Hold. the. fuck. up. Especially you Tyler Cruz.

You may have seen ppc.bz on the auction block a few weeks ago during Affiliate Summit West 2016. Let me just explain everything so even a pudgy Canadian can understand.

The goal of putting this blog on Floppa was to “legally” transfer this blog to professional troll and international man of mystery Mr. BLT for a dollar or two so he could take the reigns and bring justice and shame to various industry sewer rats.

Very quickly the auction got out of hand and there were dozens of bids, and surprisingly, a good number of people wanted this blog – or at the very least, the domain name.

During the auction, I went to ASW16 and numerous people said don’t sell the blog. “It’s internet history!” But not the good history. The bad, horrible history, like slavery or the white man wiping out the Native Americans.

Anyway, there were now bunch of people wanting the domain. The plan of passing ownership backfired. At the same time, I was kind of curious to see how high the auction would really go.

But as the final hour ticked down, I decided to put an end to it and keep the domain. No, $1655 is not the final price. That’s just when I decided to end the auction. Who knows how high it would’ve went. Who owns ppc.bz now? Me. Still. Idiot.

Let me address some comments from the Tyler Cruz post.

Anyone can start a a blog and offer fantastic content during the first year or 3, but as time goes on, it only gets harder.

The truth comes out! Tyler Cruz thinks I’m fantastic! Fabulous!!!

Truth be told, I was considering purchasing it myself

You’d have to pry it from my cold, dead hands.

The new owner does not seem to have posted anything on the site yet, so it will be interesting what he does with it (if anything, he may just swap out the affiliate links as well).

Well, yeah, because it’s me and I still don’t feel like posting anything.

…which makes me wonder if the previous owner was desperate for cash.

So desperate. I was working on a competitor for Votesy that didn’t suck so I needed to put together any money I could.

.

But seriously, thanks Tyler for being a good sport. As corny as your blog is, at least you’re not scamming people or ripping people off (that I’m aware of.) For years we’ve been busting your balls but you kept doing you. You go girl!

*You Who’s this you anyway? Are people still reading this blog?

Well to be perfectly dank, I took a hiatus from the affiliate marketing game. Long story short, I got burnt out around late 2013, took a gig with a lead gen company, got shit-canned a year later for being my good ol’ honest self, had a strong non-compete for a year after, and ended up just focusing on building a programming skillset instead of any kind of marketing.

In addition, I took up shit like meditation which made me more of a chill person. The anger and angst that made this blog so great dwindled down. I’m sure there’s plenty of cannon-fodder out there too. Shame.

Anyway, late last year the entrepreneurial bug bit me again. All these people- people I’ve known for years and many fresh faces- doing their own thing, creating their own destiny and shit like that. I don’t necessarily love this industry but I definitely admire a lot of people in it and greatly respect their hustle.

So I figured, what better way to get myself back into the entrepreneurial mindset than a last minute trip to Las Vegas?

OK now that I got my imposter syndrome out of the way, let’s recap Affiliate Summit West 2016 in beautiful Las Vegas.

Let me just preface this – my trip to Vegas was so last minute that Collins wouldn’t even give me a Press Pass. So I didn’t go to the actual conference. Which actually doesn’t matter because even with a Press Pass I’d spend no more than an hour or two a day at the show. I’m sure it’s the same old snore-fest of shitty SEO companies and mommy-bloggers that it always is.

Saturday

This is where people post pics of the airport, hotel room, and other dumb things. Oh my god, who give’s a shit?

Here’s what you need to know. Omnesia was a great time. Basically all of the people ruining the internet for your mother in one room. Now’s your chance, FTC, get em!

I’ll be honest – I don’t do a fucking penny in nutra. But it’s a massive portion of the affiliate marketing space and it has some of the heaviest hitting V-necks this side of Croatia.

Shout of to all of the wonderful sponsors (even though I can only vouch for them by proxy). If you’re a pill pusher you should probably work with one or all of these companies.

Most importantly, shout out to Illya BLT for putting it all together. Some interesting facts: 1) BLT is actually a real person, despite many years thinking he was someone’s troll account. 2) BLT is not actually me, despite what several subpoenas may have you believe.

– CPA Adventures
– ClickSure
– DirectFocus Online
– Go Social Affiliate Network
– AdsXposed – Not a network but a great mobile spy tool.

Seriously – thank you hundreds of dollars of food and drink me and my girl ran through, just because I had a mildly infamous blog once. Oh, internet.

Did anyone else get terrible #VegasFlu? Weakest immune systems in the game.

Sunday

This was a fairly uneventful day as far as industry stuff went. Sadly, we missed the STM Meetup because we want to go see “O” which was some out of this world shit. Half a dozen times in Vegas and this was the first show I’ve seen. Well worth it.

