I bought it, Did It, It Made Me Money - But Then I Quit Doing It

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I was wondering if any of y'all could help me understand something that is kinda driving me crazy. I'm not pointing fingers or casting judgement, I just want to get a grasp on a mentality I keep coming across.

I have been told and hear others say something along these lines very often...

"Oh yeah, I bought xxx training program. Worked great.. I made money with it. But I don't do it anymore." - then, they're off looking for some new training program.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am ALL about furthering your knowledge and building up skill sets... but I get stuck when someone says that to me.

You bought it. You put it into action and MADE MONEY... so then you QUIT doing it? :confused:

I think we all know how tough it can be getting your foot in the door in this business and actually start making money... so if you find something you can do, and DO IT, and it makes money... WHY would you quit doing it?

Every successful thing I have tried since the day I walked into this world back in 2007 is still part of my big picture. In other words, I still do it (or outsource it) so I can't seem to get my head around why someone would quit doing what worked for them.

Can anyone shed some insight on this for me? I'd love to hear your feedback and thoughts.

Thanks!

Jennifer
~PotPieGirl
#main internet marketing discussion forum #bought #made #money #quit
  • ..can't...resist...shiny...objects!!!
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    • Ah so true.... but I believed that was more prevalent when folks were still looking for something that worked for them...not after they found something.

      True - I can see that. I guess my problem with that is that's now how *I* was (which means nothing). I just wanted to do anything I could to get some money coming in until I had enough coming in to where I could be choosy about what I did... if that makes sense.

      Very possible... but I have to say that quite a few of them are telling the truth (ie, I KNOW they made money).


      Thanks for your insight!!!

      Jennifer
      ~PotPieGirl
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    • Banned
      Precious... it's mine... mine...

      Guess the news temptation, or the grass in neighbor's garden is always greener.
    • Totally! LOL!

      Always after the next easy shiny object!
  • Just because a method of making money is successful doesn't means that that individual will like it. I'm sure there are plenty of methods out there that would make me money but simply don't interest me.
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  • maybe they are lying and they made nothing with whatever wonky product they bought. Maybe its a great product but they are just too lazy and they didnt follow through but they lie anyways
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  • This is what happens most people. A new promising program comes out, they show you how much they make and you'll make the same, blah blah blah.

    This is the reason you fail, you didn't stick to the method that worked. Trust me, if you keep looking for the newest hottest program, that's all you're going to do, look and keep looking.

    This is how people make real money online, getting people caught up in hype.
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    • I'd have to agree with this. Learning just enough about IM to teach people your "method." Selling to the masses of people who are rookies is where the monies at
  • Just like you get yourself into a home business and that makes you money, there will always be distractions along the way. There will always be new opportunities that promise the person to make even more money.

    That is why so many people jump from one program to the other.

    Plus, a lot of people are just not committed to one program. If they stick with it long term, they will see very nice results.
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    • Ah yes... now that makes sense.

      Jennifer
      ~PotPieGirl
    • Why stop doing something if it works?

      Shrek Donkey Pick Me - YouTube
      I have done it.

      Because I discovered that happiness is not there either...

      Money is important, but not everything.

      I still have this crazy expectation of living comfortably while performing activities that are fulfilling.
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  • Great ponder Jennifer,

    If the person was telling the truth that they made money, I would bet either their expenses exceeded the income or they just made a couple of bucks which isn't anything to pursue.

    What is starting to boil me is all these wso's with no proof of income, or no success proof with their testimonials. I have seen a couple of video outsourcing wso's, but they will not show a video which they had outsourced for creation. We need full disclosure with wso's in my opinion.

    Let's hope for a better 2013 to all.
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  • It's actually relatively easy to explain this phenomenon. People are lazy by nature... I really wish there was more to it.

