With Christmas hurtling towards us faster than a coked-up Santa screwing the guts out of a pimped-out sleigh, I thought it would be a great time to write a round up post as content on this blog has been a bit thin on the ground recently.
Also, I don’t usually write round up posts, perhaps I should? In fact the last one I wrote can be found here, from way back in July!
It’s close to freezing outside, it’s darker than it should be at 3pm and I have a cup of steaming hot tea in front of me – perfect conditions for writing a reflective, Christmassy blog post!
(photograph attributed to Colin Purrington)
2009: The Year It All Changed
Those of you who have read my blog from the beginning will know the first half of 2009 was not a great time for me. I was struggling with a business model I did not like and worse still, could not make pay.
It all changed for me in June 2009, when I joined Rich Schefren’s GPS program which gave me some much needed home truths and also Alex Jeffreys’ coaching program which gave me needed direction and a platform in which to network with some of top marketers in the UK and beyond.
I moved out of the house I was never happy in for the 32 months I lived there in September and into a larger, nicer one which also provided me with a great room for a home office! Selling my old house was a lengthy and frustrating process and I felt a lot happier and optimistic within myself as soon as I got the internet switched on in my new place!
October saw me attend my first ever networking event, in Manchester and hosted by Lee McIntyre. In true networking fashion, it was a case of working hard and playing even harder which shot my fragile immune system to bits but it was well worth it.
It gave the chance to meet Lee and Alex in person, as well as Matt Garrett, Jit Uppal, Dave Nicholson, John Thornhill, Daniel Sumner, Daniel Wagner, James Teale, Peter Lockwood, Sonia and Angela Panesar and fellow UK-based AJ coaching students such as Dean Holland, Dan Briffa, David Chamberlain, Sean Beardmore, Steve Wakefield, Keith Purkiss, Rich Hill, Marc Milburn, Mick Fallon, Paul Lear, Mark Terrell and Steve Bailey.
Meeting people who are already making unbelievable amounts of money online gave me the kick up the ass I needed because despite the coaching from both Rich and Alex, I still found myself slipping into bad, non-productive habits.
When you meet successful people in the flesh, it becomes a lot more ‘real’ and makes you think that if they are doing it then why aren’t you?
This prompted me to take my own massive action and this week I hosted the last in a series of six coaching webinars where I allowed people to attend for free while I recorded them. The response to the my announcing of the webinars was incredible and attracted 115 comments, my most popular blog post to date!
I’ll have to try and beat that next year!
The webinars were great fun to do and something I had not done before so was a great learning experience. They gave me some great content to use next year and I could even sell them as a standalone product if I wanted to – they are that good!
So, the first half of 2009 – not so great, the middle saw an improvement in my business and the work I have put in before Christmas means I go out of 2009 with a bang!
(photograph attributed to Castaway)
2010: The Year It’s Going to Get EVEN BETTER!
I don’t want to write too much here because I intend to write a post dedicated to my New Years Resolutions but I know 2010 is the year I will finally make my mark on the internet!
Just looking ahead to January alone I can see so many business and life changing opportunities present themselves to me – it’s going to be amazing and I can’t wait to get stuck in!
Towards the end of January I travel to Las Vegas to attend Mike Filsaime’s affiliate networking event and a couple of days later Alex Jeffreys is hosting an event for his coaching students. The networking and business opportunities in the space of a few short days set against a neon-lit backdrop is just going to be incredible and mind blowing.
It will not only give me the chance to meet some of the biggest players in the internet marketing industry but also even more of the AJ coaching students who I have spoken to regularly for months.
I am looking forward to finally shaking hands with the likes of Josh Bartlett, Matt Wolfe, Joe Fier and Gary Simpson as well as UK-based marketers like Marcus Passey, Paul Wilson and Iain Buchanan as our paths have not yet crossed.
Of course, it’s also going to be awesome to say hello to lots of familiar faces from October’s event – I had better set a week aside when I get back to recover!
Plus, before I even get to Vegas, I have the small matter of actively promoting Josh Bartlett’s game-changing marketing software product which I hope will pay for the trip!
The software is due for launch in mid-January and I will reveal more details on that very soon!
(photograph attributed to Chewy Chua)
With That Said, Merry Christmas!
I love the photograph I have used to illustrate the conclusion of this blog post because it conveys how everyone feels at this time of year – rushed off their feet and wondering if it’s all worth it!
It has been a hectic few months with moving house and deciding exactly which direction I want to take my business in.
I don’t know about you, but I could do with a really peaceful Christmas!
I will update the blog again before New Year with my resolutions (I hope to read some of yours too!) but until then I want to take this opportunity to thank you for reading my blog up to this point and wish you a very Merry Christmas!*
(*Other religious holidays are available)
Now, where’s the booze…
Hey David,
Congratulations on what you have achieved in 2009 and thank you for all the great content you provided on your blog and on your webinars i have really learned a lot from you.
I wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year.
Cheers,
Nick
.-= Nick Brosnan´s last blog ..How to Create Your Own Personal Signature =-.
