I WON!

Woo Hoo! I won John Chow's contest and will be getting a FREE GOLD PASS to Affiliate Summit West in Las Vegas in January! Basically, the contest was judged by John on the quality of the entry, it wasn't just a random drawing. He announced the winners Monday. Here's my winning entry:

John-


I have been following your blog since you started your Making Money with a Blog series in October, 2006. I may not be the most active participant in your “community,” but I have learned a lot from your site and gone on to quietly live the Dot Com Lifestyle while, more publicly, living The Hot Dog Lifestyle!


When I started my first blog, I just wanted a way to publicize my hot dog truck. It was a rough winter and I ended up not opening. With all the extra time, I learned ways to make extra money with blogs-you were my first and best teacher.


I have bought cars, paid for kids’ braces, gone on vacation and just plain old “paid the bills” with the money I have made from my blogs. I owe a lot of that success to your advice.


Now that I have the mechanics of making money with a blog in place, I am spending some of my earnings on developing a presence in more popular niches-this should lead to an enhanced Dot Com Lifestyle!


None of the things I have accomplished could have been done without John Chow dot com. Your advice was well organized, easy to read and seemed doable. With all the “hype” out there about making money online, your voice was a beacon of reason and reality.


While I’d LOVE to go to the Affiliate Summit West for the learning experience alone, I’d much rather go to look you in the eye, shake your hand, and say “Thank You.”


We can even go get a hot dog somewhere….


Thanks.
-Rob Merlino
“The Hotdogman”


Now the challenge will be to get to Vegas. It's too bad my in-laws aren't out there any more, I could have had a free place to stay. I think I still have a "comp" or two at a few hotels, I need to check my player's card accounts (the Hotdogman is a closet high roller-at least I was until my kids started getting older and MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE). Let me put it to you this way, the first place I ever stayed at, and got comped at,  in Vegas was The Desert Inn-that's "old school." Coincidentally, The Affiliate Summit West is being held at the Wynn Resort-on the site of the old Desert Inn. I love Karma.

Getting there could prove interesting too. I am seriously thinking of driving out there and doing some Hot Dog Stories along the way. It could be fun and it would certainly bring that site beyond the regional boundaries it currently occupies. Besides, if I go the southern route, I can put the top down!

I'll definitely do a Hot Dog Story or two (or three or four) while in Vegas. It would be fun to do one with John; we could have a lot of fun with the "CHOW DOWN" photos I have in every post. Chowing Down with John Chow- it's definitely a concept!

VEGAS, BABY!!!!