Skiing or Internet Marketing-Are you Afraid to Take Risks?

Yesterday I severed my connection with my computer and headed up skiing.  It was a beautiful, sunny, warm day and it had snowed a bunch recently.  “Perfect!” I says, so off I went.

I ended up at the resort I always ski at, and had a couple of good runs.  But… I was feeling a little, well… bored.  I mean, the runs were fairly easy and I could ski them very comfortably, but I was getting tired of doing the same old thing and getting the same old results.  I mean, I’ve been skiing at this place off and on for 5 years, the same old runs, and maybe if I tried something new I might get some incredibly exciting results.

So even though it was completely scary for me… I decided it was time to go where I’d never gone before; try some new slopes, try riding up the poma thingie which was necessary if I was going to get to the back bowls.

So I rode the poma thingie up without incident.  Whew!

I looked around.  It was breathtaking - I was on top of the world!  Seriously!

 

 

 

 

But now what?  I didn’t have a map!  Crap, what was I thinking?  The back bowls were on the other side of the mountain, and I’d never even seen this area before let alone tried to ski it.

So now what? Which way do I go?  Do I follow everyone else and do what they do?  Sounds good, but maybe I shouldn’t.  Not all the runs are going to end up where I want to end up.  Some of them might require me to hike or hitchhike back to the lodge.

 

Here were my choices -

#1  Ski (or fall most of the way down) a double black diamond to immediately get back to where I was.  Was = comfortable, yet not having the experience I wanted.

#2  Follow everyone else, do what everyone else is doing, not knowing if it’s going to be a good or bad experience.  The big question is - am I at the same place in my skiing abilities as they are?

#3  Not make any decision at all; keep taking pictures, eat my squished sandwich from my pocket, hang out enjoying the sun, and finally be forced into less-than-optimal emergency action because the lift shuts down at 3:00.

#4  ASK someone to explain my options and map out a plan of action for me, so I can have a kick-a$$ experience and try some new, yet challenging runs.

I won’t lie to you… I seriously considered each one and started in on #3, but after a stern internal lecture I opted for #4.

But I found me a mentor, asked a bunch of questions and formulated a new plan.  I now knew which way was the right way for me (given my abilities, desires, and envisioned outcome) to go.  And I had the BEST time!  Now it was no longer scary, unfamiliar, too steep, too high up, or only for those with more knowledge.  It was a good experience because it allowed me to try something new, challenge myself with some steeper slopes, and I felt good because I did it and it didn’t kill me.

 

All this time… I could have been having fun on the back slopes. 

For 5 years I let myself be comfortable and even a little bored because I was afraid to see what was on the other side of that mountain, what else there was out there.

 

There are similarities between my skiing story from yesterday and being an internet marketer.

Do you finally get up the nerve to try something new only to get freaked out and hurl yourself back to your comfort zone as soon as possible?

Do you follow what everyone else does, despite your level of knowledge and experience, and desired outcome?

Or do you not make any decisions at all and spend your precious internet marketing time surfing the web, playing video games, and watching funny videos until your rent is due and you have to quickly scramble to try to earn some money?

#4, asking for help from a reliable source, someone who knows what they’re talking about can make all the difference.  Do you have a coach or a mentor, someone you can trust to show you the rope-tows, er ropes?

 

Alan Petersen and I are putting the finishing touches on a product which I’ll tell you more about soon, but one thing we are going to offer beyond the product is private coaching.  I just wanted to get you thinking about it now before it’s offered because we’re going to limit it to only a handful of people to keep it real.

My Internet Marketing 2010

You might have had your fill of blog posts about 2009 and goal setting for 2010, but I’m going to do it anyway. It’s therapeutic and gives me lots of optimism about the upcoming year.  Hopefully you’ll get something out of it as well.

So bear with me and feel free to add comments as you feel the urge. I haven’t really hashed out what I’m going to say here, so I’ll probably wander around a little bit. I do apologize.

