The flight is more than 24 hours each way, so I brought some of my new gadgets with me on the trip. My Macbook Pro (which was very popular here for some reason ), my new Droid, and the Aiptek ActionHD handheld video camera. I figured a week with my devices would give me a chance to become good and familiar with them.

The event was absolutely incredible, both in content and in connections. As always, Ed Dale was a fabulous (and entertaining) host.

Sessions included talks on outsourcing, content development, search engine marketing, business structure, blogging, monetization strategies, offline marketing and much more. One of my personal favorites was the Hot Seat sessions where a hand-picked panel did live site reviews on the spot…

I joined the panel for the blogging and social media session alongside Darren Rowse, Yaro Starak, James Schramko and Ed Dale. We discussed the concept behind and the need for a “Third Tribe” as well as our thoughts on the history and evolution of Social Media.

I also joined the 3 Hot Seat sessions to participate in the site reviews, which I thought was super-productive and full of brilliant insights. It was a real pleasure to work alongside some of the top brains in the industry.

Speaking of brains, Leslie Rohde also made the trip over for this event.

Leslie spoke on Saturday and in addition to his Free Traffic strategies, he talked about mindset and processes. Later that evening we had a chance to talk, and he walked me through some very simple solutions to issues I’ve been struggling with in my business for awhile now.

The timing couldn’t have been better. I spent the better part of my 24 hour trip over working on those very issues, and mapping out potential solutions. I made excellent progress on it, but still didn’t have those few missing pieces to make it all work like it should. Ironically, it took my own advice coming from someone else (Leslie) to pull it all together.

All said and done, the weekend was a huge success. That one (major) breakthrough will undoubtedly lead me into the best and biggest turning point in my life and business yet. I already have things in motion, and will be flying home with a major sense of accomplishment – and relief.

Of course, there was more to the event than work. I also got to hang out with Jen (@PPCmom) and Leigh (@HireMyMum), both Elite Members at SSWT. We all stayed in the beautiful Crown Tower & Casino in Melbourne, and had a fabulous time!

It’s nice to have friends all over the world. Even better when you get to sit down and have a few meals together.

Definitely a highlight of my trip!

Ed devoted an entire session at the Coming Home Seminar to video editing with iMovie. I was especially interested in this session as that’s the reason I bought a Macbook Pro recently – for mobile video editing.

I have a way to go to get to Ed’s expert level on iMovie. I have just finally figured out how to copy & paste on the Mac! -lol But I did find a great magazine in one of the local shops: The Ultimate Mac Guide (left). It’s only available in Australia & New Zealand so that was a super lucky find before I headed home! It’s chock full of very detailed tutorials. I’ll give you a video walk-through of it when I get home.

Until then, keep working towards your goals and stay focused! I have lots to share when I return, and also look forward to getting back to our usual topics and Q&A sessions!

Best,

p.s. I have more pictures and video to share. I still have to download them and see what I ended up with. I’ll probably add them to Facebook to make it easy.

Update: Album added to Facebook, and check out this great video with @Ed_Dale and @BrentHodgson -lol:

Find events in your area! Go to www.GeekTrax.com

I had a fabulous time at the Niche Affiliate Marketing workshop in Atlanta this past weekend, and wanted to share a few pictures with you to give you a good idea just how fun & productive the weekend truly was.

Above is a shot of me with Nicole Dean and Willie Crawford right before we presented in the Advanced session on Hiring & Working With Affiliate Managers.

Nicole & Willie are two of the best Affiliate Managers I know. I’ve had a chance to work with them both personally as an Affiliate. They have tons of experience managing affiliate programs and working with affiliate managers & JV partners.

We discussed the pros & cons in great detail, and I really took a lot away from that session! The biggest point being about outsourcing: Know who you need to hire, and why, as it relates specifically to your business model.

I had the opportunity to work alongside Jeff Herring on Day One of the 3-day workshop, following my presentation on Getting Started with Affiliate Marketing. Jeff and I taught together on market research, niche selection & creating content.

I put together a password-protected post with PDF Tutorials for attendees to download, to help them work on their sites after the event. The password is “nams3″. I just didn’t want Google indexing the PDF files.

My daughter Annie attended the NAMS Workshop with me this time, which was great fun! She really enjoyed getting to meet everyone in person that she see’s cross my computer screens every day here in the home office.

She got very involved, and came home to get straight to work on her affiliate site – and is even tweeting now! You’ll find her on Twitter as @anniemgarrett

Our own Magic Myke was kind enough to design her a custom blog header while we were at the event. When they weren’t playing Scrabble on the iPhone at least

It means a lot to me to have my children so involved in my business after all these years. I have been working from home for 13+ years now, and the fact that they both took an interest has made this last year truly amazing. My son, Zack 18yo, is the developer behind a new site I am releasing in beta: http://www.GeekTrax.com

Annie actually spent most of her time with her new surrogate parents (lol) Aileen Bennett and Kevin Riley. Three peas in a pod, no doubt! LOL

I had a fabulous lunch (and much-needed break) with the gals on Sunday. Left to right is Tishia Lee, Danielle Johnson, Angie Newton, my daughter and then me. Lots of laughs at this table – I’m shocked we didn’t get kicked out, or at least get a round of applause from the whole restaurant when we finally left!

This picture just cracks me up -LOL. That’s me, with Bob “the Teacher” Jenkins. He was a huge hit at the workshop with his presentation on Using Social Media to Drive Traffic – everyone loved it!!

