How I made more than $12K in 5 weeks on my 1st try - revisited

305 replies
I am reposting this thread on the updated forum as there were so many newbies that profited by my experience.
I am writing this message to all the rookies like me! Well, now that I think about it, you are probably not like me. I am a 57-year-old grandmother who lives on a tiny farm in the middle of a cow field in Central Washington.

Anyway, last December I was financially desperate. I won't tell you my whole sob story, but the bottom line is that I was out of money and still had $1000s of bills to pay each month!

So I had to reinvent myself. I had been in real estate investing and when the bottom dropped out of the market, it took all my financial resources with it.

I started reading Your Portable Empire by Pat O'Bryan and that's when I decided to try Internet Marketing.

So I bought a couple eBooks that taught me what to do . . . and I started. I followed the writers' advice to the letter. One of the eBooks was about writing eBooks and the other was about getting traffic to your site.

Here is my encouragement to you! I had never done this before! I was a writer and I had a laptop, but that's about as much as I could bring to the table. On top of it, I had very little money! So I had to make things happen with a minimal investment!

I ended up spending less than $100, wrote and started selling two eBooks of my own . . . and within just over 5 weeks, I made more than $12,000. What I've since learned is that this is even more amazing since the two eBooks I wrote and I sold were both priced at under $10 each.

Here is what I did:

1. I found a niche
2. I built a free WordPress blog
3. I created a Squidoo page and pointed it to my blog.
4. I wrote about the subject and created about 10 posts. I kept adding more and more content throughout the process.
5. I wrote my first eBook and priced it at a very low and affordable price.
6. I contacted about 10 other site owners who wrote about the same subject and asked them to link to my site. Two of them agreed.
7. I wrote another eBook and priced it under $10.
8. I kept adding more and more content and I answered emails and comments from readers ASAP.
9. Within in a few weeks, I was on page 1 of Google
10. I had to Mickey Mouse the sales pages because the free WordPress sites don't allow e-commerce. I used a service at first, but later switched to another site I built.
11. I stayed focused and from the time the sales started coming in pretty well . . . to five weeks later - I made more than $12,000!

So now that I've had this first experience, I am totally convinced that focused work and determination can create an income through Internet Marketing. Truly, I just wrote about a subject close to my heart. I sold to common men and women who were looking for information - not internet information, but information to help them in their lives.

I tried to be honest, respectful and give excellent customer service to everyone who contacted me. Now I am working on ways to sell more products to my more than 1400 buyers!

There is still a lot I don't know. I love this forum and especially value it for all the advice and tips people share. I'm excited about the future and encourage each of you reading this post to stay focused, spend your money wisely on good quality tools, and BEGIN!

If a grandma living in the middle of a cow field in Central Washington can make $12,000 in just over 5 weeks on her first Internet Marketing offer, then anybody can who is willing to follow the same or similar steps for success! I know that to be true!

Be blessed as you work to reach your goals!
#made #revisited #weeks
  • Profile picture of the author Omuvic
    nice story love it.
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    • Profile picture of the author tirmizi5
      But still I seriously doubt that you are only 57 years granny...

      What ever, the truth may be, but I like you rather love you for giving moral and emotional support.

      I guess nothing is impossible, the key is hard and consistant work.
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      • Profile picture of the author mun
        Yes I loved your story also and you managed to spark some ideas in this lazy brain of mines.
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        • Profile picture of the author tntrader
          Did you use PPC at all?

          Great story
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        • Profile picture of the author Barry Plaskow
          Great story and thanks for the inspiration

          No question with drive, desire and the right tools, anyone can make money online.

          Looking forward to part 2 of the story!

          Barry
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          • Profile picture of the author d.wayne
            Wow, that is amazing! I am encouraged by the power of your focus. Sometimes we do not know what we are capable of until our back is against the wall.
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            • Profile picture of the author CWSusan
              Originally Posted by d.wayne View Post

              Wow, that is amazing! I am encouraged by the power of your focus. Sometimes we do not know what we are capable of until our back is against the wall.
              Being up against the wall proved to be the beginning of what ended up a significant change in my business life. I am now a full-time Internet Marketer and expanding into some different areas. My goal is to consistently generate a minimum of $5K every month through Internet businesses.

              I invented a gardening product that I will roll out to wholesalers over the next few months and I continue to write and sell more eBooks. I love sitting in the living room of my little cottage on my farm and writing and creating. It's a blessed and full life.

              The key really is focus -- focus on one strategy and then focus on applying it. I have been guilty of "too much education" and not enough action. That's a recipe for wheel spinning and NO MONEY! When I HAD TO CREATE INCOME because I was up against the wall, my life changed. No more spinning my wheels. Instead I really had to get moving.

              The great news is that once you get the train out of the station, it gains momentum. And while you can't just leave it alone, you can move onto other areas and duplicate your success. Life it good. We all have so much creativity inside of us. But for it to break through so it can manifest itself into dollars, we have to set aside all those barriers.

              Focus is the key . . . I chose gurus I could trust (they had a good track record and excellent reputations) and made a plan. then it was following their advice and WORKING. Not learning more, but using what I learned from them to GET BUSY and CREATE.

              It worked for me and it can work for you, also!
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              • Profile picture of the author dar
                Like others said above, a super inspirational story. How many blog posts did you write a day? How long were your ebooks?

                Good luck into the future!
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                • Profile picture of the author CWSusan
                  Originally Posted by dar View Post

                  Like others said above, a super inspirational story. How many blog posts did you write a day? How long were your ebooks?

                  Good luck into the future!
                  I can't recall exactly how many I wrote each day, but it was probably about 5 or 6. Posts are only about 350 words so that's not all that much. I literally started creating around 6 in the morning and sometimes didn't finish until 10 or 11 at night. A lot of that was answering questions on the blog.

                  My two eBooks are about 100 pages each. I am getting ready to write a couple more on related subjects - which are basically self-help and motivational books about living a full and faith-filled life . . . beyond Law of Attraction.

                  One thing that I find helps me is to carve out a period of time so I can focus on one project for several days. I wrote and published my second eBook in less than a week. I will do that with the two I plan to write in the next month. I am not saying this is the way to go for everyone, but I think it's a better way to go for people who have a hard time focusing. Easier to focus on one thing for a longer period of time rather than try to focus on several things for shorter periods of time.

                  I was down and then took powerful advice from Gloria Estifan, I "Get on my feet; get up and make it happen. Get on your feet; stand up and take some action."

                  Cheers!
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                  • Profile picture of the author Panique
                    Very nice and inspiring story!
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                • Profile picture of the author CWSusan
                  Originally Posted by dar View Post

                  Like others said above, a super inspirational story. How many blog posts did you write a day? How long were your ebooks?

                  Good luck into the future!
                  Hi Dar,

                  In the beginning I probably wrote around 7 or 8 posts each day and then I also answered every comment left by readers. There were some days that I responded to 50 or more comments! That's because the readers were so hungry for information. Their questions led me to write the second eBook, which is now the most popular one. Both my eBooks sell for under $10 each, so it's easy for folks to make the decision to purchase. This is what this market will bear since it's inspirational, motivational and self-improvement.

                  Now I write a post a couple times each week and still answer every comment that readers write. I try to take very good care of my readers and customers. I have developed relationships with men and women throughout the world and it's very much a blessing to me to have their trust and support.
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              • Profile picture of the author kebomix
                wooooow , thats really amazing , i like wut u said , really encourage me , thx
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              • Profile picture of the author ThomasW
                Wonderful success story. After reading your story and visiting your site, I am curious as to why there is no way to see, or purchase your products?? Do you have a sales page, or product page?
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                • Profile picture of the author CWSusan
                  Originally Posted by ThomasW View Post

                  Wonderful success story. After reading your story and visiting your site, I am curious as to why there is no way to see, or purchase your products?? Do you have a sales page, or product page?
                  Hi Thomas,

                  My books are not about Internet Marketing, but rather self improvement and Chrisitian living. The books themselves are not what made my internet marketing experience successful. What did make it work is that I found a hungry audience and gave to them what they wanted.

                  The same can happen for many other niches and subjects. I found my subject by reading and staying in touch with the news. The same can work for you or others who are still looking for a subject. First find out what people are looking for -- and then give them what they want.

                  For example, read the covers of magazines! It used to be losing weight was on the front of every popular magazine cover. But now the big subjects seem to be budgeting, organizing tips and stretching the dollar.

                  I hope this helps . . . the bottom line is that the subject of my books is to a very specific niche . . . about a very specific subject and I had experience that I could share.

                  I hope great success for you in all aspects of your life.
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                  • Profile picture of the author MsDebra
                    I love your website. I also love the fact that you give away your $12k+ in 5 weeks plan. I, too, want to write Christian ebooks and self-improvement books. I had no idea that so many people want to buy these books. When I look for keywords, I don't see much demand for Christian books.

                    You have inspired me to write on my two favorite subjects. Many blessings to you.
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      • Profile picture of the author dwieder
        i admire you for having such a successful story. i am also a newbie and i really want to learn. but until now, i am afraid to fail that is why i am taking things slowly but surely. i hope i can also be a successful person in this field. i hope there are people will actually help me with all my endeavors.
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      • Profile picture of the author JECKELLL
        [QUOTE=tirmizi5;4425]But still I seriously doubt that you are only 57 years granny...

        QUOTE]

        Im surprised nobody picked up on this.
        Thats extremely rude.

        Great story Susan!
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        • Profile picture of the author Alex Rich
          Susan,
          There's a very old saying with words like, "When the student is ready, the teacher appears." I thank you for your lessons generous teacher

          I just launched a website for a domain I was inspired to register a month ago, with just a hint of the idea I would develop. Yesterday, I was thinking about changing the focus back to an IM focus in a totally different area.

          This morning I had second thoughts and was deciding to hold to my idea for focusing on helping others who have questions for which answers, good answers, are not easy to find. It was at this point I stumbled upon your forum thread. I now have the confirmation that I've made the right decision.

          Thank you for a great post. It truly helps.

          Warm Regards,
          Alex
          PS Keep moving in the direction you're headed. You've been called...
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          • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
            Originally Posted by Alex Rich View Post

            Susan,
            There's a very old saying with words like, "When the student is ready, the teacher appears." I thank you for your lessons generous teacher

            I just launched a website for a domain I was inspired to register a month ago, with just a hint of the idea I would develop. Yesterday, I was thinking about changing the focus back to an IM focus in a totally different area.

            This morning I had second thoughts and was deciding to hold to my idea for focusing on helping others who have questions for which answers, good answers, are not easy to find. It was at this point I stumbled upon your forum thread. I now have the confirmation that I've made the right decision.

            Thank you for a great post. It truly helps.

            Warm Regards,
            Alex
            PS Keep moving in the direction you're headed. You've been called...
            Thanks so much for this lovely post. I can tell, you are a good writer.

            I hope the very best for you on your IM goals! Honesty, integrity and kindness pay high dividends! There are a lot of people who are hungry for quality information from people with good character!
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  • Profile picture of the author Bruce NewMedia
    What a terrific story Susan!...also, I'm going to pick up Your Portable Empire by OBryan.
    Sounds like it belongs in my library, too. Continued success.

    Bruce
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    • Profile picture of the author MyCashGift
      That's inspiring!

      Just goes to show you that more can happen on the Internet than most people can dream of
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      • Profile picture of the author Heather Bestel
        Hi Susan

        Thanks for your inspiration. I'm a new warrior and new to IM and you have given me a lot to think about.

        I wish you much more success and happiness. Thanks for sharing.

        Love & best wishes

        Heather x
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        • Profile picture of the author Bojangles
          That's a great story. Thank you very much for posting it.
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          • Profile picture of the author Imran Naseem
            Banned
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            • Profile picture of the author Steve Peters Benn
              What a great story - the pictures on the site are very heartwarming.
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              • Profile picture of the author igorkheifets
                Great story, Susan, I would love to put it in to my Motivational Blog.(with your permision of course.)

                John, great point for you to make. I made this simple mistake on my own. I was focusing on a lot of opportunities, instead of marketing the one I was allready involved with, so I had no success going for me.

                Really important, Focus on one thing at a time, as humans we have the ability focus on one thing at a time, so make it the important one, one that counts!
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  • Profile picture of the author sesantek
    Thanks once again for posting thisa thread again

    sesan
    Success Articles - “…teaching practical success principles
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    Free PDF and Video of '7 Simple Ways to Find Simple and Profitable New Niches Online. https://jobzonenews.com.ng/niche-bus...s-newsletter//

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    • Profile picture of the author michellegreen
      What a great story Susan and congratulations on your success! Thank you so much for sharing.

      It's funny, I've got the portable empire book sitting partly read on my bedside table. I just finished reading Nik Halik's new book, so might pick that one up again! So much to do, so many books to read...!
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      • Profile picture of the author jenn_givler
        Excellent reminder to stay focused and you can achieve anything. Thanks for sharing your story!

        Warmly,
        Jenn
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        • Profile picture of the author jeremynet
          This is a great inspired story!
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          Did you see the skin miracle video? >>> Click here to watch

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          • Profile picture of the author Jillian Slack
            Fabulous story, Susan! Definitely an inspiration.

            So what's next on your agenda?

            Are you duplicating your previous success?
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            • Profile picture of the author John34
              Really an inspirational story for me.
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            • Profile picture of the author CWSusan
              Originally Posted by Jillian Slack View Post

              Fabulous story, Susan! Definitely an inspiration.

              So what's next on your agenda?

              Are you duplicating your previous success?
              Hi Jillian,

              I have 1400+ buyers now, so I want to continue to serve them by writing and publishing other books for this genre. I write to the Christian market -- people who are very in tune with God and are hungry to go deeper with Christ. Those of you who are Christians will get what all this means . . . others might not. The bottom line is that there are millions of Christians throughout the world who want their faith to make a bigger difference in their lives. So I have some other books that I want to write to this market.

              I also am working on some affiliate programs. The summer has been a busy time so I have not put the focused time into building another program. But I will.

              One thing I know for sure is that success requires laser-focused attention. It's way too easy to waunder or get caught up in the cares of everyday life. I find it best o coccoon for a while and then really go for it. After the program is up and running, then I can maintain and not have to invest so much time.

              My next goal is to have consistant streams of Internet income so I can weather the highs and lows.

              Thanks for your nice comments and I hope every success for you.
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              • Profile picture of the author GayleT
                From a fellow grannie, thanks for all the practical tips! And I
                enjoyed your success story and wish you continued success...
                Gayle
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                • Profile picture of the author dsanchez
                  What a story...

                  This has been one of the most inspiring stories I have ever read... it proves that there are no obstacles on the way when one really wants to make it. I mean, just think of someone who knew nothing about IM and just by reading basically a couple of e-books was able to have such success... I think it's huge. Keep up the Great Work, gramma!
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  • Profile picture of the author ChuckCash
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  • Profile picture of the author CWSusan
    Thanks one and all of your great comments and kudos. I love being in the Internet Marketing industry and that it affords me great flexibility and opportunity.

    To answer the question about using Pay Per Click (PPC): No, I didn't. The truth is that I wrote about a subject that had a very hungry audience. And because I had a blog format, the backend of the blog allowed me to see the key words people were using in the search engines. I could see what the readers wanted and then give it to them.