I’m trying to remember everything I did in 2009, and this is what I’ve recalled at this moment:

• Started 3 membership sites.
• Wrote at least 313 PLR articles for said membership sites and for other PLR sales.
• Got on Twitter.
• Wrote 3 ebooks (maybe more?)
• Wrote quite a few reports/PDFs.
• Networked with other marketers and built relationships with many people on my lists.
• Guest blogged x 2.
• Started podcasting.
• Did some audio interviews.
• Signed up for a seminar in January 2010.
• Started work on a big JV project.
• Helped people who asked questions.
• Learned a lot, by researching and taking hands-on help-me-if-I-screw-up action.
• Outsourced items I’ve not outsourced in the past.
• Got set up with my own JAM (JV manager) affiliate program.
• Did my first big PLR package with graphics and sales page.
• Planned 2 other JV projects for 2010.
• Blogged 30 times on this blog.
• Blogged numerous times on my other blogs (but I”m too lazy to count them.)
• Grown my lists.
• Other stuff which I’ve forgotten about.

Have I failed because I didn’t make 6 figures in 2009? Well, yes, because technically I didn’t make 6 figures in 2009. Did I fail because I didn’t do enough or spent too much time learning how to do something? No.

The way I look at failure is… everything I’ve learned this past year will help me next year. Everything. Each year builds on the next. There is no failure.

So what’s up for next year?

I haven’t planned everything out yet, but I will. So these are fuzzy ideas that have yet to take concrete shape.

• Blog a lot more on this here blog.
• Outsource more of the little but time-consuming stuff.
• Do more guest-blogging.
• Finish up the big JV project I’m working on.
• Get the next 2 projects up and running.
• Write and sell more of the complete PLR packages.
• Continue to grow my lists (and convert them to buyers.)
• Attend the January Internet Superstars Conference and take action on what I learn with who I meet.

To me, things can only get better and better, and I’m excited for the new year. Bring it on!

I would love to hear what you have planned for 2010.

~~~
P.S. There are 2 affiliate links in this post and I intend to profit if you buy from those links.
~~~

Internet Marketing Seminars… Finally

I couldn’t let 2009 slip away without doing one last “first.”  So I did it. I signed up for my first Internet Marketing Conference.  I picked InternetSuperstarsConference which is January 15-17 in Orlando and it’s put on by Mark Hendricks. 

 

 

 

It costs money.  I’ve got enough money.
My kids need me.  They’re 17 and 15, who am I kidding?
I can’t be away for 4 days.  Yes I can.  I’ve been away several times this year and my business didn’t fall to the ground while I was gone.
I don’t want to spend money on me.  Okay, this is tough since I’m such a cheap a$$ and we have a kid starting college in the fall.  But I know the money I can make as the result of the information I learn and people I meet will be more than the money I spend on the conference.
I don’t have anything to wear.  This is true. Maybe Santa will bring me some new threads for Christmas.

 

 

Hitting Internet Marketing Goals… Or Not

So you may, or may not, be wondering how I did with my goal to run the Race For The Cure 5K in 27 minutes.

I’d like to report that I reached my goal, but alas, I did not. My time was 29:25.

Was I unhappy with that? Yes, I was a little disappointed with my time, but let me break this down:

I got the flu (courtesy of my son) and was not able to run for a week. This was the week before the race and the timing was the worst. I felt like I ran out of gas during the race.

My son dislocated and broke his elbow in a football game. They had to put him under to put the 2 bones that were out of place back in place. It was stressful, to say the least, to see my 15 year old in pain and to have to make decisions regarding surgery.

I will sum up the whole race goal with this:

• I had a goal, which pushed me to work harder than I had been working at my running. Having goals with my internet marketing does the same thing. I thrive on having goals, even if I don’t quite reach them.
• Subsequently, I ran faster than I had been running. When I started I was running 3 miles at 30+ minutes. So I did have measureable results.
• Life threw a wrench - I got sick. So what. Stuff happens like that. My son was injured - I lost my focus. These things might have caused me to go down a side street for a bit, but I doubled back and found my way. How many times has that happened in business? I’m learning to get back on track sooner rather than later. Focus! I did not give up, even though I saw I wasn’t going to hit my mark.

What’s that saying? Reach for the moon and you might land among the stars? That’s what happens when I set goals in my business. I might not reach them, but I haven’t failed. I’ll have learned what works, what doesn’t work, where I need to do better, and I may have fallen short of the goal, but I still had positive results!

Personal Goals and Multiple Streams Of Internet Income

 

 

I find that I operate best when I have goals, big and little, to go after.  You probably do too.  If I don’t have goals, I just kind of wander aimlessly.  This is true with not only my Internet Marketing business, but my personal business as well. 

