MISJUDGING THE SIZE OF THE INTERNET MARKETING GURU - WANNABE GAP
Posted on September 30, 2008
Filed Under Rant | 4 Comments
My business experience started in 1985. In last 23 years I’ve seen many good, hard working people try their hand at owning their own business(es) using the Internet and information products and services. Some by choice and some by being told their services were no longer needed – a.k.a. the infamous Middle Management Cost Reduction Club (MMCRC).
For me it was a little of both. I started learning about IM part time while still working on my “day job” and then the morning of March 22, 2007, I became a member of the local MMCRC. It was the first time in my twenty two years of doing “whatever it takes” that all the effort was rewarded with a pink slip.
Since discovering IM, it didn’t take long to see there is a huge ditch separating the successful IM business gurus from the “wannabes.” What I don’t see is a lot of attention being focused on bridging that big gap with the types of tools and services that even a 4th grade student could understand and take action on immediately. This is the part where my gift for stating the obvious was very useful.
I was 12 years old when I had to get eye glasses. I quickly discovered there was/is a real adjustment period; especially, if you are nearsighted with astigmatism. Everything appears closer and smaller than they actually are – much closer and smaller! I used to dread walking out of the Optometrist’s office after putting on the new eye glasses for the first time. A little sea sick and when I looked at my feet I felt as if I had shrunk about three feet.
Riding my bike one day I came to the new road being built near our house. I came up to a ditch and confidently looked at the other side and told myself “dude, you can jump this!” Then I went back and started a fast and furious attempt to build the speed to make what I thought was a relatively easy jump.
By incredible luck, I happened to look over the top of my new glasses. As sped toward the ditch, the blood drained from my face when I realized the ditch was not the “teaser” I thought I saw. It was approximately twelve feet wide; and up hill too. I quickly hit the brakes barely avoiding a disastrous plunge into the ditch.
I believe a large percentage of the people who want to be in the IM business suffer from the same problem I was having when my eyes were not properly adjusted to the strength of the prescription. They are intently focused on making “the jump” into IM success they fail to see the truth: The jump is much bigger than they originally thought. Make you wonder: Okay, now what?
In closing I offer the following advice: Follow your dreams! Never give up that pursuit! If you find yourself being inducted into the MMCRC, by all means do what you feel is necessary to provide for your family. However, before you commit to what seems to be an easy leap into the Internet world, please take one last look and hit the brakes if you don’t like what you’re seeing. It may be disappointing at first, but the good news is you won’t have to pick yourself up and climb out of the ditch with a mangled bike on your back.
Neck Surgery Update
Posted on September 4, 2008
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If you’ve read before you know I had neck surgery (C5/C6) on August 1st. The bone spur pressing on my right side nerve root was the size of a black eyed pea. In bone spur terms that’s HUGE. It was also not directly on the vertebrea as most spurs develop. I was in the area where the nerve root’s canal forms as the nerve root leave the spinal column.
Most spinal surgeries come of an inherent risk of causing just as much pain following the surgery as much as what they are supposed to fix. As a result many people ask the famous question: If you had to do it all over again, would I do it?”
Without hesitation, the answer to that question is: Absolutely YES!!
I knew I was better when I woke up in the recovery room…It was that obvious!! I guess that means I was in a heck of a lot of pain, too. That pain, which I’ve been dealing with for over 5 years was GONE!!
Welp, I’m listening to John McCain as I write this…As a former Naval Officer myself during a time of war (Desert Shield / Desert Storm). I never was a POW, but once you wear the uniform during War, you develop a bond with people who may never come home - THAT changes you. It was an honor to serve this Country.
My Father In Law is still in the hospital as he attempts to recover from his first Chemoembolization in his Liver. The dye in the Chemo caused his kidneys to shut down. He also has other issues that are making a recovery very difficult.
Please pray that he will be healed and relieved of this horrible disease. Also, pray for my Mother in law. She’s struggling to keep up. They’ve been married for 50 years, she’s 73 and very weary!!
Cheers,
Ross
In The Mood To Write a Book
Posted on August 17, 2008
Filed Under Ramblings, Rant | 2 Comments
I have always wanted to write a book about something…but the question was always - WHAT? My 20 years in project management has given me a lot of experience to draw on to do something, but again - WHAT?
