Never Give Up
Posted On: 2007-09-19
The US Federal Reserve Bank has just cut interest rates by half a percent and of course that's pushed the US dollar down against all the other major currencies. The Canadian dollar is almost on par, the Australian dollar is going up and .71 euros will buy a US dollar. Tomorrow analysts will wake up to discover than nothing has really changed and the mortgage crisis is still there and then they'll be left wondering what comes next.
While that's not all gloom and doom for our industry sponsors are going to find that some production costs will go up as overseas content providers have to charge more to cover their costs and of course overseas affiliates are really going to feel the pinch as their income drops. But the sun's still shining, the birds are singing and we can go on making money if we we're prepared to face the challenges.
Some time ago Steve and I decided that it might be smart to take the talents we've learned here in adult and translate them into mainstream and that is definitely paying off for us. Both here and on Porn Resource I've often talked about what adult webmasters have to offer over in mainstream and that's something that perhaps you should be trying.v
So if you're feeling a little uneasy about the future of this industry cross the fence and work both sides, you might find that it will really work for you as it has for us.
Even if you just want to stay here in adult there is plenty of money to be made if you just want to make the effort that's required. Sure it's becoming harder to make a profit here but then it was never as easy as some would have you believe. Selling a product in adult is all about work, it's not about jacking off to lots of horny pictures ... that's for the surfers ... for us it's all about work and the harder you're prepared to work the more money you're likely to make.
Don't be fooled by all those who want to posture on the boards and tell others how much money they're making without actually working hard either. As I said in yesterday's column, appearing to make money is easy and lots of people do it but the reality is often far removed from the image that they portray.
Even today I saw someone asking whether or not another well-known Webmaster actually made as much money as he claimed. To tell you the truth, in this instance, I think the guy in question does make plenty of money from the work he does promoting one particular sponsor but the real question is ... who really cares?
He could make a million bucks or he could make cab fare for all it matters to anyone else. What he might make really doesn't have much bearing on what you are currently making and what you have the potential to make. Sure you may listen to him and follow his advice because you think he really is a player but if you're doing that blindly then you're doomed to fail.
What works for one person in this industry doesn't always work for everyone. At the same time is it really wise to blindly follow the advice of someone you don't know? This is an industry of smoke and mirrors so you need to be testing any advice you may be thinking of taking. There is many a guru out there who is nothing more than a legend in his own lunchbox and who has no real experience to share with anyone.
As for us, well this week is only half over and already we're scheduling work well into next week. We're also about to expand our down-town office into new premises and ramp it up to being manned five days a week. That's we're our business is at right now and that's where you can be if you're prepared to make the effort that's required to get you there.
It's an effort that you have to make on your own; others aren't going to carry you and following the gurus on message boards won't always get you there either. Instead you have to be prepared to identify where you want to be in the next few years and then draw your own road map to get you to that point.
Along the way you'll find better and faster ways of doing things and you'll find that other opportunities will arise too. So be prepared to adjust your map as you find shortcuts and be prepared to change your direction occasionally as you find new ways of reaching your destination but never lose your focus. Never settle for anything less than the destination you first plotted on your map
And never give up trying to reach that point.