Did you ever notice how when you do things accidently, it is a lot easier to accomplish, than doing so on purpose? I know I was not the ‘inspiration’, yet I linked to Joanna, reminding her of what she calls thematic link posting, which inspired Liz to issue a challenge to weave blogs together with a theme.
Wow. The whole world is out there for my picking, and now I dont know where to go.
I am going to tell you something shocking, and hard to believe.
There are people, in their mid-youth (as in not our grandparents), who dont own computers, and may even be scared of them. That means they only rely on their friends, family, neighbors, and random outings for experiences and life content. That is so 1860’s! I shudder at the thought!
I am rapidly yanked out of my blog vortex and brought back to reality with the slamming of the door. It is my daughters last day of ‘day camp’ and I am invited to watch her perform. All the mommies are sitting against the wall of a cramped building lobby and watching our girls doing a few silly skits and I cant help but think.. this was all these girls have been talking about, thinking about, and working towards for the last 2 days straight. How small can someones’ life be?
Is this new blog environment I am spending so much time in… the one that has me itching for her show to end,
social or anti social? I use to crave leaving the computer for a few hours at the park with the children. That was before WE met!
You (and there are many of YOU), have replaced my need to yap about the best sippy cups, which park do we prefer, and whats for dinner.
Yet you dont know who I am.
I think I have become a blog addict. I say I havent watched TV in a year, but that doesnt mean all my time is well spent!
So as I am in the middle of the ‘bigness’ of it all - I am simultaneously smiling at my baby, watching him crawl around and making sure nothing enters his mouth, so I am constantly reminded of the ’smallness’ of it all.
Perhaps the smallness of it all is what I share with YOU, but the bigness is the smile my baby reserves JUST FOR ME.
I surf around some and realize that there really are no rules..
and realize that the lines are blurred for largesse and smallesse - see I can even make up my own words -
I witness a sampling:
the smallness of a diary of a childs health / eating habits
the middle size countdown for a pregnancy
the bigger and put to better use education blog
the eggs over easy too much information our paths would never cross if it werent for the web Blog
The commercial size (and shameless plug for my twin brothers) USA TV Character Road trip blog
The largness of a conversation blog (every post on this site is a conversation)
The colossal (pun intended) get everyone involved and make a difference blog
And How Opportunity Works is what has me up at 5:50 AM while my baby is ASLEEP, working to meet Liz’s deadline.
I am not certain I succeeded at what was being asked, but at least I got no sleep, will be further behind on paying projects, and will scream at my kids all day tomorrow.
Generalization coming up! I have heard multiple times from many individuals that ADD (attention deficit disorder) is required to acheive (online) success.. this is how it goes down:
ADD stimulates creativity. Creativity stimulates product creation/development. Product creation/development generates $$$.
As I have said, if you are looking to earn big money in the Internet Marketing field, you NEED to create. Unless you are a premier affiliate marketer, niche marketer, coach, etc., (and even so), this is a field which requires creation. I believe it is one of the single greatest reasons people have a hard time making a buck despite their efforts.
They dont GET THAT.
You NEED TO Create.
There is however a little discrepancy in this logic however, since you ADD’ers are all over the place, and product development clearly requires focus and determination.
Maybe that just answered it?
Determination and Will should be able to overcome almost any obstacle, including the all too often and way over diagnosed ADD. I am still undecided about myself - perhaps I am just a creative, but very busy mom. Although not sure that excuse works for why I have 13 browser windows open at any given time.
The first featured Internet Coach on the reality show of The Next Internet Millionaire was Mark Joyner, aka the ‘Godfather of Internet Marketing’ and creator of simpleology.
(as an aside.. maybe you are wondering why I, first runner up, major upset, big disappointment, admit to watching the show, and by mentioning it, I am even promoting it. Yes, welcome to the world of a GROWN UP
. I was actually surprised to feel ‘missed’ and the gaping hole where I should have been. I did not expect it. I dont think it is mutually exclusive to say I see where I could have added value and been an asset, and that I dont think I deserve it more than the others, (hmm well maybe). To the producers.. I would eventually appreciate a follow up email why I was 1st runner up. )
How was that for shifting focus?
