Act Fast: Implement & Revise As You Go!

If you've been following the Cross Blog Conversation between Vera and I, you're getting a good handle on what it takes to become a successful blogger and to ultimately be a super affiliate in your niche. Stay tuned, because we're going to continue working together so that everyone can benefit from the process!

I want to make a quick sidetrack first though, and address the reasons we're moving so fast - and show you why we're doing certain steps in a specific order.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

As soon as Vera decided on her affiliate niche she registered the domain name, set up WordPress (her blog), and next I suggested she go ahead and set up social media accounts and an email list. Why so much so soon, you ask?

Once you choose the niche for your online business, you should take fast action.

Dig straight in and get that business set up!

Some people mistakenly think they should have all of the content (or a certain amount) in place before they "launch" their blog. Others think they should "understand blogging" better before they get started.

There is no "right" amount of content, and it's impossible know everything before you start! The online space is always changing and evolving, so it's going to be a constant learning process...

Plan to learn, implement & revise as you go.

There is no official launch for a blog, or niche affiliate site, by the way. It's not like a Product Launch, it's simply a process. Once you know exactly what you want to do, or a general idea at least, start putting the pieces into place.

What's the worst that can happen? Maybe you change your mind about the domain name you chose. Big deal - change it. Maybe you change your mind about the niche you chose - scrap it and start over. Maybe you made mistakes in the way you set up your social media accounts - delete them and create new ones.

Honestly, you can't do much harm, and everything is a minimal investment anyway. You'll do best going with your gut feeling, or your initial instincts, and just get busy making it happen. There's no point trying to learn everything upfront (like I said earlier, you can't anyway), so don't waste your time...

But wait! I have questions!

While you don't want to become a "professional student" and never actually get your online business off the ground, there ARE right and wrong ways to do certain things.

You'd be wise to get involved in a community of people you trust, where you can ask questions and get feedback along the way.

This will dramatically reduce your chance of costly mistakes, and get you on the fast-track to setting up a successful online business.

I have a Private Brainstorming Group that does just that. It's where I work with people personally on everything from choosing a niche or domain name, down to crafting the ideal blog post title even, and all the other nitty gritty details of starting and running your online business successfully.

So yes, ask questions! But then take action on what you learn, and just continue moving forward. Don't get stuck thinking you need to understand how to do "X" when you're still on step "C" of setting up your online business.

Set up your Domain Name & Hosting right away.

You want to register your domain name immediately for two reasons. 1) Someone else may take it while you're waffling around. And 2) It takes time for a new domain to get "seen" and indexed by the major search engines. So it's smart to go ahead and register your domain, set up your hosting account, and install WordPress.

That way your site is actually online, and can be indexed by the search engines. Even if it's going to take you months to actually get things going, your domain name can start to get some "age" on it.

Tip: Don't put up an "Under Construction" or a "Coming Soon" page. You can simply create one page which could be as simple as what will eventually go on your About page. You'll also include your social media links and an opt-in box, so visitors can opt to get notified by email about "xyz" (what you plan to offer).

The "How-To"

Just in case you're new to all of this, I don't want to leave you hanging without the steps to get your domain registered and your site online. Here are the resources I use, am affiliated with, and recommend:

• Research & Register a Domain Name
• Set up a Hosting Account (choose the Baby plan and use coupon code "save994offer" to get your first month for a penny)
• Install WordPress (or see my WordPress Checklist)
• Choose a Free WordPress Theme

Set up your Social Media Accounts and Mailing List right away, too.

You may wonder why I suggested Vera set up her mailing list and social media accounts right away. Shouldn't she wait until she has "enough" content, "enough" visitors - or some other mystical moment when you somehow know it's the right time? No. You definitely want to do this from the start.

As I mentioned above, you'll want to set up at least a single page on your new domain so it can get indexed and start to get established in the major search engines. And when visitors DO happen upon your site, you want to give them options to stay connected with you and get updates when you do start publishing your content there.

Why wait until you get "decent traffic"? And how will you know exactly what that number is? Meanwhile losing the opportunity to stay in touch with people who ARE visiting your site from the very beginning...

Also, setting up those social media profiles will create links back to your new domain, which will help it get indexed in the search engines faster. Which is smart (!) because when you DO start posting content, you won't have to wait as long for it to get "found" by Google.

