No Such Thing As Luck With E-business Success

by Adam J. Wahlberg
(New York)

When I was a kid, I could always be found on a stage. I loved the theatre, and I pledged my life to the pursuit of its excellence. I was an acolyte worshiping at the altar of Comedy and Tragedy, and I had racked up nearly 30 full-length productions by the time I was 18.

So is it any surprise that I found myself going to college for acting? It was the four best years of my life. (Thus far. I know now that my best years are yet to come.) I was so steeped in the theatre community that I made time for absolutely nothing (and no one) else. And you know what? I was a very fine actor.

It was only after I graduated from college and moved to New York City that the real world sunk its teeth in, and all of a sudden I had to support myself in one of the most expensive cities in the world. So what did I do...?

I started waiting tables, of course. And I became a living cliché. But anyone who's worked in the restaurant industry will tell you, the money-making shifts are at the END of the week. Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night, and midday Sunday.

Well, when do people go to the theatre? You guessed it! Thursday night, Friday night, Saturday night, and midday Sunday.

My life's work, my ordained vocation, the art that ran quick through my very veins, yanked away from me, and for what? So I can keep the lights on in my tiny little bathroom... I wasn't living anymore. I was merely surviving. Going through the motions. Growing old before my time. And I spiraled into a deep depression that lasted well over a year.

But one day I was reading Steve Pavlina's blog and he recommended a product called "Site Build It". When I signed up in early April of 2008, I knew absolutely nothing about web design, development, or internet marketing. And the first two years after I signed up were really just about learning. I started a site, Translating William Shakespeare, and it failed miserably. But thanks to the Action Guide, the SBI Forums, and in particular Tomaz Mencinger, I learned from my mistakes and tried again.

In January of 2010 I launched Ace Your Audition, a website dedicated to helping actors nail the audition, book the job, and make a living doing what they love. Eighteen months later, it averages just under 2,000 unique visitors per day, and will earn somewhere between $550 and $600 for the month of July.

And the best part? I'm just getting started. This fall, I'll be integrating video content, playing with affiliate marketing, writing my first ebook for an eventual product launch, and offering my services as an acting career consultant. All this while continuing to build my audience, and empowering actors all over the world.

"Well that's great, Adam. But this website stuff could never work for me."

You know, I used to think that too. I used to read this one thread about SBIers who were in the "$500 A Month Club." I would read for hours, green with envy. I thought, "I'll never know what that's like. They're just lucky, and I'm not." And now look at me. I'm not only IN the club, I won't have time to sign my membership card before I'm moving on the the "$1000 A Month Club"!

I am living proof that absolutely anyone can be successful. See, it's not about luck. Internet marketing is about having the right game plan, executing it well, and (as Dr. Ken would say) keeping it real.

So this post is for all the disheartened, the disillusioned, the disenfranchised, and (perhaps most of all) the disbelievers.... Take heart, dry your eyes, and put your back into your business. Your success is bound to follow.

Sincerely,
Adam J. Wahlberg
Founder
Ace Your Audition