At The Crossroads. Ending The Grind At One Year
Oct

Well, it’s official. I’ve been at this now for one full year. As many of you know, it’s been an interesting year for this blog.
Throughout my life, I’ve always had an all or nothing type of mentality towards my hobbies or projects. I either get totally enveloped in them or quit. Call it a character flaw or a blessing, I’m really not sure, but it’s either 100% or bust.
I’ve spent 25 years in the workforce, starting with a $3.85 an hour job as a stock boy at Marshall’s department store all the way to my current job as a financial planner. In that time, I have never come across a job that I could honestly said I loved. Sad? Maybe.
The point is that in blogging, I have found my love. I’m all in. I’m even more excited about this world now than I was when I started.
So for those of you who are thinking that I might decide to close up shop and walk away, there is no chance of that!
Regardless of all the stuff that has recently happened here, I am completely committed to creating a highly successful blog. And yes, my plan WILL include creating a full-time income.
My Year In Review
I feel like I’ve been pretty active trying new things and getting myself out there into the blogoshpere. Here are some of the highlights (and lowlights)
- Started accepting guest posts in February 2011. I did this for 2 reasons. One was to share the stories of people who had escaped their 9-5 jobs and the second was to give exposure to other bloggers who had something compelling to share.
- Started my Podcast interview series in May 2011. This has been awesome! I’ve had the chance to chat with some incredible people and have learned an incredible amount. A few of my personal favorite conversations were with Marcus, Ash, Mars, and MJ.
- I started a blog review service which was about as popular as Charlie Sheen would be as a Kindergarten teacher. I launched the service thinking it was going to be a hit and it was, literally. A one hit wonder. I sold exactly one in 3 months. Lesson: Don’t try to guess what your readers want and are willing to pay for.
- This led me to post a few surveys, both of which were extremely helpful to me. I want to thank all of you who took the time to answer them and also for your brutal honesty!
- I started a Mastermind group (now defunct) back in March 2011. I followed the advice of Jaime Tardy and she was kind enough to email me some information and get me started. It was a great experience for the few months it lasted and I learned from each one of the members. If you are thinking of starting one, please feel free to email me and I’ll be happy to share a few tips.
- I’ve been able to connect with hundreds of cool people and have met many who I can now call friends. People like Benny, Adrienne, Marcus, Deeone, Jacob, Barry, David, and Hector to name a few. All have been supportive and I’m a better person for knowing them.
The Stats
Before I get into all the changes I’ll be making here and what my plans are for the future, I’d like to share the stats for the first year of ETG.
Complete Stats
- Total visitors: 79,771
- Absolute unique visitors: 63,494
- Page Views: 127,762
- Average Page Views Per Visit: 1.6
- Average Time On Site: 2:06
- Bounce Rate: 74.91%
- New Visits: 79.5%
- Twitter Followers: 1,481
- Facebook “Likes”: 223
- RSS Subscribers: 398 as of today. 2 days ago it was 425. It’s all over the place. I really, really hate you Feedburner!
- Total Posts: 160
- Total Comments: 2,988
- Total Income Earned: $142.40 (that’s not in millions)
A Deeper Look
Normally I would dig a little deeper into these stats but I think that the only real stat that you want to hear about is the last one. Yes, it’s true, I have spent 1 year or approximately 1,000 hours on this blog for the grand total of $142.40.
For all you math whizzes, that comes out to a whopping ¢.14 per hour. This wouldn’t be all that bad if it was say, 1922.
Needless to say, if ETG is ever going to become a business and allow my to quit my job, I need to start making some fucking money!
Enter Penelope Trunk
It was only a week and a half ago when I was typing away on my computer, writing yet another anger inducing post and thinking that I was steadily working my way towards ending my grind.
Oh the fool dreamer that I was.
At about 10pm one fateful Friday night, I made my phone call to Penelope. Fast forward 36 minutes and I was left wondering what the hell just happened. I was shocked that my blog, goals, business, future plans, and integrity was just smashed to bits.
What happened over the course of the following days was something remarkable. My blog was flooded with comments and my inbox was packed with emails. It seems as though Penelope’s ruthlessly honest advice touched on the nerves of many, many people.
