Hello again; This week, I decided to share several pieces of good news for me and the website. In the last two weeks I had a guest post published on Harleena Singh’s site Aha Now I successfully transferred my site from blogger to word press, and I won third prize in the Online Business Superhero Summit Contest.
The contest
Its no secret that I love Adrienne Smith. She has taught me a lot about blogging especially the power of blog commenting and the value of building relationships. So when she has a new post I follow her suggestions. Back on July 10th she shared a post called How To Learn From A Superhero She explained that it was a two week long series of presentations from superheroes of the online marketing world. She included a link that would take us to their site and give us access to the line up of speakers, a way to watch previous broadcasts, and where to enter a contest to win some cool products or an opportunity to learn from one of the superheroes.
Why I entered
Well, upon visiting the link, I found out that you had to enter the contest in order to gain access to the webinars. So, I entered the contest not thinking anything about winning. I knew that some of my friends might also enjoy watching these broadcasts, so I shared the link on my social media networks. After that i went to listen to some of the replay shows and didn’t think any more about it. I did have some trouble getting started watching the replays, but Adrienne sent me a direct link to them, and I was off and running listening to these giants of the online marketing field. I had a full weekend where I learned some new concepts and began thinking in some new ways concerning how I market myself and my website.
surprising progress
On Tuesday of the second week I got a shock. I received an email from Marisa Murgatroyd, the organizer of the summit. She was notifying me that I was now in the top ten on their leader board. Since the top three at the end of the week would share a total of $15,000 worth of prizes, this meant I was in the running. It was a shock because I knew that literally hundreds if not thousands had entered. And I figured most of them would have larger or more active social media communities to help them win. I still didn’t think I would have a chance of winning. But I thought to myself being in the top ten was something to be proud of. So I wrote Adrienne to tell her. I also retweeted the link and shared it on a few more networks just in case.
I had kind of put the contest out of my mind until I got Adrienne’s reply. She said Max, you aren’t just in the top ten, you are in the top five. I asked her where to find the leader board. She said it is at the bottom of the emails they send out each day with the link to previous shows and the information about the upcoming ones. I told her that’s what I get for not reading all the way to the bottom of the emails. Now, I’m thinking I might actually win. So, I started working at it. I sent emails to friends and asked for their help. I went to my face book page and started sending direct messages to friends asking them to help out. I mentioned the contest on The Brian the hammer Jackson radio show that I am a regular on. I usually visit with them on fridays, but I called in a little early so I could get their help too. At this point I’m starting to think I might win, and I get the reminder that the winner has to be watching the Friday webinar and be logged in to their chat system to claim their prize.
Will I win
I asked the host as well as Adrienne about this chat program. It wasn’t showing up on my computer. It turned out that the button to start it wasn’t labelled where my screen reader could find it. The host sent me a link to it. It is called chat wing. ON Thursday I tried using it for the whole length of the presentation. I was so occupied that I heard very little of the program. I sent an email to Marisa explaining that I had tried to use chat wig with no success. I asked them if I could send them an email when the show started. I also sent Adrienne an email telling her that I had given up on being able to use this system. She said she would b watching because she was currently in third place and expected to be one of the winners. On thursday night I went to bed thinking it would be great to win, but if not being able to claim the prize via their method meant not winning; I wasn’t going to let it bring me down. I had decided that regardless of the outcome with claiming the prize I would post the final leader board on my site. Finishing in the top three or top five among such a large field of competitors would still be something to be proud of.
Will I be able to claim the prizes
Well, on Friday I sent them an email at the start of the show saying I was online and listening. I had not received an email back from Murisa. And she was the presenter for the final webinar. So, she couldn’t access her email during the show. I continued trying to use chat wing with no better success. I hear them call my name, and I send an email. I’m thinking its not going to do any good, but I sent it anyway. They are about to give my prize to the lady in forth place when they finally notice my friend Adrienne typing away repeatedly sending the message that max is here, but he is blind and can’t use your chat program. Murisa says that she is hearing that Max is blind and can’t use the message system to claim his prize. Sh said if this turns out to b true, then he will get his prize, but if it isn’t the case; then it will go to the lady in forth place. I forget her name, but I don’t think she was happy with this accommodation. It was quite a while afterwards before I got an email confirming that I had won. I was very happy, and I have this email saved.
To be fare to Murisa very few people know that there are blind people running online businesses or that there are many of us blogging. I am quite often referred to as the blind blogger by friends and social media contacts because I’m the only one they know. I just hope she has learned from this experience and will be more responsive to the need for accessibility in the future. As her primary product includes the design and maintenance of websites for her clients, I hope this has taught her a lesson she will apply on all those new sites.
Finding out what I won
Later on I got an email from Adrienne asking if I knew what I won. I told her since I never really expected to win I never even looked to see what the prizes were. She said she was asking because the prize information was shown on the website using a graphic image and she knows that there is no easy way for me to access something like that. So, she told me what my prizes were. Here is the list.