    Everyone's looking to hit that big "lottery" product that'll make them rich overnight which is why those stupid $7 "MAKE $500 RIGHT NOW!" are still as popular as ever. You have people who realize that t takes a lot of time and effort to get the results they achieved so they say "nope.jpg" and move onto something else. Sure, it might have worked out for them but it didn't make them millionaires.

    I come across clients like this all of the time. For example, this guy had a gaming style blog he had me writing for on a daily basis and I was bringing him some pretty good traffic. However, he wasn't making as much as he wanted to so he just abandoned it and I never heard from him again. That's pretty common really, I just expect it until proven wrong.

    Frank Kern said it best: People suck
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  • They probably made peanuts with it. Most get rich schemes are not made for you to make money, they are made for you to buy their next get rich scheme...
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    • True words right here!

      Best form of affiliate marketing is building a list or having other marketer's endorse you to their email list. Email traffic is very effective if you build a relationship with your subscribers and allow them to get to know you.
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  • For those type of people ....IMO... IM is not for living... IM is just a time pass or some little bit of money for fun..like that...

    They then look for other stuff to see if that can bring more money than the current one...

    my personal opinion...not aimed at anybody.
    Thank you PP Girl
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  • I agree many people exaggerate about how much income they really make online,
    Most of the wso's show screen shots and testimonials from JV partners to help pump up thread, newbies see these great designed sales pages, loaded with testimonials and get caught up in the "Ah That Could Be Me" syndrome.

    Some really do make money but when you add up the time spent promoting, traffic cost, domain, hosting ect..It comes out to more than the wso cost, and really no profit, so then it's on to the next great sales page.
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  • I know there are some that might not tell the truth...or what they did make wasn't really much, but that's not really the type I'm talking about.

    I'm talking about folks I KNOW have been doing this for only a few months, are already making $500+ a month (for FREE)....and when I ask what they're working on now they tell me, "Oh, I haven't really done anything with it for weeks". and then go on to ask me about something new they are looking at.

    THAT'S the mentality that baffles me.

    Thanks for all your feedback - keep it coming!

    Jennifer
    ~PotPieGirl
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    • I suppose Jennifer this is nothing but the shiny-object syndrome which these people are suffering from. True, they might have made some money, but the lure for more makes them look for other things that might make them even more money. And they end up disappointed!
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  • There are a lot of things I've done in the past that have made me money, which I don't do much anymore (ie article marketing, SEO, freelancing).... simply because I get a much better ROI for my time & money by focusing on other things now (ie software development, JV's, media buys, outsourcing, etc).

    So if someone quits doing something that has made them money in the past, it may be for a similar reason. Or it may be that what they're doing now is simply more enjoyable (whether it makes them more $ or not). Or it could be that they quit because they're flat out lazy, and would rather just keep living in that "get rich quick without doing any work" fantasy world!
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  • I agree with Corey.

    More people want to win the lottery than want to work. Even when the lottery players 'hit' a small payout, they still keep playing the game to win the big one.
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    • Very good point, Warren!

      Interesting too because we had a 550 MILLION dollar PowerBall lottery drawing last night here in Georgia (and other states). I gotta tell ya, there were a TON of highly motivated people all day yesterday. They did whatever it took to get to the store and buy those tickets.

      So, for many people, buying a MMO training program IS like buying a lottery ticket. Even if that one "ticket" wins a little, there is still this drive to go buy another ticket to make even more.

      Hmmmmm.....

      Jennifer
      ~PotPieGirl
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  • To all those described in the thread, I am currently seeking out the easy button that puts a million dollars in your account. Once I come into contact with said device, I will share it with you all for the low price of $7 and a 60 day money back guarantee!
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    • Too funny, Corey! But Me Too! I want the Easy Button....lol!

      (sorry, but apparently I can't give anymore "thanks"...but I am still THINKING "Thank You".)

      Jennifer
      ~PotPieGirl
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    • I'm in Corey. Please hurry.

      Seriously though, to the OP here is the long answer.

