Heh yeah I did not make my $1 this year within the 31 days. Not going to beat myself up about it, the last week has been disrupted and the wind went out of my sails.
The highlights for me this year have been the awesome tools. Those tools changed some of the atmosphere of the challenge itself. Not a bad thing as I love the new and improved tactics we learned and used in 2008.
In years past it has been a real pioneering feeling of cobbling together various techniques, being resourceful in how they were applied and pushing on through the “unknown” using only real desire and a wing and a prayer you were going in the right direction.
This year it was as professional as it gets. Incredible labor saving tools with state of the art video teaching and interaction. Brilliant stuff and really inspiring as examples of how to run a training course in anything on the internet. If I wore a hat I would be taking it off to Ed Dale, Gurubob, Dan Raine and the rest of the team who put together a fabulous learning experience.
The cons of the challenge were the people who did not know how spoiled they really were, and made demands that were just incredible. Demanding free services, one on one tutoring from Ed and others, immediate response to their inquiries (which 99% of the time were user error) and refused to lift a finger to help themselves. It is a double-edged sword when teaching people for free that it attracts people from all walks and all parts of the human spectrum (and some of those really are unattractive and ungrateful).
I am not going to dwell on the negatives though, if I run something similar in a niche I will be setting the ground rules very early in the piece, if you don’t like how it is done then here is your refund and see you later. Life really is too short to put up with ingratitude and rudeness.
Team Afterparty is kicking on. I am going to approach the gals with a proposition about a female mastermind group that I have in mind. All of us have shown we have strengths in different areas and I think we would meld together well.
All in all a fabulous year and the one that really drove home to me that I am in teh right place doing the right thing to get to where i want to go.
I can’t thank the 30DC enough for the opportunity to be a part of such an amazing event!
August 31st, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Way to go Allison. Great attitude.
August 31st, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Funny thing is with Ed and these guys they will actually give you more than this even, for free, if you make the effort yourself.
To many people want a get rich quick scenario, TDC is not a get rich quick scheme. It involves hard work.
Anybody who does IM for a living knows you are usually awake till 12:30 working minimum. Then the first thing you do in the morning is think of IM. I spend all my spare time thinking of IM, how to move my niche forward, etc.
Most people don’t like work, and think they are owed a living.
August 31st, 2008 at 1:37 pm
I have been in the eCommerce industry for quite some time now. I see this happening every day. The company that I work for provides an eCommerce platform and I have to teach our merchants how to use it. Some of these people are not only clueless, they are just plain rude.
However, I have to give them this; all over popular media you see and hear snake oil salesmen telling people that they can make $1000 a day instantly by starting a web site that costs nothing and is effort free. I get these people all the time. The only thing that I really can blame them for is being naive enough to believe everything that they here from the media.
BTW – congratulations on your failure. I have been talking for a while in my art blog about why failures are really failures. Then low and behold I find 30dc and Ed talks about that same thing. Good luck in turning this failure into a raging success.
Michael Brinkley
August 31st, 2008 at 1:39 pm
It was a triumph this year wasn’t it? I am so grateful to the TDC gang.
It has been great getting to ‘know’ you and the gals. You’ve made me laugh on so many occasions!! That’s priceless.
I guess the TDC represents a very unique opportunity to observe and appreciate all sectors of society!!
August 31st, 2008 at 1:42 pm
I agree with you 100%. The 30 Day Challenge was awesome. Though I did not yet complete The Challenge, (life got in the way), I intend to complete it and make my $1 online.
I have found that a lot of people who want to make money online think that it is easier than a “traditional” brick and mortar business. I found some of the forum posts obnoxious but I am choosing to focus on my gratitude to Ed Dale and his amazing team. I have learned so much and made new friends.
So Allison, congrats in advance. I know you will finish and be a success!
Best Wishes
Susan
August 31st, 2008 at 1:47 pm
I didn’t make a $ either, but I am in no way disappointed. This was my first 30 DC and didn’t imagine I could learn so much in such a short period of time.
It was disappointing to the see the demands of some challengers, but like you I also had a fantastic team, thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and have learnt skills that I will definitely be applying to new projects.
August 31st, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Wow, dear Allison!
When I grow up, I want to be just like you!
Strictly a compliment dear lady, sincerely…
I do like the way you think and I am in complete agreement with you.