Traci Knoppe and I on my HP Netbook (I love that thing!!) checking out the tweets & photos that were being posted live at the event. Traci runs Your Web Tech Team and is the developer behind the Beginner to Blogger training program.

On Day 2 of the NAMS event, I had the pleasure of presenting alongside Sid Hale and Kevin Riley. Sid is the developer behind RAP (Rapid Action Profits) and Kevin is a total whiz at info-product development. In the photo above, I had just informed them both that there was only one microphone.

I really enjoyed Sid’s presentation just before that, where he discussed the power of creating and working with a team of affiliates in your online business. He made some awesome points about leverage and scalability.

After his presentation, the three of us lead a workshop on creating info-products and recruiting affiliates. Definitely a highlight for me over the weekend!

Michael Schultz took this photo – I got busted sitting in the back of the room texting & tweeting. Ha! Also in the photo is Chris Cobb, Maritza Parrah, Kathleen Gage and Jeff Herring. All working away from the back of the room!

Me with Kimmoy (left) and Andrea (right) – both Elite Members of SSWT.

There were over 70 Elite Members at the NAMS event, so I held a private reception for our group on Saturday night. We had a nice food spread and a great time. In the photo above, my daughter and Aileen Bennett were doing the drawing for the book giveaways – and cracking everyone up! LOL They’re a mess

During the Elite Reception, Deb Gallardo sang an Internet Marketing parody for us – great entertainment and lots of laughs!

I also finally unboxed my Macbook Pro live at the Elite Reception. In the photo above you can see I’m having serious second thoughts. Kidding!

This is Mark Mason, who was kind enough to video the Macbook Pro Unboxing.

Left to right is “Toronto Carol”, Angie Newton, me and Julie Anna Schultz (mom to the whiz kid, Magic Myke). All fabulous ladies that I consider great friends!

Scott aka @FatLossQuickie kept the whole crowd in stitches throughout the weekend with his “quickie talk”. You’ll remember that Scott recently did a guest series here on ClickNewz with some fabulous posts on “a healthy approach to internet marketing”. If you missed those, they’re well worth a read!

Another shot with Nicole Dean and Willie Crawford. Two of the most real, down to earth, friendly – and brilliant! – online marketers that I know.

And last but not least, Kurt Scholle – the man responsible for all the great photos. He did a fabulous job catching some of the best moments of the NAMS event. You can find the rest of his pictures on his Flickr account. Thank you, Kurt!

I wish I could share every single moment, conversation and aha! that I had over the weekend but there’s just no way to capture it all – except to be there. I do hope you’ll consider joining us at a future event!

The next NAMS will be held in August 2010. I’ll let you know as soon as I have sign-up information, or you can keep an eye on the website here:

http://www.nicheaffiliatemarketingsystems.com

Best,

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One of the highlights was learning about the Social Media Club which has several local chapters here in TN. You should check the site to see if there is a local chapter in your area, and if not – start one! It’s a great way to meet local people and business owners in your area that are using or are interested in using social media.

The event was chock full of content and included panels on Social Media for B2B, Twitter and Facebook Success (case studies), Social Media in the Music Industry, and more. Ben Bennett of CMA was there, Jason Falls, Dan Zarrella of HubSpot. It was an interesting mix of both local industry experts and social media experts…

I got to talk to @mDave of NashvilleFeed.com, a local podcast, and they actually did a live podcast on the scene. You can listen to it here: Nashville Tech Feed #5 – Pseudo-Live from SocialFresh Nashville.

I also ran into my friend Todd McCalla (left) of CoolSprings.com. We originally met on a red-eye flight back from Vegas a little over a year ago. I was coming home from one event, and he and Grant were leaving PubCon.

I got to meet Jonathan Kay of Grasshopper.com, and shared a cab with him to the pre-event party on Sunday night. His company actually sponsored the party. Super cool guy, and I really love the company concept.

I’ll be doing a full review of Grasshopper’s service, so you’ll be hearing more about them in future posts.

It was really interesting to hear how local business is adopting social media, and how employees are introducing the new media marketing concepts to their companies.

I was most impressed by @HubSpot’s The Science of Social Media Marketing presentation, which I attempted to tweet highlights but Dan Zarella is one fast talker (lol). I also really liked the open discussion with @JasonFalls and @LisaHoffman on Social Media Policy & Procedure. The Q&A brought out a good conversation on when to delete comments and when to address them – and how.

I have to give props to @MillenniumPR. Fabulous room service (heh), very attentive staff, and great food. They were monitoring the activity on Twitter and responding to any requests or comments there within minutes. Impressive, and very suiting during this particular event!

The event was great, and I will definitely be attending more Social Fresh events in the future. I must say though, after cruising to the Bahamas and then flying straight in for SF… I’m super glad to be home, and look forward to catching up here for the next couple of weeks.

Best,

p.s. The next Social Fresh event is in Tampa Florida on Monday, February 8th. For details and registration, see Social Fresh Tampa.

It is a one-day event on January 11th with a a pre-party the night before the event, and an after party the night of the event.

I am attending the event, and will be at both of the before & after get-togethers. From what I hear, there are still seats available – and I found a coupon code for you if you’re interested in going.

The list of speakers includes Jason Falls and Lisa Hoffman, among many others, and topics include: The Future of Connectivity, Real Twitter Results, Word of Mouth Marketing, Corporate Blogging and more.

You can get all the details at: SocialFresh Nashville

And try this coupon code: video44 – it worked for me!

Best,

p.s. If you are planning to attend SocialFresh Nashville, leave me a note below. I’d love to meet up with you at the event!

