My Thoughts on Lazy People
If you follow my blog regularly, you know that most of my posts are of the tutorial and marketing variety.
I rarely create posts solely on my personal thoughts, or use this blog as a place to vent.
Well today, my friends, is different.
I have to be careful with my words because I certainly don’t want to come across as condescending or arrogant — that is NOT my intention, so I apologize in advance if you get that vibe.
However, I really need to get something off my chest regarding the emails I receive from lazy people. This topic has caused me to do a lot of thinking lately. (Yes, the picture above is me… thinking). 
First of all, let me just state that I absolutely LOVE helping people. In fact, it’s a big reason why I’m able to make a comfortable living online to this day.
I enjoy giving advice to people who are making a valiant effort at affiliate marketing and creating a website or blog. I can relate to what you’re going through because I have been there before.
I am a firm believer in paying it forward, and I know for certain if you go out of your way to help others, it will come back to you tenfold. My income is a great example of that.
Here Comes “The But”
What I don’t like or respect is people who expect to get something out here for nothing. And when I say nothing, I’m not necessarily talking about money. I’m talking about hard work, dedication, and taking the time to L-E-A-R-N.
So what sparked this blog post, you ask?
I received an email from a gentleman who claimed he wanted to make a full-time living online with a website, but wanted me to suggest the fastest method that would allow him to do as little work as possible (especially when it comes to creating his website.) According to him, he just didn’t have time to sit and learn how to build a website.
Yes. Those were his exact words. I am not paraphrasing.
Do you see anything wrong with that question? Since when does making a full-time living online and doing as little work as possible go together?
As if to suggest there is a way to make a lot of money online without doing much. It’s that ridiculous get-rich-quick mentality that plagues the Web.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Of course there are ways to make money online without building your own website. There’s PPC marketing with affiliate programs, MLM companies that provide you with a website, and the list continues.
Although I should add that even if you do take those routes, you STILL have to work hard at promoting your business.
However, I didn’t get the feeling that this guy was asking about such methods. I hate to say it, but he just seemed flat out lazy to me.
And I probably wouldn’t have blogged about this email if this was the first or second one I’ve received. I receive multiple emails like this on a consistent basis.
It truly baffles me.
The Facts
Let me make one thing very clear. When I started this 10 years ago, I never had one single web design or programming class. I had never created a website before, had no mentor/consultant, and no formal training in marketing or writing.
The only Internet skills I had were browsing and sending email.
And because of my novice status, I made a lot of mistakes. Tons of them. Several of my sites failed. My income went up and down like a yo-yo the first few years, and sometimes I even doubted that I was ever going to earn enough to comfortably quit my 9 to 5.
I was no coding/programming genius (nor did I have a real interest in becoming one) and would often get frustrated when I couldn’t figure out something.
There were weeks where I would spend 20 to 30 hours on my websites in addition to the 40 hours a week I put in at my full-time job. That meant a lot of weekend work and late, late nights… even during the weekdays.
But I knew, if I wanted to be my own boss and have a successful business, I was going to have to get out of my comfort zone, work hard and continue to learn new things.
To this day, I STILL don’t care much for coding, but took the time to learn enough to develop a presentable website. So for those of you assuming you cannot succeed because you have no background in computers or web design, let me be your example and say…
You CAN do this, but you have to sacrifice SOMEthing. And if you aren’t willing to put in hard work, learn something new, get out of your comfort zone and invest the time, then this might not be for you.
And let me say that I truly understand the not-enough-time issue. Many people simply don’t have the time they’d like to devote to this. But I will say, if you are committed to making this work and really enjoy the ride, you always find the time.
Lisa’s disclaimer: I’m not by any means suggesting people who don’t have time are lazy. This is a separate point. I brought it up because I know the time involvement is a big issue for a lot of you.
To Sum it Up…
I’ll say it again…
I LOVE helping people, especially when I see they are trying very hard to learn. But I have no respect or tolerance for people looking to get something for nothing. It’s not the way the business world works whether you’re online or off.
OK, I’ll get off my soapbox now. 
Thanks for letting me vent.
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Hi, My name is Lisa and I'm a full-time affiliate marketer who has been blessed enough to earn a living online since 2006. 
Hi, my name is Lisa Irby and I'm the owner of 
Hi Lisa, I can understand your frustration towards people who want money but not willing to work for it. I met plenty of them in the MLM / Networking business !
There are many kind of people in this world and you cannot possibly please everyone neither can you expect people to reciprocate when you have help them so much. Different people do things with different agenda.
Just take a deep breathe and let go of your frustration, forget about those negative people, its just not worth it !
My answer to such people is : GO AND GET A LOTTERY ! MAYBE THEY MIGHT JUST BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO BECOME RICH OVERNIGHT !
Cheers ! and have a wondering weeks ahead.
William
Lisa I get the same questions on my blog, my ex-boss told me many years ago, there are no secrets to making money just hard work
Hi Lisa,
Thomas Edison said, “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Sadly, today’s society has created an entitlement mentality that feeds the lazy person’s thoughts to the point where they truly believe they can become rich without doing the hard work necessary to get there. Laziness by business people is something I have fought against for decades while trying to help businesses improve. Unfortunately, I fear it is something that will be with us forever.
So, don’t apologize about the rant—more of us should speak out about such things. Your blog is one of the few I subscribe to, because I enjoy your common sense approach. It is also obvious that you got where you’re at through a lot of hard work. Keep it up and keep us inspired.