In my next post in this series with Vera, we're going to look at the actual setup of her social media accounts and mailing list, and go over detailed "how to" of those steps.

In the meantime, if you have ANY questions at all, just leave a comment below this post and let me know...

Stay tuned, this is going to be fun!

If you're not already subscribed by email to receive notification of new posts, you can do that below (see the orange box) so you don't miss out on any of this series...

Best,

p.s. If you're struggling to pick the perfect domain name for your online business, I have a Domain Name Brainstorming Guide for only $10.

But you can actually get it as a FREE BONUS to my other guide, which is currently only $7.47 - which is obviously the smarter option.

After reading my Domain Brainstorming Guide, if you want some feedback on your domain name choice, simply reply to your email receipt and ask me - I'd be happy to take a look at what you're considering and even offer other available alternatives.

Of course if you're an Elite Member of my Private Brainstorming Group, both the guide and my personal help are already available to you free...

Happily Unemployed: Behind The Scenes!

As I mentioned last week, I have entered into a Marketing JV (a paid partnership) with Justin Brooke of Happily Unemployed.

I got access to the entire HU program, so I wanted to give you a sneak peek and a detailed review.

Given our partnership, I didn't use affiliate links in this post. But regardless of our relationship, you know me- I won't butter up the facts for any amount of money. I don't have to.

Note: If you click here and look between "Phase One" and "Phase Two" you'll see an option to sign up to get a few lessons for free so you can get a hands-on look at Happily Unemployed yourself!

Buckle up. I'm going to give you the facts, my raw opinion, and a behind-the-scenes look into Happily Unemployed. And I have some super cool news to share with you too, so go ahead and mark your calendar for Tuesday August 6th at Noon Eastern, and keep reading...

Anytime you start a new course or program, the initial (natural) response is complete overwhelm. Fortunately, this is not the case with Happily Unemployed, as they've set it up specifically to make it easy on you.

When you first log in, you'll see a "Start Here" tab. I circled it in red for you in the screenshot above. You also receive a "getting started" email that outlines everything you need to know to make the most of the program. From the "Start Here" section you get an overview of how the course works and what to do, a download of the Course Outline, and a link to the first lesson so you can dive right in.

You get FULL access to the entire course - and the bonuses - immediately after you order. But knowing that is too much for some of us (raising hand! lol) they also send you a series of emails that help you move through the course strategically, without becoming overwhelmed. (Thank you!!)

WOW @ The Support! Check This Out...

"In the past the people who succeeded most in our "challenge" were the ones who asked questions and leaned on the community for support and feedback. Below each lesson is a comments section. This is where you should post any questions you have. I'll receive a notification and go in and answer it. By asking your questions in the comments we can help everyone succeed."

The program also includes UNLIMITED Email Support.

At the bottom of the Start Here section you'll see: "We’re big on helping success driven people reach their goals. If you hit a sticking point, or just need some help - contact us." Followed by the contact info, of course. Nice!

I really like the way this course is set up.

Each module is on it's own page and includes:

• Detailed Audio Training
• Printable Documents (workbooks/checklists)
• A "Message From Your Coach"
• Bulletpoint List of Top Takeaways
• Your Assignment
• What To Expect Next
• Support Q&A Section for Questions

* (Yes, you can download the MP3 and PDF files to listen/read on the go, or put on your mobile devices for convenience - or you can stream & view the content from the course page itself. The options are there! )

My Favorite "HU" Feature (Interactive / Mobile Access, Synced!)

My absolute favorite feature of the HU course area is the "Printable Documents" which includes a workbook and a checklist (both very detailed) for each module or lesson & assignment. You can print them off if you prefer, but I like the convenience of having them on ANY computer/device (including my iPad and Droid Razr), and automatically synced, so I copied the PDF's into Evernote.

This way I can edit them, add check-off boxes to the checklist, and keep them all organized in one place (along with my notes) while I work through the module.

I love, love, love the way the workbooks and checklists are set up! You have everything right at your fingertips, and they really help you "implement as you go" - which is key for getting the most out of any course. The way this is set up, plus using Evernote like I am, is the fastest way to see results with this training course.

(I simply highlighted the content of the PDF file, copied, then pasted it into a new Note in Evernote. That way I could edit, add notes, and add checkboxes. You can also drag the entire PDF file into Evernote, but it is "read-only" that way.)

