Hello All, Hope you had a great week. The last couple of weeks have been pretty hectic for me. I spent a week or two in cabin fever mode. We locked ourselves in the condo as we put my princess through potty training. Truth be told, I think it took more of a toll on us than it did her. But I think she's finally mastered that skill. Not bad for a girl that isn't 2 yet. lol
If that wasn't enough, we've been doing some home shopping. My little condo feels like the walls are finally closing in on me. Ever since my little girl has learned how to walk there is no place to hide. So the past couple of weeks we've visited some homes in the hope of finding our vision of the "Salomon Compound". Here are some things I've learned about house shopping.
1. What you think you might need and what you really do need are two different things. I initially thought I would pretty much be happy with a home that was double the size of our current condo and a little land. This way my daughter and the dog had some place to roam and I wouldn't be responsible for too much yard work.
However after seeing a few homes. I realize that I probably need triple the space for family entertaining. The need for a small yard has been replaced with the desire of an acre or two so I can have an ATV and private paintball field in my my backyard. It's not a neccessity like large living space, bedrooms, office and a "man cave". But it's become more of a priority now that I can see what I can get out there. lol
2. Homeowners aren't the best marketers. I've visited several homes. Some of the ones that stand out in my mind for the wrong reasons include a home where a dirty bra was left hanging on a bathroom door and some dudes draws were plastered on the bathroom floor.
Fortunately I've watched enough HGTV where I've learned to ignore things that may not be to my liking. But usually that would mean paint, carpets, wall paper, etc. I wasn't prepared to see folks personal garments out and about. I don't know about you but when I know company is coming over, I tidy up. I'll keep it real, I'm a neat freak. So I tidy up constantly. But if I'm trying to sell my home, you better believe I'm really going to clean it up so buyers see themselves in it. So if you're trying to sell your house, you might want to keep that in mind.
In any event I've found some new work at home jobs. But before we get to them, let's get some housekeeping items out the way to prevent any confusion, hateful comments, threats, demands, etc… You know who you are.
But for awhile Google was pretty quiet about these scams and let them advertise on their search engines & partner sites. But eventually the "poopy" hit the fan & the FTC went all medieval on one of the best known scammers Google Money Tree. At that point, Google made a smart decision and banned these type of Google work at home products from all their web properties.
However just like roaches scatter when the lights come on, most of these con artists just started advertising on Google's competitors and other sites that would have them. Some were smart enough and flipped up the scam a bit by changing the name or the shady product being pushed. But most kept to business as usual.
As a result of this, the damage to Google's reputation continued to forge on. I did my best to try to enlighten folks with my articles like the one that discussed Fake News Sites promoting these Google scams. But not everyone is as fortunate as you to read this blog. Consequently a lot of folks presumed that Google was in cahoots with these companies. Naturally, they concluded if Google wasn't down with the company, they would just sue the pants off these con artists and be done with them. But to our collective shock, they failed to do so initially. I've argued the biggest reason for this was because most of the con artists did include tiny itty bitty terms of conditions or disclaimers. They basically read as follows: "We're not down with Google even though we use their name in our product and their logo."
However I think what Google failed to see at the time was that these scammy sites were sending mixed signals. It's like a woman wearing a low cut top, with a push bra and "the girls" spilling out of them and then giving you a "stank" look because you can't keep your eyes on her face. Most guys would think, why wear the shirt? And most job seekers felt sort of the same way with the Google work at home scams. So the damage was already done and now Google has realized the error in their ways and trying to make it right by going to town with lawsuits against these con artists. Look, I know some folks are moaning that it's a bit late and after the fact. But I'm a big believer in better late than never.
Fighting scammy advertisers is always going to be an uphill battle for Google or any website for that matter in terms of resources and potential loss of revenue. Some folks seems to want to gang up on Google right now for their late action. But have any of you ever watched TV, read a magazine or newspaper? There are tons of questionable ads listed in all these mediums and have been for years. It's not a new phenomenon.
This begs the question, when do we as "grown ass" adults take responsibilities for our actions? When I got scammed a few times, I quickly learned that I should always do my research when considering any work at home option. I wasn't mad at the website that I found this ad on. I was mad at myself for not knowing better. We all learned this lesson early on as children usually with a painful experience such as touching a hot stove or iron. You pretty much learned never to do that again. So why as adults aren't we applying the same logic?
