The last four months have changed my life. Those who knew me four months ago would say that these changes have resulted from taking my fate into my own hands. However, it’s actually more complicated than that.
I have always been an “all-or-nothing”Β kind of guy. I have to put 110% effort into what I am doing or I find no use in doing it. When I first moved to Arizona 10 months ago, I took a job as a Mac Specialist at the Apple Store. Even though I was only working part-time, I was also going to school full-time, and between those activities, I had no time for my true passion – developing businesses, especially infinFX, my web development company.
Needless to say, I had to make changes and to do that, I had to quit Apple. Luckily, I have no family responsibilites and I had some money saved up, so that justified my taking a chance. However, quitting Apple was still a big risk for me at the time; I had no other source of income besides the occasional web project. I decided, however, that if I was going to put my “all”Β into infinFX and our other businesses, I had to do it now.
Quitting Apple gave me extra time to focus on building my businesses and networking myself in the local community. This extra time also gave me an opportunity to focus on my blog – something that I had been wanting to do for several months. After I started reading John Chow’s blog last summer, I knew that blogging had enormous potential, but I never realized how much or what kind of potential it had for me, until recently.
My Original Reasons for Blogging
My initial reason for blogging was to showcase my professional work – including my client projects and professional interests, such as web development, SEO, and business development. I knew that if I could create something worth reading, eventually the right people would seek me out and I would either find more client work or future business partners.
I was certainly aware that John Chow had made $3,500 from his blog in January (which is small potatoes compared to now). However, the real reason I wanted to blog was to meet and surround myself with like-minded people.
Looking Back: A Profound Inspiration From an Unlikely Source
About a week after I started blogging last January, I met 12-year-old problogger, David Wilkinson. At this point, David was quite the experienced blogger at 12 – he had been interviewed by the BBC several times, and he knew a lot of the industry gurus personally. David came across my blog about a week after I started it.
At the time, David was enjoying great success with his blog, TechZi, a tech-news site which was then hosted on Blogspot. Eventually, David and I got to chatting and he had a profound impact on me. Here he was – a 12-year old kid — who could write better and was more motivated to achieve great things than most people thrice his age.
I was so impressed with David’s motivation I offered to help him get off Blogspot and onto a fully-customized WordPress blog. He was so thrilled that I did this pro-bono, he proceeded to send web-dev business my way.
At that point, I had been persistently networking myself within the local Scottsdale community and soon enough I started getting more and more client work. This was a great start to supplementing my infinFX income and has led to the point I am at now, where I am receiving 1-2 new referrals per day. Back in January, that number was 1-2 per month! Now, I am busier than I have ever been, and for that, I am very thankful. I am now able to comfortably live off my income from infinFX and my other businesses. That being said, recently, another business opportunity has arisen prompting me to step aside from infinFX and focus on this new venture full-time.
Moving On To New Ventures
I never would have thought that I would have to step aside from infinFX at its busiest time ever. Luckily, I have a very trusted and excellent designer ready to take on work as I begin this new venture.
Coincidentally, this new venture is a direct result of my blogging efforts – the individual with whom I am working found me through my blog and proceeded to contact me out of the blue.
I will not go into detail just yet, but I will say that this venture involves the international market, and I will be blogging about it in the days and weeks ahead.
At this point it goes without saying that my blog has changed my life. The people I have met have had a profound impact on me and my businesses, including the opportunity to work in a new market that I would not ever have thought of independently.
So, what is the moral to this story? Perhaps it is that every decision you choose to make, no matter how big or small it may seem at the moment, could have quite the serious impact on your life. Even though I took a big risk by quitting Apple and have managed to do well since then, I know good timing had a lot to do with my success. I am also very thankful for the blogging community who has been so supportive of me in this time of trying new things. I’ve learned the more I give, the more I receive.
Nothing comes easy, and if it seems like it will be hard work, it is probably worth doing. As I explained in my previous post about why most blogs don’t last, starting a blog is a relatively easy task these days. However, following through and putting your allΒ into it requires consistent effort, but can lead to endless possibilities. You can never predict the kinds of people or places that it will lead you to. The real “gold”Β in blogging is not in the money, but what happens beyond the blog.
Y’know Nate, that if you continue to write such excellent heart felt posts, you’re going to increase readership like crazy and become more and more successful. And then all the rest of us will have to compete with another John Chow. And that will be hard for us. So can you just abandon the site and make it a little easier for the other blogs out there. π
Seriously, I think your writing is getting better and better. I look forward to hearing what you have lined up in the future. It’s going to be big, I just know it.
Nate – firstly, your successes are fantastic – congratulations.
Secondly, I couldn’t agree more with your statement that ‘The real Γ’β¬ΕgoldΓ’β¬Β in blogging is not in the money, but what happens beyond the blog.’
My favourite thing about blogging is the networking, relationship building and just the sense of achievement in seeing people enjoy and get use out of my articles.
I look forward to hearing more about your new venture.
– Martin Reed
Very powerful post Nate. Thank you for sharing this. I can’t wait to hear more about your new venture! It’s great to see good, honest and just down-right nice individuals like you have such great success. And this is just the beginning!! π
That is awesome Nate. I am looking forward to hearing more about your new venture.
// Andreas Bard
Best of luck with it, Nate, although I don’t think luck is playing any part in your success.
Great post π Keep up the great work dude
The web venture should be AMAZING for you… Fingers crossed, eh? π
I’m moved, however… That’s one powerful story. I feel honoured in getting mentioned!
Still can’t believe how I found you though. A LinkedIn search. A user with none (or was in one?) contacts. I’ve no idea why I check out your profile. I’ve no idea why I clicked through to your blog. I’ve no idea why I went and hit the contact form button. All I know is, I’m sure as hell glad I did. You’ve become one of my absolute best friends both on and offline.
I just wanted to drop by and say thankyou Nate. For everything. For all you’ve done.
Beautiful post. I started blogging because I don’t know. Just like that, and I’m loving it today.
congratulations on your success!
i’m glad everything is coming together for you.
Nate,
Don’t sell yourself short. You’re efforts are at least 150%
π
Congratulations!
As a full time web designer myself I know the impact leaving something that is a consistent source of income can be. I myself am in a transition mode from working exclusively for clients to now only doing my own projects, which by the Grace of God are doing well.
Keep up the effort, it always pays off.
Thanks Nate for the beautiful story.
One of my favourite quotes is by Paul Lemberg:
“Sacrifice = giving up a thing of less value to gain a thing of higher value.” – Paul Lemberg
Thanks for reminding us the power of chasing dreams.
an inside peek into nate’s life huh……good post !!!
GOOD FOR YOU!!
I know getting involved with the community really helped my offline business, and for you to conquer the online one as well……..WOW! I just started online, and I hope to figure it out! LOL! Well…….I know I will eventually!
Very inspirational post!
Nice to see you in the place and position you are in now mate, nice job and good luck with your next venture!
Your success is well deserved! You work your a*s off everyday. Keep up the great work.
Blogging can be great way to get a start in just about anything you are doing. In my opinion it is one of the fastest way to network.
Nice!
now i always build my blog..but it seems low visitors… so how tobe a success person like you??? thnks