"30 days from now you should have a market, website, product, and sales funnel. But I can't do it for you... You've got to finish the assignments. My wife and I can complete the system (and we have) in less than a week. Granted we have all day to work on it, but if you can give it 5-7 hours per week you should be able to finish it within 30 days no problem..." -Justin Brooke of Happily Unemployed

Happily Unemployed is set up as a 45 Day Course. The first phase is a 28-Day process (with 8 detailed modules) where you set up your website and put everything in place to start making sales online.

"You won't become overwhelmed with our bite-sized lessons. You can go at your own pace, finish it all in one week, or follow along with the 28 day system."

Day 14 (aka Lesson Five) is on "Rapid Product Creation" and Justin says:

You're going to learn how to create a profitable digital product in just 30 minutes, even if YOU are not an expert. In fact I prove it to you without a doubt inside this lesson, because this lesson was created in less than 30 minutes and used to sell as a standalone product.

Here's The Cool Thing...

I've given you a "look behind the curtain" at the member's area of Happily Unemployed, but what about the actual course content? That's the cool thing.

If you've been following my blog for any amount of time, you'll discover that Justin teaches very much like I do at Happily Unemployed. His mentality and methods are current, it's an outline for building an online business with integrity, and it's laid out step-by-step for you. I was VERY impressed with the actual course content.

* Interestingly, the audio lessons weren't working when I first tried to access them. I simply messaged Justin and he had that fixed in less than 24 hours. Now that's service!

You won't just get thrown into a ton of content and left to figure it all out on your own. This course is set up in a way that walks you through each step, with detailed workbooks and checklists, emails to keep you on track with your lessons, and full support every step of the way. It is extremely well done.

What's even cooler is that even *I* learned some advanced things about targeted traffic generation. Justin is a master of paid traffic sources, so there's tons of good training on that topic inside the course. But he also includes methods for generating free traffic. In fact, one of the bonuses is his "Blog Contest Launch Formula" (for free traffic) and here's a screenshot to show you just how COOL this bonus is:

Yes ^ that's super cool stuff. So cool in fact, that I suggested to Justin that we co-host a Free Webinar specifically to brainstorm with members on using the Blog Contest Launch Formula, brainstorming specific contest ideas, and discussing case studies and examples of this strategy in action.

See the two most successful case studies with this formula, and get creative ideas for how you can use this in your business!

This free bonus webinar will be held on Tuesday August 6th Noon Eastern, and is exclusively available to ClickNewz readers that sign up for Happily Unemployed.

It's our way of helping you make the most of this system.

All you have to do is reply to your "HU" email receipt, and add this to the beginning of the subject line: "Register Me for the ClickNewz Bonus Webinar!" like this:

I look forward to seeing some of you there!

Best,

p.s. As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, you can click here and look between "Phase One" and "Phase Two" - you'll see an option to sign up to get a few lessons for free so you can get a hands-on look at Happily Unemployed yourself.

If you like what you see (and I'm sure you will!) then be sure to register for our free brainstorming webinar on Tuesday August 6th by emailing your receipt back to Justin with "Register Me for the ClickNewz Bonus Webinar!" in the subject line.

Affiliate Niche Blog Setup: First Steps

Right in the middle of this fun Cross Blog Conversation with Vera, super affiliate Rae Hoffman (aka Sugarrae) posted this Seth Godin quote/graphic on her Facebook Page and said:

"That's affiliate marketing in 2013 in a nutshell. Creating a site or presence on the web of value centered around a topic you can actually contribute value on - and then helping your audience find the products, services and solutions they need."

This is exactly what we've been discussing in our live discussion about choosing the right niche (for you!), and finding a market you can truly - passionately - serve.

That said, profit potential and monetization ARE important. Obviously. So Vera's homework was to brainstorm product ideas for her new affiliate niche blog...

In my last post I suggested that Vera brainstorm freely about products, services, brands, etc that she might discuss on her new affiliate niche blog. In her reply, where she shared her list, she said it could also easily be called “Vera’s Wish List.”

This is exactly how you want to do your product brainstorming!

When you are your own target market, it's easy to make solid recommendations because they're based on your own research and personal experience - which are the type of recommendations people love, and take action on!