Dislosure: I purchased a ticket at full price (minus discount from the code) and became an affiliate for SocialFresh as well.

As you know, I am involved with NAMS, which is the Niche Affiliate Marketing workshop hosted by David Perdew in Atlanta twice a year. The 3rd NAMS workshop takes place in January and I’ll be presenting again.

Not only is this one of the very few events where I’ve ever presented, it’s also one of my absolute favorite to attend. A good number of my Elite Members also attend, so it’s a great opportunity for us to hang out and work together in person for a change. As tight an online community as we are, meeting up in person really takes our group to a whole new level.

I’ll state the obvious and say that I am biased when it comes to the NAMS workshop, but do my best to answer your question in detail because there are definitely reasons to consider both of these events…

NAMS is probably one of the most hands-on, social industry events that I’ve personally attended. Seats are limited as there is a lot of hands-on work and open Q&A throughout the weekend. A session usually includes a how-to presentation, followed by a timed workshop to implement what is learned in that session.

At the last NAMS event, there were people who made their very first affiliate sales right there at the event. Those who didn’t have domains and hosting accounts yet were personally assisted in getting them set up right there on the spot.

We don’t just teach, we demonstrate and then help everyone implement.

There’s also the social networking aspect of NAMS that makes it stand apart from other industry events. All of the experts, speakers and presenters are available throughout the weekend. They are all very approachable, there to help and answer questions. The entire group, speakers and attendees alike, hang out after hours together for meals and conversation as well.

These 2 videos really say it all…

NAMS is always a great time, a small intimate group usually under 200 people total, a terrific (positive) atmosphere and tons of learning & networking.

I’m not sure if there are actually any seats left for the upcoming workshop in January 2010 but you can check at the event website:

http://www.nicheaffiliatemarketingsystems.com

If there are still seats remaining, you can use this coupon code to get $100 off your ticket: 100NAMS3

There’s also a pre-event online series of webinars you can attend, even if you can’t make it to the live event, so keep an eye on that site for those details as well.

The next Affiliate Summit event is Affiliate Summit West 2010, scheduled for January 17-19 in Las Vegas. This event is also hosted twice a year, and has been since 2003, with one on the East coast and one on the West each year.

I have not tested this coupon code for Affiliate Summit, but it is supposed to be good for 10% off registration: ASW10WEE. You can also do a search on Google for Affiliate Summit Coupon Codes – or ask around on Twitter.

I have never attended an Affiliate Summit event, but it has been on the top of my must-attend list for a couple of years now. I’m hoping to make their East coast event in 2010 – then I can give you a personal opinion.

They provide educational sessions by well known affiliate marketing experts, and also have a large number of affiliate merchants and vendors in attendance. This is one of the best events to attend if you want to network and schmooze with reps from some of the top affiliate networks in the industry.

One of the main reasons I want to attend an Affiliate Summit event is to meet Rosalind Gardner in person (finally!). Another objective would be to scout out new merchants and do some wheeling ‘n dealing with affiliate managers. It’s a Super Affiliate’s ideal event!

Plus I hear they have great swag

Obviously I can’t speak from personal experience on Affiliate Summit like I can the NAMS workshop, but which event you choose to attend (if not both) ultimately depends on your personal objective.

Best,

p.s. I am an affiliate for both NAMS and Affiliate Summit, and am involved with both the NAMS event and the pre-NAMS online training. I earn commission on ticket sales to both events, which I use towards my travel expenses. I also use NAMS commissions to cater a private reception for Elite Members that attend.

Using my referral links for events and products mentioned here on ClickNewz is a great way to give back to the community, and is what allows me to keep tutorials and how-to information free for everyone year after year.

While the referral links do not affect the price you pay (and you’ll often find exclusive coupon codes and discounts here) it really makes a difference in keeping ClickNewz running as a valuable resource to the IM community.

Thank you for your support!

I was making my social media rounds today and happened upon this YouTube video by Mary Wilhite. The video was recorded on the Monday morning following the Niche Affiliate Marketing workshop in Atlanta a couple of months ago (August ‘09).

The next NAMS workshop will be in January, and it’s almost sold out already – there are less than 20 seats left. If you’re interested in attending (and hanging out with us! ) see: Niche Affiliate Workshop in January for the speaker line-up and a coupon code to save $100 on your ticket.

There was a comment left at YouTube by Kathleen Gage that I wanted to share with you as well:

Lynn Terry is the real deal. Thanks for an excellent interview. As you show by the questions you ask Mary is Lynn knows her stuff.

Imagine if you get this much from a 7 minute video what you could learn by joining Lynn’s marketing forum and membership site.

Rock on Lynn and Mary.

Kathleen Gage
TheMarketingMindset.com

Kathleen – thank you! A high compliment coming from you…

I hope you enjoyed the video, and I hope you’ll consider joining us at the NAMS workshop in January!

Best,

David is the host of the workshop, and he has put together something really great with NAMS. It's a low-cost, hands-on workshop where you learn & earn on the spot.

NAMS is short for Niche Affiliate Marketing System, and it's one of the only events where I actually speak/present. It takes place in Atlanta, GA twice a year, and it sells out early every single time...

