185 Comments »

Two Hats One Car said:
Yeah, the MMO niche is full of shit.
But I disagree with a blanket statement saying ‘you can’t make money online’.
You can use the internet as a communication channel for a real business and people have success at this everyday:
http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3029771
But there is no magic. Just blood, sweat and tears.
Muchly debated. What do you think?   +5
[Reply]

Jaime Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 5:43 am
@Two Hats One Car,
Interesting link, but you’ll notice that 99% of the success stories are web and/or app developers themselves.
Being a code monkey requires years of study, training, and implementation to do properly, especially if you want to be successful in the iPhone/iPad market like many of these examples.
The other route is have an idea and simply hire people to implement it. But where are you getting that money in the first place? Your credit card? Let’s hope not.
Kevin Rose (digg.com founder) states a quality outsourced app developer will cost you a minimum of $10,000. Then you have maintenance of the product, which will have a big range depending on the quality of the original app. According to Rose, something like Angry Birds will cost you $35,000 – $50,000 to produce. If it’s a success, you’ll have a tremendous return. If it flops, hopefully it wasn’t your life savings.
Most people haven’t the slightest clue what’s involved with developing a successful app. Even hiring people requires basic knowledge to save yourself from being ripped off.
I mention these things because your link has nothing related to unicorns. In fact, I see virtually zero info-product, coaching, typical IMer garbage.
If you’re a web or code developer of any kind, I would highly recommend building your own software around a common need. Put the software out there, sell it, and support it. It’s possible to earn a living doing this.
On the other hand, how many software devs fail? What’s the ratio of people with the head knowledge vs those with ability to rake in cash? VERY SMALL. Thankfully, I don’t see many unicorns being sold around this dream.
WINNER!! ::   +19
[Reply]

You're so silly Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 7:55 am
@Jaime,
Agree with everything you wrote except this:
Being a code monkey requires years of study, training, and implementation to do properly, especially if you want to be successful in the iPhone/iPad market like many of these examples.
Writing code (even properly) doesn’t require anything but the will to do it and a bit of “smarts”. It’s one of those professions in which a guy without a degree or a lot of experience can earn 85k/yr.
Of course, writing code isn’t “fun”. It can even be hard (and boring). It’s real work (and it’s called that for a reason).
WINNER!! ::   +11
[Reply]

Bo Reply:
September 28th, 2011 at 3:28 pm
@You’re so silly,
I would agree with the Droid. The VAST MAJORITY of people cannot make money online, just as the majority of people cannot make money offline, unless it’s in a job. The problem with online is code. Most people cannot code if life depended on them. It is true even with all the information on how to do it and sites that help you with it, they still cannot, it’s too hard for them, they mostly hate it. You see for code you need analytical skills AND imagination. Most people don’t have one or the other.
Sooooo, everyone wants to sell “services”, “consulting” and simple ebooks and video “tutorials”. What’s the barrier to entry on that? ZILCH! Any moron off the street can do it (and they do!) and that is why it has become a commodity.
These amateurs are violating one of the basic rules of business – barrier of entry has to be high enough, so not every tom, dick and moron can enter the field and drag the price down.
  +1
[Reply]

SD Reply:
September 28th, 2011 at 4:09 pm
@Bo ::
Yeah but … they aren’t really violating that rule. Because they use a cartel :: insider/outsider :: price fixing :: manipulation :: procedure to support a false price. So the “market” ends up with an extreme fractured price where one {tiny} group sells the “product” at insanely unjustifiable prices … and everyone else sells nothing for no price because they’re outside with zero hope of ever getting inside.
A false barrier to entry is the ultimate barrier to entry :: because you can’t lose your position to price competition or innovation.
[Reply]

Bloggy Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 7:46 am
@Two Hats One Car,
Yeah, I felt the same way when I first saw the “…you can’t make money online.” tagline. It’s a bit tongue in cheek. He’s playing the contrarian. It was kind of funny when he said that to Aaron Wall of SEO Book. Aaron just kinda laughed.
Linda is your typical MMO customer. Sorry to say, she’s clueless. And obviously she has no expertise (or knowledge) that would applicable for an online business.
The big players in the MMO niche know she is their typical customer. So, they position their products and coaching as a business opportunity or “business in a box”. Yet, they aren’t really selling a complete business opportunity…just recycled marketing material. Jeff Walker admitted this in a discussion with Andy Jenkins.
On the other hand, it IS possible for a little guy to make money online without a huge investment. However, you have to have some experience, expertise and an Internet compatible niche. I teach a foreign language online. People buy my language learning books and videos. They also pay me for private lessons. I don’t feel like I’m scamming anybody. And my products are priced reasonably.
So, it is possible to make money online. But there is a LOT more to it than the MMO guys/gals would have you believe. But then if they told people like Linda she wasn’t “right” for an online business…they wouldn’t make very much money. In the end, Linda will probably end up selling MMO stuff and her students, if she gets any, will end up selling MMO stuff.
It’s the incestuous nature of the MMO niche. Most people (not all) who buy MMO stuff are opportunity seekers (without any niche / expertise / business). Eventually they just end up selling the opportunity. Dunsford / Kern / Walker / etc…they all fell in this trap.
WINNER!! ::   +10
[Reply]

SD Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 4:10 pm
@Two Hats One Car ::
You can use the internet as a communication channel for a real business and people have success at this everyday …
Sure :: but then you aren’t “making money online” as defined here … you’re just a normal business person who is using the Internet like all good business people should. MMO is about making a passive income :: primarily using the web :: without skillz or business ideas … and it’s impossible.
For example …
LegalZoom fits the make money online idea … it’s mostly automated and scalable to meet any demand level. Hundreds of thousands of documents can be prepared by a very small number of actual human man hours. The persons at the top of the company should make a fortune in Internet monies because they found a good way to use the power of the Internet to eliminate a middle man {in this case lawyers}. Of course :: LegalZoom is not the sort of company that could be founded by no-skillz wannabes … but you get the idea.
On the other hand :: a lawyer who uses the web to effectively market his services is not “making money online” :: even if half or more of his clients are attained via web marketing. He’s still a lawyer :: and he’s still mostly slave to all the shitty things about running a service business.
A hair dresser who uses the web to find and book customers == not make money online
A hair dresser who uses the web to sell a $50 ebook about using the web to find customers :: complete with big dreams about the e-book replacing the actual hair dressing as a career == make money online
[Reply]

Mike Young, Esq. Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 5:41 pm
@SD,
The issue is trading time for money. Any service “professional,” whether hairdresser, physician, plumber, or lawyer, is ultimately selling irreplaceable time for bucks.
That’s generally a losing proposition. The key is to break that time/money link while selling something of value (products/automated services) instead of unicorns or unicorn manure.
It will be interesting to see how service providers adapt to the threats posed to their business models by the Internet. Professions transform into automated commodities.
  +4
[Reply]

Bo Reply:
September 28th, 2011 at 3:34 pm
@Mike Young, Esq., I think Dan Pink has a good lecture on this somewhere on the intertubes.
Anything that has a repeatable procedure behind is being outsourced or automated. Period!
  +3
[Reply]

Anonymous Reply:
September 28th, 2011 at 4:52 pm
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
@Mike Young, Esq.,
I see Unicorn Army is posting as Mike Young again here.
Hey Mike… Go back into your corn hole and continue your fisting activities with Daniel Tosh.
No one takes you seriously here.
LOSER!! ::   -9
[Reply]

G Reply:
February 8th, 2012 at 1:21 am
@Mike Young, Esq.,
Uh.. don’t hold our breath. Just look at the QUALITY of automated services and just how excited people are about being served from an “automated” service provider.
Except for certain droids, I’ll take a live human over an automated service version every time when it comes to the service industry.
Think of it like this…using a waitress in a restaurant = human service provider. Using a vending machine = automated service provider. I know which one I prefer.
  +1
[Reply]

hrmmm Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 8:57 pm
@SD, I’m actually glad you explained this. I was still having a hard time figuring out how in the hell I was an exception to your rule.
I figured it out – I didn’t just wake up one morning and think HOW CAN I MAKE CRAZY MONEY USING THE INTERNETZZZ? I had a business idea, got trained in a specific skillset, and then used the internet as a platform for that business (a business that could exist without the internet at all, incidentally, but which is far more successful with it.)
So apparently I’m slow, but I’m catching on. What’s been so difficult for me is wrapping my head around the idea that people like Linda exist. Not in small numbers. And these are the people being targeted.
Wow.
  +2
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 4:40 am

Dave said:
What the hell do you mean “unicorns aren’t real”? What kind of cold, heartless robot would help spread rumors like that? I have it on very good authority, from my phrenologist’s life coach, than unicorn shit is the next big thing for homeopathy. So if they are using unicorn shit for that, then unicorns HAVE to be real. At least, that’s my wish….
WINNER!! ::   +20
[Reply]

Bonnie Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 10:17 am
@Dave,
You mean unicorn sh!t is actually worth something??!! I wonder how much my cat’s sh!t is worth!
YeeHaw!!!! I’m rich beyond my wildest dreams!!!!
And you can too!
  +4
[Reply]

Alexa Smith Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 7:32 pm
@Dave,
If we know one thing about robots, it’s that they can’t fantasize about unicorns. That’s one of their limitations.
  +3
[Reply]

Martypants Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 11:35 pm
@Dave, If unicorns aren’t real, I want to know what the hell I just shaved.
  +2
[Reply]

Maria AAndros Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 4:28 pm
@Dave,
Unicorns are real! Noah just couldn’t find them because they were playing, so they drownded and became extincted.
I’ve entered the unicorn niche, now I sell a unicorn kit, to turn your horse into a unicorn…
  +4
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 5:03 am

Jaime said:
Linda Eaves ‘About’ page made me laugh out loud ::
Community Leader … with no examples of actually leading anything.
Wellness Advocate … she’s polar opposite of me, an Anti-Wellness Advocate, personally.
She saved the best for last …
Decision Coach … for real! That “coach” word again.
WINNER!! ::   +11
[Reply]

SpideySenses Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 4:42 pm
@Jaime, The only thing I can see her coaching is how a sucker is born every minute. She’s way qualified there.
  +2
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 5:22 am

SpideySenses said:
I listened to both of those videos and I’m still waiting for the punchline. Was there a point here? Maybe I just zoned out but these videos are nothing but incessant rambling. I have no clue what this chick is going on about, what she’s selling or what she’s trying to convince others to do. 15 minutes of my life I won’t get back. Thanks, SD.
WINNER!! ::   +10
[Reply]

Bloggy Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 7:53 am
@SpideySenses,
LOL, I kept thinking the same thing. What the heck is this lady talking about!
WINNER!! ::   +7
[Reply]

SD Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 4:19 pm
@SpideySenses ::
Yeah … totally incoherent.
Didn’t want people getting the idea that @SlowlyWaking represented the average MMO customer …
http://saltydroid.info/speaking-of-spiders/
… cause that would be way wrongs.
[Reply]

Wyrd Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 11:13 am
@SD,
Didn’t want people getting the idea that @SlowlyWaking represented the average MMO customer …
Well that is a good point.
Thanks.
Btw, the videos have been locked away now. Although I guess that’s not really much of a loss.
And a reflection on LegalZoom, and MMO in general:
See, one (I think accidentally) crafty aspect of the MMO pitch is that the reader/listener interprets the loud-shiny-happy-unicorn promises differently depending on their conception of reality.
When I originally heard the pitch “passive stream of income” it had the same initial effect on me that it had on Linda, the Poor Deluded Soul. It got my attention and made me want to listen to them.
But even way back then, way before I found out about your site, I came to understand, just by listening to these two guys ramble on about the awesomeness of “free internet moniez” that the money wasn’t really free, and that getting the money would either involve
1. selling other people on the idea of “free internet moniez” or
2. actually doing something real then selling that.
So maybe @Slowly Waking or myself are not the IM scammers target audience, but the same pitch still works. Which is icky. Because even people that aren’t the IMers’ target audience that don’t actually buy the IM scammers evil crap can still inadvertently act as carriers spreading the disease.
That is to say: before I understood just how vile and corrupt this sordid MMO thing really is, still I probably wouldn’t have bought from them. But at that time, with me feeling that they were only sort of innocuous and that they had good information, but just a somewhat overly sensational manner of presentation, I might have promoted them. Ew.
It’s like with the Kevin Smith re-tweeting Naomi’s death threats post. Except that I’m no Kevin Smith so I can’t do as much damage.
–
Furry cows moo and decompress.
  +4
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 5:56 am

Lanna said:
Here’s the list of shame, transcribed from the second video:
Alisa McPheron
Charlie Gilkey
Christina Morassi
Danielle LaPorte
Diana Valentine
Elizabeth Potts-Weinstein
Eben Pagan
Aaron Blaski
Gary Vaynerchuk
Ittybiz
Jennifer Shelton
Tricia Dycka
Marie Forleo
Jenny B Bones
Johnny Truant
Karen Paritee
Kelly Deals
Laura Roeder
Lee Stranahan
Tara Gentile
Sinclair
WINNER!! ::   +11
[Reply]

