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Top 10 Contacts I Made at the Affiliate Summit.

I met so many people who impressed me beyond belief.  These people I am going to talk about are the ones who made the greatest impact on my experience at the Affiliate Summit.  These people have been in the industry and are truly dedicated to affiliate marketing and are willing to share their knowledge and help in every way.

These are in no particular order because I just couldn’t possible put one above the rest.

1.   Carolyn Tang – ShareASale.com.  Carolyn is so sweet; she is very personable and so beautiful.  I have never seen her without a smile on her face.  She is such a positive person.  She is everyone’s favorite affiliate manager.  Carolyn not only represents ShareASale in a professional manner, she represents them in a personal manner.  Which shows this company knows what it takes to build relationships with their customer and merchants.  Carolyn has encouraged me in many ways and is what I consider a very good friend.  She adds the personal touch to the business.  Carolyn summed up “sweet, personable, happy, she also has a passion for the industry, she is willing to help in many ways rather it is business, or even giving encouragement on a personal level, she is a woman of ethics, and I believe she is the most optimistic person I have ever met, she is a “Strong Woman” in the industry”.

3.      Sam Harrelson – Costpernews.com, geekcast.fm, SamHarrelson.com and many other sites.  Sam is one of my favorite bloggers and twitterers ((or is it twitters)) (is that the correct form of the word, inquiring minds want to know).  Sam is what I consider to be a deep thinker, yet a man with a sense of humor.  Sam is a leader in the belief of social networking and its power in affiliate marketing.  I have learned a lot by following Sam on his many sites and podcast.  Sam is a teacher; he is willing to help others in the affiliate marketing industry.  I can picture Sam’s face on the famous statue of “The Thinker”.  Sam summed up: “He loves his family; he is educated; opinionated; stands up for what he believes in, yet he adds just the right touch of “sense of humor” that it makes, what he takes serious, a fun thing; willing to help; a man of ethics; someone everyone should get to know”.

4.      Jim Kukral – Scratchback.com. Thedailyflip.com, JimKukral.com, and many other sites also.  Jim is the man with the voice, such a strong emcee voice.  Jim has made me laugh with his youtube videos on awesomemillion.  Jim is a man I haven’t gotten to know very well, except for listening to him on geekcast.fm.  Jim is innovative, very interesting, and a family man.  Jim has a sense of humor, and is a man thinking outside of the box all the time. I have a feeling nobody tells Jim what to do.  Jim summed up: “Very vocal, who couldn’t be with that awesome voice; he does what he loves; whether it is wearing man sandals or playing a ukulele; he loves videos, and knows they are the coming thing in the online marketing future; he is a teacher in the industry, sharing his knowledge; a family man first above all else; a man of ethics, and someone I want to get to know better”

5.      Lisa Picarille – Lisa is the Editor of Revenuetoday.com, Revenue magazine an online and physically published magazine that I look forward to reading every time I receive it in the mail, or online.  Lisa is a very lovely woman.  Lisa is a woman I have total respect for (especially having to deal with Shawn, Jim, and Sam on the Geekcast.fm podcast, they really can give her a hard time sometimes, and she takes it in stride).  Lisa is a woman who knows what she is talking about.  Lisa has an excellent speaking presence, she speaks with authority, yet she has an open mind and is willing to listen to what anyone has to say, and she handles people with great tact.  Lisa made me feel very comfortable and accepted at the Affiliate Summit and I appreciated that. Lisa summed up: “Intelligent, strong speaking voice, respected by everyone in the industry, opinionated, independent, yet open minded, friendly, willing to share her knowledge to those who are willing to learn, she is very ethical and someone I consider to be among the great “Strong Women” in the industry” “You go Girl”!

6.      Amy Rodriguez – Amy is who I consider to be the quite one of the Affiliate Summit, she is the one that works behind the scenes to make sure the whole Affiliate Summit works as it should.  Amy is a hard worker, and a wonderful mother.   I loved hearing her talk about her little boy and how she missed him, and how her older daughter was helping take care of him while she was away, and sent her updates, with messages and pictures of her son.  She always has a smile on her face.  One of the new attendees who is from overseas said that Amy helped him in his process of getting his Visa or Passport, and was truly grateful to her for her assistance.  Amy Summed up “ Sweet, hard working, grounded, a great person who loves her family above all else, she is a very ethical person and is someone who I believe needs a standing ovation for her hard work, Amy is a very “Strong Woman” in the affiliate marketing industry”. 