1. Michael Drew’s Sinister Toolbox of Market Domination
His assistant has contacted me to schedule a phone call as he does with everyone who takes his course. His assistant has also been very open to providing me course materials in a format I can work with. We don’t know yet whether that will be online links, pdf documents, or cd roms. I am just happy to hear they are willing to find alternative solutions.
2. 1 hour 1-on-1 consultation with Ryan Levesque
Obviously a conversation takes no adjustment. I, like a lot of blind people are familiar with using skype to connect with people. I’ve been told to expect to learn something that can really help my business even though I will only have one hour with him.
3. Jason Fladlien’s “Content Forever
I haven’t heard from anyone connected with Jason yet, but according to his website; the course is a large pdf file. Using a mac these aren’t my favorite. But I can access the document and hopefully learn something about creating content on a more consistent basis.
I will honestly admit that I should have been more confident. I should have said why can’t I win that contest. But the honest truth is I didn’t expect to win place or show. 🙂 I just followed the instructions and hoped for the best. But when I did think I could win, I really went after it. And I have to thank my friends and the members of my social media networks for helping me win. We really showed them. The blind blogger won out over hundreds of others because of the friends I’ve made, the relationships I’ve built, and the time spent building communities. I just wish I could get the same level of response when I’m promoting a piece of equipment. Yes, I know the answer to that. People can relate more readily to this contest than they can to helping find a new home for a carousel, ferris wheel, or roller coaster.
Moving from blogger to word press
Next, I managed to successfully transfer my site from blogger to word press. I hate to admit this but when I started this second blog, I wasn’t sure anyone would want to read my story. I figured the best thing to do was to make it as easy as possible to get started. So I began the blog on the free platform blogger. However, I was pleasantly surprised by all the interest in me and my story. So, after three weeks, I decided I needed to go all in and get a real website. The filing for a domain name and getting hosting was easy, but moving the site without losing my posts, comments, or related traffic would be difficult.
It scared me to the point that I asked my friend and web master Ashley Faulks of Mad Lemmings to do it for me. Ashly said he had just picked up a new client and couldn’t do it for me but would be around to help if I got stuck. I asked my friend and editor Lorraine Reguly of Wording Well if she could do it for me. She said that migrating a site to word press was something she didn’t think she could do. So, I did what most of us do at this point, I googled it. And found lots of instructions n how to migrate a website. I finally found what I consider to be the simplest one at Fabulous Bloggers This tutorial covers how to move your site without losing any search engine clout you have built up.
I’m not going to go through the steps with you. If migrating a site is something in your future, you can check them out at that time. I followed their instructions and got it almost 100 percent The posts and comments all transferred fine but the redirect wasn’t working. So I sent Ashly an email with the code i was supposed to add to the blogger site to redirect the old urls to the new site. Ashley said he wasn’t sure why it didn’t work. He said it could have been that I didn’t delete all the old html code before copying in the new. He said it could be that when i reset the blogger site to classic that it didn’t take. He got the redirect working, and then he told me that for someone who isn’t a professional website designer and also a blind computer user I should be very proud of myself for getting that far. Ashly tells it like it is, so I am proud of myself. A lot of people wouldn’t have even tried to do it. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend starting with blogger or any of the other free platforms unless you are absolutely sure you will never want it to be a business site. Professional sites should always be self hosted on your own website where you own your work and can protect it.
Guest posting on Aha Now
And the most exciting thing that happened to me in the last two weeks was being honored by Harleena Singh with a guest post on her website Aha Now It all started when I read the post Back to blogging after a break, check out what’s new She shared some of the things she did during her time off, and then told us about the new additions to the site. First, she added a new blog community to the site. Think of a place similar to face book but with more of a neighborhood feel to it. I think this community has a chance to be really special because it will include mostly people with similar goals. It won’t be all bloggers and podcasters, but most of the users will be. Th second thing she added is a forum section This area will probably be less personal but a good place to get answers and share problems and solutions. At the end of this post she said that whoever is the most active user each month will get the opportunity to have a guest post on her site.
Testing the new additions
Now, I never expected to be the first one to receive this honor, but sure enough I was. What happened is that as a blind computer user you never know how accessible a new site is going to be until you play around with it some. So, I created a profile, sent out some friend requests, shared a blog post to the community, and introduced myself on the forum. I replied to other posts and accepted some friend requests. I was happy to find out that everything on the new site worked perfectly with my screen reader. But I was surprised to hear from Harleena that I was the most active user for the first month. She asked if I could have the post ready by the 24th. I told her that I probably could if she could give me some ideas for a topic.
Guest post process
She sent me three suggestions with the top one being an inspirational post entitled Life Lessons from a Blind Blogger. She wanted me to share some personal experiences and the lessons I have learned from them. Th hope was that my post would give the readers some tools to help in their own lives. My first efforts weren’t quite on what Harleena wanted. She said the post was too much about the people who have helped me and not enough about me. She gave me more specific instructions.
I threw away the first post and started over. During an exchange of emails that lasted all night we managed to come up with a solid post. I knew it needed editing, but I also knew Harleena was up against a deadline. So, I told her that I would trust her judgement when it came to the editing. She sent it back to me, and I approved the final draft.