A Swift Kick In The Face
For almost a full year, I was living in a fantasy land here. I spent a crazy amount of time writing, building relationships, creating mastermind groups, engaging on social media sites, and everything else we as bloggers are supposed to do.
The problem is that my goal was to create a full-time income here and quit my job. That’s what Ending The Grind is all about.
So while I was busy doing everything under the sun trying to build a business, all I really built was a hobby.
Penelope’s sharp words cut through all my bullshit and self denial and told me straight up what I was doing was not working. And now I believe her.
I’m not sure how many other new bloggers go through this as well, but I honestly felt like I was making progress towards my ultimate goal of quitting my job. I had fooled myself into thinking that activity was productivity. I was always active, but spent very little time being productive. BIG difference.
I’ve also realized that I’ve spent an entire year telling people what not to do instead of helping them with what to do.
Opening My Eyes
If nobody had come and listened to my interview with Penelope, her words would not have had nearly the impact they do now. It was in your comments that I saw the truth and reality of the situation. It was your inspiring words and the fact that so many of you felt like she was talking to you directly that made me look deeper.
I have to say that most of the comments on that post were incredibly thoughtful. It’s was not just the sheer number of them but rather the quality that really meant the most to me.
Here are a few that really stood out and forced me to ask myself the important questions:
“This was as clear and real as you can get, and right to the heart of any step forward. You can’t make a change unless you are aware of how you are showing up in a situation and how you are keeping yourself from what you really want. The question I always have to ask myself and remind clients to consider as they seek transition is “how am I getting in my way?” “I don’t think she’s being harsh or unfair. At the risk of making herself look bad, she’s saying what a lot of people secretly think, but nobody else is generous enough to say. This is the most selfless way to help somebody.”“I find that I read the certain blogs because I feel I know the person writing them. Of course I’m there to learn something too (that would be Pat’s model. Him + useful tools), but if I don’t feel I’ve connected with the person I move on. With all the guest posts, and podcast interviews I felt like I lost you in this blog.”
“First time I am here and I honestly want to say I felt like I was receiving the reprehension (actually, THE great advice) myself! It was a wake up call for me as well.”
“OK, we’re voting now. Penelope wins. Sorry Steve, but she is right. Your blog would be way more interesting if you were more honest about what was going on with yourself. Personally, I wouldn’t pay someone to tell me how to change my life. I would much rather watch someone else go through it and see the parallels to my own problems.”
“I think the why is as important as the what, because not knowing why you do something can be its own obstacle. Without this awareness we become stuck, we just operate on auto-pilot, get in our own way, and all kinds of unproductive behaviors pop up.”
“As for your interview – here’s what I think: Penelope is Simon Cowell and you just found out that you’re not a great singer. BUT that doesn’t mean that your voice isn’t worth hearing.”
“So, what is your real goal? Maybe, you have spelled it out and I didn’t see it, but your goal should have been spelled out in the first paragraph of this post. What are you making happen to move you closer to that goal? What risks are you taking, today? I want to see you make that change, Steve. I want to see you succeed to be honest, to be true, and to live-wholeheartedly. Do amazing things!”
So What Does All Of This Mean?
If I continue doing what I have been, then nothing. But that’s not what’s going to happen.
I’ve had to face some harsh realities in the last week or so and I’m so thankful that I did. If I hadn’t, I might have ended up being the only blogger you know with 100,000 monthly visitors and zero income.
After all the discussions, here are the most important things that I’ve taken away:
- We must create in order to move forward.
- If you don’t know where you want to be, how can you get there?
- If you don’t know who you want to become, how can you become them?
- Use your strengths to leverage results. I love this quote I found in the StrengthsFinder 2.0 book I just read “you cannot be anything you want to be, but you can be a lot more of what you already are.”
- Activity is not productivity.
- We will never be able to do the things we love ALL of the time.
- Ask yourself the hard questions and answer them honestly.
So, What’s Going To Change?
