For the last year I’ve been working on a secret website to see if I could grow it to $4,000 per month in just 1 year, and today I finally review how it went.
This project, codename #projectdoubletime was an incredible learning opportunity. In this video I’ll show you what from my plan worked really well, and what things didn’t work out at all! This project was definitely a mixed bag. But all said, I’m glad I did it and I’m excite for the future of this new brand I created.
Check out our Blogging System (and so much more) in Project 24: https://incomeschool.com/project24/?ref=45
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#blogging #contentmarketing #contentcreator
Timestamps:
Project 24 is our membership program that teaches you how to work toward replacing your current income with income from websites and YouTube channels in 24 months.
Project 24 is a product of Income School LLC. Results mentioned are not typical. The trademark βProject 24β refers to the goal of some people to create a successful business in 24 months, but is not a promise or guarantee of that success. Many online businesses fail because, like any business, it requires hard work, skill, and dedication. Before making business decisions, consult financial and legal professionals licensed in your jurisdiction.
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Funny thing is, even though I feel way behind this website is actually ahead of schedule for the regular Project 24 timeline. Check it out! https://incomeschool.com/project-24-timeline/
This was a great video! I really liked to see the behind-the-scenes and the vulnerability you showed with your personal setbacks and your experience with people who aren't supportive.
I did want to emphasize though that people who don't support you aren't βbad peopleβ theyβre just not βyour peopleβ.
My neurodivergent brain took years to realize that black-and-white thinking in regard to βgood peopleβ and βbad peopleβ was making it harder to find my people, develop healthy relationships, and build a support system. So I just wanted to make sure to share that thought, in case there are any black-and-white thinkers in the audience who may take that statement you made literally.
I prefer to set goals I know I most likely won't meet because the higher the goal, the more I tend to do. You're doing great! Thanks for going above and beyond to help us. π God bless you. β₯
Thank you so much for your vulnerability! You got this!!! Thank you for all the helpful videos! Keep up the great work!!!
I like this outcome. I feel Project Doubletime became Project Realism.
Honestly, that is what it is like for a lot of us. Life happens. I'd love to go in a cave, shut out the world; work, sleep, rinse and repeat, for a year or two, then come out into the sunlight, but it's not possible. I very much like this outcome for that reason: it's realistic, and what a lot of other people experience when they set out to create a profitable website. That's valuable and relatable.
I had a professor who imprinted upon me that the unforeseen is a given, and the unexpected ought to be expected.
On a more personal note, there's a certain practice I employ for handling the ill-natured: ambiguity. Present two options, and let them chose. If I do, however, I usually know what path they'll take, and leaving them to their delusions is the only punishment I enact. Such is life, if you think about it.
The beauty of it is, once you understand nature and disposition, and trauma, you then realize some experiences need to be lived and transcended, and much of that ugliness is nothing but discontent being released; and, on the other side, remembered. And that, unfortunately, is necessary. From that perspective, it's balance, but it requires tremendous insight and self-awareness to perceive that, and distance to appreciate it. It's a process, in which we are entangled. Things are as they ought to be, and everything else is ignorance.
If only poison could cure…
Is this still applicable in 2023/24?
Hey help me out. Should i target low competition keywords or should focus on tropical authority?
Thanks for the transparencyβ¦ quick question.. is it a safe to assume that if you had have done 140 posts, it would have returned ~$875/month (all other variables being proportional)? π€π€
I Really Like the direction your YouTube channel is taking…Thank you for Your Candidness
I appreciate your transparency and authenticity. The people who believe in you and respect you are the people you should be focusing your time and energy on.
Thanks for the honesty Ricky! Onward and upward πͺπΌ
How many people, after announcing a project like doubletime and not hitting the numbers like planned, would have had the follow-through to do the final video showing how and why it didn't produce the expected results? So glad you did! Thank you for sharing this side of blogging…these are the same setbacks and discouragements we all face in this business.
Yes I was missing some real projects and information with real data I like this new way
Hi Ricky. I am a psychotherapist. If you ever want to have a conversation about the subject of people-pleasing (and why it's dangerous) or an explanation of human nature, let me know below this comment. You'll get it completely free of charge as a thank you for all your hard work and kindness you've given us here. You are an exceptional person who provides exceptional value π.