She made a few more additions before publishing it. And I want to say that it is one of the best things I have ever written. The technical aspects may not be all mine, but the words and thoughts are. I have to thank harleena for pushing me to share so much of myself with the readers. And I can tell from the comments that people needed to hear what I had to say. I also have come to understand that I need to share even more in the future. I have an ability to motivate and inspire people. I can’t wait for my next opportunity to do just that whether it is my next blog post, a youtube video, an interview, another guest post, a coaching session, or sharing my story in person.
Sharing is Caring
I know this has ben a long post. I wish that instead of asking for your help here that I could offer you some kind of a reward for reading the whole post. I imagine it would be easier on you if I had broken this up into two or three posts. I thought about doing that, but I got so involved in reading and replying to the comments from my guest post that I didn’t have a post last week. Many of you were gracious enough to share that post. I hope you will help with this one as well. I think there are some good lessons in it too. If you got anything good out of it, then please share it with your friends, family and coworkers. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section. And I do have comment luv enabled now, so you will get the additional back links for leaving your thoughts.
And a couple of friends have suggested that I mention the donate button here. Any amount would be appreciated. Its not the amount but the fact that you are showing your support another way. We have fixed the donate button and tested the new link.
And I always love hearing from my readers. If you have a question or just want to get to know me, then send me a message through the contact form. Very little is off topic. This is also how you contact me about coaching or speaking to your group. I hope to hear from you soon. Thanks and take care out there,Max
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Hi Max,
Congratulations & celebrations 🙂
My goodness! This is surely one post filled with so much of good news – so happy for you indeed!
I didn’t know about the contest, and trust Adrienne to come up and always help so many of us, as she always does in her own way. Yes, I’d read that post about superheroes too but never got too much into it as I was still recovering from my trip back and had loads to catch up with, but I am so glad you did, and we can see all the results!
Loved the way you described all the details and I’ve been glued to your post reading right through, dear friend. What a wonderful experience it must have been, and I wish you every success in the months to come because I know there is so-so much scope for you out there, you just need to tap it, which you are already doing to the best of your abilities.
It truly amazed me as to how you managed to switch to WordPress on your own because it wasn’t easy for me when I did long time back though. Or perhaps I was more of a writer than blogger, way back then, and I lost a few of my comments, but that was about it. I am so glad Ashley was around when you needed help as well, as well as Lorraine – awesome bloggers and friends to look up to, isn’t it?
Ah…your wonderful guest post at my blog – it’s surely created waves, and I am SO happy for you and the number of comments it’s received, even though I don’t have CommentLuv (that’s because I am trying out a few tests presently), so one can see that all the people who are coming to read and comment on your post are genuine ones – from their comments, and not just link droppers. That’s because your post inspired and motivated them in more ways than one. The count will increase once I step in and comment as well to welcome the newcomers, as I always do 🙂
I know we exchanged a few emails before we decided on the topic, and I am so glad I went with my instinct and just knew if you wrote on this topic, it would be great – that’s because people like to know about the ups and downs a person goes through, and your life’s not been easy, yet you came out so strong. The little edits and formatting as well as searching for the apt inspirational images etc…all added to make it a beautiful post, and I am so glad it worked!
Sorry for keeping you away from posting on your own blog because of the comments that kept you busy, and for the deadline too but that’s good in a way! It just struck me to have you as my guest for being such an active community member, and it was one way to express my gratitude, and the comments…you are so good with them and prompt too.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart…it was an honor to have you over. I appreciate you sharing all this with us, and I’d surely be promoting it all over all well. Have a nice and relaxing weekend 🙂
Harleena Singh recently posted…The Aha!NOW Chat with Berry Fowler [Interview]
Hi Harleena; First, it was my great pleasure to do the guest post. The comments were amazing. And that’s not really a big enough word to describe them. Its one thing when your friends are telling you that you inspire them and that you have a story to tell a message to share etc; but its so much different to hear so many strangers say so after reading your words online. They don’t know, haven’t met me, and most haven’t read my previous posts; but they all had such wonderful things to say. I don’t think I missed anything by not having my own post last week. I noticed a lot of my regular blogging friends stopped by and left comments too. Th whole experience has inspired me to think even bigger and work even harder if that is possible. 🙂 thanks to your encouragement I’m now working on my first online product. I will be participating in my first online summit in september. You know I believe in being positive. I may do my research and weigh the possibilities, but once I start; I am committed. I have noticed that most of the comments to my own blog come from friends and members of blogging groups. I am hopeful that the guest post will result in more organic traffic and visits from some new friends. I have ben checking out some of the blogs from people who left comments and that has ben a good experience. thanks again for this special opportunity. It was everything a guest post or podcast appearance should be. take care my friend. xoxo Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…honored with guest post successfully migrated to word press and won OBSS contest 3rd prize
Hi Max
Well congratulations on your win…….you are definitely inspiring me onward by writing about what is going on with you, and the details of how you are getting it done.