Mark Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 1:22 pm
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
@Lanna,
Not sure Gary V. qualifies as he built a real company with social media & tech.
The rest – absolutely.
But maybe that’s me.
LOSER!! ::   -6
[Reply]

SD Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 4:28 pm
@Mark ::
Did he?
I thought Daddy built the company … and he just ran his fucking mouth about it?
He recently started making appearances at IM conferences … like Yanik’s :: and now he’s “retiring” from wine library. My guess is that he plans to move into the much more lucrative “and you can too” niche … where he’ll find me.
Hi Gary V … see you around.
[Reply]

SpideySenses Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 4:39 pm
@SD, He didn’t totally retire. https://twitter.com/#!/garyvee/status/115114463027408896
He’s still doing video.
  0
[Reply]

mark Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 5:27 pm
@SD,
The more he moves to simply talking about ‘growing online businesses/brands’, (aka ‘making money online’) then I agree – a total crapfest.
You may have even said it when you wrote (and I’m paraphrasing here): about the only thing he’s qualified for is how to use the Internet to sell wine.
Oh & The Jets suck…
  +3
[Reply]

Duke Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 1:16 am
@SD,
I thought Daddy built the company … and he just ran his fucking mouth about it?
“Gary V.” is kind of like a hyperactive cheerleader who only does cheers about cheerleading. But hey, he’s passionate about his passion, even if his passion comes from being passionate.
He also really resonates with convicted internet felon and fraudster Perry Belcher, who gave him the Belcher squeal of approval:
http://perrybelcher.net/90/gary-vaynerchuk-impressed-me-perry-belcher-imagine-2/
  +6
[Reply]

Lanna Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 6:30 pm
@Mark,
Other than calling it a list of shame, I just presented exactly what Linda said. If she’d listed Arthur C. Clarke, I would’ve transcribed that and listed him.
I would consider Gary Vaynerchuk in the Darren Rowse category. Both got into blogging very early, enjoyed some success, and published you-can-too books giving them legit-looking expert credentials. Amazon’s
most-helpful review of Vaynerchuk’s Crush It explains why you-can-too doesn’t work and why Vaynerchuk is just like the rest of the MMO crowd now.
  +4
[Reply]

Thom Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 1:24 am
@Lanna, Speaking of that Gary Vaynerchuk book review, here’s a VERY interesting update from the person who wrote it:
“1.27.10. This thread is so odd that, as someone who writes a fair amount of Amazon reviews, I keep an eye on it. It’s pretty weird. First, disclosure: I don’t know -any- of the people who have commented on whether my review was helpful to them or not. But for the last week or so responses have kept this 2 star review listed as “most helpful” which must be annoying to the author who also watches this thread–responding to EVERYTHING (although his book remains at 1, 1 and 2 in his Amazon categories).
Today, in one day, a barrage of negatives (70 or so ‘not helpful’ votes–an unheard of number in one day!) dropped this 2 star review off to oblivion, now replaced by 5 star reviews with 1 or 2 people agreeing they are “helpful”. And, too, today alone there are 8 new comments in this thread (posted last October), including 3 today alone from Gary, the author.
Weird, weird pattern here. And, more than ever, I think this is some kind of “promoted” response to a negative review. So, just to add in conclusion….I wouldn’t buy a book from anyone who encouraged (directly or indirectly encouraged) his fans to distort an honest response to his book. 70 “not helpful” responses to a 4 month old review? In one day???? Never, ever happen “naturally” at Amazon. Then again, maybe “Crush It!” has different meaning than I originally thought….”
  +5
[Reply]

Cosmic Connie Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 9:04 am
Gary Vaynerchuk definitely struck while the iron was hot. I’m sure he’s still amazed by his success — he, an immigrant from the former Soviet Union, suddenly becoming an Internet rock star.
Yes, he took his family liquor store and made it into “a national industry leader,” or so the promo blurbs say. And he became known as a snarky wine critic, wine videoblogger, and so forth. Result: accolades, growing fame, book deals from major publishers… and pressure to expand his beat and keep producing, producing, producing.
One hardly has to even know about his history to come to the conclusion that whatever real-world business successes he may have had in the past, he is rapidly going down the “and-you-can-too” hustledork trail, ripening himself (like fine wine grapes?) for a big, hearty Salty Droid “Hello.” Just watching his trailer on Amazon for his newest book, “The Thank You Economy” is very revealing. He’s full of earnest (faux-earnest, in my eyes) hustledorkish energy, talking about “passion” and “DNA” and all those things that bidness gurus typically natter on about. (Do any of these gurus actually know what DNA is?) Watching his trailer, I am reminded of some smarmy Wild and Crazy Guy ogling the big American bank account he imagines I possess.
But hang on to your hats, because Gary Vee has been signed to a 10-book deal with HarperBusiness (division of HarperCollins, publishing conglomerate owned by Rupert Murdoch). So, as I noted above, he’s under great pressure to continue to produce, whether or not he has anything new or of value to say. Frankly, I blame the publishing industry as much as I do Gary or any other bidness guru/author who enjoyed success in one area and is suddenly deemed an “expert” in all areas of business.
And that stuff that seemed to be cooking on Amazon with the “most helpful” book review for “Crush It”… it’s interesting but not surprising. I don’t know who was behind it — the publisher, Vaynerchuk groupies acting under their own initiative, or Vaynerchuk himself. I do know that he is very focused on his reviews, and he has even said that he took the negative reviews for “Crush It” into account when he wrote “The Thank You Economy.” I bet he has cast his sights on SD’s blog by now.
On the other hand, maybe he’ll surprise all of us and refuse to go any further down the and-you-can-too path. One can always hope.
WINNER!! ::   +7
[Reply]

RT Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 10:42 am
I think Gary V. has leveraged his success to working with “big dumb companies” he are out to leverage the “new media” for gain.
The only thing I see different from him other people here is he is not really selling … at least from what I can tell … to my grandma or mom. Of course I don’t really know nor am I coming to defend him when his expose comes.
Actually I think that his response and the ensuing comments here will be even better than Dunford’s so I actually quite look forward to it should Salty dig up enough dirt.
I did read his Thank You Economy Book. Here is the summary:
“The internet has taken most consumers out of their little islands and given everyone a voice (places like this). Treat people well and do the right things to them or they are going to tell the whole world you are an asshole.”
There you don’t have to read the book now :-)
  +6

Duke Reply:
September 29th, 2011 at 6:48 am
@RT,
“The only thing I see different from him other people here is he is not really selling … at least from what I can tell … to my grandma or mom.”
He sells hope, sort of like tantalizing chocolate balls where you look forward to the creamy center, except it turns out to be pea gravel, and you end up breaking several teeth.
We only have one shot at life, and when dream merchants aggressively throw hollow fantasies at people, resulting in them stumbling or missing a genuine opportunity elsewhere, those fantasy pushers are pillaging some of the scarce, limited time that we have in this world.
It’s not just the money, it’s about the unfortunate life detours that people like Gary V persuade others to take using “one size fits all” rah-rah.
His cheerleading act can’t begin to account for differences in people, their capabilities, or their resources, but he’s selling it to anybody within earshot.
That’s about as useful as an intermittently operational, poorly stocked vending machine.
  +4

@Mark Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 7:14 am
@Lanna,
Nice find Lanna.
hello my name is mark & I am a recovering Third Triber
  +3
[Reply]

Anonymous Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 5:12 pm
@Lanna,
That would be Kelly Diels, not Kelly Deals. She somehow became a six-figure “copywriter” by writing things like this on her Problogger-approved blog:
“CJ is something not a lot of porn performers are: he’s likeable. During our interview I came to like him lots and wow, do I like watching him fuck. His fucking is an athletic event. His films contain unguarded, un-pornified moments that liquefy me. Moments when he grins at the woman he’s fucking, or they laugh, or he kisses her so real it makes her smile with satisfaction. Most porn is serious, so those lighter, sweeter moments are truly…sexy. I watch some immediately after getting off the phone. I get off. It is good.”
  +5
[Reply]

SD Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 5:23 pm
@Anonymous ::
Oh my gag!
[Reply]

422 Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 1:00 am
Gagzzzz galore@ Diels and her porn business
  +1
[Reply]

Barbara Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 6:31 pm
@,
You mean the Kelly Diels who attempts to sell this completely unoriginal t-shirt?
http://www.cafepress.ca/2girlsgonemild
Just imagine, it took two of these mindless twits to come up with the tired old idea of putting the word “porn” on the front of t-shirts and thongs.
I can just imagine the “tee hee we’re so naughty!” conversations these marketing wizards must have had. It’s just another boring bunch of bullshit by a woman whose only aspiration is to be noticed, at any cost. So, if pretending to be a porn-lovin’ sex-obsessed woman will do the trick…then that’s who’ll she be, Raunch Girl…or is that Grrll?
  +5
[Reply]

Lanna Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 6:38 pm
@Anonymous,
Thanks! I also figured out it’s Dyana Valentine not Diana Valentine and Erin Blaskie not Aaron Blaski.
“Erin Blaskie, also known as the Bizinatrix, is in a hot, passionate love affair with the Internet.” Good luck with that!
  +4
[Reply]

Pat Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 9:31 pm
@Lanna,
I checked out some of these websites you listed, and Linda has left testimonials for at least a couple of them.
Here is one from http://triciadycka.com/testimonials/
Tricia helped me at a really crucial time as I was starting to move forward with my business.
I’ve always held a 9-5 position but wanted to pursue my passion of being a publicist. I enjoy teaching social media and working with small businesses promoting products or services and connecting them with the exact people who need what they have.
During a conversation with a potential client something felt a little off. OK I lied, a lot off. I was totally stuck, and was this close to quitting and bagging my business idea. I called Tricia and together we talked things through. I had instant clarity and empowerment as a result of that conversation. Tricia’s fierce and fiery spirit was just what I needed. Knowing she’s there and that I can bounce things off of her is priceless. Tricia will be there as you make the shift from a safe but predictably boring life to actually being comfortable with the discomfort of taking a stand for your business and the life you want. She’s a great silent partner for your business.
Linda Eaves http://www.lindaeaves.com
This is so sad. And I had no idea how many of these “small guru” websites there are. This Tricia Dycka’s coaching is not cheap either, $397 per hour! You might want to analyze her video on her homepage: http://triciadycka.com/. I can’t believe Linda paid this woman for “coaching”!
  +5
[Reply]

JustinTime Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 9:50 pm
@Pat,
Yeah, Pat this “Going to sleep as an AP Clerk and waking up as a Life Coach” bullshit has to stop.
It’s waaaaay more wide-spread than SD is really reporting (<3 you SD but it's true, like, for serious). I would bet $1000 within a 100 mile radius of you right now people are giving up their jobs left and right (in a 9.X% unemployment rate economy) to pursue this MMO douchesquirt turd-promise.
The fucking "$397 an hour for me to be your friend" racket is so bullshit it's ludicrous. It's like whoring yourself out without a Happy Ending for the client.
WINNER!! ::   +13
[Reply]

Bonnie Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 10:10 pm
@Pat,
Oh my God, is this Tricia pathetic or what? And the sad thing is she probably really believes she’s helping people! — all because some moron like Naomi or someone like her told her she should do this and was/would be good at it! Cause she paid THEM the big bucks to tell her that!
$397? I wouldn’t give her $3.97! Hey, that’s a dozen eggs!
  +2
[Reply]

JustinTime Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 10:28 pm
@Bonnie,
$3.97… that’s hillarious. Well played!
  +5
[Reply]

Lanna Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 1:12 am
@Pat,
Excellent, that’s teamwork in action.
I noticed Tricia has a testimonial from Jennifer Shelton, who is also on Linda’s list. Incestuous!
I also noticed Linda doesn’t have the basic business knowledge to know what a “silent partner” is. From InvestorWords.com, a silent partner is a “business partner who provides capital but does not actively participate in the management of operations.” It’s basically the exact opposite of paying Tricia Dycka to tell you how to operate your business.
  +2
[Reply]

Barbara Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 1:22 am
@Lanna,
That was incredible. I could not believe she thought Tricia was a “silent partner”. Even the absolutely clueless should have picked up the meaning of that term somewhere, perhaps if they had actually read a book on business practices and not ebooks written by the likes of Dunford&Co.
  +3
[Reply]

LisaSimpson Reply:
September 29th, 2011 at 12:21 am
@Lanna,
Lee Stranahan got kicked out of the cool kids club for pissing off Miss James Chartrand.
On the Question the Rules list, Lee may a wry joke about selling things right after his father died. And her mightiness responded:
http://menwithpens.ca/storytelling-ethics/
Shortly after Lee and Johnny parted ways and Lee went back the real world of political activism and having a soul.
  +1
[Reply]

