We are business owners.
It’s inevitable that sooner or later we feel like we are beating our heads against a brick wall.
Comes with the territory.
Too many things need to be done.
Too much needs to be learned.
Not nearly enough readers/customers.
Not nearly enough profit to make all the sweat, blood, and tears seem worthwhile.
That’s the stage I am in right now.
And when I said I felt like quitting, I wasn’t joking.
Why Am I Writing This Post?
Simply put, to get a pat on the back.
To hear from you that what I do matters.
That it somehow makes a difference.
Slight exaggerations and buttering up would be gratefully accepted.
And no, this is not the only reason I am writing this.
I know that you’ve gone through this before and will inevitably go through this again.
Feeling inadequate, ill-equipped, ill-prepared.
Feeling like an imposter and a fake.
And I am here to tell you that you are not alone.
Why Going Through a Funk Is Natural
We see so many online success stories.
It seems like everywhere we look, other bloggers/business owners are doing way better than we are.
We see them posting their income reports, screenshots of their enormous paychecks, their names mentioned with reverence everywhere we look.
And it’s rare thing that we actually hear true stories behind such successes.
Like the kind of story Joanna Wiebe told us in her recent guest post at TGC “Exactly How I Wrote an Ebook That Made $10K in 1 Week“.
In that post, she said:
“Like the most successful people on earth tell folks like moi: there’s no such thing as an overnight success.
You have to work for a decade to become an overnight success.”
I love that.
It’s way too easy to forget when looking at what looks like “overnight” online success stories that they most likely are a result of many previous failures and trials.
The Truth About My “Overnight” Success
I started Traffic Generation Cafe in July of 2010 - just over a year and a half ago.
In six months, it became one of the authority blogs on anything related to getting more traffic to your site.
It became so popular so quickly that most of my readers just assumed that it’d been around for a long time.
Check out what Dino Dogan, the founder of Triberr and a good friend, said about Traffic Generation Cafe:
Sounds like a Cinderella story so far, doesn’t it?
Sure it didn’t take long to build a popular blog.
However, the knowledge, experience, and wisdom to do it right came from several unsuccessful attempts to carve my own online space.
My First Online Fiasco
First, I tried an MLM company, Ameriplan.
This was actually the first time I even knew there was such a thing as building an online business.
I was very gung-ho and ready to build my online empire.
I learned everything I could about the business. I overcame the fear of making phone calls and talking to people by making myself talk to as many people as I could.
I had a few “recruits” within the first month.
However, I quickly realized that building an MLM business was very similar to filling a leaking bucket with water.
The more water you add, the more of it leaks out through the holes.
The more people you recruit, the more of them realize that it takes enormous dedication, time, and money to succeed and leave.
Valuable Lessons Learned:
You can’t be just “one of”; you have to become “the one” to rise to the top.
I learned about attraction marketing and becoming the lead magnet, rather than convincing people that they should listen to you.
My Second Stepping Stone
At some point I realized that working as hard as I was with each person on my team and collecting measly $15 per month for it wasn’t a smart way to build a business.
I wanted to acquire more practical knowledge on how to make an online business work.
Check out this awesome post by Ian Lurie Information is free. Knowledge is not. to see what I mean.
Plus, I followed the logic “It takes just as much effort to recruit someone into an MLM business that pays $15 per person as it does into a top-tier opportunity that requires a $2,000-$3,000 investment.”
So I joined YourNetBiz.
This was the first time I realized that a replicated company web page was not going to cut it, that buying leads was not a good way to go, that the best way to get targeted leads was by generating my own, and that the best way to do that was through SEO.
I never heard of SEO before that.
Learning more about all of it was both grueling and rewarding.
I finally managed to put up my first lead capture page and actually get it ranked at the top of the first page for anything YourNetBiz related.
If you are curious, you can still see the page here, but please don’t sign up for more info, because you won’t get anything you don’t already know.
Valuable Lessons Learned:
- It’s up to YOU to build your business.
- No mentor or company training will do it for you.
- Building a business takes knowledge.
- You are responsible for people that actually trust you with their money to realize their dreams.
- You can’t realize their dreams because there’s no such a thing as a “duplicatable system”.
- You can’t duplicate someone’s success. The only way to succeed is to carve your own path.
One of the things I did while with YourNetBiz was creating my first blog.
Even though I had no clear understanding as to why I needed a blog for my business and that blog was a miserable failure, it served as a springboard to creating Traffic Generation Cafe.
Side Note: Just in case you are wondering, I don’t promote YourNetBiz any longer.
Mostly because I couldn’t really promise anyone they could be successful online and couldn’t really tell them with clear conscience that I could teach them how to do it.
Traffic Generation Cafe Was Born
One thing that was incredibly clear to me at that point was the fact that my online business was as good as non-existent if didn’t find a way to reach my target audience.
Traffic.
I knew I needed to learn how to get more traffic.
I also figured that other online business owners were most likely struggling with the same problem.
A quick search with Market Samurai confirmed that terms like “traffic generation” and “web traffic” were indeed highly searched.
I already had a PR2 blog with customized Thesis theme, and now I had a niche.
The rest was just a matter of creativity: an overall theme (“Cafe” sounded warm and inviting and right up my addiction to coffee), a header that reflected the main topic of traffic generation (very important for conversion optimization), and a new domain name.
To say that I didn’t know what I was doing in the beginning is an understatement.
However, I’ve learned a lot from my past mistakes.
I’ve managed to acquire practical, actionable knowledge, and not merely information, on how to “lay the golden eggs”.
How exactly did I turn Traffic Generation Cafe from a blog no one ever heard before (although they’d swear they’ve been hearing about me for years) into a hustling and bustling traffic generation hub?
Cinderella Story?
Yes, Traffic Generation Cafe appears to be a success.
I have some incredible readers who support me through thick and thin.
THANK YOU.
Other bloggers like my content and share it with their readers and followers.
THANK YOU.
Google sends me a healthy portion of my traffic.
TH…
Or wait a minute… That’s right, my blog just got spanked by Google!
I am nowhere to be found for some of the keywords I used to have a strong hold on!
Bummer.
I bet it had something to do with the latest changes that are sweeping the search engine rankings, and Traffic Generation Cafe is one of its many victims.
Usually, they are kind enough to give you heads-up when you are doing something wrong via a message in your Webmaster Tools; like this:
But no… My GWT peacefully proclaims “No new messages or recent critical issues.”
Does it have something to do with the recent mass de-indexing of blog networks?
Anything is possible, of course; however, the vast majority of my links do come from natural link building.
Let’s see… What else do I want to mope about…
Oh, yes.
My latest income report wasn’t so hot and I am afraid to even imagine what this month bottom line will look like, considering that my life is completely upside down right now and I have but a couple of hours per day to give to my business, IF I am lucky.
I know, I know: even though my income was lower in February, I still make more than most bloggers.
However, if you had the kind of traffic I do, wouldn’t you expect more?
Exactly my point.
Then there’s the self-doubt issue.
Why Would Anyone Listen to Me?
Seriously though. How did I become an expert on traffic?
Hearing “Wow, that was great advice, Ana; I never thought about it that way” is great, but it also creates a lot of pressure to “produce” in the future.
What if my next piece of advice or a post won’t be so brilliant?
Once again, the reason I am spilling the guts here is to show that NO ONE is immune from feeling down or even wanting to quit - happens to me about twice a day.
Take a look at what one of my regular readers, Ryan Oakley, said to me in an email (I am posting it here with his permission, of course):
“Here’s my quick story that has me….I don’t know….questioning my online business and my motivation to create and publish.
Ever since reading 4HWW (4-Hour Work Week), I have been trying to “get out” of my 9-5 engineering job.
I love the “idea” of running my own business, but I’m a bit of a flake — moving from thing to thing.
No much for results. Just kept consuming info….not acting on it.
Finally, I invested $1500 on the IBM Coaching and put my money where my mouth is.
Good news is that I forced myself to just PICK a niche and run with it - despite my fears or concerns.
I chose a good niche, I think, on many levels…..teaching photo enthusiasts how to become profitable and fulfilled wedding photographers.
There’s money, passion, lots of how-to info needed, and a ton of affiliate marketing programs I could sell.
Sounds great, right?
Well…….I feel like a bit of a fraud.
Though I have shot weddings professionally, I do so part time, and have about 8 under my belt in the last 5 years.
And I have ZERO clients/gigs lined up for 2012.
Yet, I somehow think that I can be an “authority” on the subject?
Now I know that I don’t need to be THE guru, and that as long as I teach what I learn and be authentic in my experience, then I should do ok………on ONE condition……I bring PASSION to the subject.
I struggle with that.
I’m in a photography funk. I don’t shoot photos for fun or for profit.
All I want to do is create tutorials on different photography products I’ve used…..
I just seem fake. Inauthentic.
And I wonder:
- should I give up and keep the PASSION search going and see what comes next (no ideas)
- keep going, knowing that passion will return.Thanks for hearing me out.
Ryan
PS. My blog is getting traffic and is fairly well responded to.
I’m making affiliate sales through an extensive SmugMug tutorial video series I created.
So the “system” is working…I just don’t know how I can put in the future work to maintain and grow it.
And the more traffic I get, the more paranoid I get thinking that someone will finally call my bluff and say “YOU HAVE NO AUTHORITY TEACHING THIS CRAP!!”
Sounds familiar?
It does to me!
And here’s what my friend Danny Iny had to say about it in our recent conversation on the subject:
“It’s completely normal to feel like an imposter - there’s even a name for it, the “imposter syndrome”.
We all feel that way to a certain extent.
It doesn’t matter how many successful campaigns you’ve ran, how much traffic you’re getting, or how big your list has grown, there’s still a nagging doubt in the back of your mind wondering if *this time* it isn’t going to work… if *this time* people will finally realize the truth.
Rationally, you probably know that it’s the voice in the back of your mind that needs to realize the truth - that you know what you’re doing, and you should trust your skills and expertise.
But the voice is still there.
My advice? Don’t wait for the voice to go away, just ignore it.
The best way to kill it is with an avalanche of insurmountable evidence.
But still, that voice is one resilient little bugger… ;-)”
Thanks, Danny!
I am off to collect the evidence.
Marketing Takeaway
A couple of things before I go though.
1. I want to hear your stories!
You and I both know that no man/woman is an island.
It’s extremely helpful for us to know that we are not alone in our downturns, especially when it comes down to our online businesses.
Running a business from home doesn’t mean that you are ISOLATED and alone.
So share your story!
2. Share this post with others.
If you and I need this kind of support, so do all other folks who dream to build a solid online business.
Share this post with them and let us all be encouraged.
3. Do something about it.
Whether you are in the upturn or downturn of your business, listen to Danny Iny’s advice:
The best way to kill it (feeling like an imposter) is with an avalanche of insurmountable evidence.
Now I am done.
Your turn.
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I think the basic issue I have with anyone expecting a blog to make money is the narrowness of the expectation. A blog per se will likely NOT make much or any money for its author. The blog is a means to an end, where the end is to provide actual, measurable value to someone willing repeatedly to pay for this benefit. That immediately spells product or service delivery, not blogging.
But to get to that product or service transaction you need to develop credibility, trust and that’s what a blog is all about. The blog is the means to achieve sustainable credibility. But the product or service must come from elsewhere, unless the objective is to build a subscription site. In that case, the paid-subscription blog is the business, but its author must be one very unique writer to keep such a business going.
Love what you said, Arturo!
A blog should be just the means and not the end.
First I’d like to say that people who write stuff like the Four Hour Work Week are BLATANT LIARS who mislead everyone. There is NO WAY NO WAY NO WAY that anyone who doesn’t already have connections and influence ever made a living working for hours a week.
Those who are most successful financially are usually those who live their passions and are workaholics. They are NOT lying on a beach somewhere drinking Pina Coladas. The only way that happens is if you can trick enough other people into creating an income for you.
Second, no matter how beautiful your blog - how popular - or how much traffic you know how to drive - NONE OF THAT automatically = money. Most of the best blogs we call recognize don’t make a lot of money, but many of the bloggers DO make a living - usually by doing work for other people - and no - NOT in four hours a week.