Late that night, crashed a RevenueWire cocktail hour. (P.S: Talk to Brianna about all of your RevenueWire needs. She’ll make you millions, if not billions).

Also ran into the infamous Harrison “G is for Gansta” Gevirtz, whom I did not immediately recognize because he’s no longer 15 and he hit puberty apparently. All grown up now ::sniff::

Monday

Adsimilis always come through with a great meetup. Great network and great people. Ran into the infamous Suitcase Marketer, the great Benjamin Louie, and a bunch of other people. Ran into Malan Darras somewhere in between.

From there we stumbled to the Convert2Media MVP party. Motherfuckin’ Coolio was in the building. What’s this industry’s fascination with washed up rappers?

Anyway, Adsimilis and Convert2Media are both great companies that have been in this industry a very long time that have weathered some tough storms. Plus, they have some really great people working for them.

Tuesday

Got the fuck out of there.

BUNCHA A FUCKING DORKS WHO ARE $40K MILLIONAIRES GO TO VEGAS. THEY ARE SUBCSIOUSLY AND SOME KNOW THEY ARE GAY. THEY GO TO THESE PARTIES THAT ARE MEET MARKET. AND ACT LIKE THEY WANT TO AND ARE GOING TO FUCK THE CHICK AFF MANAGERS IN A MINISKIRT BUT REALLY THE WANT TO FANNY STABBER THE OTHER NERD AFF THAT THEY ARE HANGING OUT WITH. SOON ALL THE CHICK AFF MANAGERS LEAVE CUS THEYVE TRICKED ALL THE IDIOTS NERDS THEY TARGETTED TO GET THEIR COMPANY TRAFFIC. THEN ITS A TOTAL MEET FEST AND SOME BACK ALLEY REACH AROUNDS AND DICK SUCKING GOS ON. WHEN THESE FUCKS GET HOME THEY REALIZE THEY ARE FUCKING LOSERS IN REAL LIFE AND THEY GO BACK TO THEIR RECLUSIVE LIFESTYLE AND CHATTING WITH THEIR GAY AFF BUDDIES ONLIEN. THEN THEY JACK OFF 2-3 TIMES A DAY TO MALE PRON REALIZING MORE AND MORE THAT THEY LIKE DICK.

TIL NEXT JAN COMES AROUND REPEAT.

Poetry.

I’ll have a real write-up later.

A party so exclusive you’ve only heard whispers of it on the internets. While you’ll be busy playing penny slots and catching glimpses of cheap hookers pass by, the “Who’s Who” of what’s left of the affiliate marketing industry will be at Omnesia on Saturday night.

Now you may be like…”Waahhh, Barman, why can’t I get in?” Well it’s probably because you’re a piece of shit no one respects. Maybe you’re an industry pariah that whose only contribution to the industry is soul-sucking gossip? Maybe you starred in a half-baked porno? I don’t know. I really don’t. I didn’t plan the party and I’m not even sure how I got on the list.

There’s no invite or anything. This is just to rub it in your face.

Prepare your weapons.

For…reasons, I didn’t want to post this at the time of writing. Days turn into weeks then weeks turn into months…and here we are. If you learn anything from this post, Affiliate Summit West is a great event for affiliate marketers!

If you’re an affiliate and have never been to a conference or trade show – stop what you’re doing and get yourself ready for Affiliate Summit West 2015. Affiliate Summit East is coming up in August in New York and it’s also a good show. But if you only had to pick one to go to, it’s definitely the ASW in Vegas.

These Affiliate Summit shows are broken out into two parts: The actual conference, and everything else.

The actual conference on the trade show floor is you know, for serious business. You can walk around to check out the booths, meet new people and new companies, shake some hands, and catch a weird stomach bug from someone who just flew in from from Kuala Lumpur. You might even catch a glimpse of the infamous John Chow flat top.

Really, things do get serious at the actual Affiliate Summit conference. Look, they give out awards! Can you believe that? Shawn Collins is wearing a suit to give out awards for affiliate marketing. Amazing.

Speaking of, whatever happened to the Best Blogger award that they used to give out? The fix is in!

The “everything else” is all the stuff that happens outside the show. It’s where you meet new people on a casual level and catch up with those internet friends that you only see once or twice a year. It’s the parties and the clubs, the hootin’ and the hollerin’ so on and so forth.

So if Affiliate Summit is new for you, make sure to get yourself out there and mingle. Go to the parties and get your favorite affiliate blogger drunk so he spills the beans on his campaigns.

And don’t wear your badge outside the trade show floor… it makes you look like a fool, especially when its after hours. I’m talking to you, everybody over 35.