Lanna Reply:
September 29th, 2011 at 7:09 am
@LisaSimpson,
Hah! In that anti-Lee piece dated October 18, 2010, Miss James writes:
I’ve never had to tell a heartwrenching, personal story to sell my products or services.
Oh, no? What about Miss James’Copyblogger underpants article dated December 14, 2009? Here’s a taste:
This is my story.
Once upon a time, I found myself having to make some hard decisions.
The welfare application was on my kitchen table.
At a glance, I did’t see any dissidents bring that up in the comments, but Lee takes Miss James to task for publicly dissing him instead of having the courtesy to address this privately as Question the Rules coworkers.
Neigh-Neigh agrees, until she doesn’t. If you’re going to be a Lunch Coach, it’s “VITAL” that you barf up (shart out?) true stories of family tragedy in front of your clients:
Naomi Dunford – Ittybiz (@naomidunford) says:
October 18, 2010 at 1:48 pm
I agree.
Until I don’t.
Big fat sympathy stories smack of ick. They smack of the maiming beggars thing Nora mentioned. But those honesty and authenticity and transparency things we’re always talking about? It’s pretty fucking hard to be authentic and honest and transparent without telling stories.
“And to those of you who whore personal stories for money without conscience, I guess we just stand on different sides of the line.”
Yeah. “Without conscience.”
The example you gave was… well, we talked about it when it happened and it was fairly incredible, certainly. But I’ve had a sale to buy game tickets for my husband. I’ve had some people hate on me for it and HELL NO I’m not going to stop.
There is a VERY big difference between whoring with stories and telling them. Did you see Navarro’s thing? About his mother being murdered? That was an absolutely VITAL story that had to be told, and I’ve been begging him to talk about it for years. He handled it with grace and class and direction and purpose and honor. (I was talking to someone at BlogWorld and she said it was the only post on his blog that she liked.) I couldn’t have been more proud of him for doing it. That’s more class than you’ll see on my blog or yours.
In my very unsolicited opinion, the rule should be that when you’re telling stories at the same time as you’re selling things, be very fucking careful. We also have to be careful when we’re driving a car. Or when, as will undoubtedly happen, people will come onto this post and make blanket statements they can’t back up on topics — like marketing — about which they know nothing.
Also, I agree with everything Susan said.
I just read a book about telling difficult stories, and the two master storytellers who wrote it say humor can make hearing painful stories easier on the audience. So, to soften that weirdness from Neigh-Neigh, here are some comments-section quotes from our favorite recurring characters, taken entirely out of context:
Johnny B. Truant: “I do NOT teach the sleazy shit.”
Ali Hale: “Darren, Sonia and Brian did this brilliantly in their Blogworld keynote.”
Johnny B. Truant: “I am not, in fact, a shitbag.”
Naomi Dunford: “No, you’re still a shitbag.”
Tim Brownson: “I made a glib stupid comment below because I make glib stupid comments.”
  +4
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 6:53 am

Mark said:
Hello my name is Mark & I am a recovering Third Triber…
Standout points:
Connecting is going to be your full time job & you’ll have to replace your yearly income?!?! ARE YOU KIDDING?
Granting wishes…
I think the Zoltar machine at the carnival is a better bet & it probably makes about $25 a month…
Oh & you’re going to need a lot more than a Fairy Godmother….
But probably the best comment (and dig at Naomi)… “It’s Na-omi. Neigh like a horse does.”
Neigh on Naomi…Neigh on…
WINNER!! ::   +14
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 7:32 am

Mike said:
This is sad and incredibly lazy. I’m embarrassed for Linda and hope she takes this post as a wake up call.
Making money online is possible. It can be a bit easier than making money offline only because of the lower overhead and ability to reach a wider audience than your geographic region would allow in the past.
But you still need a legitimate business model wherein you provide something of actual value and your customers pay you for it.
Business is fucking hard. Most fail, repeatedly. Being online doesn’t change that, but I would say it does give you the ability to fail in less painful ways, and test your market before you commit.
Unfortunately a lot of people get desperate and lose their moral compass – and put together “businesses” like Linda’s, with no basis in their ability to do valuable work.
Linda will fail, and she should. Maybe later she will build something of actual value.
WINNER!! ::   +16
[Reply]

KG Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 11:18 am
@Mike,
I too think this is sad.
I also think that sometimes it’s a fine line between determining who is the victim and who is the perpetrator, especially in this case. Clearly this woman is clueless. She is trying to sell gobble-dee-gook. She wants the fake get-rich-quick path, but she does not yet know it is fake. (And she is also in no way qualified to give people guidance about options for surgical intervention. That’s what doctors are for).
Her income level is better than the majority of the world’s population, yet she is willing to risk that for . . . what?
I will likely get voted down, but I think people like Linda and others, warrant our compassion. It’s not a crime to be clueless, ignorant and unaware.
I think a big part of what drives this nonsense, is the lack of contentment people feel in their lives.
I feel sorry for this woman.
But I do have this beef: soon we’ll have people who coach others, to coach others, to coach others on how to wipe our butts.
WINNER!! ::   +17
[Reply]

BananaTaco Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 5:51 pm
@KG,
I totally agree. Thanks for putting it so well. I also want to add that – and hold your cookies down folks – these people (this woman, in this case) *actually* fully believe that what they are planning to embark on, this business adventure, is a completely bona fide, 100% valid thing they’re doing. They believe their “skills” are valuable and that they can help people and make a bunch of money from doing that. Part of this is because, as KG so concisely expressed above, these people are somehow not content where they are, or they really wanna believe in the unicorn statue. After all, Walt Disney did it right?
The worst thing is, all of the testimoanials, the frauducts, and the amateur audio and video stuff. It’s an insult.
Danielle LaPorte has hers down. She shellacked her shit so much, nobody can crack through it with a hammer and chisel. Now she has a book deal.
There is no end to what people will eat up.
WINNER!! ::   +8
[Reply]

Glad I Was Broke Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 6:13 pm
@KG,
You said: “It’s not a crime to be clueless, ignorant and unaware.”
And Mr. Spinoza said a while ago in Latin: “Ignorantia non est argumentum” which in English means: “Ignorance is no argument.”
And I say: people need to be responsible for their actions. If you are embarking on a new business endeavor, perhaps you need to have your facts checked, “t”‘s crossed, homework/legwork done, etc. Else you, may end up miserable, broke and with a severe case of cognitive dissonance. Or worse, you will drag other people with you into the same BS you are in.
  +5
[Reply]

KG Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 7:49 pm
@Glad I Was Broke,
Your point is well taken, and I would be the first person to stand up for self-responsibility.
However, sometimes people don’t know what they don’t know. And some people are very trusting. And that lack of awareness about con-men/women, and their own innocent trust, in the most extreme example, ended up with 3 people dead in a fake sweat lodge.
Most people have dreams for their lives. Not all people have the good fortune of connecting with people who want the best for them and instead, connect with people that would rather exploit them.
Having said that, if Linda happened to see this blog, and continued to believe the probable tape being played in her head as @Banana Taco has laid out, then unfortunately, some people have to learn the hard way. Crash and burn.
If she saw this blog, and didn’t care, and became aware that part of the schtick was to scam people, then my compassion for her would drop to zero.
But my hope for her, is that she take a good long gander at this site, and try to understand the message behind the mean funny robot.
WINNER!! ::   +10
[Reply]

hrmmm Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 9:07 pm
@KG, I am totally with you. I think she is clueless and almost hopelessly naive, but I do not think she is malicious. She wants something (freedom, business experience, to help people, who knows) and has been misled about how best to get it.
  +4
[Reply]

LisaSimpson Reply:
September 29th, 2011 at 12:39 am
@KG, It seems like we already do. Coaches breed like wildfire.
  +1
[Reply]

Duke Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 1:45 am
@Mike,
“Being online doesn’t change that, but I would say it does give you the ability to fail in less painful ways”
You mean like being highlighted on a blog like this?
I disagree. The internet has a long memory, maybe even “forever.” Your past can now follow you wherever you go, like glue. Foolish and irresponsible choices can’t as easily be dismissed when there is a permanent archive about you that can be accessed by anyone in the world, 24×7.
It’s now even more important than ever to fully investigate and rationally consider what you contemplate doing. You need to be especially careful who and what you hitch your wagon to.
WINNER!! ::   +7
[Reply]

Mike Reply:
October 1st, 2011 at 7:33 pm
@Duke, You’re absolutely right – to a point.
A big, stupid mistake, an indication of poor character, is harder to run away from now more than ever before.
But a failed business or project isn’t necessarily rooted in stupidity or moral degeneration, is it?
There are a lot of shitheads out there. But if we start being afraid of fucking up at all when someone may be watching, we don’t end up doing anything. If every fart were amplified, we’d never exert ourselves.
Linda may very well mean to help people and probably isn’t convinced she’s going to “get rich” doing so. She probably just wants to get by and feel good about her work, like most of us. But in doing so, she is making some stupid mistakes.
I have to wonder whether SD will always stand behind his work here. To my mind, there’s nothing wrong with calling someone out on a stupid mistake or poor moral judgment. When they’re knowingly defrauding many people, I say take them the fuck down. But if you can reasonably believe a person acted in good faith, and you know full well that your call-out is going to impact that person’s life well into the future, I have to wonder whether you won’t end up feeling you were a little too harsh.
I can call to mind many people who’ve wronged me personally, who by all rights owe me damages, let alone people who’ve acted immorally for their own gains. But I don’t continue to tarnish their names.
I wonder whether SD would ever admit to an error in moral judgment – a post he regrets publishing, maybe. (Not to argue there is one. There’s every legal right to publish this blog. And I subscribe to it for a reason.)
But this quote from the SEOBook.com interview comes to mind:
“Like someone will tell me about someone, and I’ll watch them for six months before. Because you can’t go off, that is a responsibility I have. You cannot do what I’m doing to just an average citizen. I wouldn’t accept this kind of behavior in a different situation.”
It’s tricky work, sorting the average citizens from the filthy bastards, isn’t it?
  +3
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 7:48 am

Patrick said:
So I watched the second video.
There’s a way to share others’ ideas: the Harvard referencing model.
1. You come up with an original idea and then discuss how it builds on others to build credibility.
2. You then insert (Author name, Date) in the text.
3. You then place a reference list at the back.
Sharing intellectual property in three easy steps.
WINNER!! ::   +9
[Reply]

SD Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 4:46 pm
@Patrick ::
… so complicated!
[Reply]

hrmmm Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 9:12 pm
@Patrick, this is exactly what I kept thinking while trying to finish watching the second video. I did not know that referencing was such a closely-guarded occult secret.
Seriously it never occurred to me that someone wouldn’t know how to do this.
Again, wow.
  +5
[Reply]

@Patrick Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 4:17 am
@hrmmm,
No, it’s just a foil to the misguided ‘education is useless in business’ argument.
Education teaches you critical skills like how to say things credibly and ethically, without stealing ideas.
Of course if someone’s never been educated in these matters, then they may well come up with convoluted schemes to ‘appropriate’ ideas.
But in my mind if you don’t properly acknowledge who you take it from than it’s stealing. Referencing also serves as a way for readers to fact check and determine your credibility.
  0
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 8:56 am

Rafael Marquez said:
Linda certainly appears to have mastered the art of speaking without saying anything. Well done.
WINNER!! ::   +19
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 9:35 am

what?? said:
Wow. Linda, you just gave a shout-out to everyone who has ripped you off (apologizing to those you might’ve left off the list) and invited every other unicorn salesperson to contact you.
This is so disturbing and sad. My advice would be to become real jaded, real fast. I hope you didn’t quit your job. SD is right…they lied to you.
WINNER!! ::   +15
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 9:39 am

Bonnie said:
So she has all these programs on her harddrive, that she spent all this un-named (and unfathomable!) amount of money on, and this is what she sounds like after all that?
Honey, I hate to be a neigh-sayer — but keep your day job. You’re only going to end up selling all the frauducts of all these other scammers that don’t work in the first place, and if you’re lucky or unlucky enough — however you want to look at it — you just might get yourself a cell next to one them in the very near future.
WINNER!! ::   +9
[Reply]

Poop Chute Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 11:16 am
@Bonnie, Hahaha. Neigh-sayer. Nice pun playing off of @Mark’s comment above.
Yes, I cringe whenever I read @SD’s “You can’t make money online.” And I doubted it. At first. But now I know it’s bait. Designed to pull the lurking trolls out and get them to expose themselves…although that thought just made me a little ill.
When I first landed here I was overjoyed…and made some idiot mistakes myself in diving right in.
@SD — Maybe it would be a good idea to add something to the comment line (love the one there now…perhaps add to it), along the lines of: “…but first READ the blog for a while to understand where you’re playing.”
  +3
[Reply]

Bonnie Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 11:44 am
@Poop Chute,
If you didn’t watch the video, it was Linda who said that you pronounce Naomi’s name “neigh” as in what a horse does — Mark was just quoting her from the video, thus the quotation marks around it in his post ;)
  +3
[Reply]

