My 1000th Post - My Story

Hello Warriors,

I have been waiting for this post for the last few weeks because I honestly want to give 5 minutes of inspiration to a forum who has given me so much.

If I had to hand one single factor to my success I'd give it to the Warrior forum.

I've been online for a long time and I honestly have never seen a forum filled with so many nice people who are trying to help each other succeed.

I started in 2007 like many others lost and trying to find my own way in internet marketing. I was working at a car rental store in downtown Atlanta and just wanted a change from a never ending grind where I had no room for promotion or growth. I knew basic HTML and had put together small web pages before. I knew there was potential out there but knew I needed some education to put it all together.

I had experimented with affiliate marketing a bit and wanted to create a network of websites around my favorite hobby, poker.

The night I registered I literally read every post, some of them twice. After reading about how so many people were making $5,000-$10,000 or more per month I decided I was going to put my all into this no matter how hard it would be.

I consumed myself with joining every affiliate network, buying tons of products, reading tons of courses, and networking with legends such as Ewen Chia.

Fast forward to today and I now run a very successful article marketing and eBook creation company as well as over 50 websites that are making money in various niches online selling both affiliate products and my own products.

I work full time with one of my best friends as my partner and we each recorded earnings of over 100k last year and are only earning more this year.

What got me here?

- A very strong desire to succeed. I knew I had what it takes and just put myself into learning every aspect. I wouldn't stop no matter how much sleep I lost.

- A strong work ethic. I make over 100k a year now but if I find a way to add an additional $500 per month from promoting a new affiliate item I still get just as excited and will work just as hard as when I had nothing. I LOVE adding new streams of income and will be adding them until there is no more or I just can't see the computer screen anymore.

- A life outside of IM. It's no secret that working constantly online can lead to a declining social life which for a lot of people can lead to depression. I found out quickly that you NEED to have a life outside of here. Get out and smell the roses because money is not everything in life. Your work will IMPROVE if you have interests, friends, and family that understand you outside of your IM life. During the week my business partner and I do a boot camp class at the gym. I also took up playing golf and am completely addicted. Sports are a great way to relieve stress, keep in shape, and to just get away from the computer!

- Keeping up with the trends! When I started doing this people didn't really care much about Facebook and Twitter as they do now. Just 6 months ago I started to realize the power of both social networks and am still in the process of creating Facebook and Twitter accounts to network with people in the niches I'm involved in. Don't ignore new trends and always stay up with the times!

- List building!!!! Need I say more? If I didn't build a list I would be making at least 40-50% less of the money that I do now. Luckily I had mentors and people I followed from day 1 that always drilled it into my head that list building is key!

- Videos!!! People LOVE videos. I've created over 1,000 of them for internet marketing and my other niche websites online and they are my #2 source of traffic behind article marketing. I create videos with my camcorder and on-screen recorder. Do yourself a favor and buy a cheap camcorder and learn Camtasia! People LOVE to watch videos and now videos are starting to get top search engine positions, some of them will even rank #1 for your keywords if you're lucky! Also, check out TubeMogul.com it's a free website that will blast all your videos to 10-15 top video sites with one click. Saves me a ton of time every single day.

- My amazing graphic designer and coder - I found this guy in 2007 and I still work with him today. He creates every single design and understands my business. He's affordable and I don't know where I'd be without him. Find someone who you can work well with and treat them like GOLD!

- Article Marketing - This is my specialty and I love it! I spend over 50% of my time running my own article marketing company and have built up a team of over 20 writers who work full time for me. These writers work hard everyday for my customer's websites and my own. Find good writers and treat them like gold!! Time is money and if you want to make good money you NEED to learn how to delegate tasks. I've made a living out of article marketing and submissions and I know the process that works like the back of my hand. Learn the process yourself and then TEACH others to perform the process for you!

- Go where the money is!! I've followed this concept since I started. Go to niches where people are massively searching/purchasing products and carve your own spot in the niche. Do anything possible to create a great landing page and drive traffic and you will achieve success!

I could go on and on but honestly I'm here to let you know that it's possible to achieve your dreams online. More and more people all over the world are getting online everyday and are eager to purchase items in every niche online. Be smart, be persistent, and celebrate your achievements!

Thank you Warriors, I don't know where I'd be without you!