- Joined
- Sep 17, 2015
- Messages
- 8
Hey,
My name is Cody. This isn't my first time on this forum, but it is as a member. I have known about the Fastlane book for a couple of years now, and checked out the forum a couple of years ago. It wasn't until recently that I actually bought the book and read it.
I started with the usual stuff as a kid: selling baked goods at the end of my driveway, delivering papers, and even selling candy from my locker (got shut down from the principle). I have always loved business. At least I loved the idea of a business... The process always got me down - I loved the event.
After graduating, I worked odd jobs until I got layed off in 2005. That year, while not working, I hit the trend hard, which back in that day was paying for ads with google adwords and then transferring the potential customer directly to the website (I was an affiliate). This made me a bit of money, but I eventually met another guy online (who programmed), and with my help, he created a software program that would create junk sites and we would earn commission by putting adsense on our page. This worked pretty well for us, as we would rank for some obscure keywords that were getting searched. By the end of 2005 I had made some good money as a 21 year old.
Unfortunately, my focus wasn't that great. I made decent money, but my friend (who programmed) made a lot more, to the tune of nearly $500,000. This might seem like peanuts to some, but it was (and still is) good money to me! I was never jealous, and I was really happy for him. He helped me a lot with my servers when I had them rented, etc.
I learned some very valuable things during this time and the period after:
1) Don't put the cart before the horse. I went out and rented a lot of servers, because I was going to build a shit tonne of sites. This never happened, and I ended wasting a lot of money on stuff I wasn't using.
2.) The game isn't easy. If you find something that works, even if you have an edge, you will still have to work very hard
3.) SEO sucks. I got jaded from thinking about having an internet business for a long time after because I thought it was all about SEO. I didn't like the idea of a search engine updating and wiping out all of my hard work. (I was glad to see a mention of this in TFL book). I should also add, that if I was google I would trash my sites as well at the time as they WERE junk.
Since this time, I have had plans of real estate stuff, franchise stuff, etc, but nothing has been done. I worked odd jobs for awhile, then made 6 figures working at a mine for awhile (couldn't stand the place, and I quit), and just got out of school for another possible career.
As of now, I am not working, and living from savings. I'm not sure what direction I am headed, but I know I will never go back to the mine, and working graveyard shifts. My goal isn't money (although that is a byproduct). I genuinely like helping people, and just love freedom. I like knowing that I can do what I want with my day, and not answer to a foreman. I will definitely be reading a lot on this forum in the coming weeks!
All the Best,
Cody
My name is Cody. This isn't my first time on this forum, but it is as a member. I have known about the Fastlane book for a couple of years now, and checked out the forum a couple of years ago. It wasn't until recently that I actually bought the book and read it.
I started with the usual stuff as a kid: selling baked goods at the end of my driveway, delivering papers, and even selling candy from my locker (got shut down from the principle). I have always loved business. At least I loved the idea of a business... The process always got me down - I loved the event.
After graduating, I worked odd jobs until I got layed off in 2005. That year, while not working, I hit the trend hard, which back in that day was paying for ads with google adwords and then transferring the potential customer directly to the website (I was an affiliate). This made me a bit of money, but I eventually met another guy online (who programmed), and with my help, he created a software program that would create junk sites and we would earn commission by putting adsense on our page. This worked pretty well for us, as we would rank for some obscure keywords that were getting searched. By the end of 2005 I had made some good money as a 21 year old.
Unfortunately, my focus wasn't that great. I made decent money, but my friend (who programmed) made a lot more, to the tune of nearly $500,000. This might seem like peanuts to some, but it was (and still is) good money to me! I was never jealous, and I was really happy for him. He helped me a lot with my servers when I had them rented, etc.
I learned some very valuable things during this time and the period after:
1) Don't put the cart before the horse. I went out and rented a lot of servers, because I was going to build a shit tonne of sites. This never happened, and I ended wasting a lot of money on stuff I wasn't using.
2.) The game isn't easy. If you find something that works, even if you have an edge, you will still have to work very hard
3.) SEO sucks. I got jaded from thinking about having an internet business for a long time after because I thought it was all about SEO. I didn't like the idea of a search engine updating and wiping out all of my hard work. (I was glad to see a mention of this in TFL book). I should also add, that if I was google I would trash my sites as well at the time as they WERE junk.
Since this time, I have had plans of real estate stuff, franchise stuff, etc, but nothing has been done. I worked odd jobs for awhile, then made 6 figures working at a mine for awhile (couldn't stand the place, and I quit), and just got out of school for another possible career.
As of now, I am not working, and living from savings. I'm not sure what direction I am headed, but I know I will never go back to the mine, and working graveyard shifts. My goal isn't money (although that is a byproduct). I genuinely like helping people, and just love freedom. I like knowing that I can do what I want with my day, and not answer to a foreman. I will definitely be reading a lot on this forum in the coming weeks!
All the Best,
Cody
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