In January 2023, while browsing Instagram, I found an ad about a book called The Iceberg Effect. After ordering and reading my copy, it became clear that affiliate marketing was changing and that I needed to take a different approach from what I was doing. It was a great read, but I would like to emphasize one thing about the book here.

Discovering My WHY (What Motivates Me?)

The book had a section providing an in-depth exercise to think about WHY I wanted to achieve success through affiliate marketing. At first, I came up with obvious answers, such as never stepping foot at a corporate job again, sleeping late, traveling, etc.

As a single guy, all of those desires were geared towards my own benefit, but after pondering for a few more months, my WHY morphed into something more selfless and meaningful. Normally, I would stay quiet and keep my most ambitious goals to myself, but as I learned more about the uniqueness of the affiliate marketing industry, I realized that stepping out of my comfort zone and sharing my most private goals can actually be a good thing. It can help build relationships with others who might relate to my situation.

My Mission!

In late August 2023, I was planning my next vacation trip, preferably to a third-world country. I had heard good things about the hospitality of the people in the Philippines, so I booked my roundtrip ticket and traveled from the freezing weather of Boston, USA, to the other side of the planet. The experience was great, and what they said about the people there was pretty much true. It felt more like I traveled through time instead of location.

But the real reason I flew so far away was because my WHY turned into a crazy mission. I was actually planning my future 10, 30, 40, and 50 years from now. I don’t see myself living in my current city anymore for different reasons. Moving to a place where their culture can easily resonate with my personality and principles is something I would like to accomplish for myself and my future family.

My WHY goes beyond being able to buy nice things or being independent from a job. It has to do with me leaving an entire world to move to a completely different one with “less” accommodations. I’m sure for most people in my sphere, this might seem like an illogical thing to do.

My lack of recurring income to live comfortably in another country, along with the feeling of being responsible for taking care of my mother here at home, are two reasons why this mission to move abroad will be very challenging. I will not lie; I have many doubts about what the future will hold for me!

So, whether I succeed or not or whether my plans change or not, you’ll be the witness to my results. As of now, I see affiliate marketing as the only tool that might help me accomplish this desire. If I start seeing positive results in affiliate marketing in 2024, then at least the money aspect of this mission could potentially be resolved.

Your Mission!

What about your mission? If you’re interested in affiliate marketing, there must be a reason why you want to succeed at it. Something that goes beyond monetary income. If it’s private, you don’t have to share it with me, but at least use it as fuel to get you going every day!

Warm Regards,

—Albert