Affiliate Summit West 2014 Highlights

So you’re looking for an in-depth summary of ASW14 with a lot of pictures and words and stuff? Well, you won’t find it here. I’m just going to go through some quick highlights since I need to write something for Shawn Collins to be getting these sweet, delicious Press Passes.

That dude Charles Ngo has a much more delightful review of ASW14. Check out David’s “Pics or it Didn’t Happen” post too… see if you can spot the barman.

Affplaybook Meetup – I feel bad because I’m always invited to David’s “Mastermind Groups” but never show up. This has gone on for at least 5 consecutive shows. But I did manage to make it to the Meetup which was great. Phenomenal cookies. Check out the highlights here: “Pics or it Didn’t Happen”

The Ngo / ClickDealer Party – Sadly, I missed this since I was doing something else but I regret that decision every day of my life. Hopefully Dr. Ngo keeps throwing parties because there sure is a lack of well done industry parties at these shows.

MVP Party by Convert2Media – Not to be outdone, the MVP party by Convert2Media was quite a festival. Lot of people were there and they had some hilarious props like this and this. Bravo, whoever came up with that idea. Not to mention, there were numerous scantily-clad honnies (wow that word just feels dirty to write…) to break-up the sausage-fest that is a typical industry gathering at Affiliate Summit.

Hakasaan – There’s usually always one club that all the people end up going to per night…it’s the only time each year where all of the affiliates and networks can coordinate something together. Everyone just wants to out-table each other.

Anyway, this happened on Saturday night. Take the best club in your shitty little city you can think of, times it by 10, and then you’ll only begin to understand what a shit show of debauchery this place is. I’m curious how much a place like this pulls in a night, but it has to be in the several million.

Bonus: I will send you one Bitcoin if you can guess the identity of the infamous legend in this pic.

More stuff happened but since it’s been over 2 weeks since the show, most of it is all but a faded memory. Next time!

The title appealed to me quite a bit because rituals are something I’ve become quite a fan of lately. No, not those good ol’ satanic rituals. By rituals I mean daily habits, routines, and systems that free up the brain for more creative thought and impactful work.

Routine, in the right hands, can be finely calibrated mechanism for taking advantage of limited resources: time, willpower, self-discipline, and optimism

Is this book an A-Z to guide on how to become rich and famous? No.

What you will get is insight into how some of the most famous creators of our time, and from centuries ago, are able to do what they do.

If you consider yourself a maker of things, a creator, then you should definitely have Daily Rituals on your bookshelf. It is a collection of anecdotes about 160-some different writers, artists, playwrights, composers, musicians, mathematicians, scientists and other professionals giving insight into how they create what they create. Each “artists” is given a page or two, some more. Some stories are compiled from other sources while others are told from the first person.

As I read the book, I noticed a few common threads popping up. Of course, every person is different. But there are a few key takeaways and insights I’m about to list which applied to most of the artists in this book.

Some of these “insights” are great advice and coincide with many “success principles” that you might read elsewhere. But there’s also some bad advice. In fact, some of these people were leading very shitty lives and didn’t even become famous until after their deaths. Some stories were, quite frankly, miserable and depressing.

Read at your own risk

Common Thread #1 – Repetition, Consistency is Key

No shit, huh? That’s what a routine is, isn’t it?

My experience has been that most really serious creative people I know have very routine and not particularly glamorous work habits. – John Adams

Almost all of the artists felt that they were far more productive in their lives by creating routine. This means doing the same thing, day in, day out.

The repetition itself becomes the important thing; it’s a form of mesmerism. I mesmerize myself to reach a deeper state of mind. – Haruki Murakami

What About Waiting for Inspiration?

George Gershwin was…

dismissive of inspiration, saying that if he waited for the muse to he would compose at most 3 songs a year. It was better to work every day. “Like the pugilist, the songwriter must always keep in training.”

Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just show up and get to work. -Chuck Close

Seriously. Don’t Fall Out of the Routine

“One link dropped undoes an infinite number.” Leo Tolstoy said, “I must write each day without fail, not so much for the success of my work, as in order not to get out of my routine.”

A solid routine “saves you from giving up” said John Updike.

Common Tread #2 – 3-6 Hours of Focused, Distraction Free Work

For many artists, a typical day went like this: Wake up. 3 hours of focused, distraction free work. Quick lunch. Another 3 hours of distraction free work.

Few artists, if any, were able to create with distraction. In fact, many of the artists had strict rules about noise (their kids weren’t allowed to make noise before noon) and distraction.

Anne Rice, a mother first and writer second, was quoted

It’s always a search for that uninterrupted three or four hour stretch. (On engagements) Because you won’t get those four hours if you’re spending most of the day worried about getting to an appointment and back. What you have to do is clear all distraction. That’s the bottom line.