Ricky, I've been following you on YouTube for about a year now, and I honestly think that at least a third of my most helpful knowledge has come directly from you and your videos. As a brand new business, your honest, direct, plain-spoken content has been instrumental in making me a real professional. Thank you for that. LET'S GO 2024!!!
Good idea to run and blog or something
We learn more from βfailures β
You can do it, Ricky. Thanks for saying the truth, warts and all
Such a great video with so many great points, not just about blogging. Totally hear where you are coming from about people pleasing but so helpful to hear your experience of it. Let's hope 2024 is better for all us and looking forward to learning even more π
Hey Ricky, i don't normally comment. But youre a top guy Ricky. Keep pumping mate. ππ
This is probably my favorite video you've done Ricky. The honesty here is refreshing and actually more inspiring than the typical humble brags we see in the content creator space. Thanks for sharing and if you ever want to collaborate with a gaming blog/channel let me know.
A genuinely honest video. It is nice to see a video so honest in its outcome. Many would have dropped it altogether or put other things in there to make it work. Nice one Ricky. One of the genuine few out there who can see what 2023 did to the blogging world and give an honest opinion.
Mate, love the honesty and vulnerability. I've always loved your content. I'm so glad you don't let the negative criticism define your course of action. Keep smashing it!
I am sooooo relieved you posted this, Ricky. I have been struggling for decades to make something work, and 2 years ago I really tried to start a monetised blogβ¦ as a side hustle. And it has been slow.. I am in an area that is lower traffic and getting page views is hard work. But I WON during the Google updated, so despite only been at about $4 income per month, Iβve been encouraged to keep going. So.. thankyou for βfailingβ. I am encouraged!
Looking forward to join you virtually for the 1 mile an hour blogging challenge.
Btw The people who would say something negative aren't doing anything anyway and give regurgitated thoughts from gurus they criticized as well lol
Excellent content! Question: How applicable would your blogging approach/plan be to a YouTube channel?
For example, would you start with 3 (or 1) topics?
Of course you can't update a video already publish but you know what i mean lol.
A very honest video here. End of the day Ricky you donβt like everyone so donβt expect everyone to like you. Never care about the people who want to tear you down. Thatβs their problem and they need to work on themselves. In the meantime. Thanks for all the great FREE advice that is available on this channel. Who can criticise the value of that! YouTube isnβt easy. But be easy on yourself. ππΌ
You guys probably already know this guy called Koray TuΔberk GΓBΓR and he has a channel called holistic digital. he has some really impressive testimonials when it comes to SEO. Frankly i dont understand half of what he says because its too Scietific. I am an art person and create content with a flow. But would love to know what you guys think about his approach
Thank you, Ricky. We trust you and you are the primary source of trust and inspiration for everything related to blogging, objectivity, and realism. (And success is the best slap for losers.) I look forward to participating with you in the 24 program soon. Thank you and I wish you success always
Thank you for giving a very honest update to this challenge. I've been following this channel for many years. I am hoping that this year I can start my blog. I am hoping to stick to a realistic set of goals for myself this year. I learned to say No to everything else, and hope to be able to continue to say No until I meet my own goals.
The people pleaser trap. My whole life. I know the day that changed for me. Since I made changes, and have gone back to school to learn what I need and want to learn, my anxiety has gone down, and my life has improved. I no longer am a people pleaser, for the most part. Do what is best for YOU, without harm to others. Disappointments happen, but that is not a reflection of you and who you are. Disappointing other people is not your problem. That is their problem. Your disappointments in them is your problem and never their problem.
Informative. Thank you, Ricky! You're dropping truths here.
These look like paid commentsβ¦
Thank you Ricky for being you.π€π¨π¦πΈ
Love the positive outlook, brother. Miss working with you every day. 2024 is gonna be π₯
Hey Ricky, you've got my support. You know why? Because you took your precious time to reply to my comments last week. Also, I had a super anxy year … insane.
This is better than if you had succeeded, its more real. It gives hope. It's honest. And because of that, you did even better than great.
Not a Project 24 member here. Perhaps in the future.
Im just here to say I donβt know how anyone could call this a failure? The goal from the beginning wasnβt to totally model P24, it was a stretch goal. But how can anyone put down a stretch goal? I mean there is real progress here! And you seem to be on an upward trajectory, with this blog, with your life, and with yourself. π So Iβm cheering for you! πππ»ππ»ππ»πππ
Thank you for being honest.
The reason I have seen some success over the past two years was you guys. The only channel that I bingewatched to help me start a blog that was making almost $700/mo and growing in August.
