This week in the NFL owner’s meetings Dallas Cowboys’ owner, Jerry Jones, held forth with the media for almost 30 minutes. During the interview Mr. Jones was commenting about the offensive line troubles of his team. For the past two years the offensive line has been dreadful, an admitted weakness of the team. Jerry confessed that the Cowboys’ brain trust didn’t see it as it really was. They thought they’d be fine, but they were wrong. Said Jones, “We didn’t see it at the time.”
There’s a reason for the phrase “20/20 hindsight.” We can more easily see things as they really are after the fact. It’s very valuable to be able to do that, but it’s extremely more valuable to see things accurately in real-time!
In late 1999 I went on a mission to find out more about Internet marketing. Normally I’m not a naive guy, but I was very naive about Internet marketing. It wasn’t at all what I thought it was. I was both pleasantly surprised and disappointed…all at the same time.
Every industry has contrasting personalities. There are those nice, loved-by-everybody people and there are those caustic, outspoken, in-your-face types.
Additionally, every industry is filled with varied approaches to business. Here in Dallas we’ve got two airlines: American Airlines and Southwest Airlines. They behave very differently even though they’re in the same business of flying people around.
Internet marketing is no different.
My most intense years of “study” were from 2000 to 2004, but I continued through the years to look closely at what was going on throughout Internet marketing. From affiliate marketing to information marketing. From “how to make money” to niche marketing. I looked at every angle and approach…all in the quest of learning what it was all about.
Along the way I found some people I really liked.
• Jimmy D. Brown was among the very first Internet marketers I found. He’s an Arkansas guy so it seemed likely a guy living in Texas (me) might find him affable. Well, I did. He was into some things I had never heard of, but I looked more closely at what he was doing anyway. PLR? What in the Sam Hill is PLR? Private label rights. I confess I still don’t see much value in it, but back in the day it was a big deal. Maybe it still is. Jimmy was knee-deep in it and it seemed to be a huge part of his business. He’s credited with starting the first membership site, too. You can now find him here: imstitute.com
• Terry Dean was another fellow I ran across early on. Like Jimmy D. Brown there were a variety of good stories about him. I’d heard about him getting up live, in front of an audience and crafting an email that generated over $30K before the conference was over. Ah, the good old days of legendary performances! I’m fairly certain my first physical product purchase from an Internet marketer was from Terry. Today, you’ll find Terry here: terrydean.org
• Sterling and Jay are Jeremy “Sterling” Frandsen and Jason “Jay” Van Orden. I first ran across them around 2006 thanks to their podcast. Earlier I had found Jason through his podcasting work, but I wasn’t aware these guys had teamed up until I ran across their podcast. Unlike Jimmy and Terry they were relative newcomers to Internet marketing at the time. I listened regularly to their podcast. They had a good story of running away from their cubicle jobs to a life of more independent living made possible by succeeding online. Two guys from Salt Lake City made good via Internet marketing. Yes, they’re very Internet marketing in the traditional sense – “how to make money online.” But, they regularly brought stories of people doing clever, creative things in niches. Today you’ll find them here: internetbusinessmastery.com
• Lynn Terry was one of four Internet marketers on another podcast I once listened to, Internet Marketing This Week. I was somewhat familiar with two of her co-hosts, but I didn’t follow them. Lynn was refreshingly candid and forthright. She was also willing to stand by her convictions, no matter what. I liked her straight away. Still do. You’ll find her here: clicknewz.com
• Pat Flynn was interviewed on Sterling and Jay’s podcast in 2009. He was a member of their “academy.” They interviewed him on the Cubicle Escape series of their podcast. He was Patrick Flynn then. 😉 I was especially interested in his story because he was marketing an information product that helped people prepare for an exam. He wasn’t teaching people how to make money online. He has since blown up into a major Internet marketing success. He’s one of the most transparent and forthcoming guys in the space. You’ll find him here: smartpassiveincome.com
In recent years I’ve come to know a few other people who are worth mentioning (but I won’t for fear I’ll leave somebody out). I wasn’t aware of them during these years of more intense study, but they too serve as evidence that I didn’t develop some hateful, heavily biased view against anybody who marketed “infoproducts” or found a way to make a buck online. Admittedly, they seem to fall into 2 categories (or both): a) they serve a niche (i.e. videography) and/or b) they’re affiliates for products or services they think their audience will find useful. Some of them drift over into the “making money online” genre occasionally, but the ones I admire most only do that as they’re telling their own story of how they’re made money online (ala Pat Flynn).
It’s been about 12 years since I first heard the term “Internet marketing.” I was quite confused by the moniker, but I dove headlong into educating myself. From then until now, I’ve done very little marketing online. Pretty stupid for a guy whose been in sales for almost 40 years! I’m often a slow learner. Now, 12 years later I’m preparing to start an online enterprise that includes generating revenues and profits.
Two subjects, one show. You’re gonna wanna watch this unfold. Succeed or fail, it’ll all show up. Warts and all. I have no intention of hiding anything. We’ll learn it together.
NOTE: Sorry about the pathetic camera angle. By the time I noticed the camera was aimed a tad too low, it was too late! I know you miss seeing my big head.
During the press conference introducing Peyton Manning as the new quarterback for the Denver Broncos, John Elway responded to a question about what plan B might have been.
“We don’t have plan B. We’re going plan A,” said Elway.
It was a terrific moment in the press conference. And it made for a sound bite I’m sure most of you have heard many times by now.
Was it really plan A? I don’t much think so.
I referenced this book in today’s show (recorded Tuesday, March 19th):
I’m listening to one of my favorite experts, ahem, I mean gurus. He’s on the radio and he says something ridiculously crazy. Sure, he can still be among my favorites and say something stupid. I say stupid things all the time and I’m still one of your favs, right?
In his foolishness he gave me a flash of brilliance. I call them epiphanies…mostly because I’m always searching for them.
And today, I’m gonna share my epiphany with you cause I like you. Also, because I want to keep my status as one of your favorites.
I love big ideas. I love big goals. Some folks love to use the word “audacious.” Pile on a few more cool words and you get phrases like “big, hairy, audacious goals.”
I love that, too.
Nobody wants to follow a leader shouting, “Let’s pull together and get that 2% increase this month!” We want Braveheart to lead us. And Braveheart won’t settle for anything small or insignificant.
Braveheart leadership makes for a better movie, but in real life small things can lead to big changes. Watch today’s show and let me know what you think.
