Full disclosure: I bought this book at full price. I am a HUUUUGE (!!) Gary Vee fan. I have his book name (Crush It) painted on my steps in my house! He is literally a god to me, so I very rarely criticize anything he says or does. He’s amazing, inspirational, and seems like a wonderful guy that truly cares about others succeeding. With that being said, if you’re NOT a Gary Vee fan, you may not love his books as much as I do… but I hope that’s not the case. ;)
My Honest Review of Crushing It by Gary Vaynerchuk
Not only does Crushing It cover all the motivational bases, Gary dives deep into each major social platform and how to get the most out of it. I absolutely love the book and recommend it to anyone who is in the entrepreneur space or wants to get there.
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Get the book here >>> Crushing It <<<
My Favorite Quotes from Crushing It
“If you’re earning what you need to live the life you want and loving every day of it, you’re crushing it.”
When Gary tells us what “crushing it” means, I totally agree with him on this! Just because you’re making a shit ton of money doesn’t mean you’re crushing it. Crushing it is when you’re HAPPY… when you’re living the life you WANT… and you can afford that dream. Say you’re making $10K a month but you’re working for a company that makes you miserable and you have no time to travel, no weekends off, etc. Is that crushing it? Hell no!
“Don’t leave money on the table because you don’t realize how much bigger you can get.”
I was talking to a friend the other day, when I was doing my typical idea vomit and I was like “look, you need to make this product… and this is how you can make it… and look this is where you can get the stuff you need, and and and and”. My friend didn’t share my excitement. She said she didn’t have the time/energy to invest in another business venture. I get it, really I do, but I feel like most of the time people come up with an excuse not to execute because they don’t realize how much bigger they can get. They don’t realistically see themselves being a household name, a worldwide brand with an army of followers. I can see that for them, but until they can see it for themselves, what I see doesn’t matter.
“If you’re not crushing it, it’s not because you’re too old or too poor or have too many other responsibilities. It’s because you haven’t fully committed to making the leap yet. You’re making excuses. You can’t half-ass this.”
This is along the same lines as the last one… are you going to make excuses or are you going to make it happen? I’m BIG on excuse busting.
“Your intent will be reflected in your authenticity.”
I’m one of the most authentic bloggers you’ll ever meet. I post pictures of my messy kitchen, my SUV with random socks and a toothbrush on the floorboard (don’t ask). I’m authentic not because I want to be known as a genuine blogger, but because that’s who I am. I don’t have the energy to be fake, and I actually hate when I see other bloggers doing so. People WILL find out if you’re a fake. You may make a few bucks right now, but in the long term, you’re screwed. Nobody will follow you for years and years if you’re inauthentic.
“Sometimes you just have to jump into the pool, even when you’re scared.”
Jumping in is all you can do! How badly do you want success?
A Few Disagreements
Gary talks about how he has worked 15 hour days for a decade, how if you’re working towards crushing it you won’t take many vacations (maybe for years), and your only time off will be for important holidays and to be there for your family. While I love the idea of working my ass off now in order to retire early and live the life I want to live, I also know that TOMORROW IS NOT GUARANTEED. I refuse to spend 15 hours a day working, when next week might not even EXIST. I don’t want my kids, my friends, the few people I love in my life, to miss out on spending time together because I’m building my empire. Yes, it’s important for me to hustle and it’s necessary for me to build a solid foundation so I can retire early… but it’s equally important to live my life NOW. I refuse to work 15 hour days. Hell, I won’t even work 10 hour days. I’ve learned to work smarter, not harder, and am now working just a few hours a day and averaging $10K a month in income. THAT is me crushing it.
>>> How I went from earning $2K a month to $10K a month… fast
At the same time, this isn’t an excuse to be lazy or screw around on Facebook all day. If you sit on your butt all day waiting for things to come to you, nothing is going to happen. You need to be in “do mode”, as Gary says, all the time (or at least most of the time). I spend most of the day with my 16 year old. When the two younger kids get home from school, we do homework and dinner, and then I start working (my creative juices start flowing around 8-9PM). I work until 11-midnight (off and on – bath, bedtimes, etc), and then wake up the next morning at about 6AM. Sometimes I work in the morning before the kids get up, other times I don’t. I’m telling you all of this so you know that I do work, I do hustle, but I find balance in all of it. I don’t put spending time with my kids last… I put it first, while making sure I make my income goals every month.
Another thing I’m not a fan with when it comes to his books… Gary Vee is big on case studies. I hate (!) case studies, so I skipped most of them.
TL;DR Version
Crushing It is Gary Vaynerchuk’s best book yet. It’s inspirational, motivational, and jam packed full of helpful actionable information. It’s a MUST buy if you’re ready to change your world, ditch the excuses, and live the life you’ve always wanted.
Get the book here >>> Crushing It <<<
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