How Can I Make Money Online? | My Journey From Past To Present

 

Beginning entrepreneurs tend to think earning money online is difficult.

A YOUNG ENTREPRENEUR MIND (My Story)

By Ronald Kennedy

February 4, 2021

Recent update: May 23, 2023

 

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As a snotty-nosed, 11 year old kid from the projects, I was bitten by ‘the entrepreneurship bug’ early. I hung out with my friend Terry on his paper routes!

I was impressed at how my friend was making his own money. (Fast forward to the future: If it was in todays time, my buddy and I would be discussing, “how can I make money online?”)

I also ran with him just to be doing something. (Not to mention I was interested in one of his customer’s daughter. Man! Was she cute!) But that’s a whole different story!

Young Terry was a real hustler back in those early grade school years. Although we hung a lot together as friends, I’m surprised how it is that our journey & travels into strange neighborhoods didn’t get us killed?!

(I never thought about the future and how the road to earning would play out as I got older.) 

Also, during that time before computers were ever in use and offered to the public; items were advertised, bought, and sold through newspapers.

Yep! That was our ‘social media’ back then. Making money online wasn’t invented yet. No internet!

Later, as I got a little older, I’d try this technique; even if I wasn’t successful. I’d write something in the newspaper or magazine in reference to what they were inquiring.

The prospect would then write in to me requesting more info and showing their interest. (I was always thrilled to see that inquiry come in the mailbox.)

Advertisers would hock their products through newspaper print ads.

Later, the world of advertising would slowly revolve to great changes; that one day this ‘online marketing’ would

‘take off like a rocket,’ through such a thing called ‘the internet.’

Now if you want to go way back to the days of Abraham Lincoln (Or maybe NOT that far back), I know there were even hustlers back then.

 

The whole history of advertising can be traced back to ancient civilization.

The first colonial newspaper was published in 1690. In 1783, there were only 43 American newspapers in print. In 1741, America published its first magazine.

Mostly newspapers were used a lot back in those days regarding advertising. My journey from back-in-the-day didn’t start that no where that early. (My parents weren’t even born yet! lol)

Whatever worked for advertiser to make a buck, it was probably used. (Sometimes even illegally and dishonest.)

I’m sure they had some type of scam going on back then too. Lets face it! It appears the ‘hustling game within the advertising world’ will never go away!

GROWING UP

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I remember growing up in Chicago, selling Christmas cards door-to-door for some ‘fly by night’ company.

For every box I sold, I’d get a

 commission. But I had to start selling the cards during the summer months, which I thought was weird.

I discovered the company did it this way because they needed time to process the order forms before the upcoming holiday.

Customers would be happy receiving their cards on time each year.

Although this form of ‘hustle’ was good, my main interest was art. I love drawing and painting, but mom didn’t have the money for art supplies.

Selling Christmas cards, door-to-door, was my first affiliate marketing job. I was ‘bitten by the advertising’ bug! I loved this way of making some money with little work.

Nothing hard or physical. Just a lot of long weekends, walking in the hot sun, going door to door. But still have to be aware of my surroundings. (Thank God, the streets were no where as bad as they are today.)

The only thing bad about being a young hustler is that I did miss hanging out with my friends.

Shooting hoops on the lot and playing softball is what they like to do almost every afternoon.  (My mind was set on how I could earn myself some pocket money.)

A WORLD OF THUGS.

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Things back then, in the early years, was no where what it is today in regards to violence in the street.

The most that would happen back then was to maybe get my ass kicked and robbed.

Now, in today’s times, you’ll be thankful & lucky that would be the ONLY thing that’ll happen to you.

My friends wondered what was wrong with me. Why did I wanna do this? I enjoyed making my own money without asking my parents for everything.

Mom and dad only had enough money to keep a roof over our heads and barely pay the monthly bills. We ate whatever we could afford.

Mom always kept a little change on the side for her ‘Bull Frog’ beer, which she enjoyed drinking with her next-door neighbor friend.

(I always got a big laugh out of that brand name!)LOL! I’d watch them sitting there talking, laughing and drinking.

I’d sit there thinking why I never had any ‘bucks’ in my pocket? Of course, not to buy beer, but other things I like.

 

ART CREATIVITY STILL REMAINED A STRONG INTEREST. 

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Selling art online was always a good possibility of earning.  As I mentioned before, art was just as important as my love for business and affiliate marketing.

Later in life, I really developed my skills in regards to the techniques of oil painting. (My knowledge of acrylics & watercolor came much later).

Below are some of my paintings I’d have outside on display during one of my art fair’s in Chicago, ILL. A real fun time that weekend!

This fair would feature oil paintings, framed drawings of unique subjects, hand-crafted dolls, airbrush pictures, metal sculptures, watercolors, and plenty of brush on canvas work. etc.