    So, how do you find a stream of hungry buyers? Read the headlines of magazines at the newsstand is one of the best ways. These publishers have invested thousands of dollars to find what the readers want. The scream solutions so people will buy their magazines. Weightloss used to be the big one. It's now joined with money saving tips.

    I found my hungry market by listening to a television talk show and it sparked an idea for a subject in which I had experience. It all worked for me and while this is somewhat a seasonal subject, I continue to sell books every single day.

    I hope the very best success for you and thanks again for your kind words about this thread and the site I put together that gives more detailed information about my process.
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    • Profile picture of the author Carl Henry
      Hi Susan,

      My total admiration all around, what I have not seen are the subjects you wrote about. I visited & read your website which I think is clever & informative, but unless i missed something I still do not know what your "seasonal" niches were....,

      Would you like to share this info?

      With regards & sincere respect.

      Carl Henry
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      • Profile picture of the author Danyelle
        thank you for posting this. you're such an inspiration. I'm very new to all of this and just love hearing these stories that keep me motivated
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        • Profile picture of the author sesantek
          Originally Posted by Danyelle View Post

          thank you for posting this. you're such an inspiration. I'm very new to all of this and just love hearing these stories that keep me motivated
          I love the word motivation and i must tell you if you are not highly motivated you wont find yourself doing these things. It is the major thing i do on my site Success Articles - “…teaching practical success principles and i hope to keep at it.

          The grandma can share with us what really kept her going. I will very much move to read that.

          Taking nothing away from you grandma, you have really done a good job.

          Thanks

          sesan
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          Free PDF and Video of '7 Simple Ways to Find Simple and Profitable New Niches Online. https://jobzonenews.com.ng/niche-bus...s-newsletter//

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  • Wake up people this is just a sales pitch

    CWSusan is marketing...
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  • Profile picture of the author Hartsteen
    Good experience Grandma, am 1 year younger than you, been trying Internet Marketing for 3 month now after retiring but zilch! Wish I have your talent as a writer. God Bless
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  • Profile picture of the author KelvinLee
    Well Done Susan

    This can definitely inspire the new marketers!
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    • Profile picture of the author Ray Erdmann
      Congrats on the success CWSusan...

      Just a little surprised that, as a Real Estate Investor for many years, your income would have suffered from the Sub Prime fallout? I'd love to hear that story, but feel an explanation here in this thread would take away from your merits of success in the world of IM!

      Keep up the good work, and as been stated, would love to know what market you were providing solutions to.


      Thanks,


      Ray Erdmann
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      "Whether you think you can or not...you'll always be 100% right!" |

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      • Profile picture of the author daddyoh
        Hi CW,

        Way to go! Congratulations!

        If it's not asking too much, I had a question or two (or three) that would really help me and others:

        You wrote: "And because I had a blog format, the backend of the blog allowed me to see the key words people were using in the search engines. I could see what the readers wanted and then give it to them."

        What program are you using to track visitor keywords? Google Analytics?

        How are you getting traffic to your blog?



        You wrote: "So I bought a couple eBooks that taught me what to do . . . and I started. I followed the writers' advice to the letter. One of the eBooks was about writing eBooks and the other was about getting traffic to your site."

        What were the names of those ebooks? (Never mind this Q. I got the answer from your site.)


        You wrote: "6. I contacted about 10 other site owners who wrote about the same subject and asked them to link to my site. Two of them agreed."

        Have you created any joint ventures where you were able to get your partners to promote your ebooks? It's an awesome way to bring in some fast, easy money


        You wrote: "10. I had to Mickey Mouse the sales pages because the free WordPress sites don’t allow e-commerce. I used a service at first, but later switched to another site I built."

        Were you selling your ebooks from your blog or sending your blog visitors to a website with a sales letter for your ebooks?

        How were you taking payments? PayPal?

        I got these 2 questions answered from your site too. You've changed the way you did things in the beginning. What are you doing now to integrate the traffic with the blog, with the sales letter, with the payment processor, with the download delivery? How do you accomplish all that?

        Thank you so much for sharing,

        Dan
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        • Profile picture of the author CWSusan
          Hi Friends,

          I will answer the questions in the next couple days. My computer is having some troubles and I had to take it to the shop (power board needs replacing). I am on a backup system, but also really behind in work. I do commit to answer all the questions posted, so please be patient and check back.

          I hoe only success for you!
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        • Profile picture of the author daddyoh
          Hi CW,

          Way to go! Congratulations!

          If it's not asking too much, I had a question or two (or three) that would really help me and others:

          You wrote: "And because I had a blog format, the backend of the blog allowed me to see the key words people were using in the search engines. I could see what the readers wanted and then give it to them."

          What program are you using to track visitor keywords? Google Analytics?

          How are you getting traffic to your blog?


          You wrote: "10. I had to Mickey Mouse the sales pages because the free WordPress sites don't allow e-commerce. I used a service at first, but later switched to another site I built."

          Were you selling your ebooks from your blog or sending your blog visitors to a website with a sales letter for your ebooks?

          You've changed the way you did things in the beginning. What are you doing now to integrate the traffic with the blog, with the sales letter, with the payment processor, with the download delivery? How do you accomplish all that?

          Thank you so much for sharing,

          Dan
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    • Profile picture of the author CWSusan
      Hi friends,

      Because I was up against a wall, I didn't have the choice to give up. I had to push forward. I invested a lot of time and I was lasered-in on getting the blog set up, the ebooks written and the traffic to my site.

      While I am not yet independently wealthy (that will come) I still use other techniques (rather than fear) to keep my focused. I find the best thing is to just set aside a block of time and make sure I complete the most important goals for the day. It is so easy to get distracted. But distraction = meager results.

      There are so many opportunities in this business, but sometimes as newbies, we try to find the golden key by trying all kinds of strategies. The truth is we have the golden key in our beings -- and that is focus.

      So what I know for sure now is to pick a strategy. Learn how to do it from gurus and/or teachers you can trust and who have proven reputations (talk is cheap) and then follow their advice to the letter. Only alter their strategies if you absolutely have to because of the nuances of your niche or product. Or, after you have used their strategy and are then just fine tuning it for your business.

      The KISS method has been around a long time because it works. It worked for me and it can work for you, too.

      I hope only success for you in all you do!
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      • Profile picture of the author statnow
        What a story!

        I have all ways want a store of my own. So I made Easy Mall, an Internet store. I changed the name a few time, but the content was the same until I ask for help on the forum. The advice I got put me # 1 on Google for Easy Mall. But I had no traffic so I am pushing for more traffic. After reading your story I believe it is just a matter of time when my Easy Mall will get 1000s of visitors. All that is needed is for one person to buy one thing

        Thanks for the post
        George

        By the way I am 64 years old and a grandpa
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      • Profile picture of the author tommyfocus
        Originally Posted by SusanUSA View Post

        Hi friends,

        Because I was up against a wall, I didn't have the choice to give up. I had to push forward. I invested a lot of time and I was lasered-in on getting the blog set up, the ebooks written and the traffic to my site.

        While I am not yet independently wealthy (that will come) I still use other techniques (rather than fear) to keep my focused. I find the best thing is to just set aside a block of time and make sure I complete the most important goals for the day. It is so easy to get distracted. But distraction = meager results.

        There are so many opportunities in this business, but sometimes as newbies, we try to find the golden key by trying all kinds of strategies. The truth is we have the golden key in our beings -- and that is focus.

        So what I know for sure now is to pick a strategy. Learn how to do it from gurus and/or teachers you can trust and who have proven reputations (talk is cheap) and then follow their advice to the letter. Only alter their strategies if you absolutely have to because of the nuances of your niche or product. Or, after you have used their strategy and are then just fine tuning it for your business.

        The KISS method has been around a long time because it works. It worked for me and it can work for you, too.

        I hope only success for you in all you do!
        Great story about the power of focus!!!
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    • Profile picture of the author zoobie
      ok... good! well internet business is just other business needs dedication and
      working hard but most orginal persons are lazy and they just want to get rich quick!
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      • Profile picture of the author jhongren
        Originally Posted by zoobie View Post

        ok... good! well internet business is just other business needs dedication and
        working hard but most orginal persons are lazy and they just want to get rich quick!
        This is not uncommon. Many come in, read the posts and kills the idea instantly in their mind.

        So much work? Scam? ... blah blah blah...

        Many are also burnt because they keep on buying and buying, hope to find the magic scroll which will bring them instant riches.
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        • Profile picture of the author philipdwyer
          That is so true. The real reason why 95% of marketers fail is because they do not have dedication to success and are looking for that 1 great system that they can buy into and then do nothing while expecting to make 5 figures.

          I do not know any business owner that ever thought that when opening up their own brick and mortar company. Just think where one would be if one had the same mentality after opening up a $500,000 business.
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          Philip Dwyer
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  • Profile picture of the author ShayB
    Thank you so much for sharing this. It has given me a lot of hope and inspiration.

    I will be visiting the bookstore today for a copy of that book!
    Signature
    "Fate protects fools, little children, and ships called Enterprise." ~Commander Riker
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    • Profile picture of the author CWSusan
      Originally Posted by Shay60654 View Post

      Thank you so much for sharing this. It has given me a lot of hope and inspiration.

      I will be visiting the bookstore today for a copy of that book!
      Hi Shay,

      I wanted to mention that the book was what turned me toward Internet Marketing, but didn't necessarily give me the strategies for being successful with writing eBooks or getting traffic to my sight. Those were eBooks I purchased from experienced Internet marketers. You can get more detail on what I used by clicking on my signature link.

      I hope the very best for you! Thanks for the post.
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      • Profile picture of the author ShayB
        Thank you for that clarification!

        I may hold off on the book and purchase a WSO or two I have had my eye on instead.
        Signature
        "Fate protects fools, little children, and ships called Enterprise." ~Commander Riker
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  • Profile picture of the author gonzalez
    That was some great motivation. Thanks for sharing your story.
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  • Profile picture of the author Norma Holt
    Susan you accomplished in days what some have never done after years of research and trying. Well done and thank you for sharing.
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  • Profile picture of the author mycupoverflows
    Cool. I will have to try it.
    ------------------------------------------------
    The Cash Gifting Review
    Get the untold facts and truth here
    See Why People Succeed With US.
    http://www.mycupoverflows.net

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  • Profile picture of the author mycupoverflows
    What a story. Just one word. AMAZING
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    • Profile picture of the author CWSusan
      Originally Posted by mycupoverflows View Post

      What a story. Just one word. AMAZING
      Amazing grace!

      I added the energy and the hours of input. But I know for sure this was a sweet blessing to me.

      Thanks to everyone for your nice words. I so want others to be successful in all they do, and as Internet Marketers, many of us just getting started, there are many hurdles to overcome. But there is no question that there are many ways to make money on the Internet. We just need to chose one or two good strategies and then do the work. It's not a quick fix, but it also is not brain surgery. The main thing is to focus on the goal using one or two proven strategies.

      I hope the best for you!
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  • Profile picture of the author CWSusan
    I am new to this business, so I am not the best one to answer this questions. However, my suggestion would be to get into affiliate marketing. It's a field where you can find products on ClickBank and then put in some good quality time drawing traffic.

    Search this forum for information about affiliate marketing . . .

    Sorry I can' t be of more assistance -
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  • Profile picture of the author Gunter Eibl
    Great motivating story. Thanks for sharing!

    Gunter
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  • Profile picture of the author thenoob
    It's so impressed ! Your storie encourage me a lot ! Keep us updated . Best wishes for you !
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  • Profile picture of the author CWSusan
    Hi DaddyOh,

    I used WordPress. The dashboard on WordPress gives blog stats and these show which words people used to reach my blog. I also kept track using Google Analytics so I could see what other key words I might be missing.

    You can see more about how I got traffic to my page by clicking on my link. It wasn't just one strategy, but several that were part of a traffic strategy.

    My blog had all the sales information on it. Then people would click on the purchase option when sent them to a service that completed the transaction. When I could afford it, I set up a shopping cart program on another web site that I had built for me. The service I used was good, but when I was selling so many eBooks, the cost of the service no longer made sense. So the shopping cart program takes care of everything, including the delivery of the PDF files.

    The shopping cart system was part of a different web site that I hired a great programmer to build using Joomla. He is a saint, works for reasonable money, and really knows what he is doing!

    I hope this helps! I hope the best for you in your business.
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    • Profile picture of the author jj88
      Banned
      [DELETED]
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      • Profile picture of the author CWSusan
        Originally Posted by jj88 View Post

        Hi Susan

        >>> You mentioned Wordpress do not allow e-commerce. I was about to use Wordpress as my first commercial blog as I heard that blogspot has some limitation.

        I hope you could share what meant do not allow e-commerce.. Is it do not allow Paypal? Thanks.
        There are two "levels" of WordPress. One is free, the other is a small fee. I used the free version that uses their servers. The paid version is on your hosted site.

        There are limitations to the free version, mainly in scripts that are not allowed. I don't undertstand a lot about all this. But I do know that the scripts I needed for the PayPal transactions are not allowed. It's not specifically PayPal, but rather the scripts.

        You can use the paid version and run the scripts, and then you still get all the benefits from WordPress.

        I hope this helps . . . I do encourage you to seek the advice of someone in this forum who knows more about the techie stuff than I know. They will be of more help to you.
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        • Profile picture of the author daddyoh
          Susan,

          Just wanted to thank you for your answers to my question above
          and for all the time you're spending here answering the other questions!

          You are providing an invaluable service to us Warriors by sharing your story
          and teaching us some excellent techniques!

          May it come back to you in a wonderful way,

          Dan
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        • Profile picture of the author BillGrosh
          Originally Posted by SusanUSA View Post

          There are two "levels" of WordPress. One is free, the other is a small fee. I used the free version that uses their servers. The paid version is on your hosted site.

          There are limitations to the free version, mainly in scripts that are not allowed. I don't undertstand a lot about all this. But I do know that the scripts I needed for the PayPal transactions are not allowed. It's not specifically PayPal, but rather the scripts.

          You can use the paid version and run the scripts, and then you still get all the benefits from WordPress.

          I hope this helps . . . I do encourage you to seek the advice of someone in this forum who knows more about the techie stuff than I know. They will be of more help to you.
          Actually, both versions of WordPress are free. The first version is hosted by WordPress, and has more restrictions. If the blog you set up with them is seen as overly commercial, they'll probably delete it. So it's not as good for affiliate marketers, for example. (I think Blogger is more friendly for this.)

          The other version has no such restrictions. You just have to host it on your own site. So you need to pay for a domain and hosting account. But not for WordPress itself. Look for a host that has Fantastico on it. It will install WordPress automatically for you.

          Bill
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  • Profile picture of the author CWSusan
    Thanks for your kind words, Dan. I am a firm believer in sowing and reaping and I offering help in any way I can. I'm glad you found the information useful.

    Be blessed in all you do I hope great success for your Internet Marketing business.

    Susan
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  • Profile picture of the author primeelite
    No offense but this is just a sales page on a forum to get people to buy the ebooks she is promoting and probably has not sold many of.
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    • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
      Originally Posted by primeelite View Post

      No offense but this is just a sales page on a forum to get people to buy the ebooks she is promoting and probably has not sold many of.
      Just wondering what you mean . . .

