Confusion to pure FOCUS. $772,830 profit, and driven to a BILLION (35)
Confusion to pure FOCUS. $772,830 profit, and driven to a BILLION
Damn.
Affiliate marketing is crazy.
In 2013 I did 473k.
A year and a half ago I posted this -- "Shooting for 50k/month NET by July 2014."
That shit was stapled to the back of my brain basically.
In 2014 I did ~950k.
This year I'm on track to do close to $3,000,000.
Whatever. Carrot/stick.
If you're focused on that screenshot above, you have the wrong mentality and are probably going to fail.
If you're still trying to make it, the interesting part should be understanding how it all started.
The fact is, that is all started in 2012.
In 2012 I was flat broke.
Being broke sucks, and the pain of feeling like you are useless, not good enough, not needed, and not important is even worse.
You felt this way before?
One of the hardest decisions, I can still think back to, is when I decided to signup for STM.
I just didnt have any money.
My boss rejected paying for this forum.
I had tried to justify it in my mind, but I knew I shouldn't be spending the extra money.
I tried asking if any of my friends knew anyone with a subscription, but noone did.
I joined StackThatMoney in 2012, and I had never come across such *real* tactical discussions about marketing ever before. None of my friends were concerned with this overwhelming urge to make money like I was, but when I logged onto STM for the first time, I knew this was where it was at.
Hu$tle.
From follow-along feedback, information, frank discussions, skype chats, events, and the network that I created through STM, I ended up with the foundation and direction I needed, and the confidence to launch/test/optimize/repeat over and over and over again.
I was incredibly excited to attend the STM meetups earlier this year in both Whistler, and London.
Maybe I've seen you at one.
To me, STM is the brand that embodies affiliate marketing, in the same way that GoPro embodies extreme sports.
Thats a nice plug for STM, but lets back up a little bit more.
Ironically, this whole affiliate marketing story for me actually STARTED for me in Thailand...
I was confused and had no direction in my life.
I had already gotten over the partying phase of life/college, and decided to packup 20 books, mainly about spirituality, and read them while backpacking around asia.
(side-note: carrying around 20 books sucks)
I read this book called the four-hour workweek, and was like 'shit, this is exactly what I want to do'.
me, directionless and confused in cambodia, pre-beard
In that moment, restless and reading the four hour workweek in a hostel in Siem Reap, I guess something just 'clicked' in me.
Not sure how it happened to be honest. All I know is that I was tired of being insignificant, and I was scared shitless of being mediocre, forgotten.
I found my personal drive.
Have you found yours yet?
When I got back to the states in 2009, my entire life's focus went to making that 'Tim Ferriss life' a reality.
The next 4 years were the most miserable time in my life.
I tried and failed at all sorts of businesses, and ways of making money.
From 2009 to 2012 it was a blur of Tony Robbins, Brian Tracy, Dan Kennedy, pua stuff, tom hopkins, eben pagan, frank kern, and just about any other self-help torrent I could get my hands on.
HTML, CSS, PHP, Photoshop, Illustrator, wordpress, hacking, phreaking, it didnt fucking matter to me; if it was a skill, and there was a torrent I could download, I would watch it.
I wanted skills. I wanted to win.
In hindsight, almost all of the ideas/businesses I had were really smart and scalable; the problem was I just didn't execute them right.
I tried everything from selling test answers to college classes, to outsourcing, to counting cards in signle deck bj, to day-trading, to cold-calling, to creating software, to selling info-products on ebay.
I had an incredible drive, but no experience and zero direction.
Now, I don't know the secret how to create drive in someone to make money, and my story is unique.
However I do have some advice for those that already have the drive, and maybe you won't have to endure those 4 miserable years I did, going through video course after video course, and still have nothing to show for it.
My 3 pieces of advice to those looking to move to the next level:
1. Read/learn voraciously
Millionaire Fastlane (I believe this is actually better than 4HWW now)
Zero to One - I read this book a few months ago, and it has changed my life, and taught me to dream bigger. If you're already fairly successful, this will be especially beneficial.
Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits - Do you hate accounting too? Well sorry, this is actually a book on accounting, but it is written in such a way that it completely demystifies everything. This book has helped turn me from simply a 'hobby affiliate' into a business owner, and helped me systematize my business.
