Gold As a Newbie, What Stops You From Getting Started

[mandyk]

As a newbie, my blocks are the same as many new affiliates here, so I will not repeat them.

One thing that has not been mentioned, unless I missed it, is taking action too fast. While I understand taking massive action gives massive rewards, taking misguided action has been equally dangerous for me. Lots of crap information out there, like the man says. I have had so many false starts that I recognize, reading through this thread, that I am simply afraid of failing again through taking the wrong action. I am beginning to consistently look upon these events as learning or development points, and I am continually moving forward. I have amassed some really significant skills and many mind maps, courses and tools over the last 12 months, so it is all a good, solid foundation on which to build my success. I am here now, it has only been a year, I will keep going and do as TJTutor advises in his plan of action and continue to grow!
Thank you.

 

[ljsunshine]

It's hard sometimes to know where to begin? I have had to wade through a mountain of information that's for certain. I have found some good free resources though that have helped me. So far I have registered with 12 well known affiliates, gotten a domain name, and unlimited hosting for around $20. Now I'm just finishing my first web site, and learning how to link everything together. LJSunshine.com

 

[sanjaybanerjee]

invested more than usd 1000 ,earned around usd 65 ( by buying from my own link-since the Product owner allowed it)
Else i am spnding my time + money ....not able to monetise properly

 

[T J Tutor]

As a newbie, my blocks are the same as many new affiliates here, so I will not repeat them.

Recognizing that others go through much of the same experiences is a very important step. It helps take the loneliness out of that part of the equation. We humans like to identify the expanded depth of our experiences to see if we alone have these elements in our life or in fact that maybe others have these same encounters and challenges. It allows our minds to begin getting its bearings on our position with our efforts and gives us opportunities to collaborate with others without the fear that our issues are ours alone.

One thing that has not been mentioned, unless I missed it, is taking action too fast. While I understand taking massive action gives massive rewards, taking misguided action has been equally dangerous for me.

The speed at which we address taking action and the misguided action are two very different elements to address. It's true that a line can be drawn between the two, however, my opinion on this is that they must be addressed independently.

Taking massive action is okay, once you have the beggining skills developed to launch your plan. I have spoken about plans several times in this thread, as well as many others. This is a critical step that must not be overlooked, or put aside, at any level of this profession. If you have a plan, and you are following the good practices this forum supports and teaches, then that plan as a newbie should include a very simple and practical goal. As a newbie, select one traffic source, one type of product to promote, one type of tracking, and so on. Work that newbie plan to the point where you are at least an intermediate expert with those initial skills before adding others to the mix of your efforts. Most any newbie can get to that level of expertise when they are only working that single uncomplicated plan for a few months. In every marketing forum I've participated in, for well over 11 years, most all newbies (including me in the beginning) see all of the opportunities available and think they can tackle a bunch of stuff all at once. This and no plan may be the biggest mistakes that lead to failure & feeling overwhelmed.

Ease into the profession, if you follow these simple rules, by the end of the year you will likely have several skill sets developed around 3 or 4 marketing adaptations which gives you multiple sources of income.

Lots of crap information out there, like the man says. I have had so many false starts that I recognize, reading through this thread, that I am simply afraid of failing again through taking the wrong action.

Again, these are two separate issues that could have a line drawn between them, but as a newbie, you shouldn't draw that line. You need to address them separately.

No matter what field you go in, crap information will be shoved in front of you. One of the first skill sets to develop, when deciding to become an online student as well as an online entrepreneur, is to learn to investigate, verify, and separate information. The best way to do this is in a forum like our own AffiliateFix! You must develop relationships with members here that are in the know. People that can help you identify the crap as well as the jewels. We have some very amazing people in this forum that you can reach out to once they see you being active in the forum. When they see you being active, asking questions, revealing yourself, and seeing that you are taking action, then they will jump through hoops to help you out!