Bob “the teacher” Jenkins of IMSuccessLibrary interviewed David Perdew recently about the upcoming NAMS workshop. You can listen in to that interview here:

Speaker Line-up for January 2010:

Lynn Terry
Jimmy D. Brown
Jeff Herring
Willie Crawford
Kevin Riley
Kathleen Gage
Aileen Bennett
Ellen Britt
Mary Wilhite
Nicole Dean
Maritza Parra
David Preston
Dr. Ron Capps
Denise Wakeman
Bob The Teacher
Sid Hale
Joey Smith
Scott Tousignant
Tawnya Sutherland

January 2010 may seem like a long way off at the moment, but the
next NAMS Workshop happens in less than 90 days…

Are you registered?

I hope to see you there! This is one of the most productive, fun, hands-on, low-cost, laid-back events you could attend. Ask anyone who has been to a NAMS workshop and they’ll tell you it’s well worth it.

The price is currently $397. It will go up to $497 on Dec 1st. But with a coupon, you can get in at just $297:

http://www.nicheaffiliatemarketingsystems.com

Here’s the coupon code: 100NAMS3

Best,

p.s. Comment below and let us know if you’re attending!

Photos, Videos & Posts about NAMS:
Photos from the NAMS Event February 2009
Video Update from NAMS, February 2009
Are you attending the NAMS workshop?
NAMS Workshop in Atlanta, August 2009
NAMS Recap August 2009 (video/text)

The Niche Affiliate Marketing Workshop was an incredible experience. This was the 2nd “NAMS” event and it took place in Atlanta this past weekend, August 14-17.

The goal of this workshop is to teach Affiliate Marketing and specific marketing strategies in a hands-on workshop format, with a chance for everyone to complete tasks and see results.

It also gives you an opportunity to meet Affiliate Marketers that are doing this for a living, and talk with them one on one. There is a lot of open networking between instructors and attendees, which makes this a very unique event.

For me personally, it’s great to get that time to sit down with people – in person – and really help them get started with their own affiliate sites. I was able to share specific examples, marketing strategies that are working very well for me, and to brainstorm ideas on the micro-level.

I absolutely love teaching all of these things online through my forum, and through my weekly webinars, but spending the weekend working hands-on with everyone was absolutely incredible!

At NAMS, you don’t just learn how, you actually get to put it into practice. Chris Cobb was able to achieve a top 10 ranking on Google within 20 minutes, which was still holding strong the next day. A whole slew of content was written – from articles for Article Marketing to short reports to generate subscribers & income. And there were others there that made their very first affiliate sales over the weekend. It was very inspiring – and tons of fun.

We had a bit of a slow start on Friday, but it was a whole new set-up from the first NAMS Workshop and we were playing it by ear. Fortunately everyone was very open with their feedback, and all of the instructors pulled together and made necessary changes. Most of us completely re-wrote our presentations on the fly even, and went out of our way to make sure everyone got what they needed. The teamwork among the instructors was simply amazing.

I was really glad that everyone voiced their thoughts on Friday. We sat up late that evening discussing details and brainstorming solutions. To everyone that spoke to me personally, or that submitted the feedback form, thank you. It was that feedback that really brought things together, and had everyone super productive throughout the weekend – leaving with a big smile, looking forward to returning to the next NAMS Workshop in January. What a turn-around!

One of the things that I enjoyed most throughout the weekend, was all of the PROOF IN ACTION.

On Saturday I participated in a live recording where we discussed product creation. Our topic was “Create Your Own Product in 90 Minutes”, and our focus was on creating audio products. David Perdew led the session, and I got a seat on the panel alongside Cindy Dawson, Mark Hendricks and Jeff Herring. We didn’t know the topic until we were sitting on the panel, so there was absolutely no preparation on our part… and David recorded the session live. We literally created that product in under 90 minutes. Point made!

You can download the recording here.

During my presentation on Sunday afternoon, I shared specific strategies for leveraging your competition. I set the presentation up by allowing them to leverage me, and actually make affiliate sales while I was teaching.

I also really liked what Joe Marsh taught on getting to the front page of Google results – fast. And by the way, the keyword phrase that Chris Cobb used when she tried Joe’s method, was a competitive 2-word phrase with more than 5,000 searches per month. It was a solid strategy, and I think it really amazed everyone to see it in action when Chris applied it.

All of the instructors shared specific examples, showed exactly how it could be applied to various niches, and freely gave out ideas. What made it even more fun is that everyone there openly asked questions, got involved, and allowed us to help them even more by telling us exactly what they needed.

Of course, I can’t go without mentioning Michael Schultz, who we all called “Magic Myke” by the end of the weekend. Michael is only 16 years old, a total whiz kid – and was absolutely amazing as tech support throughout the workshop. Michael, thank you – I couldn’t have done my part without you, and you contributed so much to the event.

A special thanks to his super-cool mom Julie Anna as well, for trusting us with him for the weekend – you’re a gem! We really missed you at NAMS-2 and look forward to seeing you at the next workshop.

Michael has done a lot of work for me, including website design with matching business cards. For those of you that saw my card over the weekend, that was Michael’s work. You’ll find his site at http://www.sharppixeldesigns.com

Michael and Julie Anna are both Elite Members in my private brainstorming group. We are currently celebrating close to 3 years as a group. There are members on all skill levels, working in a wide variety of niches and business models, with a lot of products & profit coming out of the group. Amazing!

I also want to say a special thanks to Nicole Dean, Traci Knoppe, Suzanna Myers and the other Elite Members who volunteered their time & expertise during the workshop to help others get up to speed with their online business – thank you!

There were a couple dozen Elite Members from my group at the NAMS Workshop, so we got a chance to hang out after hours and really get to know each other on a whole new level.