That was an exciting time every year! Competition was stiff!

I still remember this guy name Mario who had the booth right next to mine. (He was the best ‘Air Brush’ painter I ever seen.)

Obviously the visitors to the fair that weekend, must have thought so too. This guy was making sales like crazy!

He had me feeling like a piece of shit because I wasn’t selling! So was the lady exhibiter next to me. She wasn’t selling either.

But we all bonded together like family. During this slow afternoon, the lady went up to her hotel room, bought down a fifth of vodka and we got pretty drunk.

So all-in-all, It still turned out to be a great day. Art lovers were out and about, together for a great time!

After I did not achieve my goal as an art instructor, I became interested in the movie business. Chicago was the ‘place of choice!’

For some reason, Hollywood producers found Chicago an excellent place to shoot movies.

When they came to film, I was right there auditioning and ‘rubbing shoulders’ with the stars! I became a ‘camera hog!’ lol.

When Basketball legend Bill Russell along with Gary Coleman, star of that TV comedy “Different Strokes,” came to town, I was cast to be Bill’s stand in. (I’m 6′ 5″)

But when I wasn’t doing this, you’d find me back at the kitchen table drawing.

This was business as usual. Sadly, my selling desires slowed down. But never lost interest.

My love of art will never die! Just as comedy writing and illustrating my book,  ‘How to Select a Compatible Mate’, is just something that felt right to me.

I’m so thankful to God each and everyday for giving me the talent which He instilled in me.

But I also take NOTHING for granted. No one should! In a blink of God’s eye, it can be gone!

So this is what I’ve always have said:

“Never put limits yourself and your abilities! Dig deep within your soul and tap into that hidden talent!”

 

GOD HAS TRULY BLESSED ME.

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Since I was 15, I became very interested in music after my cousin (May She RIP) took me to my fist live stage concert at the Regal Theater.

The Temptations, Jackie Wilson, The Supremes and a host of others performed.

It was always on a Sunday afternoon after church service. (We’d worship the Good Lord in the mornings, by late afternoon we’re ‘buck wild and out of control.)’ LOL.

I was hooked! I saw the crowd excitement, thousands of girls screaming and thought, “I’d like to do this.”

I wasn’t even sure if I could sing, but something deep inside told me otherwise. You Can Do This, Ron!

So after many years of rehearsing, recruiting and arguing,(lol), this was the final result.

My brother, me (I’m the tall skinny one with the Big Afro), and my other two friends.

The one on the far left, Allan, died about 20 years ago. John, on the far right just vanished! We don’t know where he’s at.

Just me and my older brother are the only two original members left. (And, as of today, we still sing along with my other younger brother!)

Our music passion continued. We wasn’t giving up! Our younger brother Lamont, was a very creative song writer and music producer. He was a singer as well.

So it’s only natural all the brothers banded together to sing and create good music. A bigger plus was that he had his own recording studio in his den. Boy! Did we have fun singing and producing!!

My brother started his own production company, ‘Christian Artist Music, LTD.’  We could sing any types of music and his studio is open to any up and coming singers.

He’s also willing to write and produce others who feel they’re ready with good material.

Lamont and my oldest bother wrote and did the musical arrangements for The Road To The City Of Chicago, along with two other completed gospel CD’s.

My two brothers, our friend Ted and myself, all are singing on this original song the new mayor of Chicago has not heard yet. It’s called “Chicago Got it”.

But quite frankly, the entertainment world is so hard to break into. (Just like anything else in the business world, it all boils down to who you know).

I would always make it a point to remind my singing and band mates that if we didn’t make it in music, then we could always start are own business working from home. Affiliate marketing programs were slowly on the rise!

HAVE TO STAY BUSINESS MINDED.

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But again going back to my early years and my marketing interest, ‘Affiliate marketing always was in the forefront of my mind.’

It really never went away. Like anything else, I was determined to succeed. The same drive I demonstrated in other fields, I put forward into affiliate marketing.

Thinking of demonstrating the role of entrepreneurship, I labeled myself….

“The Young Business Guy Headed For Success.”

Always keeping my ‘eye on the prize’ and the financial reward down the road.How Can I Make Money Online? - My Journey From Past To Present

And as usual, friends tried to discourage me as I plowed forward to achieving my goal.  Why do so-called friends do that?

They always want to discourage you from succeeding. I’m pretty sure sometime in life, you’ve experienced the same thing.

But if you were anything like me, you’d be a damn fool to listen to all the negativity.

To all I’d say; “Never let anyone interfere with your moving forward to achieving and accomplishing your goal in life.”

Maybe this is something you’ve always thought about getting involved with, but don’t know where to start.

Maybe you consider yourself a novice that want to get started in affiliate marketing, but need help getting ‘jump started.’ NOW’S YOUR CHANCE…Keep reading!