We'll dig into that list, and talk more about product selection and monetization, in a future post in this series. For now, Vera needs to get her new affiliate niche blog set up - and she has a question regarding content development.

Sidenote About Passion & Serving Your Market

We've talked a lot in this series about choosing a niche you're deeply passionate about, and how that can lead you to your ideal lifestyle. It gives you a platform to talk about the things that matter to you most, and it helps you get your life and business aligned into one goal moving in one direction. This is where you're going to find peace, fun, happiness, and of course success.

But it's not all foo-foo rah-rah happy smappy stuff. This is also what makes a business super successful. Not just in terms of how successful you are as a business owner, or how much money you can make. It's what makes a business that attracts readers and buyers. Your enthusiasm, your genuine attitude and personality, your dedication to your market - these things are what create fans, make getting traffic easy, and increases your conversion rates.

Just to say that it's not ALL about you. It's also about creating a business that makes a difference in the lives of others. Yes, even if you're a "kitchen gadget" or "RC helicopter" enthusiast! A great example is Michele Uncorked, which is the website of one of my members. Michele loves to drink wine, listen to music and COOK - and she shares her fabulous personality while doing all three on her fun blog.

Affiliate Niche Blog Setup: First Steps

Now that Vera knows her affiliate niche, she's ready to dive in and get started. I love to see people taking action!! In Vera's reply, she asked about creating content:

My next question to Lynn… "How much content should I now be prepared to write for this new blog to launch it out there?"

Once you choose your niche, and get excited about your topic, you'll start getting lots of content or topic ideas swirling around in your head.

My recommendation: use Evernote and document EVERY idea you have, from topics to products and everything in between. Keep an ongoing idea journal so you don't draw a blank when it comes time to implement! Evernote is ideal because you can access it from anywhere, and it syncs across all of your computers/devices.

There are only two pieces of content you need to create upfront, which leads us into your next steps - your homework assignment:

• Set up your new domain name with your web host. Install WordPress. Choose a free theme to start. Create your About page, and write your first post - on what it means to be a "Faith Adventurist".

• Set up mailing list for this site in Aweber. Create your opt-in form, and set your list up as a blog broadcast in your Aweber account.

• Set up your Social Media channels. Flesh out those profiles with your picture, website link, and a fun compelling description. You want to set up specific social media accounts for this venture, so that you're not mixing topics/markets or using your personal accounts. At the very least, claim your name/brand with: Facebook Page, Twitter, Gmail/Google+, YouTube, Pinterest. (Vera: ideally you will use "FaithAdventurist" as your username across the board.)

The goal for now is to have your social channels set up, with links to your new site, with someone on that site (about page & first post) to engage them if they click through. Make building your mailing list & social media channels your top priority for now! Get them excited about the topic, and encourage them to join you on the "adventurous journey".

Once you have that done, let's talk Blog Categories...

Start by listing general topics you think you'll be discussing on your new blog at FaithAdventurist.com and we'll go from there.

* The set-up and use of Categories and Tags is a common question, so follow along to watch how we do this on Vera's blog for a "live tutorial" on best uses of both Categories and Tags in WordPress...

Have questions? Want to add something to the discussion? Leave a comment!

Best,

p.s. I don't offer private coaching or personal consulting by phone or email. What I'm doing with Vera here publicly is our way of helping as many other people through this process as possible. If you would like for me to work with YOU personally, hands-on, in your business or in the setup of your online business, see:

Ready To Get Serious About Making Money Online?

You'll learn about my Private Mastermind Group at that link, which is only $37/month, and where I help people choose the RIGHT niche, set up their online business, get traffic and make sales, and all the little technical details in between.

Choosing Your Niche… Without Research?!

As Vera and I continue to discuss Affiliate Niche Ideas for her to dive into Affiliate Marketing full-time, you may have noticed that "niche research" or even keyword research haven't even come up yet. In fact, in her last post, Vera said:

"I think when many of us think about researching a niche our knee jerk reaction is to start with keyword research. It’s sooooo refreshing that we didn’t start that way and almost seems odd to me (lol!)"

In Part Two, Brainstorming Affiliate Niche Ideas, I talked about "the reality check" of an affiliate business model, suggested another niche brainstorming exercise, and shared an idea for her affiliate niche - based on her personality, her passions, and her true mission in life.

