http://www.seo-for-osc.com/about/

I think the only solution for this is to mature faster.

It’s pretty neat that you were able to spawn a career like that from such a non-Web 2.0 past. Didn’t you still have difficulties with people taking you seriously after starting your business?

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Neil, I have been reading your blogs and podcasts since you started with Pronet and Rush Hour… and I really look forward to meeting you at SMX Social Media. See you there!

This helped me think through some things. I’m debating to share all my ups and downs on a blog of mine. I’m a little embarrassed to share some of the downs. After reading your post I think I should definitely share the downs because I think it would help a lot of people. I think people would also connect with me.

Since I was 12 when my parents owned a small pub in a busy street. I operated a pool table right outside of the pub for a whole summer. I charge dollar for 9 ball game or 2 for an hour. I was so good at playing pool and after 2 months I use to play people for 5 bucks and more.

When I was 15 I went to Hong Kong with my big brother. That is when we started to help Mongolians ship tens and thousands of containers to Mongolia all packed with old cars.
At the time the Pakistani and Hong Kong yard owners used to call me Mr.Thomas although I was just a kid to them I brought good business.

The Mongolian Tax on second hand cars were quite high but we cheated by taking off 7 parts of the car such as axle’s, wheels, steering wheel, break system etc, that way it doesn’t count as a car but it’s brought in as a car body and the tax is only 500$ per vehicle.
Which was not bad because at the time in Hong Kong you can buy car’s and ship’ em here to Mongolia and sell it and made 1 grand from each vehicle.

I used to talk to yard owners before coming over with a Mongolian customer. I would write down each vehicle prices and add my own amount. When I come down to the yards with people who are buying over 20 vehicles each The yard owners last price will usually be my price and I used to get my commission from the paid amount.

It was good till the tax law changed.

In high school and throughout college I would find the smartest kid in the class to take class notes and I would take book notes, compile it all and then give a copy to the smart kid and sell study packs before finals.

In college I would throw parties once a month to pay rent for the house I lived in. Would get all the guys in the three story house to open up their floor. Basement was a funk band and a keg. 1st floor was techno DJ, a keg and an open bar. 2nd floor was hip-hop DJ, bar and keg. Third floor was bong and mellow music. $3 to get in the door, all you could drink. We made thousands every time. Eventually got paid by other people to throw parties.

Now I use that experience online to help match needs.

And just like you I haven’t finished college yet. My parents believe I need to get a degree and not worry about making money.

I came from rural part of the Himalayan Country Nepal. I always came first in my class in the school in my village and even topped the school few times. I had to work hard in home and then go school because I was living with my 70 years old Grandma. I worked a lot in home and always came first so, everybody thought I was the most brilliant student in my small village.
I wanted to be a computer engineer. When I finished my school my dad retired and returned village. So I became free because my parents where there to take care of my granny. I then jumped to the city. I had always known that if I become a computer engineer then I would make a lot of money. So I joined Computer Engineering. Money was not a problem for me at that time, my dad would sent me anything I want. As soon as I finished 2 semester of computer engineering I didn’t found that like what I thought. The curricular was very bad, I would learn the whole stuff in a month which they have in 6 month curriculum. So I stopped attending class. I topped almost all the practical classes and failed in theory class.

I started spending all the time in Internet which was free . I met a friend who told me that I can make money from Internet sitting in my classroom. And thats where I started. I joined different webmaster forums. And started to write content for people. Soon, I realized that I was making more than what my father made in a month. I started a lot of blogs. Made money from ads. And later I also tried PPP and Review me stuffs. I learned SEO. Which helped me a lot to make more money from blog advertising. I worked as a freelancer SEO for several websites. I learned affiliate marketing later. I though I am a really good learner when I made 50$ from affiliate in my first month.

Now, I almost stopped blogging. My friends look after my blogs these days. Stopped going college which I might soon rejoin.I am currently working as a freelance SEO, I look after daily operations in a big social networking site and doing affiliate things. I run a small web design business with friend. And trying to master in Affiliate Marketing.

And I am no more the old brilliant student for my parents because I left college. They think a 19 years old boy should be in school, not in work.