![\"Crush](\"http://www.flipthiswholesaler.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/FTREO-Banner1.png\")
Hi guys and gals!
Hope you all had a great weekend.
I’m actually supposed to be in Raleigh, NC right this very second at a mastermind retreat with Steve Cook and the Flip Vips, but I had some unexpected, unfortunate stuff to deal with yesterday and today, so I had to cancel the trip at the last minute which totally blows, but what can you do?
Life is a big fat beeotch sometimes.
So anyway, other than that- I had a great weekend.
My buddy Nathan, aka the Short Sale Kid, had a big old Bday bash on Saturday, which was all kinds of fun. I brought my camera and took eleventy hundred pictures of the festivities, but somehow managed to delete almost all of them (shocking, I know). I’m sure it had nothing to do with the eleventy hundred glasses of vino I consumed at said party.
Thankfully, though, I did manage to salvage the pictures of the balloon magician guy performing a trick I like to call, “Holy shit, he’s going to suffocate in there!”
Behold:
He made me a lovely balloon boa. Do you like?
And thus concludes my photos of my fun Saturday night out. The remaining pics are either of people I don’t know, or they are not suitable for children under the age of 18. And we can’t have any of that nonsense on my professional real estate blog, you know…
OK, so let’s talk about April’s Book of the Month, shall we? (Crush It! by Gary Vaynerchuk).
I’ll just get straight to the point here, and say that I totally don’t get what all the fuss was about this book.
I mean, I didn’t think it was horrible or anything, but after reading some of the reviews from people on the net, I thought this was going to be a real game-changer for the way I utilize social media, and I can honestly say that I really didn’t learn squat from reading this book.
A few people pointed out to me that maybe I didn’t find too much value in the book because I already “get” social media, and I think that may be the case. I kind of took to social media like a fish to water (well, except for Twitter, which makes me want to cry just thinking about), so a lot of the stuff in the book seemed pretty commonsensical (is that a word?) to me.
I did like the fact that he went to great lengths to point out that building your brand through social media takes a lot of time and effort and WORK. Not that I wasn’t aware of that fact already, but it’s always nice to hear a social media guru actually tell it like it is, and not just blow a bunch of sunshine up your ass. You know?
So, I’m curious to hear what the rest of you thought about Crush It!
Am I just being an overly critical jerk here? Did you guys like the book?
What say you???????? Let’s hear it!
P.S.
May’s Book of the Month will be Influence by Robert Cialdini . We’ll meet here at 8pm on Monday May 3rd to discuss.
P.P.S.
Hi Darlene and Ed! Was great seeing you guys again! (Thanks for lunch, btw). 
P.P.P.S.
There are still a few spots open for the training call this Saturday- if you haven’t signed up yet, you can click here to do so! (You will be taken to the sales page for the eBook- once you go through the checkout process, you will be emailed all the info for the call).
P.P.P.P.S.
I LOVE MY NEW MAC!!!!! ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
On April 12, 2010 at 5:32pm, AnotherSteph said...
Hi Steph,
I got the book for Christmas. I did like it, and like many other books, I’ll take little nuggets from it and apply them. I’m not a huge fan of social media. I Twitter for business purposes, but refuse to do so about my personal life. Partly because I (unfortunately still) work for a big corporation and need to be “stealth” about REI and partly because I think people don’t need to hear what color socks I wore today. I don’t do Facebook also for the reasons above, but probably will do a business group/fan page at somepoint.
Gary is pretty “in your face” and it works for him. I am not against that, really, cuz it works to promote your business…but it’s not really my style.
Enjoy!
.-= AnotherSteph´s last blog ..stealthreinvest: Metro Atlanta foreclosures post decline | Washington Examiner http://bit.ly/9gK7IA =-.
On April 12, 2010 at 5:44pm, Stephani said...
Hey Steph- thanks for the input!
I have a friend who is in the same situation as you are- having to be stealth about REI on the various social media outlets. I imagine that would get tricky, unless you came up with an alias or something of that nature…
Hope all is well with you.
P.S.
Hehe.
I am wearing white socks right now.
On April 12, 2010 at 5:56pm, AnotherSteph said...
White socks! Good to know! LOL!
Yeah, it can be tough…keeping REI on the down low, but it’s ok. I hope to soon be out of the corporate world and that won’t be an issue.