The lesson is that when you’re habitually getting into that ‘zone,’ you’re far more productive and creative. Just a few hours of concentrated effort in a day will produce more in a week of work where you’re checking your phone, email, Facebook, and Twitter every 10 minutes.

On the flip side – Few, if any, of the artists were hustling out 12-14 hour days. There’s a happy medium for us all. You can’t force out quality work for such an extended period of time.

That’s not to say you can’t work that much. You just have to separate the creative stuff from work that requires less effort. For me, the creative, concentrated work is programming. The less effort work is writing blog posts like this one.

“Three hours in the morning, three hours in the evening – that is my only rule,” said Jean-Paul Surtre. He lived to 75 and did a lot of drugs.

Common Thread #3 – A Daily Goal or Quota

I know, I know. We hate goals right?

I’m not talking about long-term goals that span months or years. I’m talking about a daily goal, or quota, that you can handle in bite-sized chunks. This is ultimately what makes up your daily routine or ritual.

Edmund Wilson wrote six pages. Somerset Maugham had a daily requirement of 1,000 to 1,500 words. Graham Greene wrote 2,000 words.

The great Charles Dickens wrote 2,000 to 4,000 words. “He stuck to his work hours without fail; absolute quiet.”

Stephen King has a 2,000 word quota, every day, even on his birthday and holidays. He said, about his routine,

And as your mind and body grow accustomed to a certain amount of sleep each night – so can you train your working mind to ‘sleep creatively’ and work out the vividly imagined waking dreams which are successful to works for fiction.

Although it was novelists and poets featured in this book, this applies to anyone whose job it is to be creative.

Do you write copy? Do you write code? Then you should have a daily quota!

That Daily Quota Adds Up Over the Course of a Year

The most striking thing I found is how some of the writers worked. A few would just stare at paper for hours, squeezing out just a few paragraphs in a couple of hours (sound familiar, bloggers?)

It’s the power of compound interest. Even a few paragraphs or a few lines of code over the course of a year add up to something extraordinary.

Although he’s not in this book, Nathan Barry recommends a 500 word goal in his Authority Course (highly recommended by the way if you want to make money writing)

Where were you a year ago? Where would you be today if you had stuck to that routine? Would you have a book, product, or software of value to sell?

Common Thread #4 – Get Up Early

When I am working on a book or a story I write every morning as soon after first light as possible. There is no one to disturb you and it is cool or cold and you come to your work and warm as you write. You read what have written and go from there. -Ernest Hemingway

Some people got up even earlier than that. Frank Lloyd Write worked from 4 to 7am when “when the mind is clear.”

I think the early morning thing works because it’s biological. There were a couple of night owls in the book, but they were few and far between. This should match your temperament. For the most part, I think we’re all naturally morning people.

Common Thread #5- Alcohol, Cigarettes, Sex, and Amphetamines

I’m kind of joking here, but at the same time, I’m not.

A number of artists were straight up alcoholics. Not a routine I’d recommend.

Many, especially the ones before the mid 20th century, were powered by cigarettes. Balthus engaged in heavy smoking for “exquisite moments of contemplation.”

A few were sex addicts. Georges Simenon, author of 425 books, would “have sex every day and every months indulge in a frenzied orgy of work.”

And then there are amphetamines. The drug of choice, before Adderall and Modafinil came along, was Benzedrine.

Graham Greene upped his daily quote of 500 words to 2,00 by taking Benzedrine tablets twice a day. Ayn Rand was able to pump out “a chapter a week fueled by Benzedrine pills.”

I think the best story in the book was from Paul Erdos, a genius mathematician and workaholic. Friends were worried he was dependent, so they bet him that he couldn’t quit for 30 days.

Erdos quits successfully for 30 days then writes,

You showed me I’m not an addict. But I didn’t get any work done. I’d get up in the morning and stare at a blank piece of paper. I’d have no ideas like an ordinary person. You’ve set mathematics back a month!

We all have our vices. If they help you do your work, go for it. Just try to keep them from becoming addictions. Keep that shit under control!

Daily Rituals

I think Daily Rituals is an entertaining insight into how famous creative people work. The book probably won’t change your life, but that’s not why it was written. It’s simply a collection of stories of how and why people (just like you yet slightly more famous) developed their habits and routines to get the work that matters done.

I bought the book and started reading it the day after New Years. I was not disappointed. It took me a while to read because I took a lot of notes. Around 20 pages of notes. So many notes. My wrist pains me.

A Side Note on Notes and Journals

I started taking notes on the non-fiction books I read because I started realizing that there is no way I’m going to remember all this shit. I read a lot of books. I’ve only started doing this in the past couple months and it’s been critical to remembering important stuff and allowing me to think through it. It’s much easier to go back and read notes than trying to thumb through an entire book to find a specific sentence or quote. I don’t like highlighting my books (yes, I still read physical books.)

