Post #30: The Challenge!
May 9th
30 days, 30 blog entries! WOW! I actually did it? The writing part was never an issue for me, but remembering to do it was!
Aside from that, there were plenty of good things that came from this blog challenge. Of course, I have a lot more twitter friends! I got a change to visit a lot of other people's blogs and get to know them through their writings. Also, I had several people post on my blog, which was totally cool! I've had more people post to my blog this month than I've had since I've started a blog some time ago! So, a big thank you to all who posted!
One thing I'm really excited about is I got hook up with someone who is helping me with The Interview Series! Through the process of doing this blog challenge, I started to be more vigilant to the emails I was getting because I'm on so many lists. I started deleting myself from lists because, quite honestly, I don't read them all. As I was deciding which list to delete myself from and which ones to "keep", so to speak, a subject line caught my eye so I read that email.
Low and behold, it got me hooked up with someone who, like me, does interviews! So, we got hooked up and started talking and now we're working together!
So, as my gift to all who participated in the "Blog 30 Challenge", and who read my blog posts, I'm offering you the first shot at becoming an EXCLUSIVE VIP. Oh heck, just go to www.TheInterviewSeries.com and get the details!
Thanks Connie Green for having this challenge! It was a blast!
Post #29:Another Fun Fact About Andrew
May 8th
OK, not too many people know this, but I guess now the whole world will be exposed to it…. I like to sing Karaoke!
Am I good at it? Nope, but I have fun doing it. I bring this up because when I sang my first song, I didn’t do it for the reason to go sing a song. I did it because I wanted to get used to presenting in front of a group of people. You see, even though I have trained countless people in smaller group settings, my ultimate goal is to train or present to a large group. So, one of the ways I could prepare for doing such a thing, at least in my mind, was to start singing karaoke at various places.
People always say “I could never do that, I can’t sing.” Believe me, people don’t judge you when you go up and sing. People are there for a good time and as long as you participate with that good time (which means singing!), everything will work out.
I’ve heard some GREAT singers, and I’ve heard some ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE singers. What do they all have in common? They have the courage to get up and go for it and have fun. They don’t have the excuse “I can’t sing.” Why? Because that’s not a criteria for singing karaoke. No one will ever ask you if you can sing. Having fun is the number one reason to do it.
Then, if you’re like me, the number two reason is to learn to perform in front of a crowd. In the internet marketing business, once you establish yourself, you will get asked to speak to a large crowd, are you ready for it? In order to get comfortable, you first have to be uncomfortable.
Post #28: The Power Of The Internet
May 7th
For those of you that have an internet business, do you really understand the power of the internet? Maybe you do, maybe you don't, but in today's post, I'm gonna go over a few things for you…… in terms of numbers.
There are a LOT of people CLAIMING to be making $5000/month, $10,000/month, $20,000/month even a lot more. For the people that say "I have to see it to believe it", I'll get into some basic calculations to see if it can make some sense for you.
The basic just of an internet business is to acquire a list somehow. (yes, I know there are businesses out there that don't have a list, but for our purposes here, there is a list, ok?)
No matter what your business is on, there are people out there in the internet world searching for the same subject. Don't believe me? I've contacted a guy who used to write a weekly column on Professional Wrestling, his own opinion on the industry, and he told me he was getting 5000 readers for each column (one of which was me!) My point is, it doesn't matter what you think of Pro Wrestling, there is a market for what you have.
So, taking this 5000 weekly reader number (remember, these are people that came back week after week to read this column), let's say you offer something for them that's more intense then what everyone else gets, so you want to regulate who gets this more intense info. To do this, you suggest they pay $10/month for this extra info. $10 a month isn't that much for person who is interested in your product. Heck, it's a burger and fries at a burger joint somewhere, right?
Let's say that only 1/5th of the interested readers want to get more in depth info. So, right away, using basic math, we have 1000 subscribers paying you $10/month, which equals $10,000/month. I'll let you do the math for $15/month or $20/month and so on.
