CBC with Melitsa Avila

I was so excited to read Melitsa’s answers to my questions.  Melitsa and I have so much in common!  I am having such a good time in this cross-blog conversation!  Be sure to visit Play-Activities and learn about Melitsa’s start in business and what she does there on her website.

Now it is my turn to answer her questions:

Danielle, I can see you are a busy mom with lots of websites. How did you discover the Internet, blogging, giveaways and think of starting your own business?  and who are your biggest influencers  or people that keep you sane on this journey?

How did I discover the internet, blogging, giveaways and think of starting my own business?

This question does not have a simple answer! I discovered the internet back in 1999.  That is when I first purchased a computer.  At that point I really just surfed the internet and used it for email and not much more than that.  I started thinking about doing a business in 2003.  I had been married for three years and had two small children.  I had heard about people creating an ebay business and I thought “I can do that!”.  So that was my first attempt in online business. I sold name brand clothes that I found on clearance. After six months I decided it was not working out. I was not making enough income and it wasn’t fun!

I was on the search again for a business.  Then I discovered blogging.  I really passed it off as something I would never do because I didn’t understand how I could make money with it.  In my avid internet searching I decided to search for sweepstakes and that is when it all began.  I found the newsletter Sweepsheet that taught me how to enter giveaways! This became my focus until I started a new business at the beginning of 2005.  I stuck with it until 2007. It was a network marketing company with great products.  I still get a check from them every single month!  I stopped doing this business mainly because my third daughter was sick with a lot of health problems.  At that point I didn’t have time for much of anything but taking care of my children.  This lasted until my baby was almost a year old at the end of the summer of 2007 (I didn’t stay away long).

I began saving money with coupons.

During my time away from any business I discovered the Grocery Game. The Grocery game was a list that matched grocery sales with coupons.  I was saving a lot of money and using a lot of coupons.  I found a coupon vendor for my own personal use.  Then the business bug hit again.  I could get a lot of coupon inserts if I wanted them.  I had purchased coupons on eBay before and I thought “I could sell my coupon clipping  services on eBay”.  I was quite successful but again didn’t make a lot of money.  I did become a Power Seller on eBay and earned quite a reputation.  After about eight months I was notified that the coupon vendor would not be getting coupons any longer. At this point in my life I had just found out I was pregnant with our fourth child, we were selling our house and my husband was getting a transfer from Ohio to Utah!  So I decided to pack this business up.

We moved across the country!

Once we got to Utah last summer I started entering giveaways again and I discovered ChaCha.  ChaCha is a service you can use through your cell phone. People text or call in a question (sometimes very random questions) and I would answer the question as a guide.  I got paid for each search I did. In the beginning I really liked it but then they began changing the pay scale every two months.  I was getting frustrated with that and so I stopped doing it.  Through the last year I have been entering giveaways a lot and winning some! At the beginning of the year I decided to start Forever Johnson Handprinting.  When you enter giveaways through the mail often times you will be asked to send a 3×5 card or paper.  I do the handprinting for those who are unable to, for a fee. It is a business I knew I could do in my spare time for a little extra money each  month.

When it all changed again.

I was watching the Today show one morning and I saw Wendy Piersall (@emom) from Sparkplugging.com. She was talking about how Mom’s were making money online with there blogs.  A light bulb went off in my mind.  I knew that I wanted to create my own online business.  I knew I could create whatever I wanted with effort.  So I started my search and studied.  I started Danielle’s Journey to document what I have discovered and the direction that I am going.

My biggest influences and people that keep me sane it this journey?

I have had several influential people in this journey.  Right now there are a few.  First of all Kelly McCausey has been a big influence!  I don’t know if I would have learned so much about blogging and being successful on my own! Lynn Terry is another one that has influenced me a lot.  Her website has taught me a lot about affiliate marketing.  This is something I really want to focus on in my business. The last one I will mention is my dear husband Charles (@chuckandfro).  He has supported me in all the crazy things I have done.  He has especially kept me grounded and sane during this internship.  He has stepped in to help out when I was about to go crazy.  He even endured a crazy, ranting phone call from me a few weeks ago.  Not only this but he is a master proofreader and edits everything I do!  I love you, Honey!!

Okay after my very long answers her are some more question for you Melitsa!  You offer so many things on your website.  I don’t know what a Carnival is. Can you explain what it is?  I also am not familiar with Bam radio. Is it a podcast?  How have these influenced your blog?

Follow the conversation at Play-Activities!

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