      I guess you are new here. The truth is lots of seasoned warriors have checked out my site and my claims and have found them to be totally true. I wrote this post to encourage people like me. If someone is willing to invest effort and time . . . and follow a good strategy, then this business can create a good income. I know because that's what it's done for me. I was totally broke and Internet Marketing pulled me out of the dumps.

      I used one strategy and learned how to get traffic to my site. But there are also some really great strategies offered on WSO forum.
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    • Profile picture of the author Dixiebelle
      Originally Posted by primeelite View Post

      No offense but this is just a sales page on a forum to get people to buy the ebooks she is promoting and probably has not sold many of.

      I'm sure everyone can see that you are new here. You're obviously not learning anything from this thread, so why are you still hanging around?

      Susan is furnishing those who want to learn, valuable information that can help them either get started, or further their business. I am not a newbie, but have still gained new insights that will help my business.

      I wish you luck with whomever you decide will be of help to you. That's what this forum is all about.

      Dixie
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  • Profile picture of the author writergirlk
    I love this story - congratulations on your success and thanks for the inspiration!
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    • Profile picture of the author datereally
      Please give me your blog link so I can visit. I also want to buy those two ebooks you have written. Please give me your sales page link.

      Thanks
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      • Profile picture of the author roversierr
        Hi Susan
        From a complete newbie I salute your success and wish you continued luck in your future endeavours.
        kind regards
        John
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      • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
        Originally Posted by datereally View Post

        Please give me your blog link so I can visit. I also want to buy those two ebooks you have written. Please give me your sales page link.

        Thanks
        You can go to the site where I tell more of my story and there you will find my methods. You can find that at How I Made $12K in 5 weeks on my 1st try!.

        My blog is not for Internet Marketing. It's a totally different niche and directed to a "micro-niche" at that.

        I don' think it would be of interest to you.

        I hope only success for you!
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        • Profile picture of the author datereally
          Originally Posted by SusanUSA View Post

          You can go to the site where I tell more of my story and there you will find my methods. You can find that at How I Made $12K in 5 weeks on my 1st try!.

          My blog is not for Internet Marketing. It's a totally different niche and directed to a "micro-niche" at that.

          I don' think it would be of interest to you.

          I hope only success for you!
          Is there any problem to show your blog? Why are you hiding your successful blog which is responsible for making $12,000? Or is it your any type of weakness? How will we understand that you are not just promoting some affiliate products with your so called success story? We haven't seen your products and blogs yet and you are always hiding it from us. It doesn't matter what niche that is, we want to see it.
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          • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
            Originally Posted by datereally View Post

            Is there any problem to show your blog? Why are you hiding your successful blog which is responsible for making $12,000? Or is it your any type of weakness? How will we understand that you are not just promoting some affiliate products with your so called success story? We haven't seen your products and blogs yet and you are always hiding it from us. It doesn't matter what niche that is, we want to see it.
            Hi again,

            I see by the number of posts that you are new to the Warrior Forum. Perhaps you also are new to Internet Marketing. The reason I don't advertise my blog is there are literally thieves that lurk sites like the Warrior Forum so they can hack successful sites. Also, there are ways to steal traffic that could totally wipe out my sales. That's a very real risk.

            As you read more posts, especially those written by very successful Internet marketers, you will see that they don't share this kind of information on an open forum like this. It's a very private matter because it's like publishing the access information to your bank account.

            With that said, I have shared my blog site with many people on this forum whom I trust. They can verify my success and have shared that I am being truthful with others on the Warrior Forum. They are the same Internet professionals who tell me it is essential to keep my information private.

            I can understand that you may consider my success "unbelievable." But it's the absolute truth. I am a believer in miracles, the Author of the law of attraction, and in the power of focused work. These all contributed to my success . . . along with following the advice of some very successful professionals who know a whole lot more about this business than I.

            You can send a PM to me with information as to why you are trustworthy to receive the address of my blog and I would be happy to share it with you! I don't have anything to hide from credible people. But in the same way that you don't know me . . . I don't know you. So help me see why I should trust you with this valuable information and I will be happy to show you my blog. Fair enough?
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            • Profile picture of the author ShayB
              Susan -

              Just looked in on this thread to read your story again. It gets better each time and it puts a smile on my face.

              Thank you again for sharing it with us.
              Signature
              "Fate protects fools, little children, and ships called Enterprise." ~Commander Riker
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  • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
    Hi Newbies,

    Thanks for the great comments. I have been very blessed. The sales for my books are still doing okay, even though it was seasonal material. I am very thankful and now working on getting some other steams of income.

    Let me say one thing for sure - this is a not a get rich quick business and it is not one that takes no work. Granted, I really did well when I first started. That's because I had a great niche that was very hungry for information, I got great advice from the authors of the instructional eBooks I purchased, and I invested hours and hours of my time writing and writing and writing.

    I now "pretend" as if I am back in school learning a new trade, except this in "one the job training." I am working hard to make sure I have sustainable monthly income. That's my next goal and I am now building more sites and following other strategies I've learned from successful people on this forum.

    This is a business that can work, but you have to be willing to stay focused and invest your time, talent and a few dollars. Remember, that successful people do what the unsuccessful people are not willing to do.

    Get focused . . . invest in some proven methods taught by successful Internet marketers . . . and then do what they say! You will get results!
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  • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
    Hi Jerry,

    I will send you a PM . . . Thanks for this post . . . and you can be assured that I will be trustworthy with anything you share with me!

    SusanUSA
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  • Profile picture of the author Rick McCombs
    Susan,

    You are a inspiration! Thank you for posting that. It was just what I needed to get back in gear.
    Signature

    \"Person who say something cannot be done, should not interrupt person doing it.\"

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  • Profile picture of the author Bayo
    Well done and thanks for such an inspiring story!

    I agree with a gem mentioned in the responses that FOCUS is the key supported by ACTION.

    With these 2 key ingredients, everyone can create their own success in information and internet marketing.
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  • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
    Hey Warriors,

    Thanks so much for all your great words. I do hope this can be inspirational. I know there is amazing power in focus and staying on task. I now am building a couple more sites to use on some other niches. I still service my customers and will soon start to write some other eBooks to sell to them.

    My goal is to have at least $5000 of consistent monthly income from my Internet marketing efforts. My blog provides some of that consistently, but I want to make sure I have multiple steams of Internet income.

    This is a great business. I love that I can sit in my living room, look out at the gorgeous surround hills, and write all day long AND GET PAID FOR IT!

    Life is good!

    I hope only success for you!
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  • Profile picture of the author Sid Kaplan
    Susan, just had to take a moment to say how inspiring I found your story but more important how you respond to people. Your caring comes through with beams of light.

    You have been clear and forthright about focus and hard work which combined with belief and faith fashioned your success.

    I think you have a coaching ebook in you just waiting to come out.

    Much more success.

    Sid
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  • Profile picture of the author Storyteller
    Susan, your post has truly inspired me. Thank you so much. I hope you will write more in the future on your path to success. Maybe another ebook.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jacqueline Watson
    For any of us who may believe
    that it can't be done...you've
    proved that it can be done
    with persistance and belief.

    Thank you!
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  • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
    I am sure you've heard the saying, "Successful people are those who are willing to do what others are not willing to do."

    That is so true in this business! The truth is, more than 80 percent of the people who buy WSOs, instructional eBooks and how-to books never read them . . . and if they don read them, they don't act and put the information into practice.

    We've all done it! I know I have. I have more books than I want to devulge that I have not implemented. BUT, when I do implement the good and proven practices of successful gurus, I am successful.

    Another thing is that most of us are creative-types. So we keep trying to build a better mousetrap (you might be to young to know that old cliche). So we spend hours of time, lots of $$ and huge effort on building the better mousetrap, only to find that buyers are just as happy with the old one . . . and if we would just set up a great little site and sell the good old original version, we would make a lot of money!

    Keep it simple. Do the work. Follow what the gurus say . . . and success is sure to come. At least that's been my experience!
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    • Profile picture of the author gamefreak
      Inspiring. Thanks for sharing your method.
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      • Profile picture of the author diva3106
        Very inspiring indeed...thanks for sharing : )
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  • Profile picture of the author ThomasW
    This is a very interesting thread. There is no reason to doubt what you say, but it does provide an interesting way to make money for someone. Post an inspiring story about making several thousand dollars with a blog and a couple ebooks - but don't tell anyone how to order the books, or visit the blog. Send them to your sig link and have a good story and a picture and promote affiliate products on that page. Very interesting and unique model I must say.
    Good for you!
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    • Profile picture of the author Sid Kaplan
      Thomas, I have seen Susan's work, and her blog and she is very legitimate and most interested in telling her story to inspire and motivate others to do the same. She is proud of hauling herself up to the IM challenge and making it happen.

      I am not affiliated with her products or her site, I just like the fact that she is doing this to serve others - what her blog and books are about is irrelevant.

      She wants to protect her niche and all she has worked for and unfortunately not all who visit this forum are squeaky clean!

      Folks, I only know Susan from this forum but I applaud her courage to bring her story forward. You are free to think she is only promoting her affiliates but remember you don't have to click on the links or buy...you have the power...LOL

      I for one am interested in seeing her succeed and motivate others to do the same. It is called paying it forward.

      Much success to all.
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  • Profile picture of the author ThomasW
    My apologies. I thoroughly agree with you and congratulate Susan. I mean that sincerely!

    I was only commenting that would be a unique way to have an affiliate site.

    Susan has inspired me to get to work on my own ambitions and she is refreshing and inspirational. No offense to you Susan at all!

    That's what happens to me when I get inspired and have a money making idea at the same time!

    May your life continue to be blessed!
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  • Profile picture of the author keithakin
    You give me hope!!! I am also in the middle of writing stuff about a subject close to my heart. I intend to finish up my first ebook by next thursday afternoon!

    I'll let you know the results that I get . . . and what were the two ebooks that got you started? I too bought an ebook on traffic and one on writing ebooks.

    Great minds think alike!

    And God Bless!
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  • Profile picture of the author domodomo
    Congrat! and thanks for sharing your great story.
    You belive in yourself, focus what you want, took action and got results.
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  • Profile picture of the author garyt
    Yep, sounds like a cleverly disguised sales pitch. Please tell me I am wrong...
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    • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
      Originally Posted by garyt View Post

      Yep, sounds like a cleverly disguised sales pitch. Please tell me I am wrong...
      Hi Gary . . . You're wrong

      Each person reading this thread has the choice to believe my results or not . . . several trusted Warriors have seen my blog, can see that I now have more than 612,000 hits, more than 100 pages of content, and close to 2000 comments, more than 500 back links and #1 in Google for this niche. This traffic has resulted in sales . . .

      So, why do I not just tell everyone on the Warrior Forum my blog address? Becasue it isn't safe. Just read this post left only a few days ago by a seasoned Warrior:

      http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...ed-advice.html

      Tina's husband's gmail account was hacked and the thief (who came from the Warrior Forum) tapped into their PayPal account and stripped it clean of all funds. The thief also stole their members and caused them a great deal of stress.

      I do understand why my results might seem "unbelieveable." I can't count how often I thank God for my "unbelievable" results. But I know the truth . . . I stumbled upon a very ripe micro niche - I followed the steps of teachers that know a whole lot more about this business than I do - and I was blessed!

      If you don't want to believe this story, that's okay. Just click away. If you do want to believe it, please receive it as intended -- to inspire those who are in my same shoes: just beginning, a bit intimidated the the process, and not knowing where to start when ther are so many options. My desire is to pass on hope by showing you that success can be yours!

      BTW, the little and very simple site I put together to give more detail about what I did and the products I used came long after I originally posted this thread. The thread was originally on the old forum. You can go back and check it out if you so desire. So many warriors asked me for more information, that I threw together a quick site. That's all it is. Are there affiliate links? Yes . . . of course there are. After all, we are Internet Marketers. But there is no log-in, I only list the products I've used and a couple that I've researched, but mostly, I tell me story. Again, take a look or not . . . it's all up to you. The choice is yours and while I hope you are inspired by my success so that it can lead to yours . . . I have nothing to lose or gain by your reaction. It's all up to you . . .

      Be blessed and truly, I only hope success for you!

      P.S. I did share my blog address with Sid (see his post above) and a few others. Sid, thanks for your comment . . . I appreciate that you took the time to write. All is well. I am at peace and life if good!
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  • Profile picture of the author johnpetrov
    Thank you Susan For Sharing your story with us.

    Don't be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves. ~ Dale Carnegie Quote
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  • Profile picture of the author blue-ego
    hi Susan,
    great story, what can I say...Congrats!
    5 weeks - that's really impressive
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  • Amazing I read your story and download your links, keep going, 12,000.00 in 5 weeks was great for you, I wish you all the best.
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    Rock,Blues Guitarist GW Williams - Free Internet Guitar information on new guitars,top brand strings,Guitar Lessons,tab,chords,lead guitar,hot licks,lead scales,guitar tips,and techniques all Free

    Online Christian Blog Living For God Online
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  • Profile picture of the author ThomasW
    Believe it or not. No one can prove it either way. This is the first time in the year that I have been involved with internet marketing that a person had a great success story and doesn't want to promote her blog, or sell her product to anyone reading this!

    It's the simplest,most successful strategy that I have seen to date. Curiosity and the desire to believe that the story is true has created quite a windfall for this person. It shows the power of striking those 2 chords in people.

    Thank you for the lesson. I don't even care if it's true or not!
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    • Profile picture of the author Sid Kaplan
      Originally Posted by ThomasW View Post

      Believe it or not. No one can prove it either way. This is the first time in the year that I have been involved with internet marketing that a person had a great success story and doesn't want to promote her blog, or sell her product to anyone reading this!

      It's the simplest,most successful strategy that I have seen to date. Curiosity and the desire to believe that the story is true has created quite a windfall for this person. It shows the power of striking those 2 chords in people.

      Thank you for the lesson. I don't even care if it's true or not!
      Thomas, as I said earlier (and I am not an affiliate), I have seen her work and what she is saying is true.

      At the very least if all Susan did was show you a new way to market - great - but her intention was to motivate and excite people to get started. No one has to buy or click on anything here or at the link if they don't want to.

      And Susan doesn't need me to defend her...LOL I think everyone here is free to take away what they want to. There are many who are taking away motivation and that is a good thing.

      Much success to you.

      Sid
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  • Profile picture of the author natalie1
    Thank you for the inspirational story. Your experience proves that it can be done without breaking the bank and in a niche that promotes making money.
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  • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
    Thanks everyone for your positive comments. I hope those who have been inspired take my example as something that will cause you to take ACTION.

    One thing I know for sure is tapping into a hungry niche is essential to great monetization. That's what I was able to do, even though I didn't know it at the time. I just started writing about something that was very important to me and close to my heart. I also knew at the time that a lot of other people had the subject on their mind.

    For example, right now in the news - the economic crisis in the United States is at the top of the news. And even with the proposed bailout, millions of families are still facing foreclosure. Did you read that word? MILLIONS. If a sharp Internet marketer could write a quality and informative eBook about How To Avoid a Foreclusure in the Midst of the US Economic Crisis -- then sell it for an affordable price, get a lot of traffic to the site . . . then s/he could easily duplicate my results. Just the math shows it since you would only need a fraction of this hungry niche (more then a MILLION people facing foreclosure NOW) to buy from you and you have success! Plus, you are helping people who are really desperate.