Getting scammed was a powerful lesson for me. It taught me the importance of research and taking responsibility for one's actions. It's a lesson I still practice to this very day and the advice I constantly share with all of you. I take the advice to heart so much that most of the time I won't answer questions like "Is company x a scam?". Instead I will direct you to visit my work at home scams page and watch my little scam video. Why? Because I feel it's a skill that you need to learn that will help you throughout your work at home career and other situations. If I fish for you, you'll never learn how to fend for yourself. What would happen if I died or the site disappears? By learning the researching skill you'll always be able to know the real. But more importantly you will probably share this skill with others. Eventually you make it very hard for these con-artists to make a living. And besides I'm all about empowering folks to make their own decisions not to be a flock of sheep that follow everything that Eddy the shepard says.
So that's my two cents about Google suing these work at home scammers. I applaud them and think it's a good thing. Because honestly their lack of action was really hurting them in terms of a brand perspective. Truth be told, I don't think lawsuits or even FTC regulations will stop scam artists. It will definitely hurt them and make them think twice. However in my humble opinion, the best way to stop scams is to empower us the users with knowledge and sharing of information. Because there are billions more of us as a collective internet community than there will ever be at the FTC, BBB or any law firm. For that matter we probably out number all the con-artists too.
With that said, do you part. Stop skimming through helpful articles from credible sources especially when they deal with scams. Were you just doing it? Ultimately your impatience can lead to a really bad situation and who will be to blame at that point? So do yourself a favor and visit my work at home scams page, watch the video, read the articles and comments. Then start doing your own research. Share your experiences there and other sites when it makes sense.
At the end of the day, save yourself, don't wait for others to save you. We already know that bailouts don't really work out all that well. So that's just my two cents. It's a philosphy that has kept me scam free for a number of years now. You do what you feel is best for you. But be prepared to live with the consequences.
In any event I've found some new work at home jobs. But before we get to them, let's get some housekeeping items out the way to prevent any confusion, hateful comments, threats, demands, etc… You know who you are.
Yeah, about last week….My bad. As you may or may have not noticed, there weren't any posts last week. In the midst of Thanksgiving, spending time with family and celebrating my 2nd year of being jobless ( by choice ), I totally forgot my responsibilities here. So I want to express my deepest apologies and belated Happy Thanksgiving or any other holiday I missed. To be on the safe side let me wish you a "Happy Holidays" now just in case there is another relapse. I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday.
This Thanksgiving was very special to me because on 11.22.09 it made two years since I told "The Man" they're fired and pursued this blogging / affiliate marketing thing full time. So aside for being thankful for the usual things in my life such as waking up in the morning, a roof over my head, my wonderful wife, my little princess, my family, friends and all of you good folks, I'm very thankful to God.
Please understand I'm not a super religious dude. I don't want to come off as some holy man because I'm so far from that. I cuss, drink and probably do a whole bunch of other things that "super religious" types would frown upon. But I do consider myself a spiritual person that believes that if you send out good energy, surround yourself with positive people and actually try to help people, you will be rewarded.
In fact, I want to share a little story with you. Hope you don't mind. Don't worry the leads will still be at the bottom of this story. lol
About 3 years ago, I ran into a little tax issue with Uncle Sam (about 30,000 of them to be exact). I failed to save properly to pay him back for the money I earned as an affiliate for that given year. Yeah it was a dumb mistake on my end. But in my defense I had a crappy CPA. But I digress. As a result of my stupidity, I was forced to take a home equity loan to pay this massive debt. It broke my spirit and I no longer wanted to pursue this business.
So like many of you suffering hardship, I went looking for a work at home job. Naturally this would be easy for me because of my experience running my sites. So I found a listing on craigslist for a html coder. This was perfect for me. The person was located in NYC. We exchanged emails and I headed to meet her after work. She was a nice young woman and we discussed the details of the job and how my experience was a perfect fit. I was confident I would get the job. I had all the skills she desired, I dressed the part and interviewed well. She said she would email me later in the week because she had to interview a few more people. I sent her a follow up email to thank her for meeting me. I waited and waited and never heard back from her. (Sounds familiar?) So I decided to follow up. To my dismay, she basically gave me a song and dance. I was crushed as emotional as that sounds. Why? I've never been turned down after an interview. I wasn't accustomed to that type of rejection.
