First and foremost, since this is the first book review I’d like to give a little bit of context on how I consume content via reading. I don’t read in the traditional sense… try as I might, I’ll get way into reading something, my mind drifts as my eyes are scanning the words and next thing I know I’m rereading the same paragraph five or six times over… that was until I discovered Audible. In November of 2016 I downloaded my first book and since then this is book number twenty-six! I’m completely hooked! The best part is that my commute is an hour both ways. So I get to “read” for two hours a day instead of listening to the same music on my phone or whatever depressing news is on NPR.
All of that in mind, I downloaded #askgaryvee by Gary Vaynerchuk and I mean, wow! If you’ve heard of Gary and have viewed his YouTube series that the book is named after you’re going to get almost 12 hours of similar content. If you haven’t heard of Gary I highly recommend you check out his videos as well. He’s an ultra determined, high energy and a super driven individual who hopes to someday own the New York Jets. I for one hope that he does because his compass is morally set on the reasoning why he does what he does. Overall, the book is going to deliver digital advertising advice specific to the social media space and at this point, everything in this book is gold in, my opinion, if you’re willing to work hard and be patient.
Ok, about the book, now. There’s a ton to unpack here. From the first chapter “Clouds and Dirt” where he talks about dreams and the work required to make said dreams a reality to “Jabs and Right Hooks,” “Management,” and the critical chapter of “Self Awareness” he really does a deep dive on what it takes to really crush it as a dominant player in his space. He speaks to his immigration to the US when he was very young, his troubles with conforming to traditional education, watching his father’s hustle, integrating social media into his parent’s liquor business and finally how he moved into the advertising agency arena. He does super deep look into specific social media platforms, strategies on how to make a successful business thrive and how work life balance truly doesn’t exist because if you’re passionate about what you do for a living you never turn it off.
The best part about the audio book is that he has a ton of famous guests come in to read the questions to him. You get to hear it straight from Gary’s mouth and there’s no imagining him speaking the responses to the questions. His energy and charisma come through loud and clear so you can get pumped before you walk into work or gain a new perspective on the drive home. All of this in mind, I’m going to re-read the entire thing again. Like I said above, there is so much content and so much that is completely applicable that I would be doing myself a disservice by not giving it at least another three or four listens. Probably the last thing, and most important of all, THIS GUY HAS DONE WHAT HE’S TALKING ABOUT! I can’t tell you how many “entrepreneurs” I’ve listened to that I have no idea why they’re an authority because, surprise, they can’t tell you what they’ve done because they haven’t done it. This guy is an investor, CEO, paid public speaker, etc… I could tell you about it but his youtube channel SHOWS him walking the walk.
So depending on your preferred method of reading whether it be traditional or audible pick this book up and read/listen to it. You can get it for a discount if you buy 3 credits at under $12 per credit. That’s A DOLLAR AN HOUR you’re spending for great applicable content! If you’ve read it or know of Gary’s youtube/social presence comment below and let me know your thoughts on the book or the channel. I’m interested in knowing what you think about it as well. So go get the book, read it and I hope it helps you as much as it’s helped me in my career.
-Aa