I held a private reception for them on Saturday night where we did a bit of brainstorming over cheesecake & chocolate. That was also when I made a fun special announcement that everyone seemed particularly happy about…

The picture below is a group of us that stayed over and had lunch together on Monday following the workshop. Let’s see if I can get this right just one more time (ha!) – Left to right you see me, Mary, Andrea, Mike, Adela, Sheila, Lisa, Glenn and Loretta.

All said and done, this was one event that was well worth attending. Everyone left with something of value, speakers and attendees alike, and I think we all had a fabulous time. I am already looking forward to the 3rd NAMS Workshop, and expect we’ll have even more success stories by then – and even more people joining in to start or grow their affiliate business.

Best,

p.s. The next NAMS Workshop will be held in Jan/Feb 2010, and you can secure your ticket at the early-bird rate if you register early. You’ll also have an opportunity to download the recording of the NAMS-2 event. There is a support link at the bottom of that page if you’d like to inquire about that.

We’d love to see you there!

Important: Register before Midnight EST on Monday, August 31st to get the best rate on your NAMS ticket! Click Here for Details

This was my 3rd time attending a live StomperNet event. I was at Live 5 and Live 6 in 2008. StomperNet is an elite membership at around $800/month teaching internet business with a strong focus on search marketing. I am not a member, but I do subscribe to their monthly print publication titled The Net Effect, as well as the DVD of the month.

My primary interest in StomperNet is as one of their top JV partners on the launch of The Net Effect, and of course potential affiliation with other StomperNet products. I had a few additional objectives for attending Live 8 as well…

As I mentioned last week, Andy Jenkins resigned from StomperNet and Brad Fallon took over as the new CEO. I was particularly interested in the tone of the Live 8 event following this shocking news, and in getting the scoop on Brad’s plans for StomperNet in the coming year.

Brad vs Andy

I’ve always described Andy Jenkins as a very charismatic man, Brad Fallon as silent but brilliant. Andy has definitely been the face & personality of the company from day one, and his absence was definitely felt at the event.

That plus the news of Andy leaving just prior to the event, and the tone was a little (er, a lot) less upbeat than usual. The show must go on as they say. You could definitely sense some tension in the air, but the staff & faculty did a great job of pulling off a nice event.

Attendance

I was told there were about 400 people in attendance at Live 8, but some said it was 600+. Either way, there were a lot of guests in the crowd who were being introduced to StomperNet for the first time.

StomperNet events are usually reserved for members and special guests only, which makes for a lot more ‘inside talk’. With the number of guests, which I estimated at close to half of total attendance, there was (understandably) very little public talk about the history or future of StomperNet – or specifically the recent changes within the company structure.

That didn’t stop the talk from happening after hours, of course…

The overall feel I got was that the company as a whole has been through major growing pains over the last 4+ years, and is ready to move forward from here and work out the kinks.

Familiar Faces

In addition to my interest in StomperNet as an affiliate & JV partner, their live events are also a great opportunity for me to catch up with friends and peers. To the right is David Bullock who lives about an hour from me here in TN, and Paul Colligan who is one of my co-hosts on the IMTW Podcast.

I had opportunity to meet up with Dan Thies and Jerry West there as well, who both author SEO products outside of StomperNet that I am currently reviewing.

Of course if I continue dropping names we’ll be here all day, but suffice it to say it was a great opportunity to catch up with old friends and follow up on some ongoing projects.

Thursday Night – the PRE Event

Speaking of Jerry West, he held a private pre-event Thursday night at Hotel W – about 6 blocks from the Hyatt where Live 8 was being held. Nicole Dean and I both attended, which lasted for about an hour give or take.

The content was great and I took a few really good notes. Jerry gave an excellent presentation in my book, and it was well worth the $50 entry fee. It did end with a pitch for a new product which ended up causing some buzz throughout the rest of the weekend. Apparently there were a lot of people who weren’t happy about paying to hear a pitch. Understandable – but from my perspective it was a great hour, and the 5 minute mention at the end was a matter of personal choice.

I will say this though: It left me with an odd vibe. And that gut feeling proved itself right. Jerry West resigned from StomperNet following the event.

Jerry is a top-notch SEO and Super Affiliate. Keep an eye out for my review of his guide – I’ll be publishing that here in the next week or so.

Speakers…

Topping my list of speakers that made a huge impression would be: James Schramko, Russell Brunson, Dan Thies, Mike Koenigs, and Paul Colligan (pic to the right).

Paul talked on media formats and content syndication, and really blew me away as both a marketer and a user. I’m sure you’ll hear more about that on our IMTW Podcast in the coming weeks.

I took tons of notes through Mike Koenigs & Russell Brunson’s presentations. I made a note to review Traffic Geyser, but was more interested in the structure of Mike’s video content strategy, and his tips for creating video reviews & video testimonials.

Russell Brunson walked us through “the life line of your lead” which was a fascinating talk on how to frame your offer, how to lead your visitor into and through your funnel, and how to create lifetime loyalty.

Very actionable content, chock full of brilliant tips for increasing stick rate & profit. Two thumbs up for Russell – excellent presentation!

And there was one…

Call me a tough audience, but I had a hard time with the Twitter session with Dan Hollings. I’m not a huge fan of the silly words like Tweople, Tweeps and Twyndication so that was a bit of a turn-off.

But the thing that really got me was the fact that the man teaching everyone how to use Twitter… was also flooding the #SNL8 hash tag throughout the event. It was annoying, and made it really difficult to keep up with relevant updates from people I was trying to follow on a 3″ mobile screen all weekend. Not a good example in my book.