    Oh, what a great idea . . . maybe I've just come up with the idea for my next blog/eBook/success! I need to run . . . sorry to rush off, I think I have some work to do
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    • Profile picture of the author ShayB
      Susan -

      This post has inspired me more than you will ever know.
      Signature
      "Fate protects fools, little children, and ships called Enterprise." ~Commander Riker
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  • Profile picture of the author greyhatter
    Excellent story - very inspiring and well written. I'm working on a very similar site myself (but not on the URL/blog in my signature).
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  • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
    Hi Jonathan,

    I know about having a hard time staying focused. I think it's especially hard for those of us who love to learn, explore and see what's happening! For me, writing my goals and then writing action steps is the thing that helps me the most.

    I try to create a list every day and then "enslave myself" to the list. Sometimes I have to have little talks with myself to keep on track. The reality, is that when I do my list I reach success. When I don't follow the list, I am just tredding water! I prefer success!

    As I write this message I am focusing on just two project that I want to take to the next step. I am determined to finish them before I move on. So targeting projects and then focusing on them is one of the ways I overcome my issues!

    I hope this helps! Here's to success and gettin' er done!
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    • Profile picture of the author dreamzgold
      Your success story is really inspiring. The main thing is focus on what u r doing. Many of us including me turns out attention to various things and thereby losing the main thing 'focus'.

      Thanks for sharing....
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  • Profile picture of the author Bizmind
    Hi Auntie Susan..

    I like the way you succeed. By producing your own
    products, E-Book. I would like to do the same but I
    have 2 problems which are:

    [1] My writing ability as I am not from English based country so talking and writing in English, I am bad at that. Do you have suggestion on how I can write as good as you? Sometime when we have language problem, we will tend to write different things compare to what we are thinking to deliver. And also my grammar and vocabulary are bad.

    [2] I am easily distracted. Whenever I see new offer, I tend try it and leave behind what I presently do.

    But still, I really want to make living online.
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  • Profile picture of the author Bizmind
    I visited your site and wondering whether you design your website your own or hired somebody to do it for you?
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  • Profile picture of the author Devin T
    Awesome story Susan. It's hearing things like this from real people like you that help to inspire me!
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  • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
    Hi Warriors,

    I have not been on the Forum for a while, so I apologize for not responding to some of these questions. I will do so later today . . . as I am now rushing out to a meeting.

    One question I will answer is 'Yes,' I did design that little site. I use a simple little program that is great. It's created by Site Spinner and if you visit my site and click on the link you can get a free 30 day trial. It's well worth it. It's one of the best programs for the novice that I have ever come across.

    More later, friends. Hang in there as this economic shaking takes place. Stay positive, hopeful and keep your eyes on your goals!
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    • Profile picture of the author Bizmind
      Hmm.. Site Spinner ya..
      I did saw it at your site.
      Never tried it before, but I
      guess I should. There are
      methods that I learn about
      how to be successful, either
      we become a GREAT CREATER
      or GREAT COPIER which the
      latter one is a lot easier to do.
      ^_^
      (Provided, we understand what
      we are copying)
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  • Profile picture of the author Orion777
    I enjoyed your story and the step-by-step "how you did it". Most people want to "get rich" in 24 hours, when in actuality, it takes a little time. Five weeks is not such a long time to build a consistent income. It only seems like a long time if bill collectors are hounding you. I tell people to have a real job to keep the bills paid and work online part-time till they make enough consistently to quit their day job. I know someone in the town I live in who worked in a coal mine, and worked part-time on the Internet 3 years ago. Right now he is making $10,000 a week on the Internet without hardly doing a thing. It took him some time to get to that point, but he has arrived. He found a hot niche and was persistent and focused. He did not go to ballgames or out on dates, etc. He lived frugally and every dime he made went back into his business.
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  • Profile picture of the author Clari Ng
    i WANNA be your grandson!
    joking...
    haha i would like to learn from you... inspiring and insight enlightening post!
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  • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
    Orion,

    What a great post. Thank you so much! You are right on!

    In today's world of "instant" everything and so many choices, one must swim against the current to be patient and persistent! But it pays off! I do believe I reached my success by choosing one system and sticking to it until I experienced success. I didn't invest a lot of money, but rather time, talent and energy. All three of these commodities pay high dividends!

    Be blessed and thanks again for taking the time to write.
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  • Profile picture of the author DirectoryKing
    have you built up on your list
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    • Profile picture of the author Bizmind
      I will surely follow your path to create success online.
      Now I am in the process of creating my own ebook
      and website. Thanks for the inspiration and motivation.
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  • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
    Directory King,

    I do have a list of almost 2000 buyers of my eBooks. Next week I hope to complete another eBook, which I will market to them. The subject will be slightly different, but it will still be targeted to the psychographics of this audience.

    I also believe I can build another list with my new eBook. I will do a few things differently with this new book. I learned a lot in the process of my first time around!

    Thanks and I hope only success for you!
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    • Profile picture of the author Bizmind
      May I ask how you arrange the topics and subtopics inside your ebook?
      I want to write this ebook but am a bit confused about which arrangement is the best... T_T.. Because of this matter, I am slower in progress..
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  • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
    Hi Bizmind,

    I use a process called "mind mapping." I just use a pad and paper (I've been a writer for many years and started using this process before computer systems for it were created). Google "mind mapping" to see examples since it would be too hard to explain using this post. Here is one: Mind map - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    I just "dump my thoughts" onto the paper in categories/bubbles. Then I write my draft using the "groupings." I write the draft and just keep everything in order, then massage the copy over and over again until I feel satisfied.

    Keep your reader at the forfront in your mind. What is most important to them? I always ask myself four questions before I start to write . . . and I acutally write down the answers:

    1. What do they (the readers) want to know?
    2. What do I want them to know?
    3. What do I want them to feel?
    4. What do I want them to do?

    Then I make sure that I cover each element in my copy. For example, if I want my readers to "feel" that I'm an expert, then I need to have copy that shows them I know what I'm talking about.

    I hope this helps!
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  • Profile picture of the author Sid Kaplan
    Hi Susan

    Thanks for that gift. I had not heard of "mind mapping" before and it sounds very constructive. Your four point program has been put on a post it note on my computer :-)

    Folks this is a lady who talks the talk and walks the walk and I for one am grateful for her lessons.

    Much success to all.

    Sid
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    • Profile picture of the author Bizmind
      Thanks Susan..
      It was really helpful..
      At least, now I know what
      should I do before start to write
      about the content.

      Previously I would jump into writing
      and got stuck in the middle of writing
      process because of "no idea"..
      T_T

      Oh ya, forgot to ask about the,
      "What the readers want to know?".
      Actually how can we know what people
      wants to read?

      Thanks again,

      I hope I can finished my ebook..
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  • Profile picture of the author Heman Patel
    Very inspiring, thank you for sharing your story.
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  • Profile picture of the author Devan Koshal
    Originally Posted by SusanUSA View Post

    I am reposting this thread on the updated forum as there were so many newbies that profited by my experience.
    I am writing this message to all the rookies like me! Well, now that I think about it, you are probably not like me. I am a 57-year-old grandmother who lives on a tiny farm in the middle of a cow field in Central Washington.

    Anyway, last December I was financially desperate. I won't tell you my whole sob story, but the bottom line is that I was out of money and still had $1000s of bills to pay each month!

    So I had to reinvent myself. I had been in real estate investing and when the bottom dropped out of the market, it took all my financial resources with it.

    I started reading Your Portable Empire by Pat O'Bryan and that's when I decided to try Internet Marketing.

    So I bought a couple eBooks that taught me what to do . . . and I started. I followed the writers' advice to the letter. One of the eBooks was about writing eBooks and the other was about getting traffic to your site.

    Here is my encouragement to you! I had never done this before! I was a writer and I had a laptop, but that's about as much as I could bring to the table. On top of it, I had very little money! So I had to make things happen with a minimal investment!

    I ended up spending less than $100, wrote and started selling two eBooks of my own . . . and within just over 5 weeks, I made more than $12,000. What I've since learned is that this is even more amazing since the two eBooks I wrote and I sold were both priced at under $10 each.

    Here is what I did:

    1. I found a niche
    2. I built a free WordPress blog
    3. I created a Squidoo page and pointed it to my blog.
    4. I wrote about the subject and created about 10 posts. I kept adding more and more content throughout the process.
    5. I wrote my first eBook and priced it at a very low and affordable price.
    6. I contacted about 10 other site owners who wrote about the same subject and asked them to link to my site. Two of them agreed.
    7. I wrote another eBook and priced it under $10.
    8. I kept adding more and more content and I answered emails and comments from readers ASAP.
    9. Within in a few weeks, I was on page 1 of Google
    10. I had to Mickey Mouse the sales pages because the free WordPress sites don't allow e-commerce. I used a service at first, but later switched to another site I built.
    11. I stayed focused and from the time the sales started coming in pretty well . . . to five weeks later - I made more than $12,000!

    So now that I've had this first experience, I am totally convinced that focused work and determination can create an income through Internet Marketing. Truly, I just wrote about a subject close to my heart. I sold to common men and women who were looking for information - not internet information, but information to help them in their lives.

    I tried to be honest, respectful and give excellent customer service to everyone who contacted me. Now I am working on ways to sell more products to my more than 1400 buyers!

    There is still a lot I don't know. I love this forum and especially value it for all the advice and tips people share. I'm excited about the future and encourage each of you reading this post to stay focused, spend your money wisely on good quality tools, and BEGIN!

    If a grandma living in the middle of a cow field in Central Washington can make $12,000 in just over 5 weeks on her first Internet Marketing offer, then anybody can who is willing to follow the same or similar steps for success! I know that to be true!

    Be blessed as you work to reach your goals!
    Nice, im going to follow in your exact footsteps and see what happens
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    • Profile picture of the author bobsstuff
      Hi Susan,
      I have a "THINK SUSAN" not on my white board.........but for another Susan.

      Any way, an inspiring story. Glad to see it is a little older and yet you are still here answering questions.

      I have one. How big (# of words) were your ebooks?
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      Bob Hale
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  • Profile picture of the author Jo_Shua
    This has to be one of my favorite success stories I have heard to date!

    Susan, I am going to sit my Mother down, who is a grandmother too, and encourage her to read your testimonial. As you were, she too is in a financial hardship and I know that she could do the same as you if she wishes to try.

    Great testimony!
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    • Profile picture of the author Bizmind
      FOCUS + CONSISTENCY = SUCCESS!
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  • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
    I love this Internet marketing business! While I'm not where I want to be, I've still left the station. And as I write these words, I'm sitting in the Mexico sun looking down at the lovely ocean and up at the the blue sky! Life is so good.

    Meanwhile, I am making money with my eBook sales . . . starting to write another eBook, and spending a little time each day studying the business. I am also feeling blessed that as the economy tanks and job losses soar - I am in a business where we can react quickly and give a hungry audience what they want to eat!

    BTW, I was reading a marketing book by Dan Kennedy (and others) and it contained a valuable lesson. It said, "Don't try to feed brocolli to the fish." In other words, give your hungry audience what they want to eat, not what YOU think is good for them. The book also stressed the critical need for a hungry audience . . . and that's where to start. Not with a product, not with a great idea. But instead, find a hungry audience, learn what they want, and then feed it to them!

    While I didn't realize it at the time, that is what I did. I discovered a very hungry audience (actually, I was a member of that audience) and I wrote a book about a subject that they had a great desire to know.

    I am now searching for several other "hungry audiences" so I can develop my multiple streams of Internet income. Actually, I want multiple RIVERS, but I'll start with the streams.

    Be blessed amigos! Adios!
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  • Profile picture of the author lucrie
    Nice, Nice, Grandma story really sounds like a well written sales pitch, nevertheless it is still very encouraging! I'm going ahead to create a blog just like you did and see what happens. But, how many post did you have to post up every week? That would help... Thanks grandma, your story is really inspirational!
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  • Profile picture of the author mbealmear
    WOW! Congrats...your story is amazing. And it is so great to hear someone say they are in the Christian market or whatnot...so maby these dasy are just in this life for themselves not even recognizing how big the world really is and how we are never alone in our struggles.
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  • Profile picture of the author Sid Kaplan
    GRANNY? ....LOL

    Have you not heard that 50's is the new 30? Susan has more energy than any two 30 year old folks I know. LOL

    Respectfully

    Old Geezer Sid
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  • Profile picture of the author ZenTraveler
    Thank you so much Susan! This is truly inspirational. It's interesting that I came across this entry altogether. My goal is $12,000 in eight weeks when I return to Thailand to be with my girlfriend.

    I read Pat O'Bryan's Your Portable Empire twice, Timothy Ferriss' Four Hour Work Week and Dr. Joe Vitale's The Attractor Factor. Along with Robert Kiyosaki's Rich Dad, Poor Dad, they're the main books I keep and highly recommend each one.

    I'm checking out your website now. I agree that FOCUS is the hardest thing for a new Internet Marketer; especially a Gemini personality. I keep studying/learning so many facets of Internet Marketing without actually just implementing a single system and earning money. I like your reference to the KISS method. Thanks again for posting.

    Peace and Blessings,
    ZenTraveler
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  • Profile picture of the author Judith Tramayne
    Congrats! I too live in Central Washington and it's a great place to stay focused! Nothing else to do (LOL).
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    • Profile picture of the author SundayOff5th
      I just want to thank you so much for your inspirational words. It is so awesome that you have found such success! I hope your thread inspires all newbies to get out there and go for it and start making some serious money!
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  • Profile picture of the author Traffic101
    Congrats on your success. I think Pat O'Bryan is great and read his blog. I think you just need to stick to it and plug away at spreading your url.

    Also, you need a product to promote. Great that you were able to write ebooks so quickly. I tried once, but gave up too quickly, now I am giving it away as a report, perhaps I should start another ebook.

    Thanks for the motivation! And Congrats.
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  • Profile picture of the author inspir700
    Good story. What it really comes down to is that it takes TIME and EFFORT = Success. If you devote the time... I mean really sit down and hash things out that sooner or later you will reap the benefits. Warren Buffet didn't get rich overnight ya know
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  • Profile picture of the author GeorgR.
    Don't believe it's all just a random coincidence

    From what i read she has a very good strategy and thought out approach, and we might all be able to learn from that. Very Nice!
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  • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
    Hey Newbie friends,

    I am sorry I've not been able to respond to many of these messages. I am in Mexico and my Internet access is spotty and weak. I will be back home on Wednesday and can answer more messages then.

    The great news is that even though my product is somewhat seasonal, I made more than $100 yesterday! Now that happened while I was dipping in the ocean, visiting with friends, and enjoying the Mexico sun! I LOVE this business!

    I know $100 may not sound like a lot of money . . . but that was Sunday income, which is usually my lightest day.
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    • Profile picture of the author Mike Shain
      That's quite a story - thanks for sharing!

