Are You Making a Difference?

Caroline

I am sure anyone that reads and implements your material knows you make a difference in their internet marketing lives. Keep up the good work. I always look forward to your emails.

Thanks

Caroline,

I’m glad my email helped remind you what you do does make a difference. If it didn’t those thousands of people you mentioned above wouldn’t bother to keep coming back!

I understand where you’re going when saying niche sites and affiliate marketing don’t really make a difference and agree that on their own they really don’t.

However, if someone who works many, many hours in their real job is able to replace their income with passive income (no matter the source) they suddenly have more free time to participate in things that they feel really do make a difference.

Your thoughts are right on, but I had to point out that freedom to spend your time as you wish is really the most important part of making a difference. Whether you get paid for it or not is irrelevant as long as your cost of living is coming from somewhere.

Thanks for the mention and link. Keep up the good work.

-RJ Licata

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For me this was a very open-hearted, straight to the point post. When I get caught up in the day-to-day drudgery I wonder what it is that I need to keep me going (apart from coffee!).

Making a difference is a TALL order. We can´t all make major differences but even small ones, sometimes unnoticable can change things (butterfly effect?).

Even the little link that I put up here to a friends site I designed will make a difference (if Caroline keeps it up :-)).

I think the real question is: will what I am doing make a beneficial difference in my life, because if we are still true to form, that´s what we want first. If it makes a positive difference in someone else´s life, then even better.

So, trying to make a positive difference in you own life is the first step, one which you have taken many months ago,and one which I am sure many people reading this blog will consider taking in their own lives when fully inspired by your actions.

Wishing you continued success.
John

I understand your struggle and it’s one I’ve been having myself as I try to figure out how I want to get into internet marketing. I’ve heard over and over again that the way to be successful is to do what successful people have done. And I’ve agonized over niches and PLR content and the like.

What I’ve come to terms with so far, and intend to act on, is that the marketing side and the product creation side require two different mindsets. I’m going to put my own unique stamp on something purchased and try to add value through the style of presentation in order to develop and test and prove my marketing skills. Meantime I’ll keep learning and working towards being able to someday do the same with the topics that matter most to me. This is my inward to out answer.

Another thought that came to mind after I read and re-read Positioning and while studying copywriting is that there is value in connecting the customer to the information. Two people can look at the exact same info and one feels it applies to them and the other doesn’t. Except it does. Or it would if they look at it the right way and it contained the triggers that makes it possible for them to recognize that it will help them. If I know the people and I know the info and I can bring them together in a way that other people aren’t, then that’s worthwhile. That’s my outward to in answer.

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Hi Caroline,

this post made a huge difference for me. I too am having a “funny” month, as you put it. In the end what makes us unique is what is going to make the difference, as you say. Helping people learn how to do things, teaching, all of these things make a difference. But there are millions of other ways a difference can be made, and I too have just reached a new resolve in my life and in my blogs. I believe in the importance of beauty, art, stories, characters, books, and thinking. These things give meaning to our lives and make our relationships stronger and deeper.
But the “meaning of it all” or the “point of it all” is also a topic all its own. I just decided yesterday that I am going to talk about my own path to finding these meanings in my blog, because watching another person’s path is what helps people identify and find their own way.
This is what makes your blog one of the “special” ones. You have not told other people what to do this whole time. You have told us what you’re doing and how it’s working for you. Between watching the story unfold and the honest, straightforward way in which you tell it, you keep your readers riveted. This is what really makes a difference.
In the end we all want to connect with each other, be reassured that we are not alone in wondering if there is a purpose or a meaning in the drudgery of daily life.
Thanks for this post, it has helped me focus on the things I want to do as opposed to those that give me that yucky feeling!

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I am making a difference in my check book. It seems to be getting lighter all the time. Seriously though if you were to make a lot of money you could make more of a difference. Money can make a difference in your own life and the life of others. Especially if you choose to be kind and teach rather than give it away and create more dependency.
Rick

Caroline
it’s a huge point. The meaning of life.

I’ve gone through months of paralysis after Frank Kerns CONGRUENCE seminar.
It’s a great utopia dream, only doing what you want, for who you want. But I am not Frank Kern. Neither are you.
When we have enough money in cash then MAYBE we can be that choosy. Until then it is a total nightmare idea. It totally paralysed me for months!

Point is, in the real pay the rent world, we all have to do things we may prefer not to. Just like we did in jobs. But it still needs to be done. MORE SO if you are self employed. There is no team. there is no reserve fund. There is no one to cover for you if you are sick.