I believe I tweeted once “I dont agree with all of this…” during that presentation.

Enough said.

@StomperChris aka Chris Watson

Chris is the man behind The Net Effect, alongside Jayne Hallock, and just an all around super nice guy. I sat in on his session on Sunday afternoon, which was an introduction to the StomperNet portal.

I was particularly interested in this session, as an affiliate and JV partner, and as you can see I was one of the first people to grab a seat.

The Net Effect offer is open again, and apparently has been for awhile (where have I been?!) and I also understood that they would be reopening membership to the StomperNet portal soon as well. There is also a launch/release planned for September 9th, which is currently a big “999 Secret”.

The event was well worth attending on several levels. Certainly for the personal connections, and I got a lot out of a few select presentations throughout the weekend as well. I walked away – er, drove home – feeling inspired and motivated, with dozens of creative ideas jotted into my little black notebook…

I got very solid confirmation on the direction of my business, filled in a few missing pieces of my overall marketing plan, and got a great refresher course on some of the finer points of SEO that I’d been neglecting lately.

As for StomperNet, it will be interesting to see what direction they move in over the next 6-12 months. No doubt they have been through some serious growing pains, and if I had my guess I’d say they’ll pull through and continue on. Time will tell.

Best,

p.s. I’m heading back to Atlanta again this weekend for the NAMS event, which is a hands-on workshop that teaches niche affiliate marketing. I’ll be presenting there, and also meeting up with a large group of Elite Members from SSWT. Should be another awesome weekend!

The workshop takes place in Atlanta on August 14-17, and is a 3-day hands-on workshop with personal instruction on a number of topics: affiliate marketing, wordpress, article marketing, creating products, getting traffic, etc. One of the best things about the NAMS event, and what sets it apart from every other event in our industry, is that the speakers and instructors make themselves available to you throughout the weekend!

As you can see in the photo above, we hung out after hours to network and brainstorm. If you’ve ever wanted to have a face-to-face conversation with Willie Crawford, Jeff Herring, Kathleen Gage or even me – this is your chance…

At a time when attendance has been abnormally low at most offline events, the NAMS Workshop was almost sold out 2 months in advance. Amazing! Now, three weeks later, there are very few seats left for this event so you’ll definitely want to grab one now if you would like to join us.

David Perdew, our NAMS host, keeps a cap on the attendance level in order to provide the best level of instruction and personal attention. He has gone out of his way to set this event up to be to your advantage.

The reason people are flocking to this particular event, and turning their nose up at others, is simple: we’re all sick to death of the typical pitch-fest format! As one of the presenters for NAMS, I am proud to be involved and intend to continue my association indefinitely. This is a group of hosts and teachers, marketers and speakers, that all share my passion for teaching it right over taking your money.

If you’ve ever attended a large Internet Marketing seminar where the people practically turned their nose up at you, or spent the entire day trying to sell you something way out of your price range, then you are likely burned on spending 3 days doing that again. Trust me – I understand. I’ve been there myself.

NAMS is a breath of fresh air in our industry with wide open networking, personal attention, hands-on workshop format, content-rich presentations, technical aides to assist you with anything you need help with along the way, and a group of people that genuinely want to help you succeed.

This is an event I am truly passionate about. I’ve turned down several speaking engagements this year already, specifically because they asked me to come and pitch from the stage. But when David Perdew asked me to return to the 2nd NAMS Workshop… I agreed without hesitation. It’s one place where I feel I can make a genuine difference, and where I’m in good company with other successful marketers that want to do the same.

I hope you’ll join us. And I hope you’ll flag me down and introduce yourself. I want to meet you, hear about your business or ideas, and get to know you in person! And I’d be happy to make personal introductions for you if you are looking to meet Willie Crawford, want to speak with Jimmy D. Brown’s affiliate manager (Nicole Dean), or if I can connect with you anyone that will help your business.

Here’s the link with all of the workshop details:

http://www.nicheaffiliatemarketingsystems.com

I hope to see you there!

Best,

p.s. There is also a free pre-training webinar series leading up to the event. Make sure you register, and be sure to listen to my presentation on building affiliate sites & creating long-term passive income!

It’s a rare occasion that you’ll see my name in the speaker line-up for an event. I decline speaking at all more often than not, and not because I don’t enjoy speaking – but because I’m incredibly picky about my associations. I am just not a big fan of what usually turns out to be nothing more than a pitch-fest. So the fact that I am presenting at the NAMS Workshop a second time around is saying something.

The one thing that made NAMS different than other events I’ve attended (and I’ve attended plenty!) was that the instructors and speakers really got involved with everyone. It was a very hands-on event, from workshops to breakout sessions, and even plenty of after hours mingling.

And I’m talking meals & conversations – no crazy partying into the night like you hear about at some events… just real down-to-earth one-on-one time with folks like Jeff Herring and Willie Crawford. Here’s a photo of one of the smaller break-out groups I lead at the last event, for example:

As I mentioned, I’ll be presenting again as NAMS is coming back to Atlanta this August. David took the feedback from the first NAMS event to heart, and has really gone over the top coordinating this second workshop!

There will be 14 instructors this time, along with half a dozen aides to help with any questions throughout the weekend. David also broke the workshop down into 3 groups, to accommodate levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced.

Should you attend?

If you haven’t registered yet, now is the time to make your decision. The price goes up by $100 on Monday June 15th (at 11:59pm EST). You can register now for only $197, and also get in on the discounted room rate as well.

Yes, this price increase is 2 months in advance of the workshop on Aug. 14… but it will sell out soon. More than half of the reserved hotel block is already booked!

