Check out our interview with Gary Grey who is the co-founder of the super popular content creator house and music group the XO Team alongside Mary Senn.
The XO team is comprised of a talented group of creators, producers, actors and musicians who have tapped into every industry, leaving their 10.3M YouTube subscribers and 39M TikTok followers in awe of their versatility. Their latest music video, “Reason,” was released just 2 months ago and already has over 15M views.
The XO Team has managed to amass and maintain their viral success through their personalities, incredibly innovative minds in the way they re-imagine content and AI (they have a virtual metaverse house member, ENNY) and even an entirely self-produced reality tv series.
Follow Gary on IG @artistgary & XO Team @the_xo_team
Hi Gary, please tell us a little about you?
So… My name is Gary Grey and I do a lot of things. I run a TikTok house called XO TEAM, a music label called XO MUSIC, I create music as a solo artist, and I co-founded a production company. I just love the entertainment industry and want to be a big part of it.
Describe yourself in 3 words?
Charismatic, hardworking, unusual.
Who has made the biggest impact on your life so far, and why?
I think Michael Jackson and Justin Timberlake. The first DVD that my father bought in my childhood was Michael Jackson History. I fell in love with his music and started to learn dance moves from the video. And, Justin was obviously greatly inspired by Michael.
Name one your strengths?
My main strength is that when I see a door and I don’t have the key, I 100% will find one and open it. I feel that I’m a very logical person, so that’s why I’ve been able to achieve a lot of things in life so far. I like to set goals and go for it.
Describe the XO team project in one word?
United
What is the most rewarding part of your work?
I think the love from our fans is the most rewarding part! To just make people happy.
What’s your advice for the newer influencers and content creators?
Just do it. Nike was always right! 🙂 But, really, my top advice is to just spend a lot of time making content and everything will come.
Can you mention the top 3 challenges you had as a founder of the XO Team, and what mindset you had at the time to overcome those challenges in the early days of the project?
The main challenge is dealing with people. We are all very creative and that’s why we have a lot of emotions.
If you are a book, what would be the title of the book and why?
‘True Story of Gary Grey.’ I actually started to write it. 🙂 It is not about my work, rather, more my relationships because my story is crazy.
When you started your Social Media accounts, did you expected such a success?
We didn’t know, but from the start we just believed that we could make it.
What book should every entrepreneur read?
There are so many books… but one of my favorites is To Pixar And Beyond: My Unlikely Journey with Steve Jobs to Make Entertainment History. I love how they built Pixar. The story is amazing and I’m a big fan of this company.
What is your favorite healthy food?
Avocado salad
And your favorite cheat food?
Nachos and Coke at the movie theater.
What is your own definition of happiness?
For me happiness has many aspects- some including love, friendships, hobbies, work… So for me, happiness is a good balance of all of this. Happiness is when you don’t feel any pressure in your life and you just go with the flow. I actually became happy like 3 months ago. 🙂
If you could meet someone living or dead, who would it be and why?
For sure Michael Jackson.
Best advice ever given?
Be the man that every man wants to be, and be the man that every girl wants. 🙂
Do you support any charity?
Yes, many times, especially in Moscow. We are always donating clothes because we have a lot of people who need it.
