The Entrepreneur Forum | Financial Freedom | Starting a Business | Motivation | Money | Success

Welcome to the only entrepreneur forum dedicated to building life-changing wealth.

Build a Fastlane business. Earn real financial freedom. Join free.

Join over 80,000 entrepreneurs who have rejected the paradigm of mediocrity and said "NO!" to underpaid jobs, ascetic frugality, and suffocating savings rituals— learn how to build a Fastlane business that pays both freedom and lifestyle affluence.

Free registration at the forum removes this block.

Meet Me and Follow My Progress on YouTube! (Progress Thread)

A detailed account of a Fastlane process...

jazzfreak11

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
29%
Jun 23, 2009
207
59
30
Boston, USA
Hey guys!

As a progress thread and motivational tool for me (and step 1 in my secret plan to start branding myself!) I've created a video blog on YouTube where you can follow along with my internet marketing progress.

This first video is pretty cool- I shot from two different angles just like the real gurus and even used Screenflow for Mac OSX :p (i'm such a poser). It's just me going over my current situation and I talk a little bit about upcoming plans as well.

Comments, feedback, etc. are appreciated!

YouTube - Follow Me on my Internet Marketing Journey!
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

w4rl0rdx

New Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
29%
Sep 2, 2009
41
12
39
Michigan
Wow... Awesome, I love case studies and btw... your not the only one with an adwords voucher they haven't used yet. :icon_super:

How long have you been doing Internet / affiliate marketing online for because you seem to be doing pretty good for yourself. I just spent the last half of 2009 through the begining of 2010 leaning about CPA / IM and just started trying it over the past few months and So far haven't been doing too well. Made a few dollars in adsense off of a World of warcraft niche side I made that I was interested in and a couple dollars in ZIP submits from some CPA networks so far but I think I need more experience. Do you have any advice for New(er) people like myself getting into IM for how to choose offers/Niches?

With that Daily Show/Jon Stewart avatar I would have thought you would be a bit older. But its cool to see alot of younger people like myself doing CPA/IM.
 

James Fake

Gold Contributor
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
150%
May 4, 2009
1,494
2,244
Las Vegas, NV
Props to ya. Look forward to watching more.. I can tell you will be quite successful in the future.
 

LightHouse

Legendary Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
163%
Aug 13, 2007
4,297
6,996
Northern VA
Ryan, excellent job on the video! Keep up the good work, it's not easy being successful but having these video's up of you can open you up to opportunity to meet new people that can propel you forward.

Let us know when you put up the next one!
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

kurtyordy

Bronze Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
12%
Aug 28, 2007
2,365
282
46
PA
good work. only comment is that at 3 minutes or so when you go to the mac, the volume changed dramatically. If you are looking to build beyond people you know, you will have to work on that. Other than that, I appreciated the video.
 

MJ DeMarco

I followed the science; all I found was money.
Staff member
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Rat-Race Escape!
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
445%
Jul 23, 2007
38,083
169,525
Utah
This is awesome Ryan, congrats, I had no idea you were so young ... action pumped out into the world makes things happen!
 

jazzfreak11

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
29%
Jun 23, 2009
207
59
30
Boston, USA
good work. only comment is that at 3 minutes or so when you go to the mac, the volume changed dramatically. If you are looking to build beyond people you know, you will have to work on that. Other than that, I appreciated the video.

Thanks for the comment. I didn't think it would bother people, but I guess it is kinda annoying. I'll make sure to fix that in the future.

And to you and everybody else, thanks SO MUCH for the comments, compliments, and encouragement. I really wasn't expecting that kind of response.

w4rl0rdx, I responded to your questions at the beginning of today's video, because I thought it would be beneficial to do so.

I just uploaded a new video today, answering some questions from different forums and introducing the 3 case studies i'll be doing first.

I also talk about :


  • Why I won't link to Ed Dale
  • CPA offers and selecting them
  • Making money on Squidoo?
  • Contacting Offline Businesses
  • How to Take Action


Lots of good stuff today, and this is only the talking part. Later tonight I'll upload a super-quick video to show progress. Best of luck everybody!

