Book Summary: Crush It

This isn't a book about what everyone else thinks.

This is the book for the lawyer born to be a designer but didn't pursue their dream since it didn't make sense to them.

This book was created for the head of the emergency IT department, who was destined to be a poet from birth.

This is a book designed for those who will enter the workforce to teach them that they don't have to follow the same rules as their parents.

This is the book for every entrepreneur on the globe and anybody who aspires to be one in the future.

This is Gary Vaynerchuck's narrative.

He turned thirty on that day, and things were going well for him. His career in the family company began when he was sixteen years old when he started selling wine on the floor of a liquor store.

He accomplished the next big thing since he was too young to consume wine and develop his palate. Cigars, grime, and dirty socks were all on his tongue.

He needed to know all the various flavors the wine experts stated they detected in the wines, among other things. He had expanded the family business from four million dollars a year to over fifty million dollars a year from his first taste of sweat socks until thirty. If he thought he'd made it, you could forgive him.

He wasn't totally satisfied, though. And he realized he wouldn't be able to change his professional path until he took action.

He would never be able to purchase the New York Jets. The ideas that turned Gary Vaynerchuk, a wine retailer, into Vay-ner-chuk, a social media sommelier and world-beater, are listed below.

He believes this might be your story as well. Here's a quotation from the book's opening page.

"I DON'T THINK THAT ENOUGH PEOPLE HAVE YET GRASPED JUST HOW MUCH SOCIETY AND BUSINESS, AND EVEN THE INTERNET HAVE CHANGED. MY STORY IS GOING TO BECOME A LOT LESS UNUSUAL. IF YOU WANT IT BADLY ENOUGH, IT CAN BECOME YOUR STORY IN A LOT LESS TIME, FOR A LOT LESS MONEY."

Step number one, live your passion.

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You're probably tired of hearing how the internet represents one of the most significant cultural transformations since the invention of the printing press. But Gary will tell you something that few others will: it also marks the most important transformation in history and how we do business.

This is why.

Advertisers follow the eyeballs wherever they go. They used to spend money on radio, television, newspapers, magazines, and other forms of conventional media.

These platforms are losing users to the internet world, and they are never coming back. So, where does all that cash go? To those who are starting websites and writing material about their passions.

The possibilities are limitless. So, what does it mean to "live your passion"? It means as Gary points out, waking up every morning thrilled because you get to do the thing you've always wanted to do.

You don't live for holidays because who wants to take a break from something they enjoy? That is, after all, an honest question. People who talk about work-life balance, in my opinion, have no understanding of what it's like to be passionate about what you do.

Step number two, creating a personal brand.

Creating equity in your personal brand will be just as essential as building equity in your company's brand if you're an entrepreneur from now on. As Gary points out, this isn't a new concept.

For a long time, Oprah Winfrey, Howard Stern, and a slew of others have recognized the potential of this. Being true to yourself is one of the most important aspects of developing your own brand online.

Gary used to go to $1,000 wine tastings and rub elbows with seasoned wine experts who would spit fancy-sounding phrases like "that bouquet was rose petals" or "that finish was silk."

The only thought that came to Gary's mind was, "Man, this really tastes like Big League Chew, or if this isn't a Whatchamacallit bar, I don't know what is."

So, when he started his video blog in 2005, he kept true to himself and didn't adhere to the stereotypes of what a wine store should sound, look, or act like. Gary would not have been able to achieve his current level of success if he had not been true to himself in the past.

But now he has thousands of fans who watch him do just that. To deconstruct the world of wine. Now we may go on to the next stage.

Step number three, creating great content.

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So this is where we begin to bring things down to earth with practical guidance. You'll need great content if you want to turn your own brain into a business via a social marketing network. Now, because you enjoy what you do, a lot of this will be taken care of for you.

But if there's one thing you'll need to study and learn, it'll be how to tell a good tale. If you want people to keep coming back to watch your videos, read your blog, or listen to your podcast, you must make it easy for them to do so. You must be an excellent communicator.

You must also choose the media that best matches your personal style.

To get to the solution, I've devised the following inquiry. Would you like to communicate by television, radio, or newspaper? If you're going to be on TV, do a video blog. If you're going to do radio, make a podcast. The list goes on and on.

Step number four, working your face off.

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You've found something you enjoy, and you vow to be loyal to yourself. That's amazing.

Because that's the only way, you'll be motivated to put in the effort required to get this off the ground.

What exactly does Gary mean when he says "hard work"? He means working from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., then coming home to embrace and kiss your spouse and their child before returning to work from 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.

You'll be bleeding out of your eyeballs at your computer, as he so beautifully puts it. There won't be time for Wi-Fi, scrabble, book club, poker, or just sitting on the sofa eating popcorn.

Simply put, you won't have time for your old stress relievers from your previous life. However, as Gary points out, we won't require them. We'll feel comfortable and energized since we'll be doing something we enjoy.

So, how are you going to spend your time?

Gary has a straightforward formula. You'll spend around 10% of your time generating the material you'll distribute to the community. The remaining 90% will be spent communicating with other individuals on the internet.

For the first 90% of your time online, you'll be looking for other individuals talking about your interest and posting comments on their blogs and websites.

Every time you leave one of these comments, you'll be leaving a trail that leads back to your website through a link.

You'll read hundreds of blog entries and leave comments on each one. As time goes on and you gain greater success, you'll be spending more than 90% of your time on your own site, replying to comments and requests.

You'll find this as simple as your life will get. All you have to do is what Gary calls "DIGGING YOUR INTERNET TRENCH."

Step number five, choosing your platform.

But, for those who disagree that social media platforms may help you grow your business, consider this.

Gary spent $7500 on billboards, direct mail, and radio advertisements. In all, 710 wine orders were placed through these channels. He tweeted the same offer at the same time and received 1700 orders.

That clearly demonstrates what is possible if you approach things correctly.

Step number six, making money.

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This is where the world has altered yet again. Production values aren't the most essential factor. So, to make great content, you don't need the most costly camera or the greatest microphone. What you really need are the things we've previously discussed.

What you should spend on, on the other hand, is what you want visitors to do once they arrive at your site.

Your hard work has paid off, and others are now paying attention to you. When someone came into a store seeking a bottle of wine, Gary claims he sent them home with two cases.

You must have the same mindset in this situation. Every encounter should be monetized as much as possible.

To do so, devote some effort to website interface design and make sure you have some call-to-action buttons on your site.

You may now generate money from your website in a variety of ways. It may develop additional money, affiliate links to other websites, sell a product directly, schedule speaking engagements, and even acquire a book contract.

The most important thing to remember is this. Even though this cornerstone is a passion rather than money, the final goal is to make money. If required, invest a significant amount of time and money.

Step number seven, keeping it real.

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Okay, we know you're eager to get started, but there are a few things to consider first.

First and foremost, you must be patient. Mountains cannot be moved in six weeks or even six months. You're doing well if you've steadily increased your subscriber base throughout the first six months.

Second, you must be concerned about the individuals that join your community. You'll lose if you're always looking for the next subscriber and don't appreciate how fortunate you are to have even one person spend part of their lives with you.

The only way to win is to care as much about your first subscriber as you do about your second and third.

Chase your dreams instead of money, and you'll find even more success than you ever imagined.

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