Niche Blogging Course

Well, I generally don’t like to be the type of guy that goes around finding things to sell to people, but after some hard thinking I realized that with all the crap being sold on the internet, it might be responsible for me to help weed through it. I’ve tried plenty of ebooks, memberships, and courses and found that while many of them are definitely full of good content, very few are worth the money it costs to purchase them. As a result, I’ve decided to do a bi-weekly installment (if I can find enough good stuff, but I’m always willing to take a look at review copies) of Internet Marketing product reviews.

I don’t plan on badmouthing any products, but I would like to mention the handful of products I find useful for me as a webrepreneur. So, with that being said, I’d like to review our first product:

The Niche Blogger: By Amy Bass

I found this product while reviewing some WSO’s at the Warrior Forum and was intrigued by Amy’s headline, which read something like:

“Discover How A Mother Of 4 and Total Internet “Newbie” Quickly Built Herself A $5000+ Per Month Passive Online Income From Niche Blogging AND Then Taught The SAME System To Dozens Of Others Who Then TOO Quickly Experienced Astounding Success…Including Her 50 Year Old Mother…Who Before Learning Her Amazing ‘System’ Could Barely Use Her Own Computer!”

She sounded down to earth and the reviews were more than supportive of her program, so I thought I would give it a try. She offers a 3 day trial for $1, which is hard to find these days. 

I had a slight issue logging in, but she immediately responded to my PM and set me up, turns out I was using the wrong link. Immediately upon logging in I was impressed by the amount of posts she had and each of them was designed systematically walk you through every step of newbie to nich blogger.

Although the early month 1 content was a bit below my experience level, had I seen that information when I first started blogging I would have shaved months off of my learning curve. The information was tremendous and perfectly tuned for someone just starting out.

There were plenty of things that I learned from the first month alone and I had no doubt that months 2 and beyond would be more than beneficial. Amy really has a firm understanding of how to teach people to blog and do it just the right way to get paid. I expected a cheap membership system and I’ve got to say I was pleasantly surprised.

Currently Amy boasts over 700 subscribers, so she must be doing something right. One of the best parts of the system is that she offers a lifetime membership and a coaching package should you need it. Overall, I don’t find much to be lacking from The Niche Blogger and Amy’s support is tremendous.

If you are even somewhat interested in Niche Blogging and don’t want to pay the price for something like the Immediate Edge or 30 Day Challenge Plus, I highly recommend giving the 3 days for a buck trial a shot.

You can try it here:

Try The Niche Blogger for FREE! Click Here for a FREE 3 Day Trial

Stumble it!

Well I don’t normally share my side projects for three reasons:

1. They often are not part of my brand
2. Not everything comes out of testing phase
3. Competition

However, this time I am going to make an exception because the website I just finished fits nicely with my brand and is a subject that is near to me.

As I have stated before, I consider myself a Zen Buddhist and although I don’t push my religion or beliefs on others, I’ve had a problem trying to figure out how to approach my children about spirituality. My wife and I have slightly differing viewpoints, which is ok because I want my children to make up their own minds, but it poses a problem with regards to teaching different beliefs.

So I faced a problem trying to find good ways to open new spiritual doors for my children in a way that wouldn’t be too pushy or confusing. I spent a long time trying to find books for them that might do this and eventually it hit me - if I have this problem then surely there are others that face the same dilemma.

As a result, I opened a new webstore called Buddhist Childrens Books, which is a collection of some of my favorite kids books on the subject of Zen and Buddhism.

I know I know, this might not be your bag baby, and that’s ok. I simply wanted to show you how quickly you can turn a problem into a solution and make money in the process.

Stumble it!

Image by Matthew Brindle

I just read a fantastic post on Copyblogger about some things that separate compelling bloggers from standard run of the mill bloggers. The premise was that most of the blogs people like to read contain some sort of back story that draws the reader to that author. Bloggers that are transparent in their personal life, such as Gary Vaynerchuk, Chris Brogan, or Chris Guillebeau are fantastic to read about because we see more than just the sales pitch.

Gary does his videos live and without editing, which gives them a certain realness that other polished videos don’t have (he’s always incredibly brave to do this!). Chris Brogan has to do a great deal of defending himself because his business is so out in the open that it puts him in a place where he is very subject to criticism. Chris Guillebeau tells us all about his life in Seattle and his travels across the country in a way that you think you know him just from reading his blog.

These guys (there are plenty of female bloggers I read too, just in case you are wondering) are a great example of compelling “real-life” bloggers that give us entry into their personal/business lives in exchange for more interaction with their audience. There are so many money making and personal development blogs out there that I don’t have time to read the ones that don’t reach out to me in some way. People simply want to see the man behind the curtain and get to know him or her as much as possible.

Although I do a great deal of talk about my ventures, I haven’t disclosed as much as I’d like, which probably is reflected in my comments and readership. However, it isn’t an easy step to take – exposing myself to ridicule in front of potentially millions of people. Still, I think that this is the difference between bloggers that make it and bloggers that don’t. Sharing both your highs and lows with your audience does expose you to ridicule, but it also brings people into your circle which in turn creates loyal and devoted fans. If you want to build a grassroots blogging movement, this just might be the best way to do it.

Stumble it!

Help Bring Christmas to Afghanistan

Image by UnicefIran

Hello everyone,

As you know I’ve been working in Afghanistan since last summer and have had a wonderful opportunity to mix with the local Afghans in Kabul and learn more about their culture and traditions. Being already fortunate enough to speak Persian (Farsi), I have been able to speak to them in their native tongue (Persian Dari) and have made many friends in the process. Then, they started to tell me about their stories.

They Need Your Help

I know it is hard to imagine life on the other side of the world, but seeing it firsthand has given me an entirely new perspective on life and culture. Try to imagine living with only 2 hours of electricity per day, which you can only afford if you earn a suitable living. Try to imagine living through winters similar to our North East without any form of central heating. The average “working” Afghan, and I say this because there are far too few jobs available, makes $200-$300 American Dollars per month! Now imagine trying to ration that money to buy clothes, food, transportation, firewood, and medical costs. Doesn’t add up does it?

Well, since I was blessed to be born in the United States with a roof over my head and food in my refrigerator, I thought that this Christmas would be a perfect time to share some of my fortune with the less fortunate Afghans that I’ve met along my way. I cannot tell you how many times I have been asked for shoes, shirts, fleece sweaters, jackets, and food from young children and even adults. It is heartbreaking to see so many people struggling, while I return to my quarters with heaters and plenty of supplies.

How You Can Help

I am currently putting together a food and clothing drive of sorts and I am hoping to receive not only your help, but the help of anyone and everyone you know. If you have any new or used clothing of any type, please send it to the address below and I will personally make sure it is handed out to needy children and adults. Warm weather clothing is especially helpful, although anything will do. Shoes and jackets are the most requested items, but please send what you can.

We are also accepting food, particularly non-perishable food that can be prepared without a microwave and using a hot-plate or stove. It is obvious to me that people cannot afford to feed their families when they require their young children (often 5-6 years old) to work selling items on the street to anyone willing to buy.

Please help me get the word out by Emailing, Stumbling, Tweeting, Bookmarking, and Blogging about this cause. Although the cause is informal, the effort is certainly worthy and important. If you like, I can send you a photo of the person receiving the gift by simply sending a note in your package. In time, I may post photos on this site as well, so stay tuned for updates on the program.

Remember, help me get the word out, I cannot do it on my own and thank you for listening.

Send the items here:

Nathan Hangen

MIST-A

APO-AE 09356

Stumble it!