I haven’t been too social on the web. In fact I think I have been anti social, thinking nobody would be interested in what I have to say, anyway?
And besides that, what if they see how dumb I really am? That right there is social anxiety.
I do know that only recently have I started reading what other people are writing, and I have really started learning a lot.
I think your winning is a prime example of keeping on keeping on, and seeing what you want, and keeping after it.
Thanks from
Social Mike
Mike Mahaffey recently posted…How To Overcome Social Anxiety
HI Mike; I’m so glad to see you here on my site. I was hoping some of the people I visited would stop by and leave comments. You can ask my blogging friends, I have had a hard time believing that people would want to hear my story either. You do need to read other people’s posts, share them, and leave comments. That’s how you get people’s attention online. They see your activity and decide to visit your blog and see what you are up to. They may then decide to mention you in a post, invite you to write a guest post, ask you to be a guest on a podcast, suggest you collaborate on a product, etc. Just now I am working with a lady on my first online product. She contacted me after I left a good question in her comments section about one of her posts. She has also invited me to b part of an online summit next month. Man did i agree to that? 🙂 its going to be here like tomorrow. yes I did and I am looking forward to it. You have a voice that needs to be heard but only if you get out there and introduce yourself. Join the blogging community, and you will never regret it. I can suggest a couple other bloggers for you. check out robin hallett, adrienne smith, and susan cooper if you haven’t already. Join harleena’s new community. It should be a safe place for you. and join the bloggers helping bloggers group on linked in. tell them the blind blogger sent you. Wishing you the best of luck, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…honored with guest post successfully migrated to word press and won OBSS contest 3rd prize
Max, you continue to inspire me. Imagine moving from blogger to wordpress yourself – that is totally amazing. I couldn’t do it and ended up getting help and I can see.
Congratulations on winning the prize – I’ll bet that made your day. So great that Adrienne was there to support you through it all. Through your actions you are really changing the accessibility rules for all – good for you.
Lenie
Lenie recently posted…Culinary, Cosmetic, Antiseptic and More…..BASIL Does It All.
Hi Leni; well, i did have to get help from ashley to finish the site migration, but I am still proud of what I did accomplish. and it was cool knowing that because of the chat program not working that they had to announce the winner was blind. 🙂 I do think you are right that I am improving accessibility one person or website at a time. I’m even starting to get professional designers who are wanting to learn how to make things easier for blind users. And yep if adrienne hadn’t been there I wouldn’t have got my prizes. I would have won but winning is much more fun when you get stuff. thanks for your support my friend. Take care, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…honored with guest post successfully migrated to word press and won OBSS contest 3rd prize
As I was reading your blog, I was hoping that you would win and was glad to see that you did. You’ve been very busy.
Beth Niebuhr recently posted…Let Your Blog Boost Your Business
hi beth; glad to hear you were rooting for me. and I’m glad the story had a happy ending. I was hoping I would at least end up in the top ten. I would have called that a win too. I appreciate your continued support. take care, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…honored with guest post successfully migrated to word press and won OBSS contest 3rd prize
What an amazing few weeks for you. Congratulation on your win. I was very interesting in your experience with migrating your site. I plan to do that in fall. Thanks for information.
Hi; I would definitely save the link from the post. it was very simple and straight forward. I think the real key is that th word press import function has been improved and that combined with the redirect plug in makes the process much easier. I wish you the best of luck with your blog. take care, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…honored with guest post successfully migrated to word press and won OBSS contest 3rd prize
Congratulations Max! I am doing the happy dance for you! So thrilled that you won!!! Great few weeks and thanks for keeping us updated
Jacqueline Gum (Jacquie) recently posted…The Car Survey…Where’s The Justice?
hi jacqueline; its good you ar doing the happy dance for me because i can’t dance at all. 🙂 just glad to hear people still want to hear what is going on with me. take care, max
maxwell ivey recently posted…11 Keys to Success From The Quotes of Successful People
Congratulation on your win Max!!! That is awesome news. Migrating a site, any site, is an adventure fraught with all kinds of peril. It’s been a while since I last did that. With the new redesign n the wings, I may be doing it again. That said, I am REALLY glad I have a great web-guy to do that when the time comes. Thanks for sharing all your news etc. 🙂
Susan Cooper recently posted…OZV Zinfandel: Wine
hi susan; thanks for stopping by. I know the post was long and you don’t have a lot of time. i should mention that i only had four posts and no pages when I did it. the longer you have been at it and the more evolved the blog is the more you need and should hire someone to do it for you. best thing i learned was not to start somewhere else unless you are sure its permanent or you can’t afford the cost of a domain and hosting. thanks so much my friend. take care, Max
Hi Max,
You have really accomplished a lot in a small amount of time, as compared to bloggers who have been around much longer, even for years, who have not achieved what you have.
I have written guest posts, and ghost write posts, but I have never entered a contest. I had my site migrated for me, as my time is consumed in other matters.
So, hats off to you, my friend. You really have shown your spunk. Kudos, salutations, and congratulations.
You deserve every good thing you’ve worked for.