YouTube - Day 2- New Case Studies, and TOP SECRET Plans (pt. 1)


Thanks again!
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

LightHouse

Legendary Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
163%
Aug 13, 2007
4,297
6,996
Northern VA
I agree, the changing shots just doesn't hold well with this. the screen capture and you do though. Remember the key to capturing people's attention, "there is no sweeter words to someone than their own name"

This almost makes me want to do a vid series on automating methods like these, but the majority of them aren't worth the time.

I picked up something on both video's, you seem like you are trying to use methods but then also getting offline clients for marketing/seo i imagine... this goes against your advice of finding one thing and sticking to it. Do you feel if you get offline clients it will garner to much time from doing your methods and articles?

Just wondering how you are going to manage all tt work load when it all takes off. Overloading mitigation is something you also have to work on when you are working on many things at once.
 

FDJustin

Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
11%
Apr 30, 2010
715
79
Canada
"You're not allowed to give reputation to the same post twice" ... Strange thing to see when you weren't trying to do that. I guess my appreciation was trying to jump on the screen and show itself without my help. :p

I'm looking forward to keeping up to date on this.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

jazzfreak11

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
29%
Jun 23, 2009
207
59
30
Boston, USA
I agree, the changing shots just doesn't hold well with this. the screen capture and you do though. Remember the key to capturing people's attention, "there is no sweeter words to someone than their own name"

This almost makes me want to do a vid series on automating methods like these, but the majority of them aren't worth the time.

I picked up something on both video's, you seem like you are trying to use methods but then also getting offline clients for marketing/seo i imagine... this goes against your advice of finding one thing and sticking to it. Do you feel if you get offline clients it will garner to much time from doing your methods and articles?

Just wondering how you are going to manage all tt work load when it all takes off. Overloading mitigation is something you also have to work on when you are working on many things at once.

Well, that's why I'll be hiring a Virtual Assistant over the Summer- so that I can outsource all the affiliate marketing ideas I have and focus on doing other things, like consulting.

Thanks for all the compliments and encouragement again. Any input is more then welcome. I think i'm actually going to contact Tiffany Dow, who's running this Squidoo challenge and see if we can work out some kind of interview or mutually-beneficial deal. It'd be a pretty good way to drive a LOT of subscribers my way.
 

Phil

New Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
23%
Apr 13, 2008
56
13
U.K
Great Video Ryan I loved it. Speed+++ For taking action

I just want to ask you a couple of questions.

As an affiliate, what would you like to see from your merchants? What keeps you engaged?

What are your business goals?

Thanks, :great:
 

jazzfreak11

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
29%
Jun 23, 2009
207
59
30
Boston, USA
Hey everybody, my 3rd video, 2nd week is now up on YouTube!

YouTube - Video 3, Week 2- What's Gotten Done?

Topics Include:

  • My first lens
  • Is Ed Dale's Starting From Scratch a blatant rehash of the 30DC?
  • Being "Qualified" by Google
  • my Article Marketing failures
  • , and more!

Phil, I answered your question in the video :)

Alright guys, keep in touch, and enjoy!
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

tchandy

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
20%
Aug 16, 2007
456
92
Kansas, for now
Ryan-
This is great and you're only in high school. Speed ++ for getting started at such a young age. Continue to learn and build your business. I wish you the best of luck.

Tom
 

kurtyordy

Bronze Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
12%
Aug 28, 2007
2,365
282
46
PA
good job once again. so I am going to fine tune my critiquing a bit more....

There is a light source behind you and over your head. Sometimes, when you move your head as you are talking it can be seen and takes my attention away.

Is it minor? yes. but I am just trying to help you fine tune your offering a bit more.
 

Phil

New Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
23%
Apr 13, 2008
56
13
U.K
Wow Ryan, Great answer!

Thanks so much for covering it in your video. It really gave me a lot to think about. It definitely seems worth while investing in some good creative, TBH I hadn't even thought about writing an ebook before to help promote my business. So thanks!

This week, I wanted to ask you...

What incentive would you need to in order to become an affiliate of a small, start up merchant?

Also - are you familiar with the shoemoney program as I'd love to see a review on that. And also the DIYSEO program.

