Pat Flynn has an inspiring story that you must listen to if you are like many people around the world who recently lost their job and want to transition to making an income online from your own business.
Pat lost his job as an architect and decided to start an Internet business. His blog was originally set up as a website to store his notes while studying a special type of architecture qualification called the LEED exam. The blog started receiving lots of traffic because of his LEED notes. Some of Pat’s readers emailed him and suggested he create a book on how to pass the exam, which he did simply by compiling his blog posts together in a sequence.
Pat published his ebook and made $8,000 in his first month. After just one year of running his online business, he has made $203,219.04, as reported in his Annual Passive Income Report.
In this interview with Pat, you will hear him break down his entire story, including how he set up his blog, how he created his e-book and sells it online. If you don’t think your life can change in just a few short months thanks to the Internet, this interview will change your mind. Enjoy!
Show Notes
- How Pat lost his job as an architecture during the economic downturn and started a blog
- What topic Pat wrote about on his blog that skyrocketed his traffic and led to making his first product
- How Pat was able to make $8,000 in his first month selling his ebook
- Pat explains how he managed his business from his iphone while in Hawaii, making $9,000 a week
- A step-by-step breakdown of how Pat started his blog, wrote his ebook by combining his blog posts, and then started selling it from his blog
- How Pat created a simple sales page and what shopping cart service he uses to sell his ebook
- Why Pat believes he is successful selling his first ebook online and others fail
- How Pat gets targeted traffic to his blog, mostly for free from Google
- Pat explains what elements of his sales page he tests using Google Optimizer
Relevant Links
Enjoy the podcast,
Yaro
[ Download MP3 | iTunes | Soundcloud | Raw RSS ]
Pat also shares his experience and growth in his blog. Besides selling eBook, he is also working on several other products at same time, e.g. how to outsource iphone app completely, worth a read. I’ve subscribe to his RSS. Definitely can learn many things from Pat.
Thank you Yaro for giving him exposure. I wouldn’t find his blog if you didn’t mention on Twitter.
Where are his other products you mentioned (ebook, etc.)?
I would be very interested to take a look at those but did not find a link.
It really is such an inspiring post. I’d been reading his blog for a while, but I didn’t quite realise how much he’d achieved until I read that – so I highly recommend others read it too!
Cool Read!
But… did i miss the link to his blog in your post or have you forgotten it? I would like to visit his blog(s). I know, a quick Google search gives me the answer. But i’d really appreciate a link to his work in your blog post.
Anyway, great as always and very inspiring/motivating.
He definetly ‘chose’ a cool niche. 😀
Check the resources links Sebastian…
Wow.. Another inspiring article, i love that. Actually, since i read the same story from Alborz Fallah and Jon Gales, this kind of article is my favourite one Yaro. Recently, i am still study in college and hopefully, in 1 more year, i will graduate from this damn university, but i am not thinking to do a job because i have plan with my internet business and i hope this plan works out. So, thanks Yaro for this great podcast.
Daniel Likin
This sounds like a very inspiring story. If he hadn’t lost his job, he probably would have never had this kind of success. Combining articles into an ebook is a great idea. In fact, I may have to steal that idea and try that myself.
At a time when so many people are losing their corporate jobs and watching their retirement savings disappear, it is very inspiring to read about someone who is creating his own financial security. Thank you for the information!
Have not yet listened to this, will probably download it so I can listen on the train tommorow. However from the notes you have written I can tell it must be a very inspirational interview!
Shane: I wanted to do the same thing, but the download came up as a quick time player. Not sure how to get it to my IPOD. Can you enlighten me?
Very inspirational post and audio, Yaro. It’s always great to see individuals rising above difficult circumstances to make something really happen online. It’s just more proof that effort and commitment and the essential ingredients. Thanks for sharing!
Jason Clegg
Good efforts Pat Flynn. May you prosper forever for coming out and alerting people about how possible it is to generate passive income through being creative.
You know what is really poignant with this story? The fact that Pat has created a blogging income from a niche in his own field of architecture, and NOT from blogging about blogging.
So, the lesson here is that we all have expertise in one thing or another, and we need to discover that niche!
I think we can get too anxious about whether we will succeed with blogging. I think we need to let things happen accidentally, if you know what I mean.
A timely and inspiring story. In these harsh economic times of downsizing and layoffs, it’s easy to get discouraged about setting up a website or blog. Pat’s story illustrateS the triumph of one man’s determination over his situation. It’s impressive and there’s so much we can learn from Pat’s experience. Thank you for bringing him to our attention, Yaro. I have downloaded the interview and look forward to learning a lot from it.
Pat’s story is great, but i would be concerned about it being a flash in the pan, it sounds like he is leveraging his success to avoid this.
Right !!What an excellent and motivating story! Ironically, I used to write on LEED topics when working for the National Insulation Association. Now, I am more interested in the eBook aspect of this article, and this profile is an excelelnt example of how knowledge of a niche topic can be monetized through the power of the internet, coupled with hard work. My own eBook has been sellign very well, but not that well! Thanks for the tips to help me take it to the next level.
Life can be perverse. I actually lost my job a few months ago and started making money online. Although I don’t earn that much yet;) Anyway, sometimes it is better to try something else… take me for example… I used to be a teacher and I got bored with that. I’ve been trying so many different things since then, but making money online suits me best I think. Good luck Pat!;)
Yes it is amazing how life turns out sometimes. What may seem like a disaster can end up being the best thing to happen to you. It just depends on how you roll with the punches. Starting an online business as a result of losing a job isn’t the optimal situation though. Ideally you would be able to start it up while still working a daytime job. That way there is not the sudden risk of going into debt if it doesn’t succeed right away.
