I've been lurking for a while and finally built up some courage to get involved. I'm so impressed with the quality of conversations going on in here! This actually feels like a community and I'm excited to finally get to work.
Warning: This post is going to be a bit of a cathartic exercise for me. I hope some other newbies can relate and that it encourages others to be honest in here.
TL;DR
I'm a newbie in the online money-making/problem-solving space looking for some guidance here in AF. I've wandered for the past 6 years with no clear path and have wasted so much time it scares me. I have a small amount of white collar job experience and I'm learning SEO.
Why I'm here:
All of the noise out there about building websites that generate income has left me confused and paralyzed. I've been overwhelmed by Internet marketing and SEO communities and Facebook groups. People recommend said groups and they turn out to be low on substance and high on selling courses and services. It's pretty pathetic out there. I'm gonna lose my shit if another person tries to sell me their $1,997 SEO course that is discounted for the next 24 hours and comes with a bundle of 50 ranking secrets that is valued at $10,000. Oh! And once the doors close the offer will not reopen.
Ok, let's reel it back in here. Basically, I'm trying to find my place. I'm hoping that AffiliateFix will be a place of accountability, guidance, education, and camaraderie for me.
My history/background:
For years, I've been a pinball bouncing around various money-making gigs. I've done photography, video editing, restaurant, and social media marketing ( very newbie). The Tim Ferris bug bit me after college while I was traveling around Mexico. Those ideas really changed how I viewed work and career life. It ruined my ability to work at a job. Being constrained by a job I don't enjoy scares the shit out of me [puffs on inhaler]. Those years ago, the concepts in The 4-Hour Workweek blew me away. I was just never exposed to alternative views on what work and life could be.
The college-to-career mentality was all around me and it was intoxicating to discover a different way to live. Unfortunately, that excitement didn't translate into anything other than warm fuzzies. I just started avoiding getting a job and instead, opted for freelance work in an attempt to remain free. I've basically been living a pseudo-freedom lifestyle. Making ends meet on random gigs just to maintain a feeling of freedom. This is very dangerous. Maybe even an emergency. It has fucked my financial health and it's made me a generalist in my skills. I also feel I've wasted a lot of time and now I'm 31 ( I'm really old and worried).
Where I'm at today:
Now that I'm aware of my pseudo-freedom, I'm trying to gain clarity and manage expectations when it comes to making money on the Internet and life in general. I'm also trying to get clear on my goals and what my ideal life looks like. I don't want to work four hours a week and then fuck off. I just want to work on something that actually works, and then I want to repeat that process until I have several businesses and revenue streams.
At the moment, all of my online endeavors are not making money. Some are in their infancy and others are moving very slowly.
What I'm working on ( or will be working)
1. CPA. I think this will be my main focus. But I have a lot of doubts about this. Do I need to have a site or can I use social media only? Among other things
2. Amazon Affiliate. But I was wondering if it's a good idea to start a niche site after the commission cut. Some people have suggested starting contacting the vendor directly for bigger commissions. I have a small capital to start. So I don't know if I should buy a website that's earning a bit.
I think that the ship has sailed for the golden days. But we need to try.
The most important one:
3. Paying my bills (~15 hrs/wk.)- right now my income is from working two days a week in my Father's business (more home services) and shooting weddings on weekends. These gigs pay quickly and allow me freedom throughout the week.
Goals/Desires ( Perhaps they need more granularity )
1. Income creation, stability, and growth
2. Maintaining a handle on who has access to my time
3. Long term/pie in the sky- I want to be able to travel freely and often, build a small house that I design on a property near the ocean so I can work on my surfing and maybe do some farming/fishing (I love to cook), and have the means to quickly get into other business opportunities or help friends/family with theirs.
Enemies!!!!!:
Fears:
That I'm gonna work on something for too long that ends up making little or no money.
Not working on the right thing.
Working a job I hate or committing to something I don't enjoy.
Being stuck where I've been stuck for the past 8 years.
Conclusion:
Ok! That wraps up the first episode of Another Confused, Wandering Entrepreneur. Thanks for tuning in and hope that was confusing and scary enough for everyone! I might read this tomorrow and wonder, "what was I thinking?".