I’ve been thinking about all of this since the moment it happened and I’m trying to do what’s best for me and my readers. Like I’ve said many times before, if I didn’t want to leave my job, I probably would never monetize this blog. I just love doing this!
Not only have I been thinking about what direction to go in, but I’ve been talking with some coaches/bloggers about this as well. Thanks to Allison, Danny, Laura, and Ruth, I have a much better understanding of what to do. But in all honesty, I still haven’t figured it all out. How could I on only a few short days?
I DO know that I will be heading in a new direction and that direction is forward! I will no longer just be writing about hating your job, but rather about really hating your job. Seriously though, I have a lot of thoughts about this blog and will be doing some more soul searching whilst in Vegas. Yes, it is the soul searching capital of the country…
This past week I’ve have made a few decisions to begin the process of actually creating a business. Imagine that!
Here’s what I’ve got:
- I have started writing an eBook which will be about how to survive your day job while building your business. I actually started it months ago but never followed through. As much as I didn’t want to put this out there, it will launch on November 15th. And yes, I will attempt to collect money for it! It’s so much easier not to be accountable, isn’t it? 🙂
- I have started a small side business on Fiverr.com. Thanks to Danielle Lynn and her sweet guide on building a Fiverr business, I’m up and running. I’ve already made a cool $4! How bout them apples!
- I am almost finished with my new free eBook,which will be a compilation of 20 of the best guest posts from ETG. It will replace my other eBook as the opt in bonus for subscribing to my email newsletter.
- I will be creating a product based on the knowledge from the 25 or so interviews I have done. Many of the gems I found were either before I officially started recording or after the call ended. More on this later.
- I will be creating more income with my personal training business in an attempt to reduce the amount of income needed when I quit my job. I will also be creating a niche website in an specific area of fitness in which I have a lot of experience in.
- I will be setting specific goals (and sending them to Penelope) regarding my liberation from my job. This actually petrifies me, but I have to do it! This will come in my next post!
- And guess what? Some (or all) of these products may fail and that’s ok. I know I need to start somewhere and I plan to start small. Marcus Sheridan told me that I was trying to hit home runs without having learned to swing the bat first. That was part of what has been holding me back. I wanted to create the best product ever and of course, I never did. I just thought about it every day. It’s time to create!
- This biggest decision I have to make is exactly what the goal is for me and this blog. Writer? Speaker? Coach? Consultant? All of the above or none of the above? My post next Monday will get into this.
- This is just the beginning. I will be experimenting with many different things to try and find what works for me. I’ve come to realize that I will have to do things that I don’t necessarily love. In order to build a business, I’m going to have to get out of my comfort zone.
Oh yea, one more thing. I don’t want to sell anything, buy anything, or process anything as a career. I don’t want to sell anything bought or processed, or buy anything sold or processed, or process anything sold, bought, or processed, or repair anything sold, bought, or processed. You rock if you got this!
The End Of (Short) Era?
I know some of you read my blog solely for the guest posts and that’s cool. I’ve featured far better writers than myself and have loved sharing their stories. I’ve also made quite a few friends in the process.
However, I’ve decided that this week will be the end of my guest posts (I won’t say permanently) and I will be focusing instead on the changes that will be happening in my life. The problem is that I feel like I’ve lost touch with many of my readers and it’ very important to me to be connected with you.
I will be in Las Vegas this week and will run my last 4 guest posts Wednesday through Saturday.
I will also not be posting my Podcast interviews weekly and more than likely will do it once a month (if that). I still have a few good ones (Leo Babauta, Erika Napolitano) in the que and don’t want you to miss them. I’ve also have text interviews with Chris Guillebeau and Julien Smith. I Just need to find a time to post them, because they are good!
A BIG Thank You
I want to first say that after I finished this post (four hours of writing), I didn’t feel like it reflected my true feelings and passion. Honestly, I’m sorta numb and brain dead from everything that has recently transpired. I hope I got my points across though and expect me to be fresh and ready to rock when I get back from my trip.
I do owe all of you a huge thank you for being part of my blog. Given that I haven’t really attempted to make money here, I have quantified my success by reader interaction. And in that regard, I am wealthy!