At first I thought I was going to take something I’ve already written about: Six Reasons Projects Struggle, but that would require a TON of theory to practice explanation, so it would be too complicated for my first book. Therefore, I’ve been thinking about a different subject recently. It seems there is a fundamental need to help people understand that what is typically called a “JV” is NOT - repeat NOT - a true Joint Venture.
You see time and time again the announcement for the next great “JV Giveaway” or hear someone say the infamous phrase “let’s do a JV together.” Now I don’t want to upset some of my good friends who manage/own successful JV Giveaways, what they do on THEIR end is the real work of a true Joint Venture.
A true Joint Venture is a project requiring daily management, requirements definition, coding/development, testing, affiliate planning, adcopy writing, payment processing, product support, and so on…
Therefore I believe the title of my book is going to be: JVs and Joint Ventures - Why They are Not the Same Thing.
Enough for now…school starts tomorrow.
Cheers,
Ross
The Surgery is Done and I Like it!!
Posted on August 4, 2008
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Well just wanted to let everyone know that I’m alive…The last 72 hours have been pretty rough. After the surgery the doctor spoke to my family and said it was a HUGE bone spur pressing on the right side C5-C6 nerve root.
Vindication!!!
And to that end, the pain that I’ve been dealing with for the better part of the last 5 years - most debilitatingly over the past 6-9 months - is GONE!! Holy crap that felt good to type that I think I’ll type it again…
The pain & numbness from my upper neck to my finertips is absolutely 100% G-O-N-E!!
I have to be careful over the next week or so to make sure I don’t get caught up in the euphora that I screw things up…I think I can manage that!!
Have I said that pain & numbness from my upper neck to my finertips is absolutely 100% G-O-N-E ???
I’m very, very sore in the shoulders & trap muscles. My throat is s-o-r-e from the breathing tube and moving things around during the surgery to get to my spine. BTW, that’s where the incision is– left of center about one inch able the chest.
well that’s about it…things are going to be great. I don’t remember what it’s like to not be in moderate/severe pain. It’s a new thing for me, but something I will enjoy getting used to…
Have I said that pain & numbness from my upper neck to my finertips is absolutely 100% G-O-N-E ??? Probably… 
Changing Up the Blog
Posted on July 30, 2008
Filed Under Uncategorized | 1 Comment
You may (or may not) notice some subtle changes to the structure of my blog.
All posts related to my neck surgery will be on the NECK SURGERY page in the top right corner.
All posts related to The T Boone Pickens Plan will be on the PICKENSPLAN page in the top right corner.
Both Pages will open in a separate window, so you won’t find a HOME Link since the home page will remain open at all times.
TrafficSecrets…What’s the Big Deal?
Posted on July 16, 2008
Filed Under Rant | 2 Comments
First, I’ve seen John Reese’s new videos and I thought that were great. I actually got an idea for a new product enhancement to something I’m working on with JP Maroney. I’ve also seen the adcopy that spells out the offer of 12 DVD/CD’s for $397. Personally it’s out of my range at the moment, but I’d be very tempted if I were not already tapped out (as it were).
My question is why is everyone (or so it seems) stopping their daily buzz to promote this one product? I can’t say for sure, but I would estimate that 2/3rds to 3/4ths of all the “affiliate” email I’ve received in the last 3 days has been dedicated to TrafficSecrets. WHY?
Is it such an incredible product that it must be promoted by everyone in the IM community? Is there no other product that can provide anything close to this product in terms of delivery and content? Or is it that the IM community has become dependent on “mega-releases” to pick up the slack for a lack of quality products on the market today?
The problem with product development in the IM community is the first one to do it wins the entire pot of gold. There are electronics stores everywhere selling the exact same products. The only difference is toys wear out and need to be replaced, eProducts don’t. They only need to be updated to reflect updates and enhancements. There lies one of the problems.
However, my original question remains….Why has everyone stopped promoting their products in favor of TrafficSecrets? Here’s another angle. If I were to purchase TrafficSecrets, I would have done so when I received John’s original email. Therefore, all the other emails are a waste of my time and inbox. Something like the early bird thing.
