13 Years Ago Today I Made My First $8 Sale — Here's What It Taught Me About Never Giving

13 Years Ago Today I Made My First $8 Sale — Here's What It Taught Me About Never Giving Up

Thirteen years ago today — May 6th, 2013 — I made my first sale online.

It was $8.

Eight dollars. Not eight hundred. Not eight thousand. Eight dollars.

But I felt like I'd won the lottery. Because in that moment — something clicked. Everything I'd been working toward suddenly made sense.

This is my story. The real version. The messy, honest, imperfect version.

I'm sharing it today because if even one person reading this decides not to quit, then writing it was worth every minute.

Where It All Started

I joined Wealthy Affiliate in November 2012.

Before that, I'd tried Ameriplan, thinking it was my ticket out of the 9-to-5 rat race. It wasn't for me. So there I was — bouncing from temp job to temp job. Feeling stuck. Feeling frustrated. Wondering if anything would ever change.

I felt like WA was my last hope.

Something about it felt different, though. No hype. No empty promises. No "make thousands overnight" nonsense.

Just real training, real tools, and a real community of people actually trying to build something.

That was enough for me to take a leap of faith.

But here's the honest truth — I joined in November and didn't actually do any real work until February 2013.

Sound familiar? 😄

That's when Kyle launched the OG Bootcamp focused on promoting Wealthy Affiliate. Something about that training clicked for me. I started going through it consistently, and something in my mindset shifted.

That shift changed everything.

The Doubters Showed Up Immediately

The moment I started taking this seriously, so did the negativity.

People around me said I was wasting my time.

That I'd never get anywhere. That this was just another internet scam.

That I should focus on getting a real job.

Those words stung. I won't pretend they didn't.

There were nights I wanted to quit. Nights when I wondered if they were right. Nights where self-doubt crept in and tried to take over completely.

But two things kept me going.

The first was music. Specifically Eminem. That song — Lose Yourself — I played it hundreds of times during those early months. Every time doubt crept in, I'd put that song on.

"You only get one shot. Do not miss your chance to blow. This opportunity comes once in a lifetime."

That hit differently when you're sitting at a laptop at midnight, wondering if any of this is worth it.

The second thing that kept me going was this community.

The constant support from WA members. The encouragement from Kyle, specifically. Having people in my corner who believed in what I was building — even when the people closest to me didn't.

Never underestimate how powerful that kind of support is when you're starting out.

The $8 That Changed Everything

It took me 3.5 months of consistent work — from February 14th to May 6th — before I made my first sale.

$8.

I remember staring at the notification, thinking —this is real. This actually works.

That $8 wasn't just a commission. It was proof. Proof that everything I'd been learning was valid.

Proof that the doubters were wrong. Proof that if I kept going, this could become something real.

And it did.

After that first sale, things started to snowball. More sales followed. Then more after that. Within 6 months, I was earning a full time income.

The temp jobs were behind me. The soul-crushing daily grind of working for someone else — done.

I never had to set an alarm for a job I hated again.

Las Vegas — When It All Became Real

One of the most unforgettable moments in my WA journey was qualifying for the annual Las Vegas trip.

Getting to meet Kyle, Carson, and the Super Affiliates I'd been talking to online every day, in person, was something I can't fully put into words.

It completely changed how I saw online business. These weren't just names on a screen. These were real people who had built real businesses and real lives doing exactly what I was trying to do.

That trip lit a fire🔥 in me that never went out.

When Life Got in the Way

I want to be honest about something because I think it matters.

This journey hasn't been a straight line.

Life happened. Things got complicated. I had to step back, regroup, and eventually start over completely from scratch.

That was hard. Really hard.

But here's what 13 years of doing this teaches you — the skills never leave. The knowledge never leaves. The mindset never leaves.

Starting over is scary. But it's not the same as starting from zero.

Today I'm building something new. A brand new business in a niche I've been passionate about my whole life — biking and outdoor activities. I wake up every day genuinely excited about the work.

That's something no J.O.B. ever gave me.

What WA Has Given Me Beyond the Money

People talk about online business as if it's purely about income.

But the real gift is something much bigger than that.

In 2024, I visited London for a 6-day vacation. My first time leaving the country.

While I was there, I saw Taylor Swift on the Eras Tour at Wembley Stadium. Front row.

Let that sink in.

Before WA, I never dreamed of leaving the country. A front-row concert at one of the most iconic stadiums in the world wasn't even something I imagined could happen to me.

Not to mention my love for Taylor Swift, and getting to see her live was 1 of the best experiences ever and 1 that I'll NEVER forget.

WA didn't just change my bank account. It changed what I believed was possible for my life.

That's what success actually means to me. Not just money. Control. Freedom. The ability to decide how I spend my time and who I spend it with.

No company. No boss. No ceiling on what I can earn or where I can go.

What I'd Tell Someone Starting Out Today

If you just joined WA — or you've been here a while and you're thinking about giving up — I want you to read this carefully.

It takes time. That's not a warning. That's a fact. My first sale came 3.5 months after I got serious. Not 3.5 days. Not 3.5 weeks. Months. Protect your timeline and stop comparing it to anyone else's.

Go with a passion. I spent years building in a niche that did excite me, but it wasn't my true passion.

I enjoyed it overall, but it wasn't something that I wanted to learn more about and grow into a personal brand.

Now I'm building in a space I genuinely love. The difference in energy, consistency, and output is night and day. Build something you care about.

Protect your mindset like it's your most valuable asset. Because it is. I've had to cut people out of my life who did nothing but drag me down and kill my motivation. That's not being harsh. That's protecting your future. The people who doubt you the loudest are usually the ones who never took a risk themselves.

Don't let anyone control your future. Not a boss. Not a family member. Not a friend. Not a comment on a forum. Your future belongs to you. The only opinion that matters is the one you hold about yourself.

The $8 moment is coming. It might not be $8. It might be $3. It might be $50. But there will be a moment where something clicks — where you see a notification and think "this is real." Hold on until that moment arrives. Everything changes after it.

13 Years Later

I'm still here. Still building. Still learning. Still pushing forward.

The journey hasn't been perfect. It's been messy and hard and sometimes discouraging.

But I'm sitting here on May 6th, 2026 — 13 years after that first $8 sale — building a business I'm genuinely proud of in a niche I genuinely love.

If that's not proof that this works — I don't know what is.

To everyone in this community — new members finding their feet, veterans rebuilding after setbacks, and everyone in between — keep going.

Your $8 moment is closer than you think.

Scott has been a WA member since 2012 and is the founder of TheBikr.com — a cycling authority site covering bikes, gear, fitness, and everything in between. Real rides. Real miles. Real experience.

Follow me here at WA for the latest updates on me, what's going on in my life and my business, and how you, too, can be a successful Wealthy Affiliate member.