Kind Regards,
Bill
William Butler recently posted…53 Proverbs That Can Help You Live A Happier Life
Hi Bill; Thanks for the pat on the back. I wouldn’t have done the migration if I could have avoided it. 🙂 Like most things it had to be done, so I did it. I’m looking forward to my hour with ryan levesque. and the course with michael drew sounds interesting. basically these are the types of investments we all need to make in ourselves and I will be able to take advantage of them without expending cash. I am working with a new friend on creating my first info product. I’ve been asked to be part of an online summit, and I have two more podcasts lined up. but the real question is how to use this to help more people and start generating some income. thanks again and tai care, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…11 Keys to Success From The Quotes of Successful People
Hello Maxwell,
Wow!!! You’ve achieve a lot just this few months. Bravo to you 🙂
Ahhh… you migrate your blogger blog to WordPress all by yourself with no technical skill? That’s just so brilliant. I have seen so many bloggers who can’t do this their self.
About your prize, its good Adrienne was behind you all the way. she’s a good woman and a good inspiration to all 🙂
Once again, i say congratulation to you…
Babanature recently posted…How Does Alexa Rank Truly Work?
Hello; I’m so glad to see you visiting my blog. I’m glad that adrienne was there to help out too. she is a fine lady who has helped a lot of people. and she is also from texas. 🙂 i found a good tutorial for the migration and i think word press has done a lot to make it easier. I wouldn’t advise anyone doing it if they don’t have to. why risk it is my way of thinking. and it was all because I still lacked confidence in people’s desire to hear my story. Its another lesson in being positive. thanks again and take care, Max
Congratulations on your winning. You are really very good in networking. I am glad you won.
Bindu recently posted…Awakening from the blues: Mixed media
hi bindu; thanks its nice to have friends who care. glad to hear you broke out into th sunshine in your own work, max
maxwell ivey recently posted…honored with guest post successfully migrated to word press and won OBSS contest 3rd prize
Thanks again, Max, for providing me with more inspiration to read. It’s an honor to stop by and keep up on what you’re doing lately. You seem to have a way-more active life than I do and reading about it gives me a swift kick to get out and accomplish more.
P.S. Congrats on your win!
Carl recently posted…Nakri’s Last Dance
hi carl; thanks for that. It makes me feel good to know that by sharing what is going on it can motivate others. am currently working on a way to do this on a more formal level or on a bigger scale. and I’m sure you have a lot going on in your life. I just wonder if you realize it. I don’t always think I am productive. but its posts like this that remind me. so, take a few minutes and make a list. I bet you will be surprised. take care, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…honored with guest post successfully migrated to word press and won OBSS contest 3rd prize
Max – Congratulations on your winning the prize. You are so lucky to have good friends who made sure you won!!
hi mina; yes i’m blessed to have many good friends. thanks for being one of them. take care, max
maxwell ivey recently posted…honored with guest post successfully migrated to word press and won OBSS contest 3rd prize
Congratulations Max on placing in the competition. That had to have been an awesome feeling. You have certainly had a lot going on these past few weeks. All the best and continued success.
Tim recently posted…Disappearing Lisa
Hi Tim; thanks for the kind words. I love your stories. it seems like you are doing all this amazing stuff out there in the real world and i am having to be content doing it here at home online. looking forward to more tales of your adventures, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…11 Keys to Success From The Quotes of Successful People
Congrats Max! Well deserved.
Ken Dowell recently posted…Monster Trucks, Freaks, Creationists and Other Things You Don’t Usually See in New Jersey
thanks ken; sorry it was so long, 🙂 take care, max
maxwell ivey recently posted…honored with guest post successfully migrated to word press and won OBSS contest 3rd prize
Congrats Max! You are doing great things and I am lucky I get o witness them.
Niekka McDonald recently posted…Making Adjustments
hi mieka; well i doubt i would had this much to talk about if it weren’t for help from great friends like you. take care in hotlanta, max
Max, what exciting, exciting, exciting news! I had a big smile on my face the whole time I was reading this post. Thank you for taking us on the step by step journey of your experience. It was such a heartfelt post, and it was lovely connecting with you as I read all the details of your experience!
Warm regards,
Michele
hi michele; your enthusiasm comes right through the computer. I am glad to have such supportive friends. it was great that the story had a happy ending. and these courses and the time with ryan are things I probably would have never bought for myself. so I’m looking forward to learning a lot too. thanks so much my new friend. take care, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…honored with guest post successfully migrated to word press and won OBSS contest 3rd prize
Max — you continue to amaze me. I wouldn’t even THINK of trying to migrate my site to another platform. I would immediately turn to my webmaster.
You are so brave, my friend. I’m glad you went for the gold ring. You won the bronze and you can be proud of that, too.
All the best,
Jeannette
Jeannette Paladino recently posted…Are You Your Own Best Brand?