As for the fear of failure, everyone, and I mean everyone, has this knee jerk reaction at first. We all jumped in, thinking about how smart we were and that we would kick this business in the ass and dominate in no time at all, Then we got our wake up calls, just like you, and realized that we had dozens of failures, spent a bunch of money and got nothing in return for it, or did we. Yes we did, we got an education. We were actually paying for that education. You aren't losing money, you are buying a set of brains. Never stop the education as an entrepreneur, entrepreneurs are always shooting at a moving target. This is one of the elements that keeps most folks from getting into this trade. Everything is in hypergrowth and ever changing. The education never stops. Embrace it and learn to keep up with it in your respected fields. Over a short period of time you will have developed the brain muscles to turn those expenditures into big profits which will give you the opportunity to buy even larger amounts of data and knowledge.

I am beginning to consistently look upon these events as learning or development points, and I am continually moving forward.

NEVER FORGET THIS, BE HAPPY TO KNOW THIS, MAKE IT YOUR MANTRA!

 

[T J Tutor]

Off to a good start!

It's hard sometimes to know where to begin?

We all are challenged by this, even as successful business people. you see, we are all constantly pushing into new territory with our profession which results in our being met with unknowns. Unknowns make all of us to take stock in what we know to help us make decisions as to where to begin with the unknown. The more skills we develop, the more intuition we develop to deal with new learnings, new & previously unknown elements of our profession.

Research to decide a good entry point into this profession, outline your needs to make it work, turn your outline into a plan, learn the elements to execute your plan and stay with it until you make it work. This is work, this is a profession. You will have great days and you will have lousy days, welcome to the world of self employment, the world of an entrepreneur.

I have had to wade through a mountain of information that's for certain.

So true, and it will never stop, never end. There are many folks in this profession that build products based on others stories of success. Then the problem arises that the stories weren't true or were incomplete which renders the information incorrect and/or ineffective. I think that this may be one of the ugliest elements in this industry. The truth is that everything in this industry is truly simple enough for all of us to succeed, but without an accurate means to determine the truth a first encounter, most of us have to test the information to determine its viability. This is time consuming and at times very discouraging. This results in a mountain of information to get through.

I have found some good free resources though that have helped me.

On average, the best information, the best tools, and the most effective practices are going to become and expense. I appreciate the need to succeed without investment, but those days are long behind us in many ways. The best free resource for a newbie is this forum. It is dedicated to the success of newbies. Take advantage of it by getting involved, starting threads, reading threads, making loads of posts, get involved!

So far I have registered with 12 well known affiliates, gotten a domain name, and unlimited hosting for around $20. Now I'm just finishing my first web site, and learning how to link everything together. LJSunshine.com

It looks like you are off to a good start, never give up, push on to your dreams!

 

[T J Tutor]

invested more than usd 1000 ,earned around usd 65 ( by buying from my own link-since the Product owner allowed it)
Else i am spnding my time + money ....not able to monetise properly

Okay then, I must mention this first. You are not articulating your experience at all. I truly have no way of determining your dilemmas. I have to believe that maybe communicating is a shortfall of yours and I would be willing to bet that this has a very large impact on your experiences. For example, you have only one post as I respond to your post here and its already 8 days since you made this post. The most important skill any of us have in any profession is effective communication. Next would be involvement. I honestly don't see how anyone can expect help or success without being involved and communicating well.

Learn to communicate, get involved in the forum, start threads about your dilemmas and be detailed about it. Ask lots of questions and respond to other threads. You can't succeed by sitting quietly in the shadows expecting someone to hand you the magic bullet.

 

[ryansterlingg]

hello affiliatefix members, realistically what is the average amount of time needed to learn and master the skills enough to start earning a net income?
Also I'm still in college and as expected do not have much funds to start with? Max I have to invest is around $2k USD. is that enough for me to start with and perhaps earn more funds along the way to support my journey? Do you guys also suggest for me to use this part of this fund to sign up for an internet marketing course and get a mentor to get me started? Or can I solely rely
on advices and tutorials I find online?

