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Gotta say, I love this book’s dust cover. Something about the green on a black background… that’s probably why I like Hulu so much. Anyway, time to review.

I was thoroughly pleased with this book. This is the first book of its kind I’ve read in a while, and it was nice to get back into the whole business/finance genre with such a pleasant read.

The entire premise of this book is that business as we know it has changed forever. In fact, it’s already changed, due to a little thing called social media, which is how author Gary Vaynerchuk made his millions and continues to do so, without spending millions on promoting and advertising his brand.

Vaynerchuk argues that the traditional model of reaching customers is quickly becoming obsolete, that companies will no longer stay viable using the expensive, cumbersome methods of advertising such as billboards, radio, and television, but instead will have to turn to the internet and utilize sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and many others, that have the ability of reaching millions of potential customers for a very small cost.

This realization, combined with the guts and “hustle,” as he calls it, to find out what it is in life that you’re really passionate about and to make money doing it, is the way of the future.

Vaynerchuk does a good job at talking up some of the exciting points of working for yourself and living the life you’ve dreamed of living, without making it sound like it’s an incredibly easy thing that anyone can do and that has no risk whatsoever. He recognizes the fact that bills still need to be paid and families still need to be taken care of, but states that dreams can be realized while doing these things through sheer hard work (again, what he calls “hustle”).  

The first couple of chapters deal with his own personal philosophy, and I agree with nearly everything he had to say, especially in his second chapter, which basically says that you should concentrate on what you’re really good at, instead of beating your head against a rock by trying to work at things you hate and have no talent with. Find others to do those things for you, and do what you like and are good at doing.

He’s quick to mention that just because you’re doing what you’re good at or like doing doesn’t mean you won’t be working your butt off doing it. I give him lots of kudos for that one, as I firmly believe that nothing worthwhile comes easy.

The rest of the book is mainly about specific online strategies and tools one can use to promote their brand and get the word out to millions. He mentions several websites and other online resources that anyone who wants a larger online presence should really check out, and in fact I’ve found a few of them rather useful.

 

Overall I was pretty pleased with Crush It. It had just the right mix of motivational and practical information, and it was just the right length to say what it needs to say,  make you think about it , and then let you  go,  so you can put that knowledge to use.

Jake Evans

Jake Evans