About
This page shares a little about me, Willie Crawford, this
website, and how and why I built a thriving online business.
I suppose it's worth reading because it shows that anybody
can build a decent income and life using the limitless
resources available via the internet.
I guess I should begin by pointing out that I grew up in
extreme poverty. I lived on a farm in North Carolina
where a lot of families depended upon income from farming and the occasional odd job.
From when I was 7 until I was 18, I earned a living
working for other local farmers during the spring-Fall,
saving part of my meager earnings for winter.
I also supplemented my income by selling things from a very
young age. Whether it was seeds, greeting cards, newspapers,
clothing, jewelry, cosmetics... I was always carrying around
a catalog and order forms. Neighbors got a big kick out of
the fact that I was so industrious.
By the time I was 14 I had started a small mail order
business, and even had my own bulk mailing permit.
That never really took off but it taught me many things
that later benefited me in my online business.
I also raised pigs, rabbits and vegetables for sale.
Selling a few pigs every now and then brought in a
nice influx of cash.
We lived in dilapidated houses, wore thread-bare often
second-hand clothing, had beat-up second-hand furniture,
and often had no heat in the house during the winter.
We never went hungry because everybody had a garden. I
was also handy with a fishing pole, and my .22 rifle. So,
we supplemented our diet with rabbits, squirrels, and fish.
Often, most of our diet was actually free food that the
local government welfare office gave us each month. I grew
up on a diet of powdered milk, powdered eggs, canned
luncheon meats, dried beans, 10-pound blocks of cheese
and other food that were passed out. On top of that
we received food stamps that allowed us to buy a few
fresher foods each month.
Living under these conditions, I never really was
hungry. I also didn't realize that MOST people didn't
live like we did. Sure, I saw the big houses and
fancy cars, but not many of them in my "neck of the
woods."
As I grew up, often we went for long periods without
seeing a doctor or dentist. The "school nurse" would
often notice something wrong with us and give us a
voucher to visit a doctor or to have a tooth pulled.
I actually hated accepting handouts and using food
stamps (and other government issued vouchers), but
they did help many to survive.
Somewhere along the line, I turned into an avid
reader. I literally devoured hundreds of magazine and
books in a fairly short time... while in high school
and that opened my eyes to a world beyond the cycle
of poverty that I found myself trapped in.
Needless to say, I eventually escaped. I went to
college (NC State University), was commissioned an
Air Force office the day that I graduated, had a
20 years military career where I live in some
VERY exotic places, and then a few years before
retiring I started an internet-based business.
I started my business in 1996 just as I was being
reassigned from HQ Pacific Air Forces in Hawaii, to
spectacular Alaska. I spent practically all of my
spare-time building my online business.
When I first started I never entertained the
possibility of failure. It simply was not an
option. I only really "knew" extreme poverty,
but I had seen how much wealth there is in this
world.
I also eventually became enlightened enough to
realize that there was no real reason that I
couldn
't (or shouldn't) have my share.
So, I basically just took massive action, never
over-analyzing things or listening to the
nay-sayers.
By the time that I retired from the USAF in 2003,
I had spoken at several internet marketing seminars,
hosted 2 of my own internet marketing seminars,
created over a dozen of my own information
products, and written 2 print books (and numerous
ebooks).
The first book that I wrote and self-published
was a cookbook where I shared those delicious,
hearty, rustic recipes that I learned back on the
farm.
I had created this very site as I was searching
for "my niche" online. I created a newsletter
because that was what I was advised to do. The
newsletter is the same recipe exchange mailing
list that you can subscribe to right here.
Over time, subscribers to my recipe newsletter
asked me if I had a cookbook. I responded "no
but I'll write one if you really want it."
You (site visitors and subscribers) told me to
write one, I did, and it has sold steadily
from the very beginning. Now, if you go to
Google.com and look up "soul food recipes"
or "soul food cookbook" or any of a hundred
related terms, you'll find this site listed
right at the top out of tens of millions of
competing web pages.
After my cookbook was a success, that got
me noticed by "internet marketing" seminar
hosts, and that's what drew me into speaking
and teaching online marketing.
I met a mentor at of these seminars who
pushed me to write a book. I wrote and
self-published my inspirational biography
in less than 3 months!
My bio, "Git Off The Porch" has been a nice
steady seller ever since I first wrote it.
Now, I own literally thousands of websites,
most Of them very simple, I own software
companies, broker huge joint ventures and
product launches, and network with politicians,
movie stars, television producer and multi-
millionaires.
Today, I reflect upon my journey thus far.
I'm grateful for all that I've experienced.
Introspection tells me that there is still
a slight fear of poverty within me... and
that's good because it keeps me always
honing my sks ills. It keeps me from getting to
comfortable and losing my drive.
Ok, so now you know a little about me, this
site, and the origin of my cookbook. Now,
let's focus on cooking!
Thanks for dropping by and for taking the
time to read this.
If you want to know more about my internet
marketing teaching, I do most of my teaching
inside the member-only website "The Internet
Marketing Inner Circle" at http://timic.org
I orchestrate many of the joint ventures and
product launches that I broke via the
International Association Of Joint Venture
Brokers."
Aside from that, when most people ask me for
advice on starting a home-based business, I
point them towards the company that has proven
most profitable for me. It's a company that I
get a lot of pleasure from telling others about.
It's called Send Out Cards and you can check them
out at: https://www.sendoutcards.com/74275
I believe in Send Out Cards so much that if it
interests you can contact me right through the
link above, and we can arrange a time for a
personal pho"Semantic Personal Publishing Platform" rel="generator">
Proudly powered by WordPress.
A Free Gift From The Soul Food Site - Get Delicious Soul Food and Old-Fashioned Recipes Free Each Day Via Email.
Join our free mailing list to swap recipes daily with other talented cooks.
Do You Love Soul Food, Swapping Great Old-Fashioned Recipes, Southern Recipes, Comfort Foods, Or Soulfood Cooking?
Then you've come to the right place!
But FIRST, if you came here looking for my critically acclaimed soul food cookbook, Click Here!
After joining our list,
please
continue exploring this site. There are
tons of recipes, back issues of some of our recipe list, and
Willie
has even written a soul food cookbook that you'd absolutely love.
For more on the cookbook,
click here!
Click here to see why LOTS of others love this list so!
Sitemap | Sitemap II | Sitemap III | Chitterlings More Recipes | Search