Simpleology is known as ‘The Simple Science of Getting What you Want’. If I learned one RELEVANT thing from the first episode of the show it the rule of straight lines. You draw one dot on the left side of a page, and a right dot on the right side of the page. Then discuss your daily activities (unclear if they mean in general or when you start work), and see how far you veer off from creating a straight line from one dot to the other.
All I have to say is one thing. OY VEY!!
This is ME:
My ‘law of straight lines’ resembles one of my childrens’ connect the dots worksheet!
As I write this blog, I have a guy in the other room building a piece of furniture I bought, a friend over helping to organize the stuff going in it, writing a post concurrantly in 2 other blogs, writing a salesletter for a product I created, checking out the website who hired me for consultation, composing a list of requirements to another blogger who will be helping me tweak the other 2 blogs mentioned, checking out the emails for my part-time job, running a load of laundry and defrosting food for later, composing an update for my outsourcer for a new website, etc.. The baby is absent from this list, when he is usually a primary role, since this is my one morning a week that my Mom is watching him.
Please respond with ONE way that you have worked to maintain better focus, and have less jags in that straight line. I will collect the list and make a post with your website included!
Let me start:
One way to stay focused:
1. Deadlines are very helpful, so I pretend I am my own ‘boss’ and that I have to meet my deadline. I dont like to disappoint anyone, including myself!
That may not be a good one, but hey.. this is why I turn to you..
Last night I had the pleasure of meeting with fellow NIM ‘loser’ (as if baby), Gail Greenberg. Yes, here in Jerusalem, Israel.
I had a post ‘in waiting’ for the right moment and good ol’ Gail has inspired me to share part of it now.
Gail and I discussed how we are each working on putting ourselves out there. You cant believe the stuff this girl has up her sleeve. I am talking serious internet SUCCESS! As internet marketers, we can see potential online $$ value in every idea/business/concept, etc..
So Gail wants to know… why am I so embarrased to charge what I am worth??
I hide behind potential partnerships - Any time someone mentions some interesting niche topic, I never tire of thinking of potential partnerships and money to be made. I figure people are not interested in paying and here is a chance to get 50% of a business instead of a small sum consulting. Yet, since they have no idea what they are receiving, and yes - dont pay for it! - they dont value what I suggest and shrug it off..
If I charged them what the information is worth, perhaps they would take me more seriously?
This is a big ‘woman’ problem (sorry for generalizing). How often have you given free advice, done a friend a favor, and not received pay for it. How often have you been EXPECTED to (I almost lost a friend over this, when she expected me to offer to work for her for free, and ironically I would have (but shouldnt have) but didnt want to impose my service on her in case she was not interested!)
Charlie Cook (yes a MAN!), in his Marketing for Success Blog, nails it with Why Women Dont Make What they Should. Basically, women feel guilty asking for pay, and see themselves as problem solvers.
Gail really gave me a pick me up. She is more determined than I am for me to recognize my worth, my mad marketing skills, how ridiculously valuable they are to most businesses who cant translate their offline/online businesses into the success, and how much people were really taken with me. True her experience was with the voting for The Next Internet Millionaire Reality Show (for which I was first runner up).
Yes, she insisted that people really respond to me, and will really respond to me. I caved and said ‘aww shucks’ (more! more! more!)
So this is how I am feeling now
..
Thanks Gail… right back at ya!
Other women entreupreuners…
Are YOU Getting what you are worth?? What advice would you offer?
Fortunately and Unfortunately I need your help. The last few days my blog had some server issues and now that I am able to post, my baby decided to sleep 8 hours in a row last night (yah!), leaving me on the verge of a breast infection today (blah!). I am in pain, and waiting for the tylenol to do what it can. The added bonus - my car has no a/c and I live in the Middle East and I was out all day in 100F, so I am just barely alive. Can you help me finish my thoughts today (or buy me a new car :)!)?