We collectively do know many ways to make a little money and what I propose is that we share them so that we can all individually start making a lot MORE money. If you’re a DoFollow CommentLuv blogger I invite you to fill in the form in the post I’ve put in CommentLuv so I can get you into our PRIVATE invitation only forum and Skype group. It does not cost anything. There are no requirements. Anyone who believes in collaborating and cares about other giving bloggers as much as they care about themselves is welcome to join (although if your ego won’t fit through the door we will ask you to leave it outside).
There IS hope. Bloggers ARE making money. But how they’re doing it is never going to be common knowledge and many times the way they do it can only happen for you if they get you invited in by the company with the money to spend. So if you qualify don’t think about it - just contact me and get on board.
Love what you said, Gail - your comment sums it up perfectly.
I am planning on writing a post on how “passive” passive income really is and would love to add your comment to the post.
Hi Ana,
Good thing I forgot to mention that or my comment would have been even longer! Passive my you-know-what. Anything you don’t work on slowly dies - and with Google churning results now probably dies a lot faster.
Yes, do feel free to use whatever I publish or catch me on Skype and get exactly what you need.
Hang in there and keep at it, if Google is gonna keep changing the rules with Panda, Penguin and further updates which slightly alter how we create content for traffic/ranking, we can all adapt it isn’t the end of the world. You already are more successful in terms of earnings per month than my own blogs which I started back in August 2008, by at least 3-5x more earnings per month. I look at websites/online properties value as pure earnings, if you can earn enough to do it full time, pay all the bills and have enough to live comfortably you are more than successful.
Thanks for being my cheerleader, Justin; it’s very helpful to put things into perspective sometimes.
Danielle Kunkle
Hi Ana & everyone,
I’m a business owner, too, in the insurance field. I’m moderately knowledgeable in SEO. I just discovered Google Reader and in searching for blogs, found this one. Great information!! I’ll be digging through posts here all day. Something I’m searching for is information about blog commenting. There seems to be disagreement in the SEO community as to whether you can use an anchor text link in the comments field. I see that some comments on Ana’s posts have links. Is this because you subscribe to Comment Luv?
Direction from anyone is welcome, or if you can point me to past posts that address this topic best, I’d appreciate that. Look forward to getting to know the community here.
Hi, Danielle:
The plugin that allows you to add your keywords after your name is called KeywordLuv.
You can read more about it here: https://trafficgenerationcafe.online/keywordluv-first-page-of-google/
Most blogs that use the plugin will indicate so one way or another in their commenting section, like I do with mine.
Hello Ana,
I can really relate to you especially today! I am founder of very successful design blog, but got spanked by Google as well, even if I never invested in spammy link building..and always worked on high quality content. 20-30% search traffic drop on my side, it all comes very frustrating!
I am just glad I am not alone and after reading your story again I am sure, that there are not fast success stories - determination, smart planning and a bit of luck is all what’s needed.
About always wanting more - I hate that’s the way, we need so little to be happy, but we always want, demand more and even if we are successful, we still find something to worry about and make our own life more complicated!
Thanks for reading, your honesty and inspiration!
Welcome to TGC, Dainis.
We often confuse our needs with our wants, don’t we?
I am very familiar with your blog; I think you produce great content and, in the end, that’s what will keep your blog (and mine, for that matter) going.
Google has nothing on us if our readers keep coming back and spreading the word about our blogs, right?
Thanks for stopping by; if you ever need to borrow a cup of sugar, you know where to find me. lol
Hello Ana, thanks for greetings!
Yes, on the flipside, it’s good that we don’t stop growing, always wanting more, that’s how very successful companies are built. Like with your own site, you want site to be a real success and that’s why you keep responding, writing posts. And if it comes together with passion, that’s a great job and place to be.
Heh, agreed about Google, but if you have huge traffic from Google which suddenly goes down, you cannot be happy about that right?
Ana, I’ve been there. From 1998 to 2002 (yes, FOUR years) I spent hours per day online while working a full time job. I was making money but didn’t feel like the time I was spending online matched what I “should” be earning.
But I kept getting emails from people who said that some article I wrote helped them in some way or some tutorial solved their problem. It’s that kind of feedback that will keep you going and it reminded me why I’m out here. I really love helping people and I see that you do too!
As long as you keep your audience first (as you always do), you are going to be fine. To be honest, I was shocked when I found out your blog was not even two years old (as someone else mentioned). It seems so seasoned, and your engagement is out of sight!! I honestly don’t think I’ve seen such great social media numbers and engagement from a “new” blog. Yes, your blog is still new and look at all you’ve done in a short time.
You are right, Traffic Generation Cafe IS a success! You may have some bumps along the way, but it will all be worth it when you’re sitting on some island counting all that income.
This is only the beginning! I would never let you give up….. even if that means coming out to California and lecturing you! lol
Isn’t it amazing, Lisa, that when we look at a successful blog, like yours or mine, we immediately think that the owners must have it all made?
Yet, here’s my story and your story. Just goes to show that EVERYONE goes through bumps on their way to success, and it’s how well we handle those bumps determines how quickly we get there.
Thanks so much for encouragement and support; always greatly appreciated!
Scott Hopkins
I really enjoyed reading this. Thank you. Sometimes I think about quitting but I know quitting will never separate me from the thousands of bloggers and the millions of websites that are put up daily only to die later that month or year. It’s a long time coming but it definitely pays off in dividends. Thanks for sharing. I will be back more often.
Quitting is not an option, Scott; I completely agree.
Time is one of the factors that most failing bloggers don’t take into consideration.
Epic post, Ana. I’ve mostly lurked on your site (we exchanged a brief personal e-mail around september on my old blog email), and I wanted to
This piece is really powerful, and strikes a chord with many (clearly :P)
Danny Iny’s an amazing guy and his wisdom about ‘the voice’ is spot on.
I’ll share my own personal story:
There was a time when I ran my own business while homeless, and I ran my own business while (falsely) arrested (this was such BS), and I ran my own business while being the furthest you could be from “successful” — but I was happy, I had wisdom to share, and I shared it.
Did I feel like a fraud? At first, totally. I felt pain. I felt tears. I felt betrayed, abandoned, lost.
Then I studied people like Donald Trump, famous for his wealth mastery, near his times of bankruptcy. Do you think he felt like a fraud?
I studied Tony Robbins who’s shattered family, living in his car, and divorce didn’t really scream”success” either, but he kept doing his thing.
They both have “insurmountable evidence” that they know what they’re doing, and we can too
For me, I kept on shining, my best and oldest friend came through for me, and I treasure every moment I have a chance to praise someone in the comments.
TGC is a beacon on the web, and hopefully you won’t take my prior lack of engagement personally - I love what you do, in fact, your 202 Bite-Size Tips inspired me to write this: http://ryzeonline.com/493-success-tips
Anyway, much love, I’ve shared this helpful piece. Rock on and ryze up.
Story of tenacity, perseverance, and pure stubbornness - love it, Jason.
We might not become the next Donald Trump (actually I should speak for myself), but we certainly won’t quit.
Pleasure to see you back!
Just got back from your blog; left you a comment.
It is SO classy of you to add the “only speak for myself”, because people say I have ‘big dreams’ and I totally see myself similar to Trump
P.S. Your comment on my blog is fantastic — high value commenting is something I’m VERY passionate about, and I think it helps the whole blog-scene.
http://www.logallot.com/holy-grail-praise-worthy-comments-1/
I think you are giving me more credit than I deserve, Jason…
Great post at Sonia’s blog, by the way. Do love your style; you make it hard to just skim the post.
Maybe you should think about writing for me.
Thanks so much, Ana, and you deserve it!
As for my blogging…
Since I hit the scene, Ana, I’ve gotten such glowing praise & appreciation for my expression, writing, and style — and I love it all. I love compliments. I love impacting people. I love moving others emotionally. I love influencing people toward fresh insight and deeper wisdom. I love changing the game.
If it’s alright with you, I have a post in mind aching to come out, with your name on it, called:
“Thom Yorke & The Floodgates Of Traffic”
And I love the fact that you seem to be taking over the blogosphere by storm, Jason.
The title sounds intriguing.
Hah, I learned from the best Danny “Freddy Kruger Of Blogging” Iny
And the post is intriguing to me … and I’m the one writing it! I usually learn about myself when I make a post — lol.
Ana, Well, I fell guilty for benefiting from your hard time right now, but you have just inspired me and picked me up with the sincere disclosure of how crappy it can be sometimes. Thank you! 8) I am a self taught computer geek and work full time, 3 teenage boys and a desire to conquer the internet world and make enough money to support my family. Yikes. I have invested money in learning how to put my blog/site together. One day I am so motivated by my “awesome” ideas and then the next day, I can’t even remember why it was a good idea. Competition is immense and why would my site matter or be of interest. My main goal remains the same but how I am getting there changes daily. Many days that frustrates me, because if I am confused then my visitors and readers must be too.
But! you know i am so into this learning and love everything i discover, like your valuable blog, that i am not going to give up. hhmmm…maybe sometime in the future I will be able to write an inspiring success story of success. That is my goal.
Don’t you stop.
Thank you
crystal
That’s exactly why I wrote it, Crystal - I am glad it gave you the “pick-me-up” you needed.
I totally get what you are saying. Our dreams are huge, and the reality often crushes them. Do we adjust them accordingly or stop sleeping to continue pushing?
In the end, we need to remember why we are doing what we are doing?
Is it self-satisfaction? Is it the extra income so that we can spend some time with our family?
I took almost an entire week off to spend some time with my family; for the first time since I started Traffic Generation Cafe.
It was incredibly liberating to remember that that’s why I am doing what I am doing and my family is/should always be my priority.
So I am going to adjust my business plan accordingly.
Happy Easter!
Hey Ana, you have inspired the masses with this post, including myself. We all feel like quitting from time to time, and it is good to know we are not alone. I hope your move to the west coast has gone well and that you are settling in to your new digs.
Thank you so much, Susan; that’s exactly what I was hoping for.
Anny Thomas
Oh it is a sooo good to read this blog post, really I am going through the same thing its like I am trying out everything possible and nothing seems to be working
but believe me such motivational post really helps newbie (blogging) like myself keep going… 
cheers!!
Much appreciated, Anny!
Hi Ana - I once read that an email with the subject line “You are not alone” will have a higher open rate than any other. No one wants to feel alone; everyone does sometimes. And it is rough pushing the rock up the hill just to have it fall back again. When you passionately believe in something, just add persistance to ensure success - that’s what some of the great business minds have said, and I want to believe it. As someone who has struggled with building a product-based business, it is interesting to me that information-based businesses, such as advice blogs, struggle with the same problems. I haven’t been reading your blog for very long, but what I have read truly resonates with me. You make a diference to me. So just as I tell myself to keep at it (difficult at tax time, when I see what my annual income is from my business), hang onto my passion for my product and try new things, I will say the same thing to you - maybe except for the try new things part, because I think you’re doing a great job just as it.
Thank you so much for the encouragement, Carol.
You are so right; no one wants to feel alone, and that’s precisely why I wrote this post - to tell the online world who keeps pushing the rock up the hill that they are not alone and neither am I.
Thank you so much, Jim - it definitely warms my heart to know that you do still check in with me every once in a while!
Wouldn’t it be nice if we all woke up bubbly and ready for the day ahead?
PS I noticed the same problem with CL on many other blogs; will check with Andy; thanks for letting me know.
Wow, what a story, don’t give up, and I’m sorry that google spanked your blog.
keep writing good posts, bookmarked it
I am back on track, James; thank you!
Tony Fuentes
Appreciate the honesty and love how you turned it into a learning opp at the end.
Thanks, Tony!
Hi Ana, you came through the success in very little time. and maintaining it is really big deal and you manage it perfectly.
best wishes for your success…….
Much appreciated, Prakash.
Hey Anna,
This is awesome, and I can feel your sincerity with this post.
One thing I can assure you of, is that “you’re not alone”. I feel like this all the time too, and it sometimes take a whole lot of courage to get myself up. You’re right about it not having anything to do about success, because the more successful I become the more I question if I’m really qualified to teach what I’m teaching. Yes, I’m getting results, my blog is growing, but like Danny says, that feeling just doesn’t seem to go!