So, ask yourself if it's really possible to make that kind of money on the internet? Makes you wonder and say "hmmmm", doesn't it.
Post #27: What’s Your Time Worth
May 6th
I was once in a networking group where everyone shared ideas and business. At one of our meetings, one of the members made a comment that the lawyer's time was too valuable and our meeting was running too long and, out of respect to him, we should wrap up as quickly as possible.
Well, one of the other gentlemen in the group and myself (neither one of us was a lawyer) got a little offended and we both asked the question "Why is the lawyers time more valuable than ours?" We didn't say this to disrespect the lawyer, but more to question why our time was respected as much as the lawyers.
I bring this subject up because I want to make people aware of just how valuable their own personal time is. Yes, it's true that when you request a conference call or an interview with someone, you respect their time. BUT, that does NOT mean their time is more valuable than yours!
Unless you truly feel your time isn't worth it. If you do feel that way, then I would ask you to look inside of yourself and figure out why you don't think your time is as valuable as the next guy.
I'm not talking about your profession. Let's face it, if you work at a job for $10/hour, that the JOB is worth $10 an hour. Sure, we all need a source of income to live life, that's the not the point.
My point is, NEVER sell yourself short. You have the same amount of time as everyone else, how you CHOOSE to use it is your business. Just don't let the job you do dictate how much value your time is worth?
If this makes sense, give me a HELL YEAH! *big grin*
Post #26: Money, Marketing, and Fun!
May 5th
Not wanting to spend time marketing your product but wanting to make money from it is something a lot of people are after. This puzzles me as I see two sides to this situation. It seems like someone wants to make money but doesn’t want to spend time working on setting up the money stream.
People must understand that as fun as creating a product may be, it does nothing for you unless others get it. The way to get folks to get your product is to let them know about it. Letting them know about it requires MARKETING!
Now, I know it may take a lot of work marketing anything, but once that marketing is done, it’s done. With the internet being so viral, your marketing stays out there for a long time (especially if you market with articles). AND, once you develop a following, your followers will market for you as well.
As a matter of fact, a lot of your followers will become affiliates, which means they will be marketing your stuff for you as well. You don’t have to rely on yourself to do so, but it’s always good to stary active in the marketing department.
In a very counter intuitive way, the more popular you get and the more money you make, the less marketing you may have to do. Sometimes this stuff is really strange…..but oh so fun!
Post #25: Does Size Matter?
May 4th
You know, when someone partakes in this internet business, one of the first thing they are told is to build a list. Get subscribers. Learn to make an "opt-in" form.
Eventually, if not your first day on the internet, we all hear "The money is in the list." Right away, we assume that we need to build a list of a gazillion people in order for this internet thing to work for us. So we start doing stuff that the "experts" tell us to do to get to that gazillion subscriber list.
BUT, a part that most people miss (even though the "experts" tell us this as well) is that a small list that is responsive is WAY more beneficial than a big list that isn't. So, the question is, "Does size matter?"
Now, let's get something clear, a big list is a GOOD thing to have. But, having a list for the sake of having a list is the wrong way to think of list building. Of course,we want t have as many people as possible on our list, that's just a given. BUT, the quality of people on your list is a LOT more important that the quantity of people on your list.
So, what does all this mean? Only you can determine it, but you have to really think….."Does Size Matter?"
Post #24: Are You Successful?
May 3rd
Are you successful?
Most people who are asked that say “yes I am!” Do they? To understand this you must first understand that to be successful, you need to know what it means to NOT be successful. And the only way to understand what it means to NOT be successful is it to understand the opposite of it.
One of my favorite quotes is “The Sweet Is Only Sweet After You Get A Taste Of The Sour”. You can replace “sweet” and “sour” with just about any two opposite words. Hot and Cold. Light and Dark. Cooked and Raw. Get it?
