Slow & Steady Wins the Race!

byMattEllis

323 followers

1 year ago

[Cover photo: The word Goal on top of a keyboard]

Hello to my friends in the Wealthy Affiliate community. I want to start by saying I hope everyone achieves their family, personal, and business goals as we close out 2022 and look forward to 2023. I am hopeful everyone has a safe and happy holiday season.

I will apologize in advance for the length of this post, but I wanted to provide you a story of how I got here.

Learning Accomplishments

I accomplished another one of my goals today in finishing level II training and wanted to share my achievements with all of you. Also, I want to remind new and old online entrepreneurs, "Slow & Steady Wins the Race!"

Many of you who interact with me may know I started this journey the first week of November 2022.

I have worked 14 to 18 hours daily between primary employment, family household, and online businesses. I also created a mobile automobile detailing company at the end of this summer.

I am excited to start level III training, signing up with affiliates, and the money-making phase. Also, I think I am ready for rankings in Google, Bing, and Yahoo. I have gone through each of my posts and edited them thoroughly for grammar, punctuation, keyword, and SEO.

Staying the Course through Times of Adversity

I had a rough couple of weeks with staying the course because of my current full-time position as the IT Services Manager for a Plastics Injection & Molding manufacturer in Ohio. I started with the organization in October 2020.

This is a busy time of the year where I work. Like many organizations, we are performing a year-end inventory, closing out & renewing contracts, and completing significant lines of business software upgrades.

Unfortunately, the economy and inflation kicked me in the teeth. I was forced to purchase a new laptop for my business after recently upgrading my Premium + membership to Wealthy Affiliate. One thing that worked out in my favor was the considerable reduction in the price for the Premium + membership and an excellent deal I got on the laptop, but it still hurts.

I always try to remember and live by the motto, "As one door closes, another door opens."

My Family and Me

For those who don’t know me, I will tell you about my family and me.

I am married and have been with my wife (Kelly) for 40 years. We have been married for 30 years, coming May 2023.

[Kelly and Matt - Fall 2022]

My wife grew up on the same street where I lived, so we were friends as early as middle-grade school. We have two daughters; Madison is 24 and married to her grade-school sweetheart (Camron). Lilli is 15, turning 16 in March, and is preparing to get her driver’s license soon. Madison’s husband Camron signed up for the Air Force for three years.

My wife, Lilli, and I live in Southwestern Ohio. The picture

to the right is Lilli and her boyfriend, Dax. They are in the 10th grade, and this was their prom picture from fall 2022.

Madison and Camron married in Ohio in September of 2019 after Camron completed his basic training at Lackland Air Force base near San Antonio, Texas. After the wedding, they went on a short honeymoon and then off to their new home in Valdosta, Georgia, near the Florida – Georgia line.

The Covid-19 Pandemic

Everyone will remember the Covid-19 pandemic, which impacted people worldwide and started in the United States from February to March 2020. Unfortunately, many of us have lost people and are still living through it daily. Some will suffer far longer after it is finally over.

I got laid off because of the lack of business and pandemic-related shutdowns at the end of April 2020. I had trouble finding work during that time because all companies encountered similar problems.

Kelly, Lilli, and I drove to Tennessee in early April 2020 and purchased a male Weimaraner.

[Ripley, Dixie, & Jax in Bengal's Playoff Jerseys (Left Below)]

Most owners familiar with the breed call them “Velcro Dogs,” meaning they are permanently attached to their family members at the hip. He will be three years old and a nervous, anxious dog, mostly because he was a pandemic puppy. 

Madison, Camron, and Jax

My wife, Lilli, and I wanted to see Madison, and she wanted to be with her family. Madison had no job and no support group in Valdosta.

[Madison, Camron, Dixie, & Jax Fall (Right Below)]

Her husband was mandated to stay on or near the base during the initial phases of Covid-19. Air travel was in turmoil because of the pandemic, so it wasn't easy to travel.

I was unemployed, so our solution was to bring Madison home for a while.

I went down to Valdosta in May 2020 to pick Madison up and drive her back to our home in Southwestern Ohio. She stayed with us for a month. After which, I drove her back to Valdosta. As I said, another reason for bringing her home was because her husband was mandated to stay on or near the base. Madison would have been down there by herself.

In May 2020, I drove over 2800 miles, two trips down and back from Valdosta.

Our Pandemic Vacation in Madison, Florida

In August 2020, Kelly, Lilli, Ripley (my Velcro Dog), and I took a three-week-long camping trip down to Madison, Florida, less than an hour Southwest of Valdosta, where Madison, Camron, and Jax (their rescue dog) lived. They met up with us at the campground. At this time, Camron received permission from the Air Force to travel as far as an hour from the base.

Fast-forward to November 2020, and they moved back into my home after Camron received a medical discharge. They lived with us for over a year until they could find gainful employment and their first house. Now they are minutes away instead of 720 miles.

Last year Madison and Camron got another dog, and her name is Dixie. She is an Anatolian Shepherd / Poodle Mix.

In closing, thank you for reading my post. I appreciate Wealthy Affiliate and the friends I have made in the short time I have worked on my business. Each of you I have worked with has impacted how I approach my business goals.

Thank you for welcoming me to join you on your journeys. This will forever stick out in my mind, and your examples and training will help me immensely.

Best regards, Matt