Hello, I have decided I want to write about my steps in my WA journey and I am creating a journal. My first entry is going to take you through the beginning in January to my last day in February, then I will continue more as the time goes on. Maybe the next post will be my steps half-way through March, and maybe I will learn a more creative way to do this. We will see!
The Beginning- Entry 3/1/23
January 2023.
I decided I wanted to be part of a money making affiliate program. I attempted to sign up for Amazon Affiliate program only to realize I needed to learn to have the ability to do this. I don’t recall how I stumbled upon Wealthy Affiliate, but it caught my attention as agood start for affiliate marketing beginners. Sign up was advertised as FREE so I signed up, followed tutorials of the website and kept up to date on emails from Kyle, the Wealthy Affiliate Co-Owner and Ambassador.
I started with creating a profile and adding a few pics of the family. Kyle talks a lot about the community and how important it is for everyones growth, including my own. This wasn’t something I normally put much time in on my own time, like Facebook, which is currently my only social media platform that I use very little, but I figured I could give it a try, right?
Next steps were setting goals through WA and posting this on my own page:
From there, what was there left to do than try out some free classes they have to offer to feel things out? I started with “Online Entrepreneur Certification” with its 5 lessons, 10 courses each. In these, Kyle is the speaker. There is video with step by step explanation as well as content to read. After the first course, I realize “Affiliate Boot Camp” (7 lessons,10 courses each) might be a better starter class for me, as it will teach me how to become an Affiliate by first becoming an Affiliate Marketer for WA themselves. To me, this left less ideas for me to figure out on my own, and maybe a little more direction. I would be promoting the business that was teaching me. For whatever reason, this made sense to me.
I did hit a snag in the lessons where I would need to start considering if upgrading my membership from the Starter (free) was something I wanted to commit to. I had to ask myself if I felt the risk of a Premium Membership was worth it. Yes, there was an affordable version I feel could be very worth it as long as I could commit. But I needed to make sure I would commit. I sat on it for a good half of January, keeping it on my mind. I read blogs and backstories from other members. I followed some members so that I could continue reading their posts as they inspired me. I discussed to my husband who was open to it if I was. My personal issue was really making sure I mentally placed this idea as a focus in my mind and not make excuses to put in the work. Finally, I did. I was ready to mentally commit and take the dive.
February 3rd, 2023
I finally did it. I upgraded to a Premium Member and this opened me up to many new things that WA has to offer to continue to help my drive to becoming a successful and knowledgeable Affiliate Marketer and other doors I feel like this online knowledge can open for me. I was welcomed immediately and over the next few days I was welcomed as a new Premium member by others. I used this month of February to slowly continue my “Affiliate Bootcamp” class in between my work and home needs. 
I needed to find a niche. A subject I was interested in and willing to write about. A subject I could find some passion in. While I was exposed to this before my membership upgrade, I was very torn. What was i interested in to that level? All I do is go to work and come home to cook, clean or rest. That seemed to be my life. They had a Niche Finder application with in WA to assist (See Pic), but that only made me more confused as it broke down my ideas too far for me. Here is a small list of ideas I had created: Reading/ writing, fairy garden, foot problems, yoga therapy…. the list is huge. I realized there was a pattern. Many of these things I was interested in I did not have time for because of my busy work to home only life. I felt like I had no time for any of it. This caused more hard thinking during the time I was still a Starter Member.
I was excited to start using some engines w/in WA. WordPress was the first thing. A platform for building websites. My first website had a free domain through WA and was called JustStayMoM.siterubix.com. “Just Stay Mom” I decided could be my brand. My idea about it was to help moms find different things to help them continue successfully in their momhood without being double exhausted by our out of home full time jobs. As a mother I needed this and I believed others did too.
It took me the full slow month of February (the time frame is my own fault) and I think I am starting to find a rhythm on my time i put aside to log in to WA and make some actual progress I can feel.
February 28th, 2023
I am now 16% into my “Affiliate Bootcamp” training and 46% into Phase 2 “Content, Keywords and Conversions.” (see pic) I have made my first post on my website, created a privacy policy and am even in the middle of editing a second post I had originally put on called, “Affiliate Marketing Moms.” It is almost done.
I have purchased my own website domain and transferred all I have created to it. My new websites name is the same, but the URL had to change slightly due to availability. It is now StayingMom.com. You may find it still in its beginning stages, but that’s okay I am still learning. 😀
Thank you so much for reading my first Journal entry, you will see the next entry later in March.
Sincerely,
Nicolle K, admin
StayingMom.com