I tried looking for other work at home jobs but nothing ever panned out. (I know I'm singing to the choir here.) For several months I was down and out. I even considered selling my sites. I moped around the house being very negative. My wife let it ride for a month or two. But then she had enough! She basically kicked me in my ass and told me to brush this nonsense off and get back to building our dreams. It didn't click in at first. But she's a persistent one and kept "dropping seeds" of encouragements as she likes to call them. Finally one day something deep inside of me started stirring. At first I thought it was gas but it turned out to be the other g, God.
I thought about that missed job opportunity and became so enraged that I was turned down by this employer. I basically said, oh hell nah! Why was I looking for a work at home job in the first place? My goal was always to work for myself. Why was I going to let a "little" trouble from Uncle Sam and some idiot employer bring me down?
So I dusted my shoulders off and went full force with my affiliate marketing / blogging career. I spent a whole year investing thousands of dollars in tons of courses, further mastering my craft. I immersed myself in information, books & videos (The Secret, Joel Osteen, etc.) that helped improve my mindset which was weak up to this point. But more importantly, I took action consistently! If something didn't work, I didn't moan and complain about it. I took it as a lesson learned and moved on. Sometimes it was an expensive lesson but nonetheless I always tried to walk away with some piece of knowledge from it. Prior to my mindset change I always harped on those negative experiences which would lead to further inaction. But that was the old me.
Next thing I know I'm introduced to a great CPA, My wife was pregnant, My site is climbing the search engines, I'm being featured in AOL, reporters are calling me and my income triples all within a matter of 2-3 years. But keep in mind that I've been doing this for over 10 years. However it was those last 2-3 years that were pivotal and catapulted me into another level.
So how did I get here? Part of it was a great support system, good training, a positive mindset and a lot of hard work. But I think a big part of it was that God put a seed in my heart and wouldn't allow me to kill it. He put me in situations that would make it flourish. At first these situations seemed like closed doors. But the reality was that certain doors were being closed in my face so I could kick open some other ones that were meant for me.
Some folks call it coincidence, I call it God's favor. The label is meaningless, but the results aren't. So that's what I'm thankful for this past Thanksgiving. Because of that little seed, not only have I changed the life of my own family and friends, I'm able to reach thousands of people and help them change their lives. And to me that's something I'll always be thankful for.
I hope you enjoyed this story. It's not one I share with people outside my immediate circle. But I've been feeling compelled to write about it since last week. But for some reason I was having a mental block. Maybe God thought that it might be more helpful today. Either way, I hope it's inspired you in whatever you want to do with life. I just ask that as you embark on your journey, be thankful along the way and try to help others. Okay now that's out of my system, let's get into what most of you are here for the money. lol
By the way, feel free to chime in and let me know what you think about my little story there.
In any event I've found some new work at home jobs. But before we get to them, let's get some housekeeping items out the way to prevent any confusion, hateful comments, threats, demands, etc… You know who you are.
Hope everyone had a great week. If not I would like to end it with the following quote:
"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.
– Anatole France "
If you follow this simple quote you'll be surprised how far it can take you in terms of work at home and all other areas of your life. It's not enough to want to achieve your goals but you really have to act on the opportunities presented to you whether small or not. Then you must actually believe in your mind that these goals are attainable and that you are dedicated to achieving them. Don't talk just talk the talk, walk the walk. Don't blame others for your lack of success, take responsibility for your actions because ultimately your success falls on your shoulders. It's easy to blame everyone and everything around you. However a true measure of a man or woman is their ability to look in the mirror, acknowledge their weaknesses and work towards beating them. You have a lot more power than the world and you give yourself credit for. If no one has told you that, I'm telling you this is the case. Take it for what it's worth and run with it.
End pep talk here. lol
In any event I've found some new work at home jobs. But before we get to them, let's get some housekeeping items out the way to prevent any confusion, hateful comments, threats, demands, etc… You know who you are.