I’m looking forward to sharing some exciting things with you when I return and hopefully you’ll join me on my new and improved journey.
I’d love to hear your thoughts about all of this and in case you’re wondering, I will not be bringing any money for gambling. This is a trip to spend some time with my father, whom I rarely see.

Ruth - The Freelance Writing Blog
Woooohooooo! A plan! And it sounds glorious! Bravo Steve – I know it’s scary, but reading through this post (and particularly the ‘Here’s what I’ve got’ bullets) it now seems that you have the beginnings of a roadmap to get you to where you want to be. Now THIS is inspirational stuff. THIS is the Ending the Grind journey that will resonate with readers. Just think about how much more credibility and expertise you will have when you emerge on the other side! I can’t wait to grab your ebook. And thanks for the shout out. I really enjoyed our conversation and look forward to more down the road!
Steve
Ruth,
YES! Can you believe it?!?
This is just the beginning and I’m sure many things will change. But I do know that I will taking a new approach to this and our conversation definitely helped give me a little boost (or kick in the ass).
Thanks again for your support with this, it means a lot.
Danny @ Firepole Marketing
Steve, I just want to say that even though I’ve only known you for a short while, I’m really proud of the progress you’ve made in such a short time. It was a pleasure speaking with you, and I’m looking forward to continuing the conversation when you’re back from Vegas.
In the meantime, try NOT to think about any of this, and just relax and enjoy yourself. That’s important, too, and I think you’ll get exponentially more done when you get back if you really take this time to decompress and recharge.
Wishing you all the best, and looking forward to chatting some more soon,
Steve
Thanks again for the call the other day Danny. You asked some excellent questions and got me thinking about things in a different light. The thing that really stood out was that you seemed to honestly care about my situation. I’ve spoken to plenty people/coaches who have just “yes’d” me, so it’s a great feeling to know that you actually are interested. I’m really looking forward to resuming our chat soon.
I can’t promise I will relax though. I have already planned to spend the time on my flights writing, which is about 8 hours total. We’ll see when I get there!
Danny @ Firepole Marketing
It was really my pleasure, Steve. And I’m looking forward to continuing the conversation. At least try to have some fun when you’re actually in Vegas? 😉
Conni
Congrats! Great to see you have lots of awesome plans – I’m sure the combination of them will eventually let you succeed!
I will keep my fingers crossed for you!
All the best in the meantime!
Steve
Hi Conni,
Keep those fingers crossed, I will need it!
It wouldn’t hurt to throw a little luck my way while I’m in Vegas either 🙂
Jacob Sokol
Good stuff man. Love the heart and let me know how i can help!!
Steve
Thanks brother man! You’ve been a solid source of inspiration for me for a while now. Keep up your good work!!
Jacob Sokol
Ah! You’re too kind. Your generosity is virtuous and inspirational. Let’s chat soon bro.
Jim
Hey Steve – I just came across your blog a couple days ago. As someone in a very similar place in life as you, I was very interested in what you had to say.
But, to be frank, what I initially scanned through wasn’t necessarily earth shattering (for me) and I wasn’t sure if it would be worth coming back to.
However, I did listen to THAT podcast and added your feed on a “trial” basis. I really wanted to see how you would respond and the direction you would go.
Well, this post sealed the deal for me. Good stuff indeed. Keep inspiring me. 🙂
Steve
Jim,
I wouldn’t say that I aim for earth shattering with every post, but I do write the best that I possibly can. Glad to hear my blog made your preliminary cut 🙂
My plan is to inspire, create, and teach. Now I need to plan it all out!
Andrew
Fantastic post, i enjoyed it immensely. You obviously spent a lot of time on it as well, which is appreciated. What framework are you using for your theme by the way? is it custom?
Steve
Andrew,
Thanks, I did end up putting about 5 hours into it. As far as the theme, I had found it on Theme Forest about 6 months ago and it has been customized heavily. My design guy is awesome and has made this whole thing a lot easier for me..
Tom Ewer
Steve – awesome to see you taking the bull by the horns! That’s a lot of stuff you’ve got planned there, so I would have just one piece of advice – don’t try to take on too much at once. Best to focus that fire you have inside of you on a small number of things.