Hi Jeannette; Well, I tried to get someone else to do it. 🙂 I don’t trust just anyone to work on my site. I had the site backed up. It only had four posts. I knew that the longer I waited the worse the move would be. So, I went for it. I did have Ashley waiting in the wings if I got stuck. Glad you could be here to cheer me at the podium. I would have been happy just making the top ten considering the strength of the field. And I won products that should make me a better online marketer. so i won some things I need and wouldn’t have or couldn’t have bought for myself. thanks so much my friend. Take care, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…honored with guest post successfully migrated to word press and won OBSS contest 3rd prize
Wowza! So much accomplished and we get to read about it. Congratulations on everything, Max. One suggestion I have about breaking up a long post is to use images with graphics if you can. That always seems to help not only to keep people’s interest, but it helps with the flow. Try that and see if you are comfortable with it. I’ve seen images before in your posts, so I assume it’s possible to do! Thanks for sharing all of your wins with us!
Laurie Hurley recently posted…7 Ways To Respect Your Social Media Marketing Manager
Hi Laurie; I’m just glad you said got to read instead of had to. 🙂 i can include images and do when they are related to the post. Problem is I just didn’t had any to add. I think Lorraine has a method for breaking the post up so they have to click next making the post not look so daunting. what i should have probably done is posted about the guest post the friday before and then just had the contest and the migration in this one. that would have worked a lot better. thanks for your support. I”m always happy to get suggestions from my friends. I know they will only make me better. take care friend, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…honored with guest post successfully migrated to word press and won OBSS contest 3rd prize
Max, you had me on pins and needles, reading about how you almost got passed over for your prize! I’m so glad that they gave it to you, and I’m glad you had a friend looking out for you on the chat. One of the reasons you are my inspiration is that you never seem to give up. When I migrated my site to WP, I felt confused and overwhelmed like never before. I cannot imagine doing that without my sight. You inspire me to never give up. I’m so glad to hear of all your recent milestones and accomplishments. You deserve every one of them, keep up the good work!
Meredith Wouters recently posted…Stay Nine-and-a-Half Forever
Hi Meredith; I’m just glad I have such great friends like you. Yes adrienne had my back. and I’m touched that you rad all the way through that post. it was a monster even for me. I don’t think I will write another one that long, but I try to tell the story and not worry about the word count. And I was scared about doing the migration. Just glad that the import feature in word press is so much better now. If I could have gotten someone else to do it , I would have. I’m so happy to hear that I inspire you. It is the one thing I never expected but the one thing I am most proud of now. thanks so much my friend. I’ll do my best to live up to your praise. take care, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…honored with guest post successfully migrated to word press and won OBSS contest 3rd prize
A wonderful post. What good news. I think I can speak for all of us who have gotten to know you along this journey how great we feel for you. The site looks awesome. You are someone that inspires and I love the fact you never give up. Good things do happen to those that wait.
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Hi Arleen; That’s the one thing am so grateful for. I have gotten to know so many wonderful people out here in the bloggosphere. People like you who are always supporting and encouraging me to do even mor. I didn’t know I could inspire or that I was already doing it until I started venturing out to read posts ask questions and leave comments. Now, I am seeking coaching clients looking for speaking opportunities and working on an online product. and yes there may be a book someday too. Not sure, but I work on it at least one day a week. I appreciate your being my friend. take care, Max
There’s nothing like persistence to ensure achievement, Max. Congratulations. Oh and the new WordPress site is great!
Sue Hines recently posted…Your Genie-us Brand
Hi sue; you are so right, and I’d say persistence is my middle name if it wasn’t also stubbornness, perseverance, optimistic, etc. 🙂 You are a good friend. take care, Max
Well Max…You’ve had quite a week! How exciting for you to innocently enter a contest just so you could watch the webinars and then end up winning? What fun! Your story-telling was great as I could imagine the seconds ticking away as your friend emails explaining that you are blind…what a great friend too.
I haven’t had to migrate my site as I started my blog with a self-hosted WordPress site, but just the learning curve for that was tricky enough. Your perseverance reminds me that we all can do anything…if we just try hard enough. And it always seems that the day that I read your weekly post is the day I need that reminder. I’ve been out of sorts this week and feeling quite disjointed. I’m trying to develop more of a schedule for myself and my blog and rather than feeling more organized, I’m feeling overwhelmed and lost. But I won’t today, thanks to you.
I also loved reading your guest blog too. What an honor to be asked and I loved how Harleena wanted to read more about you after that first draft. We all do. I hope you have a wonderful week Max!
Pamela Heady recently posted…Celebrating National Farmers Market Week!