I realize that someone’s list is never going to convert at 100%. It’s more like 1%-2% on a good day. So, if I’m the same person is on ten lists that promote the one product he/she may be motivated to purchase from probably one of three reasons:
- Loyalty. The person is loyal to a specific person and wants to purchase from them;
- Persistence. Being motivated to purchase after seeing it over and over; or
- Bribery. They are motivated by the bonus offerings being provided by the person promoting the product.
There are probably other reasons, but I’d bet 95% of all purchases are made out of loyalty, persistence, or bribery.
Maybe I’m crazy, stupid, or just hard-headed. Where’s the entrepreneurial spirit? Where’s the drive to make our own products?
Maybe it’s been smashed by the “get rich quick” crap that is so prevalent today. Or, maybe when people get into REAL product development and REAL joint ventures (not the “plastic” JV Giveaway stuff - which is a whole new post) they find out it’s nothing like what they’ve been told and they decide to take a pass. Believe me I understand, but two facts can’t be missed, entrepreneurs are not scared away by hard work and obstacles; and not everyone has what it takes to be an entrepreneur - and that’s okay too!
Whatever the reason, I fear the IM community is moving toward a dependance on a few notable people to provide the next set of great products - such as John Reese’s TrafficSecrets product launch.
Ahhh that’s enough…
Cheers,
Ross
[RAVE] Good Videos for Website Traffic
Posted on July 12, 2008
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I ran across this website, thanks to an email from Mike Filsaime. John Reese has created a new product called TrafficSecrets2.0. Now I don’t know if I will purchase it because I’ve put a self managed lid on spending. But that’s not why I’m writing this.
John has posted a website called Traffic Secrets … He has put out 2 videos on the site that I found very informative & worth my time.
Go there and see these videos, they are very informative. He puts one piece of info out there in Video #2 that I really found interesting: Twitter.com has become the #2 marketing tool (behind email marketing). Think about that for a minute. Amazing, I say!!
That’s it…keep reading & comeback early and often!
Cheers,
Ross
[RAVE] In Praise of a Man I Love
Posted on July 6, 2008
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It was really good to have my Father in Law join us for worship services. He is becoming much more spiritually oriented. He is a believer, but has never been happy with the specific faith he had been attending. Matter of fact, it was the very same faith I grew up in and three generations before me. I’d been a Deacon and other leadership roles my whole life.
We began to experience the uplifting presence of the Spirit at the Pentecostal Church. The first time we went to a Pentecostal Church we were in tears. We knew at that point we had found what we had been craving for so long. We have seen things - healings, life changes (not immediate) - but things that doctors have literally called “nothing short of a miracle”.
The church we attended when we first made the changed presented a blanket that had been made and prayed over by the ladies of the church on behalf of my Father in Law. It was very touching for my Father in Law. This is the type of care and love we’ve experienced.
I’m not ashamed one bit to say I was touched to the point of tears as my Father in Law grabbed my hand , went down to the front of the church, got on his knees (as did I), and began to pray out loud. That is something I have not seen in the (almost) 21 years my wife and I have been married.
I don’t want the little sideline rant to take away from the fact that my Father in Law, who I love as a Father, has opened himself to the presence of the Lord and worshiped him again as he as longed to do!! That is what’s important and I’m very proud of & for him!!
Cheers,
Ross
[RANT] Sadly, It Always Comes in Threes
Posted on June 22, 2008
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This seems to be a universal truth that it always comes in threes…and it’s always bad stuff. What’s up with that?? Well here’s the threes (and sure enough, they are all negatives):
DENA WHITLEY One of our Pastor’s wives has had a horrible fight with Breast Cancer and also spot cancer throughout her body. Friday she had major surgery to correct an intestinal obstruction that turn out to be cancer and they also found more cancer inside her body than originally thought. She actually coded on the table at least once during Friday’s surgery. She’s going okay now and should be home. One positive (and absolutely amazing) thing is she HASN’T LOST HER HAIR. A lifelong Pentecostal woman’s hair is very long and important to her as a part of her faith. The fact she hasn’t lost her hair has been called “nothing short of a miracle” but one of her physicians. Miracle? Maybe…God still works, even through something as simple as the hair of a woman.