I’m so sad to hear about what Google is doing to your blog. The same thing is happening to me right now, and my search traffic has went down by around 300 visits a day. I didn’t get any GWT update, but I’m sure it will go back up soon.
I’ve been following this blog loosely, but to be sincere, this blog has some of the best content online, and I’m subscribing to start following it more closely right away.
You know your stuff, and your audience believes in you, so keep going!
Best Regards,
Oni
BTW If it makes you feel better, I sometimes take a look at your blog to checkmate my own and see if there’s something I’m doing wrong and should be doing right. You definitely know what you’re doing, so keep it up!
Isn’t is amazing how success doesn’t always translate into confidence, Oni?
Maybe it’s a good thing; keeps us humble and on our toes.
So glad you stopped by (always a pleasure) and thanks for your encouraging words; I am flattered you still manage to take away some useful advice from my blog.
Hey Anna No doubt you are the one of my favorite blogger and selling your 2 years effort on this Blog is not a proper solution you need too search the way too gain more traffic towards your blog may be some changed in blog design will helped you.Most of bloggers redressed his/her blog every year.
Thanks for the tip, Rizwan.
Paul Jackson
Quitting is not the way to feel good. However, it’s one way of being worst in everything you’ve done. The path to success is not by quitting but the strong will to continue what you’ve plan for the future. Don’t you dare to quit or else you’re gonna be the loser in the mud of business.
I did say I “feel” like quitting, not that I am going to actually do it, Paul. lol
One thing I am not is a quitter.
Where in the world do you find the time to write such long posts? I’ve felt the same way several times throughout my business. However, I guess things could be worse
lol, I find it easy to complain, Chad.
You are right, Oliver - not all MLM businesses are created equal.
However, what I’ve learned is that it’s never about the company, or the product, or the training.
It’s about the people and their dreams.
As you well know, building an MLM business is not an easy thing, to say the least.
The best way to learn is by letting yourself be knocked down and learn from it.
Problem is most people are not willing to do that.
And letting my income depend on what OTHERS do or don’t do wasn’t my idea of the best business model.
I think you are doing a fabulous job setting yourself apart as a leader, by the way, and can definitely see you do very well with your business.
I think I can say that you’re not alone in this thought. I’ve worked for myself for 10 years and probably every couple of weeks, when I’m not working on a major project, I ask myself this very same question. It takes a lot of work to earn money for yourself, and sometimes it doesn’t come the way you hope it will.
Still, you’re trying and you grow with every new thing you learn. And once you get past the depression stage, you realize that you do offer something special, something no one else can offer in the way you offer it. And once you start thinking about how you can monetize that, the juices start flowing and you remember why you’re trying to do what you do.
So keep going; don’t give up.
Thanks for encouragement, Mitch - working through these times seems to be the best medicine.
Just got back from your blog, by the way. Left you a comment and added your blog to my CommentLuv enabled blog list.
Daisy
I think you’re very honest. Unlike the some scrupulous internet entrepreneurs out there you admit that being in this business doesn’t mean you make thousands of dollars overnight. There are ups and downs, but it beats a corporate job any day of the week. You know how to be successful. Just hang in there; things will pick up!
Thank you, Daisy, and I agree - this is still way better than working the grind at a job of sorts.
Benin Brown
Wassup Ana!
This post really spoke to me as all ur posts do. True, we all go thru our ups and downs w. this internet thing.
And with so many stories of ppl that just take off like a rocket when it comes to making money online, it’s hard not to scratch our heads and ask what’s going on every now and then.
Like u I’vef learned to work past that nagging little voice that says do u really know what u think u do? And this is even after all of the certifications and the internet marketing degree…Plus after all of the sales that I’ve contributed to online.
That voice never goes away. In fact, I’ve come to think of it as the fire under my bottom that motivates me to continue this journey that I’ve started.
Thanks for the realness, Ana!
So good to see you here, Benin!
You are very right: turning that little voice from bringing us down to fueling us to go forward is the key.
This post and all these comments definitely helped me to do just that.
I am back!
Hello Ana. Sindi (my assistant) and myself are sitting here reading your post and I have to say that I resonate with everything you said. When I started blogging with Authopublisher, I had stars in my eyes and a dream. The big dogs told me that it’s gonna take at least 6 months to start making money from my blog. At six months I was disheartened, because my bills started piling up and income wasn’t nearly feasible. I did make a success by submitting myself to one or two mentors and applying what they taught me. You know the story, Pr4, Alexa below 75k etc. etc. Little did I know those aren’t really bringing in money. What I did enjoy was building a community and I saw great value in that. So we had a multi-author blog at 10 months and won that award you also won from the World Media Awards (which you hadn’t mentioned - why?)It made it worth it.
I’m still playing around with monetizing and the income is still not hacking it. I’m making good money, but it’s in services (as you know). My clients are happy, but I can’t seem to do for myself what I can do for them. It’s because things are backward. They pay me, therefore I have to make it happen for them - this is where most of my time goes. So, when do I spend time on my own blog?
So, I’m busy working on producing 2 courses, and I think that’s where I’ll make my money. It’s true what you said - being in such a vast network, it seems we create a false economy because we all become each others customers. So, the solution is, carving out your own niche, stepping away from your network, and becoming a leader in a filed you are hot in. That’s where the solution and the money lies.
Here’s where I’ll start encouraging you. I have a post in my mind that I wanted to write but haven’t gotten round to yet (you know how that goes right?) The post is called (3 people that impacted my online career the most). I’ll save the names for when the post comes out, but you are one of those three. And not being being able to divulge the details, I think you know how that happened. I knew what needed to be done, but I got frustrated and disheartened because ‘How Was I going to manage that?’ Then you opened a door and extended a hand to me and my breakthrough is around the corner.
You are an inspiration to me, not because of just what I mentioned, but also because of having achieved so many things I’m still striving for (writing for Yaro, meeting Chris Brogan, knowing some of the big developers and webmasters on a personal basis). Most of all is the ‘About Me’ widget in your footer on the right hand and the profession and content of it. That confession and giving glory is what attracted me to listen to you first.
Inspired? Encouraged? I hope so, because I probably exceeded your comment limit, but thought it was necessary.
Sindi’s just smiling with stars in her eyes.
Thanks to both of you for reading, Ivin, and certainly taking your time to let me know how it made you feel.
I am smiling right now as I am typing my response…
I think you are so right when you mentioned that we basically end up selling to each other; the cycle that we need to break if we want to succeed. I am yet to find my own audience, independent of my blogging friends.
I can definitely see how providing services for other to grow THEIR businesses could become a drag very quickly: both time-wise and emotionally. It’s almost like having a job where you are working hard to help someone else prosper, but it does bring in the income you need to live on while daring to dream of your own success “on the side”.
Look forward to the post!
My hat is off to you Ana! I remember how stressful it was to move twice in the past year and a half. You are still engaged in your blog and hosting webinars. That is dedication.
I have had some success online and some failure. I never will forget the summer that I spent outside farming my own organic fruits and vegetables and earned a nice 4 figure income in my health business. There is nothing like residual income. I enjoy working outside in the garden and then getting online after supper and working on my blogs and domains.
Wishing you much success up in the Bay Area! I experienced my warmest winter ever down here in Southern California!
Residual income is a dream come true for most of us striving to succeed online, Danielle; so glad you were able to achieve that level.
Thanks for the support!
Whenever I feel this way, I start to think about doing something new and I look for something that inspires me. Maybe it’s something I read about that day, or a new WordPress theme that gets my creative juices flowing. Then, I build a new site around that inspiration. After all, if you’re already paying for Web hosting, your only expense is the cost of a new domain. So, you essentially have nothing to lose if the site doesn’t go anywhere, since your content can probably be repurposed somewhere else.
Long-term, once you have a few active and healthy sites and you’re feeling in a bit of a funk about one of them, you can just work on content for a site you’re feeling more passionate about that day. This can keep you from going crazy, but it also benefits your readers because they’ll always see the best of what you can do.
I do agree that the best way to get through a funk like this is by choosing a task, keep your head down, and work, work, work on it.
Thinking too much might not always be a great idea; it might result in a post like this one. lol
I like your “stay out of trouble” plan!
Jack, I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who dabbles in many things. I just can’t stand to force myself to do something that I’m just not into that day, week, or whatever. So I’ve always had multiple irons in the fire at most any given time. It may not be the best strategy as far as some things, but it definitely keeps my brain from going numb. It’s like I’m just not happy unless I’m learning something, figuring out how to make something work or wrestling with a problem. Drives me nuts, but it’s a fact I’ve come to live with.
But here’s another point I wanted to add to what you said…
By doing what you mentioned and trying new things, even if only when we lack passion for our “real business” (or whatever), we very often stumble upon something that inspires us more and stirs our blood to a level that the thing we thought we were passionate about never could.
In simpler terms, often we will only discover our true passion if we are out there actively exploring new things.
I read somewhere years ago that most successful entrepreneurs only found their true calling (in business, which led to their phenomenal success) after attempting 21 other things/businesses (on average). So they found what they weren’t ultimately suited for… 21 TIMES… before they found their true calling. I thought that was very interesting… and inspiring.
And the other side of the coin on that is constantly getting into new things, leaving the previous projects unfinished. That’s exactly my problem.
Ditto on that one. At least I know now that I’m in good company 😉
Ryan
Hi Anna,
Very cool to feature a very real problem I was having with my niche authority website. And it’s great to hear I’m not alone in my concerns.
Since I wrote you that email a few weeks back, I’ve done more reflection and have come to the following conclusions:
- Passion and Authenticity MUST trump keyword research
- I don’t HAVE to be a guru to make this work, but I sure as hell better find a subject I at least WANT to become the guru in.
- I have had enough people send me emails and comments saying “thanks” to know that my tutorials and how-to blogs are giving at least some people what they were looking for. So that’s a good sign.
So with that, I’m pretty happy (and a tad scared) to say that I am going to be transforming my blog from a focus of helping people become wedding photographers - to something that is much more true to me - helping people make a little side income being part-time portrait photographers.
It doesn’t seem like a huge shift, and there is some overlap for sure - but it really is a big shift.
It will be a lot of work in the short-term to make the shift and I will likely loose some readers — but in the long-run it will pay off as I know I’ll be able to pour more of myself into the brand, connect with the people I want to connect with - and help those same people too.
So stay tuned.
And thanks for all your support.
Ryan
Sometimes it takes another person (our readers in our case) for us to realize that what we do/write does make a difference, Ryan.
I think authenticity is the key. That’s what sets us apart.
Glad to hear you are finding your way towards a better niche that you have passion for. Don’t be afraid of the change.
As I briefly mentioned in the post, I completely transform my old blog that wasn’t working into what now became Traffic Generation Cafe.
Yes, change might be scary, but it also can be the very thing that is needed for your business to “feel right” and align better with you.
I look forward to the results!
And by the way, thanks for that great email; now it’s helping many others to be encouraged and press on.
Hi Ana,
I think any type of business venture should be given five years before thinking about quitting. Even the biggest businesses plan on taking five years before they break even. So, you’ve got a few years to go. If things haven’t picked up by then, no one would be surprised or think less of you if you did quit. Everyone would miss you if you quit.
Lou
You know me, Lou - I am too stubborn to quit.
As I said in the post, just wanted to people to pat me on the back and feel sorry for me. After all, celebrating a pity party is not as much fun on your own.
I am back and ready to fight now!
Hi Ana,
you are doing a great job here and I really love your Blog.
The imposter syndrome is a naturally thing every one feels but as for me, I dont give a damn! I have thought about quitting so many times but One thing always keep me in the game, I guess its the Fun of Owning something.
No matter what, am always happy that I own a blog and some other niche sites, Even if I dont get 20 visitors.
I am with you, Joseph: I can whine about it all I want, but at the end of the day, I’ll never quit.
Now that I said “never”, hope I won’t have to eat my own words. lol
This was a great read Ana.
I don’t know if you read Pat Flynn, but if you don’t contacting him may also be worth while if you want additional ideas to monetize your blog.
Your ideas and tips have been very helpful in increasing my knowledge of SEO and the web.