Loving the videos man. Keep up the great work:yourock:
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

PaulRobert

Gold Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
Read Fastlane!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
146%
May 15, 2009
1,024
1,500
31
New Jersey
I am blown away Ryan! I am very happy to see someone my age out taking action and doing something productive. I wish you the best of luck! :eusa_clap:

Rep+++
 

jazzfreak11

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
29%
Jun 23, 2009
207
59
30
Boston, USA

jazzfreak11

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
29%
Jun 23, 2009
207
59
30
Boston, USA
What incentive would you need to in order to become an affiliate of a small, start up merchant?

Also - are you familiar with the shoemoney program as I'd love to see a review on that. And also the DIYSEO program.

Holy crow Phil! I went to go make my video, made it, uploaded it, and TOTALLY forgot about your question! Sorry! I guess I'll answer it here.

When I become an affiliate of any merchant, I don't care if it's small or large as long as the following criteria are met:

  • Has an organized affiliate program running through one of the big networks or a script/software that I've used before
  • Has a focus on direct response advertising (i.e, being an affiliate for a PRODUCT, and not a whole storefront)
  • Has a well-written, nicely designed sales page that I guess will convert
  • Has a good product and maybe even some previous indicator of success

As far of the shoemoney program, I HAVE heard of it, but I'm not too sure what it's about. I'll take a closer look at it and see if I could do a case study on it. I've never heard of the DIYSEO product though. Do you have a link? I will say this though- there's only so much to teach in the area of seo...


....and without further ado....


Wow, week 4 already!

YouTube - Week 4 Video: Revenues, Expenses, Frusturation, and MORE

So what kind of interesting stuff is on the agenda this week?

  • The methods that have MADE me money, and the methods that have LOST me money
  • A nifty GoDaddy coupon if you haven't seen it yet
  • My First Flippa Listing
  • Google Sniper Frustruations
  • Exciting Things to Look Forward To!
  • ...aaaaand more.

and of course I'm always available if you have questions or want to have a quick chat. Enjoy the video, take a look at my Flippa listing, and enjoy your week! :thankyousign:
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

BigEasy25

New Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
13%
Jan 4, 2010
63
8
39
New Orleans, LA
Wow! Ryan I am loving these vids. The 52 week challenge seems very interesting. Internet marketing is something I would love to learn more about. Keep it up!
 

jazzfreak11

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
29%
Jun 23, 2009
207
59
30
Boston, USA
Wow! Ryan I am loving these vids. The 52 week challenge seems very interesting. Internet marketing is something I would love to learn more about. Keep it up!

Thanks for the encouragement! This week I was really in a slump. Got next to nothing done and made no extra money.

However, that doesn't mean all news is bad news! Turns out there's a guy who's just starting a new business, he's been looking at me for a little while, and when he saw I was a coach at IMElite.com, that gave him the final push to call me up. I'd say there's a pretty good chance we end up working together (meaning anywhere from 1-3 thousand $ a month for me, which would be a big help to my current goals!). It's not super time-consuming work either: some simple PPC and social media management.

Anyways, I talk about all that stuff in the video. Here's week 5:

YouTube - Week 5: The Bad and the Ugly

  • You can have riches, or you can have excuses
  • Flippa promotion?
  • My first offline client?
  • Why I'm waiting to use Frank Kern's method
  • Ryan Lucht takes on The Challenge!
  • Overload

Keep in touch guys, sorry I haven't been active here very much lately. I'm still lurking (and learning!) :thankyousign:
 

Rem

Silver Contributor
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
81%
Sep 14, 2009
1,216
984
48
Maine
Hey Jazz this is good stuff. I missed this thread when it first came out. Not only is this good quality but it is inspirational. After watching these vids it has personally got me pumped up and makes me want to go out and hustle.

Keep up the good work and I may actually form my own progress thread if I can pull together some info.

Great Job!!!

Speed ++
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

jazzfreak11

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
29%
Jun 23, 2009
207
59
30
Boston, USA
Hey Jazz this is good stuff. I missed this thread when it first came out. Not only is this good quality but it is inspirational. After watching these vids it has personally got me pumped up and makes me want to go out and hustle.