If you missed any of the conversation so far, here's a quick link list:

• Vera: Affiliate Marketing: Intro & First Question
• Lynn (Me): Affiliate Niche Selection
• Vera: She Says To Dream Bigger!
• Lynn (Me): Brainstorming Affiliate Niche Ideas (Part 2)
• Vera: Taking A Deeper Look

In my last post I gave Vera this affiliate niche blogging idea:

This was not based on keyword research, or niche research, but was based solely on Vera's personality and passions. It's a topic that would be well-aligned with who she is as a person, and the people she truly wants to serve in this world.

You may recall that I started a niche affiliate blog a couple years ago, also with no research upfront, which you can read about here:

Case Study: Niche Site With NO Research?

Isn't Keyword Research Necessary?

It is. But not necessarily at this stage of the process. If you KNOW you have a market, or that you have a message that will be well received - and that it's a buying market - that's all you really need to know upfront. The keyword research will come into play when you're ready to brainstorm topic ideas & create content.

Suggested reading on this topic:

Frustrated With Market Research or Finding Niches?

Keyword Strategy: It’s Not Just Numbers!

There's so much more to a successful niche blog these days than just SEO. While you need to target keyword phrases your market is using so they can easily find you in the search results, there are many other (easy!) ways to reach your market online now too.

I know this may be backwards from what you've heard or been taught by others in the past. But you may have also heard that you should choose your niche based on keyword research and competition analysis - and pick a topic with high profit potential and low competition. Which often leads you to choosing a niche for your online business that you could care less about!

Passion Trumps Research.

Again, If you KNOW you have a market, or that you have a message that will be well received - and that it's a buying market - that's all you really need to know upfront.

With my low carb blog for example, I knew I had a unique angle in the market. I don't cook. LOL. I'm constantly traveling or on-the-go, so I share ways to eat low carb conveniently. I didn't bother with "niche research" (upfront) because I knew "travel" and "weight loss" were both obviously successful buying markets online. Duh.

In fact, buying market or not, this is truth: If you can build up a huge audience, and a loyal readership (and social media following)... you can monetize your affiliate blog. Period. The options will be endless if you have an audience. Merchants and Advertisers will be coming to YOU wanting to get exposure to your readers.

So there ya go.

Vera loved my Affiliate Niche suggestion! ...Now what?

Blogging as a "spiritual adventurist" is right up her alley. It's in line with her mission in life, with her true passion, and with who she is as a person - and the people she can best serve in this world. If you've been following our conversation, I'm sure you would agree.

Once she got excited about the idea, and agreed it was a perfect choice for her, we brainstormed available domain names. I happen to be pretty good at this.

Note: You can get my Domain Name Brainstorming Guide as a free bonus here.

SpiritualAdventurist.com was already taken, so I suggested one of these three: BoldSpirituality.com, AdventurousHearts.com, or FaithAdventurist.com - she liked the last one best. The idea being that she can use this blog to discuss expanding your faith, the journey to peace & joy through faith, discovering your calling, stepping out in faith, her missions of course, and to motivate and inspire people on a spiritual level. If you know Vera, you know this is the very core of who she is as a person.

That domain leaves her open to be "adventurous" too, which is one of the things she said she really wanted and needed in her life: FUN. She can travel, try new things, and take photos and share her experiences along the way - tying them in with her inspiring messages, of course.

She took immediate action and registered FaithAdventurist.com.

In her last post, Vera said:

So here’s my next question to you Lynn…

When you say this, “helps people get way outside their mental comfort zone and embrace life more fully” I actually start having a vision of retreats as well, but for now I want to focus solely on affiliate marketing. I need this peace in this time of my life, that’s why I don’t even want to create products or do any coaching.

Do you think it’s unrealistic to not include product development and it’s ok to focus just on affiliate marketing for this kind of venture?

Absolutely! You're putting the cart before the horse anyway.

Your initial goal is to create content and build a readership. Period. Down the road you may very well want to include products and services, as a means of serving your market even better, but to start you simply want to get your message out there and start engaging your target market with your topics.

This may seem backwards to you too! Usually when you think about starting an online business, the initial research and brainstorming includes... How am I going to make money with this blog? Right?

In my next post in this ongoing series, we'll walk through the actual set-up of Vera's new niche affiliate blog. The nitty gritty details n stuff. But let's fast forward for a second so you (and Vera!) can start to see the potential here...

