Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk
Review by Heidi
Crush It! is a motivational "how to" by the social networking pioneer, Gary Vaynerchuk. The book is a fast and easy read. Gary Vaynerchuk is best known for his Wine Library TV and you can literally hear him yelling at you through the pages. Stephanie actually said that she couldn't read this book in bed as his motivational tirades kept her awake!
The basic premise of the book is that everyone can develop and launch a multi-million dollar business if the concept is based on their true passion. He even goes on to encourage everyone to quit their jobs and immediately start working for themselves. He pretty much promises the reader that he can guarantee their success. Only closer to the end of the book does Gary suggest that one does have to have a good idea in order to succeed, and you pretty much have to work 20 hours a day!
What is truly amazing is how trend-forward he is with all the social marketing tools – Blogs, You-Tube, Facebook, Twitter, etc. He started using social networking tools 10 years ago! He explains how you can maximize your brand exposure for hardly any expense. The book is probably best read by sitting beside a computer, as he actually gives you the step-by-steps. I was fascinated by how many different social marketing tools there are now. He lists off several that I had never even heard of. It is also truly amazing how inexpensive these tools are. He goes on to explain how you can draw 1 million "eyeballs" to your site or brand in just minutes. It is pretty powerful stuff! It made me wonder why anyone pays for billboards, bus shelters and mainstream advertising anymore.
Overall, I found it a really interesting and inspiring read. But unless you are interested in starting your own venture or business, there really is no point in reading it. OK, maybe that is not fair, he certainly has a way of making you feel like you can conquer the world and do anything! Whatever you decide, if you do read this book please don't take his advice and immediately quit your day job!
3 stars