I highly suggest keeping a journal, not just for the note taking. There’s a ton of value in keeping a journal. But alas, that’s for another post.

Scott Adams – A Optimist’s Take on Success

“Success is a learnable skill.”

OK, back to Scott Adams. I liked this book a lot because it’s a refreshing, funny take on the whole “success” category of self-help books. Scott Adams isn’t a genius and doesn’t have any world-class talent or anything. He’s just a regular guy that achieved a lot over time by being smart and optimistic about it.

A good chunk of his advice goes against the grain of what people think it takes to be successful. The stuff he writes about in this book can be learned by anyone, although some is a little unconventional.

Systems vs Goals

I’m not going to repeat what was already explained in Dr. Ngo’s post about systems or goals. But the lesson here is huge – Goals suck. Goals are for losers.

I’ve been a “goal-setting” person for most of my early life. That would explain some things, like why I’ve always had trouble losing weight or why I had a tendency to spread myself too thin chasing the next shiny goal in my life.

Unknowingly, over the past several years I’ve become more of a “systems” person. As I learned more about habits and making them stick, I was essentially creating systems to make my life easier so I could have more energy for stuff that mattered. When it comes down to it, habits are systems, and systems are habits.

For example, creating a morning ritual and doing meditation are two things I started doing that don’t have end goals, yet provide benefits like time-savings and peace of mind, respectively. They’re systems, or habits, that make my life easier because I don’t have to think about them (except for the first 30 days, where effort is required to create a habit – but that’s for another post.)

It wasn’t until I read “How to Fail” that there was a clear-cut difference. The book made me realize that I still have some goal-oriented mindsets. So instead of thinking about a specific goal, I try to think up a system that can get me there over time.

From the book:

“Goal oriented people exist in a state of nearly continuous failure that they hope will be temporary. That feeling wears on you. If you achieve your goal, you celebrate and feel terrific, but only until you realize you just lost the thing that gave you purpose and direction.”

“Systems people succeed every time they apply their systems, in a sense that they do what they intended to do. The goal people are fighting the feeling of discouragement at each turn. The systems people are feeling good every time they apply their system.”

“A system is something you do on a regular basis to increase your chance of happiness in the long run. The minimum requirement of a system is that a reasonable person expects it to work more often than not. A spectacular system beats passion every time. A solid system can withstand bad luck without buckling.”

Take Care of Yourself – Great Health is a Necessity

You will not perform at your best if you’re always lacking energy due to poor diet, no exercise, unnecessary stress, and a shitty sleep schedule. Good health is a baseline requirement for success.

“If you get your health in order, success will come more easily. If you get success without good health, you won’t enjoy it.”

Diet

Carbohydrates kill. While Scott Adam’s didn’t specifically call out carbohydrates, let’s be real: our carb-loving culture is why we’re fat. It’s not just about fat – it’s about energy too. Eating too many carbs fucks with your insulin levels which means your energy goes up and down like a roller coaster. Our bodies have natural ebbs and flows that are thrown out the window when we mess with our insulin.

The absolute easiest way to fix your diet is to go paleo and cut out as many processed, unnatural carbs as possible. If you want to scare yourself into fixing your diet, read Grain Brain.

Exercise

It’s not that exercise instantly makes you happier (although most of the time it does), but not exercising makes you depressed. Humans were meant to move, constantly. Exercise also makes you smarter. It is scientifically proven to grow brain cells.

It doesn’t matter how you do it. A standing desk with a treadmill is perfectly fine. It’s better than nothing.

But if you want to reach peak physical fitness, get your ass in the gym. I am of the school of thought: if you’re more energetic after a workout, you’re doing it wrong. Go hard in the paint till you can’t raise your arms or lift your legs. No gym? Take up Crossfit or do the Insanity Workout.

“Fitness has an enormous financially upside. The happier you are in one aspect of your life, the less effort you need in search for happiness elsewhere.”

Not from the book, but related:

“I believe that when the body is strong, the mind thinks strong thoughts… there is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it’s impossible to turn back.” – Henry Rollins

Unnecessary Stress

This one’s simple. Stop thinking in goal-oriented terms and start creating systems that will actually move you towards success. Take up meditation and quite your mind. Stop worrying.

Affirmations

This is probably the most unconventional advice in this book, but affirmations do work for Scott Adams and a number of other successful people I know. It’s one of the core lessons from “Think and Grow Rich,” the original self-help book published back in 1937.

Affirmations are something I’ve only begun to do, and so far, I’m 1 for 2. I started small, but my new affirmation is pretty ambitious. I won’t write it here because it’s private to me, but trust me, you’ll know if it ever comes true.

I am no where near an expert on this subject, and you can obviously change this to your liking. Whatever works for you.

