How The Internet and Google Reinvented My Life
It was April 27, 2005 in Nashville, Tennessee. The writing was on the wall: It was my last day as a 25 year old Project Coordinator for HCA — a job which paid me a handsome $53,400 salary, which included an American Express Corporate card for my weekly travel and related expenses, a generous per-diem, great benefits, and the world’s best manager, Mr. D. Young. It was by far the best permanent job I held outside of my own consulting interests (which actually paid me a lot more, but was far from stable).
Unfortunately, I was unable to manage my responsibilities of the job. It wasn’t a case of not having the talent or ability to do well, I simply lacked the motivation and focus necessary to succeed. After all, I’d already done a lot of amazing things in my life prior to this job. Regardless, my past successes weren’t enough to save me. I was a walking time-bomb, and I finally self-destructed.
Why, you ask? It’s a long and complicated story, but I’ll give you a hint: Love. What I can tell you is that I allowed my personal life to disrupt my professional life. I struggled to juggle two extremes, as both were highly demanding of me. The events in my personal life were physically, emotionally, and spiritually draining. I was trying to save a sinking ship, and I drowned along with it. I couldn’t make any excuses, as much as I wanted to. I couldn’t blame anyone for my own demise. Clearly, I wasn’t strong enough to segment the demands and problems in my personal life from that of my professional one. If I were wiser then, I would have made the right choice: To sever the personal event which anchored my life. Well, I didn’t.
Depressed and lacking motivation for most of my employment at HCA (eight months), I decided that my termination was a great opportunity to isolate myself. I was embarrassed. I felt like a failure. I couldn’t fathom facing my friends and family in Nashville, and delivering the news. So, I thought, “Where could I go?” Denver was my first choice, because I made many connections there during my travels for business and leisure, yet I never had the opportunity to visit the city.
I booked a room the same afternoon and drove to Denver. It was a spontaneous decision, but I needed to release. I arrived the afternoon of April 28. I was taken aback by the beautiful views of the Rocky Mountains. The feeling of being in a new place. Still, I wasn’t motivated enough to do much. I did spend some time driving around and exploring, but that was about it. I spent most of my one week vacation locked away in my hotel room. I was a wreck dealing with the reality of my job, while still grieving for a situation which had ended several months prior. I didn’t know who I was. I was a lifeless soul just withering away with countless self-pity parties. I quickly became a hopeless bum.
Given my state of mind, I decided I needed more time in Denver. Besides, the weather was crappy for most of my stay, and several people told me that the weather would “break at any moment”. Trusting their judgment, I booked another week. And another. I started exploring the city, dining out, seeing movies, and taking trips to the mountains. I even discovered Craigslist, a hidden gem which would soon lead me to the Denver chapter of MeetIn. All told, I spent two glorious months in a hotel suite amounting to some $2,000 in charges. Surprised by how much money I spent on lodging, I decided it was time to find a home in Denver. It was the beginning of renewing my life, and discovering my potential in the Internet world.
Recognizing that my savings was on the decline, I decided to post a series of ads on Craigslist to drum up potential clients for various computer needs. I managed to secure a few clients, but nothing consistent enough to “make a living”. I then tried a few random projects to put some money in my pocket. They were like all previous engagements: Boring. Realizing that I wasn’t gaining any satisfaction from these projects, I made a spontaneous and risky decision: To go it alone in the world, full-time.
I discovered OnForce (formerly ComputerRepair.com) in late 2005, an online procurement web site for IT services. I was impressed by their system, and decided to join. I also secured a new client of my own, Growers Organic, from Craigslist. Between OnForce and Growers, I finally realized my potential of being self-employed full-time. Because I was making just enough to “live” (rent, food, and entertainment), I made the choice to voluntarily return my 2005 Honda Accord. It was my first new car, and although hard, I knew it had to be done. It was a necessary sacrifice as I knew I wouldn’t be able to afford it.
In late December 2005, I discovered Gabcast. Coalescent Systems had just launched their new podcasting web site, which allowed users to record themselves by phone. After learning about the technology behind the site (Asterisk), I was quite impressed by how well they integrated things. I immediately signed up and created a few channels. Before I continue, I must credit Gabcast as a source of inspiration for my next discovery: Interviews.
I was sitting around one day, having one of my “think sessions”. I thought long and hard about creating a new and interesting web site. Eureka! Considering that I was already podcasting, I came up with an idea to create a podcast of interviews. The goal was simple: Secure some of the best names in business and technology to quickly expand the brand of the podcast. I did just that. Within three weeks, I was landing great interviews with executives at Southwest Airlines, Digium, and other companies. For the first time, I realized my true passion: The Internet. For years, I always thought of ways of connecting with people on a global scale. I found that in podcasting and blogging.
Thus, after 10 months of hard work, my efforts online have finally paid off: Today, Google’s AdSense network deposited their first payment to my bank! To say I’m excited is an understatement. This is a moment to celebrate. I joined the AdSense network in May 2005. I figured, “Someday, I’ll monetize this powerful platform.” At the time, I really didn’t have anything of “value” — just my web site and a mediocre blog. So, I started getting creative. Adding new and interesting content and pages, and expanding the presence of my pages via Google and other online resources.
The bulk of my earnings to date started earlier this year, after launching Interviews and an improved blog. I became addicted to stats and learning the behavior of my visitors. I re-worked ad placements several times to gauge their effectiveness. After feeling content with my ad placements, I started making money.
I feel liberated today. It’s a great feeling.
So, many thanks to Google, and the thousands of visitors to my web site, podcast, and blog. You’ve validated my hopes, visions, and dreams. You are my true supporters, because all year long, I felt alone, isolated, and discouraged. I believed no one — not even my own family and friends — understood the passion and potential impact of the work I was doing behind closed doors.
This first payment, regardless of its amount, is priceless to me. I’ll celebrate by treating myself to a nice dinner at Cracker Barrel. It’s well deserved.
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