Archive for the 'Business' Category

Working Like a Dog

I’ve been working like a dog lately on a ton of sites, and pulling some part-time duty at a company called Brix Networks. Here’s a couple of the informational sites I’ve been putting up lately:

  • Mattress, Sleep, and Bed: Dyna Mattress is a site dedicated to everything sleep related, especially mattresses. I’m thinking about getting one of those viscoelastic mattresses, so I had done the research already.
  • Office Chair Guy: Office Chair Guy kind of came out of my mattress research. A lot of the same companies that sell mattresses sell great ergonomic chairs for bad backs.
  • Wedding Web Site: Wedding Home Pages is a site I’ve had for quite some time, but never really officially launched. But since I did the web site for my brother and new sister-in-law (RichandShauna.com), I figured what the heck.

What else has been going on? I’ve been coaching my son’s baseball team and helping out with my daughter’s softball team. Between baseball, softball, karate, other kid’s events, and work, I’ve been pretty much just getting up and going to various events. I’ve been able to squeeze a few rounds of golf in, but that’s it. I’m looking forward to the end of the baseball and softball seasons so I can take a little breather.

It has been fun, but it’s also fairly challenging to coach a baseball team comprised of 6, 7, and 8 year old boys and girls. Sometimes, it’s like herding cats - noone pays attention to the game, the coaches, or what’s going on at all. I figure our team leads the league in at least one stat - the all-important ADD category. Oh well, Carson is having a blast.

Marissa’s softball team is a little less challenging, but it’s amazing how much chatter comes out of their mouths, even at their age (9 - 12). And they don’t ever stop talking, even while making plays. But, I guess all women started out as girls at one point.

Have a great Spring,
Chuck

New Web Sites and Other More Mundane Stuff

I’ve been working on a new web site (well, actually a ton of new web sites) over the past few months, so no communication. Clue Gene is one of my newest sites, and it offers a fascinating glimpse into my clue gene research and the causes of cluelessness.

In addition, I’ve (finally) launched my Quilting Tips web site. This is a site where quilters can submit tips and compete in the Weekly Quilting Tips Contest for valuable prizes. Sounds like a commercial, huh? Well, I’ve been working on the development for over a year and finally pulled the trigger.

I’ll be trying to be a little more diligent in my postings, but here’s what’s happened in my personal life since the last post…

I went to yet another Super Bowl, and watched another exciting Patriots win. The three-time Super Bowl champs have been nothing but spectacular over the past few years, and you’ve got to love the work ethic of the team and the coaching staff, as well as the organization. A class act from top to bottom.

My brother, Richie (he hates being called “Richie” but what are big brothers for?), just got married this past weekend. It was a beautiful event, and I’m really happy Shauna decided to become his wife. You can check out their wedding web site at RichandShauna.com. I’ll be posting some pictures as soon as I can get around to it.

I’m going to be coaching my son’s baseball team, and helping out with my daughter’s softball team, so the next few months are going to be very hectic around the Smith house. Carson is showing some great talent and enthusiasm, and Marissa is always the hardest working player in any sports she participates in. Let’s just hope Dad can keep up. I had to squat for catching duties in batting practice last night, and my knees are screaming at me.

If Spring ever gets to New England, I’ll be out golfing. Next Sunday is Mother’s Day, so we won’t be out on the course then, but we should be out the following week. I’m hoping to improve on last year’s miserable showing.

Sorry to be boring, but just wanted to bring everyone up to date. If you have some jokes or fun sites you want to share, send them to me via the contact form.

Have a good one,

Chuck

101+ Letters From

I just put the finishing touches on a new product called 101+ Letters From. It’s a book of pre-written letters that parents can use to create a special letter from Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and other childhood celebrities. In addition, there are letters for the 1st day of school, a bad day, getting braces, the first day of summer, etc. Basically, these letters are designed to create some memories for children.

If you’ve got children, or grandchildren or nieces or nephews you are close to, and would like to see the book, let me know. All I ask in return for a copy of the book is a testimonial (if you like it) or some constructive criticism (if you think it needs help). Just send me an email to chuckbutt@chuckbutt.com and I’ll send you a link where you can check out the book, and the bonuses that are included. It’s a pretty cool idea (if I do say so myself), and everyone I’ve shown the book to love it.

Hope you’re having a great week,

Chuck

Just Checking In

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything to this site, so I figured I might as well put something up, and today, it’s some thoughts on success, the Internet, and life in general.