2. Model others who are where you want to be
This is an NLP technique, and a body-language technique. Modeling others is the fastest way to get to where you want.
This is what I did with Tim Ferriss (internet business... automation... etc).
This is how I learned both PPC and client communication from my first mentor, David.
This is also how I launched my first successful affiliate campaign (I copied someone elses targeting, ads, and landing pages).
The power of modeling is insurmountable. Its not about what your guru says, its about what they DO that matters.
(side-note but this is why I find people like greg davis so wack)
3. Find a mentor
I had been networking like crazy. Any internet marketing that went on in the LA/OC area, I would attend.
I followed up with everyone.
7 months after we met in 8/5/2010, I finally got David to hire me.
This was the real turning point in my professional life.
My path in internet marketing has been completely defined by this turning point for me.
I have no doubt I would eventually have become successful, for I already had the drive.
But what meeting David did, was it accelerated my entire money-making timeline.
Its mindblowing.
The timelines of success they teach you in college are bullshit, right?
He would teach me the ins and outs of Google Adwords, and under his tutelage, I would manage over $450k/monthly spend, and start my own department under him(eCommerce data feed syndication), and became the main trainer for new PPC employees at the company we worked for.
As a 23 year old, I would end up managing $2.4million in monthly adwords spend, before I finally joined STM, and launched my first successful affiliate campaign.
The rest is history as they say.
At this point, I've personally expanded my end-vision beyond affiliate marketing. I have a massive bizzop training program coming out soon (all the top IM guys are promoting it), an affiliate network (Nutryst.com), my own lines of diet/skincare/muscle products, and partnerships with lipo/botox/testosterone clinics in the works to further monetize the leads I'm producing.
I have no doubt I'll hit at least $3mm this year, and at least $5mm the year after that just doing what I am already doing.
Thats not exciting enough.
I didn't get into this business to buy a nice house in the suburbs.
I want to be the next P90X (Beachbody), the next Weightwatchers, GoPro, Herbalife, Birchbox etc...
All these brands started off with direct-response advertising, and became billion-dollar companies.
Why aren't there any affiliate billionaires?
At this point Im not interested in finding any more direction or business ideas.
Im not even interested in just finding capable affiliates to work with.
What Im most interested in is finding the top-notch leaders who self-driven, hard-working, and technically sound affiliates who want to work with me to craft the next billion dollar company.
If you are interested in more information about working with my team and training under me, you can find out in this post here
I hope you enjoyed my story, and if you have any questions, or want specific details, let me know in the comments. Also, feel free to add me on facebook.
Next post should be when you make a billion 
How much cut will you give us?
Wow! very inspiring. Thanks for the share
Originally Posted by webdev
How much cut will you give us?
Like theres some pie and someones taking your slice! Ahh! Thats like someone with a 'startup idea' but they are unwilling to share their idea with anyone.
There is no pie.
One of the biggest things I realized once I moved over to advertising in the nutra space is how amazingly-fucking-large the market is.
Until you're doing 100k+/day, no-one is 'taking a cut' from anyone.
I'll answer your question though in my post dedicated to that ( see http://stmforum.com/forum/showthread...nsite-training ), so ask it in there if your serial.
Epic post John! Thanks for sharing
Great post. Especially the part about modeling.
They did a sociological study on swimmers from the lowest leagues up to Olympians to learn what made them elite. They found out that talent was secondary. The most important things (besides discipline and attitude) were WHAT THEY DID DIFFERENT from the lower leagues, rather than the amount of time they put in. So figure out what the best do, that you don't do, and copy it. Again great post.
Originally Posted by johnaff
You have a great gig going. Keep it up.
it's hard to complain with 5k a day
Great post man. I, too, love direct response marketing. Looking forward to your posts here.
By the way, this year I reached out to a mentor and things have been getting better ever since. The 1-on-1 help is sooo much better than reading books, taking courses, etc. Anyone reading this who is struggling, go get yourself someone to mentor you -- asap.
I am really just happy that you're a fellow Windows user.
Nice post nutra king! 
Awesome story John!
Going from broke to 3 million profit in 3 years, ain't too shabby at all!
p.s. I love this! "To me, STM is the brand that embodies affiliate marketing, in the same way that GoPro embodies extreme sports."
