I’ve been interested in computers since high school.  My first programming class was on an Apple+ computer and was done in BASIC.  I loved programming so much I went to college to get a B.S degree in Computer Science.  I purchased an Apple II+ computer and worked with 5-1/2″ discs and a 300-baud modem to access the mainframe at school!  Back then forums were known as bulletin boards and the Internet didn’t exist for the general public.

I’ve always loved programming, but ended up getting more involved with network management than programming.  Eventaully I ended up as a consultant doing a variety of things, including some programming, but nothing on the web.

In 1998 my brother convinced me to combine my love of computers and needlework and get online.  So, that’s what I did with the help of my husband.  It took almost a year to get our website up and running.  Both being computer people we couldn’t imagine someone else doing the work for us.  Kevin built the computer and installed the software, all Microsoft because he had access to Microsoft software.  Always wanting to do things the best we started with Microsoft  [can’t remember right now] as the shopping cart.  Neither one of us knew it, but I figured it out and did all the programming for it.

Northern Needle was brought online in 1999 and was a great success.  We were way ahead of the curve in the needlework industry.  Most stores didn’t have a website and if they did, it wasn’t a shopping cart like ours was.  We could afford to do it because we were doing it all ourselves.  But that was also our downfall.  We couldn’t afford to quit our jobs, but couldn’t keep up with the demands of the business either.  Looking back, we should have taken a risk, gotten a loan and figured out how to outsource things… but we didn’t.  We closed down the website in 2001.

But it didn’t end there… the bug to have my own business wouldn’t go away.  I thought if I could have a physical store and a website I’d be set.  Thinking my husband would be best positioned to quit his job and run the store until it got financially stable we decided to give it a try.  We moved out of the Minneapolis area back to my hometown of Tracy, MN.  We purchased a building and got started, again.  Well, to make a long story short, that didn’t work so well either.  We thought we could jump right back in and our customers would be right back.  Nope, we lost our advantage and by the time we were back online so were most other needlework stores.  We were no longer the first or the best.  The traffic just didn’t materialize, and Tracy, a town of 2500 wasn’t big enough to support us either.

Luckily we love living in Tracy, actually on the shores of Lake Shetek, and being close to family.  Kevin went back to work and I was still working, so things were just fine. 

That is until my brother (yes, the same one) pestered me about getting involved with affiliate marketing and all sorts of other things that he’d been tracking online.  He’d been talking to me about it for years, but I never quite grasped it - and didn’t have the time to either.  I had plenty of other things on my plate!

But then, after spending several years working too much and spending too much time out of town, I finally had a break and decided I needed to look into this marketing stuff Jeff was telling me about.  Finally I understood what he was telling me and realized this might be an opportunity.  I’m paid very well, and love what I do, but I wanted to have more control over my life and work to put money in my pocket rather than my employers pocket.  This appeared to be the solution.  So in December of 2006 I jumped into Internet marketing (but still keeping my job).

As I do anytime I’m trying to figure something out, I got books and audios and researched the topic.  I signed up with a coaching program and went to my first seminar in March.  Those two things really allowed me to get on track!  Through the coaching program I created my first product and rolled it out in October (PLR Experts Revealed).  What a thrill to find it actually works - I made money and built a list!!!! 

Through the coaching program I was forced to pick some area of expertise to focus on… and because I had so many PLR products on my hard drive I choose PLR.  But, as I continued to work on things and started working on my next product I discovered the area I really wanted to focus on was video training - because I enjoyed it and I’m good at it.  

Over the years I’ve been told I know how to communicate complicated things in a way non-techies can understand (even my Dad).  In my current job as a consultant people have told me I do a good job of mentoring and teaching.  I also love to learn new things and figure out how to use them.  My bookshelves are crammed with books, manuals, and training packages.

So that is what this site is all about - teaching you the skills to be successful online! 

Trackback URI |