      Congratulations on your success and good for you for motivating others.
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    • Profile picture of the author emjayce
      Awesome success story. I'm glad I came across this post. It goes to show us that all we have to do is find a crowd of people who have a problem that needs to be solved. Then sincerely help those people by providing them with information / advice that will help solve their problem. After that the money will follow!!!
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      • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
        Originally Posted by emjayce View Post

        Awesome success story. I'm glad I came across this post. It goes to show us that all we have to do is find a crowd of people who have a problem that needs to be solved. Then sincerely help those people by providing them with information / advice that will help solve their problem. After that the money will follow!!!
        You have put it in a nutshell! That's why; it's worth investing the time and money into finding a productive niche. Don't ask me how, because I stumbled upon mine not even knowing what a niche was! But I did know that Christian men and women who want to deepen their faith buy books! So I started to write and . . . well the rest is my story!

        Be blessed!
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  • Profile picture of the author ofir
    Banned
    I believe that it's all about Motivation and Inspiration.
    Because you were in debts you were motivated to succeed.
    I always keep myself motivated and I am doing well :]
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    • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
      Originally Posted by ofir View Post

      I believe that it's all about Motivation and Inspiration.
      Because you were in debts you were motivated to succeed.
      I always keep myself motivated and I am doing well :]
      I know for sure that a huge part of my motivation was the financial pressure. I was in a very tough place, and I had to keep at it . . . or else!

      So now, I try to keep motivated in additional ways (I am still not totally debt free, which is a goal). One of the most productive is to read and learn . . . and then put what I learn into action. Action is so important. I have learned so much about this business since I got started. And I am much better equipped that I was when I got started. Now the challenge is to take action! It takes ongoing discipline, a plan and determination.

      I am not working on some other products to offer to a couple different niches. Life is good and the opportunities to suceed are all around us. We just need to learn, act and improve all the time.

      Here's to your success!
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  • Profile picture of the author Jillian Slack
    Hi Susan,

    One of the great things about reading your success story is to see how you put yourself in motion.

    A lot of times, it's so easy to feel overwhelmed and not know where to start. We've got SO MUCH fabulous info here in the WF, many gurus to learn from, and at some point it's necessary to tell yourself that you need to take a break from buying more stuff to learn so that you can spend that time getting your own product ready. Otherwise, you'd keep "learning" without taking the leap.
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    • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
      Originally Posted by Jillian Slack View Post

      Hi Susan,

      One of the great things about reading your success story is to see how you put yourself in motion.

      A lot of times, it's so easy to feel overwhelmed and not know where to start. We've got SO MUCH fabulous info here in the WF, many gurus to learn from, and at some point it's necessary to tell yourself that you need to take a break from buying more stuff to learn so that you can spend that time getting your own product ready. Otherwise, you'd keep "learning" without taking the leap.
      I think a question we all need to keep asking ourselves is, "Do I know enough to make money now?" If the answer is yes, then we need to act. If the answer is no, then we need to be specific about what we need to learn, get the information we need, study it, and then go make it happen.

      I am like everyone else in this information business: I love information! But at some point we need to stop consuming and start creating!

      Thanks to everyone who contributes to this thread. We all can learn from one another and be encouraged.

      Here it is November 1st. What do you want to ACCOMPLISH before the end of the year? Target a goal. Create a plan. And then follow through with your plan! That's who intentions turn into results!

      Cheers!
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  • Profile picture of the author sdillon
    The whole conversation about focus and plan and follow through is a topic that I really needed to read. Thanks to Susan and everyone for their thoughts here. Timely for me.
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  • Profile picture of the author John Piteo
    Hi Susan,

    I was just wondering, was all of your traffic from the search engines?
    Did you use any other traffic generation methods such as article marketing?

    And last question, how have you been doing lately? Any new successes? Yours is a very motivating and inspiring story. Thanks for sharing!

    John
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    • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
      Originally Posted by John Piteo View Post

      Hi Susan,

      I was just wondering, was all of your traffic from the search engines?
      Did you use any other traffic generation methods such as article marketing?

      And last question, how have you been doing lately? Any new successes? Yours is a very motivating and inspiring story. Thanks for sharing!

      John
      Hi John,

      Most of my traffic was from the search engines initially. I have since added article writing to my methods, however the biggest growth has been by 1) a hungry niche; 2) lots of quality content.

      This site continues to generate about $1500 each month and will start increasing a lot in December through February since it's very seasonal. I have had success with other sites, but this is by far my best. I also am creating more products to sell to this niche and the 2000+ buyers I have on my current list.

      I really do believe we need to put our best energy into finding the best niche. I have seen many people investing valuable energy and time into doing all the right things -- but to a non-buying niche. Or to a niche that is just too small.

      I didn't know it at the time, but my niche was starving (I was part of this niche) and they wanted current and personal information. I offered it to them for an "easy price" so the sales have been brisk.

      I hope this helps. Thanks for the questions and for the nice comments.
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  • Profile picture of the author John Piteo
    Susan,

    Thanks for the detailed answer. Sounds like you have a real opportunity to dominate your niche. Here are a couple article marketing tips for ya. If you haven't already, try submitting your articles to SearchWarp.com. In certain niches I get way more traffic than ezinearticles.com. For example one of my articles in one of my niches received over 27,000 views over the last couple of years while the same article at EZA only received around 2300. Again, this is only for certain niches. Shhhhh, don't tell anyone else, LOL.

    Another tip would be submit the same article to the top 5 directories. And make a Squidoo lens or two using the same article content. Don't worry about duplicate content. For some long tail keywords I hold 7 out of the top 10 spots in Google and it's the same article submitted in different places.

    Hope you continue to be blessed with success,

    John
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    • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
      Originally Posted by John Piteo View Post

      Susan,

      Thanks for the detailed answer. Sounds like you have a real opportunity to dominate your niche. Here are a couple article marketing tips for ya. If you haven't already, try submitting your articles to SearchWarp.com. In certain niches I get way more traffic than ezinearticles.com. For example one of my articles in one of my niches received over 27,000 views over the last couple of years while the same article at EZA only received around 2300. Again, this is only for certain niches. Shhhhh, don't tell anyone else, LOL.

      Another tip would be submit the same article to the top 5 directories. And make a Squidoo lens or two using the same article content. Don't worry about duplicate content. For some long tail keywords I hold 7 out of the top 10 spots in Google and it's the same article submitted in different places.

      Hope you continue to be blessed with success,

      John
      Wow, John. Thank you so much for this information! I love it and will copy this post and begin to use it. Your addition to this thread is just one of the reasons I love this forum so much. As you probably know, this can be a kind of lonely business as most of us work on our own. It's great being part of a forum where people share so openly and generously!

      Thanks again!
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  • Profile picture of the author Saffie
    >>But at some point we need to stop consuming and start creating! <<

    Thanks, Susan - that's JUST what I needed to hear!
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  • Profile picture of the author fayz
    Fantastic story..it just goes on to prove that anyone with solid commitment can succeed in life..
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    FayZ is an expert at Persuasion, Self-Motivations and Shaping Mind Towards Achieving Life Dreams! Do visit his blog where he literally walks you through life obstacles towards becoming the best in your field at http://www.fayzspace.com. Download Free Report on How to Persuade Anyone Under 2 Minutes Flat! at http://www.fayzspace.com/free-ebooks/persuade.pdf

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  • Profile picture of the author logosi
    Beautifully stated, I'm in the country myself, so I can relate. God bless you for the post, and godspeed on continued success. Tim
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  • Profile picture of the author shreder
    Thanks!
    You really encouraged me, I'm just about to release my first eBook as well

    good luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author pmore
    I second that John, great tip about Searchwarp.com. It's way too easy for people to get a little lazy and concentrate on the big guns i.e. Ezinearticles. Your tip shows being thorough can pay off in a BIG way!
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  • Profile picture of the author Spike SpiegelIM
    Amazing stuff and truly inspiring. Thanks for sharing this. I've still got a long way to go..
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  • Profile picture of the author moneymake
    Banned
    man i cant even right well so i think i have to find other thing
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    • Profile picture of the author tanya7zhou
      Originally Posted by moneymake View Post

      man i cant even right well so i think i have to find other thing
      Monemake:

      You can outsource your activities. Get someone to write for you. Anything you are not comfortable with, or is time consuming......Just outsource...Yes you will get there!
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      • Profile picture of the author Bizmind
        Originally Posted by tanya7zhou View Post

        Monemake:

        You can outsource your activities. Get someone to write for you. Anything you are not comfortable with, or is time consuming......Just outsource...Yes you will get there!
        If there gonna be people that writes for me, how am I going to make sure that they elaborate the point exactly like I wanted them to do?
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  • Profile picture of the author jeffbaas
    Great story, Susan, and a really great example of how much a person can accomplish by persistently following a well-planned route to your goal. Very inspirational!
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    • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
      Originally Posted by jeffbaas View Post

      Great story, Susan, and a really great example of how much a person can accomplish by persistently following a well-planned route to your goal. Very inspirational!
      Thanks for your kind words. I am trying to make goal setting and following through with massive action a daily habit. There are times when I really have to push myself to keep the commitments I make to ME! But I am getting better.

      I also continue to learn, but on a more targeted manner. This business is powerful, but not simple. You can't just pick any subject, post a few threads on a blog and expect to make money. It takes more than that. I see now that the #1 step is to chose a hungry niche. My niche of Christian adults who want to deepen their faith experience is hungry for how-to information. So that's what I am giving them. But there are other hungry niches, also. I have learned that we need to spend much more time in researching niches than most of the gurus tell us . . . if you aren't selling to a hungry niche, it's like building your house on sand. It takes all the same time, resources, tools, creativity and energy to build . . . but the foundation is faulty. Better to build a business on a solid niche and then realize success.
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  • Profile picture of the author warrenhw
    There's some great lessons and terrific information here. Thanks Susan for being so willing to share your story.

    As a relative newbie, I'd heard of Warrior Forum forever, but never understood why it is considered to be such a good forum. This thread is an excellent example of what I now see I've been missing out on for so long.

    So thanks to everyone for sharing!
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    • Profile picture of the author Bizmind
      I am still typing my ebook but it seems that it won't finish.
      What is the minimum pages for ebook?
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      • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
        Originally Posted by Bizmind View Post

        I am still typing my ebook but it seems that it won't finish.
        What is the minimum pages for ebook?
        Hi again!

        I have purchased some eBooks with only 40 pages and the content was so good that I felt I received great value for the price I paid. I have also experienced the opposite where an eBook has been 150+ pages of fluff or such dated information that I felt it had little to no value.

        I sell one eBook for $5 and it's 56 pages. I sell another one for < $10 and it's 100 pages. I give free bonuses of related material with both books and I find many of my customers purchase both books. I also believe the readers are getting excellent value and good content. Many of my buyers purchase copies for friends and collegues, and I receive many eamils thanking me for the information.

        So I think the key is to have excellent and useful content for a reasonable price. Under-promise and over-deliver.

        If you choose to use a ghostwriter, you can make sure they include what you believe to be important by supplying them quality resource (information from which they will write the content). One easy way to do that is to create a simple outline of the content you want included, then make an audio recording of what you have for information. Just talk into the mic and let your writer put it into an eBook.

        I hope this helps!
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  • Profile picture of the author extremelyhappy
    Wow, what a great uplifting success story. I should interview you
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  • Profile picture of the author Lifedreamer
    Hi SusanUSA, Your story touches my heart as I just lost my job 6 months ago and I am struggling to make ends meet as a single Mom. I am new to internet marketing and I am not having much luck getting leads or making sales. I am following my blueprint to the exact and still nothing. I am not giving up and there are so many nice people in network marketing that are willing to pay it forward and help us newbies. I pray each day that God will guide me in the right direction. I feel this is my path and I also am in a financial ruin but with my great networking friends I feel we can make it together. It is not about the product it is about people and helping one another. Thank you SusanUSA you are great. Good luck ! Lifedreamer
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    • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
      Originally Posted by Lifedreamer View Post

      Hi SusanUSA, Your story touches my heart as I just lost my job 6 months ago and I am struggling to make ends meet as a single Mom. I am new to internet marketing and I am not having much luck getting leads or making sales. I am following my blueprint to the exact and still nothing. I am not giving up and there are so many nice people in network marketing that are willing to pay it forward and help us newbies. I pray each day that God will guide me in the right direction. I feel this is my path and I also am in a financial ruin but with my great networking friends I feel we can make it together. It is not about the product it is about people and helping one another. Thank you SusanUSA you are great. Good luck ! Lifedreamer
      I have great compassion for single moms as I was one for many years. I do encourage you to keep this business simple. Choose a strategy (article writing, blogs, affiliate programs, etc) and then learn ENOUGH to get you started. You will need to invest a little money - but I strongly suggest that you choose one PROVEN guru and then follow his/her plan. Don't look to the right or to the left . . . just follow the plan. And work! This business requires time, effort, diligence. But we all can do that.

      I hope the very best for you and please stay in touch!
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      • Profile picture of the author Chris Monty
        This is a fantastic story. It hits close to home with me.

        I've got three kids and was in mortgage...until today. Yes, I just got the axe this afternoon.

        Luckily, I've been into IM for about a year now and some things are starting to come together...not enough to live off of, but it's progress.

        I'll have to read your post a few more times and take some notes!

        On the bright side, I think it was the best thing that could have happened to me.
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        • Profile picture of the author cjv01
          Hi

          You're just a wonderful example of doing two things that most people struggle with...

          - You focused on one particular way of doing things, and didn't allow yourself to get distracted.

          - You took specific actions in relation to that focus.

          All this is simple really. The best thing about the Internet is also it's worst thing. BECAUSE there is so much opportunity to be successful in so many different ways relatively cheaply - it's fantastic...but it also means that most people just jump from one thing to another.

          Unlike YOU...and the other successful net entrepreneurs :-)

          To Our Success!

          Gary
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          • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
            Originally Posted by cjv01 View Post

            Hi

            You're just a wonderful example of doing two things that most people struggle with...

            - You focused on one particular way of doing things, and didn't allow yourself to get distracted.

            - You took specific actions in relation to that focus.

            All this is simple really. The best thing about the Internet is also it's worst thing. BECAUSE there is so much opportunity to be successful in so many different ways relatively cheaply - it's fantastic...but it also means that most people just jump from one thing to another.

            Unlike YOU...and the other successful net entrepreneurs :-)

            To Our Success!

            Gary
            Thanks Gary,

            I would like to be as disciplined and focused as your message make me sound ! The truth is, I was up against the wall and had to make something happen! Fear, desperation, no other options . . . those were my motivators when I first started in this business.

            Now I am working on new ways to keep me focused and active. Here is part of a message I wrote to a friend just yesterday:

            I think an inherent character issue with entrepreneurs is lack of motivation when it comes to creating output. We are so good at absorbing information and learning. But producing is another story! I am sure why this is, but I know it's worth cracking the code on this dilemma. For some reason we are not very accountable to ourselves, breaking promises we make to ourselves frequently. I also think there is an element of fear at the root of this problem. Perhaps fear of failure . . . and worried that we won't gain the approval we so desire. So we keep from the threat by learning more . . . procrastinating . . . and finally we get pushed up against the wall from a more powerful threat (like needing to make some money) and we start producing!

            So Gary, you can see that I am still working on motivation, focus and taking action. I have learned a lot, but it's still a challenge. What I know in my head . . . and what I do are too often two different things. So I have to use little tricks to make this stubborn old girl do what she knows is best!

