Once upon a time, I tried to follow the affiliate marketing route on my own. Having no guidance, teachers or help, I did it all @ss-backwards. (First I bought a domain and built a site, *then* I tried to figure out what I was doing.)

I finally found both PotPieGirl's One Week Marketing and Travis' Bum Marketing Methods and followed them for 3-4 months before I decided to take the plunge and join Wealthy Affiliate.

What do I want from WA and affiliate marketing? The freedom to do what I want, when I want, and in whichever way I want.

My wife, you see, works for Megalith, Inc. (one of those gigantic, faceless corporations that suck the life out of their employees). While she makes *way* more money than I ever have, the amount of idiocy she must put up with every day makes my stomach turn.

I stayed home to take care of our two kids while they were small. Now that they're both in school full-time, I'm working to build a miniature affiliate marketing empire: one big enough to support our dreams but small enough that it doesn't run my life.

There is no way out except success because, if this doesn't work, then I've got to go back to "work." And the idea of punching a clock at Megalith, Inc. (or any of its cousins) wakes me up at night, soaked in sweat, heart racing, and clutching the sheets in terror.

Wish me luck, folks, as I wish everyone here luck, too!

[Photo courtesy KM Photography.. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevinmiller/773233665/)]