I always knew that “brass ring” was further down the road, but my determination and a desire to succeed was planted deeply within my soul.

I knew that one day, I’d get close enough to grab it!

I remember trying to get my friends to think more independently, reaching out to grasp that ‘brass ring.’

I’ve read stories of how other young people started early and later became a big success in business.

I thought, “If they could do it, so can I.”

 

NEEDED A MENTOR.

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Of course, as I grew older, over the years my appetite for affiliate marketing also grew as well.

I also didn’t realize so many scams would surface, as I went through my research; and as more programs became available.

All these ‘shiny objects’ looked tempting. But this is where you have to be careful as a beginning entrepreneur.

Over the years, I’ve found a lot of affiliate programs offering members the world with all the ‘bells and whistles’ attached, but produced little or no results.

That’s why I knew it would take extensive research to find a good affiliate program. This was the way for me to go!

Finding one that is honest, trustworthy, been around for a while in regards to longevity and scam free!

These type of programs are far and few between, but they are still out there.
 
Case in point: Wealthy Affiliate!
 

Join Wealthy Affiliate TODAY!

https://www.wealthyaffiliate.com/a_aid/bf60014d/campaign/powersurge (Copy/Paste link into your browser)

Jay, the lead trainer in the live classes, is going to blow your mind and advance your skill sets on a weekly basis with insights into new, and bleeding edge strategies.

These are ‘Live’ one hour classes held every Friday @ 5pm to 6pm. You can also ask questions and make comments during the class session.

I personally feel this is such a valuable feature that will greatly help anyone who’s serious about running a successful online business.

Brilliantly Powerful & Intricately Secure.

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The guys with the brains behind all this created a successful hosting platform which involves an intricate technical process that nobody ever sees.

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They take care of the technology, security, and monitoring so you can focus on more important things, like growing your business and becoming successful!

SUCCESS IS HAPPENING EVERY DAY.

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What is your idea of success? $10/day? $100/day? $1,000/day, more?

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With over 1.4 million aspiring and successful Internet Entrepreneurs, Wealthy Affiliate is by far the largest affiliate marketing community & platform in the world.

 
 
“Since 2005, Wealthy Affiliate has been cultivating and harboring a platform where those that are succeeding naturally want to put back into the growth of their business.”
 

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WA HAS A SUPPORT SYSTEM LIKE NO OTHER.

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Expert Help is at Every Turn…

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Now making money online is easy! WA offers you unlimited access in which you can get expert support and help.

WA has a 24/7 community that truly cares and will be there for you whenever needed. The 24/7 community support is ‘Out Of This World!’ (Very knowledgeable group of folks).

Ask any question in the Wealthy Affiliate classroom and within a matter of minutes, you’ll get your answer. Think about it; with over 1.4 million members, how can you Not get the answers you seek?

This is just AMAZING! Wealthy Affiliate have proven strategies to attract loads of traffic.

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Always remember, regardless if you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or a beginning novice, you can never have ‘too much traffic.’

As a striving affiliate marketer, this is what you want. If you can get serious, steady traffic flowing through to your site, for FREE, that’s even better!

Shall I say more? Why wait? See for yourself! Give it a try now!

You may already be involved with another affiliate program, with no plans on changing.

But over the past several months, you’ve been asking yourself, “Why am I not making any money?” “Where’s my traffic?” “Where are all the visitors?” (It seem they don’t exist).

If you enjoyed my story, please share it on your social media platforms. Thank you

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Also, Please Visit Ron Kennedy’s Other Sites:

 

https://lovefolks.com

https://babydosign.com

https://crushgerms.com

https://roncreations.com

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86 Comments

  1. I have always said that the road to earning is to simply just learn. Another words learning means earning. This has been something very true to me personally, it’s very interesting to see the experience of other people such as yourself in this case. I really appreciate knowing this type of information from fellow entrepreneurs online, it is very valuable

    1. Thank you my friend Misael, for checking in with me. You ‘learn to earn’ is what should be on all beginning entrepreneur’s minds. Whatever task you undertake, no matter what it is, you should take it seriously by giving it your all-in-all. Keep plowing ahead! Never give up!!

  2. It was very interesting to read your story and your article How The Road To Earning Is Simple, My Journey From Past To Present.
    I love how you told us the whole course of your life in an interesting and fun way and got to the point where you introduced us to the Wealthy Affiliate. I joined WA a few months ago as a complete beginner and am still learning and upgrading, but I have gained a lot of knowledge from the very beginning until now and laid the foundations for an online business. WA really provides a great education, upgrading knowledge, all-round support and help, and a community that is always here. I highly recommend it.
    I wish you much success on your way forward,
    Nina

    1. I’m glad you enjoyed my story regarding my early struggles, From being a young hustler trying to make a buck, up to reaching for that ‘brass ring in the sky!’ I always recommend that a person continue to do what makes them happy at the time, until they settle their minds into what they really want to do in business.

