What's your personal story?

10 years ago

I was in Medical School awhile ago but was too broke to pay my fees and up keep. One day I saw this an ad saying.."College school dropout makes Six Figures..." sounds familiar? Well, am on the road to that dropout. Lets face it if a Computer Science dropout kid from Havard (Mark Zuckerberg) makes a Billion online, there is hope for us aiming for mere millions.

Thanks

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pintara3

10 years ago

Are you just posting this to try and get your post stats up?

Thanks

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James Fame

10 years ago

[DELETED]

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Murphysmurfy

10 years ago

Originally Posted by James Fame

Huge red flag.

If you don't have a story, you haven't had any form of success.

Why be someone you aren't? Why not find someone else who is? If you're willing to put ethics aside for profits, I don't have a say in that. Do what you will.

Instead of "creating" something, maybe you could find something truthful about yourself. The golden stories will be your hook.

James Fame

What?
You literally make no sense at all.

You took his quote out of context...

He is simply asking what your story is, he is not trying to create his own story. He is, however, creating this THREAD that allows you to share your background story.

So, perhaps you should read more carefully before spitting out accusations.

[ 5 ] Thanks
1 reply

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Ricky Allen 10 years ago

Well I have told parts of my story many times here but for those who have not seen it or are new here here is some background about me.

I have written both fiction and non-fiction.
Offline I sold physical informational products (real books and pamphlets, delivered by post, of the "How To Do Things" type) along with some fictional novels.
And then I "discovered" the Internet. It was about fifteen years ago that I started to take a real interest in this exciting new media. Knowing what I now know I only wish that I had become more involved with it earlier.
It really was a natural progression and a lot of what I was doing offline at the time transferred quickly and easily. Particularly when I found out just how easily I could create electronic versions (ebooks) of a lot of the things I had written.
My real passion is writing and as well as a number of printed books I have written over 80 books in electronic format and sold many thousands of them.
My websites concentrate these days on a variety of subjects including Joint Ventures, Online Auctions, Dieting and Recipes and How To Write of course.
And I have just started a new and exciting path to continue my Internet success. And I am determined to be at the forefront of this new media that is taking the Internet by storm. Video and making Video Sales Letters.

Ricky Allen
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Alexa Smith Banned 10 years ago

Originally Posted by James Fame

Huge red flag.

You misunderstood the OP, James: he said that he wanted to create his own thread, not his own story.
- [ 1 ] Thanks
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MissTerraK

10 years ago

Originally Posted by James Fame

Huge red flag.

If you don't have a story, you haven't had any form of success.

Why be someone you aren't? Why not find someone else who is? If you're willing to put ethics aside for profits, I don't have a say in that. Do what you will.

Instead of "creating" something, maybe you could find something truthful about yourself. The golden stories will be your hook.

James Fame

Before coffee post or just using your "uncommon sense"? :p

Terra

[ 3 ] Thanks

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Ron Douglas

10 years ago

My story is a unique one. My father Jor-El thought it was best to give me up as an infant. I landed in Kansas and was adopted by a Kansas farmer and his wife. I discovered at an early age that I was different. Later on I became a news reporter to blend in with society. These days I use my power to make a difference in the world.

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datingworld

10 years ago

My story,

I used to be a very naughty boy almost 3-4 years ago

I was member of many dating sites, going out on dates with beauties.

As I was paying to be a member on such sites, I was always under impression these sites owners must be making lots of money from members like me, that give me an idea to have my own dating sites to make money..
that's how I entered IM, I used to be working for one of UK's biggest bank in their head office, when things worked out in IM, I resigned last year from bank job.

Thanks

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Steven Wagenheim

10 years ago

My personal story is an odd one for sure but maybe not so uncommon.

Mine is a rags to riches to rags story. I'll give you the Reader's Digest version
otherwise this post will be 100 pages long.

1. I lost my job in 2000 due to health reasons.

2. After 3 years of looking for work, I turned to the Internet.

3. In 2006 I finally made my big breakthrough selling my first product that I
created myself after 3 years or affiliate marketing and freelancing that was
making me about $12,000 a year. My first product sold 200 copies a month
for many months and made it up to number 36 in the Clickbank marketplace.

