Name
Kamiel Sadien

Age
22

Location
Cape Town, South Africa

Primary Business Venture
Independant Music Producer, Midi Programmer (most recently but I'm currently studying)

College
Diploma in Sound Engineering, Diploma in Electronic Music Programming (Cape Audio College)
Diploma in Copywriting (AAA School of Advertising - pending)

Years in business
2 years

Favorite Interests
- Music
- Girlfriend
- Soccer/Football
- Anime/Manga
- Writing
- Creative Advertising

Favorite Book
- At the moment reading Life of Pi which is excellent.
- Manga, Manga and more Manga

Favorite Movie
- The Fifth Element
- Independence Day
- Star Wars III - "Revenge of the Sith"
- The Matrix II
- Spiderman II
- Batman Begins

Favorite TV Show
- Heroes
- Naruto Shippuden

Favorite Websites
- IGN.com
- Goonernews.com
- Football.co.uk

My Website(s) I wish to share
myspace.com/darkontinententertainment

Most beneficial ebook, course, etc.
- dunno ebooks but read a book called Cutting Edge Advertising

Who do you look up to in business
- My dad
- David Ogilvy
- Leon Burnett
- Richard Branson
- Russel Simmons
- Sean Combs

Hobbies
- Buying gadgets
- Collecting swords
- Manga/Anime
- Music Production
- Songwriting
- Writing in general

Name
Robert Gallagher

Age
25

Location
London, England and Valencia, Spain

Primary Business Venture
Import/Export and direct mail

College
BEng Computer Engineering, MSc Web Development

Years in business
1 year or less

Favorite Interests
- Reading business/marketing books
- Travelling
- Golf
- Music and rocking out on the guitar

Favorite Book
- How small business trades worldwide, John Spiers

Favorite Movie
- Scarface

Favorite TV Show
- Don't have one

Favorite Websites
- Reddit.com

My Website(s) I wish to share
n/a

Most beneficial ebook, course, etc.
- How small business trades worldwide, John Spiers

Who do you look up to in business
- Every self made millionaire

Hobbies
- Same as favourite interests. That's enough!

Hello, I'm Phil

42 years young, a business owner most of my adult life.

Location: Delaware USA

Currently have 3 catalog websites selling health, fitness and diet supplements (about 6000 items). We do a ton of mail order and also operate a retail store located in Delaware.

I enjoy learning and exchanging feedback with others (that's why I'm here).

I don't have any one favorite book: I mostly read about health, marketing, sales, self development, accelerated learning, nutrition, exercise, science, metaphysics, quantum physics, leadership.

I recently started a small business as a marketing consultant, mostly local, I help people with their advertising, marketing and sales.

I help businesses fix their ads in the yellow pages, news papers, etc and advise on mailings, database marketing, sales and security (yes people steal your inventory)

I am currently studying copy-writing, not to get a job, but mostly for my own business. But who knows, maybe one day I'll be writing with the "Big Dogs".

I work to much, but I really enjoy what I do.

Well anyway, It's a privilege to be here.

thanks.

Well, Lets see,

I'm a triple disability personality I reckon, born with Cerebral Palsy, Crohn's Dx , and the survivor of an 18 foot fall onto a stair step, thereby transposing my upper and lower back onto two of them 3 1/2 years ago. The surgeon said my back looked like a Z. Told me bluntly after 10 1/2 hours surgery that I was paralyzed from the waist down and would never walk again. Nice assessment.

... But I'm back on my feet once more, walked a daughter down the aisle last year (using fore-arm crutches, and with an ankle brace that snapped just beforehand).

Now I am jumping back into the fray with a new business.

Good to be on board.

Name
Patrysha Korchinski

Age
35

Location
Whitecourt, Alberta

Primary Business Venture
Marketing and Promotion for Small Business

College
A few psych courses

Years in business
First business of my own of any type 1997
First website 2000
Latest venture – launching in a week and a half

Favorite Interests
- My husband and kids
- Sales, marketing and the Internet
- Reading

Favorite Book
I read 10 books a week on average…so it’s hard to pick a favourite

Favorite Movie
Grandma’s Boy
Half-Baked
Outsourced
Armageddon

Favorite TV Show
-House
-Monk

My Website(s) I wish to share
Can't share cuz I haven't made any posts elsewhere, been reading for months, but never posted

Who do you look up to in business
My father in law
Alice Seba
Kelly McCausey

Hobbies
Reading
Needlepoint

Favorite Quote
All my life I’ve been over the top
I don’t know what I’m doing
But I don’t want to stop – Ozzie Osbourne

Name
Clint Finch

Age
30

Location
Fort Worth, Texas

Primary Business Venture
Copywriter-To-Be

College
- Business Management (BBA)
- Spanish

Years in business
0

Favorite Interests
- Motorcycles
- Music
- Language, Literature, Etimology
- Stand-Up Comedy

Favorite Book
- The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
- Authors: Poe, Steinbeck, Bradbury

Favorite Movie
- Payback
- Fight Club
- Sin City
- X-Men series
- Blade series
- Underworld series

Favorite TV Show
- Futurama

Favorite Websites
- Songfacts
- Wikipedia

My Website(s) I wish to share
none yet

Most beneficial ebook, course, etc.
don't know yet, just starting

Who do you look up to in business
?

Hobbies
- Motorcycles
- Music

Why I'm Here
I could use some help. Advice. Direction.