Can’t wait to see how you get on!
Cheers,
Tom
Steve
Hey Tom,
I do have a habit of taking on more than I can handle, so thanks for the reminder! As you know, I’ve got so much going on right now and am overwhelmed with ideas, thoughts, plans, etc. Need to focus on one step at a time..
Laura Rupp
Steve, You have definitely hit this hard. It looks like Re-Purposing the Grind, not Ending it! Except now it’s on your own terms with your own direction.
Pay attention to what you love about blogging and why, keep clear on your motivation. Maybe take a closer look at why “all or nothing” does or does not work for you. Keep asking questions of yourself. You are doing the hard work of you and that is where the movement and change will come from. Be patient, 1 year is not long if you consider how long it took to get to this point in your life.
Kind of ironic to be in the city of suspended reality as you work to define your own. Hope all goes well, enjoy your trip!
Grady Pruitt
Sounds like you are getting yourself pointed in the right direction! Good luck with your efforts!
Marcus Sheridan-The Sales Lion
Wow, what a difference a week makes my friend. Different feel, finally a clearer vision, and the transparency is already showing itself.
This is the best post I’ve ever seen from you Steve. I wasn’t negative feeling (works for some, not for me). It was positive, looking forward, thinking big, gutsy, and many others. I hope you’ll continue with that type of style. It’s very uplifting.
Cheers friend,
Marcus
Melissa
Looks like you’ve got a pretty solid foundation started. Very nice. 🙂
Steve Rice
Steve,
I’m so proud of you! I can tell by the plan and solid action steps that you’ve laid out that you have given all of Penelope’s advice a great deal of thought. Kudos to you!
I’m really excited to see your process. It’s is scary and takes HUGE guts. But that is what’s inspiring for the rest of us too!
The reason Steve Jobs has been called visionary, leader, hero by so many people this week is because he dared to do the things (and create the products) we all wished we had the balls to do (or create)….even before we knew we wanted to do them (ie iTunes, iPod, iPhone, iPad, etc)
You’re on the right track!
Justin | Mazzastick
Cool deal Steve. Your stats are awesome and way more than I have. I started my blog in January of 2011 though. Maybe I can catch up by then.
Being a business minded person the only stat that really matters is the $$$$.
It is as it is. Once you get comfortable selling something than it gets easier.
Deeone
Bro! Good stuff! I actually just read this post and the previous one, “From here…The Only Way is Up”. And I must say, I’m quite proud of you, Steve!
It sounds like you’re making incredible advances to ending the grind, bud! I would even go as far as saying that I believe that you’e closer than ever before in doing so. 🙂 If nothing else, I’m loving the energy mate! So, go ahead pat yourself on the back bro! You’re rocking it!
You know what I think it takes to become successful in any industry… in life, really?
There is a hidden fight that’s within all of us that’s lying dormant in us. It’s just sitting there waiting for us to tap into it; it’s a fight that’s telling us to never give up no matter what it looks like at the moment.
I’ve never been the type of person that is able to go by what it “looks like”, simply because what it looks like at the moment is usually an illusion that my mind is using to make me believe it’s my reality. Which is a load of crap!
Our current reality is temporary, and what’s temporary will definitely change.
All it takes is one thing… one single opportunity to turn in our favor and change the entire game. Oftentimes, people lose out on reaching their turning point because 1) they’re not taking action towards whatever it is they want, and 2) they give up, right before they reach the turning point.
It sounds to me that you’ve made up in your mind, to take action and wait out the turning point. That’s Awesome!
Someone else had a similar “Penelope type conversation” with a friend, family member, or even a mentor and decided to throw in the towel and quit! Never trying again. But you, my friend decided that this was NOT the end of the battle for you. I say, good for you bud!
Again, go ahead and dust your shoulders off and give yourself a pat on the back man! You’ve got a lot to be proud of!
I’m excited for you! I’m also humbled and grateful that you consider me a friend mate. Thanks for that!
Wishing you the best in your future endeavors, and looking forward to seeing the great changes on your horizon.