4. In 2008, I reached the pinnacle of my IM career, one month earning over
$16,000.

5. In 2011 I decided to "retire" from active marketing, thinking that the
residual income would continue. Shortly after, Penguin and Panda hit and
my article views dropped to almost nothing.

6. Today I am probably going to earn less than $5,000 this year.

There is a lesson in this that I hope everybody reading this will take seriously.

Don't assume. The Internet changes quickly. Just because something works
for 6 years doesn't mean it will work year 7. One day you may wake up and
find your business is gone. You need to keep up with things. You need to
be one step ahead at all times. You need to be active in your business at
all times.

You need to never take anything for granted.

I'm fortunate. My wife is a school teacher working in an urban war zone
where they pay her insane amounts of money. She's retiring in 2 years with
a stupidly high pension and a tax shelter to boot.

Our mortgage is paid, the credit card balances are zero and our daughter is
out of college with no student loans to pay back. College was paid for in full
because of my successful years as an IMer.

In short, we can live on very little.

But my business, for all intensive purposes, is DOA. Right now I'm just looking
for odd jobs online to make me a few bucks. I'm signed up with Elance hoping
to maybe get a gig writing music or creating ecovers. But I won't rule out
anything.

I don't have to work. But if I want to continue my hobbies without relying
on my wife's income (I have my pride) I have to make at least $12,000 a
year, which isn't much. I'm just too lazy and sick of marketing to get back
into the affiliate stuff or whatever I used to do years ago. I'm certainly not
going to spend countless hours creating products, for any niche.

I'm pretty much done selling "how to make money" stuff and do have to
remove any products from my signature. In fact, I've removed my signature
from this post.

Ironically, I have the smarts to start over and know that with a little
research and a lot of hard work I can probably build up a big business again.
I can certainly make $12,000 a year. But until the need is there, I'm probably
just going to bide my time and see where life takes me.

But if you need your business to work and if you're fortunate enough to have
a business that IS working, do NOT take it for granted because things can
change on a dime. You can one day find yourself broke again. Nobody is
going to hand you anything. Nobody will do you any favors. Because quite
honestly, nobody cares. I could tell you stories but I won't. It would only
be sour grapes. Let's just say that I've asked my last person for help in this
world outside of my wife. At least she won't ever let me down.

If I sound bitter, angry, frustrated and disgusted, I am. But I am also moving
on. This post is pretty much my baring of my soul and moving on with my
life. Something I should have done a long time ago.

The day will come when I will no longer return to this forum because, quite
honestly, there's nothing left here for me. I certainly have no business
advising anybody on how to make money if I can't do it myself. And I just
don't care enough to wade through the War Room to find something that
"works."

I know what works.

Sell something that people want.

1 Research the niche and the products in it, including all the competition to
see what you're up against.

2. See what you can do to make a dent in that niche. What can you offer
that's better, different? Can you compete with the top sites? Can you afford
the marketing expense? Will free methods or cheap methods give you a
foothold? If you put up a kick ass web site, will it help?

3. If you decide that the niche is viable, put together a web presence that
will have Google look at you with respect and not disdain. If you can't do it
yourself, hire a professional. If you can't afford to, learn to do it yourself or
move onto something else. You won't make money with a piece of crap site
and no viable web presence.

4. Build a list. It was one of the smartest things I ever did. I literally made
almost all my income during the good years from my list. Make sure you have
something to sell them. Lots of somethings in fact. I created over 300 products
in my life to sell to that list.

5. Don't become complacent. Don't expect things to never change. They
will. They did. Many marketers have ended up where I am. You just don't
hear about it because they don't dare bare their souls in public. I've reached
the point where I just don't give a shit anymore.

Learn from my screwups. Had I needed this business to continue to be
profitable, I might have put a gun to my head for allowing it to die like I did.

Fortunately, I need very little. And if I have to give up my hobbies someday,
well, so be it. It's my own damn fault.

I'm not looking for sympathy. But hopefully ONE person will read this post and
realize that nothing lasts forever unless YOU make it last. You can't assume
things will never change because they can and they will.

Sometimes, not for the better.

You've been warned.

And yes, THAT'S my personal story.

It's not a pretty one.

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Anton543

10 years ago

Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim

My personal story is an odd one for sure but maybe not so uncommon.