CLYDE TESTONE - My father in law - who I love as a father - was diagnosed with Primary Liver Cancer (also known as HCC) this week. He has a 17cm (~ 5.5in) mass on the lower lobe of his liver. This is just a huge blow to the family. Clyde is a man that I love very deeply and has become an important part of my 17 year old son’s life of late. He meets with one of the best oncologists in the universe @ UAMS on July 10th. We don’t know any more right now, but PLC is a very aggressive cancer and he has been recommended for a Liver Transplant by his physician which is a very good thing. If he can find a match it would resolve the cancer (hopefully and add years to his life - he will be 70 in August).
ROSS YINGLING (that’s me) has been scheduled for neck surgery on August 6th. I’ve been dealing with bonespurs and bulging discs in my neck at C5/C6 for 5 yrs and it’s finally time to try to rid myself of the pain. I expect to get much needed relief in my neck, shoulder, and arm (so the surgery isn’t a surprise, but surgery is surgery). The Surgeon explained how he would execute the procedure& made me feel very good about the process — he also did both of my back surgeries 5 & 4.5 yrs ago.
Now I’m not sure mine counts, so there could be another one coming…but I sure as heck hope it does count. If not that means there’s one more to go. That would be hard…
Please pray for all the families involved…Especially my wife, she has to put up with me AND her father AND we are good friends with the Pastor’s family. Thanks for your consideration. It’s 8:45am & I have been up almost all night and to be going to worship services in about an hour, so bye for now. Talk to everyone later!! Enjoy Everything you do as if it was your last time ever!!!
Cheers,
Ross
[RAZOR] Be Careful What You Ask For
Posted on June 13, 2008
Filed Under Ramblings, Razors | Leave a Comment
It’s always been interesting to me that we should be concerned about getting what we ask for. The full Razor is “be careful what you ask for because you just might get it!” What does that mean?
We are taught that unless we ask the answer is always ‘NO’. Why then should asking be something that gives us pause for reflection.
Here’s my theory…asking for something isn’t bad. If we don’t have the cajones to ask we should be surprised if we don’t get it. However, within that context the saying does have a very wise underpinning.
We humans are by nature selfish creatures. From birth we have to be taught sacrifice, sharing, and patience. We seem to be born with strong sense of possessiveness and self-preservation. For some, that inborn strong strong sense doesn’t get properly governed. In other words, given a clear opportunity to be under no supervision or predefined process we will ask/do what we WANT…not what we NEED!!
Huge, don’t you think? Thus the Razor begins to take shape and, strangely enough, make some sense.
Being careful what we ask for because we just might get it tells us we need to carefully consider what we attempt to accumulate in our lives. Otherwise, we may end up regretting it. What? It’s always fun to watch shows where someone is give the opportunity ask for anything they want. There request may be perfectly logical, but how the answer is given may be extremely unexpected.
Bottom line: It would never be bad to stop to consider WHY we are asking and what the CONSEQUENCES could be if we did actually receive what we ask for. I could talk for an extended period of time about my opinion of our society’s successful effort to totally separate ACTIONS and CONSEQUENCES. Once this is achieved what we do has no relative connection to what happens to us in life.
Therefore, we can do what we want when we want, because there won’t be any repercussions. The problem is after stacking up a bunch of unconnected actions the consequences start arriving and we have the audacity to wonder where the troubles are coming from!!
The fact is ACTIONS and CONSEQUENCES are like the front and back of a coin…there is not one without the other. Every decision we make, everything we do or say is subject to some level of consequence.
It is undeniable…It is is not open to debate…At times, nature may seem to be cruel, but an absolute fact is that ACTIONS and CONSEQUENCES are not independent events. Hmmm, maybe the Razor isn’t so off base after all! “Being careful what we ask for because we might just get it” now sounds much less confusing.
That’s all for now…I hope this was post was useful and not just an ill-conceived cranial flatulent and a long one at that!!
Not With Standing the Foregoing,
Ross
DEALS YOU CAN AFFORD
