Post: #1

As per Gmanifesto's suggestion, I have been watching some of Gary Vaynerchuk's videos.

I definitely can see the value in what he does and how it could help me personally. Although part of what he does is sort of self-helpish and I am pretty cynical about cookie-cutter "find your passion" drivel, Vaynerchuk has some very valuable advice that he combines with an intuitive sense of what is happening in both the business world and web 2.0 sphere.

I want to get Crush It, I think I"ll be able to find it on ebook format somewhere.

What I like about Vaynerchuk in particular are the following things:

-He is an explosive, foul mouthed, energetic East Coast guy - from my tri state area
-He is the son of immigrant entrepreneurs and was raised in a bilingual family that faced hardships
-He is completely genuine and works his ass off
-He quotes Jay-Z, which would be unthinkable for a business guru
-He is hilarious and overall someone I can relate to - many people I grew up with have a similar profile and personality as him

I like his general "fuck the man" speeches about the traditional gateholders in media and other conniving scumbags in the web 2.0 sphere.

When Gmanifesto recommended him and I realized he was a wine aficionado I immediately wrote it off, thinking that anyone who blogs about wine must be boring as hell. Now that I've looked a bit more about who he is, I can see the value in what he says.

Once I get a copy of this book I'll write up a review.

Post: #2

Bottom line the cat took a 5 million dollar a year wine store to 50 million a year using the internet and Wine Library TV.

And he got a 7 figure book deal (I think for 7 books). Not bad.

Not to mention, and perhaps more importantly, he leveraged it into a consulting biz for corporations for social media. I am sure he is soaking those corporations.

And the cat is young. 34 maybe?

Those stats alone make is book (review: http://www.thegmanifesto.com/2009/11/rev...rchuk.html ) worth a few hour read in my world. For anyone. But even more for someone interested in blogging or social media.

Sure he is a huge self promoter, high profile, glam, etc. He is not my style at all.

However, being a huge self promoter, high profile, glam, lame, weesh, sell out etc is the style of todays age of facebook, twitter, reality tv and me, me, me, check out my pictures of me and my friends dressed in clothes from the mall in the club drinking bottle service with hipsters and douchebags. So what are you going to do?

If it was up to me, I would go back to the pre-internet days and the days of payphones. So don't point the blame my direction.

I can tell you if I would have read it before I started The Manifesto, it would have saved me from making tons of errors.

Plus, the book is pretty good.

Post: #3

Can you go into a bit more detail about the sorts of errors saved?

Also, did you feel the book was organized well in a way that we could immediately begin using his advice? Or was it more like food for thought?

Thanks.

Post: #4

young,

Good questions. I can't really remember specifically the errors it would have saved me, because I read it last year, and gave it to a gift to a good friend (says something in itself).

It basically breaks down how to start, and get a good foundation etc (for instance, I used blogger when I first started, and it was a pain to change to wordpress, so that could be considered an error).

There was actually a ton of specific advice. Sure, a lot of it is motivational, but lots of concrete stuff as well. Some of it you might know already, but I certainly didn't (I have mentioned before that I am really light on my tech knowledge.)

Go to a bookstore and breeze through it, or check it out at the library if you want to save the bread.

But I would think it would be foolish not to read it, because it is a book about exactly what you want to do written by a guy who has actually done it.

What more could you want?

Post: #5

YGM I'm reading crush it right now on my Kindle. Its a good read and its inspiring and If your looking for an ebook version why not get yourself a kindle.

I think there a brilliant tool for anyone who's building a website or blog. Why? Say you want to write an article about something but there is info you're unsure about.

Get a book on the subject delivered to your kindle within a minute and you hav the info at your fingertips and the article is written same day. Also brilliant for travelling - stores 3500 books.

Hope that helps

Post: #6

Damn, I have a kindle but it's in NY fuckkk

I dont know why I"d be boneheaded enough to go on a round-the-world trip and not bring my kindle with me.

I'll have tough luck finding a paperback in Seoul.

Post: #7

I thinck this book will pair well together with the 4 hour laboral work week

Post: #8

Gary Vaynerchuk is a hustler who practices what he preaches. A few years ago, I was in fifteen years old and saw he was doing a talk + book signing about 45 minutes from my residence. I sent him a direct message on Twitter, saying something like, "I won't be able to make it because my mom doesn't want me going to this on a school night." He said, shoot me her number and I'll give her a call.

He called my mom and convinced her that I should attend. Think about that. A multi-million dollar businessman calling a mom of a kid who wants to attend his speaking engagement. Almost unheard of in this day and age.

That's why I think G is wrong when he says Gary V is all "me, me, me". He's not. He genuinely wants to help others.