Poop Chute Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 1:36 pm
@Bonnie, Gotcha…and no, I didn’t watch the video. Just looking at those opening screen shots and reading the comments told me early on it would be a waste of my time.
Thanks for the clarification — and it was STILL a clever play on the “neigh.”
And that rhymed.
And so can you!
  +4
[Reply]

SD Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 5:29 pm
@Bonnie ::
You’re only going to end up selling all the frauducts of all these other scammers that don’t work in the first place …
Yep.
The first video is from 12 months ago today … and she’s talking about her own “wish granting” business. The second video is from last month … and she’s asking people about stealing their content {which is almost all already stolen} so that she can recycle it into her own shitty “and you can too” frauduct.
High priced devolution …
[Reply]

Unicorn Army Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 6:48 pm
@SD, she apparently already has written and sold a “book” on using your intuition in your business (wtf?) – always a good idea to write your business book before building a business. Big time saver.
  +6
[Reply]

JustinTime Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 9:21 pm
@SD,
But SD… Naomi actually RECOMMENDS you steal content.
From her coaching auto-responder:
“Because that’s what all this competition scoping is all about, you see. It’s not just so you can admire your competition and think you’re never going to be that good. You’re totally going to be that good. Because you’re going to steal all their best ideas.”
So… she like, y’know, tells you to do it. And stuff.
And you can too?
WINNER!! ::   +7
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 10:10 am

987 said:
To me, the video looks like a warm-up for some homemade amateur porn.
The acting is bad, the woman says she is a bitch and after all… She’s on a couch in the right position.
  +3
[Reply]

Bonnie Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 11:49 am
@987,
I thought the same thing when it first started playing — if this is a business woman (or even one wanting to be), why was she wearing what she was wearing, and why was she stretched out like that on her sofa in that suggestive pose? Oh, I forgot who she is learning from. Yes, she sure needed to make a video thanking her alright!
  +4
[Reply]

JustinTime Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 9:16 pm
@Bonnie,
‘Cause Naomi can wear Spanx and act like a pornstar and get, like, mad customers. So maybe…jut maybe… she can too!
Most of these assholes I’ve run into will hard sell you for a testimonial. Video testimonials are like meth. Hard to get, but if you know how, easy to make. And IM’ers are addicted to them.
  +4
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 11:40 am

Barbara said:
That was just fucking pathetic. But what would anyone expect from someone who handles their own life in this manner?
Naomi:
“Then I sort of got deported and my world fell apart.”
“I screwed up the SpeakEasy almost beyond repair. I bailed on pretty much everything. Email got to the point where it was practically uncontrollable. I cried every day. I hired the wrong VA, but he was a family friend and I felt like I couldn’t let him go. I worked like a dog to make enough money to pay a VA who wasn’t doing any work.”
“Something had to give and it was one of my inboxes. I had to walk away or be committed.”
***************************************************************************
Believe it or not, the above mess was taken from what Neigh-o-me claims to be “one of the top 15 most popular ittybiz posts!” She is hands down the most fucked up person I’ve ever known to be giving advice to others. Talk about the blind leading the blind! This is the clueless, fucked up, irrational leading the…well, too much to type. I’m sure you get the point.
And notice the blaming of others in the above example, all her problems were caused by the lazy VA. Neigh-o-me is faultless, again.
WINNER!! ::   +13
[Reply]

SD Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 4:59 pm
@Barbara ::
It’s really hard to stand out on this blog-of-pigs :: so Naomi should be quite proud of herself for being so … um … special.
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 11:44 am

Wanderlost said:
Oh My God. The second piece is rambling to the point of incoherence, but the first just made me want to scream, “Please, please, PLEASE tell me you ran this ‘we haven’t found a way to monetize it yet but I need to quit my $60,000 a year job right away’ idea by some responsible adult before you screwed your life up so totally!’ If I ever had any doubt I’m now convinced that Naomi is evil, evil, EVIL!
One of the smartest ‘self-help’ authors I know always warns people NOT to quit their day job. What you love doesn’t HAVE to make money. Keep your job and treat it as ‘a subsidy to the arts’. That little piece of wisdom alone would have saved Linda and a lot of people a whole bundle more than ‘$1700′ – and it would only have cost her $15 bucks for the paperback. But of course that’s not the unicorn they’re looking for. Just horse sense.
WINNER!! ::   +14
[Reply]

KG Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 1:26 pm
@Wanderlost,
“Keep your job and treat it as ‘a subsidy to the arts’. ”
I love that.
Plus Linda wouldn’t even have to pay $15 for the paperback. Hopefully, she could just read your post. And that’s FREE.
  +6
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 12:24 pm

Barbara said:
Suppose someone is actually interested in gastric bypass surgery, Linda.
In my midwestern medium-sized city I could, without spending a dime, attend a free seminar on the subject at a local hospital. It’s held monthly. So, say I’m “busy” that night. Maybe I’ve got a date with a unicorn wrangler. No problem. I can call the surgeon’s office and arrange an hour long consult, again, free of charge, with a nurse-practioner to discuss the procedure and any concerns. I can view a film about the procedure for free. I can pick up any number of free brochures with FAQ’s.
In other words, you have NOTHING to offer…fuck all, your “business” is bullshit. Be sure to thank Neigh-o-me, thank her with cash…that’s all she appreciates, fuck the cards and flowers.
WINNER!! ::   +14
[Reply]

Hal (the original Hal) Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 12:51 pm
@Barbara,
Are you SD in a dress? :-)
WINNER!! ::   +8
[Reply]

Barbara Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 1:00 pm
@Hal (the original Hal),
No…but I’m halfway through mech droid reassignment surgery.
WINNER!! ::   +13
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 12:29 pm

Barbara said:
Second video near the end Linda says:
“I might’ve boughten something from you.”
Oww! fuck! my friggin ears are bleeding!!!!
“boughten”? Seriously?
WINNER!! ::   +10
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 12:52 pm

Barbara said:
Linda Eaves, Naomi’s bestest bitch, tells us that she had had gastric bypass surgery. Then in video #1 she tells us that she and Chris went shopping, bought a guitar at a pawnshop, bought earrings for Linda and had yummy ice cream. Do you know what happens after gastric bypass when you eat ice cream? You get the dreaded “dumping syndrome”. Yep, it’s just what it sounds like.
From the Mayo Clinic website:
“Dumping syndrome. This complication occurs most often after eating foods high in sugar or fat. These foods travel quickly through your stomach pouch and “dump” into your intestine. Dumping syndrome can cause sudden diarrhea, nausea, lightheadedness, stomach cramps and flushing.”
I hope that ice cream shop was close to where Linda lived…
WINNER!! ::   +8
[Reply]

Anonymous Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 3:00 pm
@Barbara, eww. As if there wasn’t enough to be uncomfortable about with this post. ha ha
  +3
[Reply]

SD Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 5:06 pm
@Barbara ::
Maybe part of Linda’s “coaching program” is explaining how it’s easier to make the lifestyle changes necessary to ensure that gastric bypass is worth it … if you don’t make the changes.
Easy breezy …
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 1:45 pm

Shit Storm said:
Not everyone is CAPABLE going into business for themselves…
Seek out an HONEST adviser and ask for BRUTAL HONESTY
Hell SEEK out 10 such advisers so you don’t think someone is out to get you
An adviser should NOT have a vested financial interest one way or another in your being in business
An adviser should have a proven record that is BEYOND a shadow of a doubt…don’t take their word that they’re successful
BTW An adviser will ALWAYS have negative things to say about your business idea – no idea is flawless and hard scrutiny is extremely valuable
If she had sought the advice of an honest adviser she would have heard words like farcical, absurd, ridiculous and delusional
If she had sought investor dollars she would have been thrown out of the office and the person who set the appointment up would have been immediately fired
Brutal honesty of ones business idea is the best first step
WINNER!! ::   +9
[Reply]

SD Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 5:10 pm
@Shit Storm ::
Yep … all that money she “invested” in “consulting” and “education” … but I’ll bet today is the first time she’s ever heard someone say …
gosh that’s so stupid
[Reply]

JustinTime Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 9:26 pm
@Shit Storm,
Two words:
Due Dilligence.
‘Nuff said
Not trying to blame the victims, but I wish more people would Google these bastards before buying. I should publish an e-book or something.
Nah… I’ll just tell the poeple I care about for free.
(I care about you all… btw)
  +4
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 4:06 pm

Orenthal said:
How much does Naomi charge for an hours’ consultation?
  0
[Reply]

SD Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 5:19 pm
@Orenthal ::
Maybe her BFF Tim Brownson can answer that question :: I know he’s a super big fan of commenting on this blog.
[Reply]

Anonymous Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 5:22 pm
@Orenthal,
$500. But she has deals where she discounts the price. I know because a friend of mine paid for her consultation at a discounted rate. She ended up getting stiffed.
  +3
[Reply]

hrmmm Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 9:18 pm
@Orenthal, Believe I paid somewhere around $250 per hour, in a package deal.
Yep. I sure did.
  +3
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 4:18 pm

Donk said:
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
I am amazed that any of you actually took the time to watch that brawd. I had to stop when she started rubbing on her cow legs in that first video. I can’t help it, I lose my stomach when fat chics are trying to be sexy.
I’m gonna guess that maybe Naomi hooked her up with a phone sex biz? To me she looks like somebody that a person may find at the other end of a call like that? Just guessing though…
LOSER!! ::   -20
[Reply]

SD Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 5:17 pm
@Donk ::
… at least phone sex is a real thing.
And she’s NOT fat right now … she’s just normal. Lame fat jokes are best reserved for the narcissistic psychopaths … not the obviously unstable meat in the psychopath grinder.
[Reply]

Anonymous Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 5:21 pm
@SD, I thought you were going to leave the D team alone?
  0
[Reply]

SD Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 5:36 pm
@Anonymous ::
Yeah :: I’m not attacking her … just pointing out the sad :: delusional :: reality of what’s going down here.
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 4:36 pm

Martin said:
Linda is the perfect consumer.. XD
  0
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 5:39 pm

JustinTime said:
So…. I was just on the verge of buying one of those “large amount of money ending in seven” deals (frauducts to use the vernacular) when I stumbled upon this site doing some due dilligence. This was a long time ago. I’ve lurked here for a while (for serious check my IP). But I just friggen love SD too much to not add my voice in anymore. Flaming be damned.
Just want to voice my thanks. SD, Like Linda imagines Naomi did for her, you’ve saved ME approx. one metric shite-ton of money on e(nema)-Books and Product (out-to-)Lunches and helped me coach people on coaching others on not giving money to coaches who coach coaches to coach.
…And you can too! For free!
One quick point I haven’t seen brought up: In the second video especially, the camera pans and zooms in. That mean Naomi Dumbfraud has not only hoodwinked Linda but whoever her spouse/roomate/SAG-approved-union-camera-man is too. Can you imagine sitting behind the camera, filming this rant, listening to her list off a couple dozen hustledorks. I’m just surprised the camera was able to stay so still… I mean just hearing that list my body was convulsing from being somewhere between laughter and nausea.
I <3 you all (except the Trolls). Looking forward to contributing more here and helping put these mf'ers away.
-JT
WINNER!! ::   +10
[Reply]

BananaTaco Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 12:45 pm
@JustinTime, I was thinking the exact same thing about being behind the camera. Agony. Embarassment. More agony.
  +1
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 8:49 pm

Doctor Mario said:
Jeez … 2 in a row … Again, I thought this was fake.
I saw the first video & was like “Hmmm … @SD hired someone on Fiverr to read a script from a frauduct peddler? This should be hilarious.”
Video 1 … not so funny. Maybe the Droid is on some avant garde David Lynch style humor?
Then I saw the “sales page” and I was like “Wow, a whole fictitious character … is this Naomi’s fake testimonial ‘business’ or something?”
Then I watched a bit of the second video … and I started to realize …
“Holy shit – this is a real person! This is someone actually ‘running’ a ‘business’ and ‘marketing’ a ‘product’ … or something.”
And I sez to myself … “WTF? Do the tentacles really extend this far from the center of the Leviathan???”
I still can’t even believe this whole Neigh-o-me Donefor saga is real … and actually find it seeming less & less real the more I learn about it.
I want to tell myself :: “@Doctor Mario … this is all just a huge interwebz prank – and all of these crazy ‘business’ ‘people’ are just make believe – devised for your interwebz enjoyment.
But seriously? This is real? Linda Eaves is a real person? Who really quit her real job? To sell dubious advice that is very free from a default template WordPress? Really???
The real-reality of this whole IM-MMO-scam-cult never ceases to amaze me … at how much worse it truly is than anything I could possibly have imagined.
People really base major life decisions on this??? Did they ever read Naomi’s blog?
I never realized the far reaching impact of the “Dan Kennedy trickle-down effect” until it clicked with me … that Linda Eaves is a real person.
Linda Eaves is a real person! Fuck!!!
Truly … the Church of Interwebz Unicorn Moneyz cometh to swallow ye all.
WINNER!! ::   +10
[Reply]

