My 8-Year Journey with Wealthy Affiliate: An Honest Update

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2.1K followers

Hi WA family,

It’s been quite a ride since I joined Wealthy Affiliate back in June 2017, and today, I just wanted to pause for a moment and share an honest update with you all.

Starting Out with Big Dreams

When I first came on board, I was full of excitement and hope. I launched two websites almost at the same time, diving into two different niches with high hopes of building something that would support me and my family in the long run.

Back then, I was still working full-time in the healthcare industry. Balancing content writing with a demanding job was no easy task. As much as I wanted to stay active in the community and consistently grow my online business, life had other plans.

Eventually, I had to let go of one website and focus my limited time and energy on the other.

A New Chapter Begins

Fast forward to March 2022, after more than 15 years in healthcare, I officially retired and came back home to my native land, ready to embrace a new chapter as a stay-at-home mom. It’s been almost three years since then, filled with the joys and challenges of full-time motherhood.

But something in me couldn’t let go of the dream I had started with WA.

Relaunching with Hope (and a Little Overwhelm)

So, I made the decision to start over.

I relaunched my two-year-old websites and even started a third one in a different niche. I poured my heart and time into all three for six months... but to be honest, I wasn’t getting anywhere. The progress was slow, and spreading myself too thin only left me exhausted.

That’s when I made the tough but necessary decision to pause two of the sites and focus solely on the one that was performing best. And let me tell you, it was the best decision I’ve made so far.

Learning, Growing, and Embracing the WA Updates

Since narrowing my focus, I’ve learned so much; not just about SEO, content creation, or affiliate marketing, but about myself, my priorities, and the kind of business I want to build. I’m also incredibly excited about the new updates on the WA platform, especially the integration of AI tools that help us work smarter, not harder. What a game-changer!

Now, I’m back, fully and intentionally. And I’m more determined than ever to make this work.

One Key Lesson I’ve Learned

If there’s one key lesson I’d love to share from this journey, it’s this:
👉 Don’t juggle more than one website unless you’re already seeing success with one. Focus breeds clarity, and clarity breeds results.

Once I get this current site to where I envision it, I do plan to relaunch the other 2, with more wisdom, experience, and strategy.

Thank You, WA Community!

Thank you to this wonderful community for being a constant source of inspiration, encouragement, and practical training. I may have taken the long way around, but I’m here, and I’m not giving up.

Let’s keep growing together!

Warmly,
Alice
(a.k.a Alysanna)

14
15

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Recent Comments

15

Welcome back to being fully intentional, Alice!

1

Thanks, Howard.

1

I can soo identify with this post, as I too am starting over again and launched a new website just a few weeks ago. I never gave up on my dream and always kept my membership. I know this works, I've seen it work, and it's worked for me. Thank you for sharing. I felt like i was the only one starting over.

3

Thank you so much for sharing that, Jason! 😊

It really means a lot to know I’m not alone in this “starting over” season. Like you, I never let go of the dream, and I truly believe that holding on, even during the quiet seasons, speaks volumes.

You’re absolutely right: this does work. We’ve seen it, and we’ll see it again.

Cheering you on with your new site; let’s keep moving forward one step at a time! 🚀

I'm glad that you did not give up and restarted with more focus, now that you don't have to devote so much time to an outside employer.

Just keep going and then when you are ready and have the one website cranking and performing to your liking... then gradually add your other two websites to the mix. No need to spread yourself thin and overwhelm yourself.

Building an online business and website should be fun (most days...) and not feel like a burden on the body and mind.😀

2

Thank you so much for the encouragement, Nicole! 💕

You’re absolutely right—it should be fun (even if some days feel a bit heavier than others 😅).

I’ve definitely learned the hard way not to take on too much at once, and now I’m really enjoying the process again with just one site to focus on.

Once that’s running smoothly, I’ll be excited to bring the others back—but this time, with much more balance and joy.

Appreciate your support!

2

Great to hear you are getting back on your feet with the one website. We often don't realize when we first start how much work there is on one website let alone 2 or 3.
But that comes with a learning experience along with all that WA has to offer us, we are in a better position to move forward. Plus now that you are retired from that 9-5 job you can further focus on your site
Wishing you much success going forward, and now with WA's new UX plus the AI we have now can only better your opportunities along the way.

Andre

1

Thank you so much, Andre! 😊

You’re absolutely right—when I started, I truly underestimated how much time and energy it takes to build just one solid website. But yes, every challenge has been a learning experience, and I’m so grateful for everything WA has taught me (and continues to teach!).

Now that I’ve stepped away from the 9–5 grind, I finally have the space to really focus—and with the new UX and AI tools, I feel more equipped and hopeful than ever.

Wishing you continued growth and success as well!

1

We tend as newbies more so if we never done this before is to only think about making money and too much belief in those wild stories of making thousands within a week or so.
We don't realize that most are scams plus for us we need to create content for our readers, get ranked on the search engines and very importantly gain traffic to our website.
All these are needed first among many other areas and fortunately, we learn it all here properly. Just up to us to change our mindset to a positive one and focus on our readers and not chasing the money.

2

You’ve nailed it again, Andre! 🙌

In the beginning, it’s so easy to get caught up in those flashy income promises—especially when you're new and hoping for a quick way out of the 9–5.

But you’re absolutely right: chasing money without understanding the foundation—quality content, SEO, traffic, and serving our readers—just leads to frustration.

I’m so grateful that WA teaches us the right way, and I’m definitely learning to shift my mindset and focus more on value first.

Thanks again for your insight and support!

Thank you and most welcome.
I was the same and lost money in the process when I first started and was about to give up when I found WA. So glad I gave it one more change and no regrets in this case with WA that does teach you the right way

Enjoy the rest of your week

Andre

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I totally agree! I started in late 2017 too! I had, I believe, two or three websites and could not juggle both, on top of school at the time and work. It was overwhelming. Focusing on one thing is the best way to go. One website at a time.

1

Thank you for sharing that, Shakida! 💛

It’s comforting to know I’m not alone in this.

It really is a balancing act, especially when life is already full with work, school, or family. I love what you said—one website at a time—that’s exactly the mindset I’m embracing now.

Wishing you continued clarity and success on your journey!

1

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