 

[ryansterlingg]

hello affiliatefix members, realistically what is the average amount of time needed to learn and master the skills enough to start earning a net income?
Also I'm still in college and as expected do not have much funds to start with? Max I have to invest is around $2k USD. is that enough for me to start with and perhaps earn more funds along the way to support my journey? Do you guys also suggest for me to use this part of this fund to sign up for an internet marketing course and get a mentor to get me started? Or can I solely rely
on advices and tutorials I find online?

 

[__jane__]

For me, it is sorting through all the information and then trying to figure out the best way to get things organized so I am not wasting my time on something that will never turn a profit.

There is so many things that I need to learn from scratch and so many dead-end ideas for me to sift through that I will end up wasting my time doing hours and hours of 'busy work' just to find that I still have empty pockets and have nothing but wasted weeks of my life to show for it.

I then end up dishearten by the whole ordeal and will completely give up on everything before eventually finding another idea that makes me want to try the whole vicious cycle all over again.

I swear sometimes I feel like I am living in an affiliate version of the movie "Groundhog Day."

I keep living the same 'work my ass off on the computer for no profit' day over and over again.

 

[__jane__]

For me, it is sorting through all the information and then trying to figure out the best way to get things organized so I am not wasting my time on something that will never turn a profit.

There is so many things that I need to learn from scratch and so many dead-end ideas for me to sift through that I will end up wasting my time doing hours and hours of 'busy work' just to find that I still have empty pockets and have nothing but wasted weeks of my life to show for it.

I then end up dishearten by the whole ordeal and will completely give up on everything before eventually finding another idea that makes me want to try the whole vicious cycle all over again.

I swear sometimes I feel like I am living in an affiliate version of the movie "Groundhog Day."

I keep living the same 'work my ass off on the computer for no profit' day over and over again.

 

[T J Tutor]

hello affiliatefix members

Hey Ryan, welcome to the Fix!

This thread is titled"As a Newbie, What Stops You From Getting Started". I see you are new to us and the industry. It's important, to you as well as the others in the forum, that you learn to post in the appropriate threads and start threads of your own in the appropriate areas of the forum. You see, you have asked many questions here and not made any statements that tells us what is stopping you from getting started.

That said, I'll do my best to get you some answers here.

realistically what is the average amount of time needed to learn and master the skills enough to start earning a net income?

This is a very common question among the newbies. My guestimate is around 90% ask this question. There is no method for calculating this, or equation to use, that will give you, or anyone, a correct answer. Your learning curve and abilities are unique to you. There are examples of newbies in this forum that demonstrate initial earnings in days, weeks, months, and even years.

Also I'm still in college and as expected do not have much funds to start with? Max I have to invest is around $2k USD. is that enough for me to start with and perhaps earn more funds along the way to support my journey?

I would say the majority of newbies these days are in your age bracket and I also see that many of those that are students seem to get things done quicker. My take on this is that a busy person gets things done quicker.

As for your investment, $2k is a reasonable amount for most to be able to kick start their online businesses. More is better, but your funds should be more than sufficient as long as you progress with the following in mind. Do not, not ever, think you are losing money in the beginning. You are going to have some failures along the initial steps and you need to think of this as investing in your schooling. This will continue for every new venture you take on. All of us that are earning online went through this. All of us still go through this every time we venture into a part of the industry we have no experience. It's simply the cost of learning and experimenting to get ourselves a productive set of brains.

Do you guys also suggest for me to use this part of this fund to sign up for an internet marketing course and get a mentor to get me started? Or can I solely rely
on advices and tutorials I find online?