JustinTime Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 9:10 pm
@Doctor Mario,
Dude, the “blog-o-sphere And you can too!” scam is so pervasive it’s really really disgusting. It’s like herpes. Waaaaay more people have it than you think. And you don’t want to be in bed with any of them.
I know people locally who are ruining there life over this crap. And I’m 3000 miles away from Seattle where Linda is. I know people who are PhD’s in Comparative Literature and Electrical Engineering billing themselves as “Life Coach” and giving themselves the title of “Dr.” Are you KIDDING me. If you’re a life coach, and you call yourself “Doctor” there’s an understanding it’s in Psychology or some shit. Not reciting Walt Whitmore. But hey… You can too.
This illusion that you can quit your job and sell your friendship is the biggest scam-cult-BS going right now. It’s so awesome that SD recognized the subltey and pervasiveness of the bullshit and started calling people on it. It’s like biting into a mf’ing Peppermint Patty it’s so refreshing.
WINNER!! ::   +10
[Reply]

Doctor Mario Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 10:10 pm
@JustinTime ::
I know people who are PhD’s in Comparative Literature and Electrical Engineering billing themselves as “Life Coach” and giving themselves the title of “Dr.”
Like Dr. Richard Bandler … And you can too!
But seriously – that shit is bananas.
I never realized how popular & pervase this “industry” has become – because it all has always just sort of blurred together for me in one big haze of bull shit.
WINNER!! ::   +8
[Reply]

JustinTime Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 10:24 pm
@Doctor Mario,
Like Dr. Richard Bandler … And you can too!
No no… the guys I know actually did the work for their PhD and have LOANS. Big fat fucking student loans. Now they’re trying to sell their friendship for “fun&profit”.
Bandler just has questionable Honorary Doctorates. From Diploma Mills. Or Nowhere University (Best in the West). Doesn’t matter. But he can just NLP his way to success.
I mean ::touch hand:: You can succeed. And ::smack arm:: you can be a winner. With ::rub shoulder:: NLP.
::face palm::
WINNER!! ::   +7
[Reply]

hrmmm Reply:
September 26th, 2011 at 9:22 pm
@Doctor Mario,
Linda Eaves is a real person! Fuck!!!
This is seriously exactly the thought I just had and it blew my goddamn mind.
WINNER!! ::   +8
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 8:55 pm

Krank Fern said:
I feel bad for Linda Reeves. If it weren’t for Salty, when Googling these could be scammers it’s usually all positive. Anyway, this blog is now ranking 2 and 3 when you google “Naomi Dunford” right after the ads. Googling her name and clicking allegedly helps with SEO but who knows.
For those that don’t want to watch the 1st video here is a transcription that will save you 7 minutes of your life.
Video 1:
Neigghh-owe-me (Naomi Dunford) did some “things”.. for me
This is as accurate as possible aside from the end, just wanted to get through it already.
1. “saved me 1700 and I’m going to vegas” (oh noes! an event! </3)
2. "we figured out what I do" .. "I grant wishes by connecting people with things"
3. "this connection program, theory.. whatever.. needs to have a monetization piece. We are not sure what that is yet, but thats okay.. PPS Its not just about weight loss, but it can have that element in it"
4. "for this connectory-thing, I will need to do it full time since its kinda big, and you went into the reasons why and they made sense to me and I agree. this means leaving my job, thats ok, I'm ok with that.."
5. "with this connectory program thing, lemonade stand, I will need a fairy god mother.."
6. "Neigghh-owe-me (short for Naomi Dunford) gave me ideas about who to start with who to kiss up or get to know. She gave me a
list of 7 people who shall rename nameless. to get to know them by their blogs, get to know them on twitter etc. and one person to save my pennies for and invest in hiring this person so that I can consult with them.. "
"these people and their-er lists have reach and there's probably people with money on these lists"
MEGA BONUS!
"After my call with you, Chris and I went and shopped around and these were some bonus things.. we spent money .. blah blah see you mid-october.. "
Short Version
After the 1 hour call with one, Naomi Dunford: Linda is going to have a connectory program, theory, thing, lemonade stand and is unsure how money will be made online (and that's ok). If there is any direction its to compete in a very aggressive weight loss market. There's a recommendation to hire a possible could be scammer to help with the connectory program theory, thing, lemonade stand and the goal is to target "people with money on lists that are probably there" it will take more money to do so. She is to add people that could be scammers on twitter. After the Mega Bonus, nothing is done to get further along with the made-up set of non-sensical adjectives than before the Mega Bonus.
Note: In the absolute best case scenario.. if rainbows shot out of a unicorn's ass: conversion numbers as pitiful as Jandy Denkin's (Andy Jenkins) in the Weff Tawlker (Jeff Walker) conversation are the end of this expensive road.
I'm Krank Fern, off to control some masses
WINNER!! ::   +7
[Reply]

Wanderlost Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 12:33 am
@Krank Fern, Good summation, but you forgot what – to me- was the most evil thing of all- Naomi flat-out TOLD her to quit her $60,000 a year job. That tells me that a) despite appearances this poor woman was NOT a total fuck-up until these psychos got their claws into her. She did SOMETHING well enough to earn better-than-average money in a real-world business. And b) what Naomi and her ilk are doing is deliberately and methodically setting out to tear apart people’s lives, leaving them hopelessly dependent little zombies willing to do their masters’ bidding.
I suppose this penny should have dropped with Dave Navarro, and I DID feel kinda sorry for him- (I’ve dealt with a family member suddenly having a terrifying mental break down-I know what it is and how it can hit people who, sane, are the most stable, loving people in the world) – but I didn’t know anything about Navarro until he was already deep into scamming himself. With Linda , we see the process at the start. And boy is it ever chilling.
WINNER!! ::   +9
[Reply]
# 26 September 2011 at 10:14 pm

Barbara said:
Neigh-oh-me on keeping an enemies list:
“There was once a writer at Men with Pens who didn’t like me very much. When I took comments off of IttyBiz, he wrote a post that caused quite the sensation in our little D-List ce-web-rity circle. He took a lot of what I said out of context and ascribed incorrect motivations, but never mentioned me by name.”
“That was the first time I met Sean Platt.”
“When someone writes uncomplimentary things about you on the internet, it is an unbreakable rule that you keep your wits about you. You must be single-minded in your focus. You must click refresh on their blog post relentlessly, surveying your detractor’s allies and filing away their details for future reference. You must be like a buzzard stalking prey, waiting for people to accuse you or defend you. You must know who your friends are.”
***************************************************************************
Hi Neigh-o-me! I suppose you just clicked your refresh button, acting all buzzard-like the way you do. Who are your friends now? Not those people I’ve seen who have quietly removed your bogus call-to-arms email from their blog histories. Or how about the dozens who repeated it and now feel betrayed by your lies? They are out there too. They don’t want to talk about you, understandably. They know they’ve been had.
As for your detractors, that’s an ever growing group. And it’s about to get larger. Keep hitting that refresh button, it’s getting better all of the time.
WINNER!! ::   +17
[Reply]

422 Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 1:08 am
@Barbara, don’t mess with “Nay-Nay” or Neigh Neigh , remember she’s so big and bad she gotz connections like the ones she can call up in the middle of the night for a teleseminar on how to compile your email list with only your middle toe.
  +3
[Reply]
# 27 September 2011 at 12:23 am

422 said:
Get out while you can Linda..your life is about to take a huge turn for the worst and your friend “Nay-Nay” will leave you high and dry without a moment’s notice, and you could find yourself in legal trouble right along with financial woes.
  +4
[Reply]

SpideySenses Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 6:30 am
@422,
Neigh-Neigh already did leave her high and dry. She left everyone high and dry so she could run away for a year and have her non-affair with Dave Navarro. She didn’t post to her blog, she didn’t pay her affiliates and she didn’t care. Until she had something to sell. Then she had a lot to say, didn’t she?
The Lindas of the world are so busy worshipping they can’t see the forest through the trees. It’s incredibly sad and kinda pathetic. Yet they’ll continue to make excuses about Naomi and how she’s just a victim of bullying or death threats.
WINNER!! ::   +8
[Reply]
# 27 September 2011 at 12:51 am

Barbara said:
More invaluable advice from Dunford:
“I’m all for avoiding hard work. I avoid hard work on a daily basis. I hate hard work.”
“I am not, however, paying good money to bitch and moan to a career coach that there should be an easier way.”
“If you don’t want to be a business owner, there’s nothing wrong with that. I know a lot of lovely people who are not business owners. They cease to be lovely, though, when they whine and whinge that they are trying OH SO HARD to be business owners when in fact, they’re doing piss all but complaining and justifying their asinine actions.”
“I don’t care if you hire me or you hire Mason or you hire Sonia or you hire Susan or if you hire any other marketing consultants.”
“I don’t care if you fail and end up living in your car.”
“For the love of God, get over yourself.”
***************************************************************************
Do you suppose Linda would have given Neigh-o-me such an enthusiastic testimonial had she known that Dunford doesn’t care if Linda fails and ends up homeless?
Just for the sake of “clarity”, ( Linda likes that word), let’s break it down: If you succeed in your shittybiz, (ha!), Dunford gets the credit, and money. If you fail, it’s because of your “asinine actions”, because you complained, because you whined.
A comment on this blog post from Michael Martine:
“Public relations through blogging (marketing’s too-close-for-comfort cousing) is a lot like planting apple seeds. What happens, though, is the client calls up a mere two weeks later and wants to know where’s their damn orchard.”
Yeah, he gets it. Those fucking ungrateful clients, they ought to be horsewhipped. Lazy bastards. Imagine! They have the nerve to want something for their hard-earned dollars. Get over yourselves.
WINNER!! ::   +12
[Reply]
# 27 September 2011 at 1:02 am

422 said:
I have laughed nonstop for the past 20 minutes. Can this crap get anymore ridiculous?????? First it’s Christian Blowjobs (still waiting for the Jewish Teabagging), then it’s The Great Fingering, then the CopyNazi, and now it’s Porky’s Pig Porn. What are these Internet “entrepreneurs” smoking???
  +3
[Reply]
# 27 September 2011 at 1:04 am

Martin said:
When will people realize that business is about moving things around – not creating blogs. Business is like an ant nest. Food, supplies, sticks and stones moving through these channels around the nest. Every ant can then take their own share from volume of stuff they supply to the nest. And the cool part – there is an almost infinite amount of stuff to move around the different parts of the nest to where it is needed.
When you realize that your job is to move things around – a lot of “challenges” of doing business suddenly dissolve.
  0
[Reply]

Bo Reply:
September 28th, 2011 at 4:39 pm
@Martin, Business is not about “moving things around”. It is about selling something that people do actually want to spend money on. If this exists already or not is irrelevant. If it doesn’t you create it, if it does you improve it. The only way to make a satisfying income with your own business is by doing the above in scale or magnitude.
  -1
[Reply]

Martin Reply:
September 28th, 2011 at 5:39 pm
@Bo, yes that’s pretty much what I was saying.. Regardless of whether you produce it yourself or buy it from someone else – what you eventually end up doing is moving it from where it is produced to where ever it is needed. “Filling the void” – “delivering value” or whatever other things that people choose to call it.
I simply call it “moving things around”.. stuff moves in one direction – money moves in the opposite direction. Stuff moves around – money is made. Nothing moves – no money either.
And since stuff always has to move from the factory to the consumer, anyone can start a business ensuring that the stuff moves around. Taking it from A and handing it over to B while taking a percentage of the volume as reward for the work done.
Then scale over time and make the volumes bigger. Alibaba is full of little ants who move stuff from A to B. Selling it to Ebay vendors who then sell it to the final consumers (who might as well be local shops who further resell it locally to people who are looking for it).
Yes one CAN make money online – but it’s usually not about creating info products and sexy splash pages – much rather it’s simply about advertising stuff in the right places as well as the kind of old school “trade” has always been around for thousands of years even before the internet..
  0
[Reply]
# 27 September 2011 at 1:22 am

Lanna said:
Amidst her profiles as a Transition coach, Coachsultant, Empathetic Leader & Advocate and Treasure Location Specialist & Professional Wish Granter – and this nonsense Google found me Linda’s heartbreaking pre-unicorn story (with pre-surgery photo).
Slowly Waking talked about a “one-two-three punch” of long-term relationship breakup, income loss and natural disaster. Replace natural disaster with having been fat, and I think we have Linda’s buttons accurately labelled.
  +4
[Reply]

Pat Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 12:00 pm
@Lanna,
I feel bad for Linda. At least she is trying to make a better life for herself. That first story you cited made me admire her for getting into a program and doubling her salary. It is just too bad that she was led astray by those “gurus” — Naomi and others.
I don’t think we should be too hard on her. The point is that it is so easy to be led astray by the “gurus”. I know I have been somewhat fooled by them in the past too (not Naomi though – too foul mouthed and crazy to appeal to me).
It is the people like Naomi that we should be against. She obviously knew she was being deceptive. People like Linda are well intentioned, I think.
  +4
[Reply]

