Where I Was 2 Months Ago. Rags To Riches.

Give me a couple more months for this one:

credit: Giulio Menna

Where I Was: (Around a Month or Two Ago)

• $18,000 in debt – due to some legal reasons that I may get into in another post.
• Fat.
• Lazy.
• 19 Years Old.
• Persistent.

Where I Am: (Today)

• $9,000 in debt (more or less).
• Fat.
• 19 years old.
• Persistent.
• Much more wealthy.

What got me to where I am now: (With Affiliate Marketing)

• PERSISTENCE. The kind of persistence that gets you out of your super-comfortable futon (not the fluffy queen-sized bed right next to you because the futon is more comfortable) right after you get your Wisdom Teeth out to list brand new products on your website that you just got an email about on your Palm Pre when they first come out! You’ve got to be ON IT! (How was that for a run-on sentence, by the way?)

Keep Reading, Lazy Ass!

Ever since I wrote my first Make Money Online post, I’ve communicated back and forth a few times with a friend of mine who likes to pick my brain with questions related to affiliate marketing (you can hit me up too, I don’t mind). Anyways, his questions remind me of where I used to be a few months ago. He seems to be on the right track, just needs to keep going!

I’ve been an internet junkie, nerd, or whatever you want to call me since I was about 13. I started off learning HTML, then I got into some design, then SEO, then Affiliate Marketing. My whole life has built me up for a career in Affiliate Marketing, or so  I thought. Then about two months ago I got really depressed. It didn’t seem like my online efforts were paying off. I was 18k in debt, not making tons of money with my various online jobs, and my parents were nagging me 24/7 to go get a “real” job at McDonalds or something. I felt like it was only a matter of time before my online career paid off, but my parents didn’t see any benefit from my efforts. Hell, they didn’t even see what I did on the computer as “work”. They subscribed to the mentality that if you don’t come home smelling like chicken grease, with a broken back and sore bones, that you weren’t making money.

Screw that. I’m better than that. Never would I work for some BS fast food chain that paid me $5.00 an hour. I’m used to getting paid huge sums of money at a time – even if it is only once a month. I couldn’t stand the idea of working my ass off all month only to get a $300 check. Screw that! Anyways, the parents grinding me down 24/7, and my own emotional implosion of guilt for being in so much debt finally took me to the edge. At last, I broke down and decided I might try to apply for a job stocking product at the local Walmart. Hey, it beats the hell out of cooking food for you jerks ( ), and at least they pay $10 bucks an hour if you’re lucky enough to land a job with them.

So what did I do? You need references for a job, right? Well, I work for a cool guy who runs an SEO Firm here in Utah, and I asked if I could use him for a reference for my Walmart job. I figured I could work during the day doing SEO stuff for him, and work for Walmart at night. I emailed him, asked him if I could use him as a reference, and this is the response I got:

Sure, but man, you should be able to get something better than Wal-Mart. With what knowledge you have of HTML and SEO you could get a job making $30-40K right now.

Talk about inspiration. This guy has been my mentor since the beginning of my digital life. I used to pick his brain every chance I could get. I’d ask him about HTML, CSS, SEO, making money online, etc, etc.. He was always happy to share his knowledge with me, and would send me links to various valuable information sources. I definitely wouldn’t know half of what I do today if he wouldn’t have taken the time to answer the questions that I had.

That was just the email / boost of confidence that I needed to boot myself into gear. At that point, I kept studying the art of SEO, and persisted with my affiliate marketing efforts. Fast forward a couple months: I just made an $8,500 (Affiliate Marketing) deposit into my bank account, and I’m loving life. Making $8,500+ in one month is a huge thing and a life-changing time that makes you reevaluate a few things. You start thinking, “Hey, I’ve told myself my whole life that I’d be a millionaire, but now it’s looking a little bit more realistic!”. I’ve learned tons of very valuable lessons, and from where I am now, I see no reason why I can’t replicate the success I’ve had in the last couple of months. My advice to you: 1) Don’t give up on your career as an Affiliate Marketer. 2) Focus! I almost ditched the site that is now making me $8K a month about a half a year ago! 3) Read my Make Money Online post. 4) Don’t give up.

(of course, the only month that I deposit a ridiculous amount, the bank’s printer only half-prints my balance.)

Don’t stop working on your websites!
GO GET THAT CASH MONEY! (CAUSE I’M A GANGSTER!)

P.S. I’ve said it before, but when I talk about how much money I’m making, don’t get discouraged. I promise I’m not doing it to brag. If anything, it’s a dumb thing to do. Sure, it sucks to hear someone else banking it when you’re not, but use it as fuel. Beat me! Make more than me! I always used to (and still do sometimes) get discouraged reading about the big affiliates making $XXX,XXX.00 amounts per month. It’s discouraging at first, but just think about it. There’s no reason why you can’t be that dude! Make it happen! Go get it!

P.S.S. My parents have actually been extremely patient with me for what I’ve put them through so far in life. Much love to them, even though I give them a hard time. Hopefully I’ll be able to move away from home some time soon so I can get out of their hair. For now, I’ll keep eating their food, and  taking everything they do for me for granted.

Another P.S.S. I’m really not that fat. I’m actually really handsome and charming. At least that’s what my mom tells me.

IF I DON’T GET 1000 COMMENTS ON THIS POST, I’M GOING TO QUIT BLOGGING!!!

Tagged as: Rags to Riches