YES I do believe one will make more money doing what you truly believe in. But what you believe in also requires drudgery.
Doing stuff ONLY for money, or dark side” is a no for me.

But how do we know that the (boring?) tools you make won’t help a saint save a life? Probably indirectly, by raising money, but still.

I don’t think many of us have the luxury of 100% congruence. Or even globally makign a difference. W ecan only make the people w einteract with, happy to interact with us. To make their lives a little bit easier and more pleasant. Isn’t that a purpose?

All we can do is really enjoy and be happy and make the most of what we do have to do. Whether we enjoy it or not.

In NLP speak it is just framing, or attitude.

You can shovel manueure with a song in your heart, or moaning.
All I can tell you is that moaning has got me nowhere :-)

But the purpose is that without someone to shovel, we would all be deep in it. We all have piles to shovel. Even Kern. Lo at teh bags unde rhsi eyes in some of the videos. Yeah he may surf on the beach sometimes, but just like you and me, he has his share of both end candle burning nights.

All we can do, is make the mos tof the mini challenges that life is. I don’t think there is any big destination or achievement. I think it all about all the baby steps you take to get to wherever you are going, which is probably nowhere in particular.

I only prayer that I can do that in a way which enhances other peoples lives, and not in the cut throught back stabbing ruthless approaches that I have had doen to me in the past.

That for me is the purpose. To dance without treading on any ones toes too much, or breaking any ones legs to remove the competition.

Bottom line, we make a difference to each other. Just regular people doing every day things.

For me kharma starts with a single smile. I doubt I will achieve anything remarkable in my life, or that any one will notice when I am gone. But I hope that some people had a better moment through something I helped achieve, even if it shovelling maneure.

Listen for the singing. I hope that will be me :-)

Peace and light
Peter

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Caroline,

These have been many of the issues I’ve been struggling with for the last year. I’ve made some real progress towards building sustainable income sources but the incredible amount of work necessary to get there can take its toll on my mental outlook at times.

I’ve settled on two of the models you’ve mentioned, not building any more sites until I know I’ve done all I could for the ones I have, and generally trying to hang in there just a little bit longer.

I’m glad I found your blog last year and I’ll be happy to keep reading and learning from you whenever you feel like posting.

Jeff

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Caroline, thank you for this post and for sharing how you feel. When I first began making a living online I started out, and still do, as a web designer. It was important for me to do what you talk about, adding value while doing something you love. I have since branched off to doing some Affiliate Marketing for products I enjoy and I also created a community site for Jazz Guitar Players which has been my pride and joy for the past four years and continues to be. I’ve only just stumbled across your blog but I will be spending a bunch of time here reading about your online adventures and from what I can already see, you have, and will most likely continue to make a difference…:) I’ve been making a living online for the past 9 years and personally, I can’t see myself doing anything else…except for plying music of course. Take care and I hope your latest venture will provide both the income and contentment you seek. All the best.

Lyle

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It’s all about making ends meet, but to be honest, if you pick this lifestyle you should do something that has value and is fun instead of jumping from a boring 9to5 job to another boring routine that will not give you any more freedom.

I definitely know that feeling. One of the hardest parts for me with the make money online is that balance of having to get excited about the little things (like a first $5 AdSense day), but then ward off the depression that can follow when you look at the total and realize how short of your goal you still are. Keep at it, I know in the long run it will be worth it.

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@RJ, I was thinking more in terms of how the work you do makes a difference in somebody else’s life, rather than your own but yes what you say is true. If some kind of online income (however it is earned) helps you spend more quality time with your family & friends doing the things that you love to do then that is obviously worthwhile.

@John, I don’t usually allow keywords in comment names but I shall let it slide just this once :-)

@Beth, yes I have really struggled with the ‘follow successful people’ route because of course we are all different and what suits one person does not necessarily suit the next. I have followed many succesful people online but had to find my own path nevertheless.

@Illaria, I don’t think you can tell people what to do because as I mentioned in an earlier comment, everybody is different. I think thats a concept that a lot of people don’t understand – they see one person having a certain level of success with something and don’t understand why they cant replicate it exactly.

@Rick, hehe I once heard a quote that said “if you want to make a difference in the world, get rich first”. So true :-)

@Peter, I really didn’t want to get into the whole meaning of life, that’s more than I can really handle right now :-) I hadn’t thought about making a difference in an indirect way – by helping someone else make a difference, that’s certainly food for thought! If you think about that more deeply, almost everything you do could make a difference in some way – butterfly effect as John said.

