Why you should read this book?

"Crushing It" is a must-read book for anyone seeking success in the digital age. In just 100 words, it reveals the secrets of leveraging social media platforms to build a personal brand and create a thriving business. Author Gary Vaynerchuk presents inspiring stories of individuals who have harnessed the power of social media to transform their lives. Through practical advice and actionable strategies, the book teaches readers how to identify their passions, engage with their audience, and monetize their expertise. By embracing the principles shared in "Crushing It," readers can unlock their full potential and achieve unprecedented success in the modern entrepreneurial landscape. 

Things to Remember:

The strategy was simple and outrageous for the time: I spoke directly to potential customers through a bare-bones video blog and developed relationships with them on Twitter and Facebook, inviting a direct one-on-one engagement that had previously existed only between merchants and customers in the tight-knit small communities and neighborhoods of the last century. Those who are truly crushing it have grasped the brass ring of grown-up-hood—building a lucrative business around something they love that enables them to do what they want every day.

What worked for me won’t work for you, however, and vice versa. That’s why self-awareness is so vital—you have to be true to yourself at all times. What I can offer you is a set of universal principles.

This book is for two audiences. The first is people who know to the depths of their souls that they are born to build something great. Natural-born entrepreneurs should find all the information they need to improve their current efforts or start making plans of their own.

The second audience is everyone else who wants to work. Not just the young, not just the tech-oriented. Not just professionals in established careers or those looking to renew themselves because they’ve outgrown their industry or, worse, their industry is shrinking.

THE PATH IS ALL YOURS

An entrepreneur is someone who finds a way.

The promise of my first business book, Crush It!, was to teach entrepreneurs how to monetize their passion by using social media to build a strong personal brand to attract customers and advertisers to their websites, as well as transform them into such trusted experts or entertainment figures that brands and outlets would pay them to talk, consult, and attend events. 

The Internet has opened a floodgate of opportunity for anyone willing to hustle to grow a fan base through blogs and video channels to attract the attention of the hundreds of thousands of brands eager to spend money supporting popular, good-looking, fashionable people by branded content and advertising. The Internet is an entrepreneur’s oyster, and you can use its pearly platforms to build a personal brand so powerful that the world is not only willing to pay you for your products or services or to promote other people’s products and services, but also it might even be willing to pay you to just be you. A strong personal brand is your ticket to complete personal and professional freedom.

WHAT (STILL) MATTERS

What really matters is a pretty short list: intent, authenticity, passion, patience, speed, work, and attention.

I would never ask for advice. I would just say, “I’m so curious to hear your story about how you became successful.” And at the end of that, I would say, “What’s the biggest challenge you have in your business, or your career, or your life right now?” and listen. And they would tell me everything they needed. I said, “You need a sales guy? I’ve got three of the top ones right here. Do you need a programmer? I’ve got this person. Do you need a designer? I met one last week. He was great.” I just became this connector to all the most successful people. I never asked for a job. I never asked for business. That one-word chapter confirmed that when we show up and we add value and we care, then we can learn how to make money around it later. But show up with value first. That is how I built the last decade of my life.

The thing that surprises me the most is learning that it’s not about how much you know; it’s about how much you care. We can create anything we want to if we have the passion, energy, hustle, and commitment to our vision.

There are three things working to my advantage in this regard: number one, I genuinely don’t give a shit what people think, which allows me complete freedom to do and say what I want; number two, I care immensely about what everyone thinks and will spend an insane amount of time responding to skeptics who take the time to tweet or comment their criticism, to help them see where I’m coming from; and number three, which might be more important than numbers one or two, I always respect my audience.

“Find that niche that you’re so good at and ride it, and ride it, and ride it until you can slowly expand out.” Passion is your backup generator when all your other energy sources start to sputter.

When you first start out, there is no time for leisure—if you want to crush it. There is no time for YouTube videos or shooting the shit in the breakroom or an hour-and-a-half lunch. That is, of course, why entrepreneurship is often seen as a young person’s game. It takes a lot of stamina to get a personal brand and business off the ground. It is a lot easier to devote all your time to a new business endeavor when you’re twenty-five and single with no one to answer to but yourself.

Crushing it is about living on your own terms, equally satisfied with your income and your life. Where are the eyeballs going? What are your customers talking about? What are the newest trends in your field? What are the biggest controversies? You have to pay attention to everything.

THE EIGHTH ESSENTIAL - CONTENT

It’s still true that the right product and content will be key to building a vibrant personal brand.

WHAT'S STOPPING YOU?

Align all eight of the essentials—intent, authenticity, passion, patience, speed, work ethic, ability to track consumer attention and master social platforms, and content—and you have the closest thing to a formula for crushing it that I can offer.

People are so scared they’ll be wasting time if they try to build a business, even when their time isn’t valuable. Smart entrepreneurs don’t care what other people think. You’ll look like an ass for a while if you walk around with a camera constantly pointed at your face, but everyone looks like an ass when trying something new.

FIRST DO THIS

No matter what kind of influencer you want to become, everyone must start with this step: create a Facebook business page. Facebook is the cost of entry to building a personal brand.

GET DISCOVERED

You need to understand something: when you’re starting with nothing, you will find that your absolute breakthrough opportunities will be developed in two ways: By the smart use of hashtags, a strategy that requires an unbelievably long grind. Direct messaging, i.e., reaching out directly to people and offering something of value in return for their attention, is a strategy that requires an unbelievably long grind.

"Embracing social media as a platform for personal and professional success, leveraging authenticity and passion to build a powerful personal brand, identifying and engaging with a target audience, utilizing social media platforms to monetize expertise, and recognizing the limitless opportunities available in the digital landscape".