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Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence - Book Summary

Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence - Book Summary


"Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence—and How You Can, Too" is a book by Gary Vaynerchuk, an entrepreneur, speaker, and internet personality. The book was published in 2018 and is a follow-up to his previous book "Crush It!: Why Now Is the Time to Cash in on Your Passion."


The book is a guide for entrepreneurs and small business owners who are looking to build their businesses and influence through social media. In "Crushing It!" Vaynerchuk draws on his own experiences and the experiences of other successful entrepreneurs to provide practical advice and strategies for building a successful business and personal brand on social media platforms.


The book begins by introducing the concept of the "attention economy," in which the most valuable commodity is attention. Vaynerchuk argues that social media platforms allow entrepreneurs to gain attention and build their businesses and personal brands. He stresses the importance of understanding the unique characteristics of different platforms and the importance of creating content that is tailored to the platform it will be shared on.


Throughout the book, Vaynerchuk shares stories and insights from entrepreneurs who have successfully built their businesses and personal brands on social media. He provides examples of how these entrepreneurs have leveraged the power of social media to build relationships, create value for customers, and ultimately drive growth and success.


One of the key themes in the book is the importance of authenticity and transparency. Vaynerchuk emphasizes that building trust with customers is key to success and that this can be achieved by being authentic and transparent in your communications and actions. He also stresses the importance of listening, engaging with your customers, and using customer feedback to improve your products or services.


Another important theme in the book is the power of storytelling. Vaynerchuk argues that people are more likely to engage with and remember stories than factual information. He provides strategies for incorporating storytelling into your social media content and for using storytelling to build relationships with customers and convey the values and beliefs of your brand.


Vaynerchuk also provides advice on using calls to action to move customers through the sales funnel,and on using metrics to measure the success of your content and adjust your strategy accordingly. He also stresses the importance of being consistent and persistent in your efforts and using paid media to amplify the reach of your content.


In addition, the book provides tips and actionable advice on various social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more. He explains the unique features of each platform and how businesses can use them to connect with customers more meaningfully. He also covers the importance of video marketing and live streaming and how to use them for the advantage of the business.


Overall, "Crushing It!: How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence—and How You Can, Too" is a comprehensive guide for entrepreneurs looking to build their business and personal brand on social media. Vaynerchuk provides practical advice and strategies that can be applied to a wide range of industries and businesses. He emphasizes the importance of authenticity, transparency, and storytelling in building trust and customer relationships. The book is filled with real-life examples, stories, and insights from successful entrepreneurs, providing readers with inspiration and a roadmap to success on social media.


Eight Essentials Discussed By Gary.


 

  1. Passion: Having a genuine passion for what you're doing is essential for building a successful personal brand online. Without passion, it can be difficult to stay motivated and dedicated to your brand over time. Some practical advice for tapping into your passion includes:
  • Identifying what you're truly passionate about
  • Finding a way to monetize that passion
  • Creating content that aligns with your passion and resonates with your audience
  • Keeping a positive mindset and staying motivated, even during difficult times


  1. Authenticity: Being authentic is essential for building trust with your audience. People can tell when you're not being genuine, and it can turn them off from your brand. Some practical advice for being authentic includes:
  • Being true to yourself and your values
  • Avoiding trying to be someone you're not
  • Being transparent and open with your audience
  • Being consistent in your messaging and actions


  1. Transparency: Being transparent with your audience helps to build trust and integrity. It also helps to create an open and honest relationship between you and your audience. Some practical advice for being transparent includes:
  • Being honest about your successes and failures
  • Being open and responsive to feedback
  • Being willing to admit when you don't know something
  • Being willing to change and adapt as needed


  1. Personality: Your unique personality is one of your greatest assets when it comes to building a personal brand. It can help you stand out from the crowd and connect with your audience on a deeper level. Some practical advice for showcasing your personality includes:
  • Being true to yourself and your values
  • Being willing to show your personality in your content
  • Being relatable and approachable
  • Being consistent in your messaging and actions


  1. Self-awareness: Self-awareness is important because it allows you to understand your own strengths and weaknesses, and how they may impact your brand. It also helps you to identify what you're truly passionate about, and then align it with your personal brand. Some practical advice for being self-aware includes:
  • Reflecting on your own thoughts and actions
  • Being open to feedback and constructive criticism
  • Asking for help when you need it
  • Continuously learning and growing as a person


  1. Community: Building a community of people who share your passion and support your brand is essential. It can provide you with a support system, help you gain exposure and increase your authority. Some practical advice for building a community includes:
  • Engaging with your audience and responding to comments
  • Creating content that resonates with your audience
  • Offering value to your community by sharing your knowledge and experience
  • Building relationships with other brands and influencers


  1. Work Ethic: Consistently putting in the hard work and dedication is required to build and maintain a successful personal brand. Some practical advice for developing a strong work ethic includes:
  • Setting clear and achievable goals
  • Being organized and efficient with your time
  • Continuously learning and improving
  • Being disciplined and holding yourself accountable


  1. Patience: Building a successful personal brand takes time, and it's important to be patient and not get discouraged. Some practical advice for cultivating patience includes:
  • Setting realistic expectations
  • Focusing on progress, not perfection
  • Understanding that failure is a necessary part of growth
  • Staying motivated and persevering through difficult times.