This is Vera's homework. And yours too!

Imagine your target market. Who are they? Who do you most want to help, and how? What types of products and services do they use, or would you recommend, relevant to your blog topic? Which merchants and brands would interest them?

Don't let this exercise stump you! (It's really not that hard.)

Let's say you have an affiliate blog all about kitchen gadgets. How can you serve THAT market?! Easy. They want the coolest gadgets, they want the best deals, and they need help making an informed buying decision.

Ideally you are your own target market. That being the case, what do you search for online? What products do you use and love? What recommendations do you make to your friends or peers, or topical online groups where you participate?

First, forget whether there's an affiliate program or not. Just brainstorm freely about products, brands, merchants, services, etc.

I'll close there for now, and we'll see what Vera comes up with.

This is fun, don't you agree? I would love to hear your thoughts, so be sure to leave a comment below if you have a question or want to add to the discussion...

Best,

p.s. I don't offer private coaching or personal consulting by phone or email. What I'm doing with Vera here publicly is our way of helping as many other people through this process as possible. If you would like for me to work with YOU personally, hands-on, in your business or in the setup of your online business, see:

Ready To Get Serious About Making Money Online?

You'll learn about my Private Mastermind Group at that link, which is only $37/month, and where I help people choose the RIGHT niche, set up their online business, get traffic and make sales, and all the little technical details in between.

Brainstorming Affiliate Niche Ideas (Part 2)

Vera and I are having an open (public) discussion on choosing an affiliate niche for a profitable online business. In my first reply, I said:

“If you were given 10 hours a week and a bottomless bank account to start a new hobby, with the condition that a television crew would follow you for those 10 hours every week, which hobby would you pick?”

You can see Vera's reply here. There are two BIG problems in Vera's brainstorming process, so it's time to reign her in and clear up one very common misconception...

"Easy Money With A Hands-Off Business"

Did Vera drink the koolaid? There are so many people selling the idea that you can earn easy money with an online business, and that you can "fund the life of your dreams" through hands-off passive income via the internet, that it's become an expectation. Followed by big disappointment, unfortunately.

Now Vera's a smart woman, and she has years of business experience both offline and off, so I have no doubt that she knows the investment it takes to start and run a business of any kind...

But I'm going to be blunt and get serious in my reply here, for the sake of helping her make a solid decision - as well as anyone else reading along.

YES, it is possible to make great money online. YES, it's relatively easy. YES, it requires less time and money invested to reach success - quicker - than other business models. And YES, you can have an amazing lifestyle and unlimited income potential with an online business. All of those things are true.

That said, if you ask ANY successful online business owner if "it came easy" for them, they would tell you NO. In fact they might get downright pissed at the assumption, considering how much they invested in getting where they are today.

Best case scenario, they'd tell you they didn't really consider it "work" because it was so much fun and exactly what they wanted to be doing.

You could walk behind the scenes of one of those flashy sales letters with the pretty sailboats and the "big read headline" - that promise you big dreams - and just take a look at what's really there.

Worst case you'd find an unshowered unshaven man sitting in his underwear in front of a computer 12 hours a day in his mother's basement.

Best case you'd find a hard-working team that is busy creating products, writing copy, putting together marketing strategies and basically working passionately to bring their message to market every way that they can.

The same goes for a successful affiliate niche blogger. All you have to do is watch them online to see how active and engaged they are with their business - at their blog, in the comments, on Twitter and Facebook, and around the web.

Does that mean it's all a scam? No. Not at all! But it does bring us back around to choosing the RIGHT affiliate niche, which I discussed in my last post...

Vera said: "This will provide me with the ability to work on these different missions, make a difference in the world while this affiliate biz supports my family and the lifestyle that I want to live. ...The only way I can see it all working is if my biz here online is VERY streamlined and Hands Off."

Remember my example in the post about Affiliate Niche Selection?

Here's the point of that example:

"So you create an affiliate blog all about holiday ornaments so you can earn enough money to live your "RC Helicopter" dream. Right? Wrong."

Vera has some serious passions and missions in life. She wants to make a difference. She wants to have a positive impact. She's a very spiritual person. Yet she's considering "cooking" as her affiliate niche, even though she doesn't enjoy cooking at all - not even a little - as a means of funding her bigger dreams in life.

