MY STORY
Battling Self Doubt to Blogging Success.
My name is Lee Lincoln and this is my blog.
I started this blog as a side project back in 2021 and Throughout my life, I always tried to start online businesses, but perfectionism and self-doubt made me quit every time.
Here’s how it went For Me:
I start something and meticulously plan every detail behind my computer. I spend countless hours on branding, web design, logo creation, forms, and social media profiles.
Everything had to be perfect before launch.
Months of planning and making things perfect so that I had enough confidence to share it with friends – my ways to keep things safe while avoiding rejection and failure.
And when I finally did launch, I’d tell friends and family so they could look at my amazing new, online business.
It’s pure psychology:
when you share your new entrepreneurial identity, you start to believe people think that’s who you are. This newfound status achieves part of your new identity goal, you feel good about yourself before even getting started, and you’re less likely to succeed.
Next, when it finally came time to market myself in the real world, self-doubt took over.
I wouldn’t see immediate results, get discouraged, stay behind my computer, and quit – every time. I never gave it my all. I stayed in a safe, predictable bubble, trying to distance my personality from my business.
If I didn’t put my face to it, it wouldn’t matter when I quit, I thought.
This blog is the first time it worked. Here are my theories why:
I learned enough about myself to make it work.
I launched without worrying about things being perfect.
This blog is under my name, putting my personal brand at the forefront.
I didn’t tell any friends or family about it until I was sure it was going to work.
Most people who write “About Me” pages focus on how awesome they are and list all of their professional accomplishments.
Don’t get me wrong – I like a success story.
But even more than a success story, I like the story of the person who messes up their life and then gets it back together.
So here’s my story – I hope it gives you an idea of who I really am.
Back in the late 1960s – From the Void of Nothingness to a Real Live Human Baby
I grew up on Long Island, new york.
Eager to hit the ground running in the late 60s, I decided it was time to be born three weeks before my due date.
I was the second born to my amazing parents Lee and Irene, and we lived in a small house in Levittown, New York, about 35 miles outside of New York City.
The 1980s – My Teenage Years
In 3rd grade, I joined the town’s baseball league.
Besides staying busy with school and sports, I remember watching a lot of MTV after school (back when they actually played music). It was episodes with a constant stream of Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica, Scorpions, Billy Idol, Rush, AC/DC, Van Halen, and Motley Crue – you know the good stuff.
1987 I Signed Up To The United States Navy.
Where I was Stationed in Mayport Florida, On the USS Forrestal CV-59. Where I went on three tours And was in the Gulf war.
Persian Gulf War, also called the Gulf War, (1990–91), international conflict that was triggered by Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990. Iraq’s leader, Saddam Hussein, ordered the invasion and occupation of Kuwait with the apparent aim of acquiring that nation’s large oil reserves, canceling a large debt Iraq owed Kuwait, and expanding Iraqi power in the region. It was the first major international crisis of the post-Cold War era, and the U.S.-led response would set important precedents for the use of military force over subsequent decades.
Where I Am Today
By late 2019, I had a good depth of knowledge of starting an online business –. I was ready to take this knowledge and put it to use so I could work for myself. One thing I learned along the way is that humans are really good at getting used to things.
At different times in my life, I’ve been depressed and broke, or happy and thriving. Either way, my mind creates new normals, and I get used to however good or bad the situation is. Everything I learned (and everything I struggled with along the way) was the only path to get me where I am today.
It was enough to realize that I could start a blog and make it work.
And since I had already used almost every piece of software in existence. I was in a good position to review these tools and earn affiliate commissions. Not just eCommerce tools but I could cover all of marketing. And this time around, I didn’t spend months planning or trying to perfect every little detail. In March 2019, I put up some blog posts on different sites so I could start writing.
I quickly realized the different sites had limitations, so I moved my site to WordPress and officially launched this blog in March 2021. I started using startup growth tactics to grow my blog. As I still had a full-time job, I needed to make the most effective use of my time. And I wanted to make real money in 8-12 months (not 4-6 years) – all in the ultra-competitive marketing niche.
To do this, I had to scale my blog like a startup. I focused less on writing and more on treating my blog like a business.
So instead of taking the typical route of writing, promoting, and sharing my content, I shifted all of my focus to scaling processes.
These processes had three primary goals:
- Obtain backlinks to build Domain Authority.
- Accelerate my organic traffic growth.
- Monetize my site within 7-9 months.
So for six months, I started hustling and working 100+ hour weeks between my blog and a day job.
- I designed and launched my WordPress site, wrote six pillar blog posts, and set up my email funnel.
- Next was email outreach to find freelance writers and content companies to outsource my guest post content.
- I started aggressively pitching guest posts, outsourcing content creation, and getting published to speed up my backlink acquisition.
- After obtaining backlinks and getting my blog posts to pages 2-3 on Google, I used SEO tools to update my content and make it better than competitors.
- Once my posts got to page 1 on Google, I added affiliate links and started monetizing them.
- Rinse and repeat.
And it worked.
Eight months in, I obtained over 400 backlinks and generated 5,600 organic visitors/month.
Fourteen months in, this blog started making over $9k/month
In July 2022, this blog brought in $15k/month.
And I finally lived up to my own expectations of myself and hit my ultimate goal – time freedom.
Time is my most precious commodity.
Looking back, it took me longer than most to grow up and figure things out. I was always so worried about looking good, fitting in, and everything working out perfectly.
Ultimately, none of that mattered. Every struggle led me to this point, and I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.
No Matter Where You Are, I Know You Can Do It Too.
My blog’s purpose is to document my journey from day one so that we learn together.
Since most of us are building a side income while working full-time, my goal is to give you the strategies and tools to accelerate your growth.
No one ever gave me actionable, step-by-step advice to grow from day 1. I want to change that.
Finally, I love the connections I’ve made, the websites I’ve contributed to, and the results I’ve driven for high-growth startups and bloggers alike.
I don’t plan to gain passive income to go lay on a beach somewhere.
There’s a lot more work to do. I have more content to write, and more ideas to contribute.
You could be launching a side business to support your family or making thousands of dollars every month for your content. It could be as simple as making some passive income with affiliate marketing or telling your unique story to the world and getting paid for it.
No matter your goals, Life’s too short not to give it a shot.
I Want to Take a Moment and Thank You For Being Here.
If you made it this far, I appreciate the time you took to read this and deeply value every relationship I make from this blog.
I’m here for you as a friend. I try to respond to every email and want to hear your story – both the good and the bad.
I want to provide a safe community where new bloggers can collaborate, provide encouragement, and work smarter. Since we’re all new bloggers, we need to band together, pick each other up, and rally together to win.
Thank you for reading.
I hope that the story of your life brings you peace, freedom, and happiness.