 

I was thinking the other day about my business in conjunction with a new personal goal I set for myself.

 

I want to run a 25 minute 5K (3.1 miles) at Race For The Cure.

That’s my goal!

Can I do it?

Hell no.

Let’s look at where I am now, what I’ve got going:  The race is in 26 days.  I can do 3 miles without stopping right now although it’s ugly.  I haven’t timed myself but I’m pretty sure I’m at over 30 minutes for a 5K.

So I’ve reset my goal… 27 minutes for this 5K.  Then shoot for the 25 minutes for another race on Thanksgiving day.  Now both of these are doable if…

I come up with a plan to get there.  A plan is crucial!  I can’t just wish and hope for a great race, I’ve got to pin down what I want and how I’m going to achieve it.  Just like with my online business, I can’t just wish for 5 figures a month and not do anything to reach for it.

And I need to cover all aspects…

Proper nutrition - I need to do some research on what foods will fuel me and help me recover quicker after runs.  Same with the IM business, research what I need to know to help me reach my goal(s).

Good shoes - This is the foundation of this whole project. With good shoes I minimize the risk of injury and start off on the right foot. This is like having the right platform before going forward with Internet Marketing.  HTML editor? WP plug-ins?  Scripts?  Other tools?

Great attitude - I need to talk with runner friends because this is what motivates me. I can bounce ideas off them and listen to their tips.  I can model myself after other successful runners just as I can model my online business after successful marketers.

Running plan - This is what will get me from dream to goal.  I will follow an established plan and interestingly enough, it’s not about doing one thing.  It involves doing many different things that when put together, will enable me to reach my goal.  So rather than run my ass off every day, I’ll have some long slow days, some speed work days, and some rest days. I’ll spend time with weights and on abdominal exercises.  I’ll also work on perfecting my technique.  Just doing one of these things will not make a huge difference in my running time, but doing them all will make my goal reachable.

This makes me think about how having multiple streams of income will help me reach my business goals.  Just one of them will not get me to 5 figures a month but several of them, working together, can get me there.  One of my streams is writing and selling PLR in packs and through a membership site. Another is my Cookin’ Kids website.  I also create and sell info products and have several niche sites.

The next stream I’m going to add is eBay niche stores.  I’ve been inside Alan Petersen’s Niche Stores Unleashed and watched every video.  It’s my kind of thing… easy to implement and more hands-off.  I was impressed by Alan’s take-you-by-the-hand-step-by-step approach.

 

What about you?  Are you taking action that will get you to your goals?

I’ve Come a Long Way Baby

I love doing WSO’s (Warrior Special Offers) on the Warrior Forum - the thrill, the excitement of money to be made and people to make happy, the not sleeping at night because of the temptation to check email for PayPal notifications… it’s a rush for sure!

But I didn’t always feel so comfortable running a WSO. My insecurities made me worry that no one would buy or if they did, they’d leave mean comments about it. I was anxious I wouldn’t even make enough to cover the $20 cost of the WSO.

In fact, my best selling WSO did get a couple comments that made my heart plummet. They weren’t  mean but I thought my WSO was sunk. But I took their constructive criticism and made the product better. I sold even more after that!

So I didn’t die or shrink into the wall or anything, and that gave me confidence to do more WSOs.

I remember the first time I did a WSO for my PLR articles, which was before my best seller WSO. I was an unknown and untried PLR writer who had no social proof. I thought deep down that I was a good writer, but no one else knew that and I offered that WSO kind of apologetically. That’s no way to market yourself!

I’ve come a long way baby. 

I just put up my latest PLR WSO http://cli.gs/HhQWJn and I did so with lots of eagerness. I know my articles are well-written and I’m glad people will buy them and put them to good use.  Sometimes people email me and show me what they’ve done with the PLR - a new blog post, a PDF, etc. That is so cool!

That’s it for this post, I’ve got to check my email to see if PayPal is calling.

More Internet Marketing Self Doubt

So I’d been going along nicely with my WSO and enjoying my growing PayPal account as well as the nice comments people were making when it happened… someone posted a comment on my WSO that was less than glowing.  First they listed three things they liked, then one thing they wished was explained better and in more detail.  Then someone else agreed.

