Social Media Guru Gary Vaynerchuk Cashes In On His Passion - At Your Expense

6 Comment(s) | Posted Dec 9, 2009 by Zach Clayton
Zach Clayton

Zach Clayton

While Gary Vaynerchuck would definitely be my pick if Ben Affleck was unavailable to give his famous Boiler Room speeches, Vaynerchuck is a zero as author. 

Crush It is appalling.  Yes, the clichés are overwhelming.  Yes, the triteness is underwhelming.  Yes, the repetition is mind-numbing. But it’s the lack of substance in Crush It that really turns me off. 

This book screams “be passionate” so loudly, so frequently, and so sweetly that it becomes a siren song focused on luring the audience from their jobs into the role of fulltime blogger.  Lost in Gary’s shouting is the unquestionable truth that success has as much to do with the strategy, the team, and preparation as it does the desire to “crush it.” 

Gary preaches a “shoot first, aim later” strategy (consistent with many of the so-called social media experts in emerging media).  This gospel is actually a dangerous blend of motivational speaking and business ignorance based solely upon an extrapolation of Gary’s own personal experience.

Gary is one of the most talented self-promoters in the United States.  Unfortunately, he missed a golden opportunity to tell his story and share some broad principles.  This is the classic trap of the narcissist.  By turning his own experience into a “How To” guide that promises a path to replicating his own success, he grossly disserves the reader. 

As a result, instead of learning from a genius marketer’s experience, we listen to an over-the-top tirade against the typical business world (“traditional resumes are… irrelevant”; “Social Media = Business.  Period”; “If you want it badly enough, the money is there”).  And we hear him tout his own formula for crushing it.  It’s something to the effect of: quit your job, blog all day until 3am, start taking steps to get on the lecture circuit, and then P&G will offer you a job as their spokesperson. 

I emailed Gary to push him on some elements of his logic:

On Dec 1, 2009, at 9:52 PM, Zach wrote:

Love the book, but surprised at how much you mention your email address.  You can't scale talking to everyone.  I mean Oprah cannot physically talk to all her fans.   So what's your plan?

On Dec 1, 2009, at 10:30 PM, Gary wrote:

to TRY!

On Dec 1, 2009, at 8:55 AM, Zach wrote:

I could read 1000 short AP [Associated Press] articles on business every day, but if I never read a book by Peter Drucker, I would lack a certain depth about business.  So do you think having so many superficial relationships makes it difficult to be thoughtful about understanding the customers’ needs? 

On Dec 1, 2009, at 8:55 AM, Gary wrote:

[Auto response] My book Crush It! just came out and I am getting pounded with email while I'm on tour.  To try and help you better I taped this new video: 

http://vaynermedia.com/gary-inbox-message/  [Video tells me to “Crush It”]

Gary as a marketer is candid, intense, and funny.  I could watch him talk about wine all day long.  But Gary as a social media consultant is too raw, too haphazard, and too scattered.  The uninitiated should stay away from Crush It.

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  1. Gary Vaynerchuk

    December 09, 2009 12:22 PM | Permalink

    I would love the time to sit down and yap and lets do that in early '10 :) I really am serious about the try thing and I think i laid out more but I so respect where you are coming from :) I hope we get a chance to riff in '10!

  2. Sue Soucy

    December 09, 2009 1:57 PM | Permalink

    Wow! I'll have to disagree with you on this one. I'm 3/4 of the way through Crush It and think it is AWESOME. My mind races all day with ideas and I can't wait to get out of bed to start another day. Maybe it's not for you, but reading Crush It has gotten me even more excited about my life and future.

    I agree completely with what Gary says...find your passion, take it to the internet and watch the doors of opportunity open up. It's working for me. I started my videoblog with my husband a year ago and while it's nowhere near Wine Library yet, I'm very patient and know it's going to get there. I work extremely hard, I'm passionate about what I do and I care about making peoples' lives better.

    It's a winning combination and I can't thank Gary enough for showing people how it's done and giving them hope and encouragement to go for it!

  3. Zach Clayton

    December 09, 2009 2:03 PM | Permalink

    Gary,

    Thanks for replying. I hope we have the chance to discuss the topics covered in your book in more detail in 2010.
    Sue,
    I'm glad the book has had a positive effect on your outlook. I completely understand following your passion, and I'm doing that currently as well through Three Ships Media. All the best to you and your husband as you build your social media following. What is the name of the video blog?

    Zach

  4. Taylor Marek

    December 09, 2009 2:10 PM | Permalink

    Lol! What have you to say to that?! Gary responded, and would love to have a conversation at length with ya. Did you even get out of the book that he built his wine store to an insane level even before the internet hit mainstream? Something to think about... ;)

  5. Dave Doolin

    December 09, 2009 4:06 PM | Permalink


    Thanks for being the first to publicly call some of this into question.

    I've got very mixed feelings about GV's "formula" or "philosophy" or whatever you want to call it. Because passion isn't enough. You have to have angle (an existing business to base it on) and a market (millions of wine drinkers).

    Without an angle and a market, it's just delusional.

    I've been working over 12 months with no income to find both angle and market that aligns with at least one of a few passions I have. Once I have the alignment, then I'll crush it. But not before then.

  6. Sue Soucy

    December 09, 2009 4:55 PM | Permalink

    Thanks Zach :) It's the Sue and Steve Show at http://sueandsteveshow.com and on Facebook at http://facebook.com/sueandsteveshow. It's about using the Law of Attraction to make your life better with Videos and Social Media.

    I think a lot of this has to do with believing in yourself - without a doubt. Easier said than done, but when you can put the doubt, fear and excuses aside, amazing things happen.

    I'm listening to Wayne Dyer's Excuses Begone audiobook right now and it's becoming very clear how much we (as humans) get in our own way by making excuses for why we can't do something and why it can't work for us. Cut out the excuses and a world of possibility opens up.

    I agree that not everybody that reads Gary's book will become as successful as he is, but I honestly believe I will...and that belief is what's going to get me there :)

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