      When I was 6 years old and in grammar school it was all the rage to play marbles spin tops and eat penny candy. The only thing I was good at was eating the penny candy, however I did find out a very interesting fact...

      When the kids lost their marbles (I guess gambling was legal at my school), broke their tops and ate up all their penny candy they wanted more marbles, tops and candy. And they were quite willing to pay a premium price for said goodies.

      Hey, I've got this extra top, never mind I only paid a nickle for it, you can have it for 7 cents. You only have two solid nickles, no problem I'll take them. Change? Uh, how about a piece of candy? Deal!

      Lost yur marbles? Gotchur marbles here, do you want 10 for a nickle or?

      Was I making a lot of money, not really, but, I was having fun.

      Things went about the same for me as I grew up. Little opportunities to make money would pop up from time to time. In Jr. high I just tried to stay alive. In high school I sold rides on my motorcycle until I made enough to buy another motorcycle so I could teach kids how to ride.

      Cut to age 21 I had a JOB, yuk. Hated jobs but worked them as needed to support my growing family. However I longed for the days when kids lost their marbles and ate penny candy.

      One day I saw a guy putting candy in a vending machine and got in touch with his company and ran my own rout for a year or so. It was still a job, but, at least I could come and go as I pleased and the money came quick.

      After that I ran a catering rout. Still a job still had a measure of freedom.

      In between my catering rout job and my last job of selling insurance I discovered my calling. Make money every day by working my proverbial butt off. I had a measure of youth on my side and the hard work didn't hurt me. I cleaned carpets for around 20 years.

      Then I got my last job. It was selling insurance. Selling insurance was like selling to the kids who had lost their marbles. It was fun.

      Then I discovered Internet Marketing.

      Side Bar: I said all of the above to say that there are many of us out here who do jump from one shiny new object to another because WE LIKE IT. Correction, WE LOVE IT!

      I've had many a losing battle of wits with some very nice and not so nice Warriors who speak as if not making a "Business" out of something makes one scum. Not so. "Different strokes for different folks" are not just Sly words they are words to live by.

      Back to Internet Marketing.

      I jump around here too. Simple. Old Dog New Tricks Syndrome.

      Hey it's fun and I made enough money to support a modest life style.

      Lo and behold I now have a nice little residual Income. And It's not what you might think. I can supplement it with IM any time I want to. See, when you reach a certain age in this country and if you have paid taxes over the years A nice uncle sends you a check every month.

      Life is good.

      Oh, I still do my personal top secret style of research for new products every day. Some days now I just relax and look out my living room window and watch Paul and Allen work all day.


      Wow. I took the above picture about a month ago. While I was writing this post I looked out my window and shot Paul about 10 times. Below are the best shots.


      So why such a long post in answer to the OP?

      Folks I know for a fact there are a lot of Warriors just like me who just love to deal with people who lose their marbles. We enjoy the ride much more than the destination. Thus we jump from train to bus to plane as much as we can and still live the lifestyle we like. We could not care less about starting a business. If others want to start a business, we support them and even supply them with the tools they need to be successful.

      This Forum was originally called "Warriors Of Internet Marketing." And that is why I settled here. Marketing, not Business.

      Right On Sly... Different strokes for different folks.

      Life Is Good,

      George Wright

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  • I'm the type of person you're talking about. I delete things making me money - deleted some $300+ sites, made money with certain products' tutorials but never duplicated it.

    For ME, it's all about enjoyment. I LOVE this business BECAUSE I don't have to do what anyone else says. If I don't like something, I can kick it to the curb. Yes, even if it's making me money. If it's a hassle or boring to me, it's gone. I want to enjoy what I do 100% - not mess with outsourcing it just to keep it breathing.

    And having it sit there - knowing I have no plans to continue its growth will gnaw on me, so I have to clean it up.

    Some people on my list were pissed that I deleted some sites instead of go through the transfer process to give it to them. I didn't want to take time to mess with that. I hit delete. Sometimes I scraped my own content before I did and did something else with it.