Pat Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 12:02 pm
Oops, I meant the last link, not the first.
  0
[Reply]

Lanna Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 5:49 pm
@Pat,
Yeah, I feel bad for Linda, too. I thought twice – no, more like a dozen times – before posting that link. It’s out there on Google, though. It’s part of the case history.
I’m wondering if that initial success with a legitimate job training program helped spur Linda’s optimism about MMO. If it did, how should we feel about legitimate job training programs? Are they gateway programs?
At the same time, I had to temper my sadness with how Linda describes her work now. We need to recognize a difficult past as a cause of poor behavior but not an excuse for that behavior.
P.S. I see many people saying something like, “Naomi told her to quit her $60,000-a-year job now.” What I heard was that Linda and Chris (significant other) together were on track to make around $60,000 from their day jobs in the twelve months since the first video was made. It’s not clear what percentage of that was Linda’s earnings, and it’s not clear whether Chris would be quitting to pursue the MMO venture full-time, too. I also recall that Linda said Naomi said she would eventually have to quit her day job (because wish granting was a pretty big thing). Now that it’s private, I can’t check my recollection. Did anyone else hear what I heard?
  +1
[Reply]

KG Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 12:58 pm
@Lanna,
I see. Linda is a coach. Gee, this topic again.
I’ll say it again. It’s a very sad statement about our society, that people feel they need to pay $790 for 6 “friend” sessions.
If people feel they are too close to their family and friends to gain perspective, then perhaps people need to branch out and find more friends or new friends.
Linda does sound empathetic, and she may indeed be a great advocate. Those are the kinds of qualities that good friends possess, as well as good professional people.
However, professional guidance and advice need to be left to professionals. There’s a whole infrastructure set up to protect patients/clients should they require advocation against the “advice giver”.
But like someone on some blog stated somewhere on this site: people have the right to do whatever they want with their money.
  +2
[Reply]

whatthewhat Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 4:28 pm
@KG, I absolutely agree that often times people who hire “coaches” (and I have had one in the past, and therefore know what coaches are and do) are really just getting the same advice that a friend or relative might give them and a friend is really all the other person needs. In these cases, someone is paying for a useless service.
For situations like Linda’s seems to be, or even what @Slowly Waking was describing, I think these coaches cause even more harm. These are stories of people who were dealing with extremely stressful transitions. It would be hard enough to just lose your job, but pile on multiple significant disappointments and you could easily find a person who is need of some more significant help than any friend (paid or not) could provide. I think some therapy with an actual trained psychologist could have provided much more benefit. And if these “coaches” – especially life coaches – were truly responsible people and had a “serious business” they should have recommended that. (I’m not saying you need to seek therapy @slowlywaking, or that you ever hired a life coach). But a lot of people remember your story and the difficult circumstances you described sounded, to me, like a situation where, if help was needed, professional therapists would provide greater benefit than crappy “life” or “business” coaches.)
My point – (I do have one) – the fact that someone like Linda could have “conferences” and talks with so many people and NOT ONE PERSON had the decency to say: “wow, it sounds like you have some serious things to deal with. Maybe you should stay with your job and deal with some of that first. Then decide whether or not you really want to start your own business.” This shows that these assholes just don’t give a shit about Linda.
And @KG your point is well taken. Reading and hearing all that stuff from and about Naomi recently in the posts and comments, and then seeing Linda, her living breathing victim, for lack of a better term “shit just got real.” Because you realize you are watching a real human in the process of making the biggest mistake of their life.
WINNER!! ::   +7
[Reply]

LisaSimpson Reply:
September 29th, 2011 at 12:49 am
@whatthewhat, I agree – I think that far too often people are paying coaches because they feel lonely, they are seeking out validation of their feelings of not fitting in and want their hand held. I don’t think all of these gurus are evil – I think the get in too deep and realize there is no magical unicorn at the end, and then scramble to hold onto it at the end of the line.
  +1
[Reply]

Slowly Waking Reply:
October 1st, 2011 at 10:40 am
@whatthewhat, I never fell for life coaching. But I was in therapy– couples’– when my relationship ended, and a couple months after. I wish I’d done therapy sooner, like in my early 20s. It helped me suss out some bad patterns in my family life. Though it took a while to see how its lessons applied to *cough* business.
We had a great therapist, too. When I brought up some self-help book I’d found, she said flatly, “Stay away from those. They tend to lead you by the nose.”
And her favorite question: “How’s that working out for you?”
Linda, you’ve done MMO stuff for a while now. How’s that working out for you?
Lurkers: you’ve dipped your toes in MMO, maybe joined a biz coaching program. How’s that working out for you?
Scammers: you’re providing so much “value” people are going bankrupt and thinking of offing themselves. How’s that working out for you? For them? For you in five years’ time?
  +6
[Reply]

Whatthewhat Reply:
October 2nd, 2011 at 11:46 pm
@Slowly Waking, I really like that : “how’s that working out for you?” as a kind of barometer for our choices. I’m glad you were able to decipher my meaning from my (upon re-reading I now realize) poorly worded post. I’ve had some counseling myself & I have also been in the position where I was having some really bad luck and LIFE just seemed really unfair and harder that it should be. Every. Little. Thing. Felt like a big struggle and it seemed others were generally just more successful at life.
It pisses me off that I wasted time with a coach before seeing an actual trained professional. It pisses me off that coaches waste the time (we only have so many hours on this planet) of people who do need actual help. That’s really a damn shame, to scam on someone’s emotional well being. It’s like your actually stealing a part of that person’s own self-hood (im just making up words now, i guess). And it pisses me off that people like Dunford sell shitty “business advice” that pretends to soothe those emotional injuries. So not only do they prevent someone from actually getting the help s/he needs, they can actually cause further harm with their bullshit mantra of: ” the system works, u just didn’t do it right/work hard/be good enough to be successful at it.
And I think the market for this kind of stuff is supported or bolstered by the misunderstanding of the general public of phrases like “mental health” or “counseling”. For pretty much anything someone would think they want to use a “coach”, u r really looking for a trained counselor or therapist. And that “business advice?” you would be far better served by a mentor (they’re free) or going to school and getting actual training (I agree cool eyes & universities run theirnown sort of scam with tuition, but at least you are learning from highly trained and highly educated people. (except for those “for profit” scam colleges).
  +1
[Reply]

Whatthewhat Reply:
October 2nd, 2011 at 11:50 pm
@Whatthewhat, ha ha! Damn you Steve jobs and your auto correct! I meant colleges not cool eyes. (not nearly as bad as the time I accidentally texted my boss that I would “be there in a sex” though)
  +1
# 27 September 2011 at 5:03 am

Clark said:
This whole “We need experts” model is getting fucking ridiculous.
Yeah, we do need experts. I just had a consultation with someone who has raised millions of dollars for real and respectable projects and I needed his advice. If he had a $2000 package explaining his method, I’d probably buy it.
But he didn’t just do the Pagan, i.e., read a couple of books on the topic and launch a membership site for $37/mo. Neither did he call himself the VC king after he failed the first couple times. He actually spent some thousand hours practicing, learning, adjusting, until he reached a level that is worth being taught to others.
Some in the IM scene have reached a comparable level and actually deliver original and useful material, most don’t, and instead tell you that all you need to succeed is find idiots to sell your half-baked fluffy material to, which, ironically, is what they’re doing themselves.
How about we come up with a new model: Let’s kill “How can I monetize [easy to learn skill I find interesting]” and go back to “How can I learn an actually useful skill that is worth real money, on- and offline?”
WINNER!! ::   +7
[Reply]
# 27 September 2011 at 6:17 am

If I Could Turn Back Time said:
Linda Eaves has apparently just discovered that she is an unwitting “star,” since her video now suddenly says, “private video.” Can you imagine the paranoia as she scrambled to conceal her embarrassment? She can thank Naomi Dunford for that.
Unfortunately for Linda, the web never forgets, and her video has already been saved to countless computers, which means…it’s too late to turn back time!
  -2
[Reply]

SD Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 1:39 pm
@If I Could Turn Back Time ::
Nah :: point made :: and point taken. We’re just gonna move on … and we’ll hope that she gets the smarts to do the same.
I’m surprised that it lasted for as long as it did.
[Reply]
# 27 September 2011 at 6:58 am

hrmmm said:
Linda – I am really sorry if anything we said here hurt you. But the fact that you were working a job worth $60,000/year means you are good at something, something with value that people pay you for.
If you want to do something with your experience going through weight loss surgery, maybe you could write a memoir, or blog about it, or start an info-clearinghouse kind of website.
But I think you’ve been misled into thinking that you can just start a coaching business and start counselling people pre-surgery.
I think your personal experience could be helpful and interesting to lots of people, but I don’t think that help should come in the form of “coaching.”
If you’re passionate about this, go into a social work program (undergrad or MSW, depending how much college education you already have) while you continue working your job. Learn about counseling, learn about bariatrics as a field, and then you’ll have the tools to start a practice you can be proud of. (Hint: you can even do it online.)
But please, don’t give up everything you’ve got now to build a house on sand. Coaching has already become a dirty word, and the word is spreading fast. I personally don’t think it will be long (maybe a few years, during which you could attain some actual credentials) until everyone who bills themselves as a “coach” without any counseling credentials is laughed off the internet.
You don’t want to be one of them. Godspeed.
WINNER!! ::   +8
[Reply]

SpideySenses Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 11:49 am
@hrmmm,
One surgery doesn’t make Linda a weight loss surgery expert worthy of coaching anyway. Does Linda have some sort of medical background or degree? What if she gives bad advice? The Internet age has everyone believing they’re an expert at something just because they did it once. Linda isn’t an expert or a coach. She’s someone who had some surgery.
  +3
[Reply]

hrmmm Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 3:13 pm
@SpideySenses, yes, that’s pretty much what I think. I went into my field because of a personal experience. But that personal experience led me to go get a degree, not to set up a coaching business and start preaching the gospel.
  +2
[Reply]
# 27 September 2011 at 10:45 am

Getting more informed said:
I have not been coming to this site long — made first visit when Naomi Dunford’s post re: death threats appeared on a tech listserv referring to “attacks on women bloggers” and I wanted to know more. Having visited for a month now, I am amazed at the crazy that is being perpetuated by “Making Money Online” snake oil salesmen/women AND even more amazed at the strategic “networking” where they trump up their successes by rigged testimonials that they circulate among themselves. I had noticed even before coming here that certain people’s About links were pretty sketchy when discussing their qualifications; I just had no idea that these con artists were making money.
My plea to future victims of these scams: check the “About” links on their sites and ask yourself whether this demonstrates
–a person who is successful in their chosen field,
–a person who knows enough about a topic to do a great job of explaining it to others,
–a person who is not defaulting into a career of online marketing because nothing else they did turned out well,
–a person with real evidence of success, not just referrals to other people that appear to have the same glaring gaps in their experience.
I know this will fall on deaf ears since those people are prob not coming to this site, but I just had to get it off my chest…
WINNER!! ::   +10
[Reply]

SpideySenses Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 11:45 am
@Getting more informed,
My rule of thumb is to read testimonials. If all the testimonials for all the different products on the various IM’s websites are all from the same people, run far, far away.
Johnny B. Truant, Sonia Simone, James Chartrand and Brian Clark are receiving these items for free in exchange for their testimonial. They’re supposedly successful IMs. They have no use for these products. They’re all friends giving each other a push. They’re not true testimonials.
  +6
[Reply]

SD Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 2:01 pm
@Getting more informed ::
Here’s a classic scam about page …
http://linkbuildingrocket.com/about/
… coming soon.
[Reply]

Getting more informed Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 2:58 pm
@SD,
Get the F out — That is awesome esp given the site’s bizness of helping people with their websites. Did you watch the video on the home page that brags how the site is not like those other “get-rich” schemes? You cannot make this sh*t up, can you?
  +4
[Reply]

Wyrd Reply:
September 28th, 2011 at 12:05 am
@SD,
the arrows! <——
/ \
|
|
|
Ok, that HTML trick for the vertical arrow might not work but anyway–the arrows!
Back on the main page (instead of the absent about page) they’ve got little arrows pointing up to their username/password registration box.
I see those arrows all the time on the IM-MMOers sites pointing to the username/password registration boxes. It’s just another one of those clues that tells you this is a Bad Place to Be.
–
Furry cows moo and decompress.
  +2
[Reply]
# 27 September 2011 at 11:21 am

Sheila said:
Using the Internet to increase the visibility of your goods or services doesn’t actually count as ‘making money online.’ If you buy a radio spot to drum up business, you don’t call it “making money on the radio”, now do you?
WINNER!! ::   +9
[Reply]