How to do Affirmations

• Statement – “I, {your full name}, {will|can|am} {be something ambitious|can do something I’ve never done before|something I want to be}.”
• Specific or General – I prefer something in-between. I want direction, but at the same time I don’t want to lock myself into something overly specific.
• Written or Verbal? – Personally I prefer written. This way, you can not only “see” the affirmation in writing, you “feel” it too. Others will repeat it to themselves in the mirror. Whatever works!
• How Often? – I try to write mine 10 times in the morning and 10 times at night. I think Napoleon Hill in “Think and Grow Rich” says something like 20 times, repeated to yourself, “until you believe with all your heart it is true.”
• Daily? Don’t Stop! – This is one thing I struggle with. When I remember to do them, shit goes better for me. Once I start seeing success with an affirmation, I tend to stop doing it. This is the wrong way because as soon as you stop, there goes the progress. If anything, do even more of the affirmation. Like anything else that might matter in your life, do it every day, without fail!

My Example: – I’ve been trying to stick to a strict paleo diet for months now. For the most part it’s great. But at night, when my rule is to stop eating after 8PM, I can derail an entire day of hard work by binge-eating at night. So I created an affirmation that worked for me while I did it.

It went something like this: “I, Barman, easily avoid brain-damaging junk food because it makes me happy and gives me energy.”

Yes, I know it all seems like a bunch of wishy washy, “The Secret” type of bullshit. But I think there’s a certain, meditative quality to doing this. “The process is about improving your focus, not summing magic.”

Scott Adam’s writes (I’m paraphrasing)

“Affirmations appear to have more power than one might expect from positive thinking. Optimists tend to notice more opportunities, have more energy because of imagined future success, and take more risks. Perhaps the people who deep down know that they can succeed are the only ones crazy enough to do affirmations – a message from your sub-conscience mind to your rational mind telling you that you have the right stuff even if your common sense argues otherwise.”

Essentially, “Deep and consistent focus on what you want is all that’s required.”

Random Lessons

Without giving away the farm, here are a few parting lessons from the book

• Simplicity over Optimizing – Simpler is always better because it let’s you produce more. Less is more! Complicated systems have more opportunities for failure. Simplicity adds time, our most valuable resource. Simplicity is a worthy long-term goal. That’s how you free up personal energy so you can concentrate it where you need it.
• Knowing when to Quit – “Things that will someday work out well start out well. Things that will never work out start out bad and stay that way. Small successes can grow into big ones, but failures rarely grow into successes.
• Pick the Delusion that Works – “You shouldn’t hesitate to modify your perceptions to whatever makes you happy, because you’re probably wrong about the underlying nature of reality anyway… The way I motivate myself to write a book is by imaging that I have fascinating and useful things to say that will help people. I choose to imagine this book will do well because that illusion is highly motivating. It gives me energy.”

  Free yourself from the shackles of oppressive reality!

I can’t recommend How to Fail at Everything and Still Win Big enough. I have to thank Dr. Ngo for introducing me to it.

Now go buy it and make something out of yourself!

I’ve come to the decision that if I’m going to spend the time writing, I might as well do it right. Anyone that’s ever written a post worth reading knows the time investment involved (great posts can take hours), so its counter-productive for me to do it on a blog full of Dirt Nasty videos and vulgar profanity. That kind of stuff has a great niche following (the Adult Swim demographic), but doesn’t get any traction with a broader public.

I want to be able to leverage my time working on this blog into something more in the long run, whatever that may be.

Furthermore, I’m no longer as angry and pissed-off as I used to be. I went through all of the older posts here to trash most of them. Half the time I was asking myself, “Where did I get the balls to write shit like this?”

I’m older now. I’m not in my early twenties throwin’ up middle fingers screamin’ fuck the world. No, I do things like mediation. Yoga. I have some grey hairs even. I don’t care if that makes me an old, lame shit or if it puts me at ground zero with no readers. I’m happier. Plus, it’s my blog and I’ll do what I want. Now, get off my lawn!

Therefore, a relaunch. What are the goals for a happier, zenful, more useful PPC.bz?

1. New Design

I wrote all the design code for this blog theme from scratch, using the WordPress Twenty Twelve theme as the base.

But I must give credit where credit is due – the overall “look” was greatly inspired by the design over at BryanEisenberg.com. Also, thanks to Subtle Patterns for the background image.

Unfortunately, the Billy Mays button is gone. I know that was a fan favorite. And a lot of the blogroll links have been cleared out to make room for blogs that are actually good, and updated.

2. More Useful Information

More Teaching and Sharing of Knowledge – One thing I’ve learned is that the best way to learn something is to teach it to somebody else. I’ve learned a legitimate shit ton of stuff from books I’ve read and courses I’ve taken, especially in the past two years or so. I have this strong desire to share that knowledge with the world. Otherwise, it deteriorates and gets wasted when I don’t apply it or teach it.