Hey everyone! I just wanted to say thank you so much for your kind words and support. It was an honor to be interviewed by one of my heroes, Yaro, whose advice and success had inspired me on my own journey.
I wish you all nothing less than success! Cheers everyone!
Another internet success story, and it is not based on teaching people how to make money online! What I find particularly appealing about the ebook process is that getting your work published is not the exclusive domain of a certain click of people any more.
Somebody suggested Pat writes a book about passing the LEED program, and he did exactly that. Now in the old days it would have been difficult to get this work out there, but that is not the case any more, and look at the success he’s had with publishing his knowledge.
This is really inspiring. I have a fiction blog/website where I post small bits of a larger work, maybe I should sell the finished product instead of putting it all up for free.
I’ve also been told by a friend that I should use my best posts on my spiritual site and create a devotional type book.
You have really gotten the ideas and motivation flowing for me!
Really good stuff!! I have been visting your site now for a couple of weeks. I am totally impressed with the quality of content, and have become a fan. I am currently in the in the mist of my own transition and this interview really truely inspired me to tears!!! I rarely make comments, but I had to comment after listening to the podcast, for the interview was very informative. Continue opening up our minds to the many possibilities that our out there and keep bringing the valued content!! Really Awesome!!!!! Cheers to you Yaro!!!!
Hey Yaro, thank you very much for sharing this amazing internet success story about Pat Flynn. It is truly inspiring story for emerging internet marketers like me. I have downloaded the Mp3 file and listened to it. The interview is very awesome and inspiring. After listening to his interview I made him as my role model to become successful internet marketer like him.
Incredible story that reinforces Yaro’s assertion we should first focus on delivering value to someone. Income will flow as a byproduct of rendering meaningful products, services, or information.
OpenOffice is free and has an “export to pdf” built in. And when you use OpenOffice, the links will WORK!
Roger.
Cool interview as per usual Yaro… I can’t wait to get a proper Internet connection here in Oz… I need to get back into your podcasts without worrying about the download limit on my connection!!!
Hey Great interview Yaro,
Thanks Yaro and Pat. Very inspiring story and if you have spent any time on-line the “E-Book” is the oldest trick in the book – KISS (keep it simple stupid)
1. Pat Found a Niche that was unfulfilled and he filled it – fast!
2. Like Yaro he gives away heaps of content without shoving a sales process down you throat – sometimes the good guys win!
3. His price is low so purchasing it if your studying LEED is no-brainer!
See you in MM Yaro
Nice story, a little too hard to believe however. I wish it was true.
Am almost in tears as I read this. I’m up at 12:41AM finishing up some work on a client’s website (I have a small company installing WordPress, customizing the themes, and installing and setting up plugins). It’s not rocket science, but most people are scared to do it. I work mostly for non-profits, too, and they certainly don’t have the money to pay a REAL design firm to design sites that do all that WordPress do.
The REASON I’m almost in tears, is that I know I should be writing an e-book and blog on HOW to do that, rather than doing it myself. I get frustrated when I first talk with a non-profit or small business who has paid thousands of dollars for their old site, and they can’t update it themselves (blah, blah, blah…insert benefits of WordPress here).
I can’t make sites for all the organizations who need it – and they can’t afford me. But I can teach them how to do it.
Angie! I would love to have someone teach me how to do wordpress sites! I would be your first customer if you wrote something like this, in step by step format too! Maybe a checklist included as well!
You should totally go for it!
Contact me!
Kristina
Thank you so much Yaro for exposing us to Pat. I went over and checked out his blog and he has really great content. I can truly learn from him and his experiences. Again, many, many thank you’s. I’m downloading it again so that I may take a closer listen 🙂
I’ve gotta hand it to Flynn, he obviously put a great deal of effort into communicating these things. Objective and informative, refreshing to see, and very much appreciated (though his rocker’s proximity does seem suspect).
Pat Lives here in my town just a couple few miles away. I’ve been meaning to ask him out to coffee sometime. I read his story a while back and was impressed and started doing a few tactics he uses to boost my traffic. which helped immensely. It’s late right now but I look forward to listening to the podcast tomorrow on my walk. This is cool, someone close to me. You’ll be interviewing me soon Yaro, thanks to your program. 🙂
Darkman
What a great interview, what an inspiring story. I possibly face a job loss due to renovation for 3 years. This really got me fired up to start looking for ways to supplement my income. Today it is so hard to find a job, especially one with equal pay. Since searching I’ve been seeing people teaching how to make money selling How to Make Money Online products. Being a beginner I didn’t feel comfortable with this idea with now experience. Pat’s story proved that you can make it without selling How To Make Money Online products. Thank you Pat and Yaro
This is surely one of the most amazing stories that I have ever come across for its serendipitous nature and how a blogger turned an opening into an opportunity of unbelievable magnitude. All good luck to Pat.
Loved the interview, but I’m not seeing the BIG GREEN BUTTON
Thanks again, everybody, for your kind responses. It definitely makes me happy to inspire people because it was definitely the inspiration from other people that helped me get to where I’m at today.
@Woz Design – What can I do to show you that everything I’ve been saying is the truth? It would be a sin to talk about these kinds of things if they weren’t true, especially in an interview on Yaro’s blog where I’m totally exposed.
