Published: 2018

Blurb

Four-time New York Times bestselling author Gary Vaynerchuk offers new lessons and inspiration drawn from the experiences of dozens of influencers and entrepreneurs who rejected the predictable corporate path in favor of pursuing their dreams by building thriving businesses and extraordinary personal brands.

In his 2009 international bestseller Crush It, Gary insisted that a vibrant personal brand was crucial to entrepreneurial success, In Crushing It!, Gary explains why that’s even more true today, offering his unique perspective on what has changed and what principles remain timeless. He also shares stories from other entrepreneurs who have grown wealthier—and not just financially—than they ever imagined possible by following Crush It principles. The secret to their success (and Gary’s) has everything to do with their understanding of the social media platforms, and their willingness to do whatever it took to make these tools work to their utmost potential. That’s what Crushing It! teaches readers to do.

In this lively, practical, and inspiring book, Gary dissects every current major social media platform so that anyone, from a plumber to a professional ice skater, will know exactly how to amplify his or her personal brand on each. He offers both theoretical and tactical advice on how to become the biggest thing on old standbys like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, and Snapchat; podcast platforms like Spotify, Soundcloud, iHeartRadio, and iTunes; and other emerging platforms such as Musical.ly. For those with more experience, Crushing It! illuminates some little-known nuances and provides innovative tips and clever tweaks proven to enhance more common tried-and-true strategies.

Crushing It! is a state-of-the-art guide to building your own path to professional and financial success, but it’s not about getting rich. It’s a blueprint to living life on your own terms.

Review

After recently finishing Crush It!, I followed it up with Crushing It!, the sequel that promised more practical advice and real-world stories. What I got instead felt like a victory lap for the original. Much of this book plays like an extended ad for Crush It!, with a format that alternates between Gary talking and other people explaining how Crush It! changed their lives.

While the intention is clear—to show that Gary’s approach works for all kinds of people—the endless testimonials were the least interesting part for me. They blurred together and didn’t give me much to take away.

That said, the core ideas that make up Gary’s philosophy remain consistent. Dream big. Document your life. Don’t wait until you’re great. Start now and let people watch you figure it out. That message is still powerful, even if it wasn’t enough to help me take my next step.

Over the years, I’ve thought about trying something online. Maybe something around sports betting, fitness, craft beer, whiskey, comics, or book reviews. I like all of it. But even after finishing both of these books, I’m still not sure which path to take or how to start.

The final section of Crushing It! was where things got more useful. Gary breaks down specific strategies for platforms like Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and others. That’s the part I wish I had in print. It felt more like a reference guide I could return to later.

Final verdict: If Crush It! got you fired up, this one might keep the momentum going. But unless you’re deep into the Gary V ecosystem, you might find the second half of this book more helpful than the first.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ out of 5