I just finished reading the book Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion by Gary Vaynerchuk.  As a business person and someone who has spent a considerable amount of time reading about passion and connecting passion with your “work,” I found this book to be great.

“Crush It” is all about taking what you are passionate about and can talk about longer and more deeply than anyone else and building a personal brand and business around it.  Most people think that work is something that is supposed to be loathed and hated while their hobbies and the fun things in life are just for the weekend or for time off.  Now, I won’t go on and say that I have found the perfect job or career for myself or that I love everything that I do  every day, but I don’t hold out the misconception in my mind that I have to hate work and love my play.

Another thing that Gary stresses in the book is the balance and prioritization of family time with your work.  He says that he weighs every decision in terms of currency and legacy.  That means a business deal doesn’t make sense just because it is going to yield a lot of money.  It must be something that can be done with integrity that will allow you to leave a positive legacy your family can be proud of.  Oh yeah, that also means that your work cannot take up all of your time either – you have to have time for your family to cultivate that family legacy.

I really enjoyed the book and crushed it in a just a couple of days reading.  Here are some of the quotes I highlighted in my Kindle while I read:

• I knew from my experience with the baseball card business that people want to be told what’s good and valuable, and that they enjoy feeling like they’ve been turned on to something not everyone can appreciate.

• Nothing in life ever goes exactly the way you think it will, and that goes for all of your carefully planned entrepreneurial dreams and goals.

• everyone needs to start thinking of themselves as a brand

• I want my kids and my grandkids and great-grandkids to be proud of me. This is why every decision I make is weighed in terms of currency and legacy.

• Making connections, creating and continuing meaningful interaction with other people, whether in person or in the digital domain, is the only reason we’re here. Remember that, set the tone, and build legacy.

• true success—financial, personal, and professional—lies above all in loving your family, working hard, and living your passion.

The links in this book review are links to purchase the book/Kindle through my Amazon affiliate link.