 35. They’ve published books (literally), won awards, started companies, launched non-profits, volunteered, traveled, have their own websites and digital portfolios. They have firm handshakes and make eye contact confidently. Such go-getters… such entrepreneurs and hustlers.
Color me impressed by it all, for sure, but also, a touch skeptical. Here’s the thing; in this 24/7/365 world, there’s no off button. There’s no downtime. There are only more stimuli — always running, always pumping, always feeding the beast. Dopamine rush, achieved. Everyone is trying to do so much — to be so much. These days, people’s side hustles have side hustles. And it all starts so early. Tweens have YouTube channels. They know how to edit their own videos. They’re getting sponsors. They are seeking out internships at 15, 16. They haven’t hit puberty and don’t even own a bra and are somehow showing up the rest of us grown-ups how lazy we are. And college kids — overwhelmed with opportunity and competition — are keeping Adderal in business.
But are we all moving too fast? Are we all over-extended? Over-stimulated? Over it, at all? Now that our brains and our bodies have adjusted to the new normal with 24/7 screens in our hands, and we hold the ability to multitask like a mother, more easily than ever before, we may be “getting shit done,” sure — but at what cost?
I sometimes try to remember what I did with my time before I had kids and life got real. How did I spend my weekends? For the life of me I can’t really remember. But I think I spent a lot of time doing The New York Times’ crossword. From the actual newspaper. The kind you held and smelled and that stained your fingers. I sat in coffee shops with a book and a latte. I enjoyed brunches with friends (that didn’t get Instagrammed.)
So while Gary Vee is telling all the kids to do more, to stop complaining, to stop sleeping and sell shit, to quit whining and hustle… I wonder, what would happen if we actually took the opposite approach and slowed the F down? If we took our time and didn’t Waze to our next destination? If we put the phone down at brunch? If we stopped stressing over our lack of “side hustle?” If we didn’t put so much pressure on ourselves to succeed? If we were ok with how much money we made and what our lot was in life and we could just enjoy the ride a little more?
Happy Thanksgiving, all… enjoy your turkey, your time with friends and family, and hopefully a moment or two where can pause and just…. breathe.