I haven’t talked to Pat in a while, Chris; thanks for reminding me I’d love to reconnect.
Well, let’s see. At the time I am posting this, it has been less than 22 hours since your email notifying me of this new post to your blog hit my inbox… and already you have 90 comments. Compare that number to the *total* number of comments to your posts that you were receiving a year ago, six months ago, etc.. and you’ll see the “avalanche of insurmountable evidence” that you are making a difference, most definitely. Just keep doing what you are doing and your audience will continue to find you, even in spite of whatever Google does.
Chris
Point taken, Chris.
I am glad to see that this post and my email stirred some action around here. My traffic and comments have been down lately, and it made me wonder if it’s something that’s not working any longer.
Thanks for coming by!
Well, you have to remember that humans are inherently lazy, most of us anyway. So we may hang on every word you write, but we just don’t take the time to comment, or maybe we’re just swamped and don’t make the time to do that.
The other factor that I think comes into play (because I’ve noticed it in myself regarding every blog I read) is if we read a few comments by others we think… “wow that’s a great comment, I couldn’t add much to that/say anything better/different/whatever”. It’s the old.. “I’m not good enough thing”, or “everyone else is smarter than me” self-doubt kicking in. I can tell you that there have been quite a few posts by you that I have thought about commenting on but didn’t for one or more of the above reasons. Silly, yeah, but true.
Reviewing stats and tracking the numbers are very, very important in understanding what is/isn’t working, but sometimes our gut can tell us more. You KNOW you are providing valuable information, and I’m sure plenty of people tell you that via comments and emails, even if they don’t do it with every blog post.
It’s interesting what we’re seeing here though. Maybe I’m wrong but it looks like the comments for this post are exceptionally high. That just reinforces the fact that if you share openly and honestly with your readers and are not afraid to reveal your own insecurities and self-doubt, on occasion, you create a real bond with them. Keep it up, and they’ll follow you forever (I think, anyway).
Of course, you already know all this, but it’s a good lesson for the rest of us who are just getting started or thinking of doing something to build our own audience, etc..
No need to reply to this, I just wanted to point out for other readers that you absolutely “nailed it” with this post 😉
Have a great weekend.
Chris
Exactly the outcome I hoped for, Chris.
I do understand what you mean about other comments. Partially, that’s why I stopped reading comments on other blogs (that and the lack of time, lol); I just say whatever I have to say and not worry that 10 people before me said the same.
I surely am glad you spoke up, Chris; I do have some great things to say, it’s just a matter of coming out of the shadows.
By the way, why are you not linking to any site in your comments?
Um.. er.. well… (tucks her head and kicks the dirt)… you see…
I don’t have one yet.
I haven’t figured out the technical side of building a blog/website yet. The writing is easy, I have over 50 article topics I plan to write about related to my niche, and about 20,000 words already written and just about ready to go, but the technical stuff is really a struggle for me. So I am trying to learn that right now, too.
But thanks so much for asking. I love the fact that you allow links, but for the record (and as you can see) I’d comment here anyway because I love your site, Ana.
It takes about 5 min to set up a WordPress blog. lol
Should I challenge you to add it to your to-do list for this week?
Andi
Hey Chris, contact me at onmaco.org - I could install you a WordPress Blog for free (hacker-safe installation) - as a training - you just need a hosting package but witg that I can help u too.
go for it - Andi
Andi.. you are awesome. I’ll be contacting you! Thanks.
Andi
Chris - just give me a quick message at andi(at)onmaco.org and tell me about your project.
c.u. there - Andi
Andi
Go on, Ana Life is always going up and down, that’s what it makes it worth to live.
I am a 53 years old german that had no idea about making money online 3 years ago. I lost my dayjob and can’t get another one in germany cause of my ‘age’ - so i’m in the social security net, trying to make money online in future.
Thanks to people like you I had a chance to learn a lot for free and have brought up my first Site in August ’11 after 2 years of learning and haven’t made a lousy penny yet - but learned a lot.
I will never give up to fight for a better Life - and so should you do and help the world to become a little better every day - THANK YOU ANA.
After all, I know what and how to do, and have an Idea to start over with - found MY niche - and therefore I bought 12 Keyword-Domains last week and am already installing one after the other.
I think I’m only one example of millions out there - all people that need help to start something great - and at the end it will pay out double - you just must go the way to the very end.
Andi
So great to hear that, Andi - your story, although not fun to live out, is very inspiring nonetheless!
I do appreciate you stopping by and letting me know that what I do does matter. Great way to start a new week!
Hi Ana. What can I say… I so totally relate with the part about quitting. Having success online sometimes is not just about building a popular blog and getting traffic from it. I learned the hard way and when I was “that close” to giving up on everything, I took a step back and asked myself, what the h*ll did I do that it ain’t working… Back to the drawing board and brainstorm.. move forward
Anyway, so much for that. IMHO I think that what you have done in this blog is what millions of other wannabee bloggers dream of. It is popular, well themed, great quality, informative, useful, good traffic and sincere. Some wonderful achievements if you ask me. And its not something that everyone can replicate. Keep it going Ana… All the best
What is it with us, Francisco?
Anyone else will look at our blogs and say “they made it! I want what they have!”
Yet something is not clicking…
Maybe I should do a round of asking some great blogging friends (wink, wink) to take a look at my blog to see if they can see my bottleneck better than I can.
Popularity doesn’t translate into income. That’s what I need to work on.
Hi Ana, in “some” cases, popularity can translate into income. For example, last week I landed a new client with 30 plus websites to work on their SEO. Asked about how they found me, simple answer, we Googled it..
In my very early stages, I defined my “business” model right there and then. Said to myself that, if all goes well, I will focus my business model on B2B, meaning, I wanted to generate income from advertisers, small business consulting and the likes. The readers or visitors would be the “engine” of my blogs traffic. If they decide to “purchase” something from my recommendations, all the better. But the main focus was to provide articles in any form that can help bloggers, small business owners, etc., that can help them achieve success with their online endeavors…. The later, you are doing ten fold. Learned so much from you since I first stumbled on your blog…
Anyway, here’s something that I miss in your blog… Your navigation menu 😉 might not get a lot of clicks, according to your in-page analytics but IMO, it should be there
I think my main problem is the fact that I am still undecided as to what it is I want to do, Francisco.
Affiliate marketing speaks to me, but finding worthy products is much more difficult than I thought it would be.
Navigation menu? I am thinking of adding a couple of more things to my sidebar.
Hey Ana,
All I can say is we are synchronized. Looking at my March earnings, I’m so down, and its not just about the figures. I seem to have stuck inside a bottle neck. There are some numbers that I can’t move further… there’s been a plateau for quite a while. And I’m still working the same way (and sometimes harder, and smarter than before), but I’m not sure, something is missing!
I even had a thought of quitting since the 2nd week of March. My hubby asked me to totally unplug and we went to my hubby’s parents’ house for a week. I am back to work now, but not the usual bubbling Jane.
Thanks for your post. That’s inspiring
Jane.
I know what you mean, Jane.
On the surface of things, everything should be rolling just fine. We have great web presence, loyal readership, yet something is missing. Just doesn’t translate into the results.
I keep thinking the same thing: where’s my bottleneck? How do I bypass it?
I’ll let you know if I have any revelation; please let me know if you come up with anything as well.
A week off! I wouldn’t know what to do with myself, but so glad you put your family above the business. We are all in danger of messing up our priorities at some point.
Shayna
I often feel like quitting and I haven’t even really gotten going yet :-/ My traffic’s pretty good for a 3-month-old blog, but sales are… not exactly taking off.
If someone could tell me, “Don’t worry, you’re putting in hours and hours of ‘volunteer’ effort now, but it WILL start pay off a year from now,” then it’d be fine, but what kills me is that I don’t KNOW if it will EVER be sustainable or profitable, you know? So… I keep going on faith!
Yes, I know what you mean, Shayna.
In the end, we are all dreamers. If we really want stability, we can get a 9 to 5 job.
However, dreaming also requires a huge leap of faith. No guarantees; just plain old “I AM going to make it”.
Otherwise, what’s the point, right?
James Debono
Hi Ana,
It is very rare that you read a post filled with so much honesty, integrity and passion.
Kudos to you!
I stumbled upon your blog about 6 months ago and was quite literally taken aback by the quality content and sound advice.
From that point on, no matter where I surfed on the internet I seemed to see your content on other authority websites. It then dawned on me that for once this someone who actually practices what she preaches in the online marketing space.
This post acts as a timely reminder to all of those that are searching for that push button solution, lottery winning ticket or shiny object syndrome mentality that it actually does not exist!
You cannot replicate personal endeavour, guts, determination, good old hard work and the passion to make a difference.
The big G has given you a kicking, you are not the only one in the industry and being in your position of authority when it comes to traffic generation people will be looking to you for ways to get back on top.
Your services and content will be in greater demand then ever!
Regards,
James
“You cannot replicate personal endeavour, guts, determination, good old hard work and the passion to make a difference.”
And that’s why there’s no such a thing as a “system for success”, James; very well said.
By the way, left you a couple of comments on your blog (see, it does actually pay to come out of the shadow and network, lol), but I have a feeling they went into spam.
Also, notice you have a PR3 blog with CommentLuv; would you like me to add you to my CL-enabled list?
Hi Ana,
I have taken you out of the spam bin. Thanks for commenting.
Yes, it would be great to be added to the CL-enabled list.
Well, I guess now I am out of the shadows I will have to make
more of an effort.
Thanks,
James
Glad you found it - for whatever reason, my comments are very familiar with spam bins on many blogs. lol
Added you to the list.
Well, you have my pat on the back, Ana.
I recently tried to sell a couple of my blogs, but then changed my mind because the price for them - compared to the full-time job I did with them - is way to low. This is how far I’ve come to quitting. I feel like I’m doing all this work for nothing in return. I don’t know how long I can continue. I toyed with the idea of just writing and editing, and have someone take over the tech side of the blogging for me. However, what will I pay them with?
Sorry for the ‘down’ comment. You have a lot to be proud of!
Yes, I pondered selling my blog at one point or another, Anne.
But you are right - all this work, plus heart and soul we put into them, and a few miserly dollars for it?
Definitely not the way to go.
I do outsource my technical side, but I barter, I don’t pay out of pocket, as I do with a lot of services I outsource. Something to think about?
Hey Ana,
You are special - You are unique - You are kind - You are memorable - I want to marry you (well I’m already married but I love what you do and you seem like a perfect person to spend time with)
I love your site and thought it was so fantastic I was amazed when you told me it was only a couple years old.
You are also the only one that ever emailed me after a comment late at night with a real email you wrote.
You ROCK!
Clay’s story:
got my first job in 5th grade. watering for $5 a month and I still have a watering job that pays $20 a month. 2x a month 30 minutes round trip each time but I get to visit my Mom when I water her neighbors house. I do it for the money.
Dropped out of college, sold stereos made more than my Mom or sis both with college degree or masters degrees.
got bored got BS degree
worked 21 years as a Strategic Business Manager at HP
Got laid off 3 months shy of full retirement benefits.
Worked for the County - OMG worst thing ever - no talking - be at desk at 8:00 -12:00 and 12:30 - 5:00 not a minute different - Procurement Position met nice people to commiserate with.
County cut backs - last one hired first to go plus not sure I really made the 6 months probation, too many good ideas I think - offered to let me stay on 3 extra months - I said NO thank you.
Started my own company, there were no jobs anyway it was 2003 bad economy.
Clay’s Handyman business - $50 hour fix anything, plumbing, painting, crown moulding, sprinklers, new shelf, pull weeds. IT WAS FUN - bought a truck I always wanted, bought all the tools I ever wanted, Only worked for friendly people I knew or referred to me by others. No ads. occasionally during slow periods I would go to starbucks and start a conversation and get a job.
Got arthritis - Ouch. I was ready to get back into the business world anyway. I had my fun. I live in a very exclusive neighborhood so my neighbors houses are nice and clean and that was the clientele I liked. I packed up the truck and drove across the street or to a inlaws house.
I took night classes when I was a handyman. Internet marketing, web design, PHP, photoshop, dreamweaver, music fundamentals 28 units in all.