Keep up the good work and I may actually form my own progress thread if I can pull together some info.

Great Job!!!

Speed ++

Thanks rem, I look forward to reading your progress thread if you can get one out!

As for my progress, luckily I had a MUCH better week this week and I'm seeing good stuff going down!

WEEK 6 VIDEO! :)

YouTube - Week 6: GOOD NEWS! (and disappointing news)


  • I believe that the site flipping method is valid...but is it worth it?
  • My bottom line on following Starting From Scratch explicitly
  • Progress on my case studies
  • Limiting beliefs with consulting?
  • Amazing SEO Results from Google Sniper
 
A

Anon3587x

Guest
Why challenges don't work.

Do you think your the only person trying to use these methods to make some money? (I know you don't think this)

Those methods are so saturated with competition even the best internet markets are having a hard time making money.

Consider this Ryan, instead of scheming up ways to make other people money.
Make yourself money!

Start your own business !
I see your already trying to do that, but put more energy into that.

These are fun videos to watch but I have to advise you to use that web savvy brain of yours on more personal ideas.

Start your own challenges.

Be the driver!
Listen to the information this forum provides you with.
Your already on your way to being successful. But your just riding the wrong bike (but on the right path)
 

FDJustin

Contributor
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
11%
Apr 30, 2010
715
79
Canada
You know, Bateati, completing these challenges publicly would be a very good way to begin setting up his own challenges. Not only because they're a learning experience, but because he'll show results.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.
A

Anon3587x

Guest
By completing these challenges you will of course learn a few things.

But your potential is limited to only achieving the challenge inventors level of success. (which usally isn't shit in the scheme of things)

Anything you learn from those challenges is available to you right now by taking action and just doing it. Not to mention you may find a hole in the system, which is unexplored and can be hugely profited from.

If those challenges are so amazing these people would not be sharing them with the world. Maybe at one time they were a trend but that trend is obviously long gone by now hence the easily accessible information.

I do agree that after completing these challenges he will then have credibility to make his own challenges. Giving people emphasis to complete them for he may be considered an expert then.

But this is the fastlane forum, I do not advocate anything that isn't amazing with potential HUGE profit margins.


These needs are waiting to be filled. We need to find them.

Stop wasting your time with such mainstream ideas and methods.
That is unless you are scheming up a way of doing it better then everyone else.

Ryan you are young, I'm not much older. But start aiming for the moon right now, with every idea you decide to follow through with.
Don't waste any ounce of energy you may have making somebody else rich.

As you age, grow into the body of a ceo with high ambitions.

If your source of income relies on somebody elses success or sale...
Find something else to do because your already giving yourself up short.

There are of course limitations to this.
 

LightHouse

Legendary Contributor
FASTLANE INSIDER
EPIC CONTRIBUTOR
Read Fastlane!
Read Unscripted!
Summit Attendee
Speedway Pass
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
163%
Aug 13, 2007
4,297
6,996
Northern VA
Actually the pace he is moving i think is good, he is learning a lot and making contacts a long the way. you can't wake up in the morning and shoot for the stars if you have 0 experience in what you are doing.

Ryan, Why not automate the ones that require building something?
 
A

Anon3587x

Guest
Lighthouse I agree, you can't shoot for the stars with 0 experience.

But shooting for the stars requires its own experience. A different kind of experience, only obtained when shooting for the stars.

affiliate marketing or pay per performance programs are just bs for those who wish to be considered entrepreneurs. It's not sustainable and a waste of good efforts for somebody with higher plan in mind.

If this was the warriorforum or some tech forum I would not even bring this up because the common goal and theme there is to do this sort of thing.

This is a fastlane entrepreneur forum and when the members here loose track of what the end goal is I just feel like they should be reminded.

I don't care if hes 16, by the time hes 21 he could have a full pledged business going because he aimed high straight from the gate and eventually found something that worked.
Why should he wait till hes 21 to finally realize he has not been aiming high all this time just to start where he could of started now?