Thanks for letting us ramble with you… I too am evolving in my business and my mindset is shifting. While liking the money aspect of earning a nice living on the ‘net is what got me started in internet marketing, I feel an emptiness of just cranking out a website just for the money.

If you hang around this business long you get to meet so many different people and that tests your own set of values. Like you said am I making a difference here? or is this just another blog? But then changing and growing is a difficult thing for most of us. It gets to the point that you have to change or let something good die.

I am not sure where I read it but there are two pains in life: the pain of regret (oh, i wish had started that exercise program when I had the health and strength) and the pain of discipline (today and each day I exercise to build and maintain health).

For me it will take the very real pain of discipline to stretch and go to the next level in my business. It will take faith and continued vision.

But the alternative is too painful for me. The pain of regret that someday I might look back and kick myself for not taking the opportunity to bless others lives with what I do.

thanks for letting me ramble too!

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Caroline,

I know that you are now busy developing a software project, which you hope some day will be useful enough and complex enough that you can charge for membership, and people will be willing to pay for it, and hence creating a “cashpipe” that could be a lifetime income ….. and at the same time “doing thing you enjoy most” and “making a difference to the world”.

This is also the route I am heading to (software project & income from membership rather from ebooks/affiliates).

However, in the beginning, my dilemma was whether to use existing framework (Zend, Prado, Joomla, Wordpress etc..) and extend from there OR to develop the framework myself, from scratch.

I chose the latter. I know it was going to be painful but it is better than using existing framework that I dont like (e.g. framework that uses OOP, framework that uses JAVA etc.)

I started developing the framework in May 2007 and by Dec that year the first version was completed.

However, I wasn’t satisfied with the features/functions of the software, hence I decided to build a second version, taking lessons I learnt from the first one.

Thanks God in Feb 2009, I believed i have completed the second version (it took 14 months to complete) and it is good enough and I have tested with several client projects and very satisfied with it.

Creating your own framework is very complex and time consuming. But once it is done, you will have a very useful piece of software with thousands lines of codes all originally developed by you.

What I will do next is to open source it, give it to the world to download and teach them how to use it.

I will divide the lessons into 2 parts, beginners & advance. (the free/beginner part serve as the bait) and the advance part will be charged e.g. USD67 per year.

I am currently working as a freelance programmer hence there is no pressure to get X numbers of paid members within Y period of time etc….

As long as the users are happy with my software, I will be happy too.

But I cant wait to get the first USD 67 from my first VIP member. And the best thing is the worse part (developing the framework) was over & I am now planning to commercialize this project.

While developing the second version (14 months) sometimes I doubt myself.. will it ever be completed, will it ever succeed. Why does it takes so long… Other people are already making millions $$$ online and here I am, coding my software project till late night, and earn a peanut compared to them.

To keep myself in high spirit, I always come to this blog and read your progress and your thought.

Thanks a lot Caroline…. You really make a huge difference to me and my life. The way you think, the way you analyse the IM industry really help me through my tough times & saving me huge amount of $$$ by avoiding mistakes you already made.

Thanks again… from the bottom of my heart!!

Caroline, making a difference is a large reason I do what I do. One of the main reasons I write my blog is to demonstrate to people how they can find happiness in their own backyard.

I especially like my new Metro Monday’s which highlight the underused Metro system here in LA. The system is there, but not nearly enough people use it. So, by actually using it and then writing about it, I hope people will think about hopping on a bus instead of using their car.

Also, just to let you know, I don’t often comment on your posts, but via my RSS feed, I read your blog often. You make a difference in my blogging all the time. You’re a great teacher…………………:)

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I try to! You definitely are.

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Hi I am new to the internet but I have been reading your work over the last 5 months. sometimes it seems daunting or I do not quite understand but now all these months on I know a lot more than I did and I also do not feel stupid when I am asking IT people questions because you have helped me increase my context on the overall marketting opportunities out in the market. A question, What would caroline do if an uncle left you $10 million. What would have your heart sing? Do that thing NOW for at least a certain % of your life the money will follow in sufficient amounts to allow you to have that lifestyle.Follow your heart the head tries to take us away.

I will definitely keep reading to see your journey evolve as other read so will theirs

I guess it’s because I’m an old hippie who has chosen meaning over money for so many decades that I’m quite happy with my relatively modest internet earnings. For the amount that I know, I should be making waaaay more money, but I am always writing unique content because I think it matters more than doing marketing stuff!

