If fortune favors the brave—and prepared—then I’m the guy who should definitely win Shoemoney’s Crazy Affiliate Summit West 2010 Contest.
But instead of going on and on about how I’m a cool, hard-working, genuine guy from Hawaii with a totally unique Internet Marketing angle (all true stuff, of course), I’m going to share with you a story.
2 Years of Frustration Evaporated in 3 Days
Last month I headed over to Las Vegas to attend Affiliate DotCom Live. It was my first Internet Marketing conference ever.
For 3 short days, I learned more about affiliate marketing than I did over the past two years as a lonely and aimless online dabbler. I learned that success in the business has less to do with technique and more to do with attitude, confidence and making connections.
Speaking of connections, I met some really awesome people. Some of them were bewildered newbies just like me. Others were at the top of their game, like Jeremy.
After shaking hands and snapping a photo, Shoe took a few of his precious minutes to casually chat with me about what it’s like to run his company in Nebraska (sorry Shoe I’ll take Hawaii any day). What a cool guy.
And there was John Chow. Hanging out with John was the highlight of my weekend. I got to see firsthand what makes him one of the most successful and respected probloggers around, or, how do you say…a damn fine person. John also motivated me to write my upcoming ebook, which is due out next week.
I left Las Vegas very hung over but smiling, and more enlightened than ever.
An Unexpected Trip to the Pressure Cooker
Fast forward to yesterday. I have just resigned from my “day” job of 8 years due to some serious character differences between me and my employer. It was a tough but necessary decision.
Quitting the job was not part of my plan. I was supposed to play it safe and predictable, and gradually wean myself off the tit of a steady paycheck after I started making some decent money online.
But it didn’t work out that way. I was suddenly faced with either sticking with The Man or taking the ultimate plunge into my passion of Internet Marketing. I chose the latter, turning a big problem into an even bigger opportunity.
So I am now a free man, with just enough money to keep the bills paid and food on the table for a little while. My margin of error is now slim to none.
Sure, it feels a little scary to be in my shoes right now. But it’s exciting as hell knowing I’m going to be the next accidental millionaire!
It’s Showtime
Within five minutes of resigning from my job, I started writing this blog post.
To me, winning this contest represents everything good that can happen if you just seize that chance, believe in yourself and let go of the negative trappings in your life.
And seeing the way these past 6 weeks have organically unfolded, I can’t help but believe that really great things are headed my way.
If I get chosen to win this contest, all of you have my word that I’ll make the best out of every minute and every dollar this conference is worth and then some. I promise to hustle my ass off, too, and make as many positive and lasting connections with people as possible.
I also promised my beautiful wife that I’d bring her with me. She works way harder than me and deserves to see what I left my perfectly stable job for. Besides—we’re getting really tired of trying to party hard in the living room in front of our 4 kids. We gotta let loose!
After that eye-opening experience in Vegas in November, I’m ready to go back in January. I’m ready to win this and turn life around in 2011!
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