Mine is a rags to riches to rags story. I'll give you the Reader's Digest version
otherwise this post will be 100 pages long.

1. I lost my job in 2000 due to health reasons.

2. After 3 years of looking for work, I turned to the Internet.

3. In 2006 I finally made my big breakthrough selling my first product that I
created myself after 3 years or affiliate marketing and freelancing that was
making me about $12,000 a year. My first product sold 200 copies a month
for many months and made it up to number 36 in the Clickbank marketplace.

4. In 2008, I reached the pinnacle of my IM career, one month earning over
$16,000.

5. In 2011 I decided to "retire" from active marketing, thinking that the
residual income would continue. Shortly after, Penguin and Panda hit and
my article views dropped to almost nothing.

6. Today I am probably going to earn less than $5,000 this year.

There is a lesson in this that I hope everybody reading this will take seriously.

Don't assume. The Internet changes quickly. Just because something works
for 6 years doesn't mean it will work year 7. One day you may wake up and
find your business is gone. You need to keep up with things. You need to
be one step ahead at all times. You need to be active in your business at
all times.

You need to never take anything for granted.

I'm fortunate. My wife is a school teacher working in an urban war zone
where they pay her insane amounts of money. She's retiring in 2 years with
a stupidly high pension and a tax shelter to boot.

Our mortgage is paid, the credit card balances are zero and our daughter is
out of college with no student loans to pay back. College was paid for in full
because of my successful years as an IMer.

In short, we can live on very little.

But my business, for all intensive purposes, is DOA. Right now I'm just looking
for odd jobs online to make me a few bucks. I'm signed up with Elance hoping
to maybe get a gig writing music or creating ecovers. But I won't rule out
anything.

I don't have to work. But if I want to continue my hobbies without relying
on my wife's income (I have my pride) I have to make at least $12,000 a
year, which isn't much. I'm just too lazy and sick of marketing to get back
into the affiliate stuff or whatever I used to do years ago. I'm certainly not
going to spend countless hours creating products, for any niche.

I'm pretty much done selling "how to make money" stuff and do have to
remove any products from my signature. In fact, I've removed my signature
from this post.

Ironically, I have the smarts to start over and know that with a little
research and a lot of hard work I can probably build up a big business again.
I can certainly make $12,000 a year. But until the need is there, I'm probably
just going to bide my time and see where life takes me.

But if you need your business to work and if you're fortunate enough to have
a business that IS working, do NOT take it for granted because things can
change on a dime. You can one day find yourself broke again. Nobody is
going to hand you anything. Nobody will do you any favors. Because quite
honestly, nobody cares. I could tell you stories but I won't. It would only
be sour grapes. Let's just say that I've asked my last person for help in this
world outside of my wife. At least she won't ever let me down.

If I sound bitter, angry, frustrated and disgusted, I am. But I am also moving
on. This post is pretty much my baring of my soul and moving on with my
life. Something I should have done a long time ago.

The day will come when I will no longer return to this forum because, quite
honestly, there's nothing left here for me. I certainly have no business
advising anybody on how to make money if I can't do it myself. And I just
don't care enough to wade through the War Room to find something that
"works."

I know what works.

Sell something that people want.

1 Research the niche and the products in it, including all the competition to
see what you're up against.

2. See what you can do to make a dent in that niche. What can you offer
that's better, different? Can you compete with the top sites? Can you afford
the marketing expense? Will free methods or cheap methods give you a
foothold? If you put up a kick ass web site, will it help?

3. If you decide that the niche is viable, put together a web presence that
will have Google look at you with respect and not disdain. If you can't do it
yourself, hire a professional. If you can't afford to, learn to do it yourself or
move onto something else. You won't make money with a piece of crap site
and no viable web presence.

4. Build a list. It was one of the smartest things I ever did. I literally made
almost all my income during the good years from my list. Make sure you have
something to sell them. Lots of somethings in fact. I created over 300 products
in my life to sell to that list.

5. Don't become complacent. Don't expect things to never change. They
will. They did. Many marketers have ended up where I am. You just don't
hear about it because they don't dare bare their souls in public. I've reached
the point where I just don't give a shit anymore.

Learn from my screwups. Had I needed this business to continue to be
profitable, I might have put a gun to my head for allowing it to die like I did.

