I'm all FIRE'd up!

FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) is a movement that is all about making and saving enough money at an "early" age so that you can live off your investments for the rest of your life.

I'll be honest that I've thought about this subject a lot.  In fact, I quit my job in 2011 (in my early 30s) and have been building online businesses ever since.

I sold my software company a few years ago for 7 figures and have had some other successful ventures.  

I've thought, "I might be able to just stop working and live on what I've saved for the rest of my life".

I wanted to see what others have been able to achieve and see if this FIRE lifestyle was something I should pursue.

However, the more I researched the bloggers and influencers that say they have "retired early" thanks to their savings, the more I got annoyed.

And even a little upset!

Today, I want to share my thoughts on the FIRE Movement and why I think most of the influencers are lying to you. 

Affiliate marketing can be a lucrative business.

In fact, it’s how I was able to quit my job over 9 years ago and I’ve been building sites, products, and running various online businesses ever since.

However, when it comes to building a site like OwnTheYard.com (my Niche Site Project 4 site), it can be extremely risky.

An affiliate site that is reliant on Amazon for its earnings and Google for its traffic really is at the mercy of businesses that are out of your control.  

Today I want to take a look at both the upsides and downsides of affiliate marketing and then what I think you can do to eliminate some of that risk.

Would these behemoths of the internet make up their minds?  

Do they love my site...or not?!

Google and Amazon appear to be all-powerful and that power has been on full display over the past couple of months.

First, Amazon decreases their commission rates...during a pandemic...because...Bezos money?

Next, Google rolls out a core update near the end of May, and I'm not gonna lie, my niche site took a hit.  Not a fatal blow, but a hit nonetheless.

So, after all this fire and brimstone from the internet "gods", I thought it was time to assess the carnage for OwnTheYard.com.  You know, my Niche Site Project 4 site.

I basically said that last time I did an update post, it was potentially going to be my last update post.  But I wanted to be transparent and share the bad that sometimes comes.

Affiliate marketing is hard, with lots of ups and downs.  But as you'll see in this full income report, it's not all bad.

I mean I still did make about $3k a month without really doing much :). It just could have been...oh, what could have been!

Jon Dykstra is back on the podcast to share more of his story and an update.  He's now making over $50k a month with his niche sites and avoids link building.