  3. I strongly believe we all have a purpose, if you have a desire for anything you should go after it. Your Affiliate marketing journey has always been there and you made a conscious decision to follow it. I am a member of Wealthy Affiliate, loved the fact that you learn a your own pace.

    1. Diana, we all have to follow are desires and grab hold of what makes us feel good. I myself, experienced a lot of things in my early years even before WA even came to be. But once I got interested in affiliate marketing, I wanted to learn more.

  4. Thank goodness we don’t have to go door to door anymore. That was something I used to hate doing, but you had to if you wanted to sell stuff. You certainly have had the entrepreneur mindset from an early age, which is great as you never have to rely on anyone else to live the life that you want.

    I enjoyed reading your story, and especially the part where you had to run along next to your friend while he delivered newspapers. But well done on your achievements, especially having that work ethic so young.

    Who taught you to do art so well?

    1. Michel, when you younger, you have to do what you have to do to make money. (As long as it’s legal, then it’s ok). I figured no one was gonna hand me anything, so I must earn my own bucks. In regards to your question, I had most of my art skills developed at an early age. I later looked into these lessons to brush up. Online Art Lessons

  5. Good day, I am very happy to have across this important and interesting piece of writing. It’s inspiring and educative. Many of us experience the frustration caused by the hard-work which is not yielding expected results. I am thrilled as this article has equipped me tips of making online earning simple. I can’t thank you enough for providing such a life-changing piece of writing, keep up the good work.

    1. Thank you my friend. I’m glad you found some value in my writings. Everyone moves at different paces during their own journey towards moving forward. I glad my writings here has inspired you.

  6. I feel like we all may have different journeys but they all lead to the same ending which is the end goal that you finally make money. Thanks for sharing your journey with us. I have to say that your story is very inspiring. I can relate to that since I grew up in NYC and a rough neighborhood as well. I guess it is just all about keep going at it and find the right mentor. 

    1. Thank you for checking in with me. Yes I agree, we make our own paths. We must never get side tracked by negative folks who’s life is ‘like shit’ and they’ll hold you back from succeeding, if you let them.

  7. I’ve always learnt that everything takes time and your article is a perfect example of such. I love how you were able to explain my experiences with earning money online and growing up with a great and hard working mindset. Being someone who is into affiliate marketing as well, I felt this was not only relatable; but necessary to hear and I must thank you for sharing. Beautiful and well-written article, I wish you load of success on your journey in affiliate marketing. 

    1. Remaining focused and keeping your ‘eye on the prize’ is a necessary element for success. We must recognize well in advance, on what direction in life you want to take and then ‘go for it.’

  8. Such a fun yet knowledgable story you’ve got here! I always trust that The Road To Earning Is Simple as long as you got the determined mindset and hardworking attitude. You have come such a long way from the ‘ancient ways’ of advertising and marketing, kudos to you! I love the part where you have to start taking orders by summer months, you snooze you lose am i right?

    In today’s world, everything has been evolved to the digital platforms and it is important to have a great training background and support system if you would like to succeed in the internet marketing and affiliate marketing world! I feel that Wealthy Affiliate has proven itself to become a great platform in this aspect! You have mentioned that there are live classes every Friday, may i know what are some of the topics covered?

    Thank you so much for your entertaining and informational article. Hope to see more of these soon and keep up the good work! 

    1. Thank you my friend for checking in with me. Having the right marketing attitude is what is ‘key’ to any serious entrepreneur. You mentioned me ‘snoozing?’ No! I’ll lose! LOL. (Got to stay busy) In regards to the ‘Live’ Friday night training. Topics would very. This month we’re disusing ‘Local SEO’ last month we talked about how ‘tagging’ can help increase rankings. Again, Always something new. Joeyoung, Are you with WA?

  9. Hi Ron, what a wonderful story, a lot of encouragement in your article. Thank you for sharing with us your journey. It is interesting and encouraging that you start selling Christmas card, continuing doing art, painting and music, and how you succeed and improve yourself in online marketing. Thank you for your recommendation about the Wealthy Affiliate, which is the best Academy to learn and start online marketing. 

    best

    Alketa

    1. Thank you for checking in with me. I guess in life, in regards to reaching out for success, we all have to start somewhere! We all have a past that we can learn from and build toward a better future for ourselves. 

  10. This was very interesting to read your life story and then your introduction to Wealthy Affiliate. Thank goodness we do not have to rely on door to door sales any more as that is so hard. We all have different journeys and earning can be simple if you follow the training and then put into practice the knowledge you gain from the training. 