Hi Pamela; I’m so glad that I can help you just by sharing what is going on. They won’t all have such happy outcomes, but you can depend on me to find the positive in each situation and share it with my friends and readers. I am actually having a little trouble of my own and this message helps. I have been invited to be one of the guests on a summit in september, and as part of it I am working on my first online product. I have been struggling with the title and what I would say. so hearing that you look forward to my posts and that they helped you get some clarity helps me with this task. the whole idea of creating an ebook or some other product is all new to me and I will need your support. It was cool to get rewarded that way. They say its all about doing things for the right reasons. If I had signed up with the only goal being to win the contest I know I wouldn’t have even come close. And I told the providers of the prizes that they will be having their first blind client. so far two of the three have been very helpful. just today Michael Drew’s assistant told me that they have an audio book that will help me with their course and that if i give them my email address i used when signing up to amazon they will give it to me for free just to make sure I get the most out of their training program. still waiting to hear from fladlien. and i can’t wait for my hour with ryan levesque. Adrienne, the friend who helped me win the contest prize, says he will teach me at least one thing that makes me a better online business person. She said its guarantee. 🙂 and I trust her a lot. I’m glad we have met and are becoming friends. as for your blogging problem perhaps you need to think about how often you are posting and why. Maybe you need to take one week off and get focused. I am currently offering free coaching. I need to learn whether or not I have a talent for it as well as get some experience before I start charging. I can communicate with you by email, phone, Skype, or google hangout. regardless of whether or not you want to be my first client, I hope you know I am here for you as a friend. If there is anything I can do to help, just ask. Thanks again for the comment. It really made my day. Take care now, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…honored with guest post successfully migrated to word press and won OBSS contest 3rd prize
Hi Max!
Congratulations! I am thrilled for you. You have done so much in such a short time. Not many can do this, so this post has been a joy to read.
You even migrated your blog… that can be a huge project but you have accomplished that too.
Keep on going, amazing things will happen for you.
-Donna
donna merrill recently posted…Create Your Awesome Authority
thanks donna; I feel pretty good about things. I didn’t realize doing the migration would be this big of a deal. I was scared but figured i was the only one. I believe you are right that even more great things are ahead for both of us. take care, Max
I am battling with a decision related to persistence and you have made me believe in pushing forward to the prize. Thanks Max. You are a great inspiration and well done on the win and the new look blog which I think is great!
Welli recently posted…The Legacy Grandpa left
Hi welli; I’m glad that I could help. I hope you will send me an email and let me know more about what was involved. the new look of the blog coms from the word press 2014 theme. 🙂 am always here for my friends. take care, Max
Hi Max,
This is my first time in your blog and I am impressed and inspired at the same time.
Congratulations on your win and on all you did!! You work hard Max and just reading this post I was telling myself how you are doing all this without depending on anyone!! Really awesome and I wish you more success!!
Keep up the good work Max, you are an inspiration and I can see you will be something huge in the near future!!! All the Best my friend!!!
Be Blessed,
Neamat
Neamat Tawadrous recently posted…7 Tips On Developing The Right Mindset in Business!
HI Neamat; thanks for visiting the blog and for your wonderful comment. while I did all the physical work, I don’t see myself as doing it alone. I know i have the support of many good online friends who will help when they can or when i truly need them. I hope to count you among my friends. I’m here to help you. so glad I can motivate and inspire you. people keep telling me I need to expand my blog post about life lessons into an e book. I’m still thinking about it. would appreciate your opinion and suggestions. blessings to you too my new friend, Max
Congratulations Max!! You must feel so happy, you have come such a long way, in strides and bounds!
I wish you a lot of fun with your courses!
Congrats too on moving your blog! I’m moving mine from WordPress to my author page, trying to keep things simple I will miss it because it doesn’t have so many bells and whistles and like pictures and widgets but life will be easier to keep everything in one home!
Blessings your way, dear friend and may the good luck continue! Hugs xx
hi clair; moving a blog or a website is always a stressful occasion. I applaud you for looking at your situation and making the decision that makes sense for you. if you are an author then combining everything into an author’s page makes perfect sense. You can always open a face book or other social media page later if you feel you need more social exposure. I’m starting to get excited about the courses. michael drew is sending me an audio book to go along with his course. its going to be an experience for me as a student taking my first courses in online marketing and them most likely having their first blind student or client. Its an opportunity to educate more people about the abilities of people with disabilities. thanks again for your loving comment and take care, Max xoxo
Congratulations are in order Max. What great news. I agree with others here that how you never seem to give up is truly inspiring. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for you next 🙂
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Hi Jeri; So glad that I can inspire people. I am blessed with a strong spirit and a positive attitude. Plus I always remember that the act of trying of giving something your best effort is a success. Next up, I am working on an ebook. I signed up for an auto responder and am working on getting it set up. that is for another post. 😉 And I have two interviews scheduled in august and september. Am also looking forward to learning from the courses I won in the contest. I’m sure you have lots going on too. take care my friend, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…honored with guest post successfully migrated to word press and won OBSS contest 3rd prize
Hi Max.
What a stressful ordeal with a fantastic outcome. Congratulations on the win, the guest post, and the new blogging platform. Good things are coming your way!
But your story is a reminder of what most of us take for granted.
You truly are an inspiration.
I am looking forward to more of your posts.
Neena recently posted…Create A Portable Blogging Office
Hi Neena; Thanks for your kind words. I am glad that I can inspire people by telling my story. I used to fight the idea that i was an inspiration. Now I realize that just by doing I am and there are so many people even successful people like yourself who need whatever bit of inspiration they can find on a daily basis. so it would be kind of selfish for me not to help where i can. glad you liked the post. I’m now working on my first ebook. Maybe it will be practice towards writing a biography someday. 🙂 thanks again and take care, Max
Hi Max,
It’s my first time to your blog!
