Sometimes Your Journey Takes Unexpected Turns

I’m back!

Again, I ended up neglecting my blog – and it seemed that the longer I was away, the harder it was to bet back to it.  It is kind of one of those situations that you start feeling so bad for not doing something for so long, that it just seems easier to bury your head and ignore it.  Sad, I know – and there really isn’t any excuse.  I could offer some – like mentioning how busy I have been (which I have), but that isn’t really a very good reason.

Over the past few months, I have finally figured out how to try focusing my efforts – and to realize that I needed to follow in doing what I truly enjoy – not just what I “thought” was the easiest and best way for me to make money and grow a business I could be proud of.

After signing up with the direct sales company I had chosen as a consultant, I tried to do what was required to start seeing some income from it.  But, since I live in a very small, rural area- it wasn’t as simple as I thought it would be.  People just don’t have the money right now to be spending a lot on photo books and other products that they can get for less money through other sites.

And, that is a hard sell – when you are trying to explain why it is that “your” product is superior, and why it is worth it for them to spend more money for a product they can get cheaper if they shop around.  After talking with other consultants who were feeling much the same way, I realized that I was feeling guilty when people were actually purchasing from me, because I just didn’t believe in my heart that it was the best deal.

I guess that is why I am not cut out for direct sales – that, and the fact that I hate doing parties!  I know when I go to those parties, I always feel obligated to buy something, and I just didn’t want to be making people feel that same way.

So, I have let my consultant status go – I didn’t bother renewing it when it came up in February.

I still really believe the digital scrapbooking, and creating memory books and wonderful keepsakes, is a lot of fun, and is so much easier for many people than traditional scrapbooking.

And, I still believed that I wanted to be able to help others create their own books.  So, I bought a license to software that is very easy to use, which I can offer through my own site.

It may not be as “robust”, or have the bells and whistles and extra embellishments I could offer when I was a consultant with the other company, but it makes products that are just as good, and with a lot more to choose from!
It is far easier for people to use, and the products are SO much more affordable!  (You can see it at www.yourstorybooklife.com).

I have lots more to report, and so many more ideas for things I need to write about.  I am following my heart, and not trying anymore to do the things I have heard I “need to do” to make money – or to grow my business.

And, that has led me into two areas which I can keep doing, and that I know I will enjoy every day.  That is taking my love for online marketing, and putting it with my enjoyment of crafts – and I get to put them both towards growing a business I enjoy doing.

I never realized how much I love internet marketing until I kind of started to move away from it over the past year.  While I don’t make the “millions” that others promise and say they are making – I am doing well enough to know that I actually have learned a great deal over the past 5 years I have been doing this.

Now, I help other small businesses to market themselves online, and I have helped to show some offline businesses in my area how they can benefit from the internet.  I love what I am doing, and I have decided that these are the areas I am going to focus on now.

So, when you come to read my blog – you will learn everything I can share with you about internet marketing – whether you are wanting to make money through affiliate marketing, creating your own products, freelancing, or other ways – or if you have a business (like selling crafts or anything else you can dream up), and you want to learn to market it online.

That is what I know – and what I am going to share with you.  I can point you in the direction to other information that I don’t specialize in – such as finding jobs online, mystery shopping etc. etc…..- if that is what you are most interested in learning.

And I hope you taken the message away from this post I was hoping to convey:  while sometimes you might find that you are “all over the place”, and that you feel like you keep trying things believing that this is “the one” – it can easy to start feeling that you are a failure, and that you just can’t seem to figure it out like everyone else has.  It might be easy to give up – but if you believe in something, and you can find that one thing you enjoy – trust me…it isn’t always going to be the first “great idea” you have…..then you will get there.  And, don’t ever feel bad about the mistakes you have made along the way – that is how you learn, and someday, that information you learned while making those mistakes, will come back and surprise you with how much it can actually help you!

Remember…

“Miracles have been accomplished by people who have kept trying when all hope seems lost.”

And…..

“Success lies in the journey – not the destination.”

I hope you will keep following along, and I promise, I have alot to share with you!