SD Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 2:13 pm
@Sheila ::
Speaking of making money on the radio {MMotR} …
[Reply]

Poop Chute Reply:
September 28th, 2011 at 7:03 pm
@SD, Brilliant! Now you just ranked for “make money on the radio.” Talk about covering all the bases. You’ve blocked scammers on the Web. Now they can’t flee to radio. It’s serious fun watching.
And you’ll block the rest of the world once major media starts picking up on what you’re doing here. I know they’re watching and assume you do, too. I’ll bet they’re struggling with how to position you without “offending their audience.”
Or their advertisers.
Probably worried most about the advertisers. Digging through the drawers making sure they haven’t aided and abetted anyone you’re going after.
Might just bring some more light on the whole Utah situation in the process when it finally breaks — and it would be long overdue.
  +2
[Reply]
# 27 September 2011 at 1:03 pm

2LateSmart said:
Make fun of her all you like, I admire Linda for having the….how you say….juevos? to make bold statements like this one from her blog:
“Move towards statements cause me to flourish and keep me in a collaboration mindset.”
THAT, my friends, is amazing. It’s not really English. It doesn’t make any sense. Yes, it is, indeed, completely meaningless. But it is breathtaking in its awesome disregard for (a) grammatical correctishness, (b) intellectual content, and (3) meaning. It. Has. No. Meaning.
It’s the perfect Unicorn Credo! <3
WINNER!! ::   +10
[Reply]

SD Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 2:03 pm
@2LateSmart ::
DoubleSpeak Gone Wild
[Reply]

Anonymous Reply:
September 27th, 2011 at 4:04 pm
@SD, Makes me hear rainbows in my ears!
  +3
[Reply]
# 27 September 2011 at 1:55 pm

_cartman_ said:
Unfortunately this is becoming more and more commonplace. Tag teams like Katie [[unified tribe]] Freiling and Jonathan [[7 figure networker & Failed MLM'er]] Budd [[to name butt two]], are pumping out the same type of pseudo-experts at an alarming [[relatively speaking]] rate.
I thought the following video was a BRILLIANT parody [[considering the way the person pieced it together...the non sequitur titles..the "two steps from hell" production piece playing in the background...the maniacal type frenzy that has absolutely nothing to do with entrepreneurs/business/anything]] of a recent Budd event…but apparently the lady who created it was serious…
  +5
[Reply]

BananaTaco Reply:
September 28th, 2011 at 9:57 pm
@_cartman_,
W o w. That was truly embarassing, and hysterical. Well, we know where all the kool aid went.
  +3
[Reply]

Derwin Reply:
September 29th, 2011 at 12:39 am
@_cartman_, I’ll second BananaTaco’s “wow” and add “ridiculous.”
Anybody can take a can of gold spray paint and spray it on a heaping pile of shit, but you just end up with what is obviously just gold shit, and it still stinks.
  +2
[Reply]

Clark Reply:
September 29th, 2011 at 7:50 am
@_cartman_,
What kind of seminar is this? “Awkward white guy dancing styles mastery”?
  +3
[Reply]
# 28 September 2011 at 12:46 pm

Bo said:
One of my previous rants about “Do what you love”:
Do what you love and the money will follow! Really??
We all know the gurus saying and repeating this ad nauseum, but does it have practical application in the world?
Intuitively it feels right, but as many other things in business anti-intuitive might work best.
From my own experience doing something you love can be a fools errand. Why would that be?
1) The market doesn’t care what you love, it only cares what it wants. You are coming from a selfish place – to please only yourself and not the market (other people’s needs and wants).
2) What you love you love for a reason. There is a very high probability that a lot of other people love the same thing too, which creates lots of competition in your chosen endeavour. We usually love pleasurable activities, not for example waste disposal – Yet, there’s a **** load of money in waste disposal and not much competition. Why? Not many love it, if any.
3) Doing what you love in order to earn a living from it will in most cases ruin your love for it. There are just too many pressures and extraneous things that earning money brings with it to be able to somehow NOT stain the love you have for the work itself.
You have to be EXTREMELY lucky to be born with a natural ability to be great at something and ALSO love it. Not many are this lucky, so if we choose to play the game of becoming financially free as business owners (and not actors, professional athletes, models, doctors, politicians… – we lack talent for example) we have to figure out what the market wants, how to give to the market what it wants or how to improve what is already being provided to the market and fulfil the need or want of the market better – as long as there is a significantly large need or a want (demand) in the market – you need to influence millions.
You see if you can influence millions with whatever you do, you can become a millionaire. If you don’t influence millions, then you have to at least sell something of very high price to make up the lack of reach.
Always aim to influence large numbers of people (or sell for large amounts to a limited amount of people) instead of going into business that has impact limitations built into it from the start.
Owning a single coffee shop might make you comfortable (but overworked) as you can only cater too so many customers per day before you explode. Owning one coffee shop, perfecting the operation and then selling franchises of it to others across the country will make you financially wealthy.
Anyhoo, to impact millions, we as online marketers are in the right place (internet) to be able to do that, thank goodness
So don’t focus on yourself, focus on the market and if you have to choose between doing what you love and doing what you are good at, choose the latter, your run will be much easier (because you might suck at what you love doing). You can always do what you love for a hobby without any monetary constraints that would hamper your enjoyment of it.
I might be talking out of my behind, but these were some of my life lessons up till now…
  +2
[Reply]

Lanna Reply:
September 29th, 2011 at 7:42 am
@Bo,
I get where you’re going, but I don’t like the tone it sets. Duke said above, “We only have one shot at life.” It’s not fair for scammers to waste our short, precious time on MMO detours, but it’s also not fulfilling to waste our short, precious time on waste disposal (unless we love waste disposal).
It’s more like: Do what you love and if you’re lucky someone will pay you for it. If you’re really, really lucky, you won’t have to get a day job as, as Wanderlost says, “a subsidy to the arts.”
  +1
[Reply]

Bo Reply:
September 30th, 2011 at 3:04 pm
@Lanna, Did I say anything different? You must have not read what I wrote. I said do what you love as a hobby. You might be lucky, really lucky and someone will start paying you for the work, but then prepare to not love it any more when deadlines, budgets, etc creep in to your love. It’s like what I wrote was rocket science or something. I know most of you want to hear guru spiel, but sorry this is the real world. No wonder so many of you get taken by the gurus… You actually ASK to be lied to, but when someone gives you the naked truth you cannot handle it. Well, nothing new, really, the human ape is capable of monumental delusions…
  -1
[Reply]

The Matrix Ninja Reply:
September 30th, 2011 at 3:13 pm
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
@Bo, people love eating sugar coated shit. Don’t spoil the party. ;-)
LOSER!! ::   -6
[Reply]
# 28 September 2011 at 4:41 pm

BananaTaco said:
@_cartman_, and @SD
There just isn’t enough Salty do cover these worms. Have you seen Barbie? http://www.wealthwithrachel.com
  +3
[Reply]

_cartman_ Reply:
September 29th, 2011 at 12:47 am
@BananaTaco,
hah…yeah…I’ve seen Barbie…she’s one of Freiling and Budd’s frauduct pimps…she has been promoting their frauducts for a while now…buy BuFre’s crap through her link…and she will give you extra bonus crap [[usual MO for frauduct peddlers to entice buyers to purchase through their affiliate link]]….
this is Barbie’s main site…
http://whoisracheljackson.com/?page_id=2
most of these people “earn” money through commissions of “primary” team frauducts….decimate the primary figures…and most of the Barbies and Kens collapse.
  +4
[Reply]

BananaTaco Reply:
September 29th, 2011 at 7:39 am
@_cartman_,
Who is Rachel Jackson? Certainly not a bulldog loving christly princess, as her sparkly website reports.
Ugh. Thank goodness for strong coffee. Hopefully it will wash the taste out of my mouth after seeing her website. And Katie F.? Can you say ex-stripper cum _____________(Insert: failed model, film extra, beauty school dropout or whatever) now marketing GENIUS!
It pays to be pretty. But, alas, that’s another blog.
  +4
[Reply]
# 28 September 2011 at 10:14 pm

_cartman_ said:
SD,
dude…did you see the book mentioning the moronic conglomerate?
http://books.google.ca/books?id=abWwFFdkS-UC&pg=PT128&lpg=PT128&dq=%22the+education+of+millionaires%22#v=onepage&q&f=false
Ironic that the idiot would write the following…
Tuition is skyrocketing, job prospects are grim, and the race for bogus credentials has turned into a runaway status competition for positional goods
Considering bogus “credentials” is what these frauds [[his friends as mentioned in the book]] “trade on”.
http://www.amazon.com/Education-Millionaires-Michael-Ellsberg/dp/1591844207
I see the shill comments have started…pretty impressive for a book “released” today….
  +6
[Reply]

Bud Hennekes Reply:
September 29th, 2011 at 7:31 pm
@_cartman_,
Man, I just downloaded it on my kindle.. and within the first chapter he name drops Kern and Pagen.
The book seems fairly decent so far, but the fact that he uses Kern as the focus on one of his chapters makes me sick.
He also just had a guest post go live on Tferris’s blog.
Allegedly, he turned his life around after being type II Bipolar.
It blows my mind how connected all the A-list bloggers are. Kinda sad really. :(
Even Jenny Blake a former star at Google got in on the high recommendation as well as Johnathan Fields both of whom I have a fair amount of respect for.
I intend on reading the book through but considering who he is friends with I doubt I’ll be pleased.
  +3
[Reply]

Lanna Reply:
September 30th, 2011 at 1:50 am
Penguin again? I may have to boycott Penguin imprints if this keeps up.
@_cartman_ I agree with you that these reviewers are all shills, but between pre-orders, Kindle and Amazon’s pre-release review program known as Vine, it’s not unusual to see Customer Reviews on the release day. (None of these have the Vine designation; all are marked Hardcover, not Kindle; and no one says they pre-ordered, just got it, or only read 20 pages, though. Shills.)
Life Coach {and shill} Jenny Blake gave both a back-of-book-blurb in the Editorial Reviews and a five-star Customer Review. (@Bud Hennekes I’m gonna hafta sorta disagree with you there, champ, about Jenny being a “former star at Google.” I wouldn’t classify a Program Manager as a star.)
Love & Relationship Coach and wife/twin to Eben Pagan {and shill} Annie Lalla gave a five-star Customer Review, too. On the Look Inside pages, Ellsberg immediately name-drops Eben, as Bud says, and writes, “And I happened to be close friends with the amazing Annie Lalla, marriage material through and through, whom I was able to introduce to Eben.” Now we know who to blame when the Fluorescent Twins produce web-fingered, Day-Glo offspring who are life-coaching before they can talk and produce their first info-frauducts before they’re out of diapers.
Career Renegade Jonathan Fields also both gave a five-star Customer Review and is mentioned within the Look Inside pages.
In addition to telling the Frank Kern story, Ellsberg name-drops SD topics Dan Kennedy and Copyblogger Brian Clark; B-teamer Marie Forleo; and Lynda Resnick, whose POM brand is being sued by the FDA for making false disease claims in their advertising.
There’s also self-proclaimed Zen Master of the Internet Matt Furey, Transformational Leader and Executive Coach Bryan Franklin, and Relationship Guru Keith Ferrazzi. Possibly-legit social media “thug” Marian Schembari and young entrepreneurs Elliott Bisnow and Cameron Johnson form the window-dressing around this shark.
Lest you think the book’s “fairly decent,” as Bud does, and not a advertorial you have to pay to read, let me leave you with this tidbit:
“You should sign up for these newsletters because all of the people I’m going to recommend are master copywriters.”
  +1
[Reply]

Clark Reply:
September 30th, 2011 at 1:59 am
@_cartman_,
Pagan’s also giving away a bag of stuff for the (totally legit) book launch:
“>>>BUY 10, And Get This Gift From Me…
If you really want to “go big” and get 10 copies of the book to give away to people you care about (this book makes a great gift for young entrepreneurs and business friends), I’ll also give you:
1) Access to my “Turning Your Talent Into Income” program. This is one of my newest (and best) programs – that will teach you how to identify your marketable talents, then turn them into high income in business.
2) A free “Strategy Session” with one of my team of business coaches. You’ll talk with them live, 1-on-1 to refine your marketing, make an action plan for your business, or target your niche. You can use the time any way you want.
3) Two surprise bonuses – that will teach you some of the most important skills and lessons I’ve learned about productivity, money and business success.
The value of these three “big” bonuses is about $600, but I’ll give you all of them as a gift if you order 10 copies of Michael’s book. ”
I’m not quite clear what the motive behind this is, but I think I’ll pass on this one.
  +6
[Reply]