@Prostate Problems – What do you mean by “rocker’s proximity”?
@Darkman – send me an email and we’ll get some coffee and chat sometime 🙂
G’day Pat,
Woz designs – AMAZING!! I read those negative, pessimistic comments too, wow he mustn’t believe that he can make money on-line – poor old woz designs. I have not made a huge profit on-line yet but I have had $50 000 worth of sales over the past year (physical products- less profit- more costs than e books – dam it! – based on 4 hour work week) totally part time or should I say part part time!
As good as your story is Pat, it is not like you are the first to make a killing from E-Books and hence totally believable. You would know of Daryl and Andrew ( they are close to Yaro) who made K$250 in the first year on-line and now make several million per year from memberships sites and speaking live – I have seen them live.
Having said that, they were making it from several E-Books and each book would sell no where near as much as Perfect Pats killer E-Book!
Another thing to woz designs – look at pats Niche which is a tiny yet significant (as pats bank balance backs up) an off shoot of the trillion dollar global warming/renewable energy/sustainable living market. There a millionaires and billionaires being made from this industry every year and Pat picked up some, yet not to insignificant crumbs!!
Anyway, keep doing what you are doing mate and don’t worry about the dream snatchers, they like their world they way it is, and if that’s the way they want it, that’s they way shall have it! We will send them a post card from Hawaii one day!
Keep up the good work,
AP
AP – you are the man! Thank you for your support and also for the awesome inspiration and proof. It makes me want to do so much more and just “Crush It”. Cheers man! Thanks!
G’Day Pat,
No worries mate, we winner need to stick together. Crush it indeed mate I’m right with you!
Crush it long!
AP
Amazing story. Imagine having lost your job and then you found yourself no need to be employ anymore. A very good post Yaro
Pat, here’s to all the best in your continued success. Hearing how you turned a negative situation into a positive one (with a great income) like you did is so inspiring. I love that you started generating your success even before you knew you were doing it. And the fact that it involves helping other people pass the LEED exam is just too cool. Good karma points earned! I wrote about your “lucking” into a niche that needed filling on my blog, here: http://www.online-business-cookbook.com/find-a-need-and-fill-it
Really inspiring story to listen to, I just absolutely love hearing and listening to success stories, it puts a smile on my face =D
Till then,
Jean
I just love inspirational stories like this- what an amazing success for the first year!
Just goes to show what can be achieved with determination (and talent),
Greatly moved by the story! really inspiring !!!!!!
It is really inspiring.But I think first he really has the professional knowledge of architecture.Then he can know how to pass this exam.After all.I think it is a good example for us all to follow.
Thanks for sharing
Never heard of him before…thanks Yaro for one more motivational tale and a great resource person 🙂
Your Message
Thank you Yaro for this inspirational interview and congratulations to Pat. As a determined ‘baby boomer’ (without a big pension Yaro) I am just about to take the next step up to change my simple blog over to WordPress. I’m on the list for Become a Blogger Premium.
It’s been a steep learning curve and I was away recently so haven’t posted to my blog for longer than usual. Listening to your story Pat has re-ignited my enthusiasm and will keep me pressing on, so thanks very much.
This is a very inspiring story. Usually it’s easy to get discouraged about setting up a website or blog.
Pat’s story shows the example of one man’s determination over his situation.I rarely make comments, but I had to say after listening to the podcast – the interview was very useful. We all have to continue opening up our minds to the many possibilities. It’s inspiring and there’s a lot we can learn from Pat’s experience.
Thank you for bringing him to our attention, Yaro.
I noticed that Pat’s sales page
http://www.greenexamacademy.com/green-associate-exam-walkthrough/?preview_theme=intheleed
is not a standalone page. It is integrated with the rest of this header graphics and sidebard links. Has anybody done any research on whether this approach works better than creating a separate sales page without any side links, etc. that may take the visitor’s attention away from the product?
Hi Ted, I talked to you via email, but I think it would be cool to show everyone else. I actually tested having a standalone sales page, and it underperformed the one I have currently running. I ran three different versions, using Google Optimizer, and for some reason it did not convert. So, I went with what had been working and working quite well ever since. Thanks Ted!
This was great Yaro and it comes at the perfect time for me, as I have a 3 e-books and was wondering how to sell them!
I love how simple he kept it as well. And I love how it was almost by accident!
As always, you find the find the most inspiring people to interview.
Thanks again!
Arlene
Hi Yaro, just love your stuff. I’ve been writing articles and getting good response and more and more traffic to my blog, but as yet no money. Decided to write a report or ebook and had stuff to figure out yet, though I’m half finished my first report. This article was just at the perfect time for me! So helpful and encouraging too! Wow! Thanks so much.
Looking forward to joining your program, once I have created some flow of cash, in the meantime I so appreciate all your wonderful content that you share.
Love you Yaro!
GK
Loved the podcast! I was feeling somewhat frustrated today, that whole cognitive dissonance thing, and then listened to this. Everbody gets to where they want to be eventually some of us get it early, and some of us bang our heads against the wall. It’s awesome, Pat, that you did so well with a very targeted niche. I fall into an entertainment niche so I’m competing against everybody and their mothers in the popularity circuit. It’s quite inspiring to hear your story none-the-less. Cheers to you Pat. And thanks Yaro for having wonderfully motivating people to interview. Cheers.