Hi David
Merry Christmas and a happy new year. Don’t get too merry you might miss some of the fun!!! Your webinars were great and I will get a video done as soon as I get my camera sorted it crashed the pc on me yesterday.
Talk to you next year
Richard
.-= Richard Moloney´s last blog ..David Walker Webinar Module 3 – Part 1 =-.
Hi David, this is a wonderful close to the year; looking back and seeing how far you’ve come and sharing it all with us.
I too believe that the year 2010 will be your year, as I see you’ve worked very hard to get to this today and can do so much more.
Here’s to wishing you a Merry Christmas and the very best of 2010.
Khadija
Twitter: GazzMan
December 24, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Hi David,
Well I was laughing at your opening salvo here coz it was SO “Gazzman-like”
Well said, metaphorically speaking, of course. Made me laugh!
It was touch-and-go whether I was gonna get to Vegas because of some very serious issues I have here but I thought “what the heck?” – why should I let negative a*s*o*es affect what I want to do? So, this afternoon, in the last hour before the Travel Agency closed on Christmas Eve I drove down there and booked and paid for my flights. 22 hours in the air plus stop-overs AND – horror – I had to come into the USA via San Francisco. Oh well… LOL!
Because I simply cannot sleep on planes I will be nice and wired and cranky when I arrive so the first thing I am gonna do is take a hot bath and climb into bed for a few hours.
Looking forward to meeting all you guys and girls.
Merry Christmas David. See you in Vegas.
Garry Simpson
TEMPLE
.-= Gary Simpson´s last blog ..Self Improvement Giveaway 4 =-.
Hi Gary,
Thanks for dropping by and confirm you will be joining us all in Vegas – it’s going to be great to meet you in person at last!
It would be more fun to meet you wired and cranky though, that’s the Gazz Man we have grown to love!
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and see you in Vegas!
David
David, Just reading your blog I felt triumphant for you and congratulations on overcoming the odds to close out 2009 with a bang! Can’t wait to read your Resolutions for 2010. All the best and I really enjoy receiving your e-mails in my inbox. Thank you.
.-= Yvonne A Jones´s last blog ..10 Guidelines for Diabetic Foot Care – Part 2 =-.
Twitter: zimpeterw
December 26, 2009 at 5:22 pm
And a happy Christmas to you too.
Good post, you must be one of the few honest internet marketers around!
You have the courage to tell your story without the massive hype so many others do, I have only been following your blog for a short while and was thinking of unsubscribing to your emails, but this post changed my mind so I’ll continue.
Hope your trip to Las Vegas lives up to your expectations.
Best wishes for your success in the New Year.
.-= Peter Wright´s last blog ..Mike Dillard asks – Is money destroying the world? =-.
Hi Peter,
Thanks for leaving me a comment and I am glad you are going to stick with me in the New Year.
I have some great stuff planned and loads of great content for the blog so I’d hate for you to miss out!
David
Hi David. A couple of days ago I actually sent you an email regarding the amount of times you had sent promotional emails and kinda said I thought you were different from others etc. You promptly but politely explained a few things to me and wished me a merry xmas.
I forgot that in the end whatever we are promoting it needs to be put in front of the potential buyer.
Thanks for the lesson.
All the best
Mike.
Hi MIke,
Thank you for leaving me a comment and of course I appreciate you emailing me as well.
When running an online business and especially in the early stages, it sometimes feels you can’t do right for doing wrong.
I pride myself on producing great content on my blog and indeed my series of six webinars, all of which were free and were as good as anything you would pay upwards of $1,000 for… but, there has to be a promotional side of things too because freebies do not pay the bills!
It is a balance I hope to strike correctly but even if you never buy anything from me directly or what I promote as an affiliate, you can still access all of the free content I put out there which I hope you can use and benefit from.
David
Thanks for your last webinar and much success to you in the coming year.
Evan Beck
.-= Evan Beck´s last blog ..Alex Jeffreys Training =-.
Hi David
It’s a boost to read about how you changed your life from a not so great 1st half 2009 to a fabulous 2nd half 2009. I’m sure you will make your mark on the internet and I wish you good luck!
All the best!
Shaleniie Devi
Man 2009 has been an amazing year for the both of us. We made some great connections are really started to solidify our business models. I haven’t been to a meetup yet but that’s all going to change come Vegas…
2009 was a great year but 2010 is going to be exponentially better!
Congrats on the new house and all of the success that you are seeing!
Happy New Year!
Matt
.-= Matt Wolfe´s last blog ..2009 In Review / 2010 Goals =-.
Hi Matt,
Yep – while 2009 has not been the most financially rewarding for me, the groundwork which has now been laid in terms of education, planning and networking will help me reap the rewards for years to come – starting in 2009!
Can’t wait to get started now, only a few weeks till Vegas!
David
Hey David,
great post, it’s nice to hear your success story. It’s stories like yours that makes beginners, like myself, believe.
I’ve followed your recent emails and I’m happy to say that you are already earning a name as a marketer who will coach without always pushing product.
Thanks for that!!
I wish you the best of 2010
Mark Stewart