So, all that being said, the only way you can actually know if you are successful is to know the opposite, which is failure.
Have you ever thought about what some of the most successful people have in common? They are usually people that have the most amount of failures as well. You see, failure isn’t a bad thing unless you make it out to be.
Failure is nothing more than an unsuccessful attempt at……success! (go back and really think on that one for a while!)
Once you get it in your mind that being a failure is part of being a success, then having success is so much more sweet in the long run!
Post #23: Choosing Your Topic
May 2nd
Question: How do you know your topic is going to be successful without wasting a lot of time and energy.
Well, there are two rules of thought with this one. I don’t think either one is better than the other and I’m sure we could find examples of both that have worked and worked well for any kind of product creation.
First, there’s the thought of going out on the internet and doing research on a particular topic. Learn all you can about that topic and then translate that knowledge into your own verbiage and develop a product on it. From there, you can start marketing that product to all the different forms of marketing you find all through the internet. Then, you can create multiple products as well and grow your business that way. The advantage is, you already know there are people looking for that information. The disadvantage is you may not know enough about that topic if people start asking you questions about it.
The Second theory is to just use what you know and develop your product from within your gut, within your own mind. As I’ve said before, no matter what you may be into, I’ll bet you can find all kinds of info about it on the internet. I promise you there will be other people in the vast internet world that have the same thoughts and ideas that you do, no matter what the topic is. The advantage is you’re already passionate about this topic so therefore, you can create a product from it. And, if someone asks you questions about it, you’ll have no issue answering them, right? The disadvantage is there may not be the vast market that you may be seeking. Oh sure, there’s a market, but maybe not a big as you would like.
So, to answer you question, you’ll have to look within YOU to find out what you’re wanting to do and how you’re wanting to create your next product.
Post #22: I Love Doggies, But…..
May 1st
People don’t care what you say, it’s what you do that speaks so loudly. OK, now I’ll get on my soap box a bit today, so you may get ticked off, but that’s just the way it goes.
I was talking with someone the other day who was complaining that she doesn’t have enough money and she’s struggling just to pay her bills. We’ve all heard others say stuff like that I’m sure.
I was sad for that person until we started talking about another subject, dogs. She has 2 dogs living in her house. (I’m not sure what kind). Which is fine if that’s what you want. Then she tells me she’s getting another one. WHAT?!!!
She’s complaining about not having enough money to pay her living expenses but she has no problem taking in another dog? Now, don’t get me wrong, I love doggies! My family always had dogs as I was growing up.
My point it, those who have dogs know they can sometimes be expensive, right?
Yes, I understand people have a soft spot for animals, I do as well. Did I say I love doggies! BUT, I cannot understand why anyone, who claims to be struggling financially, would even think about bringing an added expense to their life. I don’t get that reasoning.
OK, I'll get off the soap box now. Feel free to comment.
Post #21:Succeed!
Apr 30th
How many times have you tried something, it didn’t work, and you just quit trying? It doesn’t matter whether it was something on the internet or something in the “outernet”, but think real hard. I’ll be most of us can think of a time or two when we’ve quit something just because it didn’t work for us the first time.
What would the world be like if the first person who tried to fly and didn’t succeed just give up? Would the Wright Brothers have continued after their first set back?
What about Thomas Edison? I’ve heard he tried over 100 versions of the light bulb before he got it right. If he would have stopped at version #99, we wouldn’t have the light switch today!
What about the guy who invented the little paper umbrella? If he would have quit with just the stick and didn’t put the umbrella part on it, people wouldn’t be going to the tropics for a foo-foo drink!
My point is, how far would you be in life, in business, in a relationship, in just about everything if you didn’t quit trying? If you’re always looking for success at whatever it is you do, then you will never NOT obtain it. (sorry for the double negative, but you get my drift)?
You hear it all the time, but the what you must do is always keep going! You need to find the motivation to succeed, it's withing you!