Fortunately, I need very little. And if I have to give up my hobbies someday,
well, so be it. It's my own damn fault.

I'm not looking for sympathy. But hopefully ONE person will read this post and
realize that nothing lasts forever unless YOU make it last. You can't assume
things will never change because they can and they will.

Sometimes, not for the better.

You've been warned.

And yes, THAT'S my personal story.

It's not a pretty one.

Sounds like you were gaming the system which worked well before but no longer does. You are not willing to put the hard work in now that you have to play fair. Sorry if it wasn't quite like that, but that is how it sounds.

Thanks
1 reply

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Steven Wagenheim

10 years ago

Originally Posted by Anton543

Sounds like you were gaming the system which worked well before but no longer does. You are not willing to put the hard work in now that you have to play fair. Sorry if it wasn't quite like that, but that is how it sounds.

Know what? Go **** yourself. I NEVER gamed the system. In fact, I was the
most above board marketer on this planet. I wrote high quality articles. Created
products of the highest quality. Article directories took a hit and so did my income.

It has happened to a lot of honest, hard working marketers.

So go **** yourself.

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Anton543

10 years ago

Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim

Know what? Go **** yourself. I NEVER gamed the system. In fact, I was the
most above board marketer on this planet. I wrote high quality articles. Created
products of the highest quality. Article directories took a hit and so did my income.

It has happened to a lot of honest, hard working marketers.

So go **** yourself.

Calm down, mate. I am just trying figure out if you were so aboveboard why aren't you still getting traffic? From my experience of doing a lot of reading on this matter, the people that have lost all their traffic are ones that engaged in not so aboveboard tactics, or relied on poor quality links such as article directories. These links have very little value now in Google's eyes. Not only Google not giving you credit for those links, those directories and all the people that used your articles are also not ranking, so wiping out your traffic. It was meant to be a criticism. Maybe you should have just moved with the times. In any case, it seems you made a lot of money back in the day.

Thanks
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Steven Wagenheim

10 years ago

Originally Posted by Anton543

Calm down, mate. I am just trying figure out if you were so aboveboard why aren't you still getting traffic? From my experience of doing a lot of reading on this matter, the people that have lost all their traffic are ones that engaged in not so aboveboard tactics, or relied on poor quality links such as article directories. These links have very little value now in Google's eyes. Not only Google not giving you credit for those links, those directories and all the people that used your articles are also not ranking, so wiping out your traffic. It was meant to be a criticism. Maybe you should have just moved with the times. In any case, it seems you made a lot of money back in the day.

No, I will NOT calm down. You don't ******* know one thing about me or my
business so don't make assumptions. What I was doing, back in the day was
considered above board, not black hat, and an effective method for generating
traffic, writing content.

But stupid assholes ruined it for everybody by submitting crappy 200 word
articles that did nothing but promote products. So Google said enough,
blasted the hell out of every article directory, and destroyed countless
thousands of honest businesses in the process. That I have these articles on
my blog did little as I simply could not rank against older and larger authority
sites.

So as my traffic died, so did my list dwindle. Eventually, I was creating
products and selling 10 copies where I used to sell 200 copies. It was pointless
to continue.

Okay, so take your ******* assumptions and shove them up your ass. I don't
need your shit. I've seen a 10 year old home business reduced to ashes
because of black hatters and cheaters and getting caught in the cross fire.

People like you make me glad for the day I can kiss this place goodbye for
good.

Asshole.

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Steven Wagenheim

10 years ago

Originally Posted by Art of Marketing

I frankly did not read your posts before posting mine but now that I have my goodness I am blown away.

First by your candidness and of course of the actual story itself.

But you need to shake that off.

Myspace was whatever it was but it is not whatever that was anymore...who cares...we move on but we stay the course..the course is getting paid on our road to freedom.

This is the biggest and best Internet Marketing Forum online and we all take our lumps as they come but that is the beauty of what we do..we can dust ourselves off and what ever happened can become an enticing element of our Rags to Riches Story. :p

Nobody has to work behind the scenes or in front of the scenes to make a killing online.

Yes recurring income can get us addicted and complacent but if and when it runs out we build another. Why not? What is stopping us?

