This month's #AHCBizRead was Why Now Is The Time To Crush It!: Cash in on your passion by “Wine Guy,” a.k.a #GaryVee, a.k.a. Gary Vaynerchuk. Gary has written eight books on business, personal branding and social media marketing. Crush It! gives readers a look at what it takes to build a personal brand and provides tactical advice. Not going to lie, this book was pretty hardcore and I found a lot of what the author was saying to be militant in theory; however, Gary has practiced what he preaches and this book simply shares the methods and mindset by which he became a social media and personal branding guru.
That being said, I suggest readers take a “shopping cart” approach to this book. Gary has stocked the shelves with various ideas, suggestions, and action steps; but it’s your decision to add them to your cart or leave them on the shelf. As always, everyone is at a different stage in their career, so there is no “one size fits all” method. Just read the book and pick the advice that makes sense to you.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and believe Gary’s thoughts, words, and recommended actions will get you the results you want in building your personal brand. I’ve included some of my key takeaways below. Definitely give it a read and let me know what you got from it in the comments!
Building a personal brand and presence online is non-negotiable
The corporate structure is changing… and fast!
Make sure your passion is what you think it is
Ask yourself three questions:
Am I sure my passion is what I think it is?
Can I talk about it better than anyone else?
“Can you think of at least 50 blog topics that you’re amped to write/talk about?”
Keep an eye on the lesser known platforms
Less usership equals less competition, but also more engagement.
Storytelling is key
It’s what attracts and keeps people’s attention and separates you from the competition.
“People want to be told what’s good and valuable, and they enjoy feeling like they’ve been turned on to something not everyone can appreciate”
Join communities
Talk about your passion with people who are already interested.
Engage!
Relationships lead to trust, and trust leads to influence.