Another great option for those interested in writing E-books but lack the techinal know-how-Go to Scribd.com. They allow you to set up an account and sell your publishings. Two drawbacks: They keep 20% and you must develop a following first. Think of it as Ebay for writers.
Hi Yaro,
I enjoyed listening to Pat’s success. He’s a true example of making a product out of something He truly enjoyed. He turned around something that could have been
devastating with his loss of employment and made that work for him. He’s a true jewel, someone who inspires. I also thank you Yaro because every thing you send is something for me to learn. Thank you for not being a junk mail junkie. I know that’s why you are so successful.
Thanks again and Be Blessed
Thanks Yaro for letting me know about Pat Flynn success; that’s an increndible story that give us the force to win over difficulties and bad moments of our life.
Achieve success can be difficult, but if you lost work there’s nothing more beautiful than finding a new profession.
Internet Marketing is a great place in which each one can find his personal place to explain something connected to his life.
Thanks Yaro, for the article and thanks also to Pat for his unforgivable story.
Goodbye,
Alessandro Zamboni
Thanks for another great peice of information Yaro. My site is not really a moneymaker, I just want to break even as it is a fledgling fan site for the World Cup in South Africa 2010, but after seeing and hearing about Pat I think I could use this model to actually make some extra income from my current site or even a new one. Good luck to Pat and to yourself, you give a lot, I hope you get it all back X 10!
Hello Pat , i am inspired by your audio , i have recently also started our own blog after watching Yaro’s Videos on Blogging Series… i am hosted at GoDaddy in the USA and live at Auckland New Zealand, found their services just great with no problems over the last 2 years, now after having listened to your audio , its got me all fired up to to get some of our own stuff into ebooks , thanks , make it a great week Theo :o)
Thanks Yaro, another insprational interview, i am working on an ebook now, i hope I can be successful too. I have plenty of info already written just need to bundle it up up, make it look good and sell it.
Yaro having a lot of collection of inspirational stories. Really this is the place to start the journey toward destination of successful life.
Hi Pat this is my second posting,
I had to add some more :o)
I have at lunch time today on my walk about, read your One year after getting laid off
I know exactly how your felf, having gone thru 3 or 4 of the similar situations over the years, and one redundancy.
before the Web came to be so popular, i am in the Architectural field also, and trying to escape
this type of business is almost impossible, with out, being laid off, or just going cold turkey.
i have been drawing and designing and CAD for about 30 years now, in all manner of offices, some great
some not so good and a few that were mmm, extreemly BAD. architects are an unusual type of animal to work for.
and you have to be hard nosed to deal with them and the stress they dish out, and try to keep them at arms length
to stay sane, or they will steal all your time.
There are a lot of options to consider especially if you have family already, so i have started my blog
and work it up, and make changes as we go, i am at the other end of my work life now at 52, so jumping
off here is not so easy, but am willing to give it a go, as my blog begins to make some small shape even
if it is a bit rough to start with, you have to start some where, i have heaps of content, its just getting it posted
each evening.
Thanks for your inspiration, much appreciated.
Regards Theo :o) have a fantastic week
Thanks Yaro for another inspiring post. I’m new at this and any information I can get I appreciate. Pat’s story is very inspiring.
Thanks for sharing Yaro. This post combined with Gideon Shalwick’s video on making an e-book he posted recently (http://gideonshalwick.com/7-easy-steps-to-create-your-own-top-selling-ebook/) could sky-rocket anyone into business.
My wife Terrah and I have been thinking about doing an ebook. The google data on our blog (which I just wrote a post about) shows that people are really liking our content. We have also been told that people really want to see more of our content. So, we are thinking that maybe doing a free ebook, or selling an e-book will be great.
Thanks for providing such great information.
Your Message
This is one of the best interviews you’ve done, Yaro. I just love the way Pat took the content from his blog postings and reformatted / reorganised them into his e-book. I’ve been wondering for a while what the subject of my e-book should be and Pat has provided me with the answer! 🙂
I will be launching a new blog after Xmas, so I have a question for Pat: How many blog postings did you have before you turned them into your book?
Hi Carole,
Actually, I think my blog was sort of unique because there was definitely an “ending point” as far as the information that people needed. They needed enough information to pass the exam, and there was a clear set of “chapters” or “sections” that I had to cover, which made it really simple.
That being said, that doesn’t mean if you don’t have content that has a definite ending point you shouldn’t write an eBook. The eBook could be a great way to get people “started” with something, for example, and you can even upsell to premium content that you keep updating in some kind of membership website or paid newsletter.
My book ended up being 80 pages long, but depending on the subject, it may be proper to have it longer or shorter. I’ve seen eBooks on sale that were only 15 pages long, but were full of EXCELLENT content that made it worth my money.
Hope that helps! Good luck Carole!
Your Message
That’s a good tip – thanks. Pat. I notice that you don’t run PPC ads to gain extra traffic. When I typed in ‘LEED exam’, two ads came up: one for a study book from GreenExamPRep.com and one for seminar classes. Is there any reason you don’t run ads on Google?
Yaro, I’m a long time lurker but I had to say this was a really great interview. It is so refreshing to learn about people who are actually earning money from what they know and filling a need in their industry instead of I’m making money by teaching others how to make money. Please continue to interview more people like Pat.
Pat thanks for sharing your story, I’m glad you were able to find a place where you can do what you love and help others at the same time.
Thanks Kimmoy! I appreciate it!