I told some people I always wanted to play the Saxophone and they responded what is stopping you? and I was speechless...I really did think in my subconscious mind because I never did it earlier that some weird stupid time limit expired...well there is no time limit...we just need to do it!

There are so many avenues to go about becoming highly successful. Its like kids. What they are exposed to makes long lasting impressions on them and the same with new marketers. YOU and many others have information in your head that others can benefit from.

If you do not like the teaching route there is still so many other paths you can take.

But as we all know we can not forget to look into outsourcing!

If you made a little tiny money making site on Acne and had others to make sure it had new content and links each month then built another and another even on a slow pace you have money in the bank! Assets that can be making you money each month and that can be sold for a nice lump sum in the future. Come on man..this is not rocket science. Shake that Sheet off!

Get your mojo back man. I am rooting for you.

If you get down send me a PM anytime. We all need an attitude adjustment now and then.

And as far as someone else making assumptions....be for real....does that matter? Do not waste brain cells on that.

I hope we all can learn from this it truly is a learning lesson as real as real can get.

Post counts do not matter much all the time, join dates are not a guarantee of anything its how we are living each day that matters along with attitude and what contributions we make to this world

-Art

Thanks for the kind words.

My problem is simple. I learned how to generate traffic and build an income
one way, by writing articles, collecting leads, building a list and selling them
products. Either affiliate ones or ones I created. I tried the PPC route and it
just didn't work for me. Forget about the high cost of some keywords. I
couldn't even get clicks.

Bottom line is this. I simply do not know what I need to do to get back to
where I was. Writing is all I ever knew and right now it's not working for me.

My own blog, with thousands of IM related articles, a blog that is quite old
at this point, is maybe on page 200 of Google. I don't know why, it just is. I
have never been able to get any site I ever created to rank. I always got my
traffic through other sources, article directories, safelists, FFA sites, etc.

None of those things work anymore.

And I'm not going to waste my time creating a mega authority site that has
a killer design, with gobs of content, only to find out that THAT isn't good
enough either. Not with the expense that it's going cost since I can't design
kick ass sites myself and don't have the energy to write all that content
(probably in a niche that I know nothing about in the process). I'll have to
outsource both tasks. We're talking thousands of dollars that I simply don't
have to put into a business right now. If I can't do this on the cheap, I can't
do it. I will ONLY invest my money in a sure thing at this stage of my life.

So there you have it. That's where I am. It's a place of my own making and
like I said, I'm not looking for sympathy or a handout. I've approached people
for JVs. I won't get into that because if I do, some very ugly things are
likely to come out of my mouth. Suffice it to say, if you want something done
you have to do it yourself. You can't depend on others, even those who say
they'll help you. Most are just all talk and no action.

In short, I'm tired of this business. I'm tired of all the black hatters and the
spam and content thieves and the product thieves and all the ugliness that
goes along with it. I'm tired of all the people who don't even have the
decency to respond to your emails even after you've begged them for help.

Even a simple, "Sorry, I can't help you" would have been appreciated. I
would have had the decency to respond with that much.

I've made some friends here. Unfortunately, these friends have their own
problems and responsibilities and aren't really in a position to help me out.
Hell, right now, I'm in no position to help anybody myself.

It is what it is. I'll get through it, somehow.

In the meantime, I'm hanging out at Elance and applying for some odd jobs
as they come up. There are a few things I can do that I've bid on. I won't
write a hundred 600 word articles for $3 a piece, but there are some jobs
there that I'll consider.

Ultimately, whatever happens, happens. If I end up penniless and on the
street, oh well. Such is life. God didn't make me any promises when he put
me on this planet.

FYI, I tried to sell my sites and products but can't even get people who
specialize in brokering those kind of deals to respond to my emails. So I
don't know where else to turn with that.

There are days that I feel like I'm all alone in the IM world. And then I sit
back, think, and realize...I am all alone. I just never realized it until now.

I was fortunate for 10 years to have a business. Now, I don't.

But I have my health.

I wouldn't trade the one for the other for all the tea in China.

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Anton543 10 years ago

I wonder what all the people who say the money is in the list and that if you lose search traffic at least you still have the list, will say about your experience.
- Thanks
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dpwilliams

10 years ago

Steve...just a though on a asset you may not realize you have...you have the knowledge of the keywords that converted to sales. If you wrote articles that got traffic then converted to sales...you still know what words made you money...

