10 Lessons I've Learned From An Amazing First Month on WA!

Well, It's hard to believe but I've just recently finished my first month at Wealthy Affiliate. A lot has happened so I thought I would share some things that I've learned.

1. I've learned to follow and be followed- When I first started with Wealthy Affiliate I

remember getting notifications that people were following me. At first this bothered me, kinda like someone was stalking me. I tend to be a somewhat private person. Yet, I noticed that several people added comments that were very encouraging and supportive of my new venture. I thought to myself, maybe this is a good thing to be followed. So, I started following people of my own and as of today have 274 people I am following and 210 that are kind enough to be following me.

2. I've learned to write others back- I have always joked with people that if they ever got a letter from me they should frame it because I'm horrible at writing letters! On Facebook I used to avoid writing anything because I thought, nobody really cared about what I had to write. When I joined WA all of this changed. I was now responding to the people who decided to follow me. I even reached out to some on my own. My goal has always been to look through my followers bio and try to respond to it in some way. I feel this adds a personal touch. WA has definitely changed how I feel about responding to people.

3. I've learned to write a blog post- As I started looking for ways to earn money on the internet I remember coming across several who suggested writing blog posts for income. My first thought was, NOPE! not doing that. Well, here I am. This is only my third post, but I hope to have many more. It stretches my mind in ways it hasn't been stretched in a while, and that's a good thing. I'm actually excited about it! I also appreciate that the blog posts that I put on WA are good practice for when I do it on my own site.

4. I've learned that the rankings motivate me- I would like to consider myself to be fairly noncompetitive person. However, when I started my ranking around 276,000 I wondered how in the world I was ever going to move up. Yet, as I started following others, making comments, doing my training, asking questions and so on I started moving up. Each day I did something my rank got better and better. As of today I am at 880. This is not to say I did anything great but rather to show that by the Grace of God, if you do the work, and help others you will move up quickly.

As a bonus, remember to hit the "like" button when people respond to you. It shows that you are engaging with others and will also help them too. Plus it's encouraging! Win Win!

5. I've learned to ask questions- I had several times when I wondered what to do. Blogging is a completely new idea to me and I was trying to figure out how I should move forward. I tried to do some research on my own but I was encouraged by another member to ask questions. If you're new, it's the black bar at the top of the page that says "need help?" right next to the WA logo. I was nervous to write in there at first because on Facebook it's the what on your mind post space. Thankfully I gave it a shot and was amazed at how quickly other members responded with help. If you haven't used this feature DO IT! It can save you a lot of time and you can get some great advice from experienced members.

6. I've learned through the training- I really appreciate that WA has training materials to walk you through everything. I have gone through training from other sites but WA forces you to actually DO what you are learning. This is challenging, yet very helpful. I also like that Kyle uses both written and visual training. I am still slowly working my way through my lessons but have found them very helpful. Training is one of the greatest benefits of Wealthy Affiliate.

7. I learned how to write content for my niche- Now, I must admit that this is also an area that is a work in progress. However, I got some great advice when I used the question bar and asked others, "how do I write content without plagiarizing?" I was concerned about how to do this right. The general advice I received very quickly was that I should look at 2-4 sources, read the information and then try to summarize what I read in my own words. If there are specific quotes or phrases you want to use simply cite where you are getting them from. Writing does not come easy but I have hope!

8. I've learned that spam is a no no- It took several days before I first saw the "spam is a no no" post but after reading it I felt much better about what was expected at WA. I appreciate that spam is forbidden on this site. The benefit is that we don't have to read 275,00 posts about why you should go to "their" website and buy "their" products. Instead, the focus can be put on training and encouragement rather than self promotion.

9, I've learned to learn from others- Despite all the amazing training we have available on WA, one of the greatest benefits is being able to learn from one another. Obviously, everyone has a different approach to how they do things. What I have found helpful is checking out other members posts and training material. Take notes, and write down what you find. If you're in a hurry add their name to a list of people you would like to return to so you can learn from their posts at a later time.

10. I've learned that I am blessed to be part of an amazing family- When I joined WA I expected to see a lot of competition. After all, we're here with the goal of making money. But what I found was a family of supportive people all trying to encourage each other as we go down this road together. That's what make WA different from all the other places out there. When I was taking online training courses I was on my own to learn the information and apply it. Here the training is step by step and there are numerous people all along the way to help out if I need it. It's a community that is "encouraged" to help each other out. That is Kyle and Carson's mission and it has sold me from the beginning!

I would like to thank all of you for taking the time to read this, and for all your encouragement and support during my first month. May you be richly blessed for all that you do.

-Bruce

**What do the rest of you remember from your first month at WA?