What an amazing, inspiring story! It’s amazing how so many people kind of fall into online success without really even looking for it and the ones that go after it often end up spinning their tails! 🙂
I’m not even done finishing listening to the audio (yes I’m multitasking while listening to this), but I wanted say that your interview with Pat Flynn is jam packed with information. It was great to listen to you both talk about how he did what he did through trial and error. We all have our processes to learn, learn from others. You both have so much personality that conveys to the listener that makes it interesting to listen as it does have some length to it.
Thank you so much for providing outside resources that keeps your information fresh, gives the perspective of others experiences, and expands my pool of interesting people who provide quality writing and ideas to follow.
Layne
@Layne: this is how you actually learn… always through trial and error method. You learn mainly on your mistakes, trust me on this – I’m a teacher;) BTW I also think that it was really worth listening to that. Pat has got some interesting ideas… thanks for sharing them with us;)
Great post. Very inspiring. Thanks!
This was fantastic and I learned some valuable points here that I shall put into use with my own ebook. I’m actually going to listen for a second time and take notes.
I am curious about e-junkie because I use them for the delivery but at the moment I am using ClickBank for the billing part. Does anybody have any opinions on which is better for the billing side and whether one or the other scores more highly for conversions? I went to ClickBank originally because they are supposed to have the biggest number of affiliates.
Hi Yaro, this story was so inspiring I downloaded onto my MP3 Player and listened to it twice!
I especially appreciate your clarifying questions as you take the listener step-by-step through the process Pat went through to set everything up.
I am new to blogging, and am planning to sell some e-books myself.
I’m also curious about the pros and cons of using e-junkie and ClickBank so any info you could provide about this would be fantastic.
Hello Pat and thank you for sharing your great story with us 🙂 .
I listened to your remark about the 20% rise conversion rate with the big “Add to Cart” button, and would like to get the same, but I can’t understand the name of the Internet Marketer that gave it to you (English is not my primary langage).
Could you please share his name or his website with us ?
Olivier
Hi Oliver!
The internet marketer’s name was Ryan Deiss. You can look up “Ryan Deiss Magic Button” in Google and find a lot of posts about it.
It worked on my site, but honestly it shouldn’t be thought of as any type of quick fix. The best thing to do would be to split test it against other button designs, and/or colors to come up with what works best for your traffic. That is what I did, and this add to cart button seemed to be the best for me. Enjoy!
That is really great for the man. Unfortunately, not everybody will be able to do or achieve something like that. The Internet is open to everyone but success on the Internet is definitely reserved to those who know what to do to acquire it. And i also believe that in whatever you want to achieve, sometimes a bit of luck is needed. But it’s definitely inspiring to see this man’s success story.
I have been reading Pat’s blog for about a week or two now and I have to say I am quite impressed. I am always fascinated when a person makes a decision to take the road less traveled and less “safe” and makes a success of it.
I know when I was laid off a few years ago I immediately started looking for and found a new job. But that was before I was introduced to Internet Entrepreneurship. Now I don’t in anyway wish to be fired or laid off, but now I know that with a lot of hard work, planning and networking that I may be able to make a living online. Pat’s blog is an excellent roadmap of the road less traveled.
It’s such an inspirational post! I reall love reading success stories of people who came from nothing to become a really successful online.I will surely visit Pat’s site.Thanks for sharing Yaro.
I’ve found that there are so many success stories from guys who started their venture without the intention of making money off of it. They simply did what they knew how to do and ended up watching the whole thing take off
I have to thank Pat for leading me to this website. Tons of great info here for me to consume. I have been following Pat for awhile now and he has inspired me greatly. I always look forward to each and every post he offers.
Putting his information and tips into action will certainly help any website make money. Hopefully creating the lifestyle that you really want to live.
Thanks Pat for all you have done and thanks for leading me here.
Marty
Hey Pat is in my “disc golf internet mastermind group” he is definitely the real deal and an inspiration to us all!
Pat’s story is great, but i would be concerned about it being a flash in the pan, it sounds like he is leveraging his success to avoid this.
Hey haber,
I know Pat personally and I can assure you nothing this dude does is a flash in the pan. He is absolutely the real deal and one of the hardest working marketers I know.
I think one of the reasons Pat is so successful is that he takes absolutely everything he learns adds it to his bag of tricks and then applies it to his work.
Of course on the flip side nothing on the internet is permanent and in a sense we are all “flashes in the pans” =)
Downloading the mp3 now. Hope it will be inspiring enough to keep me moving 🙂
Pat’s story is very inspirational. His story and success inspires me to go continue pushing to reach my ultimate level of success. My blog is just over six months old now and I’m looking to implement a lot of the techniques that you’ve taught, Yaro, as well as Pat into my business.
We can say, all day long, that Pat’s story in inspiring and motivational but until we get start to hustle and apply the techniques shared here and throughout Yaro’s blog to ourselves then we’re not using that inspiration to benefit us.
Thanks for sharing, Yaro!!
This interview really gets me thinking of all the topics in which I have moderate expertise. Listening to Pat’s success and how he went about getting there inspires me to get my own ebooks created. I think I need to listen to the interview again, I missed the course he took that taught him the ins-and -outs.
Wow I’ve been there before-laid off. The construction business is gone.
This is a great post Yara. We can and need to become masters of our future in every way.
@Pat – haha awesome, I played Magic The Gathering as well…
Pat is really an inspiration to any online marketer or blog writer. He really opens up and tells what he’s doing well and what his goals are going forward.