Deb

Thanks
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Steven Wagenheim

10 years ago

Originally Posted by dpwilliams

Steve...just a though on a asset you may not realize you have...you have the knowledge of the keywords that converted to sales. If you wrote articles that got traffic then converted to sales...you still know what words made you money...

Deb

That and a buck will get me a cup of coffee. So what? What am I going to do
with all these keywords? There is no point in writing content containing them
anymore because...

1. Article directories aren't worth squat to put these articles on.

2. I don't have a top ranked domain to put my own articles on.

So what exactly do I do with the knowledge?

I'm not being obtuse. I'm being practical. I understand what I "need" in order
to rank well and make sales. It isn't rocket science. I just don't have the
money to sink into what needs to be done.

The days of putting up a blog and making 6 figures a year are dead and gone.
You need a kick ass authority site or a $30,000 sales page. You need to buy
traffic out the wazoo. You need to partner up with list brokers and copy
writers and product creators and JV brokers and on and on and on.

You need to bring something to the table that will make others say, "Yes, I
want you on my team because you can do something better than just about
everybody else out there."

What do you have to offer somebody? Do they need YOU in order to make
their project fly? If the answer to all these questions is no, forget it. You
won't get anywhere.

I could outline and entire plan right here, right in this thread, all my years of
being in the trenches, for putting together a profitable business. I've helped
others do it. But I'm not in a position to do it now because I don't have the
skills to do it myself or the money to hire others to do it for me.

Making money online is NOT hard. But you need resources. You either need to
be able to do the work yourself or the money to hire others to do it for you.

I could never design a web site worth spit in my whole life, even though I
actually have a certificate in web design and programming. I just don't have
the talent. And what web masters charge for a kick ass site would empty
my bank account. So that's simply not an option for me.

I've tried domains with Wordpress Blogs. They simply don't rank. My IM blog
has over 2,000 articles on it. You couldn't find it if you searched for it for
weeks.

I won't use PPC because...

1. I don't have a good enough site to send traffic to anyway. Again, see
problem above.

2. I don't know enough about PPC to not lose my shirt in the process.

And this doesn't even address the fact that all the niches that I enjoy simply
aren't profitable and I can't spend the rest of my life working in Forex or
debt relief or dating or whatever, just to make a buck when I have ZERO
interest in those things.

What would I like to do?

1. Write salescopy for others.
2. Write music for others.
3. Write articles for others.

All 3 of those things either

1. Don't pay well if you're going to accept just any job.
2. Are extremely competitive.
3. Require an enormous amount of advertising just to make yourself known.

I refuse to write a 600 word article for $3.

The other day, somebody wrote to me asking for a quote on a sales letter.
I quoted a ridiculously low amount of $500 because I'm so desperate for
money right now. This person didn't even have the decency to respond with
a counter offer or at least to tell me I'm out of his price range.

Want to see what people are offering for amazing salescopy, as they put it?

Under $100.

I won't write a sales letter for $100.

So this is where I am. I'm competing in a third world virtual world where
people are willing to work for peanuts. And I just can't compete with that
and won't.

There are no easy solutions for my problem. I've tried writing a series on
hemorrhoids since I used to suffer from them. With close to 30 articles
written on the subject, I have all of 5 subscribers, 14 clicks on my product
and no sales. That's after more than a month.

It is what it is.

And if somebody were to post all these "solutions" for me here in this thread,
I assure you, each one would require either a boat load of money to implement
or a crap ton of work.

At age 55 I'm done doing a crap ton of work.

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lgibbon Banned 10 years ago

Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim

People like you make me glad for the day I can kiss this place goodbye for
good.

I see,
so you still haven't siphoned off enough from here yet then?
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- Steven Wagenheim 10 years ago
  
  Originally Posted by lgibbon
  
  I see,
  so you still haven't siphoned off enough from here yet then?
  
  Les, you can go screw yourself too.
  
  Been wanting to say that for a long time.
  
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owais211

Banned 10 years ago

Hey there,
I would say its an ambiguous one....but mine is a long story.
When i publish a book,i would share it here at WF.
Cheers
.....

