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My Passive Income Obsession, Stalled Website & Word of The Year

Filed Under: Make Money, New 133 Comments

2017 Update

Haaaaaaaapy New Year!!!

Hope you had a fabulous Holiday. Mine was filled with food, family, friends and fun! 🙂

I went on an Internet detox after Thanksgiving and greatly limited the time I spent online in the last month of the year.

It always feels very weird when you first disconnect because you feel like you’re missing out on so much, and I didn’t like not updating my blog for so long.

But I realized I needed it, and after the FOMO (fear of missing out) wears off, you start to welcome the pause.

I had done this before and forgot how great it felt! I need to do this more often.

eLearning Niche Site Update

To put it simply, the project became a headache. 🙁

So what happened?

Two things…

  1. Technical difficulties
  2. Distraction by another passive income source I’ll talk about in a sec

So let’s start with the technical difficulties.

Everything was going smoothly with MemberMouse, which was the plugin I was using to process the payments.

I loved it (once I learned how to use it.)

But MemberMouse is just the payment processor. It doesn’t have anything to do with the display of the course videos in WordPress.

Sure, I could have just embedded the videos into the WordPress pages, but I wanted a user-friendly navigation within the course itself like Udemy, Teachable, etc.

So I installed a premium plugin called WP Couseware. This provides a better interface for the course, a table of contents landing page, etc.

TOC

As I was going through my final rounds of testing, I noticed an ugly code error displayed along the bottom of every page of the course.

I assumed it was WP Courseware because when I disabled the plugin, the error went away.

I contacted them and they could not duplicate the issue. So it probably had something to do with a clash with another plugin installed.

But I didn’t want to disable the other plugins because I needed them.

The bottom line was it made me super nervous about the whole process. What if I had been live and couldn’t resolve the problem? 😮

I didn’t like the feeling of having a broken site and not know how to fix it. Meanwhile the plugin creators are pointing fingers at each other.

Thank goodness all this happened while testing and not after I went live.

That’s the downside of self hosting and using two separate plugins that are not affiliated with one another.

Sure, I know there are other options with WordPress, but going through that made me realize it’s best for me to stick with 3rd party course sites.

I was kind of bummed about the whole thing after being so excited about it last year, but what happened below quickly got me out of my funk. 🙂

My Passive Income Addiction

During all this, I became distracted by T-shirt sales because I started selling designs in different niches.

Last year was a record year, thanks to the 4th quarter, and I want to crush that in 2017.

It began when I started watching different YouTube videos so I could learn how to use the pen tool and draw more cartoon-like designs.

That’s one tool that really really aggravates me, but it’s the key to drawing illustrations in Photoshop or Illustrator because you can draw curves and arcs like you see in the pic below.

So after playing around with it, I started learning how to draw basic characters from scratch. (And I do mean basic!)

My designs improved and so did my passive income in the 4th quarter of last year.

I had a very simple Halloween cartoon design that ended up earning me around $500 in 7 days with absolutely no marketing.

I also had good organic success with Spreadshirt’s marketplace in 2016 selling funny shirts about wine, birthdays, golf, pop culture and more.

Again, there was no marketing or niche site attached to the shirts whatsoever.

A side hobby went from hundreds per month to thousands per month in the last 3 months of 2016.

How crazy that this is possible for someone who has absolutely NO background in design! And trust me when I say I am not anywhere close to being an artist or designer.

But this is why I love the Internet. 🙂 There are so many different opportunities to earn.

So now I’m thinking about how I can scale this even more.

I’m completely obsessed with this model and have been since I discovered it in 2011. Not just because it’s passive, but because it’s so much fun!

[Sigh] And Then There’s Facebook

The one roadblock I have is selling shirts from my Facebook pages.

I have several niche pages (one has over 13,000 likes). I bought the first 2000 likes in the Summer of 2015 ($100), and the remaining 11,000 came organically by posting funny memes.

These pages have an excellent reach and engagement, but I would love to learn how to convert more T-shirt sales.

You may remember me talking about the shirt orders that came in on this podcast, but I haven’t had them roll in that frequently since.

I think a group of people must’ve ordered them for an event because the same design kept selling over and over for a short period of time.

I get that people don’t go on Facebook to shop, but there are still others selling shirts regularly from their pages, and I just haven’t been able to crack the code.

Private Facebook Group, Anyone?

I’m considering starting a private Facebook group for this income model and opening it up to my existing students in my Affiliate, Photoshop and Spreadshirt courses since they are most relevant to this.

The reason I’m considering Facebook is…

  1. That’s where most people are these days
  2. Live streaming is convenient for teaching and Q&A

So if you’d be interested in joining my private group on this let me know below or email me. I think it would be fun!

We could share experiences, triumphs, challenges, Facebook marketing and so many other things.

With all the new P.O.D. stuff happening this year, we’d have a lot to talk about!

I Miss The Community Environment

Unfortunately the malware and spambots got the best of Website Babble, but I miss having the community.

It was a great way to connect with my loyal followers, and I loved the positive vibes going on there.

