So....finally it's here!  I've made the the half million point mark on Active Rain. 

500,000 SMACKEROOS!!!!!!

Pretty big accomplishment for me personally.  I remember when Randy Keberlein said to me "dude, you gotta do this Active Rain blogging thing.  I don't know how it works, but it just does."  I said what is it?  What do you do?  He couldn't really explain it but said that he had 30,000 points and was getting calls, hits and a lot of Google juice.  I said I didn't know how to create a blog.  He told me not to worry about it as the structure was in place at Active Rain and I all I needed to do was plug in and go.  So on blind faith I did.  Now, here I am.

Sure, I'm number one in Illinois.  Alan May will pass me up at some point this year and become number one in Illinois.  I'm not going to obsess about blogging anymore.  I will blog often, but it'll be with more of a laser like focus to generate more business and more referrals.  I'm not going to blog, just to blog.  It's gotta be a part of my business plan.

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As of today's date, I've received 74 referrals from Active Rain.  I've closed 21 transactions.  I've hired one branch to come work with Cherry Creek Mortgage, all as a result of blogging in Active Rain.  Pretty impressive, huh? 

Well, here's the real deal.  I'm just now beginning to figure out this whole SEO thing with Active Rain.  I'm now making it a pointed and purposed part of my business plan.  No...it's not just something to do. 

Active Rain is a part of my business plan.

I'm planning on 20 closings this year as a result of purposed, and a laser like focus on Active Rain.  Twenty closings should net me about $60,000 of income above and beyond my usual business referral sources. 

THANK YOU!

Randy Keberlein - without you, Randy, I would still be playing in a dry arid desert instead of being refreshed often in the Rain.

Jeff Belonger - Dude....you were like the old dude in Kung Fu who kept saying "ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh grasshoppa...you have so much to learn" and proceeded to show me the way!  Thank you.

Active Rain Camp - I'm so glad that I got sucked in.  By going to Camp I was able to watch 99 balloons and forward that on to 100 other people to make them all cry.  I learned a lot....geez I still have notes from camp that I haven't yet implemented as of today.  I also got to meet some awesome people in Illinois who I knew and who I didn't know. 

Alan May - you're a thorn in my side.  Get off my back bumper.  Just kidding.  I'm stepping out of the way and you'll be the new #1 guy in Illinois.  I love our banter, but you still need to learn how to smoke a masculine cigar.  This year perhaps.  When you're #1, hold that torch high.  Don't embarrass me for moving over....oh wait....I should expect nothing but embarrassment!

Leslie Ebersole - Leslie....we've just gotten to know each other this year (all because of Rain Camp).  Yes, we will hook.  Let's make it a focused part of a plan to generate some real business together.

Michelle Bettag - first, you've stayed married to me despite me writing 6 months of blogs without so much as a call off of the rain.  You kept the faith even when you rolled your eyes at my obsession with getting the next blog out.  Now that you've seen the light, you tell me to get off of my butt and go generate more business.  Heck....with 5 kids....I can't afford to sit on the sidelines. 

My final pieces of advice before I start my purposed blogging in Active Rain for 2011.  Be persistent, let your personality flow (I hate politically correct blogging - you'll bond with those who you need to bond with), have fun......and no matter what......

USE SPELL CHECK!

I'm off like a PROM DRESS!!!!

on my way to 1 Million!!!!!

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