Before you even finish the book Gary has you thinking, and deeply. There are some profound thoughts he puts in your head but nothing vast majority of readers can’t understand or figure out.

Those who know me the best will certainly agree that I don’t read often or even a book a month, or 6 months for that matter. Honestly, reading isn’t my “thing” – it’s not for me, I feel it’s not productive, but that’s who I am. Having me sit down for about 3 hours total was hard enough for me but I’m glad I did it.

Several months ago, maybe 8 – 10, I somehow landed on winelibrary.com but for some reason I did not stick around. A couple months later I believe I was on Twitter and heard about Gary again so I went back and checked it out. It was at that time when I saw one of the videos with the appearance on the Ellen Degeneres show and Conan O’Brien – I was impressed and entertained. From there I stuck around and have watched MANY more of both his Gary Varynerchuk AND WineLibrary videos.

Continuing to listen and pay attention to Gary has been somewhat inspirational but certainly motivational. Starting with an idea that had no guarantees on the success, it has flourished into a huge following on several platforms such as twitter, facebook and of course the winelibrary AND Gary Vaynerchuk websites.

The book isn’t a 300 page, bloated read that takes several chapters just to get into anything useful. Instead it gets to the point, nearly immediately – after the first couple pages of gratitude and thanks to his family, friends and contacts. In fact, the book is about 135 pages that really stand out past the common fluff you find in many other books about business and marketing.

One great part of the book is that Gary talks about his experience – how he basically went from nothing, hustled, and got to where he is today. Now, to be entirely honest, it may have been easier for Gary to do this as there was already revenue flowing. For people who have nothing to start with, they may find it harder to tackle a similar model to what Gary did…but there are creative ways to go around that of course.

While you learn about Gary’s experience he also tells you what to do (at least what worked for him). Some of you may be struggling to find that magical formula or maybe you’re keeping your fingers crossed it will fall into your lap. Whatever it is your thinking, if you’re ready to hustle, Gary will lead you down that path. And when I say hustle, you’re probably underestimating what that means.

Learning how hard Gary worked between creating content, traveling, connecting with people, having online discussions, etc., it was eye-opening. Personally I’ve learned that my work ethic needs improvement if I compare myself.

So what do I suggest?

- If you’re stuck at a job you don’t like…
- If you’re unhappy with your work situation…
-If you want a better lifestyle…

…and you are ready to work for it…

…pick up “Why now is the time to Crush It! Cash in on your passion” by Gary Vaynerchuk. Read it through, absorb what he says, and drop the excuses.

And no, I have no affiliation with his book.

My guess is you’ve heard the term “business opportunity” or “home business opportunity” before but have you heard the term “program” in the same realm? If not, don’t be surprised if you do because it is widely used similarly.

When people use the term “program” it reigns down a negative connotation, in my opinion. Why? To me a “program” is a short-lived method to make money which may not adhere to legal or ethical practices. Additionally my experience tells me that you find the same people advertising “program” after “program” – as new ones are launched, they jump right on them touting them as the next greatest thing.

When I hear the term opportunity it has a much more pleasant ring to it. There is probably a legitimate business and product involved, with (more) legal practices and ethical standards.

This may sound ridiculous to you, I understand. The next time you hear these terms used, take a look at what is being referred to in each case. Chances are you’ll see what I’m talking about if you do a little investigating. And by all means, understand that I’m not necessarily right…these are just my opinions. The point is to be careful and really understand what it is you may be joining. For me, I simply roll my eyes when someone uses “program” to tell me about a “money making scheme”.

What do you think? Am I crazy?

More and more over the last several months I’ve come to realize (through experience) that you can’t build a business or even complete a project in your free time. Don’t get me wrong, there are projects we DO in our free time with no anticipation of finishing it in short order. Let’s not confuse that with a business goal, project or objective because there is certainly a difference.

When I started a business a few years ago my goals were wonderful and my ideas were attractive. Mentally I knew what I wanted but physically i was not prepared. Spending the time to work on my business, ideas and/or projects was nowhere NEAR what it should have been. Despite being in college at the time, I still had plenty of down time that was wasted away doing non-productive things…such as video games, movies, etc.. Looking back I realize my faults – we learn as we grow.

Now, I’m in a different state of mind. Yes, I’m trying to bite off more than I can chew. Yes, I want far more than I did back then. Yes, I’m doing things differently. What is certainly different is my drive, my passion and my understanding of what it really takes to find those successes.

My question to you is, how much relaxation time are you spending versus building your business? Do you watch an hour of TV every day? Why not cut that to 30 mins a day or 1 hour a day but only 4 days a week? How much time do you spend surfing the web, wandering around on Facebook or Twitter?

We have so many distractions it can be very tough to focus. Believe me, I know it’s hard but those sacrifices you make now will pay off much sooner down the road. Your competition will crush you before you’re even aware. It’s important for you to work hard, stay focused and on schedule.

You can’t build a business in your free time – that’s called a hobby.

I’d like to know, what works for you in terms of cutting out distractions, staying on schedule, focusing, etc.?

Well, it certainly has been a long time, FAR too long, since I wrote anything here…and I really don’t have a good excuse. In order to give some reasoning behind my long absence I’ll say that I’ve been busy, really busy. In fact, it’s been a little overwhelming. I have been working on a number of business projects, both mine, a couple family business projects and client projects.

Now that I have admitted to my lack of posting, I’m determined to get back into it. My goal is to somewhat change this blog/site around a little – improve the direction, content and value it provides. I’ll be posting on many more topics around business, marketing, the internet, technology, etc..

So, hang tight. I realize going so long without posting can turn people away but I’m confident I can win my readers back.

Thanks for sticking around!