Pat, whom I’ve come to know lately as a blogger has been inspiring me greatly. I love his work and hope to one day make as much money as he does. Wish you the very best Pat. God bless.
Very inspiring story, especially for those who have lost jobs recently or can not find jobs in the first place. The key is never to give up, and try your best at what you are good at.
Dear Pat,
I like your blog. There is a lot of good useful advice and information for free in it. However, I am a critical thinker and can’t help but be skeptical about a few things:
– First, you seem to contradict yourself. In your 101 intro, you tell everyone that making passive income online is not easy, and that it requires a lot of hard work and time to build up, which is true. But then in your story, you say you made $8000 off one ebook during your first month attempt at this, and that in your first year, you made over $200,000, and now you make $30,000 a month. Isn’t that a direct contradiction? By your claims, you got rich quick easily, but you tell everyone that it takes a lot of time and hard work and is not easy.
– I’ve been making money online for 3 years now, and I know many others who are doing it too. $8,000 in your first month is an extraordinary claim, not a realistic one, even if you are a super genius. It took me 3 years to build up enough traffic and reputation to make a little over $900 a month. And that was through hard work and content generation, not with any secret formula. Your sites do look great, and do have top rankings I see, but there are many sites out there that look great with web 2.0 graphics and nifty wordpress themes too, and they ain’t making shit. I still think your claims are extraordinary. But your fans seem to believe everything you say, like a Gospel preacher in a church, with no skepticism. Why is that?
– What evidence is there to back your income claims? Why haven’t you posted screen shots of your Adsense report earnings, or of your monthly PayPal transactions? But even those are easy to fake. Anyone can download or save a webpage offline, and then manipulate the HTML in it to produce any numbers they want. On the internet, anyone can claim anything. Even in Amway and other MLM’s, lots of people making nothing are claiming to be doing well and pulling in thousands of dollars per month. It doesn’t mean it’s all true. Furthermore, if you really are making $30k a month, why are you always wearing cheap looking worn out t-shirts in your video interviews?
– In my experience, people who really are pulling in a lot of income do not like to draw public attention to it, unless they are celebrities. There are negative consequences to doing that. Especially if you are making a lot of money online, it is not in one’s best interest to publicize it, for it will draw bad people, and incite others to follow your business model and create copycat versions of your site, which could potentially jeopardize your income. No rational person would want to do that.
– In addition, there is an old adage that says: “You cannot make a lot of money by telling people the truth”. I wonder if that applies here. Another witty quote says:
“The men the American public admire most extravagantly are the most daring liars; the men they detest most violently are those who try to tell them the truth.” – H. L. Mencken
So it makes sense to be skeptical here, doesn’t it?
Totally makes sense to be skeptical here, Winston. You just sent me an email with the EXACT same text just an hour ago. I think it would have been a little bit more courteous to not send the exact same message on other blogs and wait until I respond. I was in the middle of my response to you when I saw that you posted this comment. I’m getting back to you, I promise! I have nothing to hide, and if anyone else is interested in my answer to Winston’s thoughts (which are absolutely just) just let me know and I’ll send them to you. Just shoot me an email.
Thanks for your patience Winston. My answer will get to you shortly.
I am very interested in your response to Winston.
Hey Pat,
Not to say your not correct, but I would also be interested in your response to Winston if you dont mind.
Thanks,
Rob
Well put.
I agree that the biggest query i have is if you have a good model why expose it. As you’re work is guaranteed to be copied.
My general impression is, its the Blog that generates the revenue. People follow success. If you claim to make money people will follow you no matter what. You can inflate your claims easily.
No disrespect to Pat, as he is good at what he does. It’s just ‘don’t believe the hype’.
Why expose it? Because I want others to succeed too. In this space, other people’s success will not hurt my own. On the contrary, it could only help my brand, if anything.
Can you create a site about the LEED exam like I could – probably not, but the model might work for you in another niche that I and several other people may know nothing about.
Hype? Where’s the hype? It’s just all truth and numbers. When you believe that it can’t happen, it won’t.
Still waiting for your response? why dont you post it here?
Hey guys – here’s my reply to Winston…sorry I didn’t get back sooner – I can’t monitor all 20+ sites he posted this same exact email on…
You’ll see me respond underneath specific portions of his email, below:
Hey Winston,
Thanks for the email. I was about to go to bed but I felt like I needed to respond to you. Like I said in the response to your comment on my post, I appreciate and welcome skepticism. I do because I know I have nothing to worry about because I don’t hide anything. My answers to your questions are below each of your comments…
On Fri, Dec 16, 2011 at 3:12 AM, Winston Wu wrote:
Dear Pat,
I like your blog. There is a lot of good useful advice and information for free in it. However, I am a critical thinker and can’t help but be skeptical about a few things:
– First, you seem to contradict yourself. In your 101 intro, you tell everyone that making passive income online is not easy, and that it requires a lot of hard work and time to build up, which is true. But then in your story, you say you made $8000 off one ebook during your first month attempt at this, and that in your first year, you made over $200,000, and now you make $30,000 a month. Isn’t that a direct contradiction? By your claims, you got rich quick easily, but you tell everyone that it takes a lot of time and hard work and is not easy.
Me: Indeed, making a passive income online is NOT easy. Not at all. October of 2008, when I made about $8k online, that was NOT my first month online. Not even close – in fact, my blog that I made all that money off of, which was previously at intheleed.com and is now greenexamacademy.com, was already up for almost 2 years. October of 2008 was the first month I monetized that site with an eBook. To get to $30k a month now has not been easy either – it’s taken a lot of hard work, dedication, and going through times of wanting to give up.