I want to start off this week's leads by saying thank you! Thanks to all the people that chimed in to wish an old fart a Happy Birthday. I was truly overwhelmed with the love and humbled by it. But more importantly thanks for being a source of inspiration to each other. It's amazing how so many of you have taken action and are either making money with a traditional work at home job or some of the make money opportunities I've recommended.
I was very impressed to say the least. Sometimes you put this stuff out there and wonder if folks are getting it. But this week clearly illustrated that you have bought into "Eddy-ism" LOL. Hopefully some of the people that haven't taken any action in the past will now feel compelled to do so.
For those of you who haven't made a dime yet, keep fighting the good fight. It's obvious there are a lot of ways of making money as demonstrated by your colleagues in this week's post. However it's really up to you to give all legitimate avenues a shot. You never know what it can lead to if you're open minded about various types of opportunities. My success is a direct result of a lot of God's blessings, hard work, the proper mindset and being open minded to all legitimate opportunities. Don't you and your family deserve a shot at a better life? If you think they do, then consider taking action on things you've ignored. You just never know where it can lead.
In any event I've found some new work at home jobs. But before we get to them, let's get some housekeeping items out the way to prevent any confusion, hateful comments, threats, demands, etc… You know who you are.
This week I want to start off by giving a shout out to the World Champion Yankees on their win over Philly. In honor of the occassion, I've swapped out the usual help wanted pic with that of my little princess "repping" her team & New York roots. lol
As someone raised in "Da Bronx" this victory was bitter sweet for me. As if that wasn't enough, my wife is back home from her trip to Costa Rica. So now I can finally get some work done around here. I still don't see the fascination of risking one's life and calling it adventure. It just sounds like foolishness to me. Here are some pics of her so called "adventure" trip aka stuff you'll never catch Eddy doing: Zip line ride high in the air, Snake zip lining (Yikes!), View of an active volcano near her hotel. At the end of the day, I'm happy her and my sister are back in one piece. They seemed to have a great time. Without the support of my wife who holds down the fort, I wouldn't be able to do the work I perform here on my sites. So shout out to her as well. Okay enough of the mushy stuff. Even I'm starting to get a little queasy.
In any event, I've found some new work at home jobs. But before we get to them, let's get some housekeeping items out the way to prevent any confusion, hateful comments, threats, demands, etc… You know who you are.
So this week my wife and sister left on an "adventure" vacation to Costa Rica. Personally my view of a vacation involves nothing but relaxing on the beach, "sight seeing" and sipping on a cold one. If I want adventure I'll go to the movies but that's just me. In either case, because of this trip I've had to turn into my alter ego Super Dad!
That being said, I'm getting a taste of what it's like to be a single parent. God bless all you single parents out there doing this everyday! Don't get me wrong, my daughter and I are managing fine as you can see here: PIC 1, PIC 2. But Lord this is a lot tougher without the help of my lovely patient wife. So shout out to all the single parents out there doing their best all by their "bad self" raising these kids so they turn out to be productive citizens. I appreciate your efforts even more now!
In any event I've found some new work at home jobs. But before we get to them, let's get some housekeeping items out the way to prevent any confusion, hateful comments, threats, demands, etc… You know who you are.
Hey Guys, Sorry for the late job leads and infrequent posts of late. I've been fighting a little cold. In addition to that, I'm working on a project that is almost ready to go live. There is a lot of time and money being spent so it works just right for you. So If you're in the market for a work at home job, you'll love what I have planned. Best of all it's going to be FREE, just the way you like it. I'm successful because of your support so I always try to re-invest my profits into the site to help my loyal user base.
So bear with me for the next couple of weeks. I have a great team of people that is working as fast as they can to get this up and running. But I don't want to half ass it. That being said, I'm being more anal than usual to ensure everything is just right. So now you know what's going on. Any other rumor you may have heard is just gossip. lol
In any event I've found some new work at home jobs. But before we get to them, let's get some housekeeping items out the way to prevent any confusion, hateful comments, threats, demands, etc… You know who you are.
This week I want to start off by giving a shout out to the World Champion Yankees on their win over Philly. In honor of the occassion, I've swapped out the usual help wanted pic with that of my little princess "repping" her team & New York roots. lol