Over dinner a few nights ago, there was a conversation between myself and Others who DONT get ‘the whole web thing’.
They agreed that when starting any new business venture, online or offline, solid good advice is to look around at others in your field, either in your ‘niche’ or just generally successful, and imitate them.
This is not to suggest common practice where I live - that you open a ‘felafel store’ next door to another ‘felafel store’ since they appear to be raking it in. ![]()
However, if you visualize the internet as it is.. the biggest strip mall EVER.. (you know what I mean by strip right?? I am out of the USA so long I just want to make sure this is the proper term!
).. that means we may all be opening up stores right ‘next to each other’ but the ENTIRE WORLD is our potential customer. That leaves plenty to go around, and room for very healthy competition!
The conversation continued…
Fine!! Agreed. Free Market Economy. Enough to go around. Snoop on your competitors, interview their friends and friends of their friends and milk them for details, do what you have to, but…
Why link to someone who is your competitor??
(Disclaimer - I cant shine the shoes of those ’supposed competitors’ but a healthy self esteem cant hurt, eh?)
Reebok and Nike / Pepsi and Coke / Walmart and K-Mart - competitors for generations. Can you picture them helping the other out? That may have saved them a lot of Advertising money!
Naturally a Blog, with nothing to sell, except the persona behind it, cannot exist in a vacuum.
Are we reaching who we want/need to by reaching out to each other?
To be perfectly honest, I could be completely off here. As cathartic and enjoyable as I find blogging, it was (is?) intended to be another piece in the puzzle towards helping me reach my online goal$$. I am currently not in a position, with a young family, to be writing only for pleasure (of course it helps that it offers me pleasure). Are you?
How do YOU explain this unique online relationship?
P.S - as I was searching for my last link love…. check out this post (will open new window). How ironic to stumble across Garry’s post as I was writing mine..and frankly a little LOT terrifying.
~~andrea
First an apology to my huge list of readers
. I mentioned a part II to my previous post, and it just is NOT happening … YET. It is summer, people are everywhere, it’s hot, and my brain is a little fried.
Just throwing out a question to You - curious what you think…
How much of a product of the WEB 2.0 environment are YOU??
I have made some videos and anticipate immersing myself more into this newest trend. If you told me 2 years ago, that I would be making these videos and subjecting myself to public opinion, ridicule, etc.. there is NO WAY I would believe you.
I dont think anyone understands where all those videos from YouTube came from?? Who ARE those people who uploaded clip after clip and what were they thinking?? How did they know?
Sure I head over to YouTube when I am in the mood for some nostalgia or to check out a favorite scene from an old sitcom/movie.. but when you come across something like this, you have to wonder:
WHO created WHO??
and how about this - would these prisoners in the Phillipines have done this (this is one of many videos) if there was NO audience??:
I am compelled to ask..
What came first?
The BLOG or The BLOGGER?
Blogging has given me, amongst countless others, the chance to re-develop writing skills shelved since College, create online conversations with colleagues, earn a little money (if you will it..), and again.. put myself OUT THERE.. an additional contribution towards our ‘audition’ to the world..
since isnt that what it has all become about??
WEB 2.0 = ONLINE AUDITIONING.
Trying to get discovered in some way.. from Google, other bloggers, future clients, future advertisers.
Can you be a shy blogger who sits in the corner with your nose in a book, doesnt make friends easily, even if you are a Geek, and understand computers, and be successful?
hmm - a little all over the place today!
You were saying??
~~ andrea
this was contributed by Andrea. She has been created by her blog. Or perhaps she created her Blog. Either way, leave the poor confused girl a comment and let her know what you think??
I want to write about something very important. I have split it into 2 parts.
One is practical and one is philisophical.
In order to not have one part get lost due to too much information, I am going to write the 2nd part in my next post.
First the practical:
In a post a few days ago, that was way too long, I mentioned the following attitude I developed after becoming aware of Internet Marketing, making money online, anything and everything to do with my newfound relationship between myself, my computer, and the impact it potentially had on my financial future:
“I would walk around very smug, looking at the regular rat-race crowd with pity that they were not clued into what I had discovered - like a hidden treasure….”
