Belarusian business mogul Gary Vaynerchuk knows what it means to be innovative. After launching one of America’s first wine websites and using it to grow his father’s discount wine story from a $3 million business to a $60 million one, he leveraged the power of YouTube to start Wine Library TV in 2006, growing his brand and reaching an even larger audience.

In 2009, he and his brother launched VaynerMedia, a “social-first digital shop that focuses on storytelling across platforms.” Through VaynerMedia, Vaynerchuk has had Fortune 500 clients like PepsiCo, GE, Hasbro and more, helping these corporate giants successfully build their social media strategies. Vaynerchuk is also a prominent investor, backing Twitter, Uber and Tumblr, among others. So what does this social-media-minded man with an enormous digital footprint have to say about success and innovation? These 18 quotes from Vaynerchuk will help you find the importance of working hard, thinking strategically and, most importantly, being original.

“I failed all my classes and that’s why I’m winning. In hindsight, the fact that I was considered a failure for the first 18 years of my life has become the foundation of my success.”

“Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read.”

“Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a small business, or a Fortune 500 company, great marketing is all about telling your story in such a way that it compels people to buy what you are selling. That’s a constant. What’s always in flux, especially in this noisy, mobile world, is how, when, and where the story gets told, and even who gets to tell all of it.”

“The incredible brand awareness and bottom-line profits achievable through social media marketing require hustle, heart, sincerity, constant engagement, long-term commitment, and most of all, artful and strategic storytelling.”

“Your number-one job is to tell your story to the consumer wherever they are, and preferably at the moment they are deciding to make a purchase.”

“It took 38 years before 50 million people gained access to radios. It took television 13 years to earn an audience that size. It took Instagram a year and a half.”

“Love your family, work super hard, live your passion.”

“We love displays and symbols and stuff that quickly and silently tells the world who we are. Better yet, we love visual reminders of who we want to be.”

“You can’t just repurpose old material created for one platform, throw it up on another one, and then be surprised when everyone yawns in your face. No one would ever think it was a good idea to use a print ad for a television commercial, or confuse a banner ad for a radio spot. Like their traditional media platform cousins, every social media platform has its own language.”

“Jabs are the lightweight pieces of content that benefit your customers by making them laugh, snicker, ponder, play a game, feel appreciated, or escape; right hooks are calls to action that benefit your businesses.”

“Now, if you truly understand how marketing works today, you know there is no individual six-month campaign; there’s only the 365-day campaign, during which you produce new content daily.”

“On Facebook, the definition of great content is not the content that makes the most sales, but the content that people most want to share with others.”

“Ignoring platforms that have gained critical mass is a great way to look slow and out-of-touch. Do not cling to nostalgia. Do not put your principles above the reality of the market. Do not be a snob.”

“While companies were getting comfy cozy with the idea of being on social media platforms, social media transcended those platforms, and few businesses have followed.”

“Your story isn’t powerful enough if all it does is lead the horse to water; it has to inspire the horse to drink, too. On social media, the only story that can achieve that goal is one told with native content.”

“Social media is like crack — immediately gratifying and hugely addictive.”

“A strategy of caring usually outshines tactics, but when they’re used with the right intent, tactics can help a brand achieve greatness.”

“Live your passion. What does that mean, anyway? It means that when you get up for work every morning, every single morning, you are pumped because you get to talk about or work with or do the thing that interests you the most in the world. You don’t live for vacations because you don’t need a break from what you’re doing—working, playing, and relaxing are one and the same. You don’t even pay attention to how many hours you’re working because to you, it’s not really work. You’re making money, but you’d do whatever it is you’re doing for free.”