Pass-ion + Hus-tle = Crushing It!

Special thanks to Katie Salisbury from @HarperStudio for the photo

A few months ago, a colleague introduced me to Gary Vay-ner-chuk and his wildly popular Web site: Wine Library TV.  

I was immediately hooked by Gary's candid video reviews of wine which were, well... fun.  Maybe it's because we're the same age.  Maybe it's because we both love football.   (Gary loves the Jets and I love the Pats).  But it's hard for me not to like this guy.  But in the end, what makes Gary successful is he is so very passionate about everything he does.  

I recently obtained a review copy of his new book "Crush It! Why Now Is The Time to Cash In On Your Passion."  (It will be out Oct. 13th).

The book discusses a lot of themes I support:
* Don't Settle
* Be Honest
* Build Your Personal Brand
* You can monetize any passion
* Hustle

This book is a great primer for anyone who has yet to enter the social media space or any novices who have yet to truly tap the powers of Facebook, Twitter, etc. for your company or for your personal brand.

And let's face it, in this ultra-competitive job market, NOW is the time to start developing your personal brand and differentiating yourself from the thousands of other professionals in your field.  It will help raise your profile in your current job, and create a safety net in case you need to find a new one.

Gary provides an equal amount of his own story, marketing strategy, inspiration," social media for dummies" overview, useful blogs and Web sites and a checklist of things you can do to go from 0 to "social media savvy" in a few weeks.

In Gary's words: "Ultimately this book is not about making a million dollars... It's about ensuring your own happiness by enabling you to live every day passionately and productively."

Lastly, one thing I have taken away from Gary is to "care and be responsive."  He tries to answer as many emails and tweets as he can.  Email him at Gary@vaynermedia.com.  And follow him on Twitter @garyvee.

And here's a special bonus.  My favorite Wine Library TV episode.  Gary with Wayne Gretzky!