At the 4:34 mark in a conversation between marketing powerhouse Gary Vaynerchuk and ActionCOACH founder Brad Sugars, Gary drops a truth bomb that made me pause:

“You can’t put out douchebag content!”

It’s a crass line — and intentionally so — because it hits hard where it needs to. In a world saturated with hype, hustle, and hollow “personal branding,” this is a wake-up call. If the content you’re posting exists primarily to sell your next thing, inflate your ego, or chase likes… it’s probably not serving the people you claim to care about. Watch the full video clip here.

As someone who works every day with business owners, entrepreneurs, and leadership teams, I’ve seen firsthand how content done right can build trust, elevate conversations, and create real transformation. I’ve also seen how easy it is to fall into the trap of becoming a walking pitch deck — constantly promoting, rarely listening, never delivering actual value.

Here’s the thing:

People don’t want to be sold to.
They want to be seen.
They want to learn.
They want to grow.

And they’ll tune in to people who consistently help them do that.

Which brings us to a deeper question — one I encourage every business leader and content creator to reflect on:

“Do you want to be famous for having the biggest positive impact on your community…
or just be famous for being famous?”

It’s easy to chase views and followers. But legacy is built in the trenches of service — by showing up day after day with content that educates, encourages, and elevates your audience.

That’s what builds loyalty. That’s what earns trust.
That’s what moves the needle — in business and in people’s lives.

If you want to be taken seriously — especially by the kind of clients, partners, and communities that matter — your content should:

• Solve real problems. Offer insights or tools that help your audience take action.

• Tell the truth. Share your setbacks as often as your successes.

• Educate without condescension. Give your best thinking away. People will still want to hire you to implement it.

• Speak to your community’s goals — not just your own.

In other words, content should be less about selling and more about serving.

• Gary Vaynerchuk’s advice at 4:34: Avoid posting “douchebag content” — content that’s self-serving, salesy, or purely ego-driven.

• Core message: To be taken seriously, create content that serves your audience — not just content that sells your next offer.

• Content should:

  • Educate, support, or inspire your audience

  • Be grounded in authenticity and value

  • Focus on the audience’s needs, not your personal promotion

• Ethical reflection: Ask yourself — Do you want to be famous for the positive impact you create, or just for being visible?

• What value-driven content looks like:

  • Solves real problems

  • Shares honest experiences

  • Gives away useful knowledge generously

  • Speaks to your community’s goals and growth

• Guiding question for content creation: “Who does this help?”

  • If the answer is mostly “me,” rethink your approach.

• Final insight: Service-first content builds trust, loyalty, and long-term success — in business and leadership.

The most ethical, strategic, and human thing you can do with your content is to ask:

“Who does this help?”

If the answer is “mostly me,” it’s time to rethink.

Because when your content genuinely helps others — without expectation — the results come anyway. The clients call. The business grows. The impact multiplies.

That’s not just good marketing. That’s good leadership.