Am I shooting myself in the foot?

I have been quietly making my living online now for quite some time. originally I was exclusively an ebayer for years and just this last year I have ventured out into other forms of Internet marketing with much success.

I still consider myself a noob as there are so many different facets of IM to learn and I know I haven't scratched the tip of the iceberg yet. But I am by no means wet behind the ears.

From time to time both online and off line people approach me and ask me what I do for a living and I of course answer them. I generally get 2 reactions the first is with skepticism and to the skeptics I let my lifestyle speak for its self I move on. the second reaction I get Is one of inquiry and I do my best to answer honestly the questions people have.

Lately I have more and More people requesting that I show them how to do what I do. I am more then willing to help them but I try to make sure that they completely understand that there is no real way to get rich quick on the internet over night. I explain to them the hours of hard work involved in learning just what this business is all about. For most this is a turn off and they move along.

Its not like im trying to talk them out of it at all I just feel Its my Duty to be upfront and honest about what it takes to make it in this business.
I remember when I first started out how many snake oil salesmen there were looking to prey on the uneducated new marketers....and yes I fell for it to when I first started out.

Recently I had a friend and fellow IMer from omaha tell that Im shooting myself in the foot because I give to much away and that the Information and help I give to people who are just starting out Is of value and I could charge for it. Basically saying that with the direct help I have given the 5 or 6 people Ive been working with this month and even the free information I provide on my blog is the kind of charity that will come back and bite me.
Now normally I would let this kind of criticism roll right off my back, but because she is a friend of over 10+ years and a fellow IMer that I have worked closely with in the past I respect her insight.

So I have spent some time evaluating what she said and this is what I have come up with.

1) I enjoy helping others there is no better feeling then seeing someone learn a system that I have taught them and watch them make it work.

2) Im not doing it for them. Im showing them how to do it for themselves.

3) I remember what is was like to have every man and their dog digging in my pocket and bleeding me dry just to learn the basics. I didnt like it then and I hate that it happens to others.

yea Maybe I am shooting myself in the foot for not at the very least charging for coaching and yes Maybe I could restructure my blog so I can benefit financially from the information I give away for free. Ultimately I enjoy doing what I feel is the right thing. No amount of money could ever buy the feeling of satisfaction I have from helping good honest hard working people improve their lives and if That is what my dear friend meant by shooting myself in the foot then you are going to have to forgive me while I reload for another shot.

There loads of of great people right here on this forum that offer coaching and I by no means am trying to say that coaching for profit is bad.

I guess for me the people that I have been working with came to me with out so much as two nickels to scrape together and I feel like they have as much right as I do to know how incredibly awesome it is to be completely financially independent.

I see on this forum time and time again people giving back and paying it forward and I kinda feel that with the coaching I have been doing and even with my blog that im doing the same thing. I guess when my friend said this to me it took me back a little because I just dont see how Paying it forward could ever been seen as shooting yourself in the foot... am I wrong?