At the expense of everything else, with a full blown head, I slowly disappeared from my former life.
Ok, I said this was the practical post, so let me get to it. If it sounds cryptic it is because everything takes me much longer than I would like, and because I think most people will probably appreciate me just getting to the POINT!!
When I disappeared from my life, that included ignoring the local success I had built up for myself by opening a local ’service’ business. I was constantly being complimented for ‘what a great idea’ and ‘keep us up to date on everything you do’. Yet that pot of gold at the end of the internet rainbow was tugging on me and I could not fight it!!
I gave the locals the excuse that I was busy having babies, which is not untrue, but it was just that - an excuse for running in the ground something that had helped support my family for almost a decade!
Thankfully I have always kept someone on staff to keep us from losing our reputation, knowing somehow, somewhere that I would be an idiot to completely dump it.
CUT to this past week. I had a client who BEGGED me to work for him. He agreed to all my terms plus My mom is in town to help with the baby. I had NO excuse. So guess what happened???
I made $600 this week!!
I am holding myself back from saying ‘Instead of constantly sucking more money into my online ventures’, since I have faith in these and KNOW good will and has come from it, but to have walked away from the computer, helped a local in a way few can, hear tons of !!!! (exclaimations
) from the locals about me being back in biz, well I just felt compelled to remind you fellow marketers on a mission:
Dont BITE the hand that feeds YOU!
I would have been the first to tell you to quit your job, and jump in. I believe we can all succeed online, but in some ways it could be like a lottery, and that may be too big a gamble for some people, or take longer than you can afford to wait.
Too many marketers burn the midnite oil, lose other opportunities, and destroy relationships, and their REAL true sources of income, for this unknown, and are unprepared for the fierce competition…
Walk slowly and patiently towards your goal, acquire online friends and mentors, and
be careful.
~~andrea
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Moving on to What I WILL win ![]()
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Rich Schefren is one cool guy. You get the feeling that the guy could take your business, strip it down to its bare bones, and build it up to what it is meant to be.
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He is all about creating a business that is SO together, happening, and hitting it’s mark that people want to work with you For FREE.
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Rich has managed to stay out the guru bashing mire to the extent that his name can take something potentially questionable in it’s integrity and purpose and make it smell clean.. I wish I had more time to read blogs, but here is ONE AWESOME blogger who auditioned to N-I-M just because Mr. Schefren was attached to the project. I have no idea how John didnt make it even to the top 50.. John is a gorgeous smart preppy collegiate boy!
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Rich has also found his way over here to comment on my blog.. I DOUBLE DARE YOU TO COMMENT AGAIN..
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Rich’s latest product - the Attention Doctrine is offering a prize to strategize with some of the big time respected Marketers or win $1000… If you are considering entering, forget about it - The contest entry ENDED July 8th!
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But enough about RICH!! Now ABOUT ME!! This is from the lovely Dwain at StrategicProfits.com
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“Hi Andrea,
We all really enjoyed your Attention video and you’re in the running.
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Email me when you get a chance.. as I’d like to learn more about what you are trying to do in your web business.”
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Oh Dwain.. I love it.. TRYING.. was it THAT obvious???
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So Me.. and Web Business..
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In the year 2000, I was hired to work for a website company. Having just completed an 18 hour HTML course, it did not take me long to realize that my education was not enough to make me a skilled web designer, and I certainly wasnt a graphic artist, unless stick figures are your thing,.. so with some trepidation I accepted this position. My boss had a few websites and I was hired to monetize them and do other client work.
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Affiliate Marketing?? What the heck was an affiliate and affiliate marketing??
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To his credit, he was pretty laid back with expectations, and to my credit - I BLEW HIM AWAY.. Now, I didnt put in the amount of hours I should have, and I didnt rush to do client work, (turns out knowing HTML is fantastic, but I dont like web design), but within just a few months of working, I asked:
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“why are you paying per click (1 cent at the time) to get people to come to your site in the hopes of making an affiliate purchase. Why dont you cut out the middle man and send them directly to an affiliate program.”