Looking forward to your next book title!
Good luck with the call Saturday. Should be awesome!
Hope all is well with you as well!
Steph
.-= AnotherSteph´s last blog ..stealthreinvest: Metro Atlanta foreclosures post decline | Washington Examiner http://bit.ly/9gK7IA =-.
On April 12, 2010 at 5:59pm, Shae said...
AnotherSteph, IF you like Facebook, you’d be happy to know that they have awesome privacy settings that allow you to prohibit certain people (or groups of people) from seeing various parts of your profile. It’s pretty cool and I use those features extensively!
.-= Shae´s last blog ..The One Minute Millionaire (Book Review) =-.
On April 16, 2010 at 5:57pm, AnotherSteph said...
Thanks, Shae, for the Facebook tips. My employer is cracking down on Facebook, even checking when people post to be sure it’s not during working hours. Or, if you have someone you work with as a friend, they check you out that way. And, if you manage people, you cannot have people that work with you as friends. Crazy, huh? I guess that makes sense, they are running a business. They also are checking out if people have side business (like REI), so I gotta be careful.
I know I’ll cave and join Facebook sooner or later….
Steph
.-= AnotherSteph´s last blog ..stealthreinvest: Fitch Downgrades 8 Classes of Banc of America Commercial Mortgage Securities … http://bit.ly/dlsY1U =-.
On April 12, 2010 at 6:01pm, Stephani said...
Thanks, Steph.
On April 12, 2010 at 5:43pm, Shae said...
Um..that balloon trick is off the chain! LOL!
Ok, much of this comment is a repeat since I mentioned it (accidentally) in last month’s book club discussion that seemed to fly off the train tracks! Nevertheless I want to put it in the right post so here goes:
Here are a few of the nuggets of wisdom I got from “Crush It”:
* Storytelling is by far the most underrated skill in business. If you tell your story and you’re good, people will come back for more and tell all their friends (and social media helps immensely with storytelling).
* When it comes to content, quality is a tremendous filter on the Internet. Cream always rises to the top no matter how many cups of coffee you pour.
* You can monetize any passion, but the level at which you can monetize is impacted by the size of the niche and your ability to differentiate yourself from competitors.
* Buy a Flip Cam – its affordable, decent quality, and allows you to deliver your message in an authentic way on the Internet
* Someone with less passion and talent and poorer content can totally beat you if they’re willing to work longer and harder than you are. Hustle is it. Without it, you should just pack up your toys and go home.
* The best marketing strategy ever? Care.
Looking forward to reading Influence. I have it sitting on my desk so I guess I just need to crack the sucker open! Good stuff Steph
.-= Shae´s last blog ..The One Minute Millionaire (Book Review) =-.
On April 12, 2010 at 5:47pm, Stephani said...
Hola Shae!
Can I just have you write my book reviews for me from now on? You are much better at it than I am.
I’m dying to read Influence, too. Going to check the library tomorrow to see if they have it in….
On April 12, 2010 at 5:51pm, Shae said...
Steph, I think you’re holding your own quite well!
And I promise I’m not just saying that to avoid your question. LOL!
.-= Shae´s last blog ..The One Minute Millionaire (Book Review) =-.
On April 12, 2010 at 5:55pm, Stephani said...
You can write my BP article as well. It will be like a package deal….
You know you want to.
On April 12, 2010 at 5:58pm, Shae said...
Absolutely!!! I’ll get right on it!
.-= Shae´s last blog ..The One Minute Millionaire (Book Review) =-.
On April 12, 2010 at 5:59pm, Stephani said...
I knew I could count on you.
Hehe.
On April 12, 2010 at 5:57pm, Tarheel Ed said...
Steve’s Mastermind group in Raleigh!?!?!
Would have been great to see you all while you were in town…
On April 12, 2010 at 6:00pm, Stephani said...
Hey Ed- yeah, they are all there (except me and Craig, who is in Vegas at Bob’s event), until tomorrow evening.
On April 13, 2010 at 7:12am, mobilehomegurl said...
Hey Steph! Whoa, that pic with the magician is crazy – I can’t believe he’s in a balloon, that’s insane!