    Some products I've bought and implemented have made me money, but I let it go. It just didn't "do it for me" after that initial try - even if it made me money. Some I did sell to others, to get out of it.

    Sometimes I FrankenTiff stuff - take JUST what I like out of it and keep it and use it, delete the rest.

    Basically, this business we're in offers SO MANY opportunities and business models, that it's like a buffet of sorts. I might try something, think it's okay - but I won't go back for seconds, even if it filled me up a bit.

    Instead, I'll try something new, or go back to my favorites.

    Hmm I must be hungry...lunch time!

    Tiff
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  • The bad side of this trend is obvious. People want to make money faster, or easier so they jump to the next big thing. In the end, they never become truly successful with anything. I know this is the situation you're talking about, Jen.

    On the other hand, some people become entrepreneurs because they don't want to be tied to doing the same thing the rest of their lives. In that case it can be good to have the freedom to get up one morning and say, "I'm going to try something different today."

    Rose
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    • Well said, Rose - thank you!

      Jennifer
      ~PotPieGirl
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  • The business of business is business! It doesn't matter what you do. There's no such thing as "oh, no that's not for me" when you are building wealth. (excepting unmoral or illegal activity off course) and if people are too lazy to stick to a working system, then I don't think there's much hope for them in the long run anyway. "$500 a month ain't enough, and it's too slow going" ... Well, excuse the f**k out of me mr. push-button sir!

    It's either a job, or a game. To me, it's a job, so I stick to my plan. Anyway, I think it's much better to do what the guru's do, not do what the gurus tell you to do. So no more shiny baubles for me, thanks.

    Rant over!

    <--- Back to happy!
  • sometimes people save up money from one project then stop doing it to invest in something larger or easier with a better return. If you know how to make 50.cent /day on adfly are you going to do it forever or are you going to invest that money into somthing bigger.
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    • This I agree with. Quitting and starting over on the next shiny course though is not something I understand why people do.

  • It means they still haven't find their muse yet ...something they love to do while making money...
  • I don't know. I heard the magic button thing was somewhere in Turkey, while other sources have said South America. And some say it's in the backyard.

    Some choose to quit things that work because the time spent is not worth the return, or they have the luxury of choosing other paths they enjoy more.

    I think what you are really wondering is how to instill your students with ambition and persistance. As the joke goes: it only takes one psychologist to change a light bulb,
    but it has to want to change.

    I also think that there is a problem in this society with wanting to enjoy work or business right now, instead of later. And, people don't look at the fact that while it is not "oh so fulfilling", it is good enough to do because it pays the bills and feeds the mouths.

    But, there is hope, because via outsourcing and delegating, people can expand their business and spend more time doing the things they are good at and passionate about. And, maybe outsourcing and delegating are the next areas for your coaching? (If you are not already.)

    Maybe that's the lure to make people wish to change and keep on doing things that work so they can get to the outsourcing and delegting stage of their business and spend more time how they wish. Paint the picture of the complete path.

    Dan
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    • No Jones, you're thinking of the crystal skulls.

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  • I'm guilty, I have a few sources that make me around 200-300 a month...guess I just realized its that much! Anyways I still want somthibg else, for me I have so much going Ob outside of IM that if I found one thing that offered me more money with less time it's worth the risk...if just one pays off...

    That being sai I never truly abandon anything, I'm too worried one system will fail...

    I make money with
    squdioo
    Squdioo and Clickbank
    Amazon
    Freelance Writing
    Fiverr (not so much anymore as I suddenly lost traffic...)

    I get why people move on...because they want the next step to be bigger and better
  • Might as well match a long post with a longer post lol.

    I've done this several times myself. Even when I was making good money with 1 thing, I'd move to something completely different. However, the way I'd explain these situations on here, and the way they actually happened, were 2 totally different stories.