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It took him 3 months to actually ‘listen’ to what I was saying - I was so NEW - why pay attention to me? We proceeded to spend a couple of pennies to earn a $1 pay per lead commission.. For those in the know, you will realize that before Google was even born I was sitting on ‘Google Cash’ and the rest is history…
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but of course it gets even better (or worse). 6 months later… I asked my boss..
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“If you can add sponsored links to your site, and all we want is to get visitors to our site to click on those links, why not create an all sponsored links site and not give them any choices.”
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Yes, my friends… your first LINK FARM site, AKA Niche Adsense Website… again - this is before GOOGLE Adsense (even Google) existed, so you can imagine when we added Google to these sites, we were poised to.. make a killing
. Did I say we?? Since HE certainly had no complaints for several years…
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However, we were not ‘Internet Marketers’, and it was only in about the year 2003-4 that I realized the concept of ebooks and the business of teaching others how to make money on the web. Then it started to slowly dawn on me WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN and what COULD HAVE BEEN…
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Since then I became IM obsessed, snapping up every product, expecting that at any moment all the pieces of the puzzle would come together and I would hit the jackpot. I would walk around very smug, looking at the regular rat-race crowd with pity at that they were not clued into what I had discovered - like a hidden treasure….
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In fact, I have become too busy and self involved to work for my employer, that I have HIRED out some of my minor work tasks to someone else… its called ‘work arbitrage.’ And my boss says “that is so something creative that only You would think to do it.”
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This leaves me to the evolution of how I see myself and my web future and so sorry Dwain, and any other visitor for making you read all this! Probably against all Blog protocol to drone on and on like this!
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I have such faith in my ability to succeed, that I am working in negative cash flow right now…. financing the running of the rest of my life so I can devote myself to this 24/7.
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Please tell me I didnt chop off my head for nothing.
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Andrea
*ERIC and JOEL and other NIM contestants - read the disclaimer JUST BELOW the video*
*Next Disclaimer - every video I have done to date is on a very inexpensive Digital Camera - nothing fancy going on.. as should be obvious. I usually have up to 9 minutes of video time, before I have to download, erase and start over :).
For all those predicting and expecting to see me in, you were in good company.. If you have a problem with me tooting my own horn - 1st of all, these are quotes from others, and 2nd of all “I am the most fabulous person EVER” - thats a direct quote from yours truly
It wont take but a glance through this blog to hear me express my limitations, so I shouldnt have to run from the opposite.
For those who go by the stats - as previously mentioned, I was the top ranking female of the final tally and the only woman in the top 7!
Other than being listed in 75% of the visitor predicted totals on the forum, Here is a SAMPLING of direct quotes from other forum readers and mostly other contestants (names to be added later upon their approval, unless they already have, or available publicly).
“I have to honestly say - - that the surprise of your video that it turned out you were conversing with yourself was a genuine “wow” moment. Then, when you said “Hey, are you going to eat that?” I literally laughed out loud. It was the only laugh of the entire contest. So you’re smart, pretty, accomplished and funny. What the heck was missing? Plus - duh! - everyone loved you and voted for you.”
“I was convinced it would be you all the way through. You shine.” - Carly Taylor
“it would be impossible if they dont choose you since you are dope. You are awesome… like drug addicting” - Jason Henderson
From Jason’s Blog - “Andrea is an extremely talented wife and mother of four who can bring a lot to the table of the Next Internet Millionaire reality show.”
“I really like the style she’s used in both videos. The girls aren’t making as big of waves as the guys, but she’s managed to stay top 7 the whole contest. She knows what she’s doing” - Jeremy Estes
“Well…there is only one woman left…..and of the 8 women I thought would make it on…there hasn’t been any surprises to me who was picked…
I think I know who the last one is…. ;)”
“your kicking ass
see, im not the only one enamored with you
“
“you look stunning in both”
“i like your video and your concept - the dialogue is really tight.”
“oh thats good - you got my vote.”
