Finally....after 5 years, success!

Hello Warriors,

My name is Casey and I'm a long time lurker. I'm not trying to sell anything to anyone here, just wanted to share what happened to me in case someone else needs a spark or a glimmer of hope that you CAN make money online, even if nothing has clicked with you for the longest time. So let me back up to how it started...

I spent from 2003 - 2012 working as a personal trainer. Well, in 2008, we had my son and my wife and I arrived at the decision that I would work in the early morning and in the evening, and stay home with him during the day while she worked. Well that was great except it reduced my hours I could work. So that's when I decided i needed to really make the most of the time I could work. I looked into getting a website and had a lot of sticker shock. Well being the nerd/cheapskate I am, I figured if someone else can build a website, so can I. So after hours of watching youtube tutorials, i did it. It was actually a really nice site I managed to put together.

The problem was it was getting nowhere on google and nobody visited it. So in reading a fitness marketing blog, i decided to invest in a $200/month course on how to rank your sites. I did it. It worked. I rocked the $#I+ out of google locally...I'm talking 8 out of the top 10. Well as I learned more about marketing, I started to discover the world of online marketing...the thought of creating a product, having affilliate sites, PPC, CPA, they all sounded awesome. So I'd pick something and start on it...after a couple days, my ADD kicked in and I'd abandon it for something else...I think many of us know the cycle. This went on for years. Until Tuesday.

Fast forward to today. In 2012, we moved and I decided to get my master's degree. We now have a daughter as well and I stay with her during the day and take night and online classes. I'm feeling like crap because my wife is the sole breadwinner, since I'm in school and stuck at home in the daytime with my daughter. Well, by chance this past Tuesday on Facebook I start talking to one of my friends who is a trainer where I used to live. He mentioned to me that it drives him nuts that I still outrank him even though I've been gone for a year and hadn't touched the sites in at least 2 years.

The next thing he said was the game-changer, light bulb moment for me.

He said, "I'm paying a guy $250 a month to do my site maintenance and SEO and I am stuck on page 5"

I facepalmed so hard I had a welt. WHY THE HECK DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT? I was so obsessed with the online aspect, I failed to really put much into the offline stuff. Sure, I read many, many posts about offline...but for whatever reason it never clicked until I spoke with someone I knew who I had the skills to help.

Well that was the start of a snowball, (hopefully a large one). He fired his guy and hired me to run his site/SEO. Plus, it gave me the idea to do site leasing to a couple friends who just started a business.

Tuesday, I was making $0/month online. Today, (just turned Sunday) I have $400/mo. coming my way for a skill I've had for years, but never thought about monetizing because I was attracted by all the shiny new websites and offers popping up.

Before you run around purchasing all the latest products and cool gimmicks...take a good look at what skills you already have. If they're something people will pay for, use them. I failed for 5 years at using the web to make money. All it took was one conversation which led to a major epiphany and suddenly I can say I make a monthly online income.

$400/month might not sound like a lot to many of you. But to me, it means with a couple more clients, I'll be bringing in enough to pay for my Master's degree with no loans. And that is a big deal.

Thanks for reading...hope it encourages someone out there