Training is at the forefront of success always. Where that training comes from is equally important. Before buying any training, before getting a paid sponsor for mentoring, you first have to get a footing in a few areas. Do the following first:

1.
Read many threads in each of the marketing sub forums here in the AffiliateFix to determine which field you want to begin your new business. Once you have selected one, this will be the only area of marketing you will focus on until you have mastered it. Probably a few months, maybe more.

2.
Read everything in this forum related to the specific tracking solutions available and select one. Only one. You will master tracking with it while developing your marketing prowess for your campaigns.

3.
Read through everything related to traffic sources for your specific field of marketing and select one. Only one. You will master this along side of your chosen field of marketing and your chosen tracking solution.

Once you have spent a few months mastering this initial phase of your new start-up business, mastering new markets, tracking solutions, and traffic sources will come much easier and faster. If you skip this step, you will most likely lose your way and become overwhelmed with too much information. A fatal mistake many make when getting into this industry. Stick with one market, one tracking solution, and one traffic source until you have them "kicking it"!

Good Luck Ryan, you're in the right place. There an abundance of great people here that will get involved in your success. All you have to do is get involved by posting in threads, starting new threads, and asking loads questions. The people here need to see you being involved, that way they know you are serious about your new business and they will do everything they can to see you succeed.

T J

 

[T J Tutor]

For me, it is sorting through all the information and then trying to figure out the best way to get things organized so I am not wasting my time on something that will never turn a profit.

There is so many things that I need to learn from scratch and so many dead-end ideas for me to sift through that I will end up wasting my time doing hours and hours of 'busy work' just to find that I still have empty pockets and have nothing but wasted weeks of my life to show for it.

I then end up dishearten by the whole ordeal and will completely give up on everything before eventually finding another idea that makes me want to try the whole vicious cycle all over again.

I swear sometimes I feel like I am living in an affiliate version of the movie "Groundhog Day."

I keep living the same 'work my ass off on the computer for no profit' day over and over again.

All of these statements are the same. You are repeating yourself here. I sense this is the result of anger and frustration. I don't see anything listed here by you that reveals what you have attempted, what you have invested, or what has been most difficult for you. This appears to be more of a rant.

In general, this type of complaining is very often the result of low or no investment, trying to do too many things at once, not using a plan, and not realizing this is a business that requires knowledge, testing, refining, collaboration, and taking action.

As has been stated many times in this thread, you must first learn to master one market segment, one tracking solution, and one traffic source. In addition, once you have selected these three, you must have a level of investment that will allow you to acquire the knowledge that comes from mistakes. I know there an abundance of free stuff. They simply don't perform in the same way an investment in your business would. They can definitely increase business for an ongoing business. However, it is most difficult to get quick and profitable results from free resources alone.

Pick one market, one traffic source, and one tracking solution. Save up until you have at least $1k to invest. Develop plan for your marketing and stick to it, modify it, do not give up on it. stay with it until you master it before moving on to add new markets, tracking solutions, and traffic sources.

Also most important, every time you encounter a problem and/or an obstacle, start a new thread and ask for help. Post often, ask loads of questions, be dedicated to working your marketing plan. This is what will bring you success.

Another note, I see an abundance of "fear of failure" in your statements above. You can not, under any circumstances, start or conduct a successful business from the position of fear. It will defeat you every time!

T J

 

[__jane__]

All of these statements are the same. You are repeating yourself here. I sense this is the result of anger and frustration. I don't see anything listed here by you that reveals what you have attempted, what you have invested, or what has been most difficult for you. This appears to be more of a rant.

Sorry about ranting. It wasn't my intention, but I completely see your point.

The reason I didn't share what I have attempted in the past is because I wasn't sure if anyone would be able to relate to my direct experience since it does not seem to fall into the norm here and I didn't want to reveal too many personal details about myself before I really got a feel for the types of personality on this board. In my own personal experience each forum seems to attract one 'base' disposition of personalities so you can never quite be sure from forum to forum if you will be able to 'mesh' within the community, if that makes any sense at all.

Thank you for your advice, I will listen to it and try to take it to heart.