Then due to arthritis and not wanting a JOB, I declared I was an internet marketer in Feb 2008.
Unfortunatly I spend more on learning than what I was making.
Going on the Internet Marketers Cruise, Rich Schefren’s expensive coaching Going to Mass Control in San Diego to see Frank Kern and the best bunch of Internet Marketers in the world.
But I never really got the income going.
I decided to promote Lynn Terry’s elite program. It pays $10 month per referral. I ranked on page one in Google and got lots of sign ups and was over $100 month when Lynn decided to not pay affiliates any more. I was a bit heart broken, it was my main success then BAM. Lynn is a nice person and I like her and still belong to the Elite group they are a really nice group but I still feel cheated.
Then Amazon cancelled all California Affiliates. I had a few sites making a few bucks and send thousands of clicks every month. OUCH
So I make a few hundred a month doing SEO for a client he’s #1 and #3 for his keywords (today) I make a little off Amazon I make a little off other affiliate programs I promote.
I make steady income from a MLM I belong to. I sell the product rather than recruit since I dont like the insurance salesman type job.
All in all I spend about what I make on new training or new toys like iPad3, Macbook Pro, Apple TV, Bikes, guitars Boy toys.
I am ready to get back over the $100k year like the good old days but not excited to go get a real job. I entertain the recruiters that call me with a new resume but my hearts not in it.
Guess I will get a solicitors permit and pound the streets and get a couple new clients, it’s just that I like passive income without anyone telling me I don’t like it like that or could you do this or that. I just like easy going clients that appreciate the results and dont ask questions about how it works and passive income like from my MLM selling SMS text marketing to businesses or Amazon.
I admire your site and the wonderful content and personal touch.
find me
@ClayFranklin or http://clayfranklin.com
Yep, feel sufficiently buttered up, Clay; thank you!
Wow, what a story… A perfect lesson of learning how to pick yourself up, dust off, and keep going. How not to let others dictate what we can or can’t do with our lives. How to become humble. How to live.
Thank you for sharing. I am inspired.
PS I think I am doing pretty well with training my 5 year-old daughter on how to fend for herself: she just started her first job of setting the table for dinner for a whooping 25 cents per setting… I think she’s going to be just fine. lol
There’s something going wrong with Big G, I’m used to see a drop in traffic after every update but this time I’ve seen also a drop in earnings with Adsense, either they are not having enough advertisers or they’ve tightened their wallets. Also it’s been a while that I see always the same ads on my site. I’ve checked three times your pagerank but I always receive the same answer, not available. This is really a bummer. And I foresee a definite slap for everyone using Livefyre and CommentLuv once they’ll have their own comment system in place. Well, at least now Big G is showing its real face.
They slap everything they don’t see fit to their own opinion, blogs, article directories, blog networks, next will probably come directories or comment systems and so on. That’s the way they do business, slashing or buying competitors or those who don’t diligently obey their orders. Problem is that they change their mind almost daily.
Making money blogging is hard and honestly all those claiming thousands of bucks per month don’t really show real proofs beside their own words so we can’t be sure it’s true. Did you ever seen a real receipt of all that money? And even if it’s true as you say it takes a lot of time, even those who created Angry Birds did it after tens of attempts. We just have to do things right and correctly and stick to them until they work. It’s the only way but it takes a lot of time before a blog can give you a living. I guess you can make much more money with public speaking.
I’ve learned a lot from your blog as it usually has great and true advices, G probaly slapped you because it’s its duty to tell people how to do things, not yours.
If you want my two cents bloggers should unite to survive on their own without G or other search engines being involved for traffic. I don’t know how but that’s the way to go if we want to keep our freedom. Something regarding lists probably. But given that everywhere in the world not everyone is aware or interested on the way G treats websites we still have to keep it in mind. For now. And I don’t think that the social thing will solve this problem
They just want to do what they want to do. Really is there anyone around who really believes that my little blog with good content but no advertiser account will ever have a chance to get above in search results to someone who pays thousands of bucks per month on Adword? Would you do it to those who give you to eat every month? Not probable right? It’s just an advertising move.
Anyway it happens to all of us to be a little discouraged sometimes, and if it happens to you imagine how it can be for us who have only a small percentage of your success. G doesn’t rule the world, even if it shares this dream with FB and other big players. We just have to stick to doing things right and cooperate until things will get better. Linux saved us from Window monopoly, someone will arrive for G too, and FB, and all the others.
Take care. 😉
Google keeps slapping us over and over, and we still crawl back to it, begging them to list us in their SERPs and allow us to make a few dollars with AdSense…
I suppose we are the ones who give it the kind of power it has, Andrea, but we feel we can’t do anything about it.
One thing that unites us, online business owners, is the fact that we are way too tough for anyone to take us down easily, including Google.
Thanks for coming by!
Hi Ana,
What an inspiring post! I can so relate. What you’re feeling right now is perfectly normal. I go through the same thing from time to time. The key is to pick ourselves back up and keep on going, in order to achieve our goals.
I want you know that you’re absolutely amazing. You’re doing a great job. You ‘ve achieved a lot and created an amazing blog within a very short period of time. Don’t ever doubt yourself!
Thanks very much for sharing your thoughts with us and for linking to my blog!
Keep rocking girl!
Hugs,
Mavis
I knew I could always count on you, Mavis, to come by and give me a pat on the back!
No matter what business stage we are in, it’s always nice to get that little bit of encouragement, isn’t it?
Thank you!
Ana - I don’t think I know anyone going through a new business process who doesn’t feel this at some point. From the beginners who think “why would anyone pay for this - it’s so obvious” when really they have a hidden genius they don’t know about. To those moments of doubt we get 1, 2, 3 and even more years in. “Am I doing the right thing.” “Why does xx seem to be doing so much better than me.” That comparison thing is a total no-no.
For me the best support is being in a mastermind group. I can see how everyone else is moving. They can tell me how great I’m doing. I highly recommedn hooking up even informally, with a group of like-minded entrepreneurs you can speak to regularly 😉
And btw the post I linked to below shares an experience of just how badly we see our own progress!
Cathy
Comparing ourselves to others never leads to anything good, Cathy; I agree. Either we end up being too hard on ourselves or become prideful.
Sorry, I pressed “remove CommentLuv” link by mistake and didn’t get to visit the post you referred to.
okay Ana, I get it. You put in the and done a lot of quality contents, but now it seems the profit is not at all commensurate with the effort. I know you don’t know me. I’m a regular reader of yours, about 6 months actually. The thing is I rarely comment. I wanna say you doing a great job on this blog, Ana. You might not know it now, that’s exaxctly how success works. Hard first then later it goes boom! And you’re like OMG! Ana, speaking of quiting, I know it’s joke, or headline tactic that got me opening your mail( I always read your mails.)but either way, please don’t even imagine quiting. At all. Your tips, your kind words, your writing tone, are all encouraging. You fans you don’t know Ana. We love you, your blog and everything you do here. Keep pushing it.
I have barely read the post when writing this comment. Now I’m off to finish it, then I’ll let you know what I have to say again. Oh, and you’re awesome!
Victor, you need to promise me that you let me know that I am doing well a little more often than once in 6 months, OK?
As you can tell, a little boost of confidence doesn’t hurt! lol
Thanks for reading!
It’s always refreshing to read honest stories like yours. Many successful entrepreneurs tell you that failing is natural and necessary before succeeding. Some of them even share one or two stories, but usually they don’t describe the agony and self doubt they’ve experienced during those hard times.
In the end, many readers get the impression that failure is just something that happens one day and disappears the next. Not something that you have to fight for days or weeks, causes a lot of stress and makes you question yourself, among many other things.
You know I was thinking of asking several A-list bloggers to pitch in their stories, Cristina, but after talking with a blogger friend, we decided that most of them were very unlikely to make themselves vulnerable by speaking openly about their failures vs successes.
I suppose I haven’t reached that blogging stage where I pretend that everything comes easily to me. lol
Here’s to being honest and true to ourselves and our readers - I know you and I have that in common, Cristina.
Geoff
One of the downsides of working for yourself is that when you are down there is usually no one there to pick you up. No boss to talk to, just yourself. But, on those days when everything’s going well, money’s coming in, and everything is coming together, that feeling of accomplishment helps to make it all worthwhile, and is something rarely felt if working for someone else.
Definitely so, Geoff.
Loved the post Ana!
I ran to the post the moment I saw the title in my mail, though am glad it’s nothing like what it says
I have no words to express how I feel on reading your post and the journey you have taken to reach where you are Ana- it is simply remarkable. And you can never know the number of lives you touch and the wonderful source of information you share on this blog, which is a learning experience for all of us.
I guess perhaps it’s our fault at times that we don’t really appreciate the person behind the hard work and efforts put up in writing such informative posts, which makes you feel down at times- so its got nothing to do with you -but us.
Such feelings are known to occur in most of us, especially when we are dealing with online work where there are no surety’s. However, it’s the love and support of people that pulls us through-isn’t it? And yes, these tough times never last- tough people do.
So, even though you may feel you haven’t done too well past month or your report isn’t showing up too well- that’s how you feel about things because you compare yourself to you. But if you ask us, its still remarkable! And such times never last- they come and go - so cheer up!
I do want to register for the webinar though the time zones may not be suitable for my end. However, I hope you put up the recorded version as you did last time when you interviewed Danny, so that we could hear it. Would look forward to learning more from both of you.
Thanks so much for sharing a part of you that means a lot to us, because you matter.
“Tough times never last, tough people do”. Love it, Harleena!
As a matter of fact, hold on; let me go tweet it…
Done.
In theory, I do realize that our reach is much farther than we can ever see or imagine. However, we are only human, even though we hate to admit it at times. lol
That’s why I needed to HEAR that what I do matters.
All these incredible comments are a great fuel to keep going.
Thank you for your incredible support, my friend.
Thanks for the tweet Ana- and I truly meant it
And YOU DO matter a great deal- more than you would know.
So, now you should give yourself a pat on the back and enjoy your weekend
Sonal
Hi Ana,
A big hug to you! And kudos!
This post came at a time when I really needed it. Just this morning I was feeling disheartened about my efforts to start generating some income from my blog. I put my blood and sweat into it, but when it comes to the money part, I’m yet to find that sweet spot where the readers and I are both happy in terms of content and money.
So I was moping over this when your email about this post landed in my mailbox. I knew I had to read it. And I can’t tell you how much it has helped me!
You’re setting a great example for all us bloggers who have to juggle their families and blogging. Keep it up!
Soooo glad to hear I managed to be in the right place at the right time for you, Sonal.
Making money online is NEVER as easy as some make it sound, but it IS possible.
If someone else finds their “sweet spot”, why not us, right?
You and I - we can do it!
Ana, this is almost spooky, because I have been very discouraged and depressed about my progress and today was at the “today I feel like quitting” stage and here comes your article! I think the one thing we all need in this crazy Internet business thing is support and it’s sometimes hard to get. I don’t know anyone, personally, who is doing what I am and so have no one to talk to about it…very frustrating. So reading sites like yours is so important for me.
What you do does matter and in ways you might not even think of. Your information is priceless and I love the way you think. I feel like you’re a friend whose talking to me instead of a “guru” promising me the world! You constantly encourage me to keep going! Thank you.
Whether we like it or not, we are social creatures, Sheila, and we do need support and encouragement!
Glad to be here to share these feelings with you.
Now let’s pick up the pieces and get back on the saddle!
zimbrul
A little bit off the record: I’ve seen you take time to answer almost every comment on your blog…you know how to look after your readers. This is something that makes me coming back…this and of course great content on Traffic Generation Cafe.
Thank you, Zimbrul.
When I say “my readers ARE my business”, I always try to put my time where my mouth is.
Michael Richter
Hi Ana,
I don’t say much, but I remember that you once spoke of the two most important days in your life !
I have gone through all that, including loosing my house, my wife and the kids are also leaving me - because they are living on their own.
But: I never lost TRUST in HIM.
Result: I am - as a retiree today who only does interesting jobs, which are coming through HIM directly - sitting in my home, have no debts any more (HE made them go !! - and it was quite a lot !!!) and am just looking forward which plans HE has for me.