.....

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Brian Tayler

10 years ago

Originally Posted by Steven Wagenheim

My personal story is an odd one for sure but maybe not so uncommon.

...

You've been warned.

And yes, THAT'S my personal story.

It's not a pretty one.

Wow great story/advice Steven. Way to keep it real.

I will say you were one of the members who inspired me to join when I did. It'd be a shame to see you go. Have you considered coaching? Should be less work than "doing it yourself" if you screen applicants properly.

Also did you not build any type of customer list or rapport with a customer base from all of the clickbank sales you've had? Could you not rebuild a business off of that? For instance... Alexis Dawes has been out of the game for awhile... but if she came back with a "Desperate Buyers v2.0" I'm sure people would perk up and listen (I surely would).

I remember your ventriloquist videos... quite funny. Its a shame to see less posting from the likes of you, Kevin Riley, Willie Crawford, etc. But I guess there always comes a time to move on.

I know it may not mean much monetarily... but you've had a positive impression on a lot of people I'm sure (myself included). Maybe you're right... maybe the forum doesn't have much to offer you anymore... but I appreciate all you have given.

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InsightIM

10 years ago

I started in internet marketing to save a salon I used to have. My partner did hair and nails and I managed the business side of things. I found out she was asleep on the couch at the salon with the lights off and the door locked many days, and since I didn't do hair and nails I turned to selling salon exclusive beauty products online.

I had no marketing budget, so I learned SEO and quickly outranked a couple of the manufacturer's websites for their brand names...which they didn't like. They also didn't like that I was selling across the country at midwest prices which kinda ruined their price fixing. So they called my distributor and he three-way called me, and they basically said, knock it off or you can't buy the products anymore.

So I let the salon go, and started an SEO business which was a decent success. I was making more than I ever had in my life, but I quickly realized that selling businesses on letting me do the marketing for them was harder than just doing the marketing for myself.

I got into directories before Google Local and when it launched, my business dried up. No clients and for a while you couldn't outrank the local results, so I was nowhere.

Now I own a tree service business and use my marketing skills to promote it and a few other businesses owned by family members while rebuilding my online empire.

I'm about to launch a sales funnel / marketing software / SEO package for small and medium businesses because of the recent trend of companies like the Better Business Bureau and Angie's List and Super Media and Home Advisor (formerly Superpages crappy brand

) trying to own the market for small businesses and sell it back to them for a monthly fee. Business owners will be able to own their online market, create strong barriers to competition and not have to pay a monthly fee to keep getting clients.

Because... whoever controls your clients controls your money. And whoever controls your money controls your business.

That's my story. I am really enjoying reading your stories too.

Thanks
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Julius Minor 10 years ago

If you can handle it.. here is mine.. From Gangsta To Internet Mogul (Well Maybe One Day)
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clever7

10 years ago

My internet marketing story is so long and complicated that I don't think it would inspire anyone…

But I can tell you that I always was very persistent and resistant. This fact helped me face all battles with courage and go ahead.

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themichaelcook

10 years ago

I was a full time Professional Wrestler from the time I got out of High School till around 2008.. In 2008 my Wrestling Career started slowing down so I needed to find something more stable and that is when I was Introduced to IM...

I struggled severely in IM for 3.5 years raking in $9,000 to learn this business as I did not want to work for anyone else other than Vince McMahon, Well needless to say 1.5 years ago I went full time in IM and have never looked back since...

If I have any advice for struggling or NEW Internet Marketers is to not over think or over complicate IM because in all reality when you get that AHA moment and Finally understand IM then you will know that you was Over Complicating things... Keep things Simple and don't ever give up because if you want it bad enough you will get it..

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awww1some

10 years ago

I was in sales for 40 years. After spending a lot of money on WSO's I found a product that cost nothing to get involved. Just a little time. After buying a WSO I would learn
that I needed to spend even more money on an OTO, auto responder, Hosting, domain name, Optimize press, Word press themes and a lot of info overload to distract me.
I lucked out and found a site where I did not need to buy anything. Advertise on Craigslist and other free sites. I spent nothing but my time. ZERO.
I did not know it would take so many years to find something that works for so little investment. Even with that I still look at WSO's It is like a drug.

Jack