7.      Ian Fernando – ianfernando.com, and many other sites.  Ian is an up and coming blogger and marketer that is taking the affiliate marketing world by storm.  Ian is intelligent, young, innovative and willing to help.  Man is he willing to help!  Ian mentored 3 different new attendees officially, and many others, Ian was a speaker at the Summit; he had just gotten home from “Top Affiliate Challenge”, and then arranged a dinner for like-minded entrepreneurs.  I know Ian had to be exhausted after the Summit, but he is one who loves what he does.  He is experimenting in every area of affiliate marketing, and is definitely going to be a success.  Ian summed up: “energetic, innovative, young, entrepreneur, willing to try anything new in the industry, he is passionate about what he is doing, willing to teach, friendly, an organizer with new ideas, and an ethical person who is doing it the right way” I predict he will be a Giant Success!

8.      Kim Rowley – kimarketing.com, workinmypajamas.com, houseofkim.com and many others.  Kim is my inspiration; she makes me realize “I Can Do It”.  She is always happy, and very friendly.  I can tell Kim loves to have a good time.  The first time I met her was at Affiliate Summit 2007 West in Las Vegas.  I felt like I already knew her because of the article that Lisa Picarille had put in Revenue Magazine about Kim.  Kim was so friendly and I would have loved to have stayed and visited with her the very first time I met her, but I had to go take care of some personal stuff happening with my daughter at home, (my daugher had got her car broken into and I had to make some phone calls during the summit to businesses and the police dept. etc)  Kim is a single mother of 4 children and makes a very successful living at affiliate marketing.  She actually lives in a small town just like mine in the middle of nowhere.  I am proud of Kim for making a success of herself and supporting her kids.  Kim was the 1^st to include me in things this time at the Summit always saying “Come sit with us” etc.  Thank you Kim, you made me feel welcome.  Kim summed up:  “A survivor, she loves her family, she is beautiful, she has a good attitude and loves to have fun, she encourages people (like me), she loves what she does, and does a Great job at it, I admire Kim enormously, she is also a very ethical person and I consider her another of the “Strong Women” of the industry”. Thank You Kim!!!

9.      Shawn Collins – AffiliateSummit.com , Affiliatetip.com and many many more websites. Shawn is the cofounder of Affiliate Summit. Shawn is the backbone of the whole thing; he is a very energetic man, who has an enormous passion for what he does.  The most down to earth person, who is so easy to approach, he gives many chances to those of us who want to learn.  I admire Shawn so much; he has helped me more than anybody.  I think one day I made a Tweet on Twitter, about giving up on this affiliate stuff, I felt like I was going nowhere.  It was only seconds before I got a tweet back encouraging me not to give up.  Shawn went out of his way to find someway for me to stay involved. If there is anyone that I owe for any success that might come from this, it would be Shawn.  Shawn summed up: “My hero, my mentor, a man who truly loves what he does, approachable, down to earth, open minded, friendly, up for suggestions, a family man, a GIANT leader in the industry, energetic, amazing, has a great sense of humor, very willing to help everyone stay involved, he believes in this industry, Shawn is a very ethical man and isn’t afraid to speak up about his opinions, he is for the small affiliate and will fight for each of us”  Thank You Shawn!!!

10.  Missy Ward – Last but not least!!  Missy’s site is missyward.com , Affiliatesummit.com and other sites.  Missy is cofounder of Affiliate Summit.  Missy is an amazing woman, she is beautiful, she adds sex appeal to the Summit, along with an approachable charm, she always has a big smile on her face, and she likes to have fun.   She is a mother and a wife who loves her family.  She is an advocate for “Affiliate Marketers Give Back” and participates in the walk for life against breast cancer.  A very giving person, I admire Missy so much, I cannot imagine the preparation that goes into putting on an event like the Summit, but she does it with grace and charm.  I listened to a podcast that her and Shawn did before the summit and I could tell she is a very sweet person.  Missy does some awesome and sometimes humorous videos.  She is also very open to suggestions to make an already perfect event even better.  Missy summed up:  “Energetic, charming, happy, loves family, very sweet, charismatic, giving, open for suggestion, loves the industry, willing to share her knowledge and help others, loves to have fun, a great organizer, a very ethical and an all around great person, I consider her to be a very “Strong Woman” in the industry also.  Thank You Missy”!

