When I look back over the past ten years, there are so many bloggers that have inspired me and shaped the way I do business online today. I really wouldn’t be where I am today without them. While I hope I’m an inspiration to some of my readers out there, here are the guys and gals that inspired me (and some continue to inspire me) throughout my passive income journey.
Websites That Changed My Life
SmartPassiveIncome.com – When I was just starting out making money online, Pat Flynn was a huge inspiration. I made sure I didn’t miss a single post and loved the advice he gave. His blog was my inspiration for Brainstorming In Motion – even some of my posts are modeled after his. My favorite part of his blog was the case studies he did especially the Niche Site Duel. Today, his blog is completely different. Now he mostly brags about his speaking opportunities or his mastermind groups. I don’t read his blog as much anymore, however, his posts from about 2009-2014 are amazing and I highly recommend you go back and read them all. I still refer back to them regularly. Sadly, his blog doesn’t have an archives page anymore which is strange to me since he’s always talking about making websites more user friendly. If you want to read his older posts, I suggest using the Way Back Machine and clicking on a date to start reading.
NichePursuits.com – I first started following Spencer Haws back in 2010 when he was doing his Adsense Challenge (I think that’s what it was called). His goal was to make 100 1-2 page Adsense websites. Of course, that challenge failed since Google hates low quality sites but I thought it was fun to follow along and I learned a lot. Then he did his own Niche Site Challenge which was great. He has since did 2 more Niche Site Challenges – each being more valuable than the last. He still posts amazing, helpful content regularly and I highly recommend you check it out.
Skefflingsmakemoneyonline.com – Skeffling a.k.a. Claire Smith was a huge inspiration to me just a few years ago. She taught me how to make money with Amazon Affiliates. Skeffling would regularly post on the Infobarrel and Squidoo message boards giving advice on how to format your articles to get the most clicks to Amazon. She would also post her income reports on her website which were impressive. One month, I think she made $15,000 on Amazon Affiliates using Squidoo (site that doesn’t exist anymore). I didn’t even pay attention to Amazon until I found her site. I started copying the exact format she used for her lenses (articles) on my Squidoo account and would see amazing results. Once Squidoo sold out, I applied the same technique to my websites and it works! I wouldn’t be where I am today without the helpful advice of Skeffling. *Note: She removed everything from her website last year but you can still read her old posts here: Way Back Machine. Be sure to check out her Dec 2012 earnings post, crazy!
Givemebackmyfivebucks.com – While this site isn’t a make money online site, it is a make every cent count site. I like Krystal Yee’s strategy of making a budget and budget goals every month. She knows exactly where her money is going. When I first started following this site, Krystal was a freelance writer so I felt like I knew the struggles she was going through with trying to balance a budget while not knowing exactly how much she was making each month. She now has a 9-5 job but her posts are still inspirational to me. Someday, I would love to be debt free and own a home & car outright just like Krystal.
Budgetsaresexy.com – This is also a site that is more about budgeting your money than making it, however, there is a side-hustler series that gives you ideas on how to make money on the side. The net worth reports each month are inspiring and makes me want to pay off my debt ASAP. I also love J. Money’s goal of having a net worth of 1 million dollars. Something everyone wants to strive for.
I hope these 5 websites inspire you just as much as they have inspired me and I hope they provide you with some good reading material while you are bundled up inside this weekend – it’s COLD outside!