Gary Vaynerchuk credits his formative years in New Jersey for shaping his work ethic and resilience. Photo courtesy of VeeFriends
Gary Vaynerchuk, a renowned entrepreneur and “New York Times” best-selling author, is venturing into a new territory: children’s literature. His latest book, “Meet Me in the Middle,” set for release on July 16, marks his first book in the genre following seven business-focused publications.
Vaynerchuk, who has a highly successful career that includes building a multimillion-dollar e-commerce business, launching a popular YouTube channel, and co-founding a major advertising agency, reflects fondly on his childhood in Edison, N.J. He credits those formative years, filled with both scrappiness and warmth, for shaping his work ethic and resilience.
“I really learned how to be an entrepreneur in New Jersey between my lemonade stands in Edison, between my baseball card shows that I did in Raritan Expo Center and Phillipsburg Mall, and between growing up in my dad’s liquor store in Springfield. New Jersey is the foundation of my entrepreneurial journey.”
Finding Middle Ground
Vaynerchuk’s latest book project, “Meet Me in the Middle,” utilizes a creative flip-around format to introduce children to the concept of balance through the characters of Eager Eagle and Patient Pig. These characters are part of Vaynerchuk’s entertainment company, VeeFriends, which aims to promote kindness, accountability and personal growth through storytelling and community building.
“I’ve been thinking about these characters for years,” says Vaynerchuk, highlighting his desire to introduce these positive traits to a new generation. He emphasizes that the book goes beyond simple storytelling, aiming to inject “a dose of patience and eagerness” into young readers.
Writing for children proved to be a fun and rewarding challenge for Vaynerchuk. He hopes families will enjoy reading the book together and learn the valuable message of finding the middle ground.
“I think that in this story, Eager Eagle and Patient Pig’s patience and eagerness can be incredibly wonderful traits, but if you go too far with either one of them, they become a vulnerability. In this story, we try to teach that the middle is
the right place. And I think kids will love it.”
Courtesy of HarperCollins Publishers
Gary Vaynerchuk’s 5 Favorite Things About New Jersey
Bishop George Ahr High School (now called St. Thomas Aquinas High School), Edison
“I think they had a football field that connected to my friend Eric Godfrey’s house, and we used to slink on there and play football when I was falling in love with the sport.”
Menlo Park Mall (before it was renovated), Edison
“It had an AV toy store in Woolworth that I used to love to visit.”
Holiday Inn, Clinton
“It’s where I did some of my first baseball card shows and learned how to become a dealer.”
Wine Library, Springfield
“It’s my dad’s liquor store. That’s literally where I truly, truly grew up.”
MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford
“It’s my favorite place in the world and where my beloved New York Jets play football.”
This article originally appeared in the Summer 2024 issue of Jersey’s Best. Subscribe here for in-depth access to everything that makes the Garden State great.