 

[K]

Great thread, lets keep this going my man.

 

[T J Tutor]

Great thread, lets keep this going my man.

Yeah, I gotta promote it again through the intro threads. I've been off meeting some challenges these past many months. Time to get busy on the Fix again.

 

[sunspear]

That's really helpful thread out here in Affiliatefix forums. I don't know why, but this is the first thread I read since I've registered and introduced myself here. I see that it wasn't a mistake to read it through, bookmark tjtutor's informative posts and follow along the path of AM he, and some guys shared in this thread to start as a newbie. Definitely, the first step is master WIKI of this site and then pick one type of each (marketing models, tracking source, tracking sollution, etc.) and stick to them until you are a master. Rinse and repeat. I hope I understood it well, so I can start learning and having fun with this, instead of thinking of it as a daunting experience, where I have to waste money and time.

 

[T J Tutor]

That's really helpful thread out here in AffiliateFix forums. I don't know why, but this is the first thread I read since I've registered and introduced myself here.

Great to see you in this thread and on the forum sunspear! (great user name)


We are very happy you have taken time to read this thread and post your thoughts. We encourage you to mention this thread to other Newbies in the introduction threads and encourage them to post their thoughts here also. We do know (from experience) that the information is a great help to all.

I see that it wasn't a mistake to read it through, bookmark tjtutor's informative posts and follow along the path of AM he, and some guys shared in this thread to start as a newbie.

Thanks, everyone in this thread has contributed valuable information that can help all who are new to this field of business, and others as well. I like to think of this thread as a first entry into a new marketers diary. The first entry should include ones fears, challenges, goals, successes, and history. It offers the opportunity for others to know that everyone has similar, and often the same, physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual engagements. This way, no one will feel alone in the practices of beginning their new career in this field of business.

Definitely, the first step is master WIKI of this site

Absolutely, it is the best place to initially get started. Knowing the lingo (language) in this industry gives you an edge with your learning curves.

and then pick one type of each (marketing models, tracking source, tracking solution, etc.) and stick to them until you are a master. Rinse and repeat.

Masterfully Stated!


sunspear, you are initializing your first steps with such positive and defined patterns. This is part of what this thread is meant to do for you. Congratulations to you for being positive about where to start and how to start!


I will point out one thing here in your last statement where you state "marketing models, tracking source, tracking solution, etc.". Tracking Source I recommend you change this to "traffic source".

I hope I understood it well, so I can start learning and having fun with this, instead of thinking of it as a daunting experience, where I have to waste money and time.

You understood everything quite well, in my opinion.

You have aligned your thinking to see this as a learning experience that you can most definitely have fun with. Business is fun when you align your thoughts on the positive and always seeking solutions rather than complaining about the challenges. All business is rich with challenges and where most get side tracked is with attitude. If you remind yourself, every time you meet a new challenge, that business is all about creating solutions, then you become a puzzle solver and that is where your successes grow into masterpieces!

You're off to a great start sunspear. We all look forward to your questions and contributions here in the FIX!

 

[azgold]

TJ, is it okay to ask what (if anything) stopped you from getting started when you entered this business? Do you hear any old fears echoing in this thread?

Sorry but you seem so self-assured, I'm very curious about that.

 

[T J Tutor]

A Little About Me, 'Cause azgold wants to know...

Q1:

TJ, is it okay to ask what (if anything) stopped you from getting started when you entered this business?

Oh you crazy lady, you can ask me anything and at any time. However, there are some areas of my life I cannot be too forthcoming with as there were a few years (here and there) where my efforts could be interpreted as slightly nefarious (have a good laugh about this, I do on occasion).

I guess I knew, all along, that with this thread that question would arise at some point. Kudos to you for being the one to raise the subject.

Q1 Answer:
As for what has stopped me, more to the point you raised "what has stopped me in this business?". Money, this has (for me on occaision) been the biggest obstacle. Next would be trust. I'll explain.