Safe travels and Enjoy Vegas, bro! 😉
David
Hey Steve, it’s been great getting to know you and follow your blog. Wish you the best and look forward to hearing what you will be doing next.
Jens P. Berget
I have been following you for a while, and I actually thought you made a lot of money from your blog and your online “business”. I have been struggling with the same thing as you. I have put in many hours of activity, but it’s hard to make a dollar, no matter how much traffic I get or how many people I know. The thing is, I don’t have a business.
I’m thinking about writing an ebook as well, and I’m also thinking about what direction to go when it comes to earning money online. I believe that writing ebooks will be my main business, and affiliate marketing my second. Writing is what I love.
I’ll have to take a closer look at your business on Fiverr. I have used Fiverr a few times and my experience with it has been awesome.
– Jens
Hector Avellaneda
It’s truly been a pleasure to connect with you Steve.
You’re a guy that has a lot of drive and a lot of passion for what you desire and I know you’re going to get it BUT, as you said you have to be willing to get out of your comfort zone, you’re going to have to invest more in yourself as an entrepreneur and take the action required to get the results that it is you want to achieve.
I’m not perfect, I’ll be the first one to admit it and I don’t do everything right on my blog but what I have come to realize (and has been affirmed by your interview with Penelope) is that people want to see YOU (speaking generally) become an entrepreneur and learn from how you became a success. If you’re not there yet, they want to follow your journey and learn from your mistakes and you have to be open to share, transparent and authentic.
You’re not going to lose me as a reader or as a friend because I know you and I share a common goal and I know we have a lot in common. So you can count on my support and my bluntness (not sure if that’s a word) from now on as I plan to really tell it as it is AND I hope you can do the same for me.
Sometime we all need a kick in the read-end to get us to where we should be!
I am excited to continue seeing you develop as an entrepreneur and I look forward to seeing you succeed in your future projects!
Brock Blohm
“So for those of you who are thinking that I might decide to close up shop and walk away, there is no chance of that!”
Jeez, for a second, I thought you were going to say otherwise.
Glad to hear you have some plan of action. Curious to hear the gory details in the near future, though…
Keep learning. Knowledge is power…
Christopher Knopick
Steve, I noticed in one of your earlier posts that you had a link to a site that was selling a book and had affiliates but your link wasn’t one. Why not? With your viewership I would think that affiliate links to products you’ve used or recommend would do well for you. You have fantastic numbers and just need to ask for sales and if they were the right ones I think you would do well. Have you thought about putting in resource pages like Derek Halpern suggests? I for one would like to know the steps you went through to customize your site…unless you already have. I haven’t been reading for that long. Good luck and I can’t wait to see how things turn out.
Steve
Christopher,
I do have a Resources page with a handful of affiliate links, but I make almost nothing from them. I actually don’t even check the stats. To be honest, I’m so sick of seeing affiliate links on everyone’s blogs that I don’t really use them often. I could probably make a few bucks, but I think it would tarnish my reputation. This is actually a flaw in my thinking as there are many ethical affiliate marketers. It’s just a personal preference.
I will be making a number of changes with my blog and will be experimenting with different monetization strategies, so I don’t know what will happen. My theme has been customize pretty heavily, but I haven’t really written about that. Good idea and I may just do that!
Jon
Hurry up on that book or whatever you figure out to do. You’ve got a great spotlight from Penelope right now. I’m still listening to her call and she just absolutely nailed it on how many viewers you’d get from her. Which is exactly how I got to your blog.
Wow, I need one of those calls with her. I’m already thinking of whose life I want and that’s a goal I’ve thought of before. Maybe I need to talk to him and see if a) that’s really a life I want and b) if that’s a life I could achieve.
Steve
Jon,
I hear you there. I’ve been told by many people that I need to leverage the momentum I have right now. But in all reality, there is no real reason to rush out a product or try to get a bunch more traffic. I have no sales funnel set up or any real action I want people to take when they come here. It’s something that I need to work on as well.
If you are looking to chat with Penelope, why not hit her up? You never know what will happen!
