#AskGaryVee

January 15, 2016
An informative book-length question-and-answer session with a leading American entrepreneur. What began as a YouTube channel devoted to wine blossomed into a business and media success story for wine guru, angel investor, and Internet personality Vaynerchuk (Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How To Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World, 2013, etc.). From several initial long-running weblog serial programs, the author branched out into a public speaking career lecturing on effective business platforms and strategies and then developed his own digital consulting agency. Recognizing that the Q-and-A portion of his lectures drew the most interest, Vaynerchuk's first business blog, "#AskGaryVee," inspired by "entrepreneurs, executives, and dreamers," debuted in 2014 as a low-key marketing advice program and accompanying podcast, receiving widespread acclaim and an ever expanding audience. Assembling and condensing the most applicable and timeless responses from hundreds of business podcast queries, the author cleverly addresses such matters as prioritizing and maximizing key Internet platforms and how to effectively market a business to attract the most consumer interest and attention through Facebook ads ("the single best advertising digital product for entrepreneurs") and Twitter searches. Most useful for neophyte entrepreneurs is Vaynerchuk's list of strategic requirements that promise to fail-safe a business through unforeseen hardships. Similarly enlightening are his reasons for business owners to avoid automation. The book brims with trade secrets and clear-cut action plans and marketing strategies, but the author also frequently shifts his focus to stress the importance of gratitude, motivation, and achieving a beneficial work-life balance. Accessible and empowering chapters addressing self-awareness, public speaking, embracing a long-term vision, and the hallmarks of a good leader show Vaynerchuk to be a shrewd, learned businessman who effectively (and quite lengthily) dispenses "real-world advice that can be adapted and reshaped as the winds of commerce and culture shift." Tactical career wisdom essential for both budding and veteran entrepreneurs.

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March 15, 2016

Vaynerchuk (Crush It!) is an entrepreneur, investor, and social media pioneer, among other things. Since 2006, he has been active online, building a booming business and fanbase, with extraordinary results. This book is a collection of questions the author's answered over the past decade on a variety of subjects. It is straightforward and broken into easily digestible segments, with each query followed by Vaynerchuk's response. His advice is frank, practical, and uncompromising, though encouraging. The book is largely focused on entrepreneurship, particularly what Vaynerchuk has learned from "hustling" and adapting to changing social media platforms. Very specific to his experiences or the question posed, the narrative is highly autobiographical. The inquiries are divided into topics, including standards that could be found in any business book, such as leadership, management, starting up, and marketing. Others are Vaynerchuk's thoughts on a host of other matters--education, family life, gratitude--and any other question that came his way. VERDICT The book's strength is Vaynerchuk's strong voice, and his insights into becoming a self-made entrepreneur. Readers interested in business will find those sections absorbing and informative, and fans of the man himself will enjoy the other content.--Laurel Tacoma, Strayer Univ. Lib., Washington, DC

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