CRUSH IT! a book by Gary Vaynerchuk is a timely and visionary look at personal branding and the direction social media is headed in terms of promoting one’s product or service.
Gaining fame for building a retail wine shop into a giant in the industry, Mr. Vaynerchuk then masterminded a plan to further his passion by using a video blog to launch Wine Library TV.

His success has been phenomenal, building a $60 million dollar business. Gary emphasizes the key of identifying one’s passion and then being authentic. That, plus very hard work, and effective use of social media, make one virtually unstoppable and you will then crush it! But he cautions, be patient, and keep the focus on product and content.

Expect long hours of work, but remember the importance of family, about being happy at what you are doing.  Mr. Vaynerchuk illustrates how one can use Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr as effective promotion tools.

Select a medium you are comfortable with, such as a video blog if you are incredibly outgoing and charismatic. For the more reticent, an audio podcast or written blog, might make a better match.

He further illustrates this by using such examples as WordPress, TubeMogul, or Ping.fm as popular medium choices.

This phenomenal book concludes with timing your growth to begin monetizing, including seminars, consulting, or affiliate programs. The last section also includes a step by step checklist in building your dream.

It’s also important to be able to adapt and change when faced with adversity, reactionary business he calls it.

What struck me most? Gary’s statement that the best marketing strategy one can use to be successful:

“CARE.”