Books and Me: Why now is the time to crush it!
Book Title: Why now is the time to crush it! Cash in on your passion
Author: Gary Vaynerchuk
This book is not really about how to build a firm, but it is very close to that. It talks about how to build a brand. While the entire focus is on building a personal brand, I think the fall out of the efforts can really help transform your start-up venture. The case-in-point for this is the author himself. Apart from having created a fan following for himself, he has also built up his family business and taken it to great heights. How? By using social media correctly.
The author is famous for the Wine Library TV that he runs online. He comes from a family business in the liquor business. But I am sure there are so many with similar backgrounds! What makes him different is the passion that with which he built and spread knowledge about wines. Doing this correctly has also led him to become a personal brand. This personal brand building has enabled him launch himself into related businesses, gain book deals, hit the lecture circuits and most of all: enable him live doing what he loves!
I think that’s one big point that the book makes. Today there are enough tools and enough freedom to enable one to channelise their passion. They can use the power of the internet and spread their passions, find others who relate to them, enable others who want to know about them, and even become a celebrity in their own right. One can then actually make a living doing number of related activities around the identified passion. All of this is today possible – thanks to the internet.
The book speaks about how one can do this. Right from selecting the right area, choosing the medium that is most suitable for us, and creating content that can spread like fire – the books covers good ground. But it is not a how to book. It does not talk about how to actually shoot a video or how to write a blog, it does however deal with the thought process behind it, the intent behind how to leverage the social media tools, and exposes one to how it has worked in the case of the author.
There is enough inspiration in the book, directions to get started, and where to head to get started too. But as the author says, it is up to us to make use of this wonderful opportunity that has been provided to our generation and live a fulfilling life. What more can one ask? Make money (more than what one can imagine or at least need) doing what one always wanted to do (life’s task).
If you are an entrepreneurial mind, then this book can quickly show you how to get started. If you are in the advisory / consulting / training space, these can be used by you to establish yourself as a thought leader in your domain. If you are a start-up, you can use these to help your start-up benefit by leveraging an existing shared passion.
Find yours now!
