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Written by Nez
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Monday, 28 July 2008 |
I've been a very busy boy lately. I've really gotten into the lead up for the 30DC this year, and not just because I'm now involved behind the scenes. Having been a participant since the very first challenge, I believe the 30DC will always hold a special place for me each year as it's really what got the ball rolling and enabled me to move onto greener pastures.
But internet marketing was never my only source of investment, and that's what has led me to writing this post. I began my year in a very comfortable place, but the goalposts have now moved, and it's scary, frustrating and exciting all at the same time.
But let me give you a bit of backstory if you're not familiar with how I got here.
I began 2008 very differently from previous years. I was a primary school teacher for 10 years (elementary for those of you in North America), and although I loved being with the kids on a daily basis, for a variety of reasons I knew that long term, teaching just wasn't where I wanted to be. Fast forward to 2008 and I was about to embark on a new journey, that of a full time internet marketer/web designer. I quit the teaching profession, set up my home office, and hunkered down ready for the time of my life.
At just the right time, an internship program arrived via Ed Dale and Dan Raine, and I took that on as I've always believed the best way to learn from people is to be as hands on as possible. Seven months into 2008, from an internet marketing perspective, things couldn't be better.
But here's the thing, a part of what enabled me to take such a huge step were some investments my wife and I had made along the way. The internet side has been great, but these investments were really the icing on the cake, enabling me a bit of flexibility to grow my business organically, without trying to force things to make ends meet.
Well, in the last week that has all changed. I won't go into specifics, but let me just say that our largest investment has just become another victim of the US economy, and overnight we've lost a lot of money. I mean a lot of money. Think six figures a couple times over and you're getting somewhere into the ballpark.
Now, that is the first and last time I'll mention it. I'm not a victim and I won't be laying blame or crying poor. I only mentioned it so I can better illustrate the state of play I now find myself in. I now need money, a lot of it. I could go back to teaching tomorrow, but it really wouldn't help, there's no leverage there. A fortnightly pay packet is nice and safe, but there's no room for growth. My current online markets are okay, but nowhere near being able to cover the sudden shift in budget I find myself with.
Here's the thing I really want people to get though. This changes nothing.
I still want the same things, I still aspire to the same goals, and I still believe that I'll get there. What I have right now is a golden opportunity. The level of comfort I'd built up for myself is gone, and I'm back to square one. The difference this time is the experience and skills I have going in. I feel like I'm starting all over again, and really, that's exactly what the situation is.
If I look at what I've achieved online over the last few years, I have to be brutally honest with myself. I've done okay, but I really should have taken things to new level before now. It's like I was a trapeze artist who only ever performed with a safety net. The act was okay, and people clapped, but I never really stretched myself because I always had the net there to catch me. Well, the net is now gone and I have 2 choices. Keep performing and get better at what I do, or walk away because I'm afraid of what might happen.
Am I scared? You better believe it. Will I take the safe option? Never.
Strap yourself in if you're hanging around, things are about to get very interesting.
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