More Programming – I never thought I’d end up a programmer, but some how, I’ve gotten pretty good at it over the past couple of years. That’s one thing I plan on teaching more of.

More Online Marketing, Start-ups – I’m going to focus less on affiliate marketing as a topic, and more on the overall online marketing ecosystem. This includes mobile apps and SaaS (Software as a Service stuff)

3. Less Useless Content

Here’s what you won’t see on PPC.bz anymore…

Guru Product Bashing – Yes, I know guru bashing was what built this blog. But I don’t want to do that anymore. And quite frankly, it’s not as big of a problem since Clickbank cleaned up their act. If you absolutely must have your fix of guru bashing, may I suggest the salty droid?

Industry Drama – Yet another thing I don’t care about anymore. Yes, this industry needs a cleaning, but it’s not going to be me. I’m not your fucking Batman (I’m just a barman.) If industry drama is your cup of tea, check out Perform Outsider ( which is what PPC.bz would’ve been had I continued down that path of anonymous asshole.)

Plus, there are plenty of Facebook Groups where this information is shared quite regularly.

Yes, I’m serious

I trashed a lot of posts. I moved some to the Old School PPC.bz category if you want to take a trip down memory lane. I may put the entire archives back-up on a sub-domain at some point in the future. It does feel like I deleted a piece of internet history. :: sniff ::

The before and after…

At first I thought it was the 10th Edition, although there is no 8th or 9th release that I am aware of. But I was mistaken. The X is for X-rated content. Oooo, saucy! Finch should have titled this Premium Post Volume XXX for a more accurate title.

Here’s a brief rundown on the content of the book –

Launching a Successful Campaign

The first part of this book ( and it is a book at 140 some pages ) explains the patented FinchSells™ Affiliate Campaign setup process. His method starts out by focusing on the traffic first. Not the offer! If you don’t have traffic, then you pretty much have diddly-squat. Once you know who makes up the traffic source, you begin to brainstorm what niches would work on this traffic source.

Don’t try adapting a traffic source to a niche that isn’t a natural fit (or worse, an allowed one).

The most important part of the next step is finding the best two or three offers for your niche. Most affiliates jump from offer to offer, thus jumping from traffic source to traffic source. It’s the ‘shiny-object syndrome’ all over again.

Finch drops a number of tips on how he determines what the best offers actually are. So stop throwing shit up at the wall and take a moment to hunt down what’s working. Then there are some key insights into finding which merchant landers are the best, why you should promote exclusives, and starting your own Affiliate Wolfpack, and much more.

The meat of this technique is in coming up with the angle. It’s how you sell the affiliate offer and what separates you from every other affiliate out there. Everything else being equal – the angle is where you have the most opportunity to set yourself apart from everyone else in your niche.

And finally…

Have a wank while you’re at it. You only live once.

YOLO indeed, Finch. YOLO indeed.

The Rest of Premium Posts Volume X

I don’t want to give away the farm here. Finch has to feed his ultra-fast, puke-where-he-feels-like bachelor lifestyle, and he does it by selling his books. So if you want all the juicy secrets, go buy it.

So I’ll summarize the rest of the chapters in the book while leaving out the best details –

• How to Master Direct Buys for Mega Low CPCs – This chapter is fucking tits. Finch drops some knowledge I was not even aware of. This chapter is worth the price of admission.
• Hugely Profitable Adult Niches and How to Work Them – How to profit from all that kinky shit you sick fucks are into. Oh, you know who you are! There is a surprising amount of fetish porn out there, and Finch gives you the details on each (he’s like a perverted sage)
• How to Improve Lead Quality and Profit for the Long Haul – Absolutely essential for the dating space. Lead quality is king. If your leads are shit, then you’re getting booted off the offer and there goes all your work. It’s a marathon, not a sprint! There are a bunch of great lessons here about age, free claims, and much more. You see a lot of affiliates taking the opposite approach from these tips and killing their lead quality.

  Finch even asks some brothel owners for tips on what the older clientele are asking for. IS YOUR FAVORITE CELEBERITY BLOGGER IN THE TRENCHES LIKE FINCH? No. I don’t think so.

• August 2013 in the Affiliasphere – News you can use- EWA goes bust and the impending class-action lawsuit. PlentyOfFish cleans up its filthy act. And Finch thinks The Office was filmed in Philadelphia – it’s Scranton- duh!
• Rules Psychology: How to Make it Pay in Every Niche – Dissecting the infamous “Rules” lander. IF there was ever a college course on Affiliate Marketing, I think Professor Finch would have tenure.
• And more!