    For instance. The first WSO I ever bought was a 9X12 post card marketing wso by Bob Ross. My first month I made $4,600 selling post card marketing locally. My second month I made a similar amount. Then I moved on to selling website design. Then I moved over to generating leads with Craigslist and collecting commission on sales. Then I added youtube to my funnel. Then facebook, and eventually PPC.

    If I wrote the process on here, it would read "I use to do x, then I started doing y".
    What really happened was x opened up doors for y. As I was selling postcards to clients, they asked me if I could fix or redo their sites. I started doing that, and liked it a lot better. I was doing less walkins and getting more referals with web design. I was also able to spend a lot more time at home.

    Even though I was initially making less, I saw potential to make a lot more in the future. Then my web design clients asked if I could generate leads for them. So I started marketing on CL and learning copywriting. Eventually, I saw a lot of potential in lead generation and acting as a lead broker.

    Now granted, this may appear like I've been "bouncing around", but I've been persistently following the path of least resistance. I've been merging skills, merging resources, and moving on to better things. The issue is the setting. This place is a forum, not a phone conversation. So it takes far too long to explain all the little details like I am now.

    People may ask, "well Redshifted.. what are you doing now?" And they'd be suprised to hear that once again, I've made another switch. This time to persue a much larger opportunity. Everytime I move to something new, I do it for that 1 word - "opportunity". For a while I've been generating leads for small businesses. Then I realized, "I'm an idiot for giving these leads to small businesses... why not just start my own business and sell the leads too?"

    So recently, I launched my first website to compete with the clients I use to broker leads to. I ran my first 3 estimates this past week, and sold 2 of them. To make the same amount of money, I would have needed to generate 6-10 sold jobs for my past clients (depending on what they sold the job for and what my commission was).

    Granted, now I am running my own business, instead of just generating leads, but its actually less work than lead brokering. Because I already had all the resources in place to make this work effectively. I have the contacts to subcontract the work, I know how to sell the work, so it works out fairly simple. Not to mention my brother who has 12 years experience in this niche. I'm doing 2 times the amount of work (it actually takes less time to sell the leads than generate them) for a minimum of 6 times the amount of profit.

    Now that I own my own business, and have a consistent flow of leads coming in, my next step is outsourcing/scaling. I will train salesmen, eliminate myself from the sales process, and focus more on lead generation. On top of that, I will add upsells to a front end, that already has a fairly high profit margin. Nobody in this niche is upselling anything. When it became so obvious to me that the market demanded 2 other related services. None of my competitors are offering them, which gives me that much more motivation to expand.

    However, with all these details considered, I'm still leaving out the most important one. My brother. Without him, I wouldn't have been able to achieve any of this. Many reasons why. The main one - he's been in this niche for 12 years. He was the "inside connection" I needed to infiltrate things so quickly. Just to think, 1 year ago I came here broke always complaining about money. Now, I see nothing but enormous potential for my future. Warrior forum did one huge thing for me. It taught me that there is truely a solution for every problem you can think of. And it taught me that money really IS everywhere. So you always need to be on the lookout for new opportunities. You need to condition your brain to see opportunity. When you are always looking for, its amazing how much opportunity is really out there.

    ALL I DID was follow the path of least resistance. The same way water does. And thats all I'm going to do in the future.

    -Red
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    • Red,

      Wish I had said that too. True, True, True.

      George Wright

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  • I think it goes like this:

    1.) buy the course
    2.) glance through it
    3.) maybe make one half ass attempt if that
    4.) get lucky on that one half ass attempt sometimes
    5.) evaluate that it took some work to make money with the course
    6.) search for whatever ELSE is out there that can make money faster with less work
    7.) rinse and repeat until about a 1.5 to 2 years into their journey
    8.) go back to the place that you made money with and take a serious approach this time
    9.) profit

    I've seen that pattern above COUNTLESS times. I've had guys and gals email saying, "Man I wish I had taken it seriously the first time around I wouldn't have wasted all that time and money".