Jon
Thinking about this post kept me up late last night. From my standpoint, this is the best, most compelling piece of work Penelope’s ever done and I’ve been reading her blog for years. Thanks for doing it and especially for posting it.
Steve
Wow Jon, That’s quite a compliment! What exactly was it that kept you up? Were you asking yourself those same questions she asked me?
Chloe
Steve, I’m watching you with baited breath. I can’t wait to see what you do and where you go.
I’ve been spending part of today looking at what you’ve learned. For a guy who has made $142 (now $146!) you’ve gathered a wealth of valuable information for the rest of us.
I do have one question for you:
A lot of social media is a big timesuck, but it’s essential. How do you manage your SM? and what changes, if any, do you think you need to make?
Steve
Chloe,
That’s a pretty big compliment that you would spend so much time looking through my site.
As far as social media, I spend a fair mount of time on Twitter and that’s about it. I had a Facebook page set up for me, but I am rarely on there. I’m a big believer (despite what Penelope says) that having a engaged community is extremely important. Just ask Marcus from TheSalesLion.com about his views on this.
Given that I’ve been keeping myself so busy with “busywork”, I haven’t spent nearly as much time building relationships as I should have. I’ve gone back and forth quite a few times with really being interactive and just using to promote my posts. It’s something that I have to work on and developing a SM strategy is part of what I’m working on with all of this.
Timo Kiander
Steve,
Helluva podcast (interview with Penelope) … I listened it on Sunday and I can only imagine what was it like to be on your situation!
Well, indeed it started a process inside you, which IS going to take you closer to your goals.
In some sense, I’m pondering these same topics myself (and yes, I’m an ISFJ type too :). I have been blogging almost 11 months, but haven’t still made any money through my blog.
Well … that is about to change and after finishing my new lead magnet (which is already in proofreading phase), I’m about to start with product development. I have plenty of ideas already waiting, which I want to explore.
One idea I got from Dave Navarro was to create mini products, addressing a very specific problem in your niche. It doesn’t have to be a full-blown e-book, just a product something you can create in a weekend.
Anyway, looking forward to see your progress 🙂
Cheers,
Timo
Steve
Hi Timo,
The interview with Penelope definitely did ignite something inside of me and I needed it big time!
That’s interesting that you and I have the same MB personality type!
Good for you for getting things moving and now creating a product. You have a very good blog and I hope you see all the success you want.
I am also a fan of Dave Navarro’s and have all of his courses. I just need to find the time to watch/read them all now!
Benny
Lots of great stuff in this post! I look forward to your interviews with Chris Guillebeau and Julien Smith.
I like the products you have in the works. Sending your goals to Penelope will make you stick with them. Scary but sounds really effective. I think the last person you want to piss off is Penelope!
I look forward to the new direction. Good idea on cutting way back on the guest posts. I’m glad I had the chance to do it. A lot has happened for me since that guest post!
Hope you had a great time in Vegas. What color Ferrari did you end up getting? 🙂
Steve
Hey Benny,
Yea, I really like the work those guys do and I need to find a time to post them.
I’m not sure Penelope will care about my goals but I do have some other ideas for posting them.
I’ve got some interesting ideas for products as well. My favorite is this iPhone app that takes a picture every day for a year and….. 🙂
I’m glad we were able to connect on my blog and you were able to share your stuff with us! I’m sure your blog will do great and I have no doubt that you be able to end your grind.
The hotel wouldn’t let me test drive one of their cars, can you believe it? I just wanted to take it for a spin down the strip…..
Ryan
Hey Steve,
Those are some great looking numbers within a year. That’s impressive! I just wanted to share a tip with you on getting some great traffic from internet surfers. Two words – StumbleUpon.
Let me know how this works out for you!
Steve
Ryan,
Thanks dude, I appreciate it 🙂
To be honest, I’m not a fan of SU because of the low quality of traffic. I’ve gotten some decent numbers from them but the average time of stay on my site is like 10 seconds. Maybe it works for Internet marketeers, but I have nothing for sale and am looking for quality people who are interested in being part of the community here.
Thanks for the idea though…