Really enjoyed this post of yours and the comments.

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hi
Thanks for letting us ramble with you

Hi Caroline

Its actually my first time here, had a good look around and I am real glad I found you !

It seems you have and will continue to make a difference to a lot of people online !!

I myself have come to realise over the last few months that success comes from helping others. It was discovering that which has enabled me to finally get somewhere.

I hope people come to realise the true value of it and implement it themselves :)

Great post … Great blog !!

Dean

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The meaning of life is quite simple,

“Be realistic, Plan for a miracle”.

Like your work Caroline and you’re definintely making a difference. Cheers

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this is a great post and definitely I´m agree with this information because if you have a positive actitud and you are willing to make the differents on what you are doing, no mather what. You will have a lot of succes on what you are doing, the best is do whatever you are doing with proud, always trying to be the best and you will have not only succes on what you are doing also on your life.

@Rayman, kudos on deciding to create your own framework – that is a massive undertaking! And yes I know what you mean about the doubts – software has a habit of taking about two or three times as long as you think it will!

@Jenny, I have asked myself that question many times – what would I do if I didn’t need to work for money and unfortunately I still haven’t been able to answer it yet so in the meantime I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing :-)

The work I do is pretty slow moving and seemingly worthless in the short run, but in the mean time I build up my skills so that one day I might be able to “make a difference.”

I say that blogs are the best way to go if you want to do something worthwhile in a relatively short amount of time.

Making Money online is all about giving and receiving. If you do not give by by providing quality products and services, then people will not just buy from you. This is just the truth

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A very thought-provoking post indeed.
It is true that you can only be successful if you have something to give to the society. If you are making a difference is what determines if you are going to achieve your dreams or, not. Others who have an aim of only taking something from others, will never really be able to do that.

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@R Kumar, I wasn’t actually suggesting that you cannot be successful without giving to society – there are many people who do just that. And of course it works the other way too, there are people who give an awful lot but never receive much in the way of compensation for their efforts.

Liked your recent post about affiliate marketing, so thought I’d take a stroll over to you blog.

I think a good alternate name for this post would be “the Art of making a difference!”

You have mastered the subtlelty very well, it takes time to develop the balance between selling and informing; some say write in an infomercial style!

Anyway, thanks for your insights , Carolione.

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Nice post…I love the long length. Everytime I blog I think of helping the customer…this in turn will help me.

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Well really an inspiring read. ;-) I’ve been with PPC marketing for the majority of my life and now I’m getting started into ebook writing. Honestly I really don’t know what to expect with it but like you I try to be as focused as I can

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Lately I have been thinking about similar things, and actually it’s not about making a difference for me, it’s rather about how far we stick out with our blogs. I guess most articles are written and then forgotten, and I really wonder how we can change this so people actually remember what we write.

I guess all bloggers make a difference to their readers! For instance i have been inspired from Affiliate Marketers who make thousands per month.

I think making a difference is not really about what you do or don’t do but rather how you feel about it. Like you said you are proud of your ebooks and glad that it makes a difference to someone that well send you an email and say thank you. But if we’re honest what you have written is with 99.99% certainty already “out there” so you could even call that a rehash. Does that make it less meaningful?

Not in my book and not in the books of those that say thank you 18 months after.

If however you now change your own perception of the ebooks because you realize that you actually didn’t invent the wheel will that suddenly make meaningless? Maybe in your mind… but definitely not in the minds of those that read it and like it.

So what about your niche websites. Are they making a difference? Well someone will find the articles useful, someone will buy a great product from clicking one of the ads and some company will make money to keep the company going and make the payments to it’s employees because of that sale. Is that making a difference?

I think it is but what I and everyone else thinks is not important. What is important is what YOU think and the great thing is that…. you can choose what you would want to think :)

Take care,
Mikael

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“What Makes a Difference and What Doesn’t?”

For me, making a difference is when you try to be original in the things that you do. I know that in the net there are a lot of similar niche, regardless, you can always make your niche stand out and hit the mark by trying to innovate it with other ideas as well. Apart from this, you can also make a diffference by speaking what is in your mind and acting it out in real life. Not making the difference is of course the opposite of making one which is depending on what your competitor’s blog is saying and rephrasing it in your own words.

Thank you for sharing a very personal evolution! You have made a difference and will continue to gain momentum the way you are going. I look forward to reading more.