I am a very crazy compassionate person. I'd live in a tent for 4 months if I had to put fourth that sort of risk to strike gold or at least be a decent success at what I was trying to pull off.
Sometimes I sleep without a pillow or blanket just to not get to comfortable.

That being said, decide for yourself if what I say is something you would like to believe in and follow through with or not.
 
Dislike ads? Remove them and support the forum: Subscribe to Fastlane Insiders.

jazzfreak11

Contributor
Read Fastlane!
User Power
Value/Post Ratio
29%
Jun 23, 2009
207
59
30
Boston, USA
Hey folks,

I just read over some of your responses, and wow. They've got quite a bit of wisdom in them. Well, since I've last been posting around, I've been doing a lot of work. A lot of failing, a lot of reading, a lot of thinking, a lot of meeting people and working on things.

So here's my update.

FROM INTERNET MARKETING TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP: I've decided to go full blown with this. I've pretty much stopped blogging at RyanLucht.com . That's not a business. That's a for fun project that I just don't have time for any more.

Instead of being an affiliate marketer, I am now the President and CEO of Ryan Lucht Internet Properties. I'm focusing on a small portfolio of sites, ranking them in Google, promoting affiliate products, and tracking everything very carefully. Then I'll build my own products around those niches, sell them, build sales funnels, email lists, etc.

There's a lot of work to be done in this area, so I'm starting to look for people to help me. I don't have money to pay them, so that's out of the question. So I put out a YouTube video just 10 minutes ago looking for some unpaid interns/mastermind members who are willing to help out in exchange for access to training courses, tools, and a learning experience. (you can see that video here YouTube - WORK WITH ME! Make Dollar Signs! Fun Involved! )

I have 3 internet properties that I'm working on right now. One is from the 2010 Challenge, and is okay. One is on sat prep books, but that's brand new. The last is on Brain Training, and that's probably the furthest I've gotten in the process. That site has tons of links and I'm working on a free email course to start the sales funnel.

My 4th property is a blog called SchoolDestroyer.com, and it's in need of a major makeover. I still get plenty of traffic and a few sales here and there from it, so it's time to push it to the next level. I think I need to give it a new name, a new focus for it's content, maybe a new layout. It's going to be a big project, and I need a whole team just to help with that. I'm going to start recruiting for that team sometime soon, from among my IRL friends.

MY "JOB": As far as my "job" goes, I've continued working for various internet marketing clients, and I now have a waiting list of about 5 clients too! So that's going well. There's also a marketing firm with offices locally who wants to schedule an interview with me for a Paid SEO internship with them this summer.

WORK FOR FUN AND VOLUNTEERING: I've started another website just for fun about bowling, and any money I make from it is going to be spent taking my girlfriend of 8 months bowling. I'm also volunteering doing IM for two fundraising efforts: SaveMaryJacobsLibrary.com and MontgomeryFireworks.com . It's always nice to hear when I hit $1,000 or even $3,000 weekends.

FREELANCING: (In addition to doing MJ's idea of using all my spare change and starting a little Fastlane fund), I'm doing freelance writing jobs on oDesk, because I think they're really easy, and they give me spending money, and money to put into my (slightly premature) F.U. Fund (anti-job fund).

COLLEGES: Man oh man is this crazy. The college hunt is awfully exhausting. Right now I'm looking at Entrepreneurship programs at Northeastern, UDel, Syracuse, and Babson. I'm also looking at Entrepreneurship minors at UPenn and BU. In my research and visits so far, UDel and Syracuse both have incubators on-campus for student-run businesses, and I even met a girl at Syracuse who graduated last year and is there on an Entrepreneurial Fellowship, where she gets tons of grant money to grow her business, free grad courses, office space in the incubator, and mentoring from professors. Very cool.

Anyways, I think that wraps it up for now. See you guys later!
 

Post New Topic

Please SEARCH before posting.
Please select the BEST category.

Post new topic

Guest post submissions offered HERE.

Latest Posts

New Topics

Fastlane Insiders

View the forum AD FREE.
Private, unindexed content
Detailed process/execution threads
Ideas needing execution, more!

Join Fastlane Insiders.

Top