You can see the schedule of events, topics and speakers at:
http://www.nicheaffiliatemarketingsystems.com

You’ll be hard pressed to get this kind of personal attention and hands-on instruction at any other Internet Marketing event. I can tell you firsthand that every instructor at the first NAMS workshop was devoted to one thing: making a difference to each and every person that was there. We all attended the sessions, as well as the lunches & dinners, and stayed available the entire weekend.

I’ll confess that it made for a long weekend for those presenting. It’s not easy to stay on top of your game non-stop for 3 straight days, including speaking and workshops and working lunches… but it was definitely worth it.

I signed up to do it again at NAMS 2 this August – and I really encourage you to be there. Make your decision by Monday – you’ll save hundreds, and you’ll be so glad you joined us!

http://www.nicheaffiliatemarketingsystems.com

Best,

p.s. If you’re attending, leave a comment below and let us know. Last time we were able to coordinate room buddies (to split rooms & costs) and make other plans for the weekend too.

I look forward to seeing you there – it’s going to be an awesome weekend!

This week we are doing a Live Q&A on Internet Marketing. You can register here to join us.

The event is completely web-based, open-discussion style – and it’s a great way to get your Internet Marketing questions answered live!

All you have to do is register for the Free Webinar, and you will receive the login details and the unique password. That email is sent out the night before (on Monday evening) and also about 30 minutes before the live Webinar on Tuesdays…

Date: Tuesday, March 24th
Time: Noon EST, 11:00am CST, 9:00am PST
Register: http://www.selfstartersweeklytips.com/webinars.htm

Make sure you have a headset or microphone hooked up before you log in, so that you can participate in the Live Q&A. If you prefer not to speak out, you can use the Text Chat option to submit your questions instead.. At the very least you’ll need speakers so that you can hear the audio portion of the event.

Note: The room is not very mac compatible. There is a mac plugin, but most mac users emulate windows to participate fully.

There is a limit on the number of participants for the live event, so be sure to arrive a few minutes early to download the plugin and grab your seat!

See you there

Mark LeBlanc is the author of Small Business Success, a “little book with a huge impact!” which I have recommended to almost every entrepreneur that I know. He also hosts a very exclusive Achievers’ Circle, which is a private weekend event that I’ve had the opportunity to attend personally…

I received an email announcement from Mark today with the dates for upcoming Achievers’ Circle opportunities, and it made me realize that I never got a chance to properly thank Mark for the change he initiated in my business – change which ultimately lead me where I am today.

The email requested that we forward the invitation, so I’m taking that as my opportunity to “pay it forward” – in two directions at once: his and yours.

At the time that I was chosen to attend the Achievers’ Circle, I was about to enter a major turning point in my business. I didn’t realize that at the time, I just knew that things weren’t going in the best direction. I also didn’t fully realize the long-term results I would see from the points made and decisions made over that one weekend… until several years later.

There were immediate results as well of course, but the real success is still unfolding even now.

Put some serious consideration into this invitation. It may not be for you. If you register, you’re committed to attending if accepted…

Best,

Here are the details from Mark’s email:

______________________________________________

The Achievers’ Circle: Growing Your Business!

The Achievers’ Circle “Growing Your Business!” is a special
weekend program for independent professionals who want to sell
more products and services. Attendance is limited to 15 attendees .

______________________________________________

Read carefully and respond quickly if interested.
______________________________________________

Following is some information on a program we have developed
in an unusual format. It will not be for everyone. I can assure
you that those who do attend will experience a program that can
have significant impact and influence on their business and life.

Upcoming Dates

• March 27th – 29th – Calgary, Alberta
• April 17th- 19th – La Jolla, CA
• April 24th-26th – Denver, CO
• May 1st – 3rd – Boston, MA (Waltham)
• May 8th – 10th – Minneapolis, MN
• September 11th – 13th – La Jolla, CA
• September 25th -27th – Vancouver, British Columbia
• October 23rd – 25th – Nashville, TN (Murfreesboro)
• December 4th-6th – La Jolla, CA

Additional weekends will be posted on our website….
www.AchieversCircle.com

OUR OBJECTIVE

To get you outside your normal environment and refocus your
efforts in growing your business and reaching the level of
success you desire. We will zero in on 4 areas:

1. Direction
Make sure you are heading in the right direction.

2. Identity
Create or recreate an identity that serves you in the marketplace.

3. Marketing
Create a game plan that gets you visible, busy, and booked.

4. Benchmarks
When focused, how to set up a system for staying on-track.

HERE’S HOW

Through a series of four in-depth modules:

Module #1: Friday Afternoon from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Module #2: Saturday Morning from 9:00 a.m. to Noon
Module #3: Saturday Afternoon from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Module #4: Sunday Morning from 9:00 a.m. to Noon

The entire group (up to 15) will participate in a variety of
lectures, exercises, and discussions that will help each person
focus, prospect, market, sell, and profit at a higher level. This
program will include materials & assignments that will be
completed over the course of the weekend.

HERE’S WHY

1. You will find out what you need to know and do in order to
take your business to a new level of success, based on your
definition of what you want to achieve.

2. We will identify and develop certain skills that will assist
you in running your business from an owner’s perspective.

3. You will look at new ways of expanding your relationships
with others critical in maintaining yourself and your business.

EXPECTATIONS

If you are willing to roll up your sleeves and assume the
predominant responsibility for your success, you can expect
results in these areas:

1. A position in the marketplace that generates momentum;
2. A laser-like focus for attracting prospects and booking business;
3. A system for building client loyalty and generating more referrals;
4. The right action steps inside a personal plan for progress.