What might be stopping you from building a successful personal brand online? 


There are common challenges that many people face when trying to build a successful personal brand online. These obstacles can hold people back from pursuing their passions and achieving their goals, making it challenging to build a successful personal brand.


  • Fear: He encourages readers to overcome their fear and self-doubt by taking action and putting themselves out there. He stresses that it's important not to compare oneself to others and instead focus on one's journey and progress.
  • Not having enough time: He advises you to make time for your passion and emphasizes the importance of time management and being efficient with your time.
  • Not having enough money: He advises finding creative and cost-effective ways to promote your brand and grow your audience, such as through social media and content marketing.
  • Comparing yourself to others and thinking you are not good enough: He advises not to compare yourself to others as every person has their unique journey. Instead, focus on your progress.
  • Fear of failure: He encourages us to learn from failures and be resilient. He stresses that failure is a necessary part of growth.
  • Lack of focus and clarity about what you want to achieve: He advises setting clear and achievable goals and focusing on progress, not perfection.
  • Not putting in the hard work and dedication required: He stresses the importance of consistency and persistence and putting in the hard work necessary to build and maintain a successful personal brand.
  • Lack of patience: He advises that building a successful personal brand takes time and focusing on progress, not perfection.


You need to give yourself the freedom and permission to take risks, make mistakes, and pursue your goals with passion and determination. This means permitting yourself to be yourself and to not being afraid of failure or of what others may think. He also emphasizes that it means to let go of doubt and uncertainty and to believe in yourself and your ability to achieve success.

 


Build A Piller -   A pillar refers to a central theme or focus that you will use to create and share content with your audience.


You can start by identifying your passion and what makes you unique and then using that passion to create a pillar for your brand. This will help ensure that your content aligns with your interests and values and resonates with your audience.


Here is a summary of the steps to create your pillar, which according to Gary Vaynerchuk, should be taken:


  1. Identify your passion: What are you genuinely passionate about? What are your interests and values?

  2. Define your niche: What area of your passion do you want to focus on?

  3. Establish your unique selling point: What sets you apart from others in your niche? What are your unique skills, experiences, or perspectives?

  4. Define your target audience: Who is your ideal audience, and what are their needs, interests, and pain points?

  5. Create content that aligns with your pillar: Use your passion, niche, unique selling point, and target audience to guide the creation of your content.

  6. Be consistent in your message and actions: Consistency is crucial to building trust and establishing your brand.

Once you have a clear idea of your pillar and target audience, you can create content that aligns with your pillar and resonates with your audience, which can help you to grow your brand and establish your authority in your niche.


Getting Discovered: What steps can you take so your audience can find you?


  1. Identify your passion and niche: What are you genuinely passionate about? What specific area of your love do you want to focus on?

  2. Create great content: Produce high-quality, engaging, and informative content that aligns with your niche and interests; you can use various formats like video, podcast, or written.

  3. Be authentic and transparent: Share your story and let your personality shine; be honest and open with your audience.

  4. Build a community: Engage with your audience, respond to comments, and build relationships with other brands and influencers in your niche.

  5. Leverage the power of social media: Use social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to promote your content and grow your audience.

  6. Use paid promotion: Invest in paid promotion methods such as Google AdWords and Facebook ads to increase your visibility and reach a larger audience.

  7. Network and collaborate: Reach out to other people in your niche, collaborate with them, and try to expand your network as much as possible.

  8. Be consistent in your content creation, engagement, and promotion efforts.

  9. Be patient: Building a personal brand takes time, be persistent and focus on progress over perfection.

  10. Keep learning and Adapting: Keep learning about the latest trends and changes in your niche, and adapt your strategy accordingly.


Want to learn more from this author:


  1. "Crush It!: Why Now Is the Time to Cash in on Your Passion" (2009) - This book is about turning your passions and interests into a business by building a personal brand and leveraging social media. He encourages readers to "crush it" and make their dreams come true.

  2. "The Thank You Economy" (2011) - This book is about the shift towards businesses prioritizing relationship building and customer loyalty, leveraging social media and technology to build deeper connections with customers.

  3. "Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook" (2013) - this book is about how to build a relationship with your customers through storytelling and how to use different platforms and mediums to reach them. He provides guidance on how to create effective social media content across platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.

  4. "The GaryVee Audio Experience" (2019) - This is a collection of podcasts from Gary Vaynerchuk, where he provides his thoughts, advice and insights on various topics such as business, marketing, and personal development.

Deepak Sharma

Deepak Sharma

Insurance Advisor / WealthGuard


  • My goal is simple, protect what is important to you. I focus my energy on discovering your exposure to risk and building a comprehensive plan to protect you against those risk.