I want to create that again, but in a more focused / niche way.

I told myself I would never setup an online community again unless there was a strategy behind it.

As great as Website Babble was from a community standpoint, I was never strategic about how I used it. It just hung out there and was quite disconnected from everything else I did.

Years ago I would have never considered Facebook over a self-hosted community, but I cannot ignore the popularity, convenience and live streaming has been a game-changer.

Love it or hate it… Facebook is where people are — especially in the 30-55 yr old demographic.

And with a private group, I wouldn’t have to worry about organic reach like a regular page.

My Word for 2017

I feel like I am the only person who hasn’t announced their “word of the year!”

I actually like that idea rather than a resolution because I never stick to those anyway. 😀

If you haven’t heard, the idea is to create one word that sums up what you want to concentrate on for the upcoming year.

My word is…

FOCUS.

Being your own boss is a blessing and a curse.

It’s a blessing because…

  1. You set the rules
  2. You answer to no one but yourself
  3. You are fully in control of your own destiny.

Ironically, that blessing can be a curse because I have trouble focusing on ONE thing.

I tend to get bored VERY easily with one thing quickly and move on to another. I’ve been that way my whole life.

When I was in Corporate America, I haaaaaaaated having to do the same thing everyday.

The only thing that kept me going was I had a fun group of coworkers, and I looked forward to working on my websites when I got home. 🙂

But because I love so many things about computers and being online, I always end up with 101 things I’m working on at once, and I get distracted so easily!

So if anyone has any tips on what works best for you to stay focused, I’m all eyes! 🙂

Do you keep a to-do list? (I do sometimes, but never stick to it.)

Do you use any kind of app? How do you stay on track and meet your goals?

Hope you have a fabulous and prosperous 2017, and please let me know if you’d be interested in a private T-shirt group!

Comments

  4. The internet detox thing…It can be addictive and lonely working online. Either way you look at it, you’re running your own business in your time and don’t have to worry about dealing direct with people. You make money from AdSense and other affiliate programs. Working online is a virtual hit and miss operation because it is what you make of it.

    Reply

  5. I have been struggling with staying focus for such a long time, there were so many ideas and goals to attempt. Nowadays I try to keep everything simple… but done 😉

    Reply

    • Kara, I know what you mean! I just launched my new site today as a result of the focus and I’m proud to say I kept up with my goal finally. Good for you!

      Reply

  6. If there’s anything that has kept me from progressing, it is putting too many irons in fire at once and wanting to be awesome in a blink.

    Your word of the year is on point!

    Reply

  9. Oh, how I needed to see this! I have only just recently started my own blog, as I had one on WordPress for over a year and was getting some pretty good followers there. I thought I had a niche down pat, but once my page went live, I realized it wasn’t as honed as I thought it had been. So I stalled out big time. I am working now on getting it the way I want it and I think your site will be a HUGE plus! I have signed up and can’t wait to get started reading. Thank you so much for being here and posting all of this. I really appreciate it!

    Reply

  11. I have that exact same problem… I’m always getting distracted by the shiny new thing!! I do have a to-do list as well.. I made one last night, and when I went to find it this morning……… who knows where it went haha. So sorry to hear about the plugin troubles you had with your site.

    Reply

    • LOL So good to know I’m not alone. 🙂 That’s OK. I’m actually glad it didn’t work out. What I’m doing now is much more fun and has spawned a new site. Stay tuned! 🙂

      Reply

  12. Hi Lisa,
    I’ve lost so much focus since the demise of babble.
    Without some kind of community such as a good forum my project completion rates drops off so dramatically…snail pace now which is a shame because I have such a good interesting niche.

    Where did it go and how do I get it back.

    Regards
    Garnish

    Reply

    • Hi Paul, sorry about that but the tech issues, malware and spambots got the best of Babble. And without it being an asset as far as income for my business, there was little motivation to keep it running.

      Reply

  14. Hi Lisa!

    Thanks for the post. I have been struggling with staying focus for many year. I always wanted to do everything online, but i realized that this behavior drains my energy, and i never get anything done. I finally came to the end of myself, and got determined to concentrate on 1 thing, master that thing for about 6 to 12 months, then maybe do other things later.

    This strategy has really helped me. Thanks for mentioning that in your post. Yes, you are right, focus is the key to build a successful business.

    Count me in as well for the Facebook group. I see Facebook group as a smart way to connect with the right people that will help and guide you.

    Reply

  15. I would love to participate in the tee shirt group. My wife and I have just launched a new T Shirt website called TOY BOX COUTURE and need all the help we can get. And I am more than willing to share info as well. Take a look at the site and tell me what you think please.
    https://toyboxcouture.com

    P.S. There are people making millions a year selling T Shirts like this guy I meet Patrick Dilacia and his designs are just fair at best, I just need to crack that code and maybe a group will help.

    Reply

  16. Hi Lisa,

    I’m interested in your private group.

    We use Evernote to stay on track and be more productive. You can sign up for a free account or a Premium, which has more useful features. I’m happy to provide our affiliate link which will give you thirty days of the Premium for free. We started that way and by the third day we signed up for the Premium, it is that good. So let me know.

