Hello, my new friend!
This is the page where so many authors try to impress you with their accomplishments.
(Well — in fairness — they’re probably also giving you a reason why you should listen to what they have to say.)
Frankly, I’ve just never really liked writing an “about me” page.
Put it off like forever.
Usually, I’ve also put a lot of pressure on myself to sound “good” on paper.
For me, that just triggers free-floating guilt with some people-pleasing thrown in.
(Cue that little voice in my head that decides that now is a good time to say that I should have done more, should have known better, should have met others’ expectations — yadda, yadda, yadda.)
(Has that ever happened to you?)
But just for once, I’d rather just see how throwing that all to the wind works out.
At my age, these head games just take too much energy.
I do hope, though, that making simplicity a habit gets easier with time.
But I do still need to tell you a little bit about myself:
I’ve worked as a photographer and a photo editor, been trained to do counseling, served a major catalog and internet retailer as an SEO marketing writer, and failed spectacularly at launching a regional online magazine.
Along the way, a number (that won’t be said here) of boilerplate jobs helped me to keep making ends meet.
Today, however, I’m starting a new adventure.
I’m starting my own internet business.
Recently I responded to an ad for an online training called The Quick Start Challenge.
It’s run by a young guy in the UK named Dean Holland.
Frankly, I don’t even know exactly what this business will be about, just yet.
But I’m excited about discovering what it can become.
Who knows, I might only discover that I’m a silly old fool.
But even silly old fools need hope.
So welcome.
This should be quite a ride.
-Phil Berkun
Hi Phil,
I wish I had a resume like yours very impressive. Start writing about what you already know and you’ll see you won’t run out of words. A failure is for me when one don’t try or when you won’t get up again after falling. I’m sure you learned from that experience so put it to work for you.
Take Care,
Rafael
MakeMoneyOnlineForNewbiesGuide
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful comment, Rafael. Your tip about talking about my experience hit home. Will do!
Phil,
Want to reconnect?
I do!
Dear Phil,
We are brought up to conform and it’s hard to unlearn these habits. Your honesty is refreshing and a lifetime of experience will stand you in good stead in the wild world of internet marketing.
Recently, I saw the movie ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ with Ben Stiller working as a photo editor for a magazine. It was about the unsung heroes we pass everyday on our way to work. People like you, Phil and that is no small feat.
Here’s to following the story of your online success,
Aneeta
So glad you stopped by Aneeta, and I greatly appreciate your thoughtful comment.
I, too, have just seen that Ben Stiller movie. Oddly enough, I worked several years right around the corner from where it was filmed in New York’s Rockefeller Center. Needless to say, I really related to Stiller’s Walter Mitty character.
Thank you so much for the encouragement.
Hi Phil. Although Averil and I are unable to continue with Dean’s program for personal reasons. We want to wish you all the best with it. It looks like something we could have done at a different time and in a different place, and we are sad that our passion to do it was doused by our circumstances. Life eh!!
I’m another and more accessible opportunity will come to us again one day.
Wishing you only the best of good fortune, Ric!
Good news Phil!
Following a really nice and supportive chat with Dean Holland yesterday we have found out where the problem was in our understanding of this marketing system. So we have decided to dust ourselves down and continue in true entrepreneur fashion. Dean is very supportive and we feel he really wants to help us succeed. So there we are – sometimes help and support comes from directions than the one you are facing! Richard and Averil
Glad you talked directly to Dean. I’m still too shy for that sort of thing.
Hi Phil, Great blog buddy sure like story of your internet marketing journey so far, there are so many twists and turns in this industry! The great thing about it is there is so much to learn, so it’s best to enjoy the journey and relate it to everyday life which you have done on your blog. I wanted to leave a message on your last post, but couldn’t see the comment box, sure hope you’ll be able to fit it. Keep the good work up Phil, sure looking forward to plenty more great post…! Rich 🙂
What a pleasure to have you stop by, Richard.
Very much appreciate you taking the time to comment and thank you for the heads up about my comment capability not being turned on.
You alerted me to a problem on my blog AND gave me an idea for another blog post about the difference in WordPress between “Comments” and “Discussion.”
What most of us think of as a “comment’ is called a “Discussion” in the WordPress “backend.”
And, by golly, yes, there IS an AWFUL lot to learn. I spend most of my time feeling overwhelmed.
But with friends like you to share the overwhelm with, I know I will get by.
Thanks again for being such a good neighbor in the blog community!
Phil
PS: If you want to see how successful bloggers do it, I invite you to visit Richard’s Blog: RichardBurn.com.
Hey, Phil!
To be truthful as you are takes courage. And I really appreciate you not trying to pretend to be something that you’re not.
We’ll be glad to hear that everything worked out the best for you! And wish you only the best!
Thank you for taking the time to share your encouraging words, Arthur.
An my apologies for taking so long to get back to you.
Hey Phil…Great about page. I love the way the words just flow, that’s what writing should be. I am trying getting the hang of it myself—look forward to reading more of your posts.
Really appreciate your kind words Marc.
And I appreciate YOU for taking the time to stop by and comment.
Unlike most people, I find it more difficult to talk than to write, so I’ve put effort and practice into writing. I’ve heard that the thing to strive for is conversational writing — writing that sounds like we’re talking to a friend.
Thanks to the digital revolution, there are now apps that convert speech into text, which I imagine could make this whole “writing” thing a lot easier for most people.
In fact, there’s a free dictation app included in Google Docs!
Who knew?