Bob Foster
hello lisa
I have been visiting your website for about three months now. Im looking to start one of my own,but dont have the nerve yet. however, i will continue to read and learn until that moment comes. I really dig your style. You are so right about these people who want a quick fix to their laziness. I hope they stay out of the way and not give a bad taste to the good work of internet success for those who are willing to do the work. Im just learning to use the internet and I believe that i too can create the kind of success I want. Im so thankful for the honest and hard working people like you. you are an insperation to me.
Hi Lisa,
Neat site, I just came across it the other day, and it’s had some good info.
While I agree that laziness is a bad thing, I think there’s a great value to be gained from asking the question “What is the fastest and easiest way to make money?” I think that within certain parameters, it makes sense.
First, let me say that you have to do something you love. Making money doing something you hate is never easy, no matter how little ‘work’ is involved. So, the second question answers itself.
Next, you have to think deeply about what you love and what is the most profitable (or potentially profitable) aspect of the thing you love. That is the “Fastest” way to make money, doing what you love.
I’ve been involved with businesses that made good money, but were truly ‘work’ in the sense that I hated almost every minute.
I’ve also been involved with businesses that may have made less money but were far easier, in that they were intrinsically rewarding. Thinking deeply about the business (80/20 analysis, getting rid of extraneous things that didn’t generate good business, eliminating clients that I didn’t like working with) have made the money come in faster.
So, in sum, fast and easy should be the goal of anyone in business. Why would you want a business that is hard work and generates slow money?
Having said all that, I think most people are ‘lazy’ only in the sense that they have reservations about investing time into something that may fail or be unenjoyable. They should take that reluctance as an indicator that they need to think hard about the business they want to do. If they would do it for free or cheap, that’s a good sign it’ll be easy (in that it’ll be rewarding.) And getting motivated to do something you love is a heck of a lot easier than getting motivated to do something you hate, no matter how great the material rewards.
Excellent post, John.
oh lisa
you are so cute thinking !
i am definitely a lazy person, very lazy actually. but at least i dont bug others to make it easy for me lol !
sometime maybe i will have the way to make a web site and earn money online.
but until then.. happy laziness lol ! ! ! !
Lisa,
I recently found your website and I wanted to thank you. I’ve yet to get through all of your information but what I’ve read I like and makes sense.
Go ahead and vent!
it’s good for you. Yes there will be those who want something for nothing – they will always be lurking. But the rest of us are just trying to ‘make it work’ for us.
Keep up the great work!
Katrina
Your posts just keep getting better and better!
I for one refuse to be a lazy bum(although I have been guilty of procrastination which I’m sure all successful people have gone through lol).
I have one question. What do you mean be “getting out of your comfort zone(I think I understand. I just want to make sure)?
Thanks RJ,
I was referring to the many people who tell me they hate computers and/or have never been good with them so they use that to prevent them from trying or moving forward. They put themselves in this “box of fear” and never step out of it.
Oh O.K. thanks.
Lisa, thanks for sharing about the effort that it takes to be a success online.
About six months ago you simply encouraged me in a Website Babble Forum post to not quit that eventually there is a pay out for my efforts.
I have since moved from making $30 dollars per month to my combined earnings for last month were close to $500.
Like you I started with no knowledge of building a website or Internet marketing. I have invested many hours in learning.
Thank you for your honesty and encouragement.
All the best, Jordy
I agree with what you say about lazy people. They have motivation (primarily greed) just not the desire to learn.
This is different than my problem. I’m a “digital artist” whatever that really means anymore. Primarily I work with 3-D. Every job I look at requires me to pick up one or two extra programs just to be considered.
After doing some graphic design work, I’m delving into web-design now. The difficulty is programs like Dreamweaver aren’t developed with artists in mind. They’re programmer’s programs, not designer’s programs. I’ve tinkered with iWeb, which is a wonderful program because it allows you to drag and drop elements in a page. Unfortunately it doesn’t allow for much of the sophisticated elements we’re so used to seeing on the web, so sites can seem quite bare and over-simple.
But attacking a program like Dreamweaver, and putting a question in a forum invariably leads me to an answer full of code and the recommendation that I’ve “gotta learn the code”. Why? Why not create a user-friendly program? It isn’t laziness to say, after a typical 12-hour day and tutorials in two other programs, that I just want to find out which buttons inside Dreamweaver will let me do something.
Yes, my situation is different from the lazy person’s up there. But these programs should be more user-friendly. When I was learning to paint, no one told me I should learn how to write code, or even build an easel and brush. Leave the code to the programmers, who write programs, and let the artists and designers free up their time to create.
Thanks for your great blog.
Hi Lisa,
I’m glad to come across your site and check out your blog. I was actually looking for an HTML coding guide and to tell you the truth I find your site very accommodating and helpful. I’ve been struggling for many months looking for a complete basic HTML coding guide to improve the layout of my site until I found yours. I certainly agree with you that there’s no secret way of becoming successful on our field of work except creative thinking and hard work…hard work….hard work and still hard work. No shortcuts, magic and other way around except HARD WORK! Cheers for all the workaholics!