Anonymous Reply:
September 30th, 2011 at 12:35 pm
@Clark,
It’s a simple formula. I’d normally charge $2999 for this, but you can have it as a special bonus if you read this comment before midnight tonight:
1. Do some spurious “research”. The sort that would barely scrape you a pass in highschool for shitty methodology.
2. Publish book.
3. Do speaking gigs.
4. Cungratchoolashuns, u iz now a expert!
I’ve read quite a few of these books, usually when bored stupid at airports. They’re all just as vacuous as one another, but contain enough exciting sidebars to make you fee like you’re getting smarter. The question is will you remember any of it 6 months later?
There’s only one book in that genre which is worthwhile: How To Get Rich by Felix Dennis. Unlike any of the other authors, Mr Dennis is extremely rich, and didn’t get there by selling how to make money books. He also doesn’t have a special course or seminar to sell – his main interest these days is writing poetry. He wrote it to serve his ego, because he got sick of seeing what he describes as “drivel for cretins, written by people who’ve never made a million anything”.
If you’re not convinced, this should swing it : it contains the immortal line “if it flies, floats or fornicates, always rent it, it’s cheaper in the long run.”
He also admits that you need to be a bit of a shit to get rich, and you probably won’t enjoy it anyway. He sort of wishes he didn’t bother, but is tainted by the money so he can’t go back now.
  +6
[Reply]

Yecho Reply:
October 4th, 2011 at 10:58 am
@Clark, What do you think the odds are that the “free strategy session” you get is really a sales call from a boiler room in Utah?
  +2
[Reply]

Clark Reply:
October 4th, 2011 at 11:18 am
@Yecho,
Well, it’s Pagan. His trainer will read some smart book to you and end with a pitch for a done-for-you marketing plan that might even work, but that you could outsource to a somewhat skilled college nerd as well. And as his branding is completely based on him personally and nobody gives a fuck about his trainers, it’s gonna fail the same way Robbins’ business consulting has failed (well, maybe his not having managed a real business ever was a contributing factor, too).
I remember how some guy who paid $10,000 for Altitude thought characterizing your ideal customer was genius, when I learned this in one lecture (of >50) at university, including customer clustering, milieus and other things the “gurus” never heard of.
And the value guesstimate is junk, as always. I’ve split-tested “a $300 value” against nothing and there really wasn’t a significant difference, implying that people really don’t give a shit about what you think your stuff is worth in fantasy dreamland dollars.
I hope this post was of incredible value for you, I’ve enjoyed writing it and if you’d like to continue our conversation, please call 1800-CSHFRCRP NOW to reserve your complimentary free gift, a $800 value deluxe luxury premium donut.
  +6
[Reply]
# 29 September 2011 at 4:19 pm

Brother Ray said:
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
Does anyone have copies of the videos that she made private? Help a brother out and post some links to them, I want to laugh at them!
LOSER!! ::   -7
[Reply]

notanidiot Reply:
October 4th, 2011 at 7:13 am
@Brother Ray,
That would be a clear violation of copyright. Way to entrap, moron!
  +3
[Reply]

SD Reply:
October 5th, 2011 at 1:34 am
@Brother Ray ::
It wasn’t funny … it was sad … and that’s what you get for showing up eight days late.
It wouldn’t be a copyright violation to repost it :: because it would be for the fair use of comment and criticism. But it would mean to Linda … she took down her whole account … and I am glad.
And if she wants to come and talk to me … I would. I frequently hear this vicious rumor about me being quite nice.
[Reply]
# 4 October 2011 at 2:02 am

Boris said:
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
You guys are so wrong. Do you realize people are making a full time living doing affiliate marketing and blogging? Just creating simple websites/blogs reviewing Amazon products, setting up a wordpress and getting your site ranked? Do you know anything about keyword research, search volumes and conversions? There is a guy on WF who makes 6 figures a year doing this stuff. Look up Dan Brock and get on his list.
Go on flippa and get a gander about what some of these blog sites are selling for. You realize people are killing it with clickbank? Sucking in 1000s a DAY?
Why are you so negative here????????
LOSER!! ::   -7
[Reply]

_cartman_ Reply:
October 6th, 2011 at 7:41 pm
@Boris,
You guys are so wrong.
Not really, no….
Do you realize people are making a full time living doing affiliate marketing and blogging?
Really….is that why you here trying to show us the errors of our way, instead of scooping all those internet riches for yourself…what a humanitearightin…
Do you know anything about keyword research, search volumes and conversions?
Yes….thank you for asking…
There is a guy on WF who…..
And one time…in bandcamp….
Go on flippa and get a gander about what some of these blog sites are selling for.
flippa…hah…it’s the “oklahoma flip” of internet “real estate”…
yeah….like this one….1.5Million alexa rank…
EARNED $2,393 in 1 Month
Current bid $850.00
Public Auction has reached the reserve price
http://strongtestimonials.com/pricing/
they’ll provide you with a testimonial about how good your crap is
here’s a description…
Whether you sell a product, service or any other thing. We don\’t care, we accept all kinds of businesses and provide you with video testimonials with optimum quality.
good motto for any internet company…”We don\’t care”….
Now what type of business that made “$2,393 in a month” would sell for less then $900….[[I know...I know....yes _cartman_]]…the type that processed one month of payments to show $2,393 worth of paper trail….correct…
Why are you so negative here????????
negative…realist…tomato…2-mot-tow
WINNER!! ::   +7
[Reply]

SD Reply:
October 6th, 2011 at 11:01 pm
@Boris ::
I did look up Dan Brock … http://www.danbrock.org/
In fact, it’s so easy you can literally work an hour a day in your bathrobe and pull in a full time income within a couple months – The secret is knowing the right things to do, and the right things not to do.
If you want to learn the entire system…
Finally someone with the secret! He must really have the secret too since he’s making money on a site with no traffic.
MAGIC!!!
Kelly Felix likes him … http://kellyfelix.com/exclusive-webinar-with-dan-brock-deadbeat-super-affiliate/
… and Kelly Felix is like so innocent and fresh and doesn’t stink of the taint of hundreds of years worth of human suffering.
Bring the Bathrobe Fresh
Boris :: I hope you’re sitting down cause I have to tell you something … you can’t make money online!
[Reply]

Boris Reply:
October 7th, 2011 at 8:08 am
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
@SD,
I know you love blasting these guys but they are trying to make the average guy a few easy bucks in this shitty economy and have a sustainable business. Not everyone is Steve Jobs and can come up with innovative business ideas.
They offer you a chance to make it big for a course that cost under $100. Why is that so bad?
LOSER!! ::   -5
[Reply]

Lanna Reply:
October 7th, 2011 at 9:44 am
@Boris,
Did you take Brock’s course? If so, how’s that working out for you? If not, why not?
  +2
[Reply]

Boris Reply:
October 7th, 2011 at 11:31 am
@Lanna,
I made my money back. I know I have to work harder and build more sites, take massive action. There is nothing wrong with most of the info on WF, problem is that people are not taking enuf action.
  -1
[Reply]

Lanna Reply:
October 7th, 2011 at 1:09 pm
@Boris,
I’m glad you made your money back. I’m glad you recognize hard work is required. On WF, there’s lots of guys with 6-figure claims who will ask you to invest in their courses. In the interest of building a self-sufficient, sustainable business, I’d ask that you only reinvest the money that your websites actually make into more courses, e-books, coaching, etc. It’s like pocketing the money you brought to the roulette table when you’re up, and just gambling with house money. Does that sound fair?
  +1

Shorty Reply:
October 7th, 2011 at 1:25 pm
@Boris,
I don’t get it. If Dan Brock’s claim is that he can literally work an hour a day in his bathrobe and pull in a full-time income, how come you’re beating yourself up about have to work harder to make Brock’s system work? Are you only putting in 15 minutes a day or something?
  +4

Jerry Reply:
October 7th, 2011 at 10:50 pm
@Boris, “Massive action” is the worst flavor of “internet marketing” kool-aid. Personally, I prefer Cherry Coke or sometimes Dr. Pepper. You can drink a lot more of those and still not go broke, even factoring in the extra dental care.
You don’t really sound like an “internet marketer” and I’d hate to see you end up sounding like one. Remember: the world is your oyster, but internet marketing is like settling for plankton.
  0

BananaTaco Reply:
October 7th, 2011 at 10:40 am
@Boris, you’re dumb, but I’m going to humor you for a moment anyway…You know that Steve Jobs guy? He had the real secret. Come in close…Listen raptly…
Hard work, solid ideas, and the willingness to fail and flat on his face over 10 times to create something innovative, USEFUL, and revolutionary.
Internet marketing is for lazy prick bastards.
Now, don’t make me come back.
  +2
[Reply]

Knock Knock Reply:
October 7th, 2011 at 5:04 am
@Boris:
Oh, yes. Dan Brock (aka Daniel Brock, aka “I wanna be “A” team soooo bad!”).
Dan Brock is the “mustermind” behind the infamous, “Profitzon!” (Slogan: We cut out the letter “e” and pass the savings on to you!”)
Dan Brock has been to this blog. (Yo, Danny boy!) He no like this blog, according to his shiteater comments on the Whorier Forum.
But yeah. Dan Brock. I’d trust the guy with my first-born turd, but that’s it.
  +4
[Reply]
# 6 October 2011 at 5:42 pm

Rock Your Dave! said:
So sad to see this video gone. I wanted to share it with some other people about to embark on the Running of the Unicorns. The thing played out more like a hostage video than a testimonial.
Half expected to see the 8 legs of lying doing 4 simultaneous hand motions that Mr. Burns does while muttering, “Excelllllllent.”
  +2
[Reply]
# 13 October 2011 at 12:14 am

Spiderman said:
SD, I was reading personal finance blog “I will teach you to be reach” from ramit sethi. What do you think about it ? Is it running on borderline IM style scam or is info worth for the personal finance. To be honest, i prefer simpledollar for personal finance advice but other than that i was just looking for opinion if “i will teach you to be reach” is any good.
  0
[Reply]

Martin Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 6:09 am
@Spiderman, leave online marketing alone and go into direct face to face offline marketing instead. You’ll make more money that way and learn more skills while talking to people than you would from any website.
  +1
[Reply]

Spiderman Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 7:08 am
@Martin, you’re right on that point. But the trouble is i’m into software startup right now and i am trying to gather all personal finance advice possible so that it helps with spending and managing funds. There are very few software consultants and professionals in my city to get advice on some twists and turns of finance and other decisions. So it’s kinda hard to find people offline for the advice on saving money on certain stuff. This is the reason i read most of the online personal finance blog like simpledollar, christianpf etc etc. I found ramith sethi while searching for credit card selection query and landed on his post. But recently found that ramith sethi doing this IM sort of stuff, so was just curious if his blog is ‘yet another IM vampire in different niche sucking money’.
  0
[Reply]

Wanderlost Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 8:04 am
@Spiderman, For credit card selection try Consumer Reports- or maybe bankrate.com. Consumer Reports informs all my buying decisions. They take no advertising and run every product through their own rigorous series of tests. They’re donation supported and have been going since the last Great Depression. For general finance information you’re better off with a few good books- preferably written by someone like a financial adviser. Turning to online salesmen for financial advice is just asking to be sold a bunch of hooey.
  +2
[Reply]

Clark Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 9:41 am
@Spiderman,
If you’re launching a startup, you might have more fun with Eric Ries’ “Lean Startup” and Steve Blank’s “Four Steps to the Epiphany” than with books on personal finance. Broad “save money” advise isn’t that helpful when 90% of your wasted resources are in code that doesn’t get used or that doesn’t sell.
I’d also recommend “Start Small, Stay Small” if you’re into development. Not quite that relevant for me personally, but it’s a great book.
  +2
[Reply]

Lanna Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 2:11 pm
@Spiderman,
I second Clark’s vote for “Lean Startup.” I honestly have a tough time believing your city doesn’t have software pros you can get advice from. (Maybe I’m spoiled living in the Silicon Prairie where VCs have open office hours.) Anyway, then get involved in the online software startup communities, ask your more-experienced peers for advice, and watch the videos coming out of Startup Weekend and similar events.
As Clark says, “personal finance advice” for “spending and managing funds” will just tell you to conservatively forego the daily Starbucks and squirrel the savings into your 401k. Software startups usually have to aggressively funnel every last penny back into development and sales.
  0
[Reply]

tom Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 2:27 pm
Hidden due to low comment rating. Click here to see.
@Spiderman,
Look into Eben Pagan. I heard his advice is very good! Don’t forget to take action!
LOSER!! ::   -5
[Reply]

SD Reply:
October 21st, 2011 at 11:24 pm
@tom ::
Are you seriously?
You look into Eben Pagan hot cakes :: here I’ll help …
http://saltydroid.info/category/eben-pagan-2/
… don’t forget to go back and get your GED … like Eben.
[Reply]
# 21 October 2011 at 6:05 am

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  0
[Reply]
# 23 September 2012 at 11:55 pm

party rentals los angeles said:
Currently it appears like Expression Engine is the top blogging platform out
there right now. (from what I’ve read) Is that what you are using on your blog?
  0
[Reply]
# 9 October 2012 at 1:34 pm

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