The following post is a strange mixture of business and personal. I say strange because talking about personal things is not my style.
My focus is, and always has been, on helping people succeed. I’ve been very blessed in my online business and want to give real help to people who need it.
When I needed help in the form of advice a wonderful person was there who took time to help me see the next steps. All he asked in return was I “pay it forward” and so I always have done.
Thanks Paul – you know who you are.
Let me begin by revisiting a post I made at the beginning of 2012. Since the first quarter just ended now seems a good time to look back and look forward as well.
In my post entitled Will 2012 Boom or Bust I said there would be four areas of focus for me in 2012. Here they are along with a brief word about progress to date.
1. More free information than ever before
If you have been following my blog for very long you will have noticed a complete redesign. This was done to make giving you more information easier for us both. So far I’ve published less than hoped (see “now for the personal part” below for why) but more than in years gone by.
You now have access to the first of a dozen planned Quick Courses. Readers and members said (in a recent poll) their #1 need is about Driving Traffic so that’s the first Quick Course published.
2. Fewer sites with more intense focus
So far I have stopped selling memberships in Article Marketing Live and Ezine Advertising Live (both profitable sites) in order to fulfill this commitment. I believe with all my heart that anyone can succeed online. But I believe too that we live in a day of information overload and so people need more individual help today than ever before.
I intend to give members just that.
In addition, I’ve been asked many times to open my consulting business again but have decided to continue giving members my time instead of selling it by the hour.
3. Succeed with a marketing method and let members clone it
The new Directory of Ezines will contain a section called the Ad Lab. In the Ad Lab I will reveal the sources, ads and results (good or bad) from my own advertising. In 12 years of working online I’ve never been this transparent about my own business. But the time has come to show, and not just tell, what marketing in the real world looks like.
In addition, we are shifting the focus at Follow Up Selling Systems to include many more Turnkey Marketing Packages. These packages are great because they include it all – a squeeze page built and hosted by us, pre-written email messages, a gift to give on the squeeze page and a detailed case study of my marketing results too. Now we are expanding the focus to include many more niches and products. FUSS members – you are going to love this.
4. Review products that work well and share how I use them
This will be a new section of my blog and free for all to see. My plan is to review the products I actually use in my business. These tools help me save time and make more money and you need to know about them so you can benefit from them too. This is no affiliate marketing play – this is sharing what works in the real world based on experience.
NOW FOR THE PERSONAL PART
In December of last year I fell and hurt my back rather badly. No surgery needed thankfully and the prognosis looked good.
But what happened next was that we discovered that this injury was more complicated than first thought and it was going to take more time to recover. Much more time. According to Eberstein Witherite accident attorneys, most people do not know what to do after an accident
I knew something was up because the pain was intensive enough to be distracting. My doctor happily prescribed pain pills but those things just knock me out. Great if you have to have them (and I did) but not something that allows work.
So I missed a lot of work.
I’ve been in physical therapy every week since December 23 and will likely be for about 6 to 8 more weeks. On therapy days I’m pretty much out of work all day and half the next day. I guess “no pain no gain” really is true!
But the news here is great and I’m so thankful that no long term problems will exist.
I know that others are suffering 100 times more than I have – and with long term ailments and injuries – and I pray for them daily. So please understand that I’m not saying “poor pitiful me”.
I’m blessed beyond what I deserve and am daily thankful for my faith, my family, my business and all we have.
But I have missed SO much time that certain things I desperately wanted to get done just could not get done.
- I missed my entire first-of-year planning session. I’ve been doing these for years.
- I have not yet been able to open the new DOE.
- My new course, Common Sense Internet Marketing, was delayed. (It will open after the new DOE is open)
- Updates and Turnkey Packages at Follow Up Selling Systems were delayed.
- Trips to see family, including my 93 year old father-in-law were cancelled.
The good news is that I am back to work now. All these things will be done very soon now that I’m back to work.
If you know me you know that I really dislike the phrase “coming soon”. I believe products and programs should be announced when they are available, not in order to “tease” people into buying.
I’m sorry that I’ve had to say “coming soon” so much this quarter and very much look forward to not using that phrase again for a long long time.
Here is what I’ve learned (and been reminded of) during this time
PEOPLE matter … a lot. The right people working with you (as opposed to simply for you) can make all the difference. While I was away Hope happily picked up the extra load at our support center and has done, and is doing, a fantastic job.
I tell her privately how much I appreciate it but want to take a moment here to acknowledge her excellent work for you, our members and subscribers. Thank you Hope. Working with you is a true joy.
SYSTEMS matter … a lot. I always knew that automation is the key to having time freedom and financial success as well, and that has been proven again during this difficult time. My automated marketing systems kept the sales rolling in even when I did not show up to work for days on end. Not one day has gone by – not one – that sales did not come in at or above the pace we set in 2011.
The power of automated marketing systems amazes me more than any one thing I have done in business in my 32 years of working.
FOCUS matters … a lot. It’s been years since I have “had” to work to put food on the table or pay bills. But I love my work and so have structured my life such that I end up working a lot of hours and doing many tasks during the week.
Thanks to my automated systems carrying the load of selling, and Hope (and others) carrying the weight of customer support, I have been free to focus on creating the best possible sites for my members.
How does all of this effect you?
If you are a member of one of my sites now you are in a very good position. Congratulations and I look forward to giving you even more value in the coming weeks. Things like co-branded webinars, specific marketing plans and more are going to help you. I believe it to the tips of my toes.
Please understand that this is not a pitch for you to buy something. But I would be remiss if I didn’t say that membership to Directory of Ezines or Follow Up Selling Systems (or both!) offer big advantages. Advantages that others will just not have access to if they are not members.
Please open my emails, especially the ones that announce changes.
I know that every marketer says “please open my emails” but this is different.
I will be announcing some MAJOR changes to what I offer and how I work with members in the coming weeks.
The only way I can announce them is via email. There will be pages here on my blog too of course but email is my #1 method of communication with you.
So that’s my story. Again, sorry if this was too personal but I feel strongly that you have a right to know what is happening and what will happen next.
I appreciate your time. If you are a member of one of my sites I thank you. Get ready for more value and more real help than ever.
I wish you well. Today is a gift and a blessing – take time to be thankful and let someone you love know how you feel.