Volume X is definitely some of the best reading you’ll about affiliate marketing. Highly recommended – Finch knows his shit inside and out!

This isn’t a fancy long post or anything, but I felt like bestowing some advice unto my loyal readers (well, what’s left of them anyway… like 3 people?) In fact, it has nothing to do with affiliate marketing. It’s a shortie, but goodie. That’s what she said.

Dump Your Brain

Dear diary,

A lot of people find writing to be very cathartic, and as of late, I must add myself to that group. I don’t mean blogging either – I mean personal writing that is only meant for you as a way to get your thoughts on paper. Writing helps to organize your thoughts, helps you be become more creative, and allows you to solidify your thoughts and goals. The most important benefit, at least to me, is that its much easier to remember ideas. It’s impossible to keep every little idea you come up with in your head. You’ll just forget them over time, and keeping them on random post-it notes isn’t a going to cut it in the long run.

So… how does one actually ‘write’ for one’s self?

Option A – Write 750 Words – I can’t remember how I stumbled upon this technique, but it’s definitely worth trying, even for a few days. The goal is to write 750 words in a blank Word doc every day. Just get all of your thoughts, emotions, cares and concerns out there. Do nothing else until you’re done.

I tried this for about 2 weeks and found it very beneficial. The only problem is that it takes some time. 750 words is not that easy. You’re supposed to go fast but you still want to form complete sentences. I’d find myself writing for 20-30 minutes then getting stuck for the last hundred or so words. Maybe if I stuck with it for a month I’d get better at dumping out my brain, but I just didn’t enjoy it that much.

So yes, it’s something every one should try at least once just to see how they like it. I prefer the physical, but shorter alternative …

Option B – Keep a Psychical Journal – I picked this up from Steal Like an Artist, which is in itself, a truly excellent book. I think affiliate marketers tend to be too analytical ( which isn’t always a bad thing ) so sometimes we get stuck crunching numbers so long we forget to separate ourselves from the computer. The fact that every one in this industry just rips each other’s landing pages shows that creativity is lacking.

Even if you’re a creative type ( you design landing pages ), 99% of your time is still probably spent on a computer or device. One great piece of advice I picked up from this book is to keep your digital space and your physical space separate. Make things with your hands, draw, paint, whatever – just get your creative juices flowing in a way that doesn’t involve a keyboard and a mouse.

My best takeaway from the book was to keep a journal. No instructions really. Just do what suits you. I use my journal to reflect on the day, plan goals, and keep notes on books I read. Nothing major, but it frees up my brain to do other things ( sparks the creative flow, plus I don’t have to remember so much when it’s written down instead).

You can even write about things you’re grateful for, which you’ll find to be a very real method in finding happiness.

Now, some of you will think this is all some hokey pokey jib-jab bullshit, and in truth – it probably is. But we’re in an age where every single fucking thing we do is done on a computer. Over time, it just fries your brain. It helps to get back to the basics, get in touch with nature, the outdoors, your inner self, and all that other shit… namaste.

Dump Your Fat – Intermittent Fasting

How many times have you heard that eating 5-6 times a day is the best way to lose weight and speed up your metabolism? I know I’ve heard it a million times, and until very recently I believed it. But the truth is – we really don’t have to eat that much. In fact, our bodies can very easily deal with not eating for 8, 12, 16, or even 24 hours.

A few weeks ago I stumbled upon some articles that changed my outlook on the “5-6 meals a day thing”.

This first is Experiments with Intermittent Fasting by Dr. John Berardi. Berardi has been an author on one of my favorite sites, T-Nation, for a long time. His Gourmet Nutrition Cookbook is tits. What he says is the truth.

Anyway – in the free PDF, Berardi experiments with various types of fasting. He’s an already fit male specimen, so to see him getting benefits from intermittent fasting was eye opening. Imagine what a fatty could do?

Then there’s another article from a different site called Intermittent Fasting 101 – How to Start Burning Fat. A shorter read, but same point. There are many benefits to intermittent fasting and its worth experimenting with.

Don’t get me wrong though – intermittent fasting isn’t easy for me. I still love food. But doing it once in a while makes me appreciate what hunger really is and allows me to separate real hunger in my gut versus imaginary hunger in my brain ( which is brought on by belief that we have to eat 5-6 times a day…. or the munchies.)

The people in affiliate marketing tend to be one of two types – you’re either a fat greasy neckbeard, or you’re a health-conscience, paleo-eating, Cross-fit training machine. There doesn’t seem to be any middle ground. Either way, I think all people will benefit from implementing the occasional intermittent fast into their lives. Not pointing any chubby fingers, but a lot of you motherfuckers are getting your stomachs stapled or bypassing it entirely. How about the cheaper alternative – not eating?