I am just learning about copywriting. Two weeks ago, I didn't even know what it was. Most of what I have learned has come from forums like these and free advice on private websites. Later, I plan to invest in Bly's Copywriter's Handbook*

After reading a Jay White interview, I am considering beginning my venture by way of catalogs* I am planning to find some potential clients that market to those who share my personal interests* Then I will pound out some samples and e-mail a few businesses, marketing my services* I have some advice to go on as far as writing the samples, but I am not too sure what to include in the body of my e-mail* Since I have no experience or website, should I reference my education?* I am looking for help in answering these questions as well as any others I may not have thought of. Anything at all would be helpful. Also, are there any threads on this forum pertaining specifically to catalogs that I may have overlooked? I have read many insightful posts from a number of experienced and successful people. I would greatly value anything offered.

*please make suggestions and/or advise

Thank you all!


Favorite Quote
"It's Broken. Are you happy now?"

Hi all,

It came to me in responding to a message that I should introduce myself to any who care.

My name is Kawika Ohumukini, I've been doing online businesses since 1997, marketing since 2000 and writing sales letters and doing campaigns since 2004.

I think I got a crash course spread out over 10 years. Dan, John, Ron Legrand and Gary have a way of beating you into submission until you stop doing marketing like everybody else and just focus on what works. In 2004 I finally got it.

Now, I'm just here to learn and share what I can. Seems like a great open minded group which I like.

Major teachers were Dan Kennedy, John Carlton, Gary Halbert, Joseph Sugarman and Ron Legrand. If you don't recognize Ron's name it's because he's a real estate guru not generally known as a marketing guru. He is however a student of Dan's who, when everyone else was selling $299 seminars he was selling $4-6K bootcamps and in 2004 sold two bootcamps for $10K each. I have those on video/cd and most of Dan's students and business partners were at one or both events. It was a great insight into the mind of a master. It was also very fun to watch.

These two bootcamps were about platform speaking and seminar promotion and guess who was on the panels of both? Dan Kennedy. During those events, which are available on Ron's site, Dan did two things that changed my whole perception of marketing.

1. He dissected his million dollar speech he gave over and over on the Peter Lowe tours. Ron called it a masterpiece and I agree. He even gave the transcript as part of the package I bought. It talked about how to guide an audience or one person to where you want them to be, a customer.

2. He talked about how to structure a seminar/bootcamp event and all the marketing needed from lead generation to backend coaching. I had to listen to it almost daily for 1 year for it all to stick.

Basically the two sets combined was a blueprint for setting up million dollar funnels which I tend to focus on now.

Nowadays I don't really go after freelance jobs. Instead I help organizations setup funnels, which I call Vertical Direct Marketing Programs (hence the name vdmp), and write the marketing for them, gain a percentage and help with some of the technicals like a website, ecommerce, multi-letter mailing campaigns etc.

I used to try to convince companies that marketing was important but I just didn't have the patience. I find most of my work by referral or at organization meetings and conventions/seminars. Someplace where a target market has paid good money to be at, are predisposed to spending big bucks and already understand how important marketing is. It seems to save a lot of time.

I'm very grateful for this group. You all seem to be very enthusiastic, smart and open to ideas. My favorite group of people. See you on the boards.

Hello,

Rebecca Dean here. Entered the copywriting world about a year ago under the wing of fellow copywriter (and awesome brother), Stephen Dean. Enjoying the ride. Adore how much I get to learn from each project (talking both life and copywriting lessons here.) Have BS degrees in both Marketing and International Business/Economics. Copywriting education came primarily from Gary Halbert's recommended books, my brother and following Michel Fortin's blog.

Hope I'm able to provide useful contributions here and looking forward to getting to know and learn from all of you.

Regards,

Rebecca Dean
a.k.a. Miss Copy

Name
Kenneth Lee Gilliss
Age
44

Location
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
Primary Business Venture
Freelance Copywriting, ebooks

College
English degree, some grad courses in English, postgrad certificate in copywriting, finishing a certificate in tech writing

Years in business
4 years

Favorite Interests
- Reading business/marketing books
- Travelling
- Movies
- Music
- Hanging out with friends

Favorite Book
- Too many to list

Favorite Movie
- Amadeus

Favorite TV Show
- Battlestar Galactica

Favorite Websites
- this one

My Website(s) I wish to share
n/a

Most beneficial ebook, course, etc.
- Ad Magic

Who do you look up to in business
- Michel Fortin, Ray Edwards, Steve Slaunwhite

Name
Kelly Watson

Age
24

Location
Lancaster, PA

Primary Business Venture
Copywriter

College
I received a Bachelor's in English from Northern Arizona University.

Years in business
A little over two.

Favorite Interests
- Writing
- Internet marketing
- Reading
- Yoga

Favorite Books
- A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
- Pilgrim At Tinker Creek, by Annie Dillard
- Shutterbabe, by Deborah Copaken Kogan
- Anything by Augusten Burroughs

Favorite Movies
- American Beauty
- The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
- Stand By Me

Favorite TV Show
- Six Feet Under
- The Office
- Dexter

My Website
-wordwisemarketing[dot]com

Most beneficial ebook, course, etc.
- Well, PLF 2.0 has been tremendously helpful so far.

Who do you look up to in business
- John Reese
- Michael Fortin
- Jeff Walker
- Jason Moffat

Why I'm Here
- To learn as much as I can and to meet new people.