– I’ve been making money online for 3 years now, and I know many others who are doing it too. $8,000 in your first month is an extraordinary claim, not a realistic one, even if you are a super genius. It took me 3 years to build up enough traffic and reputation to make a little over $900 a month. And that was through hard work and content generation, not with any secret formula. Your sites do look great, and do have top rankings I see, but there are many sites out there that look great with web 2.0 graphics and nifty wordpress themes too, and they ain’t making shit. I still think your claims are extraordinary. But your fans seem to believe everything you say, like a Gospel preacher in a church, with no skepticism. Why is that?
Me: I don’t think the income from a site depends on how it looks. Okay, maybe a little bit, but it’s about the person behind the site, and the relationships that are built between that person and their audience. I know I do a lot of things that other blogs don’t do – even blogs that have a better design than my own. I’m 100% honest and transparent about not only my earnings, but how I run my businesses, and not only when I do things right, but when I fail too. A lot of other bloggers in this industry hide this.
See my niche site duel here: http://www.nichesiteduel.com – it shows, for free, how I took a site from scratch (i reveal the keyword and website and everything – you can find it at http://www.securityguardtraininghq.com) and got to #1 in Google in 73 days, and now a year later that site is now making 2k a per month. Again, not easy – I put a lot of hard work into it, but it’s paying off, passively now.
You see – not everyone does this, and this is proof that the concepts I talk about work. A lot of people out there talk the talk, but this is talking and walking the walk, which I always try to do. I go out of my way to provide the BEST content possible, some of the best content on the web, for free. The more I give away, the more I get back in return.
I think people care about what I say because I care about them. I truly do. My business model is this: give away as much information as possible, and it will always come back to me bigger.
With greenexamacademy.com, that site was up for almost 2 years, just pure content, not selling anything, and I worked with people to help them pass the LEED exam (which is what that site is about). When I finally wrote an eBook (which was actually done after several requests from my own audience), I already had the audience there, and some people even bought the book from me even though they had already passed the exam, just to thank me for giving away all the free information I did on that site.
It’s all about relationships, and I can tell you I take great pride in how I relate to people from my blog – with those who support me, with those who don’t, and those who are skeptical about what I do and the numbers I report, like yourself.
– What evidence is there to back your income claims? Why haven’t you posted screen shots of your Adsense report earnings, or of your monthly PayPal transactions? But even those are easy to fake. Anyone can download or save a webpage offline, and then manipulate the HTML in it to produce any numbers they want. On the internet, anyone can claim anything. Even in Amway and other MLM’s, lots of people making nothing are claiming to be doing well and pulling in thousands of dollars per month. It doesn’t mean it’s all true. Furthermore, if you really are making $30k a month, why are you always wearing cheap looking worn out t-shirts in every video interview you give?
Me: There’s no way to understand if anybody is totally being honest online – but I can tell you that I wouldn’t take a chance doing that because with the FTC involved now – anyone could get into major trouble providing false claims like that.
I could do a screenshare with you on Skype and walk you through my accounts and show you the affiliate earnings I make – but I don’t think that’s necessary. I shouldn’t have to do that, but if you ask I have nothing to hide.
And your comment about cheap shirts, I think that’s a little uncalled for. Why does the fact that I make good money mean I have to look a certain way, or wear certain clothes, or live a certain lifestyle. If I was homeless but had a nice tuxedo on, would that make you automatically think I was a millionaire?
Plus, I’m comfortable in those shirts. What I wear has nothing to do with how much I make.
– In my experience, people who really are pulling in a lot of income do not like to draw public attention to it, unless they are celebrities. There are negative consequences to doing that. Especially if you are making a lot of money online, it is not in one’s best interest to publicize it, for it will draw bad people, and incite others to follow your business model and create copycat versions of your site, which could potentially jeopardize your income. No rational person would want to do that.
Me: I’m me, and this is what I do. So in your experience, people don’t like to bring attention to it. Well, I do – because it shows that making money online is possible. It inspires people, and it pushes me to do more by holding myself accountable. In light of my audience and what would help them, it’s in the best interest for them because it’s authentic, it’s real, and I think that if anyone is teaching anybody how to do anything online, they have to show proof first – and this is my proof.
– In addition, there is an old adage that says: “You cannot make a lot of money by telling people the truth”. I wonder if that applies here. Another witty quote says:
“The men the American public admire most extravagantly are the most daring liars; the men they detest most violently are those who try to tell them the truth.” – H. L. Mencken
So it makes sense to be skeptical here, doesn’t it?
Me: Totally makes sense to be skeptical, and again, I appreciate that you are because it’s really easy for me to send you an email and just tell you the truth.
With the quotes – I think times are changing now – especially with social media and everyone being connected. Sure, it’s an old adage, but it’s a new age, and authenticity and truth is what people want, it’s what people appreciate now, and in this world of blogging and building trust and earning fans – success starts with the truth.
Do I expect that after reading this you’ll change your mind about me – I have no idea, that’s up to you. But, if you have any more questions or even want to chat over Skype – I’m here to show you I’m a genuine, nice guy who is doing well online and trying to give others good advice on how to do the same.
Sincerely,
Pat
p.s. A couple of my other blogger friends have been telling me you posted this exact same email in their comment section. Why did you do that without even giving me a chance to answer you? I find that to be pretty unethical. Looking forward to your response, and would appreciate it if you found answers from me first before spamming all of my friends’ blogs.