    1. Back in the day, door-to-door selling can really be a ‘pain in the butt.’ But in reality, maybe because I was so young, it was an exciting time for me. (I’m earning my own bucks!) Whopee!! By sticking to my thought of hustle, I knew something better would be down the road! 

  11. Hi Ron! What an inspiring story! You have a very interesting life 🙂 You are right – having a mentor is really important. Someone who can objectively look at your work and point out weaknesses so that we can get better. This typically really creates fantastic opportunities. I would be keen to try out WA if I could use this also as a mentoring program! thanks for sharing your story.. stay safe!

    1. Thank you for reading. Guidance is what’s important in our lives. We all need mentors to help us complete our journey in life. Regardless of how high the mountain appears to be, we must always remain positive in our quest to reach the top!

  12. Hello

    Your topic is very inspiring, how your life changed since you were little and all the things you accomplished to this day.

    I have so much appetite for Affiliate products, i started back in July, just haven’t get any sales yet and wit that i have no commissions, I hope this can change for me soon, i don’t know how to do next to accomplished my dreams, but thank you for sharing Wealthy Affiliates here, I think is one of the best affiliate Marketing in the world.

    1. I find with WA, it’s more about the great training and all the other tools you have at your disposal, than the actual earning of commission. One you put it all together, then over time the commissions will slowly roll in. (If it makes you feel any better, I’m still waiting myself).

  13. This share has encouraged me some more, sometimes I wake up and ask myself, what am I doing? why am I spending money that  I don’t have? but the truth is, it takes time. it can be simple depending on when the start began. For people who started before now, it was not easy but there was not much rat race competition as it is now, technology has changed everything, and many people have information. It is easy but it requires some difficult processes, all we have to do is keep learning and growing, and one day we will succeed. I have come to cherish people’s stories who say it as they have experienced it and have seen it on a daily basis without embellishments. Change is the only permanent thing in life, we can only learn to adapt. I appreciate this share. I am just starting out, I hope I make it, and others as well who are on the journey.  I will not give up, I will not let anyone come in between me and my goal. thanks again. 

    1. Hey my friend, it appears you have a “go getem”, “Never give up” attitude. That’s exactly how you should think each morning u open up your ‘eyeballs.’ Keep your ‘nose to the grindstone!’ I appreciate your comment and good luck to you on whatever task you undertake. 

  14. Damn, Ronald. that’s an incredible story! That business mindset, plus an abundance of people skills, was passed on to me by my father, and it’s clear to see where he got it since he has a very similar story to yours. When I think of the amazing life we had, its hard to think that he grew up in the projects, but that will to earn his way in life carried him far.

    1. Thanks Stevie, it seems we all harbor some type of hidden skill set. Sometimes it just take reading other people’s story to bring it out. Like you say your father had business mind-skills passed on to you. It seems it always start with family. 

  15. Hey there! I ABSOLUTELY loved your article. Wealthy affiliate is what I’ve used to start and grow my online business. My website is still a work in progress but Wealthy Affiliate is definitely setting me up for success. It was very interesting to read your life story and see how you went from a Christmas card delivery guy to a camera hog, artist and now an internet entrepreneur. What challenges did you have to face when scaling your online business?

    1. Yes, it was a hell of a journey, but I hung in there my friend. To answer your question, the challenges I faced when starting up with WA was learning, absorbing and implementing all the material offered to us. (And you know it’s a lot). But all-in-all, it’s very helpful stuff that help us in the long run. Good luck to you Gabriel J. 

  16. I enjoyed reading your affiliate marketing journey from past to present. 

    Dedication is there and I admire you for becoming flexible to the call or upgrade of technology.

    And it is true, what is hard on marketing before is shifting on a lighter way. It was just a few years when trading has been opened globally offering great opportunities to people who are very passionate with their business.

    I am even amazed that my daughter is purchasing  some products abroad at a low cost and they are being shipped way too far from her. This is one power of affiliate marketing, a road to earning, which you call simple and I definitely agree.

    1. Affiliate marketing could’ve helped hundreds of folks if it was a hot commodity years ago, instead of magazine/newspaper mail order. Many I feel would have took their chances back then and jumped at the opportunity to financially improve themselves.

  17. Hi Ronald, thank you for sharing your story. I was interested in starting my journey online even before the pandemic started. But it was the pandemic that gave me the time to research and dip my foot in the water. I like the fact that we can use our creativity online too. I never imagined one could work from home as it’s done nowadays.

    1. Yes Ann, it appears more & more folks are marketing online. Many have found that formula for success. I guess we just have to keep our noses to the grindstone’ until we also produce that successful formula.

  18. Most people have grown by the system to become slave workers and so becoming financially independent is not easy for most and in most cases is a scary thought. There is a lot of bumpy road ahead for anyone deciding to go that route but the benefits are also huge once your online business takes off. You just need to be determined to succeed and not give up as most do when they see no results fast.

