My journey of working from home began back in November of ’07 when I was scammed by a few different “work from home” certification courses. I should mention that my husband and I own and operate a full service restaurant and as many know, that is a tough business. Our income is very up and down, so I headed online to find a way to supplement our income.
One was as a Professional Web Promotion Specialist (such a thing does not exist) and another was as a rebate processor. If you have not come across it yet, the Angel Stevens Process At Home program is completely bogus. So much so that I created a website dedicated to warning people about it.
Shortly after the Angel Stevens scam nightmare I ventured into the world of network marketing. First with Melaleuca, a health & wellness company, next with One Group/Miessence which I am still apart of, then with Global Resort Network a top tier direct sales company, Genewize a DNA guided supplement MLM and finally with Carbon Copy Pro/Wealth Master International, also a top tier direct sales company.
Fortunately, I made most of the money back that invested in all of these companies but realized that the network marketing industry was not for me, particularly the top tier direct sales industry. I know that I could do really well with either of those companies, but the average person would have a tough go of it. I get far too emotionally invested in other people’s success and can’t keep the “business is business” attitude that is crucial to success in that industry.
I am still with One Group/Miessence because I love the products and it is an all organic, eco friendly company that I want to support. I think that is a key point to consider when looking at any network marketing company – are the products something you would consume or use regardless of the business opportunity. If you can whole heartedly say “Yes!” then go for it.
After all of that I finally landed on affiliate marketing. Over my months of research and education about making money online I knew about affiliate marketing, but for one reason or another dismissed it. One day, a good online friend told me about this fantastic resource called Wealthy Affiliate University. It really teaches people the core principles of internet marketing, how to make money online and for a very reasonable monthly subscription of $39. I couldn’t believe it, something affordable that wasn’t a scam! Plus, people were actually seeing results.
So after a lot of thinking and research I have learned how to marry my passion for green living, natural parenting and natural birth with internet marketing. You see, through out this website there are several links to products and such. These are all affiliate links and if any of my readers click on them and make a purchase (either that day or in some cases 30-60 days from then) I get a commission on that sale.
Affiliate marketing is the primary source of consistent income for many internet marketers. Best of all, it is completely legitimate and can cost very little to get started. The main obstacle is the learning curve. There is a lot to this industry, way more than I ever imagined. But, I must warn you, it can be addicting. I LOVE what I do.
With the knowledge I have about green living, natural parenting and natural birth as well as the online marketing skills that I have learned , I can really help people. To be able to help people for a living basically talking about things I am passionate about is a real blessing.
To be able to ease the stress and strain of daily life and be able to focus on what really matters, family, I can think much more clearly. Some of the things that used to get under my skin about the restaurant don’t seem to bother me anymore because I have new goals and new aspirations to focus my energy on.
I know that I am not stuck in that business and that in time we will either sell it or be able to afford to pay someone to run it for us. Either way is fine with me. As long as it means I can put my daughter to bed every night and her Daddy is around a lot more than he is now.
If you ever have any questions about what I do please feel free to leave me a question or comment below. I would be more than happy to help. You can also see more of my business side at JessRay.com.
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{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Jess,
I too had a natural birth with my daughter and I’m currently looking to develop an at-home business while supporting health, wellness, and organic lifestyle. I’d love to hear more about what you do!!
I just stumbled upon your blog while researching both Melaleuca and One Group/Miessence. A good friend of mine just introduced Melaleuca to me and Im supposed to go to an info. session with her tomorrow….but after really investigating it just now, Im not keen on its “health” products. Although the company has been around since the 80′s, there’s nothing about promoting Organics, Fair Trade or any other sustainable practices. I thought this to be odd considering at this day in age “natural” can mean anything. I did some further digging and just found Miessence which seems amazing due to the raw, organic and vegan products. THIS sounds great to me!! I am glad I found you
Thanks
Kelly
waves625@yahoo.com
Hey Jenn,
That’s great. Congrats on the new baby!
As far as your blog, I recommend Yaro Starak’s blog and Ebook. Go to entrepreneurs-journey.com and sign up for his list, you’ll then get access to download his Ebook on blogging for income. Some of the traffic sources are a bit outdated but the overall instruction on creating content is great.
One other suggestion, focus on content first and foremost. You will build a loyal following from your content.
Two other great resources on the organic/natural side of things, if you haven’t found them already, are the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database and The Good Guide. They have ratings for all sorts of cosmetics and skin care products.
As far as parenting advice, enjoy the early months and roll with the punches. Sleep when the baby sleeps as much as you can and know that after the first year it gets a lot easier.
My favorite baby books are The No Cry Sleep Solution and The Baby Book by Dr. Sears.
Let me know if I can help you with anything else!
Jess
Hi Jess,
Thanks a lot for your post, there’s some great information here. I just started a blog that will explore ingredients in cosmetics and recommend green and natural products. I’m also a new mom and love the articles on baby wearing, attachment parenting etc. I would love to get more tips and advice from you both on starting an online business and taking care of my little one.
Best wishes,
Jennifer
Hi Sue,
I will send you a private email about the whole Angel Stevens thing…I took that website down a couple months ago.
Jess
Hi Jess
Stumbled on your site when I saw Angel Stevens name pop
up. Or the other on Angela Penbrook. Got taken by the latter,some time ago. Wonder if you still have the info from
Angel Stevens Scams.us. The server can’t find it.
I know that you had this about a year ago. A day late and a
dollar short is where I usually am. Am Determined to find
a way to make some extra income from home. The previous
mentioned “gottcha” means lots of homework. Thanks for
your help. Your site “Green Mom Happy Mom” is great.
You doing what I did 30 years ago. All the babies are
grown and gone. Keep up your good work.
Best Wishes
Sue Ringle
Hi Heidi,
Thanks for the offer. Yes, at the moment I use both DIY products as well as natural products for home and personal care. Any information you can share would be great.
Jess
Jess ~ Interesting website. Do you use natural cleaning products, shampoos, laundry soap,etc? My daughter suffered with eczema for years until I switched over to non toxic products. I was so pleased with the products, I started marketing them part time. They do not cost more than national brands, in fact, they are less expensive. I would love to give you an online presentation. ~ Heidi
Jess, you’re just awesome. More power to you with all you do.
Howdy, Jess. Great to see what you’ve got going on your web site. You will be happy to know that my wife Daphne and I installed solar panels on our house in January – 27 panels to be exact. These panels can provide for 75-80% of our current electrical use (we are looking at making some changes in what we do to improve that) plus a backup battery that can power our critical home systems for 24 hours in case of a grid outage. Cost was about $45k, with Xcel Energy and the State of Colorado funding about half of the cost with rebates and tax credits. At current kwh prices, our payback is about 13 years. However as the rate/kwh goes up, payback period will be shorter.
In addition, while in New Orleans last November for some post-Katrina volunteer work, we spent some time assisting at a no-kill animal rescue shelter and ended up adopting another dog, our third. We named her Nola. She is a 2-yr. old aussie/heeler/Catahoula mix, weighs about 27 lbs. and is awesome. She provides some fresh energy for Pete, who is now 11 and blind, and Ruby who is in her homestretch at 15 1/2 and ailing.
Pass my greetings on to Matt and hope all is well in your world of beer, food, dogs, kids, etc.
Mendy