I also did share a few screenshots with him of my first month of sales on GreenExamAcademy.com in October of 2008 (again, that’s first month of sales – of monetizing – not the first month the site was live), and he has yet to respond to that. Actually, he took the time to send me a lengthy (and quite entertaining) followup email about the shirts I wore in my videos and why I should look more like news anchors on CNN or guests on Oprah if I was really making money online like I claim. Again like I said in response – I like those vintage shirts, and they are comfortable. They are me, and when I’m doing an interview, who else should I be but…me. Steve Jobs wore jeans and a black shirt during his keynote speeches, does that make him a liar and all Apple products are just fake?
I think what pat has done is more than exceptional. What’s more is that he gives others the tools to succeed without pressuring you to purchase anything from him. Pat thanks for being such a great help!
I saw you have some good resources on there. I would also recommend you checkout http://www.PayGear.com if you need a shopping cart or affiliate manager. I am a member with them as well as e-junkie and paygear is very clean, more features and more affordable.
I think his tactic of finding information people needed, and then marketing it well, should provide a good example to many people. I suppose most people have something they could use to emulate his success. Nice article.
Pat is the man, and he’s doing even better these days!
This is a great interview, Pat! Your niche site duel pretty much spells out the entire process. Needless to say, people like Winston just can’t come to grips with how someone can be so successful, just hard work!
Hi Pat,
I have been following your podcast and really appreciate the “real” approach. I think online marketing has become overrun with fake and hyped up sales pitches. People are really looking for something that is practical and authentic! Keep up the great work.
Pat is Legit- The $8000 was from his first month selling online… after ~2 years of building an audience. Not the first month he owned a computer. The “hype” is from people reporting that he made $8,000 as a complete newbie and $200,000 in this first year ever doing any Internet marketing. It is was his first year- selling. Pat has great stuff and he been influential on my projects. Much respect.
Great interview Yaro. Thanks to Pat for sharing some excellent tips and tools.
Also, Pat’s response to Winston is excellent and shows a lot of integrity, purely from the fact that Pat took the time to respond and give even more details and value, both to Winston and to all of us readers.
I was particularly inspired by Pat’s InTheLeed.com site story and the problems that he experienced with it. I’ve had a similar experience and the way he turned it around was really useful to me.
Thanks to you both.
Great interview and great guy. I just heard about Pat Flynn a few days ago. I just happened to stop by his blog and was amazed by the amount of details he shares for free. I have been following and reading his posts ever since. Truth and integrity is what will stay and what will turn out successful. Try to make money any other route and it’s not going to last. Wishing more success to Pat…
Dr.Spencer Jones
Winston seems like an upset person who never made it. Trying to crush what others are doing because he can’t do it himself. No determination and no dedication. That’s why he’s spamming. Nice article and good job Pat.
This is a very interesting story. A very similar thing happened to me but I haven’t quite made as much as Pat. The SEO stuff is a never winning battle. I fought with it for several years until I found out about http://www.RegistryCompass.com to find expired domain names that already have traffic. As a web marketer this has made me around $19,700 in the last 6 months. I actually found out about it in the Laptop Millionaire book which was pretty full of fluff but this one tip paid off. Hope this helps other marketers to gain traffic!
This is a very inspirational post, i’m currently freelancing and focusing on creating great content. Making an ebook is defiantly at the top of my todo list!
Pat goes out on a limb to show people how he does it and I appreciate that. I think it’s brave.
Afraid i am not really convinced by the story. Nicely marketed, quite right, but so much money in one year cant be achieved. Sorry but i cant believe this…and making thousands a month by blogging 2 hours…common…it is impossible.
I think you summed up your position when you started with the word “Afraid”…
Anyone who has the passion and can work hard can achieve this kind of success in Internet Marketing. Making hundreds of thousands of dollars is not impossible if you are really willing to take action and be consistent.
HI, Yaro its.. nice.. sometimes, i wondering to follow this path..
Actually , I like to visit his website everyday . He has published the best ways to make niche sites and start earning from it . But his earning in June reduced from 66,582.93 to 61,101.77 because of some factors he mention in his website.
Yep, This interview really gets me thinking of all the topics in which I have moderate expertise. Listening to Pat’s success and how he went about getting there inspires me to get my own ebooks created. I think I need to listen to the interview again!
Pat tells it all some people might say luck and some might say that it’s hard word , and i guess in my own opinion that he couldn’t achieve what he is now without a lot of hard word although a little bit of luck won’t hurt
Yaro thanks for this article. I follow you and Pat both your both writing and project are so much inspiring. I am starting niche blogging. I quit my job recently not sure how it will be in future for me. Thanks for your guidance.
Look forward to read your more inspiring articles.
Anchor Babu
Couldn’t help but notice the negative comments here. I guess it is inevitable. Anyway, I have always been a huge fan of Pat’s inspiring story. Cheers!
He got into a nice niche for sure
Hi Yaro,I hope yo are doing fine. Great interview with Pat! Your second interview to him brought me here. I would like to know if it’s possible to get the transcript of this interview? Since English is not my first language I find the transcripts very helpful to follow the interview. Thanks in advance!
I’ve been making money online for years but it’s kind of small potatoes. This is making me think bigger! I just have to start looking at things a little differently.
I’ve followed Pat Flynn for a while, he’s one smart marketer. Inspirational story too.
Greatly moved by the story! really inspiring.