Remain still and know HE is God - Blessings - Michael
EXACTLY what we need to keep in mind when things are not as sweet as we’d like them to be or - here’s the world’s favorite - “deserve” them to be, Michael.
Glad to hear you are holding on to Him as well!
Well, I feel like a sham, a faker, all the time. But I think that is just a self-image or esteem thing, one that most people have to deal with anytime others are looking up to them in any capacity.
My story is still unfolding. I am neither an overnight success, nor the decades-long businesswoman who finally found success. My blog is my passion - it’s where I talk with other parents, and other parents of special needs children … things I feel called to do. BUT …
I could NEVER make a living at it. Score a few review copies of things here and there that my kids love? Earn a little bit in advertising revenue? Sure and sure. But I earn my living doing other things, like writing, editing, doing graphic design, etc. That’s where my bread and butter is coming from. I know others who can make a living from their blogs - and will always be a bit jealous that isn’t me. So I guess that means I am not a ‘successful’ blogger, though my blog is still growing, and though I feel I am starting to find the potential for greater and deeper awareness efforts there.
So I don’t know … I’m unsure if I will ever find the kind of success that others find. But for me, every time I help another parent find their voice, vent their emotions, feel like they aren’t alone - I feel like I’ve done good. And when I create something for my clients, I feel like I’ve done well also. Success is in reaching your own goals and then trying to do better.
You, Ana, are successful because you are trying, constantly reaching, and hoping to do better, to do more. I think, at the end of the day, that’s what you have to hold onto.
Not every blog is meant to make money, Katrina.
Sometimes, it’s all about passion and providing the help and support people need; like what you are doing in your niche.
I really admire you for what you do!
And, of course, thank you for your undying support.
Aw, thanks Ana.
In my niche, passion supercedes money. But sometimes, like in your own Cafe, you can have a bit of both worlds.
Don’t let a slow month get you down, Ana! You have a ton of folks who think the world of you and your Cafe here!
Claire Austen
Ana, I thought you had mentioned writing an e-book? You could drastically improve your monthly earnings as you have already established yourself as an expert and you definitely have the following.
I did, Claire.
I was in the middle of writing an ebook on link building and then I had a lot of personal changes and my time just wasn’t mine any longer.
Plus, considering all the changes in Google these days, I need to wait to see what works NOW. Byproduct of being in the ever-changing business!
I’ll get back to it though.
Jerry
You always encourage and inspire me. So hang in there. I also love your open, vulnerable writing style. Authentic, believable, honest. You have me!
Much appreciated, Jerry!
Scott Painter
I am that photographer whose seen a great amount of change in the last 13 years. What the customer wants changes faster than I can say “boo.” Last year I shot 43 weddings. This year I have 11 on the calendar so far. Ana I found you because I needed a way to become memorable in a sea of a multitude of other shooters who probably have no idea how to approach a situation outside of setting the camera or flash in automatic mode. While I have learned a great deal from reading about blogging and drip marketing, I am in no way capable of writing a serious review of SEO tools. I would feel I ran the risk of becoming the emperor who wore no clothes.
That being said, if you do pursue this, you are going to need a guest blogger from time to time. We will just have to see where this one goes.
Becoming memorable is definitely the key, Scott, and just the mere fact that you know it and are actively working on it means you are on the right track.
Jeff Smith
Don’t you dare quit!
Everyone writes pity posts, but I love that you came right out and owned it, and gave us your story. I too found your site in the last year and just figured it had been out ‘forever.’ It’s so authoritative. Everything you recommend just naturally sounds ‘right’, but you also back it up with numbers, examples, science.
Thanks again for the free advice for my blog. I really appreciate it and it’s not every day an expert just freely offers up such help!
No worries, Jeff, my pity party is over. lol
And you are very welcome!
Beth Parker
Ana,
I hope you don’t quit. I think everyone feels a little unsure of themselves now and then; it’s just part of the process. Your blog is one of the few I subscribe to by e-mail to ensure I never miss a post.
I might mope around for a little bit, Beth, but I am too stubborn to quit. lol
THANK YOU!
lisa
We all learn from you Ana even in this terrific honest post - we all have ups and downs and cannot be up all the time. My “day” job is still in sales and one day you are up and the next you are down. People only remember your last best sale. As long as you know in your heart you did the best job you could and get up tomorrow and do it again you will be FINE. So many people look up to you and learn from you along the way. So we are counting on you getting up tomorrow and doing it AGAIN.
Thank you, Lisa.
To think about it, I have nothing to complain about.
My comparison to others lives in my mind only.
You, on the other hand, live in the “real” world where you are literally judged based on your performance.
Takes much more courage to do what you do AND dare to have a dream “on the side”.
Thanks for your support!
Ana,
I struggle ever day with what the future holds Online.
See I’m an insurance agent by day. If I put my head down and grind it out in 20 years I’ll be making very nice money few cares… Other than I’ll have grinded out the last 20 years selling insurance…
I love writing… I love helping people… I really enjoy helping people market their business Online.
But I struggle with that path and the money that can be made to support my family versus the money in the insurance business?
Do I spend too much time writing and not enough time selling insurance? Or do I spend too much time selling insurance and not enough time writing?
Who the hell knows…
What I know is you do a great job. If TGC hasn’t been monetized enough then that’s a very fixable problem. If you’re not satisfied with the work then that is a completely different problem.
What I think you’ll have realized from the comments in this post is that you have a very supportive community that is here to help… Myself included.
Thank you and Good luck…
Ryan H.
AND you are very good at it, Ryan. Can’t vouch for the insurance business… lol
I can only imagine how much more it weighs on your shoulders as a man. You have an innate sense of responsibility to serve and support your family.
Going out on your own must be a scary thought.
But what’s the option?
Settle for doing something that pays the bills?
Not that I have any answers, but I do admire what you do.
And ALWAYS thank you for your support.
Ana… It is my pleasure to be part of this community. If you ever need anything… Just ask.
Thank you and have a GREAT weekend.
Ana, you’ve obviously been down too many roads only to find they didn’t go where you wanted, then somehow found the determination to find a new road and keep going after what you wanted, to let a little self-doubt keep you down.
It doesn’t matter to me if your blog is 2 years old or 2 days old, I find excellent information and insights here and so whether you believe it or not (all the time) you are providing value for many and that is a worthwhile thing! Every post you write doesn’t have to be epic, nor is it expected to be.
We are almost always our own worst critics and it’s that critical voice in our heads that hold many of us back and it can rob us of our dreams and our true potential if we listen to it. Ignoring it is the smartest thing we can learn to do, but it can take a lot of time and a lot of testing our wings to find what we are good at, etc.. You are good at this, no matter what that voice in your head says.
I struggled for a long time trying to figure out what I was passionate about and expert enough to go after as a niche or with a blog. I’ve done a lot of different things and have gotten very good at most of them, but I have no certificates or degrees to prove I’m good. That held me back for a long time with figuring out my niche. Then some really smart person I know wrote a post on her blog about combining two things together to create a different kind of niche/blog. Then, on top of that, she replied to an email I sent and started the whole thing rolling. (Thank you so much! BTW.)
Still, I have no certificates or degrees, just plenty of scars to show where I’ve been. So how can I possibly think people will care and/or read my blog? Here’s the thing… I’m not claiming to be anything other than I am, just someone who’s been down a certain road and I have the scars to show for it. The theme is sort of… here’s how I got over this or that problem and here’s how I can save you some agony. I plan to share the good and the bad, and share some personal stuff along the way to make points and/or let people know they’re not the only ones having this problem (sound familiar?)
Because *I* know I know what I’m talking about, I can write with confidence and a tone of authority (though not trying to be a know-it-all or tell people what they should do) which I think will garner a little recognition (i.e.: regular readers). I’ve also read, at minimum, 200 or so books on the subject, so trust me, I can speak/write intelligently about the subject.
So if anyone is struggling with not feeling like they have enough knowledge/experience to really inspire a following, then just make it about YOUR experience with the topic, then you’re little critical voice can no longer call you a fraud, because what you write will be the absolute truth from your own real experiences, etc.. If you are passionate about the subject, write halfway decent, and have compassion for your readers then all you need to be successful from there is traffic.. which is Ana’s department so keep reading and learning from TGC and you’ll have all the bases covered. (And no, she doesn’t even know I’m posting this.. haha.)
I just believe that people who are passionate about something can help others who are also blazing a trail about things they are passionate about. Ana has a great site and has inspired me more than she realizes. I’d love to see others achieving and posting about their success(es) as well.
And about that “avalanche of insurmountable evidence” thing that Danny said.. I think that sometimes dollars are not the best way to keep score or rate how well we are doing. Making a difference in people’s lives is what matters. Your blog clearly helps a lot of people. (How many people come back month after month to read you?)
Getting back to dollars, if we must, remember that sometimes the fruits of our labor mature a little slower than at other times. There’s always going to be “slow months” as far as income, but I’d be willing to bet that by December you’ll look back on February and wonder what you were worried about.
Keep up the great work!
Chris
That post I mentioned by Ian Lurie, Information vs Knowledge, is about you, Chris.
Most people just acquire information, do nothing with it, and thus their efforts amount to… nothing.
You take that information and turn it into knowledge. That’s priceless compared to any piece of paper a human institution can give you.
So glad I could help - seems like ages ago - and thanks for coming back with encouragement!
Hi Ana,
If one says, “I am a doctor”. He is.
That is a factor perception.
But one cannot get away with perception alone. And skill plays an important part to build one’s rapport.
So, why do we have the fright to be called as fraud. It’s because of the differences in skill level that others has. And having this gap in the skill don’t make us “fraud”.
A fraud doesn’t give results. - But you did.
A fraud tries to getaway with perception - But you post evidences. Just like Danny said.
Expertise is relative. The knowledge or skills we have, however BASIC it might be, is still beneficial to others that needs it. And if someone needs your help - you will say
“I am a doctor”
Love what you said, Marlon.
I am a doctor, if need be.
Fraud is easily discovered; perception is easily changed. The truth however shall set us free.
Thank you for your encouraging words.
Darryl Smith
Ana, we all start slow.
Some stay slow, and some get up to speed so fast that they are never seen again.
The slow like me took/have taken a long time to get an act together.
You have hit the magic formula though which keeps a strong nucleus of followers.
Tyre kickers come, tyre kickers go, but those who stay - learn.
That is the great thing about your blog. Your constant share, so that the likes of me can learn. Futility and depression haunt us all from time to time, but never giving in to those things, as you write, thats the key.
Keep smiling, keep writing,keep giving, keep receiving.
Peace
Darryl
I really truly do hope there’s that core of my readers who do learn and benefit from what I do, Darryl; otherwise, what’s the point, right?
Darryl Smith
That is why I started a blog, to let others know that it does not start with a big bang here I am - look at me! Slow at first - its a marathon right?
Keep focused and keep going. Step by step and never tire or swerve, keep going no matter how bad you may feel.
We cannot compare our success to others. I always get frustrated when I read blogs from people who are ultra successful or people who have tons of people on their lists. I get around three new members a week and I am fine with that because I want authentic followers. When I feel like a fraud it is usually because I am comparing myself or my success to someone else. It is called imposter syndrome and we all get it from time to time. I find that the solution is not to focus on how to bring your self confidence up - but rather on what makes you feel full of conviction. This is what got me out of my last funk - it was actually a negative comment that I came back at full of conviction and suddenly I remembered why I was doing what I was doing in the first place.
Perfect comeback reason, Nicole - prove others wrong! lol
I can definitely relate.
I suppose I need to start setting goals and judge my success by how well/quickly I achieve them vs compare myself to how well others achieve their goals.
Easier said than done?
I can totally relate to Ryan’s email that you quoted. I often feel like a fraud. If people knew how much I don’t know about stuff. But then I realize that most people know far less than I do about it. And I’m being proactive and learning more, and sharing it. I have to remind myself that I’m not a fraud unless I proclaim that I have arrived.
As long as we are at least one step ahead of others, Bill, we DO know more than they do.
Now we just need to figure out how to adjust our mindset accordingly.
Absolutely fantastic post, Ana.