These are only a few of the Great People that I got to meet, I cannot mention how many other people at the Summit made a great impact on me. I will save that for future posts.  There are so many giving, ethical people who love the industry.  The ones I mentioned above made the greatest impact on me and my experience at the Summit.

Thank you all for letting me be a part of it. 

disclaimer: The above comments are totally my opinion, I hope I didn’t offend anyone and I hope I didn’t leave any awesome character trait, of these people, out of my post.  I am still in the process of getting to really know these people.  Like I said these are in NO particular order, they are all awesome people.

Do We Ever Grow Up?

Pussy Cat Dolls "When I Grow Up"

Food for thought.  Do we ever grow up?  As I was listening to a podcast from one of my favorite Internet Marketers, Sam Harrelson.  He asked the age old question, “What do (did) you want to be when you grow up?.  

I think so much about life, and what we are all about and what we are supposed to be doing. I know that I have done what I was meant to do in my life, but life changes each and everyday, so we change with it. I loved art, was on my way to being a graphic designer, but decided to get married to my husband of 26 years now, and I have 3 of the best kids in the world. I love my life, but life changes, Even though I am at the end of the phase of raising my children, I still feel like I did when I was a young college student. I want to continue with my dreams.

I am so glad I live in the day of the Internet. I absolutely love the Internet. It amazes me. I don’t think I will ever get tired of wanting to learn what it is all about. I am not sure if Affiliate Marketing is exactly what I want to do, but I want to give it a try. I am glad I am not one of those women who just accept being older. I hate the fact that I am older, but I feel as young as I always have in my heart and desires to be successful.

I have been successful in raising a family, loving my husband, and I know how much family means. Now the path is different and I am excited about so many possibilities that are available. 

I don’t want to go into anything with blind faith, I want to question why, and possibly what this means in the whole picture of life. 

I still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up. I guess the question is “Do we ever grow up”?

Hmmmmmmm Maybe I would like to be a Pussy Cat Doll, they are pretty hot looking.  lol, that will never happen.

My time to “BITCH”, !

This is going to be a long post, so if you don’t want to read it you better just LEAVE now!

Okay, so you don’t want to hear me complain.  Sure I hate getting freakin’ older.  Who doesn’t?  You think I like the fact that I can’t lose weight as easily as I used to.  I have to work hard at trying to stay fit.  I hate the word retirement, the next step is death.  The term “Golden Years” makes me want to puke!  “Life starts at 40″!  Who the hell came up with that saying?  Hell everything goes to pot after 40, you can’t read without bifocals or reading glasses, your kids leave home and your parents are aging. 

I worked hard at raising three kids and people don’t understand why I get emotional when they leave each time to go back to college, or continue their lives, not to give Mom another thought, until they need something.  They even do things just to “Spite” Mom.  What’s the deal?  The other day I told my kids to be careful in the pool, what they were doing was dangerous.  My daughter looked at me and said “More the reason to do it, because you don’t want me to”. 

I have been faithful to my husband, there for my kids, and I have been an obedient daughter.  I have done everything I could to please everyone in my life.  Just to hear words from them like “You complain too much”, “Just the more reason to do it, because you don’t want me to”, and “you need to get a job and quit feeling sorry for yourself”. 

You don’t think raising kids, putting up with a husband in his ”I’m not sure if I’m ready to settle down” years, and putting up with an old stubborn Dad who is never wrong, isn’t a job.  Plus I have worked, most of my adult life, I worked at a bank for over 18 years, ran a business for 5 years, and still kept up with being a wife, mother and daughter.  I was also a costume maker at Halloween, I created stage Props at my daughters dance recitals, I have been to every football, basketball, and baseball game (even coached) that my kids have been involved in.  I was a cheerleader Mom, but not like the obsessed ones, I encouraged my daughter but didn’t push her.  I made cookies for the class parties and was class mom a year or two.  I had to go and stand up to a freakin’ teacher when she told my son he was stupid.  “You don’t mess with my kid, woman”.  I have been the bookkeeper, the cook, the laundry woman, I don’t like to clean, but I have to sometimes.  I have been a peacemaker, a counselor to a sister (going through a divorce).  I have spent hours at the hospital when my Mom was ill.   