            Working alone is challenging . . . and so I think it's critical that we set up systems, accountability structures, and goals that keep us moving forward.

            Thanks for your nice words. I hope the very best for you!
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        • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
          Originally Posted by Chris Monty View Post

          This is a fantastic story. It hits close to home with me.

          I've got three kids and was in mortgage...until today. Yes, I just got the axe this afternoon.

          Luckily, I've been into IM for about a year now and some things are starting to come together...not enough to live off of, but it's progress.

          I'll have to read your post a few more times and take some notes!

          On the bright side, I think it was the best thing that could have happened to me.
          Hi Chris,

          I am sorry for my late reply! I have had my head down for the last little while writing a new eBook. I do find that I need to isolate myself if I am to get projects done. I love the Warrior Forum and I can be here for hours if I allow myself the pleasure. So I have not been on for a while.

          I just wanted to say that I hope the very best for you (and for others who find themselves in financial distress). But like you said, this may be the best thing that ever happened to you! One door closes and another opens.

          You are on a good track having already experienced some IM success. That's great.

          One little tip I will share with you that helps me decide where to put my energy (and it's a motivating process, as well) is to do a spreadsheet that shows multiple streams of Internet income. For example, if you have a goal to earn $10,000 each month, what kind of products do you need to sell and at what volume? This process will show you how you can promote just a few products to meet your goal.

          This helps me stay in track and direct my efforts to the strategies I think will work for me. It's also powerful to see how few sales one needs to make on a daily basis to make a living in this business.

          I hope this helps and I really do hope the very best for you as you work through this time of change.
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          • Profile picture of the author Chris Monty
            Thanks for the awesome tip!
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          • Profile picture of the author Jo_Shua
            Originally Posted by SusanUSA View Post

            One little tip I will share with you that helps me decide where to put my energy (and it's a motivating process, as well) is to do a spreadsheet that shows multiple streams of Internet income. For example, if you have a goal to earn $10,000 each month, what kind of products do you need to sell and at what volume? This process will show you how you can promote just a few products to meet your goal.
            Great tip!

            Doing that would definitely keep one from getting side-tracked. Well, as long as they stuck to doing the spreadsheet.
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  • Profile picture of the author kusumo
    Great story! Very inspirational to those still trying to learn this game.
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  • Profile picture of the author Li Weng
    Wow. This is very impressive and so inspirational. Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author benco
    this article is very informative.
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  • Profile picture of the author Leanne King
    hard work, focus, determination you've got them all! Great inspirational story Susan - keep us up to date on your progress please

    Leanne
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  • Profile picture of the author JackTheLad
    Congratulations, It's always good to hear an inspiring message. Best of luck as you continue!
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  • Profile picture of the author mygear
    thank you!
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  • Profile picture of the author goingforgold
    Thank you for sharing your story! Often times I come up with a great idea, start it, and never finish it. Or, I come up with a great idea and never start it. I get discouraged a lot. I guess I should just move forward with an idea and go to the fullest in order to see its potential!
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    • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
      Originally Posted by goingforgold View Post

      Thank you for sharing your story! Often times I come up with a great idea, start it, and never finish it. Or, I come up with a great idea and never start it. I get discouraged a lot. I guess I should just move forward with an idea and go to the fullest in order to see its potential!
      Okay, I am going to take a bit of a risk here and offer my opinion about the root of your problem. I feel I can do this because I have had some of the same challenges. So here goes:

      I think you are AFRAID OF FAILURE. Okay, I said it! Why? Because if you knew what you were going to do would work, you would be so focused on your goal that nothing could keep you away!

      So, what's the solution? We need to move forward in confidence! How do we get that confidence? By building our goals and our efforts on proven methods that as newbies we learn from reputable people who have gone before us. In other words, first have confidence in them (put your trust in them), and then have confidence in your ability to follow their directions . . . and then as you learn and grow you will have confidence that athis business can really work.

      Fear is at the root of most of our failures! And when we fear failure, we have already allowed fear to work its program.

      So get out of fear by moving into confident behaviors. When I started my first IM program, I was full of fear that I would not be able to pay my upcoming bills. That's when I started looking for solutions and came across my chosen "gurus." I followed their programs and pretty soon my fear turned to enthusiasm and excitement.

      The fear of not having an income did fuel my "eagerness to succeed." But I lost the fear of failure early on as I put my confidence in the gurus. They were successful. They had good reputations in the industry. They had made lots of money in Internet marketing. So I followed their advice and the fear turned to hope and motivation.

      I hope this helps somebody reading it today!
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  • Profile picture of the author jayden.fellze
    Vow, that is amazing story. Congrats on your grand success. Once again I have started feeling that nothing is impossible. If you, with all your constraints, could achieve so much, others who have decided to start an online business can also perform consistently in that. Your article should provide inspiration to others who plan an online business. It does involve hard work and grit like you had.
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  • Profile picture of the author adpablo
    Hi, you have a really inspiring story. Specially in this hard economic times for many of us. Keep the good work and keep inspiring us...
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  • Profile picture of the author ems82
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    Thank you Susan. Honestly speaking, your post is very inspirational and it has opened some new ideas in my mind.

    Hope to have more good ideas from you.
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    • Profile picture of the author jcroe22
      For those who think that they are at the end of their rope, this is a message of hope made possible by taking action.

      Thanks
      Julius
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  • Profile picture of the author skyjoe76
    Susan,

    This is really an inspiring story that get me going. I am guilty of losing focus for a while. Now I'm back, and I'm ready to show results.

    Reading your story gave me a kick in the butt. I started to wonder what I was doing for the past few months.

    Thank you for the story.
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  • Profile picture of the author Armil F. Velos
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    • Profile picture of the author dsanchez
      Susan, your story is fascinating... thanks for sharing with us.

      It shows that with effort we'll make it, no matter how hard it seems to be. Just have to keep trying... congratulations!
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    • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
      Originally Posted by Armil F. Velos View Post

      What an inspiring story you've shared to us, Susan!

      By the way, I'm curious about of how you mickey mouse the wordpress from its e-commerce prohibition?
      Hi Armil,

      When I built my site the free WordPress didn't allow a lot of coding on the pages. You could add coding when you hosted the blog, but not if it was on their servers. So I was not able to add the PayPal buttons needed to make transactions.

      So I had to send the buyers to a different site to complete their transaction. At first I used a service called PayLoadz. But when my sales skyrocketed (and therefore I had some cash to reinvest into my little business) I hired a great programmer to build another site for me. On this site he created a shopping cart program. So, I sent the buyers to the "store" pages of this site and that's where they took the steps to complete their transaction.

      I hope only success for you!
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      • Profile picture of the author fxmmorale
        Hi Susan,

        When I first read of your success I was greatly encouraged. So much so that I copied the post into a text file that I have referred back to on a number of ocassions.

        For some of us success happens a little faster than others, but the real encouragement comes from knowing that you don't have to have any super powers to experience it.

        Focus and tenacity intertwined with real strong motivation can definitely change a persons life.

        Hats off, Kudos and Thumbs UP!

        Thanks for the inspiration to persevere,
        Nando

        P.S. Feel free to take a look at a recent post on my blog about this subject.
        (Short post, no affiliate links)
        Personal Thoughts | NonStopMarketer.com
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        The Marketing Rinnegato Cometh... stay tuned. This link leads to my Warrior blog...
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  • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
    Thanks again for everyone who has commented on this thread. I do hope that it fosters goodness, motivation and hope in all of us!

    I just wanted to share an "image" that came to me this morning. It relates to our internet business work and especially for us newbies:

    Imagine that you are about to start on a hiking trip in a wilderness area. You have never trekked in this region, but you have great hope and are excited about your journey . . .

    Before you can start your hike, there are two things you need to decide:

    1. Where are you going? What is the destination you want to reach?

    2. Who will be your guide? Will you venture out on your own hoping to get to your final destination? Or will you chose an experienced guide who can tell you which way to go, what to avoid and how to get over some of the obstacles you will encounter?

    The same is true when we venture out into a new path for our Internet business. We need to identify where we want to end up . . . and we are much better off if you have a guide who will show us how to successfully reach the desired place in the safest and fastest way!

    When we select our guide, would we want one that has traveled the pathway many times and helped many others successfully reach their destination? Or would we chose one who talks a good talk, but hasn't walked the path but once (or maybe never).

    Would we choose five or six guides to tell us how to go? Would we start out with one guide, and then because another one comes along, we abandon our first guide to give our attention to a different one?

    I think there are many parallels that can help us as we are new to this region of Internet Marketing . . . there are many guides out there . . . our job as newbies is to select the one that will be best for us, not by whim but rather by thoughtful discernment, and then follow our guide putting our trust in their ability as the experienced one!

    I hope this helps untangle some of what can mix us up in our early stages of getting started in this business.
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  • That's a very inspiring story and thanks for sharing it.

    One of the big lessons I think is that you decided what to do, found a good source of information and then followed the advice.

    There's so much advice out there that appears to be conflciting and it's sometimes hard to know which to follow. We then end up following lots of different people.

    The thing is different approaches do work. But your lesson is to find a good approach and stick to it.

    I'm sure you've gone on to even greater success since.

    Best regards

    Robert
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  • Profile picture of the author allenjohn
    Great story. The trick is to pick a goal and stay focused. Well done! All the best, allenjohn
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  • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
    Hi again . . . I just heard a great thought a rabbi shared about setting one up for financial success. He said, "There is an adage 'Do what you love and the money will follow.' But that only shows that you are a very self-centered and selfish person."

    Whoa! That's a different slant. He went on to say, "Find out what people need, figure out how to give it to them, and then learn to be passionate about that!"

    He wasn't talking about Interent Marketing, but I thought how much that principle does relate to this business. Finding a hungry niche is essential to being successful in this business. Then when we feed that niche with good quality information that the niche wants to buy . . . well, that's when the money comes in! Then we fall in love with our subject, with those we serve and with our work!

    That seems much wiser than "Do what you love, and the money will follow."

    The rabbi went on to say, "I love to fishing and boating, but I'm not very good at it! No one wants to pay me for my fishing and boating skills! But I learned a long time ago that there are tens of thousands of people who want to know more about ancient Hebrew wisdom. So that's what I write and teach about . . . and the money followed!"

    That seems pretty wise to me! So find a hungry niche and then build your business from there! Then fall in love with the service you give.
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    • Profile picture of the author Ian Jackson
      Hi Susan

      For a newbie, you seem disturbingly adept with Wordpress, squidoo, w2.0 etc. what's your secret to getting one's head around WP? I figure if I can crack the WP maze, the rest'll be a synch...
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      • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
        Originally Posted by Ian Jackson View Post

        Hi Susan

        For a newbie, you seem disturbingly adept with Wordpress, squidoo, w2.0 etc. what's your secret to getting one's head around WP? I figure if I can crack the WP maze, the rest'll be a synch...
        Hi Ian,

        Actually, I find WordPress pretty easy. I have a very simple blog. I also learned about WordPress and how to use it from the Web 2.0 Traffic book I bought! Actually, that's where I also learned about Squidoo.

        I was greener than Hermit the Frog when I started my still most successful Internet marketing venture. I knew nothing! But I have always been an avid learner and so I started reading and following the guru's advice. I knew nothing, so I had to find people who knew a lot! That worked for me . . . and still works!

        I really do believe it's important to target what you want to learn and then find the best people who can teach you (and you can afford). Some gurus have gotten very expensive and while I am making money now and paying my bills, they are still out of my league!

        Thanks for the compliment! I didn't realize I sounded like I was so smart!

        I hope the best for you!
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        • Profile picture of the author Ian Jackson
          Originally Posted by SusanUSA View Post

          Hi Ian,

          Actually, I find WordPress pretty easy. I have a very simple blog. I also learned about WordPress and how to use it from the Web 2.0 Traffic book I bought! Actually, that's where I also learned about Squidoo.

          I was greener than Hermit the Frog when I started my still most successful Internet marketing venture. I knew nothing! But I have always been an avid learner and so I started reading and following the guru's advice. I knew nothing, so I had to find people who knew a lot! That worked for me . . . and still works!

          I really do believe it's important to target what you want to learn and then find the best people who can teach you (and you can afford). Some gurus have gotten very expensive and while I am making money now and paying my bills, they are still out of my league!

          Thanks for the compliment! I didn't realize I sounded like I was so smart!

          I hope the best for you!
          Thanks Susan, sorry to have bombarded you with a PM too!
          I also learned about WordPress and how to use it from the Web 2.0 Traffic book I bought! Actually, that's where I also learned about Squidoo.
          This may be one of the (e)books mentioned in your blog, but to ensure hitting on the right one, would you be happy to say which exactly one it is - is it Chris's "Stampede" one at £32...?
          Thanks
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  • Profile picture of the author khir
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  • Profile picture of the author InternetM39482
    Nice story. Gotta love it, thanks.
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  • Profile picture of the author justnewbie
    That's a really inspirational story. I myself am in the IT line and it really puts me in shame when I saw what you shared. Nevertheless, it really inspired me quite a bit. Believe u've sent quite a message across to all marketers out there.

    Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
    Hi again, Ian.

    I think one of the big deals for me was that I had to find answers when I needed them. I was out of time, money and options. And the only choice that I could see that could work fast enough for me was Internet Marketing. I first was inspired by "Your Portable Empire" then went on from there.

    We all have to keep moving forward, setting goals and fulfilling them. I still have a private war going on inside of me to finish project without getting distracted. But I am learning that staying on target and moving toward the goal is what gets results (amazing that I have to keep learning this lesson over and over again - go figure ).

    The Internet is full of so much infomation, including lots of helpful how-to's for figuring things out if you don't know the answers. Plus, I think we need to keep things simple, yet keep up with good quality.

    I hope the best for you and I don't mind the PM.

    Be blessed!
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  • Profile picture of the author lisajaye
    Thanks Susan. This post means so much. It's funny because this December I find myself in a must do situation. I've played with IM for so long but now I'm at a point where I have to find success or put it away for good.


    Lisa
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    • Profile picture of the author idc
      Hi Susan,
      I registered in this forum just to reply to this thread to say thank you for inspirational story as well as for being so diligent in your follow ups.

      I am in your (past) situation right now and very serious to find solution to it.
      I would like to keep in touch with you and would be happy to somehow exchange ideas related to inspiration, concentration, manifesting dreams and of course, internet marketing opportunities.

      Gleb
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  • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
    Hi Lisa and idc,

    I am so sorry you are struggling with your finances. I remember how I was last year at this time and I am so thankful that Internet Marketing lifted me out of the pit and then carried me through the year.

    I am not debt free, yet. That's my goal for 2009. And I still have to work to pay my monthly bills. But I have learned so much and am learning more all the time.

    Internet Marketing seems to be a great business for people who are willing to do the work, learn the techniques and be diligent. I am feeling 100% more prepared for 2009 than I felt last year at this time when 2008 was approaching.

    What I know for sure is that this business is rewarding, but it requires work and focus. K.I.S.S. is still a good practice and I'm a strong proponent of finding people who know more than I do . . . and then learning from them. That's one of the reasons why I like this forum so much!