Hi Lisa,
I joined your site because I immediately saw the helpful environment. I’m a consultant by day, and tend to be helpful, just a part of my personality. I’ve found the downside to helpfulness is that it attracts moochers, leechers, users, exploiters, and yes, like you talked about – lazies. Those folk are relentless in trying to get something for nothing. They want to complain to you, and then you’re supposed to be off & running, coming up with solutions. When you look back, guess what – they’re “sitting there” with their legs crossed, looking at you while you do ALL the work!
So spotting them up front (or as soon as it’s noticed they’re not willing to do what they can for themselves) and clearly communicating that they’ll have to do their part, if they want help, works best for me. I kind of went into “advising” mode – didn’t mean to, but I can definitely relate to your post!
Michele
Sometimes, you have to realize that you cant do it all too. My first site was a DIY one and it was HORRIBLE. Staying up until 2:00AM when I have to get up to go to work at 6:00AM is not a good idea (for me), especially when I have to drive. I eventually had to hire someone and invest a couple hundred dollars just to have a site that’s usable or I probably would have spent the next 6 months with HTML and CSS books in hand crying my eyes out from exhaustion and still have an ugly, useless site. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and spend some money.
Hi Lisa,
I completely agree with you- it is amazing how prevalent laziness is.
Still working a full time J.O.B. where I see only about 20% (if that) of people giving it their all, I have come to the realization that you are always going to have the go-getters and the no-getters in life.
It is the go-getters like yourself (and like I believe I am) that will continue pushing forward against all odds to get where they want to go.
It is the no-getters who will blame everyone but themselves while they continue to sit on the couch doing nothing.
Feel free to vent more frequently- hopefully it was an eyeopener for some!
Jen
Hi Lisa,
How are you? Ummm, I just would like to say that maybe the lazy people are one of the main reasons hard workers get the credit, if everybody was a hard worker then there would be no famous people and no experts because we all would be the same.
The point is don’t be mad at lazy guys just try to energize them.
see ya!!
You go girl! People of the same vibe flock together and I feel your vibe. While I do feel a certain sense of pity for the “do nothings” of the world, I am never surprised at the number of humanity who have somehow managed to fall under the illusion that money comes from nothing and the chicks are free. Dig it. I’m a fifty three year old Disabled American Veteran (Navy). And, yes, I sailed the seven seas. I’m a reformed card carrying member of the 60′s and 70′s Free Love and Drug Culture Country Club who was raised on do nothing, expect everything and do it now. It took me thirty years to realize there are some sick bastards in the world because I was one of them. But I’ve been on the mend for the past decade or so. There must be hope for the remaining population that suffers the delusion that lazy pays off. The only thing some of your inquirers probably need is a swift boot of reality up their dead beat ass and nothing shakes a dead beat man’s ass like a woman who is well put together. Most of them won’t like you, but the ones who are worth saving will get busy. Keep on truckin’ and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
P.S. E-Mail me sometime. I think we have a lot in common. Rob.
Oh, by the way, I’m a Libra but don’t hold that against me.
Hi Lisa,
I just read your article about lazy people. I agree with you 100%. First of all I wanted to say that your website “2 create a website” is my internet bible. Everything I want to know is somewhere in that site. It is in my favorites and I refer to it very often. Please never stop. I would be lost.
I’m a lot like you, I LOVE to help other people. I have been searching the internet for several years and have found much frustration. I find so many sites that offer more than they can give and a lot that only make the art of making money more confusing. It actually makes me mad that people don’t take the time to explain their offers in an easy concept so that a new person can figure out what it is that they are supposed to do.
My passion is pretty much the same as yours. I want to open the eyes of those who want to try their hand and help them to see which way to go. I know that nothing worth keeping or doing is going to be easy and there is no such thing as get rich quick. If there were, there would be no challenge.
I have tried and tried to do what I believe so strongly in but I just never seem to understand all the in’s and out’s. As long asw I have your site to reference I can look forward to the day when I will be able to be of as much help to others as you are.
Thanks for letting me vent and keep working.
Your number ONE admirer Len
Lisa, Congratulations on your success. I originally found you on YouTube. I think I was searching for Adsense tips or something. I have been designing websites for almost ten years. I have only been doing affiliate marketing since May of this year. I have mastered many programming languages and can set websites up with the greatest of ease, but now I am learning how to write effectively and putting in the time I KNOW I need to put in.
I had great success building sites for other people, but wanted to figure out how to earn passive income. I have had many “followers” since I began working on website development and they always inferred that what I did was easy and they wanted to know how they could “easily” do the same thing. I started out doing it with a full time job and married with 2 kids. I had to work on my “web stuff” in the middle of the night and sometimes pulling all-nighters to finish projects or to just LEARN!
My response to the same type of “lazy” people is, “There is no easy way! It takes a long time and a lot of patience.”
It’s just like anything else. Stuff just takes time and dedication.
I’m so proud of you for sticking with your niche for as long as you have. It definitely sounds like it has paid off for you. Since May, I have released about 15 different sites that incorporate Adsense, the Ebay Partner Network, Wild West Domains, Clickbank, and some Commission Junction. I have earned a little over $1000.00, but I am starting to realize that if I don’t stick with a niche and really focus, I’ll never truly succeed. Sadly, I think I’m following into the “lazy” category. I keep chasing different ideas and starting new things.
I decided to stick with what I know best and that is building websites and blogs. That is how I created the “Fire Your Website Designer” brand.
So, I agree with what you are saying. This stuff is hard. It’s hard like anything else anyone could ever decide to do. I read on Steve Pavlina’s site that 1 out of every 100 people succeed at this stuff.