This morning my husband told me “I complain to much”.  I think all I said was “I have a headache”.  For his information it is a MIGRAINE, which he has never experienced.   

I have never been one of those wives who complain about my husband putting stuff off, like the floor tile for the kitchen, which he finally laid 2 1/2 years after the tile being bought.  I may have teased him.  I told him “it was Virgin Tile, it was never going to get laid”, but I never, not even once nagged at him about getting it done.  Hell I would have done it myself, but he would have found a reason to tell me I did it wrong.  So I put up with the nasty kitchen carpet until he finally got it done.  Believe you me; he is hell to be around when he is working on something like that.  He bitches and moans more than me. 

I am sorry to be so off the wall crazy with this blog post, but sometimes you can just take so much and you gotta “Speak Your Mind”.  Sometimes you even have to escape it all.  You wanna know a secret?  I keep a pair of shoes in my car.  I call them my “Run Away Shoes”.  When I am around the house I am usually barefoot, that is just how I am comfortable.  I want the security of knowing that if someone in my family pisses me off, instead of staying there and battling it out (they say I don’t know when to shut up) ((whatever !!)) I can leave for a while and cool off.  The shoes are in case I run out of gas or have a flat tire or something.  I consider them my emergency kit.

You know everyone I know complains about something.  My Dad complains about President Bush, do you hear me telling him he complains too much.  My Husband complains about his back hurting.  What do I do?  I usually rub it for him.  My Daughter complains about not having enough cloths or the perfect thing to wear.  OMG you should see her closet, so full of cloths.  My Son may complain because his cell phone doesn’t work sometimes, he thinks he needs to change carriers, shit all carriers have their problems, you can’t pick up service everywhere all the time. 

So if casually mentioning in conversation to my Husband that I had a headache, gets on his nerves.  Maybe I should put more than “Run Away Shoes” in my car.  Maybe I should have a whole “Run Away Bag” packed.  

 Sorry I am usually the nicest sweetest person you wanna meet, I really try my hardest to keep peace, but tell me I am complaining too much, you better run for them there hills buddy!!!

Okay enough with my ranting.  I will try to go back to that Wife, Mother, and Daughter everyone expects me to be.  Now where did I put my bottle of Xanax?

Sorry, I’m just having a BAD Day !

Computer Time is to Real Time, Like Dog Years are to People Years.

I swear, I can be on the computer, checking email, checking facebook, writing a blog, checking Twitter, reading blogs, trying to learn, when all at once the day is gone.  I swear I got up early, got on the computer and Zoom it was lunch time. 

The thought went through my mind….this must be how a dog feels, for every year of a dog’s life, it is like seven years of a human’s life.  Maybe we should ask “Do you mean real time or computer time?” 

Just a thought as my day went by way too fast.  Another thought time spent in a waiting room is double real time, and time spent on the computer is half of real time. 

Who Am I ?

I was at Affiliate Summit and visiting with Mark Weiglus from 45n5.com, he was in charge of the blog room.  As we visited the question came up, “What is your Niche”?  “What are you interested in”?  I was almost embarrased.  “I have no idea.” I thought to myself. Everyone in the Affiliate marketing community talk about finding your “Niche”.  Oh my God, I have no clue who I am.  I have been a wife and a mother for so many years and I have no idea what I am all about.  Sure I am all about my kids, and I love my husband, but my kids are grown, my husband has gotten a promotion and is all excited about his work and that is his life now. 

My Parents live close, and thank Goodness, I am close as they are getting older and time is something you can never get back.  I treasure each precious moment with my Parents.

There are so many women who have blogs about their kids, being a mom, strong women.  Yeah, yeah, yeah,….whatever!   I am nothing special.  Who am I?  I am like every other woman in the world who has dedicated their lives to their family.  Which is so admirable, don’t get me wrong, I am proud of myself, and I love my family more than life itself. 