    1. You’re right Stratos. Research has shown that 97% of most folks fail trying to successfully run an online business. The money is not coming in fast enough and they don’t have the patience to wait. Sad but true!

  19. Well done, my friend! Many mentors that I have now concede to learning everything you can to succeed. In particular, in order to be a success online you have to have the decided mentally, the discipline to follow through, and the determination to succeed. You must work on yourself everyday by reading or listening to mentor guru’s. You must build you email list. And you must follow up with your leads.

    I love how you broke it down with learning from the early ages of youth! Wealthy Affiliate is certainly top notch for today’s marketers!

    1. Yes Lisa, we must become our on ‘driving force’ when it comes down to succeeding in business. It definitely helps to follow in the path of those who made it. Like you said, ‘a mentor.’   

  20. Wow Ron, your story about your journey towards success is incredible. Thank you for sharing. Your biography is so rich. I am glad you found the Wealthy Affiliate at the end as true to be told it is the place where you can make a success when you follow the training and requirements given by the tasks. I wish you continued success. Please share further each step of your journey. 

    1. We all got to ‘crawl before we can walk.’ We all follow different paths and there is nothing wrong with that. What counts in the end is succeeding in our selective niche.

  21. Wow this is an inspiring post. It seems like you traveled quite a road to get where you are. I can see that art and purpose inspired you and kept you motivated throughout your journey.

    I am also involved in the Wealthy Affiliate and am just getting started now. I’m working on building up two sites and they are at their nascent stages but I am hopeful.

    Thank you for the inspiration, my friend.

    Love,

    Sammy

    1. Hey Sammy, just keep the faith. I’m working toward building traffic. Working on my sites on a daily basis, trying to make my first sale. I feel I have nice sites, but sometime question my niche. What niche did you choose, my friend?

  22. I enjoyed reading your article about affiliate marketing and I thank you for sharing your progress as an entrepreneur. It must have took some serious selling skills to get people to purchase holiday cards in the summer months. People usually don’t think that far ahead. I agree Wealthy Affiliates is a pretty awesome program.

    1. Hey Jamie, it was tough selling as a young buck. I was determined to make my own money back then. When I did earn my first few dollars, I felt like Bill Gates! LOL!! I was able to buy my own candy bars and comic books without asking anyone for money.

  23. I really like how you have “mashed up” your story of your approaches to earning with the history of making money in an Affiliate way. From newspaper advertisements to your first real affiliate job of selling Xmas cards door to door. You tell your story well and humorously and how you have put up with the discouragement from others while you were prepared to work at creating success. It is and age old story of someone who is and has worked hard to get where they are. You tell us about your singing and selling art and your steady progression until you join Wealthy Affiliates and what they are doing .

    This is a great motivational story about what you have done and the discouragement you have been dished out and how you have finally found the right group to work with. Wealthy Affiliates. A great story and a good read. I wish you all the best in your new venture with Wealthy Affiliates.

    1. Thank you my friend. You’ve heard those folks say, “You got to crawl before you can walk.” This has never been a truer story. You have to keep plowing forward, and move ahead. NO Looking back!

  24. What an interesting topic I must say. People dont usually talk about those in their articles. You guys had it very difficulty back then with entrepreneurship without the internet. I can imagine how it must have been for you to get started. 

    The road is indeed simple now than it was then. Now we have access to everything. Newspapers are still used by many though not as much of course. 

    I was impress by how you started out soo young which also differs from today. You had a lot of experience and would love to hear more about what you have to share.

    Thanks for your story. 

    1. Thank you my friend for dropping in. Any road a person travels towards success is not easy. I’ve said before nothing is handed to you. You’ve got to crawl before you can walk. If a person set their mind to succeed, it will happen.

  25. You are right, Ron. There’s always someone who will tell us “you’re not going to make it with affiliate marketing” or something similar. Family members or friends’ doubt in this method of earning money online does affect our motivation and confidence. Maybe not you, but I do, not entirely though. It has been a while now I’m working on my affiliate site but my determination and perseverance kept me going. And I hope for many others too, who are quietly and steadfastly working on their sites. Keep learning, keep going, it’s simple! YOU’ll succeed.

    1. We have to keep fighting sometimes through disappointments, and heartaches on our own personal road to success. When we fall, we must get up, brush ourselves off and keep on moving forward.

  26. Thanks so much for sharing a great article to read today, to learn more about how the road to earning is simple. I really enjoyed reading your article and it was interesting to learn more about your journey from young entrepreneur to today, things have changed and the way we all do business is also changing from one day to the next one. Today learning about how to build up your own online business will help you to achieve your goals. And I agree with you, Wealthy Affiliate is the best place to learn everything anyone needs to build their own online business.

