When I was a kid, my dad would occasionally travel for work. When he did he would sometimes bring me home sand in a bottle, or once he brought me home what looked like an empty bottle, but it was actually full of warm, sun-soaked air from wherever he was returning from. He would explain that he was trying to bottle some of the things he saw and experienced so I could share them with him.

The concept of bottling experiences and excitement has always fascinated me, and I think that is why I am so drawn to the personality of Gary Vaynerchuk. Gary, for those of you who don’t know, is the man behind Wine Library TV, as well as the new book Gary Vaynerchuk’s 101 Wines Guaranteed to Inspire, Delight, and Bring Thunder to Your World, and can only be described as the most passionate “everyman” in the wine business.

I have been very fortunate to meet Gary on a few occasions, and he is a true inspiration on how to succeed in business. I only wish I could figure out a way to bottle his drive and enthusiasm for life.

Gary is a National Treasure, and not in that Nicolas Cage “I am going to steal the constitution” kind of way!

So now that I have finished my very long-winded introduction, I would love you to direct your attention to an interview we did with Gary a few months ago at SXSWi, and you will see how this guy is bringing the THUNDER!