What you really want to do is tie your passions and interests INTO your business. Meaning, choose a niche or a topic that is aligned with your life goals, and ultimately takes you toward the lifestyle you most want. Not only will it "fund" your lifestyle, your work will become integrated or nicely aligned with your lifestyle.

That's the ideal choice! Consider how many hours you spend on your career. As an entrepreneur you eat, breathe, sleep, and think your business, around the clock. You're passionate about what you do. You ENJOY your work. Who you are and what you do become one and the same. It just doesn't make sense to separate the two...

Other people know you better than you know yourself.

Vera is going through the brainstorming cycle, and she's processing ideas the same way most people do. Just freely putting it out there, then sorting through it all. Only she's doing it publicly. (Kudos, Vera, for having the guts to lay it all out there!)

One of the toughest things about brainstorming though, is that we're stuck in our own head. We often don't even tap into our true strengths or passions, because we're trying so hard to come up with "ideas" - and usually new ideas, instead.

My advice: Figure out who you are to the people who know you best. How are your known? How would they describe you? What do they come to you for most? And... is this the same as how you WANT to be known, or what you want to be known FOR?

^ This is your homework, Vera!

Now, tie that in with a creative angle, and you have your affiliate niche!

See Vera's post here, and let's help her out in the comments below. How do YOU see her? What kind of business would you recommend that would allow Vera to make a positive impact, or make a difference in the lives of others?

Vera is obviously a very spiritual person, and very involved with her church and missions. I would assume she inspires and impacts others in her life spiritually. She has an inspiring life story to share, full of interesting experiences that could serve to help others. She also needs something fun, exciting, adventurous - and outside her comfort zone. She loves beaches, and the BC area where she lives.

Do you agree that Vera should do something that ties in with her offline life, her biggest missions, and her true passions? Not only would it "fund her ideal life" but it would also allow her to stay fully engaged in the things that matter to her most, and give her a platform to get the word out about her missions.

I can see Vera as a "spiritual adventurist" type blogger that tours some of the earth's most beautiful spots, and shares hope and inspiration that helps people get way outside their mental comfort zone and embrace life more fully. All by sharing her story, her faith, her experiences & adventures, words of wisdom and practical application. Along with beautiful inspiring photos that she takes on her own "spiritual adventures".

What say you? Assuming you've read her post, do you agree, disagree, or have other niche / affiliate / blogging ideas for Vera to consider?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts, and Vera's reply!

Best,

Meet the “Happily Unemployed” Couple :-)

Meet Justin & Chauna Brooke, aka the Happily Unemployed couple. I'm pleased to announce that I'll be working with them personally over the next year in a partnership to help more people become happily unemployed!

See: http://happily-unemployed.com

(Scroll down a tad and read the "Meet the Instructors" column on the right side of the page. Great story!)

Check them out on Facebook as well.

I've known Justin & Chaunna for years. They're great people. We've had the opportunity to work together briefly on a few things here and there, but nothing like what we're about to do together now...

To be clear upfront, money changed hands. This is a paid partnership. As you already know, I generally work with merchants and business owners as an affiliate, earning a commission on sales or leads referred. It's only been in the last few years that I've worked with sponsors and advertisers, on a very small level, and more recently I'm testing some new options for working with various brands and merchants.

This "Marketing JV" is part of a personal test. Quite a few people responded to my offer, but just like my affiliate options, I am VERY picky about who I work with and which products I recommend. Some very cool people came forward, so it was not an easy choice, but I ultimately handpicked Justin and Chaunna because I really like who they are and what they're doing with Happily Unemployed.

How Will This Benefit You?

About once a month, starting sometime next week, you'll hear from Justin and/or Chaunna right here on ClickNewz. Given they have both quit their day jobs and are now "Happily Unemployed" and successfully working online, I'm sure you'll enjoy the tips & experience they bring to the table.

We were just brainstorming earlier today about free webinars, exclusive bonuses, and other awesomeness we can do together to help even more people achieve the lifestyle that we have ourselves. Stay tuned - this is going to be fun stuff...

Give Justin & Chaunna Brooke a warm welcome! I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments below, and I'm sure they will as well.

Best,

p.s. If you like what you see at Happily Unemployed, and decide to dive in to the training modules, be sure to hang on to your e-receipt. That's all I can say for now, but keep an eye out for an announcement on WHY soon.