    1. Everyone in life has to climb that mountain to get to the other side. Hopefully, what’s on the other side is the ‘land of success.’ The opportunities we must take advantage of if we want to continue to move forward.

  27. Thanks for sharing your story, Ronald. It’s amazing how business work changed so much from your early childhood to your adulthood. I was born in the early digital generation, so I never really experience the hardship to sell door-to-door like you. However, the moral of your story about hard work and passion really inspiring me to achieve better in this digital business era. Thanks. 

    1. Without hard work we’ll never achieve in life what we set out to do. We all set goals in life. And if you’re traveling that road to success, don’t let anything stop you from moving forward. In other words. “Full steam ahead!”

  28. I agree that Wealthy Affiliate is worthwhile.  I have actually been with them for over 5 years.  I have been looking for a way to add additional incomes, and I keep coming up with reviews for WA LOL.  I suppose that tells me I just need to get with it and work it a little harder.  I am thinking I need to start another niche that might be more profitable for me. 

    1. Sometimes it may take a change in niche to really get something going. WA do supply all the tools and training you need for your business. Leahrae, I hope things start picking up for you soon and thanks for commenting. 

  29. I remember some years back searching “making money online” and it seemed all that ever came back were some very lovely looking push button, get rich quick products. And asking for a very steep price to access their solution. They also quickly vanished, I’m sure with lots of money from subscribers that got the short end of the stick. 

    Wealthy Affiliate on the other hand has had the benefit of surviving for over a decade and still be providing value. Thanks for this informative piece.

    1. Thank you my friend for commenting. Yes, WA has been around for awhile and I feel they’re not going anywhere soon. New members are steady coming in and WA provides all the tools you’ll need to learn & grow.

  30. Hey there Ron. I was just reading your back story there and i catch your drift man. I have always been similarly minded. Life and technology is happening too quick not to be constantly learning new skills. What better use of skills can you get than by passing them on to others who can join in the game and further the course of technological evolution.

    Top Stuff!

    Kev

    1. Yes Kev, early beginnings in a person’s entrepreneurial life can be a very struggling situation. Many things can happen along the way, in regards to achieving ones success. Like you said, our growth in technology.  

  31. Actually, this is a great post because I did a lot as an affiliate marketer. But wealthy affiliate taught me the right thing. That’s the best place I’ve ever been to learn affiliate marketing and get a good income. WA developed my knowledge a lot. If someone wants to learn about online marketing and make money, wealthy affiliate is the best place. Thank you for this great post.

    1. Yes, WA has the tools for anyone willing to work hard and learn. It’s a one-stop-shop for all your needs.

  32. Hi, Ronald!
    I’ve been struggling to get good results and some income at WA for a few months now. I’m aware that being a newbie implies hard work and patience. I’m very happy about your success and admire your persistence in life. It’s not always easy to deal with all the daily problems and sometimes I feel like quitting…
    I believe in Wealthy Affiliate, though.
    Thanks a lot for sharing and keep safe!

    1. Antonio, with a business like this, you must have patients and continue to work hard. Being your own boss takes time to grow. I feel to it also depends on your niche. What is your niche, Antonio?

  33. WoW! This is a very interesting story and very inspiring. This could be a fuel for anyone who truly want to build a successful online business. I will recommend this to my friends. I believe it will inspire them too. Making money online is the desire of so many people, but it will take a lot of patience to achieve that.

    1. Thank you for enjoying my story. I’m hoping it does inspire others to keep moving forward. Keeping your nose to the grindstone and your ‘mind on the money’ is what it’s all about!

  34. Hi Ron, 

    It’s been wonderful reading your life story. It’s from such tales that we learn how not to make the mistakes one would usually make when on his own. Yes, a mentor is absolutely essential to survival in the online world. 

    The Comparison of Wealthy Affiliate with GoDaddy is spot on. I think GoDaddy is the worst example of what a big brand can become. No support at all. 

    Thanks. Regards,

    Aps

    1. Thank you Aps for checking in with me. I’m always glad to share my story. I always say, “you gotta crawl, before you can walk!” We must remain focused by keeping ‘our nose to the grind stone.’ Forward progress is what it’s all about.

  35. Hey there Ronald,

    Wow! this is a great post and a wonderful insight to your life. I am impressed at all that you have achieved and thank you for sharing. I must also agree with you that WA is a great place to start as an affiliate marketer. Their support structure and mentorship program is unlike anything i have experienced and I have been through a lot of them. I would high recommend WA to any newbie.

    Regards

    Lawrence

    1. Yes Lawrence! To succeed in all task we undertake, we must work hard and take it all seriously. As affiliate marketers we should do our homework on what program is the best to work with. WA is one of the best with the best training available.

  36. Friends and family will  always be the ones to discourage you. they are always going to tell you how everyone is doing what you want to do. If you are not careful they will make you doubt yourself and you will never do anything in life because they will always have some sort of negative opinion about each and everything you do.