John, amazing post. Motivating to say the least. I've watched you GRIND 24/7 and focus on personal and business optimization.
Congrats on success and thanks for sharing real numbers. #Gangster
Welcome to the millionaires club 
Looking at that
Great story and amazing drive john !
Mehdi
Originally Posted by Mr Green
There are a million copycat product owners (anyone working in the nutra space knows this...), and their shelf-lives are about as long as I would last in in bed with Natalie Portman.
You guys created a cool product with stm, you know your customers, and your creating ways to monetize very effectively in innovative ways, like events, your own aff network,etc.
Which is 100x better than monetizing through email list blasts for 'the next hot info-product', or badly supported pieces of software, or awkward slapstick JVs, that would be the first inclination of many marketers to do, if they owned a large forum like this.
Im sure the LTV of a customer on STM is skyhigh, and the ROI is silly too, right?
In my mind, to become an advertiser, I always imagined that a person would have to be a better marketer than the average full-time affiliate.
Involved in innovation and creating a cool identity and shit like that.
But frrom what I've seen, most advertisers are less of marketers than the affiates themselves, and lazier.
Every single product is the frickin same.
Its super lame.
I personally believe the 'big things' in marketing are going to be where people take a second of their time to innovate their product/offering in a very unique, in-touch way instead of being a lazy copycat.
I would describe it as maybe 'being closely in touch with a self-identifying group of people'.
GoPro was one example I used.
(extreme sports)
Burning Man could be another example.
(alternative lifestyle people)
Whole Foods market (its a high-end health conscious supermarket) could be another example.
..and so on
I believe there are so many ways advertisers could innovate in the nutra space, to improve customer experience, and improve monetization, that its pathetically ridiculous. Some examples for diet:
Birchbox for diet
1-on-1 tele-coaching upsells for people who purchase diet pills
Forum/facebook accountability groups
Surgery upsells for high-risk consumers
Event upsells (think tony robbins for nutrition)
Retreats
etc
amazing, rock on!
Awesome post!
Awesome post! Saw your posts before but didn't know you were John Crestani!
Amazing man!
When I just joined the forum you were the first one I messaged to and you sure did helped me out and even gave me access to one of your google drive which I still saved and have open on my tablet.
Good luck with the Billion, you are almost there.
the conversion rate is 7.x% one payout is $38.x, my god!
Originally Posted by dong1980fourm
Hard work never lie! 
Sweet post John. Got your training and working hard to get my first campaign profitable
Inspiring! What affiliate networks would you recommend?
Originally Posted by bobliu
Nutryst = my own network, focused on nutraceutical (diet/skin/muscle) niches.
Ads4Dough = Great network that has a lot of great compliant / whitehat offers that are unique and still in broad verticals such as security, solar, insurance, language learning, refinance/mortgage, etc
Clickbank = The best network for info-products, and because theyre info products, you can run these offers in any country around the globe, which is a real plus. Their focus is on weight loss/muscle/bizzop/home improvement/pickup/etc
F5 Media = I dont really run a lot of mobile, but I've heard these guys are great for mobile/antivirus/tech support/etc offers.
Hope that helps
Originally Posted by johnaff
How long has Nutryst been around?
My aff network has actually been around since 2013 when i became the AOR (agency of record) for an advertiser that had a bed bugs offer. I rebranded it as Nutryst in mid 2015 when I decided i wanted to grow a network devoted purely to health/beauty products, but we didnt really start growing massively until i brought on my business partner steve lowry (who used to run offervault.com) at the end of 2015.
What a great post - so motivational. I am going to have to check out those reccomended books.
Great post, great books and I can totally realate.
Quick question, is the profit before / after tax, and have you structured your business in the US?
Good luck with future billions!
Originally Posted by johnaff
Thank you,
Gordon
Yes, i still recommend the books.
I also highly recommend an audio program called 'your wish is your command' by kevin trudeau; its available for free on youtube.
Originally Posted by johnaff
Thank you,
Gordon
Thanks John,
I've started off with buying those books you recommended.
LOL @ravioli! This post is from 2015. This dude is a guru now too doesn't even run campaigns just sells the dream to suckers.
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