I think he’s right.
Keep up the great work!
Hey girl… Don’t you dare let this dude upset you… As I have mentioned a few times, I been doing this for approx 5 years, but have not made much money.
I to, have put in a lot of work, so I know the frustration. There have been plenty of times when I have wanted to give up. However, I kept going and now things are finally starting to look better.
It is no-where near your income, but I am actually making money. Each month it gets a little bit better. my wife and I have just rolled out a new site “The Savvy Woman” it hasn’t even been indexed by the search engines yet (5 days old).
A lot of my recent success I owe to reading the posts on your sites…
Thanks for the help,
Johnny
http://www.the-savvy-woman.com
http://www.collegetidbits.com
http://www.johnzpchut.com
There is no such thing as a free lunch!
It always seems that everyone else has it easy, but it only SEEMS that way.
It is always the UNSEEN that people discount, all the effort and hard work invested by an individual excelling it at something, while the weak and lazy put their faith in fate. Your future is yours to create, so get off your as and create it!
Good onya Lisa
Sorry, but I had to laugh at your post…Being an old construction guy, I had to sympathize with your thoughts.
The construction industry is frought with guys…(and now gals) that want the income, but not the hard work. My dad owned a construcution company for years. We ran three crews. I can recall several years, where we went throu 30 or more guys.
All of them wanted to start out at $10.00 an hour-(In my day that was great wage for a top guy)! However in the end, what they really wanted was an 8-5 job with an hour for lunch, three breaks and weekends off, and paid on Friday,s.
If anyone knows the const. bus, that ain’t so. Seven to start, 12 hour days or longer, two 10 minute breaks, usually work Saturday and an occasional Sunday if the job had to get done.
More often than not, they would last a week or two, then come by and demand a paycheck. Same with website design. It’s hardwork and you need to learn a few things first.
Lisa, you need to deal with these guys as we dealt with ours. If your here for a quick paycheck find another line of work…or another place to goof off!
Hi Lisa,
Well, i totally agree with u. We wont get to taste the sweetness of success without tasting bitterness. And i always believe anything is possible with a willing heart. Lazy people wont get too far, nor will they be successful..
Well i understand your frustration over the people who dont want to do anything themselves rather they keep on waiting for someone else to come and do their work for them. I had a somewhat similar anger attack which i vented out in the following small post:
http://mukalma.blogspot.com/2009/02/waiting-for-super-hero.html
So great to discover your site and blog today, view your videos and stumble across this post in particular! I’m a fan. I agree with your sentiment here and have definitely experienced the same thing.
In particular I’d like to share with you a recent experience… on a telephone job interview I was asked the question “how many hours a week do you spend on your website and how many on school activities (because I’m also in school completing a masters degree in marketing)”… needless to say I was shocked that it would make a negative impact on the interview if I said I work 40 hours a week, spend 20-30 on my website, blogs, and videos etc, then another 10-15 on school (online and I am a straight A student). I got to thinking after that call (and I did not get the job) I bet they thought I was exaggerating. I am not! I work a lot and like you, started knowing nothing and had to learn, albeit I did learn from some classroom instruction, online instruction in conjunction with coursework but still learning all the same. Everyone has to start somewhere. And as you say, put in the time.
I’m following you on Twitter now too! Rock on.
So great to discover your site and blog today, view your videos and stumble across this post in particular! I’m a fan. I agree with your sentiment here and have definitely experienced the same thing.
In particular I’d like to share with you a recent experience… on a telephone job interview I was asked the question “how many hours a week do you spend on your website and how many on school activities (because I’m also in school completing a masters degree in marketing)”… needless to say I was shocked that it would make a negative impact on the interview if I said I work 40 hours a week, spend 20-30 on my website, blogs, and videos etc, then another 10-15 on school (online and I am a straight A student). I got to thinking after that call (and I did not get the job) I bet they thought I was exaggerating. I am not! I work a lot and like you, started knowing nothing and had to learn, albeit I did learn from some classroom instruction, online instruction in conjunction with coursework but still learning all the same. Everyone has to start somewhere. And as you say, put in the time.
I’m following you on Twitter now too! Rock on.
Lisa,
I just saw your website for the first time. I have a good job that I really LOVE. However, I want to make extra money and going online to do it while at home seems like something that will work for me. I feel I have a lot of wisdom, life experiences, opinions and feedback I can offer to many poeple out on the internet. I am 59 yrs. old. I am not afraid of hard work, and certainly have learned in my 59 yrs. that nothing in this life is free!
I am like you, though, when you started. All I know about the internet is finding other websites, emailing and searching the web for information. I don’t know the first thing about how to post blogs or information I want to get out on the internet and how do I get “members” or how do I get paid for what I am doing on the web? Can you help suggest anything?
Thanks,
DON
I agree with you. Even in our buiness you see it all the time. It is hard work if you want to go places in life. And that is not just in web building.
Accidently found your website while looking for info on how to create a website. I am 78 years old but still going! When I was young, nothing much was expected of women, such as going to work. My dad was from Europe and the old school. He believed that God would provide, saying look at the birds
they do not work – God would do it. Women in his life and also my mom (from the deep south) did not expect anything of me. I never married and worked at an office job 9-5 and not until I reached 40 did I wake up, started investing and now I have over $3 Million. They only good thing my father taught me at an early age was -”save your money”. I am now independent and can stay at home on the couch. But I feel there is a lot more for me to do in this life. So I am looking into all sorts of careers using what I know.