    Reply

  19. Hi, Lisa!
    It’s been a long time!
    I would love to be in your private FB group – sign me up!

    Gonna have to get moving on the Spreadshirt thing – Soon, like yesterday.

    Hope you’re having a great day!

    Mitch

    Reply

  22. Hi Lisa, happy new year! Honestly I don’t convert some sale using Facebook. In my opinion, people are there just to post their photos and just want to get noticed. Any strategy you would like to share on how to convert my site visitors coming from Facebook into customers?

    Reply

  25. Yes please count me in for the Facebook group, and thanks for all of your efforts which have taught me alot.

    Reply

  26. Hi Lisa!

    Thanks for the post. I have been struggling with staying focus for many year. I always wanted to do everything online, but i realized that this behavior drains my energy, and i never get anything done. I finally came to the end of myself, and got determined to concentrate on 1 thing, master that thing for about 6 to 12 months, then maybe do other things later.

    This strategy has really helped me. Thanks for mentioning that in your post. Yes, you are right, focus is the key to build a successful business.

    Count me in as well for the Facebook group. I see Facebook group as a smart way to connect with the right people that will help and guide you.

    Reply

  28. Interested! And i miss the community of Website Bubble as well. Would be great to connect with people who are enthusiastic about entrepreneurship again.

    Reply

  31. Good Evening—Yes Lisa I’m interested in joining, learning & sharing. Thanks for all you do.
    “Happy New Year” — Word for Year: “Consistency” — In quest for “Focus” 🙂

    Reply

  34. I really like the idea of a Facebook group. Thank god for the FB Groups app because it helps me bypass all the FB noise and just go the groups (I find groups the most helpful part of being on Facebook).

    So yes Lisa, please count me in!!

    PS: I’ve made some more SpreadShirt sales on a fun idea I had about a TV show I watch and the fans totally get the joke. I don’t have a website for the niche or anything but since I’m a fan of the show, I knew that other fans of the show would like the catchphrase and simple image I designed and it’s been my bestseller on SS. Thanks again Lisa! 🙂

    Can’t wait to learn more!

    Reply

  36. Well Lisa,

    massive happy new year to you. Mine has started of to the best start so I hope yours has too.

    Sorry to hear about your membership site, does this mean you will concentrate using Udemy? And since the price change, has your subscriptions to the course declined or risen? Just curious as I was an affiliate with a dog training course that use to do really well for me but since the price was hiked the sales have basically stopped.

    Also, I’m in on the FB group, think it will be very interesting to share ideas, especially with using FB.

    As for focusing….pen paper and daily task list, never lets me down.

    Anyway, happy new year again.

    Reply

    • Interestingly enough my income did not drop that much after the change. That’s due to be me opting out of those too frequent cheap promos that do nothing but discount my courses. It teaches people to wait for discounts and makes pricing confusing. So I opted out of their sitewide promos and that increased my income. So I may have fewer enrollments but I earn more per student. That was more important.

      I’m looking to move to Thinkific. Still need to do some research, but I don’t like how you can’t really email your students as much as you want with Udemy. I need more freedom. Thought about Teachable but too many complaints about customer service has me worried. Not sure yet.

      Reply

  37. WooCommerce has a series of extensions including membership and subscription plugins that might offer what you need. And of course, WooCommerce is now owned by Automattic.

    A local gym contacted me wanting to rebuild their own site so that they can sell periodical memberships, with the members having access to content behind the paywall. The content will be the ability to book gym classes.

    As for the community/forum side of things… isn’t there a WordPress plugin that is popular for this? I’m sure we’ve discussed it before but I forget what the plugin is called.

    Reply

  38. I also keep many irons in the fire! Right now I feel as if I need to add some new logs on these fires! I’ve learned so much in 2016 and I want to keep the momentum moving! So YES! I would love to be a part of your FB group.

    Reply

  39. Hi Lisa,

    Happy New Year! 🙂

    The way I reign in my focus is by segmenting my day into four different phases and then using Pomodoros for each activity that falls within that phase. I just wrote a post about this so feel free to check it out if you’re interested. It’s worked WONDERS for me. I’m so happy I found your blog. Keep on writing these amazing posts! 🙂

    Reply

  40. Hey Lisa! You are SO RIGHT about focus! I’ve spent too many years trying to do too many things! As you know, my obsession right now is POD products too, and for the first time, I’m focusing on ONLY THAT. It feels wonderful to not be stretched so thin, even though all the things I was doing I enjoyed.

    I am interested in your FB group although I don’t qualify since I’m not a student of yours. At least not officially! I’ve learned a ton from you about various online ventures over the years.

    Anyway, I wish you the best and am looking forward to hearing how 2017 goes for you!

    Reply

    • That’s really what I want to hone in on this year. I’ve learned how to do so many things in the last year and I want to keep designing and teach others what I know. Who knows? Maybe that will be my niche! Great to see you here. We go waaaaaay back in IM history. LOL

      Reply

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