1. Money
I have a strong background in business startups and I can say with great faith that starting any business out of cash flow is next to impossible these days and have enough positive cash flow to eliminate the needs for a day job. The number one reason for this can be explained by doing a comparison between now and the times prior to the '90's.

Prior to the '90's, business to business protocols were such that an individual or business with good credentials could immediately get net 90 and net 120 days on invoices from ones vendors. This gave us enough time to develop and collect on our invoices from clients in order to pay our business vendors. This is not available from vendors anymore (on average) and especially in IM. In the old days of net invoicing one could also factor (temporary financing of accounts receivable) verifiable accounts receivable. The combination of the two enabled many businesses to startup operations with little or no investment. I did this several times.

In the late '90's, at the onset of IM getting a good foothold, people like Frank Kern demonstrated that simple eBooks about animal training brought huge returns with extremely small investments. We have surged well past that business model in regards to what it takes to bring in the same amount of revenue. Today, no matter what business you enter, capital is required to make a serious and immediate positive cash flow to hold ones interest and to develop quickly a cash flow to sustain the average person's financial needs and to be independent in their respective business model.

There are countless people entering this trade thinking that they can do it like Frank (et al) did back in the day. They believe it because there are those that perpetuate the myth with the still ever prevalent "One Click Money Churning Machines" that we see in so many offerings to Newbies.

The IM businesses today have caught up with any other business models that have found a footing in our economy. Thereby, they (IM Businesses) require many of the same elements that any traditional business must have including startup capital in a significant amount allowing them immediate and sufficient cash flow.

I guarantee you that the average intelligent person with the correct amount of startup capital for the field they wish to enter will succeed in this IM Business. With the correct funding, one can contact a highly successful person or company in IM and contract them for a fee to give them an adequate set of brains to be up and running with positive cash flow to make them immediately independent from any other income sources (not that one should limit themselves). On average, from my experience, this will cost anywhere from $2500 a month for 2 or 3 months to as much as $10k a month for 2 or 3 months or more. In my opinion, this is cheap. Students in non IM related fields go to college for 7 to 12 years to put themselves in the same earnings bracket that has less flexibility and a huge college loan debt. In my opinion, paying for a great knowledge base over a 3 month period to start earning $8k or more a month to start is a very favorable path to follow.

So, when I had to start over with my business the first of this year, I had no capital (a story for another time) and had to go outside of IM to put together enough capital to fund my business. After 3 months of consulting for a Real Estate company I had enough startup money to put my ad budget back together so I could continue in this field.

In my opinion, money is the number one obstacle for most everyone entering our industry, but most truly do not recognize it or admit it and blame their failures on other things.


2. Trust
As important, and in some ways more important, is trusting those you need to business with. Companies, partners, associates, vendors, etc. There is an entire subculture of unreliable, untrustworthy individuals in this business that only look to prey on others in one fashion or another. No matter how diligent you are, you discover some of them finding a way into your business and one must be aware they are out there and have a plan in place to deal with them.

Example: A couple of years ago I applied to a popular ad network and received immediate access. I was pleased because of two elements. One, I had a close friend that had great success with them and two because they had a stellar reputation. I immediately mounted a dozen campaigns and was able to refine them into great earners within a couple of weeks. Then, suddenly, my traffic and earnings went out the window. I knew then that some campaigns would have short lives, but not a dozen. Turns out the AM assigned to me had enabled another individual with confidential information about my campaigns and angles that I had shared. My AM had been instrumental in helping me refine my campaigns. I stopped the campaigns while trying to discover the details as to what had happened. In a fluke of luck, while I was in a Black Hat forum, I saw a post about how the OP had a great source for discovering and implementing campaign details of others and was adept at stealing those campaigns traffic and conversions once they had the url's. This person went on to say that they had insider info from an AM at a prominent ad network and could then learn the details necessary to hijack someone elses business without them ever knowing the truth of what and how they were doing it. I set a trap to confirm what I had learned. It was my IM and this person working hand in hand. I had enough evidence to be unquestionably certain.