Your column was so insightful and encouraging. I loved it!
More power to you girl!
June
I saw you on You Tube yesterday along with other simular videos and sites. I so far enjoy your content and hope that your success continues. Get Rich Quick IDEAS JUST DONT WORK AND YOU CAN NEVER GET SOMETHING FOR NOTHING. I can say that YOUR WORK so far has given me a new direction in life as I am 2yrs removed from my job which I worked 7yrs at before being “let go” on bogus charges. I saw the link on the first pg for SiteSell which I know about already however I couldnt log on to the link to see you in action with it. Could you possibly email me the video because I would like to really see this first hand if you are offering it to your readers. Thanks for providing the public and net with good content.
Thanks William, the link to the video is
http://www.2createawebsite.com/videos/sbi.html
Lisa,call me crazy but I would like to know the real Lisa thats not so biz. Like what you like doing,whats your favorite drink,you like sports,married/kids? That should be your next blog I know you needed ideas.Continue
I accidentally came upon your website while diligently looking for a way to build an internet home business. I am a school speech pathologist and a counselor, but my passion is art, photography and scrapbooking. In other words, there are a lot of areas I have to work with. I was about to give up because I saw so much useless scammy stuff on the web, I was beginning to believe that there were no legitimate ways to have a successful business and I was becoming very discouraged. Finding your website was an answer to my prayers. I have multiple sclerosis and I am in a wheelchair 50% of my day. It is important to me to continue to contribute to society and remain as financially independent as I can so that I will not be a burden to my children or taxpayers. I have been watching your videos, taking notes, and doing research. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the fact that you have provided me so much knowledge for FREE when there are others on the web willing to charge inexorbitant fees for 10 or 12 pages of garbage. Thank you so much for your generosity and the hard work that you have put in to help others be successful. Perhaps you could link some of those who think it should be easy with some of those who say it is!!! I hope you have an awesome week!!
Great post! I am a lazy person but I haven’t realized it until a few years ago when I started my own business (an internet business, actually). I started it with SBI which you already know and it took me a lot of time (about 2 years) to accept that hard work is the key skill. I also learned a lot from 2createawebsite.
Today my website gets 100K+ visitors per month and I’m planning on developing a new one.
Some time ago, I explained a friend how to develop a popular website and how to make money from it (that’s the part I’m less knowledgeable). He is in a bad financial situation so I even purchased a cheap hosting and domain to let him learn and build his first website.
After all of that, he just wrote a few articles and then said “I won’t continue with this because it is a lot of work”. I was so angry… but I learned that it is not possible to convince a lazy person to work, unless they already want.
And I remembered when I was a lazy person who also wanted everything for nothing. I’m glad I’m over that now.
BTW, I don’t mention my website becuase it is in Spanish (it’s about dogs) and don’t want non-Spanish readers, sorry.
Regards,
Rodrigo
Hi Lisa,
I’m glad you wrote this and I only hope those who sent in the letters are reading this. Alot of people critizise me for the hours I spend online working on my sites. They have no idea the work that is put in when your trying to do it right and not half ass,..I do it to set myself for sucess not failure. People like those will never be sucessful for they dont have the will or determination for hard work.
Hi Lisa,
been through your site with a fine tooth comb and still not finished; it’s so full of very useful information.
Having arrived at your “Wailing Wall” I just had to add some old saying: “Tidy people are only tidy because they are too lazy to look for things”
Some people, I have come across during my 3 generation life span, are so incredibly lazy that they rather die than pull their finger out.
There is a simple underlying attitude: if there is no instant gratification then it is just not worth doing.
Hi ya Lisa
Love your website, came across it by accident about 3 weeks ago while doing a search on google and I am totally hooked. Anyways I hope I can learn a lot from your experiences. No website yet but in the near future I hope to make one, not just sure of the concept yet. I also joined your web forum.
Philip
Lisa,
Just discovered you and find your refreshing honesty remarkable right when I was about ready to throw my Mac Book in the creek out behind my house. I’m an artist woodworker trying to redo my old web site by myself. As you may have heard recently all kinds of artists aren’t doing real well these days. Free or bartering is the working budget. Promises are promises until they are kept. Keep up the great work and I’ll consider my self a new fan and follower.
Lisa,
There is alot of hype around a new web browser named ijango. Supposedly they give you a 1pct commission for using the browser whenever there is a sale. What do you think of it? Do you think its a scam?
They want people to pay a monthly fee of 19.95 to participate in profit sharing. I still am on the fence regarding this venture.
I don’t think I’m lazy, just stupid.
I can work hard physically but I know those days are number if not up already.
I think it could be the mental capacity that people lack, such as me.
why do think you are stupid
Fantastic, well thought out post. Bravo.
Dear Lisa,
I was reading this article and it was like i wrote it. I have a reputable site (travel services) here in Greece and i make a decent living out of it while i am in the progress of expanding to other markets pretty soon.
Many friends of mine ask me the same thing: “What can i do in order to make money by doing nothing like you?”. Most likely they ask me because they never saw me coming back from my 9 to 5 job, jumping into my computer and going to sleep at 3 am. The same scenario kept on going for 20 months, seven days a week until my first paycheck arrived. All this time the only things i had was expenses, lack of sleep and many other stuff that never added anything to my bank account.