FEE

Weekend, including all tools and materials……………$ No Fee*

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION

1. No Fee*. Really? Yes. That’s right. There is no formal
registration fee. At the end of the weekend, we will pass the hat
and you can make a contribution based on the value you have received
during the weekend. We trust in your ability to discern a value and
will gratefully accept what you are willing to offer.

2. The Achievers’ Circle was developed for independent professionals
who sell their time and talent. The format was created to be an alternative
to the boot camp program. It is ideal for professional speakers, trainers,
consultants, coaches, authors, and working solo professionals of all types.

3. This is not a boot camp. It’s the anti-boot camp. The work we
do will be extremely focused and succinct. Plenty of free time
is planned for you to work on your own, complete assignments, walk,
nap, and enjoy the scenery. It is a time to break from your normal
routine, roll up your sleeves, and focus your time and creativity
in a way that meets what you need and want in your business.

4. All meals, refreshments, etc. are on your own time. On Saturday
night you are invited to attend a wonderful dinner with the group at
an area restaurant. Business casual attire.

5. No other services, products, and/or tools will be offered or sold.
This weekend program is designed to be a complete experience and
not an avenue into additional work. In addition, you are required to be
on time and attend the entire weekend program. No late arrivals and
no early departures.

6. For more information, please go to:
www.AchieversCircle.com

7. Limited to 15 qualified registrants. Acceptance is based on
completing a set of preplanning materials. We reserve the
right to refuse an application, based on a number of critical
factors. Contact Kylie to pre-register, and receive the set of
preplanning materials. Kylie@SmallBusinessSuccess.com

You must complete the materials and be accepted before your registration
is complete, and before you make your travel reservations.

8. Important! If your registration is accepted, you agree to join us for
the entire weekend, participate fully, and be on time for each session.

Do not make a commitment you cannot keep!

______________________________________________

Please forward this invitation. Thank you!
______________________________________________

Mark LeBlanc
Small Business Success
63 1st Street South, Suite B4
Minneapolis, MN 55401
(800) 690-0810

Willie is hosting a combination roast & 3-day Seminar, with an interesting mix of speakers and events…

I’ll be there myself – wouldn’t miss it for the world! – and I’ll be speaking.

Here is an email that Willie sent out recently, which will give you a good idea of who & what to expect:

Good Morning Lynn,

The weekend of March 27th, I’m hosting a party in Orlando, and I’d really like to meet you there. Seating IS limited, so please go ahead and register now at: www.WilliesBirthdayBash.com

It will be a seminar, a birthday celebration and roast, and one of the biggest networking and joint venture meetings you’ll ever attend.

Back in 2003 I hosted my first seminar EVER. In planning it, my buddy Gary Knuckles suggested that I invite a guy that he’d read about on Clickbank (Stephen Pierce) to speak. I called Stephen, and he said YES!

This was Stephen’s first ever speaking engagement, and he and Alicia frequently tell people that I gave him his start.

Stephen Pierce WILL be at my birthday bash. He says it’s “like coming home.”

When I called Stephen back then, he was playing computer video games with another savvy marketer, John Reese.

John was a paid attendee at my first seminar, but on every break, a crowd gathered around him. He shared his insights, and the results of his constant testing with the crowd freely.

I’ve invited John to my birthday bash. He wants to be there, and will be if at all possible!

Last year, I was voted one of the “50 Most Powerful and Influential Men in Social Media.” My secret was that I’d learn from one of the true masters… Dr. Ron Capps.

Ron WILL be sharing his social marketing secrets in a presentation at my birthday bash. If you’ve never heard “NicheProf” speak before, you’re in for a real treat.

Back in 1996, when I first stated online, Lynn Terry was getting her start too. Since then 99% of those that I first encountered back then… DISAPPEARED. They couldn’t figure things out and went off to do other… things.

Lynn and I not only slowly figured it out – we both evolved into super affiliates.

I connect with Lynn because she puts her customers’ interest FIRST. She’s gone as far as to fly out to StomperNet headquarters, and meet with their top staff, when she saw a problem in their operations. StomperNet revamped it’s customer service (and some policies) because of Lynn Terry.

Lynn gets things done, and she’ll be there to teach, meet, and network with you at my birthday bash.

Frankly, I have very little tolerance for those in Internet marketing who don’t have total integrity. I won’t promote, do joint ventures with, or allow my name to be associated with anyone who doesn’t put their customers’ interest first.

I’ve invited a dozen people to teach you during my birthday bash. I PERSONALLY know that ALL of them ascribe to the same code of ethics.

Shel Horowitz went as far as to get me to sign and commit to a code of ethics YEARS ago. He will be there!

As I previously said, this will be the networking and serious joint venturing, and fun and fellowship event of the half-century.

I’ll be celebrating turning “half-a-century”

Please RSVP by registering at www.WilliesBirthdayBash.com

Willie

Willie Crawford is an Internet Marketer that I personally follow and respect. I have met him in person on several occasions and can tell you firsthand that he is every bit as genuine and friendly as he seems online.

This will be a great opportunity to network, learn and have some FUN all in the same weekend!

They are planning quite a weekend, so be sure to check out the web page and stay tuned – I’m sure they’ll be revealing some of those cool plans over the next couple of weeks

Best,

p.s. If you’re planning to attend, let us know! Leave a comment below, and include your Twitter ID if you have one.