Crushing It
We all want it: the freedom to build a business and a life on our own terms, powered by the internet. But between the endless stream of gurus promising get-rich-quick schemes and the firehose of tactical advice, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The path to success feels noisy, confusing, and cluttered with contradictory messages.
Enter Gary Vaynerchuk’s philosophy of crushing it—a framework not just for business success, but for a life defined by happiness and fulfillment. But to dismiss his philosophy as simply “hustling hard” is to miss the point entirely. The real genius lies in the counter-intuitive principles that form the foundation of sustainable success in the digital age.
This post distills five of the most surprising takeaways from his book. We’re moving beyond the obvious to reveal the deeper truths about what it really takes to be successful and start crushing it today.
Forget “Creating”—The Real Secret to Crushing It is Documenting Your Journey
Many aspiring entrepreneurs are paralyzed by the pressure to be a polished expert from day one. They believe they need a perfect product, a flawless website, and a deep well of expertise before they can even start. The book argues for the exact opposite: the learning process itself is the content.
Instead of trying to “create” a perfect persona, you should simply “document” your real-life journey. This philosophy dramatically lowers the barrier to entry. Your climb, your mistakes, and your discoveries become the story.
It’s true that great content hinges on great storytelling and that every story in the universe has already been told. But not by you. You are unique, and you provide nuance, perspective, and details that no one else can.
This strategic shift redefines content creation itself. By documenting the journey, you replace the immense pressure of manufactured perfection with the sustainable engine of authentic progress. This approach forges a profound connection with an audience, allowing them to invest in a relatable human story rather than just consume sterile expert advice. As Vaynerchuk often notes, wishing he had documented his early days learning about wine, it’s the imperfect moments of discovery that build a truly loyal community.
Your Personal Brand Isn’t Just for Marketing—It Can BE the Business
The idea of personal branding has evolved. The old model was simple: you used your personal brand to market a separate business, like selling homemade preserves. The new model, however, is a game-changer: your personal brand can be the business. Being a mom, being stylish, or just being you can become a monetizable enterprise.
Consider Karina Garcia, who built a million-dollar brand around making slime on YouTube. Her personality and passion for her craft became the business itself. Her success was so profound that, with six-figure earnings every month, she was able to retire her parents.
In other words, you can use your personal brand—who you are—to market your business, or your personal brand can actually be the business.
This shift is revolutionary because it redefines a “marketable asset.” Your very identity—your lifestyle, your personality, your unique perspective—becomes the raw material for a business. Vaynerchuk’s point is that in the digital age, you are no longer just marketing a product; you have the potential to BE the product, turning authenticity itself into a viable enterprise.
The Millionaire Myth: Crushing It Is About Freedom, Not Fortune
The term crushing it is often misinterpreted as being synonymous with becoming a millionaire. The book directly debunks this myth, redefining success in a way that is both liberating and far more attainable.
The real goal isn’t just accumulating wealth; it’s about building a life you genuinely love.
If you’re earning what you need to live the life you want and loving every day of it, you’re crushing it. That’s all I want for you.
This redefinition of success takes the pressure off. It’s not about chasing a number in a bank account. Vaynerchuk is clear that most people who follow his principles will not become millionaires, and that’s perfectly okay.
…even if you absorb every lesson and follow every piece of advice in these chapters, most of you reading this book will not become millionaires. Do not stop reading!
This insight is liberating because it replaces a narrow, often destructive financial metric with a holistic one centered on personal fulfillment. By defining success as freedom and passion, it provides a more sustainable and powerful motivator than the mere pursuit of wealth, empowering entrepreneurs to build a life on their own terms, which is the ultimate prize.
Master the Paradox: Move with Blazing Speed Daily, but Be Patient for a Decade
Sustainable success is built on a powerful paradox: the combination of short-term speed and long-term patience. You must be in “do mode” every single day, executing with a sense of urgency. But at the same time, you need the macro-patience to “eat shit for a long time” without seeing immediate results.
Vaynerchuk embodies this with his own story. While growing his family’s liquor business from $4 million to $60 million, he wasn’t living a flashy lifestyle. He lived in a one-bedroom apartment and drove a Jeep, pouring every dime back into the business. He was moving with speed daily but playing the long game for years.
This paradoxical mindset creates a resilient operational framework. The daily speed ensures relentless execution and output, while the long-term patience prevents the psychological burnout that kills so many ventures. It’s a strategic advantage that allows an entrepreneur to aggressively pursue growth without being derailed by the inevitable delays and setbacks of a long journey.
Your Passion Isn’t Your Product—It’s Your Commitment to Giving
The advice to “follow your passion” is one of the most common clichés in the entrepreneurial world. But the book offers a critical re-think of what passion truly means in business.
You don’t necessarily have to be passionate about the product you sell. Look at Shaun “Shonduras” McBride, who successfully sold jewelry online despite having little interest in jewelry itself. His goal wasn’t to become a jewelry mogul; it was to test the book’s principles and confirm his instinct that deeply engaging with customers would pay dividends, regardless of the product.
The book argues that the most critical passion is the one for service and providing value.
What’s imperative is that you are passionate about giving.
This reframes passion from a self-centered hobby into a powerful, customer-centric business strategy. By focusing on what you love to give—be it knowledge, entertainment, or community—you anchor your business in the needs of your audience. This service-oriented approach builds a far more durable and meaningful brand than one built solely on a personal interest.
The Only Thing You Need to Give Yourself
The path to truly crushing it isn’t about finding a secret tactic or chasing viral fame. It’s a fundamental mindset shift. Documenting your journey builds the raw authenticity that allows your personal brand to become the business. Redefining success as freedom grants you the long-term patience needed to master the daily grind. And rooting it all in a passion for giving creates a purpose that can weather any storm. These aren’t just tips; they are interconnected principles for a fulfilling life.
Ultimately, the only thing stopping you from achieving lasting happiness is you. What would happen if you finally gave yourself permission to start?
Gary Vaynerchuk is a successful entrepreneur, author, and investor known for his sharp insights into marketing and digital media. He is the chairman of VaynerX and the CEO of VaynerMedia and VeeFriends. Gary first gained fame by transforming his family’s small wine business into a $60 million company through online marketing. Since then, he has become a major voice in business and culture, writing several New York Times bestselling books and investing early in companies like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Uber. Known online as “GaryVee,” he inspires millions with his practical advice and energetic approach to entrepreneurship.
Book details
- Title: Crushing It!
- Explanatory Title: : How Great Entrepreneurs Build Their Business and Influence-and How You Can, Too
- Author: Gary Vaynerchuk
- Publisher: Harper Business
- Publication Date: January 30, 2018
- Print Length: 288 pages
- ISBN-10: 0062845020
- ISBN-13: 978-0062845023
- Category: Web Marketing / Entrepreneurship / E-Commerce