In order to be successful i had to fail in my first 3 attempts. Now i still have to work on my site and keep up with it but it takes just a few hours every week.
Great article keep up the good work.
Best regards
Antonis from Athens Greece
At its worst times, its still A LOT BETTER then having a boss you hate looking over your shoulder for 7.5 hrs
Great post, as my name suggests I’m new to blogging (but not so new to online business). Sometimes I get overwhelmed with how much I need to learn , from writing to commenting to marketing to programming(and i could probably break them down to several sub-categories) , but when I get discouraged at the sheer amount of reading and learning I think to myself that if I had started a new job I would be getting at least 2 to 4 weeks of training(probably). And that I must be patient and keep working because I know that if I can keep it up I will be successful and help people at the same time.
.-= Bubblewraped Blogger´s last blog … Click all the way to the bank? or NOT? =-.
hiii i am saroj from india.. i am a student in computer science and engineering (final year)….. i want to know how to earn…
i dont know anything about it… please give me some idea..
i will do hard woK for it…
Lisa, I can’t agree with you more! Lazy people are a waste of time. But it might not be entirely their fault. Look at how technology has made everyone’s life so convenient and easy to manage. Vehicles can park themselves, cell phones are mini computers, software that allow you post to all your social accounts at once, and this list goes on and on.
It is like everything is be handed out on a silver platter, so why can’t someone find a profitable niche, get a few tips from someone successful (Lisa) on how they did it, create a site, quit their job and wait for the money to start rolling in? I’m almost sure that anyone in their right mind knows that this is NOT REALITY. But then again, if someone is saying a $37 eBook or a $2000 conference with a guru is how they gained their instant success. Then it must be true and I can do it too! NOT!!!!!
Now with that said, you are a RARE person because when someone normally speaks about their success, they fail to mention that it took many years (10) and a lot of hard work to get here. If more people would tell their success story and what it really took to get where they are now, I am almost sure that would deter a lot of lazy people that are just looking to have that overnight success.
Love your blogs so keep doing what you are doing.
KP
Lisa – had to comment on your “lazy people” post.
As a granny massage practitioner, I know my hands won’t be strong forever, so I’m wanting to supplement and eventually earn a full-time living from my online writing efforts.
When I think of “lazy”, my dear hubby comes to mind. For all he sees me do and try, it never ceases to amaze me that he STILL carries that “paycheck mentality” around with him like some old friend – even tho he’s been laid off for over 8 mo. now!! Matter of fact, the first thing he asked me when I suggested he start a little office cleaning biz (just in case he doesn’t find work in our area), was “how much do you think i’ll earn from that?”
I was hoping he’d ask me a more pertinent question, such as “Can I read that e-book on office cleaning you downloaded?”
So you’re right to feel the way you do about questions from folks who could invest 5 minutes of their time into THEMSELVES and start learning on their own.
WHEW…we gals can get on those soap boxes, can’t we? lol
.-= Allyson´s last blog … Zemanta ROCKS!! =-.
Hi Lisa
the old saying( help enough others get what they want an you will get what you want) people sometimes take kindness for granted ,To me your so special an it does reflect
as pure light…..
i think you are lazy if you are playing games on the computer all day like world of warcraft but if you work all day it is ok to play on the computer and if you are retired and you are in your in your 30′s,40′s and you retired you are lazy but if you have problem and your if court said you can’t work any ware you are not lazy but if you are in in your 50′s,60′s and you are retired you are not lazy
Hi Lisa,
I found your website, free e-book and this blog today while searching for advice on building a website. Quite honestly, you are the first person on the web who I somehow feel comfortable trusting. It is honorable to “give back” while supporting yourself. You’re doing a great job here and I thank you for that! Your work is of high quality and you should be proud. I realize this doesn’t just “happen”. It takes courage and discipline to achieve great things.
The combination of what most people have written here inspires me to try harder with some of the difficult things in my life. I’ve also noticed the quality of writing skills from most of the people responding here. On some blogs I’m not used to seeing proper punctuation and complete sentences void of misspelled words. What a treat! After all, it really doesn’t take much effort to press down the shift key and make a capital letter, and maybe surprise everyone by throwing in a period at the end of a sentence and checking for spelling errors. How can one expect to be taken seriously while demonstrating the skills of a below average student in the Fourth Grade?
Focusing on quality and distinction could improve the abundance of sloppy and careless work found all over the Web today. If we collectively accept nothing less than the best, others will most likely rise to the challenge. It reminds me of travelling to various parts of the country and noticing all the litter along side the highways in some areas while others are immaculate.
There must be masses of “good” lazy people out there who would be much happier if they would only learn how to motivate themselves and become competitive. They may be followers just looking for a good example, or perhaps worthless vermin breathing precious air. It wouldn’t be fair to speculate.
Do I win the soapbox prize?
Hello Lisa,
First and foremost, thank you for all the great information you provide. I have been struggling for years with how to be my own boss. I chose the Web as my vehicle for success Because of the low overhead and I thought it was something I could do.
I have watched most, if not all of your videos and Have found them very encouraging, they not only inspire me to continue my pursuit for financial independence, they are affirmation that – IT CAN BE DONE.
Once again I thank you and wish you continued success.
Couldn’t agree more. It’s obvious (not for all unfortunately) that you have to do something to get something. You can’t just start earning overnight because you have THAT website..You have to work a lot to get it noticed and to get people, and quick methods are usually..not succesful.