But Who Am “I” ?

I Love Music !

What can I say?  I LOVE MUSIC ! 

 I usually listen to music all day long.  I grew up in the 70’s 80’s 90’s and Now.  I still haven’t grown up.  I am not stuck in an era. 

I love the “Classic Rock” of the 70’s .  I love the “Big Hair Bands”.0f the 80’s  I really don’t know what you would say the 90’s were about, (maybe the underground bands and the punk rock bands).  I have never quit loving music.   I don’t like “Rap”, that is the only thing I honestly can say, I have never and never will acquire a taste for “Rap”.

I understand Rap has its place in the world of hip hop and dance.  I can’t dance.  Well at least not like that.  I love the “Rock” of today.  I love “Southern Rock” which is very much like todays “Red Dirt” or “Texas Country” music.

There is one awesome kid I wish the world could hear.  He is from Wichita Falls, Texas.  His name is Johnny Cooper.  He is a young, Texas Country/Red Dirt, musician. 

Johnny Cooper Promo Video

I watch Fuse TV everyday.  I love it !!  Steven’s Untitled Rock Show, The Sauce, Jools Holland Show, and the Henry Rollins show, are all awesome.  Very little Rap, R&B, and  Hip Hop on this channel, but there is some.   During the summer they sponsor the “Warped Tour“.  Awesome channel.

Not too crazy about MTV, to many reality shows like The Real World, Made, The Hills, etc.  Seems like the Music isn’t part of MTV anymore. 

VH1 is okay, but it is also getting several reality shows, like Bret Michaels “Rock of Love“, The Hills, etc.

Well all in all music makes the world go around.  It is a big part of my world.

My Top 10 New Year Resolutions !

I know, I know, the same old, same old, cliches.  Everyone tries to improve their lives by trying to do better, eat less, lose weight, quit smoking, etc….

I am  making my resolutions on a different note.  Mine are selfish resolutions.

1.  Spend more time on myself, and quit trying to please everyone else.

2.  Learn how to be greedy and make as much money as possible. 

3.  Dance, even if I embarrass my family.

4. Indulge myself in luxurious activities.  (like a trip to Las Vegas)

5.  Never be embarrassed, If I fall, get up and shrug it off.  We all Fall.

6.  Ignore the word “Bitch”.

7.  Don’t turn around when I hear someone yell ”Mom”.   

8.  Say “NO” more often.  If you say “YES” all the time, you will be taken advantage of, usually with no pay or gratitude.

9.  Don’t stop what is important to me, to help someone with what is important to them.

10.  Last but not least, learn how to make a little ”BUZZ”.  Get noticed, and get heard.  No one can stiffle my words…I have the freedom to “Speak My Mind” !

I Really Get Sick of Stupid Politicians

Duh !

I really get sick of stupid politicians.

Texas Representative, Warren Chisum, wants to make it harder to get a divorce. You can read the proposed bill at http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/80R/billtext/pdf/HB02684I.pdf

I feel that this would just make the desperate more desperate; there would be more murders, abuse, and missing people. If I was with someone I couldn’t live with, and there was no way out, I am afraid I would have to take desperate measures.

I think it all comes down to the “Right Wing” Republicans platform of “Family Values”. Talk about hiding behind something, “Family Values?” How many of these politicians have affairs, sexually abuse the young pages, are actually gay, yet don’t stand up for gay rights.

President Bush vetoed stem cell research, saying “I don’t believe in sacrificing a life, to save a life”. What about this Iraq war?  

The current administration cut funding to Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood provides so much good info, STD testing, and birth control to the people who can’t afford these services otherwise.  They also provide these services to young kids, who probably are afraid to talk to their parents about these subjects.

Ignoring these things won’t make them go away. We will just have more uneducated people, with more kids, who more than likely will follow in their parents footsteps and we will have more poverty, welfare, and domestic violence.

When the desperate get more desperate they take desperate measures. I can’t imagine a young girl thinking she might be pregnant; probably being scared to tell a parent, not having a place to go that could help her in confidence.

What about the churches; that protest in front of these clinics; which make threats; and actual bomb these places. I thought religion was supposed to teach love, forgiveness, understanding, etc., not violence.