The Writers Coin

I’ve been so focused on writing and getting my thoughts and opinions out there, that it had been a while since I just shut my mouth and read some of the great stuff other people have been putting out.

So this past week I’ve been focusing on reading more of other people’s stuff. Lucky for me, I found some great content to keep me busy:

• How I got 294 Comments with One Blog Post: Copyblogger is always a reliable place for good content. Don’t be fooled, this isn’t just for bloggers looking for comments, it deals with business, buzz, and social media.

• How Not to Suck at Blogging: I already highlighted this post last week when I talked about the power of passion and Gary Vaynerchuk, but it’s got some other great resources inside. The story of how Adam’s blog grew so quickly is awesome and it’s even cooler that he shares all the stuff that inspired him to keep pushing ahead.

• Review: Made to Stick: I typically don’t like reading book reviews, especially if it isn’t fiction. But Trent does a good job (as he usually does) of introducing this book and laying out what’s inside. It looks like it would really appeal to a lot of people since—hey—EVERYONE should know how to get their ideas out into the world.

• Why I’m Exactly Like Morpheus: With a title like that, how can you go wrong? Johnny Truant opens up and shares some of his story, and it’s quite a story. It’s a great read if you need a reminder about why persistence is so important.

Then there are a couple of PDFs. Maybe not for everyone, but it’s always good to branch out and read something that you don’t completely agree with. And the people behind them have put a lot of work into them:

• The Zero Hour Workweek by Jonathan Mead: A great read on the author’s story and some of the stuff he learned from it. My favorite part is probably the case studies (page 31). Seeing different people sharing their specific stories around making a living off of what moves you is what I can relate to the most. Long, but well worth it.
• Freak Revolution Manifesto: This one’s a little more touchy-feely, but still worth a read. You may not agree with or like everything you read, but that’s OK. It’s good to expose yourself to different types of thinking.

Have a happy Friday everyone!

Wine is good for getting buzzed in a civilized way, without people thinking you’re a lush. Other than that, I don’t have much use for it.

I went to my first wine tasting this year and, while it was pretty fun, my bottom line is that wine is kinda boring.

So why have I been spending the last couple of days watching video after video about wine over on Wine Library TV?

Four words: Gary Vay-Ner-Chuk.

In case you haven’t heard of him, he’s this crazy-intense guy who became famous because he’s passionate about wine, he’s crazy, and he gets is all on video. Here is the video that got me turned onto this guy:

*Thanks to Adam Baker for highlighting this video in his great post on how not to suck at blogging.

Why Passion is So Powerful

After watching the Gary Vaynerchuk video, it’s pretty obvious how passionate this guy is. That’s just how he rolls.

Whenever I see someone this passionate about something, I want to be a part of it.

It’s happened to me before: my friend Andrew got me really into random stuff like Ernest Shackleton, Jobim, Coldplay, and Requiem for a Dream. Andrew was so passionate about them, that I just had to see for myself.

That kind of enthusiasm is contagious.

And Gary’s enthusiasm is so contagious, he’s even gotten some mega-famous people on his show: Jim Cramer and Wayne Gretzky are on two of his videos. How awesome is that?

Even better: his site and the work he’s done around it has gotten him a sweet book deal (Crush It is his latest) and all kinds of speaking opportunities around the country. He is the new Oprah.

Why Should You Care?

Gary has me interested in wine. He has me watching his videos. He has me blogging about what he’s done.

And I could give a crap about wine.

It’s all about the passion. He loves this stuff—everyone can see that. If he wasn’t passionate about it—if he was doing it for the money—he’s probably feel trapped. He wouldn’t want to answer the thousands of emails he answers every day. He would want to shoot an episode about the Jets and leave the wine completely out of it.

But he doesn’t because he absolutely LOVES wine.

Listen to the story of Gary V: make sure there’s passion in what you do.

It will make your life so much easier and so much more fun.

Crush it.

Image by Kyle May