Thank you for your attention.
Warning: This post is going to be a bit of a cathartic exercise for me. I hope some other newbies can relate and that it encourages others to be honest in here.
TL;DR
I'm a newbie in the online money-making/problem-solving space looking for some guidance here in AF. I've wandered for the past 6 years with no clear path and have wasted so much time it scares me. I have a small amount of white collar job experience and I'm learning SEO.
Why I'm here:
All of the noise out there about building websites that generate income has left me confused and paralyzed. I've been overwhelmed by Internet marketing and SEO communities and Facebook groups. People recommend said groups and they turn out to be low on substance and high on selling courses and services. It's pretty pathetic out there. I'm gonna lose my shit if another person tries to sell me their $1,997 SEO course that is discounted for the next 24 hours and comes with a bundle of 50 ranking secrets that is valued at $10,000. Oh! And once the doors close the offer will not reopen.
Ok, let's reel it back in here. Basically, I'm trying to find my place. I'm hoping that AffiliateFix will be a place of accountability, guidance, education, and camaraderie for me.
My history/background:
For years, I've been a pinball bouncing around various money-making gigs. I've done photography, video editing, restaurant, and social media marketing ( very newbie). The Tim Ferris bug bit me after college while I was traveling around Mexico. Those ideas really changed how I viewed work and career life. It ruined my ability to work at a job. Being constrained by a job I don't enjoy scares the shit out of me [puffs on inhaler]. Those years ago, the concepts in The 4-Hour Workweek blew me away. I was just never exposed to alternative views on what work and life could be.
The college-to-career mentality was all around me and it was intoxicating to discover a different way to live. Unfortunately, that excitement didn't translate into anything other than warm fuzzies. I just started avoiding getting a job and instead, opted for freelance work in an attempt to remain free. I've basically been living a pseudo-freedom lifestyle. Making ends meet on random gigs just to maintain a feeling of freedom. This is very dangerous. Maybe even an emergency. It has fucked my financial health and it's made me a generalist in my skills. I also feel I've wasted a lot of time and now I'm 31 ( I'm really old and worried).
Where I'm at today:
Now that I'm aware of my pseudo-freedom, I'm trying to gain clarity and manage expectations when it comes to making money on the Internet and life in general. I'm also trying to get clear on my goals and what my ideal life looks like. I don't want to work four hours a week and then fuck off. I just want to work on something that actually works, and then I want to repeat that process until I have several businesses and revenue streams.
At the moment, all of my online endeavors are not making money. Some are in their infancy and others are moving very slowly.
What I'm working on ( or will be working)
1. CPA. I think this will be my main focus. But I have a lot of doubts about this. Do I need to have a site or can I use social media only? Among other things
2. Amazon Affiliate. But I was wondering if it's a good idea to start a niche site after the commission cut. Some people have suggested starting contacting the vendor directly for bigger commissions. I have a small capital to start. So I don't know if I should buy a website that's earning a bit.
I think that the ship has sailed for the golden days. But we need to try.
The most important one:
3. Paying my bills (~15 hrs/wk.)- right now my income is from working two days a week in my Father's business (more home services) and shooting weddings on weekends. These gigs pay quickly and allow me freedom throughout the week.
Goals/Desires ( Perhaps they need more granularity )
1. Income creation, stability, and growth
2. Maintaining a handle on who has access to my time
3. Long term/pie in the sky- I want to be able to travel freely and often, build a small house that I design on a property near the ocean so I can work on my surfing and maybe do some farming/fishing (I love to cook), and have the means to quickly get into other business opportunities or help friends/family with theirs.
Enemies!!!!!:
- Procrastination
- Laziness
- Analysis paralysis
- Shiny object syndrome
Fears:
That I'm gonna work on something for too long that ends up making little or no money.
Not working on the right thing.
Working a job I hate or committing to something I don't enjoy.
Being stuck where I've been stuck for the past 8 years.
Conclusion:
Ok! That wraps up the first episode of Another Confused, Wandering Entrepreneur. Thanks for tuning in and hope that was confusing and scary enough for everyone! I might read this tomorrow and wonder, "what was I thinking?".
Thank you for your attention.