Great articles Lisa
You’ve helped me at some points when it comes to my blog and I wan’t to thank you for that. Keep up the good work, you’re making many people lives better.
.-= Chio´s last blog … Light Painting =-.
Thanks Lisa for a good post. I agree with you on so many people end up buy products and never do anything with them. They work at their online business as a hobby, and if they treat it as a hobby, that’s all it will ever be. They need to treat it as a real business, if they ever want to quit their day job, they need to work hard at their Internet Business.
I have been working at this for a little under a year now, and still not making much money yet, but I have learned so much in this time by taking action. I know I can do it if I keep plugging away at it. I work my day job and always am putting in a few hours every day on my Business. I made a lot of mistakes and learned a lot from them.
I started going to Internet Marketing Events and Meetups and this has helped me so much in the last few months. My best advice is to Network with other Marketers as much as you can.
.-= Thomas Shay´s last blog … New FTC Marketing Rules that will affect Internet Marketers starts Dec. 1st 2009 =-.
Such people are called n00bs in the Internet slang. They expect you do the job for them and they get all the benefits from your hard work.
Hi Lisa!
You’ve been such a great inspiration to me. It’s only recently that I’ve decided to put up my own blog and make a little income from it apart from my full time job. I’m no techie person, but I’ve been spending hours over the internet reading and learning how I can make money from blogging. Because of your site I was able to understand google adsense work! So, thank you. I am an avid reader and fan. I’m glad I came across your website. Cheers to your hardwork!
.-= izzasy´s last blog … Make Money from Blogging =-.
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for all your posts. It gave me a lot of insight on how I could earn online. I have and 8 to 5 job that I enjoy most of the time and I can’t endure some of the time. But what I can’t really endure is that I am well aware that I’m grossly underpaid. But living in a Third World Country with soaring unemployment rate, I should really not complain. Anyway, I came across your site when I was looking for ways to earn on the side. Reading your posts gave me a lot of ideas. I like writing and I currently have a blogspot. And since I’m quite new with the idea of earning online, I was wondering if I could start slow and safe. Is it ok if I just experiment on blogspot first before I put up my own website? Is it possible for me to earn decent amount through Adsense on my blogspot?
Thanks again Lisa. I know you have inspired a lot of people though this site. Have a nice day.
Lisa you are absolutely right. The harder you put in – the more you get out. I have a full time job and a full time business and I enjoy it both.
Hi Lisa,
I noticed that you’re on the first page of Google for many “Adsense” related keyphrases. Well done, now I see where all your traffic comes from!
Just a question – what do you actively do to stay ahead of your competitors? After all, what’s to stop someone with better SEO knowledge from coming in a stealing a large chunk of your well-earned pie? This, for me, is a real threat in the online world, especially when one-woman/man-bands go up against big corporate fish with media teams. Lucky for you it hasn’t happened yet, I’ve got three piranha websites in my pond!
Anyway, great site, love your style, have fun!
Daniel
That is why voluntary inbound links are much more valuable than someone just trying to figure SEO out. Anyone can tweak a page with their SEO knowledge but you can’t fake inbound links from quality websites. That’s what affects my rankings more than anything. Back in the day it was all about on-page SEO, now it’s all about popularity. Which is good because it’s harder to trick/fake.
Hey Lisa you are such an inspiration for so many of us that I do not know if you understand the knowledge and encouragement you have all ready given to so many! My website websiteinfordummies.com is an idea I got from learning through you and so many others to step out and become a student so to speak of what it is you want to accomplish! I also just finished writing my first book and I hope to send you an autographed copy if you would send me your p.o. box! Good work and continue to straighted out those who want something for nothing. Can’t wait to finish making the website so you can see it and even critic it! Well God bless and prosperity to you and yours! Cheers!
I came across your video on yutube looking for something else. My first thought of making money one line was in 1996 when i got my first compute. What is the first thing i should do to get started
Start with reading my free book http://www.theperfectsiteguide.com
I would like to add something to this topic- mind you, not that anything you’ve written needs it from a neophyte such as myself!
I would simply like to add that it’s important to have as much of a foundation as possible when starting this. I am still in my research-and-learn phase. I have had a TON of ideas, and have gone back to the drawing board several times. I really don’t currently have the funds to do much of anything right now- yes, even that $30 a month SBI! plan would severely hurt right now.
Therein lies much of my reason for wanting to be financially independent. i grew up poor and never really broke those chains, and I am well into adult hood. So for *some*, likely a great minority, this is fertile breeding ground for the “quick with as little work as possible” mentality. Hey, I need to make something YESTERDAY, feel me? I’ve been dreaming of being financial independence ever since I was a 15 year old foster kid laid up with a broken ankle watching the old Brad Richdale mail order infomercials, and went through every hokey scheme in existence for years before I gave up.
The light is shining bright on the horizon, however. I begin a new job (finally!) that pays a solid wage that will not only help me get back on my feet, but provide me such stability that I don’t have to DEPEND on my site idea to support me as quick as possible. For some, that sort of desperation is the kiss of death when it comes to any business venture, large or small. So my suggestion to everyone who has their heart set on this, is to make sure you have some kind of foundation under you first. Desperation can lead to panic, which can easily lead to hopelessness and depression- which can often lead to an emotional inability to really put forth your best effort because you don’t even believe it will pay off.