    It's human nature.

  • I guess the real question is how could someone love pot pie that much?

    Seriously though, shiny object syndrome is everywhere, especially in a disposable economy. The very fact that you are you asking the question about being focused tells me you'll likely be successful. I suppose there are exceptions where the business just wasn't sustainable but that's probably rarely the case.

    Best of luck to you Jennifer. Nice to see someone staying focused.
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    • Yeah... those who change gears - being profitable - have shiny object syndrome, donĀ“t take things seriously and will never be successful... :p

      Like that guy, who sold everything and went to see the world with just a backpack... what was his name again? Oh yeah, John Reese.
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    • All the while that I have been surfing the IM thread, the most question being asked would normally be " how do I make such and such amount daily, monthly or in some cases in 24hrs." and there has been lots of WSOs claiming to make you money in 24hrs!, So here is my case, when someone buys such products and maybe luckily makes
      some money, they get bored with it and abandon it thereafter even though it is still capable of making more money. the reasons for this could be:

      1. Lack of interest in that niche that made them that money.
      2. Distraction by other WSOs
      3. The program not making enough money to keep them tight.

      I do think that it is important that one finds a niche that they are passionate about and try to make money from there as the interest and passion may be a huge motivational tool for them.
    • Thank you! I enjoy being back in here =)




      Oddly, I'm really not a big fan of pot pies...lol! The nickname was given to me many years ago as a joke that had nothing to do with pot pies... and the nickname stuck.

      When I started online back in 2007 I tried to think of a name I could use. I Google'd potpiegirl and Google had NOTHING - imagine that....lol! I really didn't know I was doing it at the time, but I ended up creating my own query space. It was fun to watch as Google struggled with the name/keyword and kept insisting "I" was a typo...and then finally giving in and letting me exist.

      I do weird things for fun...hahaha!

      I appreciate all the feedback and insight, y'all! It's helping me understand and helping me to help others THRU it.

      Jennifer
      ~PotPieGirl
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  • I believe it is unwise for people to jump from one method to the next - thinking it will make them money faster.

    For example if you wanted to learn to ride a skateboard, bike, and go rollerblading - if you did all 3 at the same time you would never be great at one, or worst never learn to do any. But if you dedicated your whole time to one transportation - you could quickly learn it, and become great.

    Same goes for making money online / driving traffic to your website.

    Now if you have mastered one method - try a new method but continue doing what is working for you as well.
  • I always try to find the best deal - less work and more money
    So, if i make something and it bring me 500$ a month, it's not enough for me. I prefer to find something else with same amount of time and more cash,
    It takes time to find the "right strategy".
  • Humans are strange creatures. They behave in totally unpredictable ways. If we analyze our actions, we can find that many times we don't do what logically seems to be the correct option. I guess this has something to do with not sticking to those things which are working for us. If you just try to find some logical answer to this irrational behavior, you might not be able to!!!
  • Well, some methods like SEO and Adsense die out over time, so people move onto better methods.

    I made my first dollars with SEO and Adsense, but I got my account banned for getting clickbombed. I've moved onto list building and haven't looked back since.
  • Shiny object syndrome hehe, we all got it in a period of our life
  • Shiny object syndrome is part and parcel of everyone's life I guess. We all tend to want to move to somewhere "better" when we see those offers being "very easy" or "super scalable", or "can make $10k/month", etc.. The real secret is really to be persistent and implement a system for a period till you see some results and not to move on to another method while u are just half-way thru the 1st one.

    Cheers,
    Lester
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    • And I suppose there can be some legitimate reasons for abandoning a method that works... I've done it over the years from time to time... doesn't scale well, obvious monetary limitations, level of work involved for work done, etc.

      But overall, yes, its puzzling when someone is desparate to find a method that works, finds one, and then doesn't follow-through.

      Look how many IM products that average person purchases... why ? Either the methods don't work, or they do work and are not pursued...

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