My first reaction was a punch-in-the-gut feeling.  They didn’t like it, I’m no good at this, I’m a horrible teacher, my WSO has just tanked, etc., etc.

Then I decided to take this as constructive criticism and approach it with the attitude that this criticism could actually be a good thing. 

Instead of getting defensive, I looked at the chapter they were talking about and I added more examples and further explanations.  I posted a comment addressing what changes I made and thanked them for helping make my product better.  I also PMd both of them explaining the same thing.  I haven’t heard from one of them, but the other was happy with my “fast-acting, top-notch customer service” and was pleased with the outcome.  He even posted a new comment about liking the changes. 

The WSO didn’t tank and people are still purchasing.

So I guess the point of this post is:  don’t crumble under criticism (which is what I normally do), take it and use it to make your product better.

Internet Marketing Doubt

“This course, by far is the best purchase I have made in a long time.Easy purchase, easy download, and now you can get the e-course in an easy zip file, so no waiting. And the price, forget about it, Peggy’s not charging anything near what this course is worth.

There is no fluff here, believe me when I say I am no writer, but I am now. I was cranking out re-writes in minutes, yes minutes after completing the course.

Peggy also throws in some free tools, and resources.  With this information I may even get some original articles out there.

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.
Thanks Peggy, I owe you a bunch.”

Darwin Schoenwald
Albuquerque, NM

“Peggy,

Good job on this WSO. This is perfect for the beginner. What I like is that you show actual examples of how you rewrite PLR, and you also give out homework assignments to help engage the reader.

You can tell when products are written by people who just researched their topic, but don’t really do what they are teaching. And that is not the case here. It comes across in Peggy’s writing that not only does she know what she’s talking about, but that she uses it in her own business as well.

Thumbs up from me Peggy!”

-Jason Fladlien
How to Write an Article in 7 Minutes

I wanted to post a few of the testimonials I’ve gotten for my Rewrite PLR Quickly and Easily ecourse, and it’s not because I want to brag but I want to discuss something with you — self confidence.

Have you ever created a product and had that moment of huge self-doubt with that ugly, nasty thought go through your head?  That one that goes like “What if this is a piece of garbage and customers hate it and they tell the whole world how bad it is?”  I think everyone has had minutes, seconds, or hours like that.

But really, you know you’ve got something good and you can’t wait to get it out there so people can benefit from it. 

Before going public with your product, pass it around to some marketers you don’t know for their reaction.  It can certainly help get past the pre-product-going-live-jitters.  Ask them to tell it like it is, then you can fix any small mistakes they find and bask in the positive comments.

Then when those stupid little doubts sneak unwanted into your brain, you can pull out the testimonials and get real again.

It works for me!

Thanks To Randy Smith

Sometimes just saying thank you to a person isn’t enough.

So… I’ve come up with a plan to make my thank you’s public here on the blog under the category “My Thanks to You“, and I’ll post these now and again.

Dear Randy Smith,
www.randolfsmith.com

When I was brand-spanking new to internet marketing I reached out to you with a question.  Well, as I recall it was actually 3 or 4 questions disguised as 1.  You cheerfully answered those questions and offered even more information that answered questions I didn’t even know to ask yet.  Thank you.

I feel you offer me (and others) the right blend of honesty, insight, deep knowledge, humor, and especially encouragement.  Thank you.

You make me think about my internet marketing in ways I don’t want to.  “What Randy?  I should track my conversion rates for THAT?”  And will tell me if my sales page headline stinks.  “Boring, Peggy. That’s not going to capture people’s attention.”  Well, he did say it nicer than that.  But… thank you.

I appreciate that you’re a real person in this crazy internet marketing field who cares about others and it shows up in your site www.randolfsmith.com and your products www.salesletterabc.com and www.moremonthly.com, among others.   Thank you.

I don’t even remember how I “found” you Randy, but I’m sure glad I did!  You’ve been instrumental in making me a better marketer.

Thank you,

Peggy
P.S.  No affiliate links were added to this post.

Chillin in Eastern Washington

This is what I was doing last week with my kids and my dad (orange hat) on the Wenatchee River in Washington state.  It was Class 3 rapids at times which was a blast! 

Even though it was 103 degrees out, we were told to wear partial wet suits as the water was a chilly 42 degrees.  We were quite wet by the time we were through, but we didn’t lose anybody overboard. 

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