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Thanks for this post Caroline. It reminds me to look beyond trying to make a buck, and instead, try to make a difference. I’ve been doing internet marketing for a year and a half now, and I’ve been involved in some programs that I’m not proud of… but I learned from them… to get out of them!

I’m now in a few really good, low cost, low risk programs that almost anyone can afford, but that have huge potential for profit. I don’t like promoting high ticket programs that if people don’t succeed in, they lose all that money. I don’t feel good about that, even though it’s ultimately their responsibility for what they do or don’t do.

I now aim to be a mentor to my downline. I want to help them be successful, to make money online, because if they’re successful, I’m successful. To that end, I’ve built a free membership site for my team to train them on how to promote their sites using legitimate traffic building strategies. This is info the gurus charge thousands of dollars for, but I’m giving away for free in hopes that I can make a difference in someone’s life… that I can help the person succeed where they’ve failed so many times before because they’ve not had good guidance. I believe that if I sow into other people, it will come back to me. And if I keep that in the forefront of my business, I’ll be successful.

So thanks for the reminder! Keep writing!

Stacey Stanley

Well the market is getting so saturated and it isn’t an easy job trying to come up with some very very different. What we can do is to provide our own unique view or touch to it.

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Very inspiring and unique post. I will try do my best to make a difference.

@Mikael, that’s a very good point. There are always different ways of looking at anything and state of mind counts for a lot in all the things we do.

Well uniqueness matters online! Business ecommerce must hold on to this frame that they stand out far distinguished from their competitors. As an Ecommerce helper i have made a blog site that gives tips and facts on how you can be successful online.
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Inspiring and useful as usual! You have been a great help to me, thanks.

Carol, I’ve been reading you off and on since you got started. I started my own blog a little before or a little after you — not to blog but as part of my consulting business. I am interesting in writing a course — can you recommend to me any software/books/online sources you read to produce your courses? I want to get good suggestions before investing too much money on unproven course. Thx and keep up your work. You ARE making a difference.

Caroline, I admire your openness. You’ve tried a lot of different methods in your attempt to earn a living online. Most of them haven’t worked out and you’ve been honest about it. A lot of bloggers feel the need to look like the expert with the Midas touch.
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Thank you for open my sight for difference in maketing online all your article so very interested and simple to understand, I just start my way on online business and bloging and I have some blog and social bookmark for local language at AddURL don’t heritage to visit my bookmark and submit your blog. Thank again.
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Dear Caroline,

I cannot find words to express how thankful I am to whatever good cyber-fairy has sent me email to get to know all the great ideas and gifts you are handing to me, but i am totally, TOTALLY grateful. I didn’t actually remember having the good sense to subscribe to your teachings, but I must have been lucky.
thank God I didn’t lump you in with the others who sent me actual UNsolicited email and click you into the recycle bin.

I so relate to your desire to “make a difference”. I so resonate with that aspiration. When I saw that link, I knew I was in the right place.
I love to write. I want to be able to continue to care for my elderly mom, I want to choose my advertisers wisely, and I want to make a difference.

I’m hooked. I’m subscribed to the “Blogger’s Bible”.
I’m a sponge,absorbing.
Thank you for your kindness in sharing, and i wish you much prosperity as you go forth and do good for folks like me.

Sincerely,
Barbara
(aka “Keeper of the Flame”)

@Barbara, thank you very much! Sometimes I do forget that people read even older posts that I’ve written and still find them useful. That’s really encouraging to know :)

Thank you for this great post!

It is so hard to stay motivated. Posts like this remind us why we do what we do!

Time with the kids, time with your spouse, time for yourself! Escape the nine to five!

I love internet marketing, but like I said, sometimes I forget why! Thanks for reminding me!

Chris Jensen
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I like to see the effects of my work. And not in a form of a paycheck – I like to know that I was a part of creating something.
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I like my job. I know that sometimes we must do something what we hate, but this is a life ;)

I always ask myself the same questrion… Is my job important? Well, that first thing that always comes in mind is “no”. But doesn’t we all make something for our common good? Everyone who earns money spend them, and that makes the economy roll. We pay our taxes and keep our country alive. That is something after all.
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Hey Carolina,

I also struggled through the work that I hated most. but it’s a true fact that pursuing the things that you wanted the most can make a huge difference to your life.

You have made some drastic changes in your life, and now sailing smooth, which is a nice thing.

Thanks for the thought provoking post.
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