Since September, I’ve been working full time to create a business selling information on the Internet. I’ve met some incredible people, and learned more in the last 7 months than I had in more than 15 years of corporate high tech marketing. And just for the record — most corporate marketing sucks!

I spent a good portion of my career in start-ups, and I thought that what we were doing was a heck of a lot better than most of the big companies. And maybe it was. But compared to direct response marketing, it’s like putting a newborn baby in the ring with Hulk Hogan (or perhaps The Rock for the younger readers).

And the Internet is the ultimate direct response vehicle. At no other time in history, has the opportunity to make a substantial living on your own — and I’m talking six-figure plus — been so readily attainable to so many. The Internet is a truly limitless source of business, with built-in capabilities to test and refine your business plan on a daily (or even hourly) basis.

Of course, this is not to say that making money on the Internet is easy. You need to have some sound business skills, and you must also be willing to work. I’ve been mucking around the Internet for over a year now, and I can tell you that you will need to open your brain to a flood of new information if you are going to make it. But, because I’ve been plugging away at it for so long, and learning from my mistakes, I’m finally at the point where my business is ready to take off.

Of course, great mentors have been there to help me along the way. First, it was people like Dan Kennedy, Jeff Paul, Ted Nicholas, and Jay Abraham. I’ve been studying these living legends for more than 10 years, getting a thorough grounding in the techniques of direct marketing. Later, it was people like Marlon Sanders, Declan Dunn, Jonathon Mizel, and Terry Dean. And lately, I’ve had the distinct pleasure to meet and work with Alex Mandossian, Kirt Christensen, Bruce Safran, David Garfinkle, Armand Morin, and Joshua Shafran.

I was in Frank Kerns’ Elite Marketing Club, and Frank not only provided a huge amount of value for his Club members, but he broadened my perspective on what Internet marketing could be. I will forever be grateful to what Frank did for me personally, and I just wish he wasn’t going underground to avoid having all his truly brilliant ideas ripped off by everyone.

In addition, the Nitro Marketing boys — Matt Gill, Kevin Wilke, and Eric Owens — took me under their wings and gave me an awesome opportunity to earn and learn on one of their Nitro Projects. I learned more in 6 months with Nitro than I had learned in the previous 10 months on my own. Without their help, I never would have been able to make the huge leaps in knowledge I’ve made recently. And, they know how to have fun while running one of the biggest Internet empires around.

And, recently, I attended John Reese’s “Triple Your Profits” event in Orlando. That was a truly life-changing event for me, and I know I’ll be tripling my profits many times over during the course of this year. John Reese proved that you can have an event that is fluff-free and delivered more than promised. After having attended, I would have paid much more to learn what I did, and just to hang around John. Thanks once again, John! (And by the way, if you want to learn something about Internet marketing, sign up for John’s Marketing Secrets ezine at http://www.marketingsecrets.com/newsletter.html).

The point of this long-winded rant is that if you want to have some success outside the corporate world, it’s available. Not only is it possible, it’s almost a certainty if you spend the time in the trenches and find the right mentors. There’s very little you won’t be able to do if you decide that’s what you want.

Peace,

Chuck

Another Sleepless Night

I have not been able to put as much effort into Act of Remembrance as I’d like, but I did post another chapter. I’ve been simultaneously working on a new venture, Auction Rookie, and I ran into some technical issues that took more of my time than anticipated (DreamWeaver has a somewhat steep learning curve, but once you get it, it’s great). The unofficial word count is up to 11,354. To top things off, my daughter has been waking up in the middle of the night, and won’t go back to sleep. November has turned into one, sleepless work/home fest. Oh well - I’ll sleep when I’m dead!

And Still, the Words Pile On

The latest installment of Act of Remembrance has been posted. The unofficial word count is up to 4,813. Hope you enjoy the bad novel in progress! I’ve also updated the Projects page to include links to the new film project as well as my new business project (which is still “under construction”).

A New Review and Revenue

I’ve added a new review to the Reviews page. Check out my thoughts on Chris Isaak’s new album, Always Got Tonight. I’ve also added a new joke from my brother, Richie, which tickled my funny bone. In addition, I’ve signed up for the Amazon.com Associates Program, which allows me to make a small pittance from you folks who click through my site to the Amazon.com site. This will help defray the costs of chuckbutt.com, and help keep the love flowing.