Ok, my thoughts on “Crush It:”
Everything Shae said, and…
I like what Gary says about embracing your DNA – it’s all about knowing who you are. He talks about the different mediums to communicate – writing, video, and voice. And, he emphasizes choosing your medium based on who you are.
Since I’m not a very technical person, the video and voice part is a bit of a struggle for me working with technical equipment and all. Though, there are tools out there that make it easier it’s something that I’ve played around with but haven’t really pursued. I think of myself more as a writer than anything else. So, I’ve focused on that aspect.
Though, I may look into doing a video and/or audio segment down the road. I think my style is more geared towards the “ProBlogger” way of doing things. I really enjoy writing and sharing my thoughts that way. (By the way, anyone who’s a blogger out there definitely should check out the ProBlogger book “Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income” – it’s a great book and has really helped me with my blog writing).
I guess the other thing I got out of Gary’s book was the “social media” aspect and how social media can help grow your brand online. Since I’m not very techie, this part of the book really helped. I’m on twitter which I like, (miss you on twitter Steph!). Facebook is really new to me. Since some asked about having a Facebook, I finally caved in and set up a Facebook fan page. I started this to be able to better connect with people. So, that’s been my experience with social media so far.
I’m still new with the whole social media aspect, so this book really helped me to see how social media can help better communicate with others. Before, I guess I just didn’t see the value of it – I just stuck with email as a communication tool.
Looking forward to the discussion on “Influence,” great book and great read!
p.s. I put in a plug for the Wholesaling Q&A event in my last blog post Steph, it sounds like a great event. Glad you’re enjoying your new Mac!
On April 14, 2010 at 5:24am, Stephani said...
Hay Rachel,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the book- sounds like you got a lot out of it, which is good.
I’m going to have to check out Darren’s blogging book. I have his “31 Days to a Better Blog”, which is great, but I didn’t know he also had a book in print. His material is always excellent, so I’m sure it is a good read.
Thanks so much for the Q and A plug- I appreciate it! It’s going to be a great call…
On April 13, 2010 at 9:48am, Dave Peniuk said...
Hey Steph!
First off, kudo’s to you for swearing not once, but twice in your blog article! I encourage Julie to do so, but she won’t.
Now, to sum up my thoughts on “Crush It”, I really liked Shae’s overview, it’s pretty much what I was going to say…she just beat me to it given that she is 3 hours ahead of me (timezone)! he he. Great review by you both!
I think the biggest takeaway for me was to be yourself and do what your passionate about. James Randel of “Confessions of a Real Estate Entrepreneur” (a must read in my opinion) discusses this quit a bit as well.
According to Julie (who is the Social Networker of the two of us), some of his info in the book is now getting dated, but to me he had some great tips on using the various platforms: Viddler, Twitter, Tube Mogul, Facebook, Wordpress, Ustream.tv, etc. to get “out there” and reach an audience.
One area I feel he neglected to emphasize was the fact that you not only have to post great content and get it on these platforms, but you have to do it VERY regularly. He does mention you have to work hard at it, but I don’t think he stressed that enough.
Otherwise, I did enjoy it and learned a fair amount of things. I hope to follow his lead a bit more on our blog and show my “true self” a little more. Well, that could be scary to some folks..especially Julie! : ) Thanks again Steph!
.-= Dave Peniuk´s last blog ..3 Real Estate Investing Calculations You Must Know =-.
On April 14, 2010 at 5:27am, Stephani said...
Hey Dave!
I was actually going to drop an F-bomb in this post, just for fun, but I decided two swear words in one post was probably enough.
Thanks for stopping by, and glad you enjoyed this month’s book…
On April 14, 2010 at 7:54am, Ash said...
Howdy,
Just putting this out there……I’m down in Fort Myers and have some properties in different areas under contract looking to close this month. Email me if your interested in splitting the deals just need to get some buyers. Thanks!
On April 14, 2010 at 8:04am, Stephani said...
Hi Ash,
Do you have anything in Tampa?
On April 14, 2010 at 10:48am, Erby said...
Hey Steph, I didn’t get a chance to read this months book(Bad Erby Wholesaler). I do happen to already be in the process of reading next months book. Pretty good book so far. I tried to attend the short sale kids party but security stopped me at the door! Talking about this was a private affair and only GURU’s were invited.LOL J/K:)
P.S. I told you once you go Mac you will never go Back!
On April 15, 2010 at 4:10pm, Stephani said...