So that’s all I wanted to offer, sorry for the long post….. I just know with my situation, I am a good two months away from getting started (before I have that foundation settled) but I am utilizing that time to research all my potential topic ideas and begin developing my content beforehand. Good luck and best wishes to everyone trying to get theirs.
Lisa, by the way, a thousand blessings to you and yours sister. You truly are a force for good things and I pray that your cup runs over tenfold-from it’s current position.
Great post. I hate that get-rich-quick mentality too. What amazes me is that people sell ebooks and courses about making money and can’t even make money themselves or don’t offer anything of real value.
Your website is the best I ever found about your subject. I always find useful info here. Great work.
All the best. You deserve your success.
.-= nobi´s last blog … Bicycle News =-.
The first thing you need to do when starting an online objective to set a REALISTIC goal. This might be, to achieve an income that pays all your household bills within 1-2 years (depending on your lifestyle and mortgage commitments!). Or it might be to earn a full-time salary within 2-3 years. Sure, it CAN happen quicker, and there’s no reason not to be optimistic, but the biggest stumbling block in this game is too much optimism and not enough realism. It takes time to build a proper website, with a serious business plan, and it takes even more time, sometimes years, before you’ll see serious financial returns. Mr Patience and Mrs Consistency will lead you down the best path…
Hard work = Success.
Hey Lisa,
Great post.
By the way, if you do have a way of making a full time salary from scratch for just, say four hours work per week, please let me know and I’ll work forty hours a week and make ten full time salaries.
I’ll then take on several full time employees to launch and manage a further bunch of new sites and pocket the enormous margin between their salaries and the site revenues.
I’ll keep doing this until I make, maybe a billion or so, then retire
Hello Liza,
You have a very wonderful site. I really like it and I’m getting so much things in here. I’m starting to learn about blogging and I’m serious too in developing it. Thanks for this site.
There are many lazy people, that people can’t do in his/her life. you doing hard work you always get more and more success in your life..
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Hi Lisa! I’ve been viewing your videos and reading your posts whenever I get some time. I find them very motivational. You’re absolutely right! This is hard work. The key is not to give up. Whenever I need a boost, I visit your site. I’ve seen my blog go from 200 visitors (a day), all the way down to 70 (between 3 blogs). It’s rough. But I refuse to give up. I don’t want to ever go back to work outside of my home. Fortunately, I have a husband that picks up the slack financially. Otherwise, I would not be able to do this. I have an, “it has to work attitude!” I’ve had many sleepless nights working on my blogs. Keep up the good work! Thanks!
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Hey Kim! I just wanted to say hang in there it gets better. But please remember that the life of a new blogger is more like that of a marathon runner than a sprinter. Many of the blogging experts will tell you that it takes from 3-5 years before your blog is financially successful.
A good book to read on blogging is “ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income” by Darren Rowse and Chris Garrett. It has some good tips and is well worth the $16 you will spend on it.
Also, I would appreciate it if you would consider serving as a guest blogger on the following blog: http://www.the-Savvy-Woman.com. It is a website/blog that my wife and I operate. I want to also point you to a newsletter that my wife publishes that comes in handy for stressed out moms. The site URL is http://www.AMotherswit.com.
Finally, keep listening to Lisa, because she’s AMAZING! I brag about her all the time.
Good luck! And Hang in there!
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Yeah I’m SUPER LATE on this one but I have to put my two cents in here…. Lazy people serve a purpose (and that’s not just to motivate non-lazy folks). They are the customer. They are the ones who look for something to buy that will provide them with a “convenient” way of doing something instead of just doing ALL the work themselves. I was reading one of the earlier responses about Dreamweaver not being designed for artists. That might actually be a profitable idea for someone to make a program like Dreamweaver that is more in tune with an artists needs and ideas. Man, why didn’t I learn how to program when I could have… LOL!
Still I agree with your thoughts on this subject and venting through writing is always a good thing… unless it’s a threat note or something. But that’s a topic for some other time. Take care.
There is always someone who wants something for nothing. They want you to do all the work while they take the credit for it. I used to train and show horses for people like that, very seldom got even a pat on the back for a win. It makes you cynical, yes, but you learn that while you deserve the credit, you have to put yourself right up front and say, “I did that”.
Yes, it is annoying to constantly run into these people who want you to provide everything for them while they sit back and wait for the results, but there is NO quick fix, NO instant riches unless you buy lottery tickets, and NO overnight success — not even in show business. The average time for truly big success is (I think) about 7 to 10 years, although with the internet and social networking, it may be taking less time now. Lasting success comes from working hard and loving what you do. The rewards follow.
lol, that picture of you is hilarious! Glad I stumbled across your website 2 days ago! Great reads.
Hi Lisa,
Very profoundly written post in the simpliest form for any person to understand. I totally agree with you that one has to work hard in order to be successful. One famous business philosopher states that “success is not pursued, it is attracted by you becoming an attractive person.” Thanks for your post, very inspiring and motivating.
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While I won’t deny that working hard is extremely useful for doing anything in life.I still can sympathize with people who does things by asking first.Thought if they actually read your stories,they probably shouldn’t post here for these kind of advice on shortcut.Hopefully I’m not offending you with this statement.But I compare you to an average joe that work hard an smartly and eventually thought long-term mistakes and tribulation gain your much deserved success. I hate to tell you this people,but if you actually try some short-term strategy of the era she is at..you would failed badly in this time and age.
Think you for your website..it helps me create my blog..and see you around.