    With all that said, I do encourage you to listen to your inner wisdom and then follow what it tells you to do. Keep moving forward and stay positive.

    I hope the very best for you!
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  • Profile picture of the author spressnell
    That is an awesome story. And I am 57 (actually 58 tomorrow), so I think your story is good luck for me too. I've been doing I.M. for about 2 months and am still learning. Thanks so much for sharing your details.

    Shirley
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  • Profile picture of the author linda.robe
    Banned
    nice story
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  • Profile picture of the author RedPhoenix
    Wow Susan,

    Thanks for sharing that. What you managed to do was awesome. Driven by the force of your character. Have you thought of writing an ebook based on this experience. Hell with the right sales copy it & traffic it would be a runaway best seller. Opps my goof you've already written about it on your web site. Still nothing stopping you from making it into a super hot product - nothing succeeds like sincerity. Take care.
    Signature
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  • Profile picture of the author BillGrosh
    Hi Susan,

    Thank you so much for sharing your story with us. It's not only inspiring, but very practical! I know I could benefit from following your example of being so focused, and keeping it simple, until the money starts coming in.

    It's so easy to get caught up in trying to learn all the countless ways of making money online, that we never get around to actually implementing even one of them.

    I also like the way you built a relationship with your blog readers and customers. I'm sure that had everything to do with the number of sales you've generated.

    Too many marketers are unreachable and unresponsive today. The ones I really follow (and choose to do business with!) are the ones who interact a lot with their readers on their blogs and in the forums- like you.

    I also appreciate the web page you put together for us explaining what you did in more detail. When I clicked on your signature, I expected a sales page for a product. (Actually, I think you should turn this into a paid product at some point- what you're giving us here is very valuable.)
    • Tip for readers: Click on Susan's sig link if you haven't already!
    Bill
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  • Profile picture of the author Todd Hallstrom
    That is fantastic. It is nice to hear someone actually having fun doing a at home business. I played ball years back(NFL)and I have heard so many motivational speakers and methods on acheiving success. It is true that you have to forget what the competition is doing and start being creative and have FUN doing what your passion is. You have figured it out.
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  • Profile picture of the author runr01
    Hi Susan:
    YOu are a true inspiration.
    Thank you so much for your honesty and sharing your step by step plan.
    I, too, am the same age, and I, too, find myself in the frighteningly same situation you were in a year ago. I do have some change/coins in my purse, no bills.

    Silly, silly me. I've have had the 7-Day eBook by Jim Edwards and Joe Vitale on my hard drive since the summer...
    ...and am NOW going to read it, follow it AND focus as you were able to do.
    Again, thank you, thank you!
    Donna
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  • Profile picture of the author P_Cerrito
    Thank you for sharing and making the world a brighter place.
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  • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
    Hi friends,

    This will be quick! I know a lot of you subscribe to this thread so I just want you to know that I have been down with the flu and just now coming around! Drats! I HATE getting sick. But I am on the mend.

    Anyway, thanks for all the nice comments . . . I will respond to a few of them in more detail later when I have more time. For now, I have a BUNCH of catching up on my list.

    Be blessed!
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  • Profile picture of the author harith88
    I really likes your story..so inspiring and encouraging..i have no doubt that other newbies that have read your story will do the same step that you told to gain success just like you!
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  • Profile picture of the author Canei Group
    Great story! Good for you...way to reinvent yourself and do something about your situation and not sit around doing nothing. I'm sure you will be an inspiration for others who are looking for a way out of their economic position.

    Keep up the great work and pls keep us updated on your success!
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  • Profile picture of the author biznets
    Truely an inspirational to all us newbies, at times spirts tend to flag and we all need a 'boost', your story is a big boost to me.
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  • Profile picture of the author Keith Callister
    Thanks Susan, it let's me know that the product I am working on will be viable in the marketplace, as my story is similar to yours, although I am not a granny.

    Thanks again, very inspiring.
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  • Profile picture of the author linda.robe
    Banned
    Hi Susan, thanks for you inspiring story. I am very new in this warrior forum and planning to start a project soon. I will expect more tips from you.
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  • Profile picture of the author Dennis-White
    great story I love it
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    Affiliate Marketer, business builder and Content Creator >Grab My FREE Internet Marketing Profits Book Here<

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  • Profile picture of the author MemberWing
    Susan, thank you very much for inspiring story!
    It should help so many people to get inspired and succeed.

    Also its really great that you been taking so much time to reply on all posts. I am learning a lot from you.

    Gleb
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  • Profile picture of the author Andy LaPointe
    Great inspiration, Thanks Andy
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    • Profile picture of the author Vincelog
      Hi Susan,

      Great to hear your success story and it is definitely inspiring. I am actually curious about the e books you wrote but I can't it in your website. How about including a link to it over here so that we could visit and check it out.

      Cheers
      Vincent
      Personal Development Blogger
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      • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
        Originally Posted by Vincelog View Post

        Hi Susan,

        Great to hear your success story and it is definitely inspiring. I am actually curious about the e books you wrote but I can't it in your website. How about including a link to it over here so that we could visit and check it out.

        Cheers
        Vincent
        Personal Development Blogger
        Hi Vincent,

        Thanks for taking the time to write a message and for asking about my eBooks. I know this may sound strange, but I don't promote the eBooks I sell on the Warrior Forum. They are books about the Christian faith and directed specifically to men and women who want their faith to make a difference in their lives so they can make a positive difference in the world.

        I have been advised by experienced Warriors to keep my income-producing sites private because not everyone on this forum is honorable and there are even "lurkers" who look for prosperous sites to rip off. You can read about Warriors who have had their sites hacked and even their PayPal account hacked by internet thieves.

        So while I would love to share my blog, I am taking the advise of those who know a whole lot more than I do about this business!

        Sorry. I wish everyone on here was honest and trustworthy . . .
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  • Profile picture of the author bonafide70
    Fantastic - love that story

    Just shows that by focusing on a specific business model (no other distractions) you can start to get things moving!!

    All the best
    Jerry
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  • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
    Happy anniversary to me!

    I just realized that it's December 20th today! This is a big day for me! Why? Because on this day last year, I literally was down to $20 cash to my name! I had been in the real estate investing business and when the bottom dropped out of the mortgage industry, many folks in my line of work got really hurt. I tried to stay afloat hoping things would pass and the money markets would loosen, but as we all know now, they didnt'. I used all my resources to pay the outstanding mortgages I had until I could either unload the vacant properties I owned or rent them so the payments would be covered.

    So on December 20, 2007 I was down to only $20 and I had thousands of dollars in payments due the 1st of January. I had no idea that my Internet Marketing debut was going to be the financial breakthrough I needed! I had never done any internet business before and was just breaking into the market.

    So here I am a year later. Words cannot capture the thankfulness I feel for the gift my little free WordPress blog brought me! It has served as my primary source of income for the last year. Plus, I have learned so much about this business over the last 12 months that I know 2009 will be great.

    I also want to thank some of the really fine Warriors on this Forum. I realize not everyone here is of steller character. But MOST are and I want to publically thank a few who have been so good to me by sharing their wealth of knowledge and assistance.

    So thank you Sid Kaplan, Jeremy Kelsall, Estelle Dunomes, Amy Bass, Dean Shainin, Hackbridge, J Hongren, John Rowe, Kevin Riley, Steve Wagenheim, Ron Douglas and Tiffany Dow. I know there are more . . . but these are great Warriors who have blessed me, inspired me and helped me as I moved out of a very dark period of my life into a bright and growing future!

    Thank you, thank you, thank you!
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  • Profile picture of the author fayz
    this is one of those stories why people go to internet marketing. Especially during the recession. Internet marketing is such an easy business to set up with low risk.
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  • Profile picture of the author Ricky Martin
    Susan

    Thank you so much for your story. It Gives the the kick in the pants I need to just get out there and do it,

    Thank you again Ricky
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  • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
    Hi Ricky,

    Thanks for the post. I am so happy about my internet business right now and I realized something pretty significan today.

    I was listening to a teacher on television (double tasking as I was answering emails from eBook buyers). He recited a fact that if someone spends an hour a day studying a subject, he will be an expert within three years.

    For the past year, I have been writing about the same subject to my audience. And they do consider me "the expert" in my little micro niche! It's pretty amazing. So I'm writing this to message to encourage you and others that we just need to be willing to "pay the dues" and then the rewards will be there.

    The problem is that too often we want the rewards before they've been earned with the effort and passion that are required. Being the New Year, this is a great time to think about what we want to pursue and turn ourselves into the expert!

    Happy New Year!
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  • Profile picture of the author nicole79
    Thanks so much for your story. I am very new to this and I am trying to write an ebok myself. I had no idea how to get started, and truth be told I am still a little lost but after reading your story I believe now that it is possible and I am going for it! Once again thanks!

    P.S. Any advice for a first timer?
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    • Profile picture of the author viryabosmith
      Originally Posted by nicole79 View Post

      Thanks so much for your story. I am very new to this and I am trying to write an ebok myself. I had no idea how to get started, and truth be told I am still a little lost but after reading your story I believe now that it is possible and I am going for it! Once again thanks!

      P.S. Any advice for a first timer?
      Hi.
      Check out her site. Read her 'My step-by-step plan;. Highly informative.
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  • Profile picture of the author kowulz
    Great stuff, Susan! The amount of links and information is a bit overwhelming, but not as much as the whole Forum. Great place to start, I think!
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    • Profile picture of the author MikeFreed
      Susan great thread. You've helped me isolate my problem, no focus.

      Thanks!
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  • Profile picture of the author sylvia88
    susan...you're already inspiring me
    thanks alot...
    ...just imagine when I could be like you... ;p
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  • Profile picture of the author Alan50
    Cool little story. Carry on with your success!
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  • Profile picture of the author ritesh2408
    Excellent story. I am also working on my little niche project and you added a tons of determination in me.. I will also try my best to achieve this type of goal..
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  • Profile picture of the author ebizza
    This is an awesome story!

    This is why I LOVE blogs.

    And Jeff Johnson does too.
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  • Profile picture of the author Notarealdoctor
    That's a great story. You are proof that you can make money selling ebooks and to go with what you know.
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  • Profile picture of the author AlexPK
    Love this story! Thanks for sharing it. Inspiring and an important reminder. Obliterate NATO (No Action, Talk Only - my mastermind group's theme for 2009) :-)

    blessings and abundance

    Alex
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  • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
    Thanks all for the nice messages. I am very excited about the New Year. I am experiencing great growth on my blog and I am fully convinced that 2009 will be a season of excellent income. One other good thing for me is that I have also tooled my expenses and have cut out all unnecessary expenses. So as my income increases and my expenses decrease . . . well that's a good combination.

    My goals for 2009 are few, but that's okay because I know the power of focus. I will continue to build my blog and the inspirational eBooks I write to the Christian audience. But I also will move into some affiliate marketing, which I have not done a lot of in the past. And then I want to start some other blogs.

    If I could target the most important thing I've learned this last year, it is that we need to build our business on a proven niche or micro-niche. That will be my area of study for the first quarter in the year. I want to get this area down so I know it really well. I know that you can put the same energy into building the systems and one niche will return dollars and the other won't. It's not because of the systems . . . it's because of the niche. They are the ones who have to pull the trigger and click the PayPal link!

    Okay, I'm starting to ramble. Happy New Year and I hope the very best success for you as you work on your IM business.
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  • Profile picture of the author KimberlyAWallace
    Susan, thank you for sharing your story, I am a writer myself and I have never done anything like you did. I took the easy way out and write articles for others, which I still love to do very much. But to experience something you have been through, it must have beena wonderful feeling ..
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  • Profile picture of the author yoliferdi
    Susan, thank you for your great story. This could be my inspiration. When you have a dream, don't just dreaming, go out and catch your dream. I hope this year will be our success year.
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    • Profile picture of the author DBofBES
      Susan,

      Thanks for the inspiring story. I plan to have one of my own soon.
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  • Profile picture of the author mello
    Impressive stuff, Susan! Good to hear clarity and focus is a key. It's so easy to get wrapped up in finding solutions (ie to making money) that we forget to focus on what people (buyers) want to know about. And you're right, it's so easy to spin your wheels with bucketloads of tools, gimmicks and information.

    Thanks for the inspiration and the reality check!

    More power to you.
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  • Profile picture of the author TommyG
    Thank you so much for Sharing Susan!! I've enjoyed reading your story.
    One thing came to mind... You should write a book about writing. You said the only thing you came to the IM market with is the ability to write and having written several books that sell you may be able to help others who struggle with writing their own ebook.
    From some of the comments here it seems like you have another hungry crowd. And best of all you have experience in this niche.

    All the best to you in 2009!!
    Tom
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    • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
      Originally Posted by TommyG View Post

      Thank you so much for Sharing Susan!! I've enjoyed reading your story.
      One thing came to mind... You should write a book about writing. You said the only thing you came to the IM market with is the ability to write and having written several books that sell you may be able to help others who struggle with writing their own ebook.
      From some of the comments here it seems like you have another hungry crowd. And best of all you have experience in this niche.

      All the best to you in 2009!!
      Tom
      Hi Tom

      Thanks for the suggestion. I do have an eBook that I will market this year about fund raising (for the non-profit sector). Now that I have year of experience, I feel more equiped break into some other niches.
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  • Profile picture of the author Puerto uno
    Glad to see some newbie making more money online. .

    wish u all the best!

    p.u
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  • Profile picture of the author newbie@CPA
    this is a fantastic story. very encouraging indeed!! thank for sharing.
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  • Profile picture of the author morwanneg
    Your story can really inspire a lot. If only they can have the kind of determination you had, then everything would be great. Cheers!
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  • Profile picture of the author dudemeister
    You and your story are an inspiration
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  • Profile picture of the author viryabosmith
    Originally Posted by CWSusan View Post

    I am reposting this thread on the updated forum as there were so many newbies that profited by my experience.
    I am writing this message to all the rookies like me! Well, now that I think about it, you are probably not like me. I am a 57-year-old grandmother who lives on a tiny farm in the middle of a cow field in Central Washington.

    Anyway, last December I was financially desperate. I won't tell you my whole sob story, but the bottom line is that I was out of money and still had $1000s of bills to pay each month!

    So I had to reinvent myself. I had been in real estate investing and when the bottom dropped out of the market, it took all my financial resources with it.

    I started reading Your Portable Empire by Pat O'Bryan and that's when I decided to try Internet Marketing.

    So I bought a couple eBooks that taught me what to do . . . and I started. I followed the writers' advice to the letter. One of the eBooks was about writing eBooks and the other was about getting traffic to your site.

    Here is my encouragement to you! I had never done this before! I was a writer and I had a laptop, but that's about as much as I could bring to the table. On top of it, I had very little money! So I had to make things happen with a minimal investment!

    I ended up spending less than $100, wrote and started selling two eBooks of my own . . . and within just over 5 weeks, I made more than $12,000. What I've since learned is that this is even more amazing since the two eBooks I wrote and I sold were both priced at under $10 each.