Even if this guy Valleywag took a stab at me - I was still his first pick!! -”Andrea Yager brings sloppy do-gooderism and moderate good looks” (moderate my A).. check out what this other MAJOR marketer (whose name will not be mentioned ) says:
“secretly I must say your very hot looking, but I’ll deny it, lol .. have to stay professional here.”
of course GEORGE - “Give Andrea and Cliff a Perfect 10″
Go check these out on the forum yourself:
“If Andrea Yager does not get accepted.. then is there is a lesson to be learned for future contestants?
Being the top ranked female by a lot (yes I have been following), with creative videos, good impact… etc., etc.. I would say deserves at least ONE of the 6 spots.. true, If she were hard to look at, then I may not say this..”
“I’m going to be extremely confused if someone like Andrea doesn’t make it.”
“Andrea Yager- She’s got this thing bagged. Watch her to be there in the finals. “
“Andrea… so fine in a “girl next door kind of way”
“My guess is Andrea… she did not keep her poker face on… her ‘tell’ was that she came out strong in the forums after the post stating all the finalists were notified….
her posts were jovial and witty with a few
’s to boot… then ‘poof’ she was gone… now for someone who had such a strong presence in the forums for the whole competition to vanish without one post of expressing dissappointment, that would just not be in her character.. she is too strong willed to have been voted top woman, not make it and then just let it slide… nope… i am going ALL IN and calling her bluff… Congratulations Andrea Yager!” - Nico Pisani
NICO WAS RIGHT:
WATCH HERE TO FIND OUT HOW COME 7 IS NO LONGER MY LUCKY NUMBER, and WHY I HAD TO BE QUIET!!
*DISCLAIMER: I still support the show, the concept, Joel and Eric, and of course the other contestants! I have NO PROBLEM with their final selection.
However, Nico was RIGHT that I was not going to just do NOTHING! Hope you liked my video!
Now that you know:
Some other quotes:
“they were just retards when it came to you”
“I’m really gutted you wont be there”
“Even my mom was expecting you to be on there”
“I know some people that are going to be pissed when you’re not there”
“YOU are what they should have taken”
“that just blows.. for real”
My all time fave from my brother - “Now u can spend your time on really becoming the next internet millionaire!”
~~ thank you all for your support.
Look out for my next post to read what I WILL Be WINNING!!
andrea
I grew up Andrea Lowenstein.
Yes this may sound arrogant, but I use to love how my name sounded …
Andrea Lowenstein.
Andrea Michelle Lowenstein. I grew up in a pretty well connected family in my hometown, and even a boy I dated in high school told me he felt great pleasure in just knowing that ‘Andrea Lowenstein’ liked him :).. Now I am the geek, but back then I was attracted to them!
The Yager addition came with marriage but I am still legally Lowenstein.. I just love that name.
My favorite author is Pat Conroy. He wrote the ‘Lords of Discipline’, ‘The Great Santini’, and ‘The Prince of Tides’.
Imagine reading a book by your favorite author and the main character shares your last name… and is the last 2 written words of the Movie / BOOK??
How AWESOME is that?? Ok, so it could be someone other than Nick Nolte, but he was once the sexiest man alive according to People magazine, so thats good enough for me ;).
What does this have to do with Internet Marketing?
You could say affiliate marketing, had I been resourceful enough to place the links to the movie, so I could make a commission should someone choose to buy - although I didnt do that.
You could say ‘Branding’ - the importance of name selection and using it properly. To have the emotional build up of a novel and movie resort to a single word being the last 2 words read/spoken is pretty heavy duty and is expected to resonate.. I was definitely branded as a ‘Lowenstein’ when growing up - for better or worse (oh it was Better!)
You could say that I am using keywords to direct traffic to my page.. for when all my old friends and classmates do a search on me.. they will find me on this page. Hey Guys! (they are all wondering.. was it me she went out with??
maybe!)
You could say that this has nothing to do with Internet Marketing, but when a post takes as long to complete as the last few have, sometimes you need to lighten it up!
Lowenstein, Lowenstein
~~andrea