Why I No Longer Subscribe To The Hustle.

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I read a book in 2009 that changed my life, it’s called Crush It! written by Gary Vaynerchuk, a pioneer creator who has since built multiple million dollar businesses over the years by “day trading attention” on social media.

For anyone who may not know, Gary is a dynamic speaker / author that would appeal to anyone looking to turn their passion into a thriving personal brand and career in the digital age. This particular book emphasizes leveraging social media and the internet to build a business around what you love, while embracing hard work, authenticity, and patience. This became my ‘bible’ as I was making my transition from social media enthusiast having done everything from webdesign, blogging and podcasting (since 1997) to being an actual business selling ads, creating partnerships and developing conferences for Latinos In Social Media (LATISM).

The book was a giveaway at his keynote speech at Blog World that year handed to me directly by Gary himself. I will always credit this book and Gary himself for being a mentor in my head, helping me figure out how to make creating content a business.

Looking thru my archives, I found an old piece I wrote highlighting the key takeaways from the book. I want to share these with you…

Passion Is the Foundation

Success starts with pursuing what you genuinely love. When you're passionate, work feels less like a grind and more like a calling.

Personal Branding Is Essential

Your name is your most valuable asset. Building a strong personal brand online will open doors for monetization and opportunities.

Leverage Social Media

Platforms like YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook are powerful tools for connecting with your audience, sharing your story, and showcasing your expertise.

Hustle Is Non-Negotiable

Achieving your goals requires relentless effort and sacrifice. You’ll need to put in the hours, especially in the early stages.

Authenticity Wins

Be genuine and transparent in your interactions. Audiences can tell when you’re being real, and they’ll gravitate toward you because of it.

Monetize Wisely

Focus on building your audience first. Once you’ve established trust and value, you can explore revenue streams like ads, sponsorships, and merchandise.

Patience Is Key

Building a successful brand or business takes time. Don’t expect overnight results—commit to the process.

Legacy Over Short-Term Gains

Prioritize creating lasting impact over making quick money. Aim to build something meaningful that reflects your values.

The Core Message

You have the tools to create a life and career you love by harnessing your passion and leveraging the internet for attention and impact driven visibility.

While I wholeheartedly subscribed to Gary Vaynerchuk's emphasis on passion, authenticity, and building a personal brand, I have to push back on the glorification of hustle culture. Time (and experience) has taught me that it is not the healthiest approach. The idea that success requires relentless grind and sacrificing everything else can lead to burnout, strained relationships, and compromised mental health. Passion-driven work should feel fulfilling, not exhausting to the point of depletion.

Today, instead of hustling nonstop, I believe in working smart; prioritizing focused, intentional efforts while leaving room for rest, reflection, and joy.

Soon, I will share what I learned as I transitioned out of that mindset, into a new career and took the pressure off by removing the my financial dependence while I build this new platform, doing the thing I love which is helping creators.

Success isn’t just about reaching the goal; it’s about building a sustainable lifestyle that aligns with your values and well-being.

I say that because I hope that this space I have created here, is an open gate to that level of growth of you doing that thing that you are passionate about.

Buen provecho… enjoy this issue.

-George.

I think that this is still a great read and still very relevant if you are are new to social media, some serious foundational lessons.

J. Evan Ramos is a Puerto Rican writer and artist from San Diego, California. 

His prose poetry, flash fiction, short stories, and novels contain dynamic plots, vivid imagery, and well-developed characters. He has an MFA in creative writing from San Diego State University and has recently published his debut novel, The Sacred Datura.

This novel is a queer dark contemporary fantasy which uses Taíno and other indigenous myths to address themes of identity, loss, forgiveness, and acceptance. In addition, his short stories, “Chasing Ivy” and “The Phrase”, are published within California’s Emerging Writers: An Anthology of Fiction. He doodled through all of his classes in middle school, high school, and college. He loved to tell stories through art and was fascinated by comics as a medium for storytelling.

In 2006, he began to work on a comic which featured early versions of the characters that would end up in his debut novel. Embarrassingly, his work was halted when he broke his finger while playing dodgeball with the middle school students that he worked with. That break helped him discover his love for writing as it was best medium to continue to tell his stories.

Through community college and his time at San Diego State University, he learned how to craft stories by taking numerous creative writing workshops. In 2015, he graduated with an MFA degree and the completed manuscript of his debut novel. Due to fears of marketability and feeling overwhelmed with the process of traditional publishing, he shelved his book for years. In an effort to finish what he started, he self-published his debut novel through Amazon not knowing what to expect.

A little over a year later, he has sold more copies than he ever expected and has enjoyed interacting with the fans of his work through social media. J. Evan Ramos is active within the writing community on Threads. He loves video games, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and goats. He enjoys the pleasant weather of San Diego with his wife, Sarah, and dog, Daisy. He is currently writing the sequel to his debut novel and a Krampus themed horror book inspired by holiday romantic comedies set to release in fall of 2026.

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