Hey Erby,
You should have told me you were coming to the bash- I could have pulled some strings and gotten you in. I got street cred with the gurus, yo.
Just kidding.
On April 14, 2010 at 11:17am, Julie Broad said...
I really have nothing to add on Crush It!! I liked it but normally I take pages and pages of notes on a book … I got nothing!! I enjoyed reading it but didn’t learn much. I think it’s a great book to give people that think they want to start a blog or that have a small business and it’s not growing … but if you’re already blogging, using social media and being yourself while doing it …
As for Influence … this book … well I don’t want to spoil it for you guys … but there are some ‘blow your mind’ kind of lessons and stories in there. Just wait until you read about the science experiment with the guys in the white lab coats. OMG! You will never see TV commercials the same again.
Great book picks Steph. Sorry you missed your mastermind meeting. Jim’s probably happy you didn’t go though.
.-= Julie Broad´s last blog ..3 Real Estate Investing Calculations You Must Know =-.
On April 15, 2010 at 4:11pm, Stephani said...
Guys in white lab coats, eh? Sounds kinda scary.
I’m looking forward to reading this one.
On April 15, 2010 at 6:40am, Carey_PA said...
I’m telling you I don’t think I have to read any more books; I just have to wait for Shae to give her synopsis
Didn’t I tell ya’ll before that I loves Shae’s review of the books of the month? Well I’m saying it again in case you didn’t hear before. I didn’t get a chance to read this book so I appreciate the insight provided by folks, esp. Shae’s detailed thoughts.
Just for the record: I’m not wearing any socks right now, just Disney GOOFY slippers
.-= Carey_PA´s last blog ..Meeting with private money, Meeting with a seller =-.
On April 15, 2010 at 4:12pm, Stephani said...
Maybe I’ll see if Shae will guest post my book reviews from now on.
How about it, Shae?
On April 15, 2010 at 8:00pm, Shae said...
Carey, that’s sweet…thank you
Steph, I will volunteer to do a guest post for the book review on Influence. How’s that?
.-= Shae´s last blog ..Offer mojo and one crazy day =-.
On April 15, 2010 at 8:04pm, Stephani said...
That would be PERFECT!!
I’ll pay you $19/word.
Hehehehehe.
Seriously, though, would love to have you do it!
On April 15, 2010 at 8:33pm, Shae said...
LOL! You’re a funny lady. I’d be happy to do it!
.-= Shae´s last blog ..Offer mojo and one crazy day =-.
On April 15, 2010 at 8:38pm, Stephani said...
Sweet!
On April 15, 2010 at 6:40am, Scott Costello said...
Like Shae, I accidentally gave my review of the book during last month’s book review. I’ll try and dig it up and repost it here. But, I will say that I guess what I was impressed most about the book was the story telling. The author really pulled you in with his real life stories. As far as social media was concerned, his advice and information was more ground breaking back 4 years ago when he wrote the book. In the current environment it’s sort of old hat to people who have already been exposed to facebook, twitter and blogging. I got nothing new out of his social media advice.
What I did get out of the book was motivation to follow my passions and you can never get enough of that kind of motivation.
************* PC vs MAC Portion **************
I have no idea why so many people have problems with PCs. Maybe it’s because I’m a windows software programmer that I find it quite easy to deal with and very very stable. It’s been years since I’ve had to reformat my hard drive or re-install windows because of a problem. I’ve never used a mac for more then 5 seconds (hated it, but that is because it was so different) and to be honest I have no reason to switch.
Now i’m not saying that those people who prefer MACS are dumb for having problems with PCs and converting, that has just been my experience with computers.
.-= Scott Costello´s last blog ..Back from Vacation? How to Handle the Backlog of Work =-.
On April 15, 2010 at 4:14pm, Stephani said...
Hey Scotty,
Actually, I am dumb when it comes to computers, so I don’t necessarily blame my problems on the PCs. I pretty much have issues with anything that plugs into a wall, so I blame myself more than anything.
I do like the bells and whistles on the Mac a lot better than my Sony, though. Especially the photo and video stuff…
Hope you are doing well,
Steph
On April 15, 2010 at 10:42pm, Chris said...
Freekin’ sweet pick for May BOTM Steph. I’ve already started on it and it is a GREAT book.