I’m almost finished Crush it! by Gary Vaynerchuk and it’s been a really slap-across-the-face kind of read. And not in the way you might think.

This is a book about social media and business, and cashing in on your passion. Now that’s really got me thinking Boom!

Gary’s known for being, well, annoying and has a reputation for being loud and in your face too. He does a lot of video because he feels that’s his best forum and I get it—he’s larger than life.

But, that’s not what I mean by ‘slap across the face,’ at least not for me. He gave me a wake up call. It was that polite but snapping glove across the cheek, the challenge to a duel. But the duel is with myself not some knight trying to show off for some maiden.

I am the maiden and I’ve gotta fight the duel with myself. Talk about split personality, or bi-polar, as it’s referred to these days (I’m a psych grad don’t you know).

He slapped me when he said I’ve got to Crush it! meaning work my ass off harder than I ever have before. I’m a hardworker don’t get me wrong, but according to Gary I’ve got to put in the HOURS. And I’ve got to do it for years to create a network and a brand online for myself.

Haven’t I been doing that Gary? I mean it’s been over ten years I’ve been a writer and editor?

But Gary says, “No, you must work harder, harder young woman.”

And then, all of a sudden, looking at other writers’ blogs this morning, I got it.

It’s about passion, it’s about wanting it bad enough and it’s about being transparent.

What writer out there doesn’t struggle with these issues at one point or another in their career? (Hey, that’s why some writers drink…)

Boom! That’s it exactly. Combining passion with business isn’t easy, but without passion business is only work, and who wants that!?

Not me.

So I thank Gary for the polite cheeky slap and Boom! here I come.