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When John Hu stumbled across Gary Vaynerchuk during long hours of TikTok scrolling in the early days of COVID-19, he never imagined they’d one day be business partners. At the time, Hu was a few years out of college and grinding away on Wall Street, feeling like his path in life was already set.
But Vaynerchuk’s mantra — what value can you give to the world — pushed him to start sharing his own story online.
For Hu, the simple act of posting career coaching content was transformative.
“It was the first time in my life that I ever got to be creative. I was helping people. And I got to do my own thing,” he tells Entrepreneur.
The only missing piece was figuring out how to monetize. After testing countless AI tools that left him spending more than he was earning, Hu again followed Vaynerchuk’s playbook: he built his own solution. That solution became Stan.
‘Swiss Army Knife For Creators’
Stan is a one-stop shop for creators to sell almost any kind of digital product — courses, subscriptions, e-books, and more. Hu originally built it to host his own offerings, but it didn’t take long before friends began asking what his secret was.
“Whether it’s a content creator, a lawyer, a dentist, or an accountant, they all use Stan to generate leads through social,” Hu says. “They don’t want to deal with the tech — it’s intimidating. Stan gives them the simplest, easiest, and most affordable way to get started.”
That balance — offering a full suite of tools without overwhelming users — has been key to Stan’s growth. The platform offers tiered packages: a starter option with the essentials to begin monetizing, and a more advanced version with added features like an AI agent trained on Vaynerchuk’s content.
“Imagine a mini Gary in your pocket that coaches you step by step,” Hu says.
Importantly, Stan isn’t designed for megastars like MrBeast or Alix Earle. Its focus is on what Hu and Vaynerchuk call the “middle-class creator,” someone who can afford to pay a little for something that provides them real value.
“For many people, it’s a mistake to spend thousands of dollars right out of the gate,” Vaynerchuk explains. “It’s like someone getting into tennis — you don’t want to drop $7,000 on equipment only to find out you stink or don’t even like the game.”
Instead, Stan functions as the trainer who helps you make the most of what you have.
“Spending $300 or $400 a year on Stan is a remarkable use of money because it disproportionately allows people to monetize,” Vaynerchuk says. “It’s the Swiss Army knife for this space. Plenty of creators make $1,000 to $10,000 a year from ads or random merch. If they understood how to use this tool, they could be on their way to six figures.”
Related: Stop Doing These 3 Things on Social Media, says Gary Vaynerchuk
More than another investment
Vaynerchuk is so bullish on Stan that he created the “GaryVee Stan Challenge,” a mentorship program that pairs his expertise in audience building with Stan’s platform to help creators build sustainable businesses.
The program includes eight live coaching sessions with GaryVee, complete with Q&A and weekly growth check-ins. The top 10 sellers, along with five wildcard winners who generate at least $555 in GMV, will earn the chance to meet Vaynerchuk in New York City for an exclusive event. For participants, it’s an opportunity to learn from what Hu calls “the OG of online personal brand building.”
For Vaynerchuk, the challenge is also a source of motivation.
“People paying for it gives me the confidence that when I’m on these weekly calls, they’re actually going to do something about it,” he says. “It’s where I’m at my best — where I can really go there. Knowing they’ve already bought in gives me an extra pep in my step, because I believe they might act on it, in a world where too many people think just listening to me is ‘doing.’”
Entry costs $300, with sign-ups available here.
Related: Gary Vaynerchuck Shows You How to Get More Attention
The modern ‘American Dream’
The idea of an online store for creators to sell digital products might feel new-age, but at its core, StanStore is rooted in timeless principles.
“Gary and I are the American immigrant dream in action,” Hu says.
While it’s easy to dismiss the notion of the American dream today, he still believes in self-made success — and in creating a bright spot in an otherwise tough world. In this case, that means giving people the tools, resources, and education to make that dream a reality.
Already, StanStore has generated nearly $400 million for creators, many of whom Hu says have been able to change their lives with that revenue.
“My hope is that when we look back on this challenge and partnership, we’ll see that we helped at least a million more people pursue their dreams and make a living working for themselves,” Hu says. “With Stan and Gary’s scale, I think that’s truly achievable.”
When John Hu stumbled across Gary Vaynerchuk during long hours of TikTok scrolling in the early days of COVID-19, he never imagined they’d one day be business partners. At the time, Hu was a few years out of college and grinding away on Wall Street, feeling like his path in life was already set.
But Vaynerchuk’s mantra — what value can you give to the world — pushed him to start sharing his own story online.
For Hu, the simple act of posting career coaching content was transformative.