Congratulations!!! What an accomplishment. I have gotten to Adrienne over the last few months and love the friendship we have been developing. She’s a special person for sure!
I saw that same post and checked it out but I’m so overwhelmed in growing my business right now that I couldn’t participate. So glad to have run into someone who did it and was successful at it. It looked like a really interesting contest.
And wow, to get on Harleena’s site, that’s awesome! I need to get on her site more often. So many great bloggers to choose from to learn more about our chosen craft.
Congratulations again Max! Please let us know how the tools you won worked out for you.
Have a great weekend!
~ Don Purdum
Don Purdum recently posted…Your Problems with SEO May Not Be On Your Website
Hi Don; thanks for taking the time to visit my site and read this post. It was especially long, so I wish I had some sort of prize I could give you. 🙂 I will be posting about my experience. I’m waiting on an audio book from michael drew and a pdf from scott fladlien. and my appointment with ryan levesque is on the 26th. I don’t know what i will learn from him but adrienne has assured me he is special. and since we both agree on how great adrienne is i am expecting ryan to blow me away. i probably shouldn’t have spent the time on the contest either. I probably wouldn’t have if my token efforts hadn’t been so successful. I would have most likely watched the webinars and hoped to learn some new tools. thanks again. i hope we will become friends and collaborate on something in the future. take care my new friend, Max
Congratulations Max! What an exciting post. I’m delighted for you success, and keep up the good work! 🙂
Christine | The Traveloguer recently posted…Strawberry Sales in Kiwiland
Thanks Christine; its given me the confidence to go after other things. am working on an ebook and won’t hesitate to enter other contests if I think the educational value is worth it. I loved the first post of yours I’ve read. I’m looking forward to us being regulars on each other’s blog. take care out there, Max
Max,
Wonderful hearing about your recent adventures in blogland. There’s a wealth of information within your narrative that will help me with my own blog and social media strategy. Thanks so much for sharing!
Kate F Eaton recently posted…Rising Above – Ending Client Relationships
Hi Kate; So glad you enjoyed the post. Even better if you learned something from it. ONe thing I do from time to time that hasn’t shown real results yet is to go to the face book pages of local and state tv channels and radio stations and send them a message about a particular post. Many of them are looking for content and may post your item on to their feeds. this saturday a station from missouri is going to do just that. It works best with companies near you, but if the story is relevant to enough people stations from other areas will take it too. If I can help with your blog in any way, just ask. thanks and take care, Max
Congrats
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hi jason; thanks for the comment. It felt good. all the best to you too, max
maxwell ivey recently posted…Learning to maintain my site and switching to a mac
Hi Max
What a great story of inspiration, hope and winning against the odds. Honestly, I am not much a fan of long posts, especially without visuals, but I had to say I did finish this one. Something about it that I did not want to miss any of the details, so I stuck with it. 🙂
Thanks for sharing about how you actually got your site moved from Blogger to wordpress. I did that back in January 2014, but I paid someone to get it done for me. For starters I was not comfortable doing it myself and was afraid, if I did I would mess up. But here you have included the link that provides a tutorial on how to do it yourself.
Keep writing, keep on inspiring others. Blessings!
Yvonne I. Wilson recently posted…4 Situations In Which Divorce Becomes An Advisable Option
Hi Yvonne; Thanks for this. I am very happy to hear that you found it interesting enough to read the whole post. That says either my story is good enough or my telling of it is to the point that someone who prefers shorter posts read all the way. I’m glad I can inspire others by sharing these events. and I was scared about the move to word press. I didn’t want to do it. I set out with the plan being to ask someone else to do it for me. but the people I knew well enough to ask either couldn’t do it or were occupied with other tasks. Isn’t that something we are always hearing about fear that doing something even when it scares you is the only way to grow. I am one of these people who likes to do a lot of research and then think about something before actually doing it. I’m glad i did it, but I wish I had never had to. That is why I tell people that they should save themselves a lot of grief and just start with a self hosted site to begin with. It doesn’t cost a lot of money and it will save you heart ache later. thanks again for your wonderful comment. Take care my new friend, Max
Hi Max. Congratulations on all the successes and wins. I’m glad you won the contest. It seems like that prize may turn out to be very valuable to you. I hope good things keep coming your way.
Hi Erica; Thanks for your warm comment. Well, I’ve never ben able to afford taking any of these online training courses. That plus most creators of them do not know what to do when you ask about whether or not a blind person will be able to get any real use out of their program. I’ve had many people tell me well there is a money back guarantee. But that doesn’t really answer the question. I’ve been impressed by the staff of Michael Drew and Ryan Levesque. They seem genuinely interested in my getting value out of their courses. I know this is what people say, but its great to see it in action. I wish you much success in your life too. Take care, Max
maxwell ivey recently posted…Learning to maintain my site and switching to a mac