Now, I'll spare you the aggravating details. However, I have been in many businesses in my life and this is an element that is ever present in any business. I know this, I accept this, and I typically know how to make the necessary corrections when i find this type of corruption trying to infiltrate my efforts. This example simply goes to show all of us that trust must be earned and when it is defiled in any way, one must cut the ties that bind in that particular relationship. No matter how high on the ladder it goes. Once trust is lost, it can never be recaptured to a comfortable and reliable level with a person or a company.

So, my biggest obstacles when I started out in this biz were money and trust. The education part, which is a huge obstacle for others, was never an obstacle for me. I suppose it's because I am so damn analytical and such a planner. For me, finding the right actionable information has been an innate capacity that I hold. A part of me which I have very high regard and immense gratitude. I know this is a huge obstacle for many.


Q2:

Do you hear any old fears echoing in this thread?

Q2 Answer:
Oh yes, absolutely. Most of them I learned to resolve in my other businesses over the previous 40 something years. But, once you learn a lesson, you need to realize that learning the lessons doesn't always mean you can prevent those fears and failures from re-entering your life and/or business. Once successfully negotiating those fears and failures you simply have the means to engage them properly in the future and "nip them in the bud"! These are part of the challenges in business of any kind. I frequently tell Newbies, and others, that the challenges in business is not what frustrates and hurts as much as the pain that comes from not knowing how to deal with them. Once you have that knowledge you become a problem, or puzzle, solver. Being a resolutive individual is, and will always be, the core of the heart of any great business person. When one becomes extremely adept at puzzle solving, then they have the capacity to not only meet challenges, but to have the answers to the puzzle(s) at the ready.

In this thread we see that many have fear of failure and I always encourage them to see through a different perspective. One can never create and maintain a successful business from the position of fear. One must always conduct business from the position of control while knowing there will be failures to learn from. That's life, and that's business.

Continued on next post because I always write too much!

 

[T J Tutor]

...Continuation...
Q3:

Sorry but you seem so self-assured, I'm very curious about that.

Q3 Answer:
My father was a restaurant/nightclub owner and a gangster left over from the bootlegging days. He was, in his way, a good man. However, he had a very nefarious side. I began to object to that life in my teens and quickly pulled away from it as I grew. It has been a great conflict between me and my family since. I am the outcast in my family as a result of it. My dad is in his nineties now and suffering from dementia. I haven't seen or spoken to him (or my family) for around fifteen years (this time around). We had a year or two on speaking terms here and there over the years, but we would ultimately have differences that resulted in not speaking for many years in between. It is having been raised in that old world of corruption that gave me what many of my business partners and associates through the years have coined "that little bit of larceny" they claim I have in my blood that helps me identify my path and enable me to "smell bullshit coming around the corner 6 blocks away".

I can tell you this as an absolute. I know how to be corrupt in most any business, I refuse to do it. It is not sustainable and it will eventually be self destructive as well as bring harm to others which is untenable for me. I could easily follow all of the Black Hat Crap out there to steal and pillage, my heart and my mind simply won't let me follow through with it.

I believe that my confidence is largely strengthened by having the the knowledge to succeed by following the rules, and maybe bend them a little here and there. At the same time, preventing myself from bringing harm to others. The core of my confidence comes from truth, knowledge, and experience. The confidence that comes from truth, knowledge, and experience is unmatchable in my opinion.

Well azgold, you touched on some very personal responses from me. I hope they aren't misinterpreted. Some of this may not translate into other languages well.

To any Newbies reading this post, I implore you to ask for clarification on anything that isn't immediately crystal clear to you.

Thanks azgold for raising the subject. Sorry if I got to wordy and took the long way around.