And that’s is an understatement, as I feel this post is your best thus far.
You have ” hit the mark” in so many areas, I am a little lost as to where to begin.
Ana, regardless of your thoughts and feelings in regards to the current success level of your site, you have already made a name for your site, and have proven that you have the savvy to make things work within this context.
Always put things into perspective.
There are sites out there busting their buns, day in day out, that are going nowhere fast….and they have been at it for quite some time. …yet, they are still not throwing the towel(Though, they may need a “change in Game plans”.
Conversely, there are site that ” Took off” I mean they did the ground work like other sites, yet, they grew way faster in a much shorter time frame….and it just snow balled from there….
Ana, your site, though not quite in the “took off ” category I was referring to above, has achieved this to an extent…as has been mentioned in your post by respected figures in the blog world….
Your experiences prior to ” the Cafe” would have provided a great set of learning tools to build a foundation upon….though, you still were jumping into uncharted waters in many ways…
Firstly, on the feelings or thoughts(they are different) of wishing to throw the towel in, I am with you in that respect. The past three months or so, I have been considering this nearly every single day.
A simply way of looking at it: If our reasons to keep doing it are out far weighed by our reasons to quit(I do mean from an honest no BS, appraisal) then we have no other choice but to make a cut and dry decision.
A time may come when we can no longer give a good reason to keep on doing this, and at the same time can rattle off a plethora of reasons to justify our desire to quit….
Our time is precious! We do not get the chance to go back and do it all again.
If an individual starts to be hit with the realization that they are simply squandering(wasting) their time with whatever they are trying to achieve online, the smart thing to do(after careful deliberation) would be to quit.
Or if quit is just a too hard word to deal with for some, think of it as having giving something your all, and come to the conclusion that it just wasn’t for you. ….
If you use that experience as a motivator towards your next goal, and put to use the valuable lessons learned, it will only benefit you in the long run…
Note: I am always saying how ” the successful online blogs-websites-entrepreneurs, never quit……”
What I am referring to above is where you reach a point where you are losing way too much in time, money and effort and it would not be wise in any way, shape or form to continue…..
The people I referred to who ” never quit” probably did so only they(and we) saw it as them simply taking on a different tact(path, angle method, approach)…then continuing from there with added impetus…
For us personally, until we reach such a cross road whereby, all other options have dried up, it’s back to business as usual…..
Thinking about it, I wouldn’t know what to do with myself without a business keeping me awake and on my tippie-toes, Daniel. lol
As far as making a name for myself… Would I rather be recognized and respected for an expertise of sorts or be a no one, yet quietly rake in a healthy paycheck month in and month out?
I am still undecided on that.
Fame or money?
You’ve been a tremendous support for me, Daniel, and I truly appreciate you!
Eleni Poulakou
Oh, please, don’t deprive us of your traffic-generating wisdom!
I am too stubborn to quit, Eleni. lol
Rebecca
Your story is so similar to mine. I started out in network marketing in which I did very well, graduated to “attraction marketing” to get leads and found it was a big crock. I discovered blogging and realized it makes so much more sense to create your own success not based on the performance of others. We will always have our up and downs but in the end, if we keep being persistent, and do the best we can, we will succeed. It’s just a bump in the road. You are much appreciated.
I couldn’t have said it any better, Rebecca - “create your own success not based on the performance of others”.
We were blessed to learn this sooner rather than later, before we got too discouraged by the reality.
Here’s to women bloggers!
I wish your damn comments section had those thumbs up/thumbs down section so that we could ditto what these great folks are saying on here about you!
“There’s a lot of love here, man.” - Filmore the VW Bus from “Cars”
lol, Gib - I did have it at one time, but it was just slowing things down.
Maybe I will add it back… Now you got me thinking!
Hey Ana,
I’d suggest you read back over some of your older blog posts - there you have all the evidence you need,
I also like the fact that you’re so open but you have to be careful with that - our thoughts and feelings shape our world and you can choose to shape your thoughts and feelings (I’m an experienced coach & I’d be happy to elaborate (for free) if you want to drop me a mail - it’s the least I could do to pay back all the great advice and value you’ve freely given me and others).
go back and read your old posts…
take care & best wishes,
Alan
When I read some of the first posts on my blog, they make me feel “I suck! How could anyone stand reading this!”
I know I’ve come a long way from that and now my content is actually good. And generally I am very optimistic; otherwise, I wouldn’t be doing this for almost 2 years. lol
However, sometimes we just need to throw up all the negativity within us to proceed with clear mind and heart. Plus, I thought making myself vulnerable in this way will definitely benefit many of my readers.
Thanks for the encouragement, Alan, as well as your generous offer!
Red Dwyer
When you go back and look at the old post, do not look at them with yuck look…look at them as the branches of an outline for an ebook. Repurpose those things you do not see as worthy of where you are now. We know the difference between something slapped together and something brilliant often lies in the blue pencil.
Red.
Well said, Red - I appreciate the “pick-me-up”.
Ana,
I won’t be able to get in on the car tomorrow. Will there be a recording I can listen to later?
I can imagine you are feeling a little blue because I know you put A LOT of effort into your site. Have you read the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell? In it he says that if you put in 10,000 hours towards any type of work, you will become very good at it and will be ready to succeed when oppoturnity comes. I betcha that when you put in your 10,000 hours, your site will be one to reckon with.
Even if Google spanks you, you have a loyal following and a strong network that will be there to promote your name.
I feel like a fraud writing this note of encouragement because I like usually like to see positive results right NOW and if not now, then very soon. I usually want to quit way to readily. But I’m trying to nix that part of my character and learn to persevere. Of course, it’s important to know when to get out, too, but that’s a whole other topic.
Chin up, girl!
Yes, I am all for NOW as well, Elisabeth.
I think you and I need to work on our patience vs getting results. lol
The webinar was recorded; I’ll email the link as soon as it’s ready.
Thanks for sharing your story Ana.
Just for the record, I always thought you were successful at everything.
I also felt the same when I started with an MLM company. Exactly like filling a leaking bucket with water.
Anyway, nice to know you are already a rockstar and looking forward to the webinar with Danny, take care.
Sergio
So kind of you, Sergio!
Being with an MLM company can certainly teach a lot, if one is willing. Looks like you and I learned a thing or two, the most important one being: branch out on your own!
PS Just left a comment on your blog.
Thank you for this post. I really needed to hear this because right now I am in that mood. I incorporated my online business “Vallano Media, LLC, over a month ago and at times, I am wondering, what was I thinking. The site started out as a blog “What’s The Word?” over a year ago, which was linked to the college newspaper at my alma mater, Sam Houston State University. I was hired by them to be their blogger and that was how the blog started. In that year, I had over 1,000 views. In the process, I covered SHSU sports teams and after I left the school paper in January, I decided to convert the blog, which was mine from the beginning into a website in order to continued to cover SHSU athletics. At times, I felt like a fraud because I was covering the baseball team for my site because I was not doing it for a daily newspaper (I also am a contributor for the Huntsville Item, a daily newspaper in Huntsville, TX).I am still trying to figure out how to make money from my site.
Thanks for this post.
You are so very welcome, Cheval; glad you came by to read it.
It’s way too easy to trick ourselves into thinking that what we do doesn’t matter and we are crazy to even think that.
I know it, you know it. Yet we still think it. Go figure…
I think success lies in the mindset. Have you got what’s needed to stick it out and get through the rough patches?
I know that in the end I do. I hope you do as well.
Hey Ana, you already know what I think, but I’ll say it again anyway: you’re doing amazing work, and you should be proud of everything you’ve accomplished.
We all have hiccups, and we all stumble (email me if you want to know how I lost $25,000 in sales last month…), but the key is pick ourselves back up and keep on going, no matter what that stupid little voice is saying.
Let’s rack up some of that insurmountable evidence! 😀
Why is it that every time we talk I end up complaining about something, Danny?
Coming to think of it, the very first time I had any significant interaction with you was when you were putting together Engagement from Scratch and I was complaining about my writer’s block.
Can I convince you that I am actually an upbeat person? lol
25K! You’ll have to tell me the story…
I truly enjoy the content shared here, and am working toward adding blogging to my own marketing efforts. I submit that while there are challenges, you have also proven successes - the 80-20 principle only works because, in the earlier stages of any endeavor, we’re not certain which 20% will be the part that yields us our 80%. Also, Einstein’s definition of insanity notwithstanding, it’s never any of the first 1,000 snowflakes that start the avalanches…
Your results have inspired many, at least me, to keep on Gittin’ A-A-After It - may I humbly suggest more gratitude and focus on having proven that you can build success, you have all of the tools you need to build more, and that as long as you’re doing what you know works, that inner judge/critic might profitably be told the same thing you’d tell an outer one?
You’ve been supporting my blog since its baby stages, Ross - the fact that you are sticking with me speaks volumes.
THANK YOU!
You are most welcome! Meanwhile, how are you fueling yourself? It’s very easy to lose energy & enthusiasm if one’s basic nutritional needs aren’t being met…
(I ask because that’s my field of expertise, helping folks fuel their best possible lives, usually at a substantial savings compared with their prior food spending)
I am pretty sure my blood type is Caffeine+ by now, Ross.
Yes, I was fortunate to hear Dr. Valerie Young of http://ImpostorSyndrome.com speak years ago. I sure related to all of it!
In everything we do, Ana, not just blogging or business — we continue to learn.
As a baby, your big mobility trick was turning over. THen moving inches. Then crawling. Standing… and looking back turning over wasn’t such a big thing. But it sure was that first time!
You’re doing great, Ana.
Keep on keeping on!
Business takes time.
blessings,
Cynthia
If you are not learning, we must be dead.
Thanks for encouragement, Cynthia!
Any time, Ana!
Enjoy learning from you.
blessings,
Cynthia
Ian Lurie is cool. I saw him speak at Emerging Media Conference (#emmecon) last year.
Which brings to mind, EmMeCon is at Hotel Kabuki right here in your new home town of San Francisco.
Imposter syndrome: I think it’s good, at least a little bit. It helps keep us all humble and honest, and develop expertise to accompany our authority. Sure feels like crap though.
I forgot I live in a civilized part of the country now, with conferences and all. lol
Sweeeet!
Are you planning on attending, Dave?
Ian is hilarious; I’d love to meet him.
Powerful stuff and I got 2 important takeaways today.
First, we all seem to go through some of the same issues in trying to find our voice and grow a business. I think we all have a little bit of a bluff in something of what we do… at least until we can really establish ourselves. But it’s empowering to know that others have been there and you can get through it.
Second, it seems to me that most of the really successful people have similar stories to tell about mistakes made or changing directions. What strikes me is that when you really get to know them…. they got where they are today because each experience was a learning experience. They learned something… just as you mention, Ana.
And that for me is the most powerful takeaway.
Thanks, Ana.
I wish those successful people were more willing to share their stories, Susan. Always good to know that failing is just a natural step of learning how to pick ourselves up, brush of, and get back to work.
Thanks for coming by!
Hi Ana
We have been running our on line business successfully for 12 years now and we have been successful through the good and bad times.
The trick to manage the bad times is to stay on message don’t panic and go in a different direction.You see the only thing that has changed is the environment,you still have a product that sold well in the good times, you still have your ‘list” of happy customers. These are your “Acre of diamonds”
I watch a lot of companies searching and searching for that illusive customer,our philosophy has been built around Earl Nightingales “Acres of Diamonds”.
Not to bore you with the details,but your existing customers are your greatest advocates and are going to be the easiest to sell to rather than spending all the time money and energy going after new business.
Granted you do need new business to grow, this can be achieved by your existing happy customers referring you.
So as long as you have a proven product that people need and stay on message,you will succeed.
Good Luck
Peter
Really enjoyed Earl’s post, Peter; thanks for the link!
Looking around the comment section, I can clearly see my main business asset - my readers.
Thanks for taking your time to comment!
“Out of the chaos comes the magic.” - Deepak Chopra
Некоторые никогда не находят, каковы их истинные благословения. Другие, действительно благословляются со способностью благословить другие с их талантами.
Мы все были бы меньше, было это не для Вас разделяющий те таланты.