    Here is what I did:

    1. I found a niche
    2. I built a free WordPress blog
    3. I created a Squidoo page and pointed it to my blog.
    4. I wrote about the subject and created about 10 posts. I kept adding more and more content throughout the process.
    5. I wrote my first eBook and priced it at a very low and affordable price.
    6. I contacted about 10 other site owners who wrote about the same subject and asked them to link to my site. Two of them agreed.
    7. I wrote another eBook and priced it under $10.
    8. I kept adding more and more content and I answered emails and comments from readers ASAP.
    9. Within in a few weeks, I was on page 1 of Google
    10. I had to Mickey Mouse the sales pages because the free WordPress sites don't allow e-commerce. I used a service at first, but later switched to another site I built.
    11. I stayed focused and from the time the sales started coming in pretty well . . . to five weeks later - I made more than $12,000!

    So now that I've had this first experience, I am totally convinced that focused work and determination can create an income through Internet Marketing. Truly, I just wrote about a subject close to my heart. I sold to common men and women who were looking for information - not internet information, but information to help them in their lives.

    I tried to be honest, respectful and give excellent customer service to everyone who contacted me. Now I am working on ways to sell more products to my more than 1400 buyers!

    There is still a lot I don't know. I love this forum and especially value it for all the advice and tips people share. I'm excited about the future and encourage each of you reading this post to stay focused, spend your money wisely on good quality tools, and BEGIN!

    If a grandma living in the middle of a cow field in Central Washington can make $12,000 in just over 5 weeks on her first Internet Marketing offer, then anybody can who is willing to follow the same or similar steps for success! I know that to be true!

    Be blessed as you work to reach your goals!
    Enjoyed your story.
    Im 53yrs, and was thinking maybe im a bit too old to start learning all this. I have not actually started work on the internet yet, but i'm in my research stage, (suffering from a bit of information overload right now though), and being on the forum is of tremendous help.
    You have inspired me.
    However, i seem to have learnt so much, i dont know how to proceed. A kind of 'block'.
    Any suggestions on what step to take next?
    No website yet. Seem to be so apprehensive.
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    • Profile picture of the author michellegreen
      My parents are not far off 60 and they're still at it - you're never too old for this kind of thing!

      viryabosmith, my advice to you would be to first find your niche, as Susan suggested, then get working on the rest.

      All the best!
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    • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
      Originally Posted by viryabosmith View Post

      Enjoyed your story.
      Im 53yrs, and was thinking maybe im a bit too old to start learning all this. I have not actually started work on the internet yet, but i'm in my research stage, (suffering from a bit of information overload right now though), and being on the forum is of tremendous help.
      You have inspired me.
      However, i seem to have learnt so much, i dont know how to proceed. A kind of 'block'.
      Any suggestions on what step to take next?
      No website yet. Seem to be so apprehensive.
      I stumbled upon my niche. I was "part of it" and so I could write easily about it. It turned out to be a giant blessing because it was so hungry. I knew nothing about Internet Marketing then.

      But now I know more and I also know that finding a good quality niche is key to making money on the Internet. You need to find a niche where people are looking for information enough that they want to buy it.

      I know about the information overload. So I suggest you take stock of yourself. What do you still need to learn? You don't need to know it all (you never will ) but rather you need to get a good niche and then get started. Don't go for the grand slam out of the shoot. You will learn so much in the process!

      I hope this helps!
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      • Profile picture of the author viryabosmith
        Originally Posted by SusanUSA View Post

        I stumbled upon my niche. I was "part of it" and so I could write easily about it. It turned out to be a giant blessing because it was so hungry. I knew nothing about Internet Marketing then.

        But now I know more and I also know that finding a good quality niche is key to making money on the Internet. You need to find a niche where people are looking for information enough that they want to buy it.

        I know about the information overload. So I suggest you take stock of yourself. What do you still need to learn? You don't need to know it all (you never will ) but rather you need to get a good niche and then get started. Don't go for the grand slam out of the shoot. You will learn so much in the process!

        I hope this helps!
        Its all helping me to now keep focused. Like you rightly said, i cant learn it all now.
        Thank you Susan
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      • Profile picture of the author viryabosmith
        Originally Posted by SusanUSA View Post

        I stumbled upon my niche. I was "part of it" and so I could write easily about it. It turned out to be a giant blessing because it was so hungry. I knew nothing about Internet Marketing then.

        But now I know more and I also know that finding a good quality niche is key to making money on the Internet. You need to find a niche where people are looking for information enough that they want to buy it.

        I know about the information overload. So I suggest you take stock of yourself. What do you still need to learn? You don't need to know it all (you never will ) but rather you need to get a good niche and then get started. Don't go for the grand slam out of the shoot. You will learn so much in the process!

        I hope this helps!
        Hey Susan,
        I think i hae found a niche. I told you your inspiration is great.
        But i please have a small question for you. (Maybe not so small!!)
        I was playing around with keywords i'll need for the niche(s). I got results such as
        1-10 of 3150
        1-10 of 3310
        1-10 of 4150
        and then another of 1-5 of 5
        Now im doing something wrong i think.
        I worked using the Google SE.
        How do i check how many visitors visit a day? i didnt know how to figure that out.
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      • Profile picture of the author viryabosmith
        Originally Posted by SusanUSA View Post

        I stumbled upon my niche. I was "part of it" and so I could write easily about it. It turned out to be a giant blessing because it was so hungry. I knew nothing about Internet Marketing then.

        But now I know more and I also know that finding a good quality niche is key to making money on the Internet. You need to find a niche where people are looking for information enough that they want to buy it.

        I know about the information overload. So I suggest you take stock of yourself. What do you still need to learn? You don't need to know it all (you never will ) but rather you need to get a good niche and then get started. Don't go for the grand slam out of the shoot. You will learn so much in the process!

        I hope this helps!
        Hey Susan,
        I think i hae found a niche. I told you your inspiration is great.
        But i please have a small question for you. (Maybe not so small!!)
        I was playing around with keywords i'll need for the niche(s). I got results such as
        1-10 of 3150
        1-10 of 3310
        1-10 of 4150
        and then another of 1-5 of 5
        Now im doing something wrong i think. :confused:
        I worked using the Google SE.
        How do i check how many visitors visit a day? i didnt know how to figure that out.
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  • Profile picture of the author viryabosmith
    I just have to say another thank you. Im preparing to ''get the show on the road''.
    Is anyone experiencing the same difficulty i'm having siging-up with AWeber? or is it just me?
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    • Profile picture of the author michellegreen
      Originally Posted by viryabosmith View Post

      I just have to say another thank you. Im preparing to ''get the show on the road''.
      Is anyone experiencing the same difficulty i'm having siging-up with AWeber? or is it just me?
      What problem are you having with Aweber?
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      • Profile picture of the author viryabosmith
        Originally Posted by michellegreen View Post

        What problem are you having with Aweber?
        They say they are not signing up at the moment. I have been given a toll number to call, but i dont reside in the US, Tried about 3 times now. Does this usually happen?
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  • Profile picture of the author benzbaby
    Great advice and Inspiration...Just do it...thanks for sharing what got you going too...
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  • Profile picture of the author JustDean
    WOW that's is really AMAZING Susan, I am still struggling I actually used my limited saving and bought a website thinking that would be the easiest way for me but that's an up hill battle your story really offers encouragement
    Thank yo u
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    • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
      Originally Posted by JustDean View Post

      WOW that's is really AMAZING Susan, I am still struggling I actually used my limited saving and bought a website thinking that would be the easiest way for me but that's an up hill battle your story really offers encouragement
      Thank yo u
      Hi Dean,

      As you read, I started with very little money! I bought the two eBooks that taught me about writing eBooks and how to get traffic to my site. I was determined. Actually, I had no choice because I had thousands of $$ of bills coming due.

      By the way, my site is seasonal and I just finished the second "season" of my niche. My income goal over the first week was awesome. I won't even write it here because too many people already don't believe my first year profits. But all I know is that I am a blessed woman!
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      • Profile picture of the author Rachel Zaouche
        As you read, I started with very little money! I bought the two eBooks that taught me about writing eBooks and how to get traffic to my site. I was determined. Actually, I had no choice because I had thousands of $$ of bills coming due.

        By the way, my site is seasonal and I just finished the second "season" of my niche. My income goal over the first week was awesome. I won't even write it here because too many people already don't believe my first year profits. But all I know is that I am a blessed woman![/quote]

        Susan

        Sid sent me this post by email link and I am so glad he did. It has really inspired me. In addition to the focus, I think the fact you really cared about your customers helped you in your success.

        It doesnt matter what anyone else thinks or believes about your figures. You know the truth - you took action and you achieved success.

        I hope 2009 is everything you want it to be and more.

        God Bless

        Rach
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  • Profile picture of the author he_august
    Oh my God... what a touching story. it's true...as long as we focus and determination, everything is possible... i've proved it myself, when i started a internet marketing as a niche designer and a lot more things in my whole life... so have confident just like her :>
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    • Profile picture of the author yellowtaxi
      Thanks all for the nice messages. I am very excited about the New Year. I am experiencing great growth on my blog and I am fully convinced that 2009 will be a season of excellent income. One other good thing for me is that I have also tooled my expenses and have cut out all unnecessary expenses. So as my income increases and my expenses decrease . . . well that's a good combination.

      My goals for 2009 are few, but that's okay because I know the power of focus. I will continue to build my blog and the inspirational eBooks I write to the Christian audience. But I also will move into some affiliate marketing, which I have not done a lot of in the past. And then I want to start some other blogs.

      If I could target the most important thing I've learned this last year, it is that we need to build our business on a proven niche or micro-niche. That will be my area of study for the first quarter in the year. I want to get this area down so I know it really well. I know that you can put the same energy into building the systems and one niche will return dollars and the other won't. It's not because of the systems . . . it's because of the niche. They are the ones who have to pull the trigger and click the PayPal link!

      Okay, I'm starting to ramble. Happy New Year and I hope the very best success for you as you work on your IM business.
      Grand maa "You Rock "
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  • Profile picture of the author Alothere
    Great Story! I would never have thought you can make so much money from such a low priced product before..
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    Check out my list of work at home data entry jobs

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  • Profile picture of the author Monique Abrams
    Thank you!!

    Your story is going on my desktop!
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  • Profile picture of the author Mr. Armsey
    Susan,

    Awesome story! Truly an inspiration. Keep helping OTHERS and you too will SUCCEED!
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  • Profile picture of the author nikhilg
    Terrific story.

    What is important is taking action and staying focused. I have the tendency of shifting from one project to another depending on the last IM product that I have purchased.

    Good luck to you and to all Warriors.

    regards

    Nikhil
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  • Profile picture of the author MaskedMarketer
    Originally Posted by honestbizpro View Post

    I really liked the part about contacting blog owners with similiar topics. So many times we get caught up in thinking there is competition when there is really opportunity.
    I heard this on a sales pitch before- and I agree 200% with it....

    There is No such thing as competition- only future joint venture partners

    While there is "competition" its how you view the competition that makes the difference.

    Nice story Susan and good luck in the future.
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    "One Man's Ceiling is Another Man's Floor
    "


    "I Pay Less Attention to What Men Say. I Just Watch What They Do."
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  • Profile picture of the author Mikhail Jon
    For a newbie going into internet marketing for the first time this year, it made me believe in myself even more, and that literally anyone can make their mark on the internet. Thanks a lot for sharing!
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  • Profile picture of the author winy925
    this is a great story motivates me to do more in the web world
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  • Profile picture of the author Monique Abrams
    Hi there!

    I think its great that you posted this. It is such an inspiration.

    I do have a question.

    What do you mean by Mickey Mousing the site?

    I'm a little new to IM.

    Thanks so much!
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    • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
      Originally Posted by Monique Abrams View Post

      Hi there!

      I think its great that you posted this. It is such an inspiration.

      I do have a question.

      What do you mean by Mickey Mousing the site?

      I'm a little new to IM.

      Thanks so much!
      Hi Monique,

      I should probably edit that statement out. I think it's a statement from my generation and maybe not to common any more. Anyway, it means to "work around the system" or figure out another way. My blog is on a WordPress hosted blog. When I started it, I was so broke that I couldn't afford to have it hosted. Also, I didn't know anything about the Internet and how things worked, so I would have been in the dark about hosting my own blog.

      So the kind of WordPress blog I was using didn't allow eCommerce on the sites. So I used a process that had people clicking off the site to make the purchase. They still have to do that but it's all working out. I've been advised to not upset the system since I am ranked #1 on Google and have a great SEO presence.

      I hope this answers your question!
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      • Profile picture of the author Monique Abrams
        Originally Posted by SusanUSA View Post

        Hi Monique,

        I should probably edit that statement out. I think it's a statement from my generation and maybe not to common any more. Anyway, it means to "work around the system" or figure out another way. My blog is on a WordPress hosted blog. When I started it, I was so broke that I couldn't afford to have it hosted. Also, I didn't know anything about the Internet and how things worked, so I would have been in the dark about hosting my own blog.

        So the kind of WordPress blog I was using didn't allow eCommerce on the sites. So I used a process that had people clicking off the site to make the purchase. They still have to do that but it's all working out. I've been advised to not upset the system since I am ranked #1 on Google and have a great SEO presence.

        I hope this answers your question!
        Oh! Thank you so much for explaining that to me. That helps!

        I'm very glad you posted this because your story has adjusted my plans, for the better, for my first project on my own. It can be a little overwhelming! At the moment, most of my marketing skills are offline. I'm new to the online thing. Blueprints are always nice!

        Thank you again for the inspiration!

        Monique Abrams
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  • Profile picture of the author FrancescoC
    Hey Susan

    It's nice to hear of your success in your venture and I'm sure that a lot of people are inspired to read this. I am a great believer that if we try to achieve something then there is nothing that can stop us. Good luck and all the best.
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  • Profile picture of the author zehron
    Thanks for the inspiration. I haven't made enough posts yet to have a "Thanks" button. I like your focused approach. As a newbie I've found myself jumping from idea to idea. Seems like the folks who are making the most money are the ones who have their own info product, so I'm working on one now. Also getting my feet wet with WordPress. Again, thanks for your story.
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    • Profile picture of the author SusanUSA
      Originally Posted by zehron View Post

      Thanks for the inspiration. I haven't made enough posts yet to have a "Thanks" button. I like your focused approach. As a newbie I've found myself jumping from idea to idea. Seems like the folks who are making the most money are the ones who have their own info product, so I'm working on one now. Also getting my feet wet with WordPress. Again, thanks for your story.
      Hi Zehron,

      I do suggest that you invest your best upfront time on selecting some niches. My niche is amazing, but not because I knew what I was doing. Now that I do know more, I truly believe it is the most important first step. Learn how to select a niche, then go from there. You can have the best eBook in the world about a subject no one is interested in learning about. Or you could have a mediocre eBook about a subject that has a hungry crop of buyers.

      I hope the best for you!
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  • Profile picture of the author master1
    Brilliant....your story is inspiring.

    I have just started out with an online money making program - although at first I thought it was beyond me, it took 2-3 days of watching the video training over and over again before everything started to click - and I am so glad that I persevered - it is working for me!!

    Just have faith in yourself !!!!
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  • Profile picture of the author ragnarth
    Wow that was very entertaining and inspiring post! I love reading about others success because it is like a proof to all of your effort.

    I have recently open my own blog and I am working on some product that will be released sometime in February.

    Feel free to check my blog out at ragnarth.wordpress.com
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