    Wealthy affiliate is the best place to learn for beginners and pros. it doesn’t matter if you know nothing about the internet or computers, they accommodate everyone and you can always ask for help when you get stuck. Don’t look for shortcuts, do it the right way and you will become successful.

    1. I’ve always has said throughout my adult life, folks will always talk about you and try holding you back. (Relatives and so-called friends are the worst) All you can do is totally ignore their ignorance and keep moving forward. Folks will try stopping you at every turn.

  37. Damn Ronald!

    Such a great read! It was quite inspiring. A hustler, a painter, a singer….man you have got too many skills. This was inspiring. I’m a musician too, so I can understand why you reminded your band members that, “if this doesn’t workout then we can start our own business”. 

    Ever since the pandemic began, I found affiliate marketing to be interesting and I think it is great way to earn money online.

    The best thing that I feel about this marketing is that we can integrate it with any interests, passion or business. We can do what we love and still earn a great amount of money and that’s amazing!

    1. As to one musical person to another, “Lets keep the beat going.” No matter what we do in life, regardless if it’s music or affiliate marketing, things have to flow smooth and sweet. Thanks for checking in and commenting. By the way, what style of music do you play?

  38. Hi Ronald. Thank you for sharing your story. I started my adventure with digital marketing recently and I must say that sometimes its bit overwhelming to learn all things to run business. But I find wealthy affiliate, best place to learn online marketing from scratches. With tons of training materials, supportive community and webhosting is best starting point for all beginners.

    1. Yes, I recommend all beginning entrepreneurs should start here. Amazing training along with all the tools you’ll need to get you going. WA has a large helpful community that’s available 24/7

  39. Wow Ronald you have been on a journey alright! I can tell you went through a lot through out the years. Luckily technology has changed the ways we work in past like you can advertise a product rather virtually than knocking door where you could be robbed or assaulted. It is important a person learns these new advance tricks and make use of them. Do you know of other platforms that also teach beginners tricks of the affiliate marketing trade?

    1. Thank you for commenting, my friend. Back in the day, things were more civil. Not violent like in todays times, You could earn money in peace. To answer your question, maybe click bank may have a training program like WA, but I believe more expensive too run. 

  40. Wahoo, I must say I fell in love with your growing up. You had a friend who knew how to take advantage of oppurtunities. This is rare. Few kids had that, and I am not surprised how easy it was for you to identify the Gold nine in wealthy affiliate. I am a member and the platform has been a blessing to me. Back to your story, I will work on my children to identify friends that can help them develop both mindset and skills 

    1. We all have to start our ‘success run’ somewhere, I just started mine early. I always enjoyed making my own money without depending on my parents or anyone else, to get me over.

  41. Hi, I enjoyed reading your post and hearing about how much fun you and your group had singing and producing music. I’m also delighted you made a review of Wealthy Affiliate because it’s a platform that’s teaching me how to build my own online business. I began early this year and have fallen in love with all of the training that they provide, as well as the WA community.

    Thank you very much.

    1. Thank you for enjoying my site. Yes, WA provide good training and the Friday evening classes with Jay is like ‘Gold.’ (Jay’s an amazing teacher) Good luck to you, my friend.

  42. Oh what an amazing content for a online entrepreneur like me, who is trying to figure out ways to make it online. I really found this helpful and I truly appreciate your efforts for keeping up to date.

    But you in all I would request you to continue uploading content to help beginners like me.

    1. Limo, I’m glad I provided some inspiration to you. Just ‘hang in there’ and ‘keep your nose to the grindstone.’ Good luck to you.

  43. Alright, so I stumbled upon this article about making money online and let me tell you, it’s a real eye-opener! The author shares their personal journey and how they went from being broke and in debt to making a comfortable living online. And let me tell you, it’s not just a bunch of empty promises and get-rich-quick schemes. The author is the real deal and their story is truly inspiring.

    I mean, who hasn’t thought about making money online? It’s the dream, isn’t it? Working from the comfort of your home, being your own boss, and making bank while doing it. But let’s face it, it’s not easy. It takes hard work, dedication, and a bit of luck to make it happen. And that’s precisely what this author did.

    What I appreciate most about this article is that the author doesn’t sugarcoat anything. They share their successes and failures, and give some practical advice for those looking to start their own online business. It’s refreshing to read something that’s not just trying to sell you something.

    Thank you for sharing your story and for giving some real, practical advice for those looking to make money online. Your journey is truly inspiring, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors!

    1. Thank you for reading my story Bob. It was a long, hard journey to succeed as an affiliate. I would suggest to anyone, that if they’re not serious and don’t want to put in the work, then just leave it alone. (Burger King and McDonald’s are always hiring).

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