Although I was unable to figure out myself how to keep up or join in on a forum, I read so many comments and it did amaze me how many people thought it “ok” to ask Ed menial questions that were included in the training….
I am studying and focussed and hoping you might consider me for your group…?
Let me know when time permits and thanks for saying what needed to be said….
Most Sincerely,
Tanya A Chadwick
August 31st, 2008 at 1:55 pm
Don’t worry Allison, I didn’t follow the whole program as I had hoped either, and it was because of several different happenings in my life, but one of the projects I started BEFORE I learned of the 30 Day Challenge is well on its way and I DID make my first dollar BECAUSE of the challenge and Market Samurai!
This is the result:
http://www.vintage-forsale.com
This is the first year I have even heard of the challenge and I agree with you that it is an INCREDIBLY WELL DONE event! I learned so much and still plan to use many of the tools and strategies presented.
But the BEST thing of all is the QUALITY of women like you I have met and connected with because of the 30 day event!
After reading about you and your articles I admire your spirit…you truly ARE a GUTZY WOMAN!
August 31st, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Perfectly Lucid Post. Period!
Well, except, there’s no fail.
You’re a bigger, long-term part of the living organism
that is this community. So you absorbed what you didn’t know,
were dealt a tragedy with time left to ‘win’., and yet WILL.
If you got back the time you spent Moderating, and helping others,
your “test” blog would be a going concern by now.
FAIL would be if you were a step further back than you were on
July 31st. We know that just ain’t true ;~)
Best,
Ed
August 31st, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Hi Allison,
Great blog post, I was in the 30DC last year as well. So I had to laugh at many of the comments from people in the forum. The new folks had no idea of the difference on tools available to them this year.
Doug
August 31st, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Hey Allison, I really appreciated your post. One of the things I wanted out of the 30DC was to take all the pieces like Twitter and Facebook that I had been acquiring and integrate them into one cohesive unit. That was one of the first things Ed showed us so for me it was gold from preseason on. I had links in my website footer and some misleading Market Samurai info (it changed when they updated the program) so I had trouble getting ranked and still haven’t made my $1.00. So what, I have learned so much that worrying about the 30 days is rediculous. I have met so many great people and been able to help a bunch of others. Now we get to take what we have and go on. It’s all good! No failure here :0)
August 31st, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Thanks guys for the wonderful comments. Please don’t think the post is in anyway a “downer”. I got so much from this year’s challenge I just cannot get my head around which GREAT idea I am going to work with first.
As for you guys, you make it all such a wonderful experience too. To see people suddenly get it, rank, kick over a killer niche and finally to make sales is SO inspirational. It makes me emotional thinking about the thousands of little successes we had, because EVERY participant succeeded at something, even if it was just to learn how to ask for help on a forum….
Don’t stop with the momentum you have now… keep pushing through! You will be hearing a lot more from me in the coming months
August 31st, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Great post, Allison! I have no doubt you will be successful in your IM career…with your drive, business sense and talent for Mankini Promotion, you can’t help but win!
This year’s 30DC was the best ever, and it’s hard to imagine, but I’m sure next year will be even better.
So looking forward to doing it all again with you next August!
Cheers,
Barb
September 1st, 2008 at 12:43 am
Allison, what a great article and you mirror my sentiments exactly.
This was my first 30 day challenge and although I didn’t get to make my first dollar either because life got in the way, I’m in complete awe of the gift that has been given to me by Ed and the gang.
The 30 DC has been a life changing experience. I’ve got a couple of websites on the go but never had any visitors and didn’t know how to get any either. The 30 DC has opened my eyes to the opportunity that is available to me if I put effort into it.
The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, I’ve taken that first step, my journey has started and it’s all thanks to Ed and the gang.
I believe in teamwork and Allison, if there is space on your team, I’d love it if you would consider me as a member.
Congratulations and I wish you the very best in the future.
Yvonne
September 5th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
[...] post 30DC euphoria still continues in the forums and it is very exciting to see so many people joining still [...]
September 23rd, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Allison,
Couldn’t agree with you more! The 30DC rocked. I cannot believe how generous Ed, Dan and GuruBob are.
My hubby and I have assisted a client utilizing what I’ve learned in the Challenge and he is now #1 for several niche phrases in Google. All of his incoming business is from this effort. Amazing!
Have a great week!
Leslie