Спасибо, Сборник изречений. Вы - благословение ко мне.
Ohhh, Gib - you definitely know how to warm my heart!
Blessed to hear it and thanks for your friendship.
Thanks for your honesty Ana. I’m sure it was difficult opening yourself up like that, but it helps those of us who are working right there along with you. Some days are better than others, and of course some days are just not even worth getting out of bed! But, I think perseverence will slowly get us all there…Rome wasn’t built in a day and afterall, look at just how far you have come.
I think we expect so much of ourselves, Liz, or at least think that others expect so much from us, that we put this tremendous burden on our shoulders.
Life is a journey, right?
Ana: I’m not sure I qualify to respond, but I will anyway. Although I have been a real estate broker for more than 2 decades now, I have only been blogging for about 3 years. I have had many of your same feelings along the way and all I can say, is that I hope you keep up your work here. I just started reading your work and would hate to have to start over . . . hang in there.
2 decades of doing something, Phil - that’s an accomplishment in my book! I just really found what I like to do and look at me, I am already complaining!
Thanks for the pat on the back!
Ana, you rock. And you know it
Tucson will miss you
No one loves me… no one cares…
Amy
Oh man, I feel like an impostor all the time. Danny’s explanation of “impostor syndrome” is so me. Every time someone says something nice about my blog or my book, it’s HARD to not automatically think, “Oh, they’re just being nice….if they only knew!”
Good to know I’m not the only one Ana. Thanks for a great post.
I know exactly what you mean, Amy!
Lorna Li
Haha! I was having the EXACT SAME THOUGHTS Ana, except you posted it.
Actually my thoughts were more like:
“Does anyone EFFING care that I am killing myself to create content for an audience that is happy to take, but doesn’t seem inclined to kick me down some love.”
Then I realized a few things:
1) I have nothing to sell. I working my tail off on this right now developing info products and a coaching program. But then, I have a big question mark as to whether or not my niche will actually spend money in investing in themselves, and whether the info products and coaching program will be a giant waste of time.
2) Everything I’ve learned as an SEO marketer for big business needs to be reprogrammed as a solopreneur, because what is the point of driving traffic when you have no way to monetize.
3) Getting your optin giveaway nailed is key to making sure your email list isn’t full of people who do nothing.
4) You have to train people on your list to click on your links. Short emails that link to a tips video or a webinar invite are effective.
A lot of this getting this set up right is work. It can be a lot of work. There are ways to do it more cheaply.
You are far more ahead than I am, Ana. I’ve been thinking about abandoning my niche and starting all over again. Because what I have most to offer - Internet marketing expertise - my green niche doesn’t get, and therefore, won’t invest marketing tools I believe in that I could offer as an affiliate.
One thing I do know, after this last big push, if my efforts end up being a loss, I am going to take everything I know and switch to a niche with more money flowing in it.
You have my pat on the back! And if you have any advice for me, I would be deeply grateful.
It’s soooo much easier to tear something down than to build something up, Lorna!
It’s amazing how many people dare to tell me that I am doing things wrong or my content is nothing special when there’s nothing noteworthy that they themselves are doing.
Everyone’s a critic! Everyone EXPECTS us to put out for free, and don’t even think about asking for a miserly affiliate sale!
Too bad our passion doesn’t always line up with where the money is (like your niche) or us being too honest to paddle products we don’t really believe in (my problem).
Your own product and a coaching program sounds like a LOT to invest time and effort-wise… Have you made much income from your site so far to know that your readers are willing to buy at all? I hope so.
I’ll pay you a visit once I finish typing this up.
So much easier to create a bunch of autoblogs and provide no value, pollute the internet, yet somehow still manage to make their owners money, huh? lol
Lorna Li
I feel the same way. I have friends who earn 6 figures a month as super affiliates who have told me, if your site isn’t making money in 6 months move on. Yes, I think they are right. But no, I don’t want to peddle Acai Berry Diet pills for a quick $40K or engage in a mass parasite hosting scheme or autoblog scheme using Backlink Goldmine, EVO II, etc to rank teeth whitening products.
My site really is more about marketing for green businesses rather than “green marketing” per se, which is a limited topic. One thing I did notice are Internet marketers who rank for certain keywords using their personal domain. I think what I’ll do is use the power of my website to writer Internet marketing product reviews that I sell as an affiliate, and use the email list to do webinars. I may consider moving back to my personal domain for all things marketing, and invite my green list to follow me, if I decide to abandon the site.
No, my site hasn’t generated enough to create these products just for my audience. Does my overall web presence earn me money - yes. Consulting, ads, and random affiliate income. Info products are a lot of work. Coaching, if done right, doesn’t have to take over your life. One of my interviewees earns $300K and works 20 hours a week doing coaching, and his practice up using a combo of social networking, JV list building and webinar marketing.
I wonder if it is possible to be a pro blogger and not work 80-100 week churning out high quality content or be in a slimy but profitable niche. Thoughts anyone?
PS Just left you a comment on your 10 Green Internet Business Ideas for 2011 post, but it looks like it went into spam. Could you check on it for me?
I think overall idea for your site is great. However, I think that your potential consumers either need to be already educated on the green marketing topic or you need to invest the time to educate them on the advantages, THEN to sell them. Of course, the latter is much more lengthy and uncertain.
I fall into the second category, by the way. I had no idea that “green” and “online marketing” had anything to do with each other. I wonder if the majority of people are like me…
By the way, I noticed your site is PR5 and CL-enabled; would you like me to add it to my CL-enabled blog list?
Lorna Li
Strange, I don’t see your comment in the comment queue at all.
That would be awesome to be added to the list, thank you! I manually approve my comments, with a green light after 3 approved comments.
Yaro Starak from Entrepreneurs-Journey is working on just that: being a pro-blogger and not working too much.
The way he does it is by recruiting a lot of writers for his blog to write the content and he outsources all the other details.
So I suppose anything is possible.
Added your blog to the list.
Are you still using Akismet on your blog? That’s what it does a lot of times: just makes your comment disappear.
I’d love to comment on your blog, but Akismet won’t let me!
Ana, I have to ask 1 question? how did you know to write this post for me? are you inside my head?
okay. although I have built my own successful sites and tend to work for myself these days, I still struggle with the “imposter syndrome”. I think that it is really a really strong feeling for some of us especially in the IM niche where there are so many fake “experts” out there who DONT worry enough about being an imposter. I don’t want to wind up in THAT category either.
You are doing an amazing job here, and you are definitely not an imposter. really love seeing your new stuff. I have been blogging for 3 years (although I never took my IM blog seriously for most of that time) and I don’t have half the following that you do, so you know your stuff.
lol, James - just means that we have conscience.
People actually RELY on the information we provide! It’s quite a responsibility and we’d better take it seriously; especially considering that, as you said, there are so many “fake” experts out there who are after our wallet and do not add any true value.
Thanks so much for your thumbs up; come over any time you feel like commiserating!
Michelle Nightengale
Hi Ana,
You’re right. We ALL feel this way at different times.
I’m hugely impressed with TGC. You have a lot to be proud of. It’s a tremendous resource for all of us, so please don’t think about doing away with it!
I’m in the process of launching a new business. I’m still in pre-launch and haven’t even launched officially. While I was over the moon with excitement about getting my first members, I’m in a tremendous funk myself right now. I’m inexplicably terrified of failing. (Two members does not a successful business make.) “What if I can’t get any more members” “What if GIWE flops?” “What if they realize I don’t know what I’m talking about?”
In spite of the fact that I already have paying members (BEFORE we even launch), I’m terrified of being found out and completely failing with this business. It’s such a big-thinking business model and I’ve already put so much into it. I feel completely inadequate. I have to keep reminding myself that God gives us big dreams so we can grow into them.
Like you, I’m a marketing geek and absolutely love this stuff. But all of the reports of million-dollar incomes and sales for products that are supposed to help me make a million-dollar income just get to be too much sometimes. Some days, I never want to hear another word about making a lot of money or taking my business “to the next level.” Just hearing those words make me want to gag!
Hang in there! I’m tremendously impressed with what you’ve done and love TGC. And selfishly, I’m glad to know I’m not alone in all of this. I’ve so appreciated your personal responses to my occasional e-mails!
Michelle Nightengale
Hugs!
(I forgot to add it. ;))
Lorna Li
@Michelle,
I hear you. I am in the throes of a Telesummit launch, and while I am thrilled to bring into the world valuable information that will really help green entrepreneurs, the whole effort has been totally all consuming 16 hour days and weekends, and it seems like no one really cares.
Some of the speakers (not all) care very much about the one hour of time they’ve given to the event for free, and a little grumpy about not being paid for the one hour conversation, but seem entirely unconcerned about the hundreds of hours I’ve spent MARKETING THEM!
While I am deeply grateful that they even considered participating, I having that moment too, of feeling unappreciated and wondering if this big effort has been worth it. Hang in there sister!
I love it when you said “God gives us big dreams so we can grow into them”, Michelle.
So very true. I don’t even doubt God or His abilities to bless us, but I do doubt that He’ll bless ME. Such a silly thought. I am beyond blessed as it is, failure or success, and so are YOU!
I’d love to check out your link after I respond to this comment to see what you’ve been up to. Launching a membership site - to me, that seems to be such an unreachable goal, and look at you, you are actually doing it!
I do hear you about being afraid to fail. However, I bet most of our fears are unfounded. And if somebody does point a finger at us if we do end up walking away, so what, right?
We KNOW it, yet it’s so hard to actually believe it in our hearts.
Thanks for the support!
Deb Lamb
My, goodness, Ana. I can SO relate! I’m a ghostwriter and feel most days that I’m just winging it and trying to stay afloat! I love what I do! I know it is my calling and my passion. However, business has been a bit slow, and during these times I have a tendency to doubt myself. I have the type of attitude that always pulls me through these difficult times, though; upbeat, happy, thankful, greatful, etc., etc. But as we know, that does not pay the bills. I love reading your blog and implementing what I learn from you into my life. You always offer sound and trusting advice. I appreciate it and will continue to plug along and make things better. Come hell or high-water!!
Thank you!
Deb
Wow, Deb, thank you so much!
You should leave me a comment here and there so that I know that my posts are helpful.
Do you specialize in a certain area of writing?
I think ghostwriting is not an easy thing: you create, someone else takes the credit, and the only way you can measure your success is by how well you are paying your bills.
At least, I can throw together a post like this one and beg for some encouragement from my readers. lol
The fact that you are able to stay upbeat even when there’s seemingly nothing to be upbeat about (in the professional life, of course) speaks volumes of your character.
The drought shall pass!
Gosh, Ana, it’s soooo easy to lose sight of why you do things - and how good you are at the things you do - when the money isn’t rolling in. You put a lot out, and you feel you get nothing in return.
For years, I felt that way. (And I too feel like quitting sometimes - like heading back into some high-paying corporate job. But then I remember that most corporate environments are filled with dementors, and I quickly change my mind.)
At one point, my husband and I were working on our free service Page99Test.com, we were working 60 hours at our soul-sucking day jobs, I was finishing my MA, I was doing free work for startups, I was writing my ebooks, and I was writing a novel. We were putting a LOT out there. But we were only getting stuff back from our soul-sucking day jobs. I got so frustrated one day, I actually threw my coffee mug into the sink… and broke it.
Very sad.
Fast forward a year, and it seems that everything is falling into place.
So you have one low-income month - big deal! So you have one low-income year - you’ll get through it! So you struggle! It’s only because you’re ***actually trying*** that it feels like you’re struggling. And it’s only because you’re ***actually trying*** that it will pay off. Soon enough. And when you least expect it.
Those are my words of wisdom for the day.
I’ll expect the same from you when I’m down on myself, k? 
You know, Joanna, I watch my husband working his cushy corporate job and he hates it.
Building wealth for someone else is not nearly as much fun or as rewarding as just even trying to do it for yourself.
I really appreciate your support.
It’s so easy for us to focus on the results or the lack of thereof, and forget that it takes a journey to get to the results.
And yes, give me a holler; I’ll be there! (Send you the link to this post, lol)
Zimbrul
You are an entrepreneur people can learn a lot from. I keep learning.
Thanks, Zimbrul.