The other day the Book Fairy dropped off a a galley of CRUSH IT! by Gary Vaynerchuk. The hour was late. I was tired. But I decided to stay up to give Gary’s work a little “sniffy sniff.” Well, I wound up reading straight through to the end and here’s what I think.
THUMBS UP! This book is a tour de force on building brand with social media. Presented in Gary’s honest, down -to-earth voice, it is full of practical, nuts -and- bolts tips and anecdotes. By the end of what is an amazingly smooth read, I felt imbued with confidence that Gary’s personal branding success story had applications for me and any passionate, dedicated entrepreneur who is patient, willing to hustle, realistic about their strengths and reactive to market changes.
What I especially like is the CARING that comes through with Gary’s advice and opinions. Gary appears a generous person who wants others to benefit from his hard work and experience. I was also taken by his visionary reflections on the future of traditional resumés, journalism, and the need to shine your own light when the big company you work for is hiding your lamp under a bushel.
Finally, I like Gary’s humanism–his love and pride in his family, his willingness to be expressive, even mushy.
In sum, BRAVO, Gary . CRUSH IT! is going to bring the bestselling thunder.
Do you have a hobby you wish you could indulge in all day? An obsession that keeps you up at night? Now is the perfect time to take that passion and make a living doing what you love. In Crush It! Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion, Gary Vaynerchuk shows you how to use the power of the Internet to turn your real interests into real businesses. Gary spent years building his family business from a local wine shop into a national industry leader. Then one day he turned on a video camera, and by using the secrets revealed here, transformed his entire life and earning potential by building his personal brand. By the end of this book, readers will have learned how to harness the power of the Internet to make their entrepreneurial dreams come true. Step by step, Crush It! is the ultimate driver's manual for modern business.
Gary Vaynerchuk has captured attention with his pioneering, multi-faceted approach to personal branding and business. After primarily utilizing traditional advertising techniques to build his family’s local wine business into a national industry leader, Gary rapidly leveraged social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook to promote Wine Library TV, his video blog about wine. As his viewership swelled to over 80,000 a day, doors opened to a book deal, several national TV appearances, and a flurry of speaking engagements around the world. Gary’s dual identity as both business guru and wine guy has made him the “Social Media Sommelier.” His impact on the wine world has been commemorated via his inclusion in the 2009 Decanter Power List, an index of the 50 most influential figures in the industry.
Recently, Gary was named #18 on Askmen.com’s Top 49 Most Influential Men of 2009.
In addition to the Web 2.0 keynote above, Gary’s remarks on personal branding, social media, and business at FOWA, Strategic Profits, and South By Southwest occasioned praise from established web denizens including Kathy Sierra and earned the admiration of countless bloggers and aspiring entrepreneurs. Check out the Keynotes tab above for more video and check out Gary’s national TV appearances on the left!!
Gary’s landmark seven-figure book deal with Harper Studio was featured in The Wall Street Journal and he was recently profiled by The New York Times and Market Watch. Watch his interview with Business Week for Gary’s advice to entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Learn more about the book at CrushItBook.com. You can also learn about Gary's brand consulting service at VanyerMedia.com, or his Wine blog at WineLibraryTv.com