Unfortunately the recent updates killed my website and I am considering leaving this venture altogether. But maybe not.
This video gives me hope again.
Thank you for the effort and take care of yourself and your family.
βTake risks in your life. If you win, you can lead! If you lose, you can guide!"
-Swami Vivekananda.
Thats what you have done.. Keep doing .. And Thank You
Hey Ricky Ahmed Faraz here from P24. This comment might be a bit long but I just want to applaud you for making this honest and super relatable video.
The struggles, the imperfections in following the process, the happenings of life getting in the way, all too relatable for new and small/intermediate bloggers.
Most of the content on a lot of other SEO/blogging channels are often presented as this advanced, super calculated process that requires you to be a highly technical professional and throw in a bunch of money to have things done for you.
Your journey being so organic and yet producing $400+/month in the first year just from ads during one of the most chaotic years in the blogging industry, speaks volumes!
I almost lost hope in blogging after the recent big update from google, but something about your videos and your process is comforting and reassuring still.
You don't teach people to just make content-mill type generic blogs. You teach people to go the extra mile and become an active and somewhat recognized figure in the niche, without being super advanced or going through complex processes that honestly distracts the person from the actual purpose and that is being great in the niche and producing content that stands apart.
Personally, this is hands down one of the most important things I've learned from you and honestly the hardest digest and implement as most bloggers expect to stay hidden and make passive income. But I'm learning to step out of the shell and open up to new experiences and possibilities.
And I believe that if people can really grasp the essence of what you're teaching, they'll be in the game for the long run, even if let's day blogging becomes dead tomorrow.
The people who have learned to be really good in their niches and know how to cater their audience will eventually find a platform to continue their work whether it be blog, youtube or any other avenue.
Thank you Ricky and the awesome team! β€ I pray that all your worries and stresses get resolved in the best possible way and that you keep being a ray of positivity and hope for people.
Really, really appreciate the honesty. The truth is many bloggers will give up, HCU really messed up the industry. The thing is, Income School was always giving good advice, and they adapted their strategy over time. Good work Ricky! Love you guys.
Excellent video, the fact that you are honest about your new blog makes me trust your advice much more. Also impressive that you made that amount with those page views, would love more info on exactly how you did that. I hope you keep going with Project Double Time!
Creating websites and blogging used to be effective ways to establish authority and rankings in search engines. However, with the advent of advanced AI that can generate high-quality content at scale, simply having content is no longer enough. Now, the most important ranking factor is backlinks – earning links from other authoritative sites. So in order to be successful today, you need a strategy focused on content amplification and link building rather than just content creation. Social media and email marketing are great channels to distribute and promote content to earn these coveted backlinks. Things like display ads and affiliate partnerships seem less viable on their own because the content side has been commoditized by AI. In summary, owned media has been somewhat commoditized as a differentiator while the importance of earned media continues to grow. So marketers need to shift strategy and resources accordingly in this changing environment.
Creating websites and blogging used to be effective ways to establish authority and rankings in search engines. However, with the advent of advanced AI that can generate high-quality content at scale, simply having content is no longer enough. Now, the most important ranking factor is backlinks – earning links from other authoritative sites. So in order to be successful today, you need a strategy focused on content amplification and link building rather than just content creation. Social media and email marketing are great channels to distribute and promote content to earn these coveted backlinks. Things like display ads and affiliate partnerships seem less viable on their own because the content side has been commoditized by AI. In summary, owned media has been somewhat commoditized as a differentiator while the importance of earned media continues to grow. So marketers need to shift strategy and resources accordingly in this changing environment.
I found myself resonating with this so much! Thanks for being real and honest. Like others have mentioned, your transparency and integrity in sharing this "failure" make me trust you and Income School all the more to truly tell us like it is, not just want we want to hear so you can sell more memberships.
When you shared this goal a year ago, I remember wondering how in the world you would do this in addition to everything else on your plate. It made me feel so inadequate in my struggle to find time and bandwidth to work on my site. The fact you couldn't, either, and shared not just the time constraints but the psychological ones as well, not only make you so much more relatable, but validates my struggle as well. Thanks so much for sharing this the way you did!
And finally, $400/month after one year is still a big win! Glad to know it can be done! π
It's only a failure when you stop. Let's called it a lesson :D. Always a very nice view on how a project can really become either overwhelming or go sideways ^^