Gary V is probably the best online marketing guru there is today. He was one of the first to sell products online and he instantly understood the power of the world wide web.
When he was working at his father's wine store, he started an online store, which wasn't common for businesses to do back then. It was probably the mid to late 90's so he was way ahead of the curve.
He was big on Google Adwords when it came out and when asked what one of his regrets was, he replied that he regrets not spending more money on Google Adwords because he understood how effective it was and how undervalued it was at the time. He said he could have sold more by spending more on Adwords.
Gary was also one of the first to utilize YouTube back when he started up Wine Library. He has his own successful business now called Vayner Media and has his own podcast show which is very popular.
This book is about following your passion and turning it into a business using the internet. It was written a while ago and it is inspirational, but I felt like the ideas he recommends stop a little short of how to really put it into practice.
I wouldn't highly recommend the book, although, it is still a short and easy read, but I still highly recommend following Gary V on all of his media channels since the content he offers is so high quality and more up to date than this book. It's also free.
I also recommend his podcast The GaryVee Audio Experience since it is probably the best place to get a lot of great information on what's going on in the online marketing business and what will happen in the future.
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Your DNA dictates your passion — whatever it is you were born to do; being authentic, and being perceived as such by your audience, relies on your ability to ensure that every decision you make when it comes to your business is rooted in being true to yourself.
I firmly believe that the path to your successful business literally lies in the twists and turns of your own double helix.
[My introduction to my wine show] is not exactly what some wine lovers are looking for in a wine expert, and I lose about 12% of my viewers right off the bat because I yell and scream like a maniac. For a businessman like me, that number is intolerable, I desperately want to change the opening of my show to something a little calmer, more refined, something that won’t scare people away. But I can’t, because that yelling, screaming, super excited guy is who I am.
Everyone — EVERYONE — needs to start thinking of themselves as a brand. It’s no longer an option; it’s a necessity.
It’s never a bad time to start a business unless you’re starting a mediocre business.
When viewers posted comments on a recent episode of Diggnation saying that I was obnoxious in the forums of the show, I stayed up until 4 AM apologizing to everyone one of them.
A lot of people decide that professional success has to look a certain way. That’s how someone born to design bikes winds up becoming a lawyer, or someone who loves experimenting with makeup works every day pitching someone else’s overpriced brand to malls around the country, or someone who cannot go a day without jotting down some ideas for their next poem spends most of their time at the helm of an emergency IT department. To me that’s insane.
I’m of the opinion that hardship shapes us.
Consumers want you to tell them the truth. Sure, they want quality and service and value and entertainment, but above all they want to know that the person they’re all dealing with is honest.
Every decision I make is weighed in terms of currency and legacy. Will this business deal make me money? Yes? Good. Will I be proud of how I made that money? Yes Okay, then let’s do this. If the answer is no, I don’t go there ever. Legacy always wins.