Today I read the blog of the day from an obviously disappointed and soon to be former member of WA.  It really spoke to me because the way he feels brought to memory many of my own feelings when I was just about to call it quits with the whole idea of internet marketing.

I did all kinds of things trying to find a way to make money. I've tried sales, MLMs, adwords, and dozens of internet marketing programs.  All to no avail. I was so frustrated at what I saw. I would go to a great sales page, only to get theory when I bought the actual product. I was getting to the point where I felt convinced that the majority of internet marketers had gotten to where they were by deceptive means.  

I was even about to create a website basically complaining about the whole idea of internet marketing.  But being the person I am, I can't dwell in negativity for too long and the idea of setting up, maintaining and promoting such a negative site made me sick to my stomach.  

So a few months ago I decided to sign up for Wealthy Affiliate and told myself this was it. If I couldn't become successful with internet marketing with a membership at Wealthy Affiliate within a year, I would put the idea of becoming a successful internet marketer out of my head. I would go back to school, perhaps even join the army, something, anything to get myself out of the rut I was in.  

I haven't been disappointed. I have tripped up since joining Wealthy affiliate; hey, read my last blog entry if you want to know how I've tripped myself up. But anyway, I've been around the block long enough to know a good thing when I see it. As for other sites badmouthing Wealthy Affiliate, well, everyone has and is entitled to their own opinion.  But I decided to actually give it a try. A real try. Not one of my former, "I'll give this thing 30 or 60 days(whatever the trial period is) and if it's not the most spectacular, easy, laziest way ever to make money, it's a scam."

I'm not saying the author of the blog of the day was approaching WA in that manner, I can only speak for myself. And that's how I used to think.  It is funny though. We don't really expect anything else in life to work quickly. When we start exercising, we know we're not going to lose 50 pounds(or 23 kilograms for my metric friends out there) in our first month. When we choose to go to college, we know we are not going to have a bachelor's degree after our first semester.  But for some reason, we really believe we can go from no skills to a highly successful internet marketer in a few weeks.  Maybe it's all the hype that we are constantly exposed to. Maybe it's the nature of the internet itself. I don't know for sure. 

But what I do know is that it is possible. And if we don't like the way information is presented to us, like the author did, we can adjust it to our liking. I think while there are techniques that will definitely improve our chances at being successful internet marketers, IM is more art than science. I liken it to an essay rather than a mathematical formula.  You need structure in writing a good essay and there are things you can do to improve your chances of writing a quality paper, but you still have an opportunity to uniquely express your personality and writing style through that paper. There is room for personal interpretation.

Like I said in the comments to the author of the blog of the day, I wish him the best. But something tells me his internet marketing journey is far from over.  And if he does become a success, he may look at WA in a different way.  I hope he gains a different perspective and gives it one last try here before he goes on his own and learns the hard way...like I did for all those years!