I noticed this morning that Gary Vaynerchuk (@garyvee) posted a link on Twitter to his first-ever Wine Library TV episode (Feb. 2006). Since he announced his “retirement” earlier this week, I decided to take a quick trip down Memory Lane.

I admit, I got a kick out of it. But, it also struck a chord with me. More on that in a minute.

To be honest, as soon as the video started to play, it triggered something in my brain that recalled the old Highlights Magazine activities I used to do as a kid - which one of these things is not like the other?

Here are the things I noticed immediately:

Episode 1 - February 2006
 

• It’s dark - Hey, it was Episode 1 - no lights yet.
• “Cool camera” from Best Buy - It’s a far cry from the HD digital video we saw in later episodes. Has that VHS warble…
• No fancy intro - No music. No graphics. Just Gary and a little bit of text.
• The walls are bare - No Jets swag, no chalkboard, no nothing.
• Less intimate - Looks like (Chris) Mott was shooting from the back wall of the office. Later episodes were shot tighter on Gary and the wines, making it feel more personal.
• Both sleeves are down - Gary’s known for, among many things, rocking the one-sleeve-up, one-sleeve-down look.
• Lame spit bucket - Gary upgraded to metal in Episode 76, a Jets-themed pail in Episode 136, then alternated a couple others until finally settling in with his cherished Jets helmet.
• A whole lot less “thunder” - Gary is very conservative and almost “corporate” in Episode 1, even introducing himself as “Director of Operations” instead of the now famous “I am your host…”
• He uses “real” flavor descriptions - Gary ultimately moved to more colorful descriptions like “racquetball,” “Big League Chew,” “sweaty sock,” and “sheep butt,” which skyrocketed his “uniqueness quotient.”

Episode 1,000 - March 2011
 

However, the progression from Episode 1 to Episode 1000 serves to illustrate why Gary has been so successful. The way I see it, the five biggest drivers of his success have been:

• Vision - From the very beginning, Gary knew he wanted to “change the wine world.” Though time, technology, tactics, etc. have changed, his vision has not. 
• Tenacity - Also known as “hustle.” Gary works until his “eyes bleed.” He has a tireless work ethic. “It’s not enough. We always want to do more… We’re going to get better. We’re going to keep pushing it.” - Gary in Episode 1.
• Sincerity - Gary genuinely cares about what he does and the people he works with and serves, and it comes across in every interaction (including in person, to which I can personally attest).
• Chops - He knows his stuff… cold.
• Gratitude - At the end of the first episode, Gary ended with the words “Thanks so much.” Nine hundred ninety-nine episodes later, he still signed off with words of sincere gratitude and appreciation: “Thank you forever… I love you.” Heck, he even wrote a book about it - The Thank You Economy (affiliate link).

I firmly believe that the development of these five traits will help anyone who wants to be successful in business - and life - get there. Which ones do you have nailed? Which ones do you need to work on? Are there any I missed?