2 Years In… And A Lifetime to Go

Good Morning WA Fam,

It’s been a bit since I last posted, and life has been moving fast this year, a lot different than last. We moved homes, I’m in the middle of building a new garage office, and there’s been a lot happening behind the scenes. April is always a tough month for me to get through. It’s one of those times that makes you slow down and feel everything a little heavier. But we made it through again, another year down and another year moving forward.

In this blog, I want to walk you through what two years of building actually looks like. We’re going to dig into social media, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and how I’ve been using them. I don’t pay for X, so I don’t get the full breakdowns there, but everything else has been a huge part of this journey. More than that, I want to show you what this platform has really given me, what it’s shown me, and why I still believe it’s worth being here. So welcome to my story, two years in and a lifetime to go.

Let me take you back a bit. I had ideas for books written down for years before I ever found Wealthy Affiliate. I even worked on one with someone before coming here, trying to get it moving, but nothing really came from it. It wasn’t until I got into WA that things actually started to move. That’s the part that still makes me shake my head a bit. The so-called “guru” couldn’t get it going, but this platform did.

My real goal from the start wasn’t numbers or traffic. It was personal. I wanted to build something around me and Nathan, the conversations we had, the things we laughed about, the stuff we searched for together. It all came from something real. It really started with a picture my aunt sent me, something Nathan made, and she told me it was meant for me. It was simple, but it stuck. It stayed with me in a way I can’t fully explain, and it lit something up.

Maybe it kicked a fire into me, maybe it just gave me a direction I didn’t know I needed yet, but from that point on I wanted to go deeper. I wanted to build something out of it. We were only a couple years apart, and as you get older, you start to understand life a bit differently. People come and go, we lose people, we carry memories, and at the end of the day we still have to keep moving forward.

Original photos. of Nathan and the carving that started it all.

That’s what this platform became for me. Not just a place to build websites or learn affiliate marketing, but a lifeline. A way to keep moving forward when I needed it most. Wealthy Affiliate didn’t just help me build a brand, it helped me build myself. It helped me learn new skills, gain confidence, and find direction when I didn’t have much of it.

And that’s exactly what we’re going to walk through in this blog. So buckle up, because here we go.

Take from it whatever you want.

When The Brand Takes Over…

Made with Image Studio

At this point, it’s not just one thing anymore. I’m working across multiple brands at the same time. My paranormal brand, my survival brand, my Just Me brand, and everything tied into Wildfoot. When you really look at it, I’m consistently working on four active websites. These aren’t just sitting there either. They’re all things I’m trying to build, promote, and eventually earn from. That’s the reality of it now.

And I’ll tell you, it gets crazy sometimes. You can sit down in the morning on a day off, start working on one brand, and before you know it, you’re all over the place. One idea leads into another, one task reminds you of something else, and suddenly you’re bouncing between sites, posts, edits, and builds without even realizing how you got there. It’s just how the mind works when you’re deep into it.

People will always say you should stick to one thing, and yeah, there’s truth in that. But for me, it’s not that simple. My mind doesn’t shut off. I can be working on one brand and instantly think of something that applies to another. Over time, you just get used to working across all of them and keeping things moving forward in your own way.

What I did learn though is this. If you’re not putting real time into a brand, it doesn’t move. It just sits there doing the same thing over and over again. You can wait for Google traffic, and it will come eventually. That’s one of the best parts about this, the free traffic is always working in the background. But if you actually want that brand to grow into something, you can’t just sit back and wait for that alone.

You have to get out on social media. You have to let people know who you are and what you’re building. Build something around your name, your voice, your direction. Be honest with people. That’s what it really comes down to now. People connect with real, not perfect.

And the truth is, things have changed. Google is giving answers right up front now. AI is doing the same thing. People don’t have the same patience they used to. Most just want the quick answer and move on. That’s the world we’re in now.

But there are still people out there who want more. People who still want to search, learn, and actually understand something deeper. That’s where your blogs come in. Even if they don’t land on your page first, they might come back to it. They might cross-reference, dig a little more, and end up finding your content as the one that actually gives them what they were looking for.

That’s how this whole thing connects. Social media brings the attention, and your content gives it somewhere to go. As we move through this, But first we start at the beginning.

The Core Training Was The Foundation

Made in Image Studio

Everything I’ve built comes back to a simple framework. Build a website, drive traffic, and monetize it. That’s exactly what’s taught in the Core Training, and when I look at my own Wealthy Affiliate dashboard and the phases completed, I can see how each part lined up with what I was building in real time.

In the beginning, the “Getting Started” phase gave me the foundation. This is where I learned how to actually build a website and understand what I was creating. That part was huge, because before that, I didn’t have a real direction. It gave me a place to put my ideas, and that’s where everything like Wildfoot first started taking shape.

Moving into the “Your Brand & Content” phase, this is where things really began to connect. Learning how to structure content, create posts, and understand what people are actually looking for helped me build something people could engage with. This is where I started to see how powerful content really is, and how it becomes the bridge between you and your audience.

Then the “Growth & Momentum” phase kicked in, and this is where I started applying things deeper. This is where SEO, keywords, and understanding how to get found on platforms like Google and Bing came into play. I still use this today, constantly checking rankings, refining content, and making sure what I create actually lines up with what people are searching for.

Finally, the “Making Money & Scaling” phase tied everything together. This is where monetization comes in, but not in a forced way. It showed me how everything connects, and how traffic, content, and trust lead into income naturally over time.

The biggest difference for me was how I applied all of this. I didn’t wait for traffic to show up. I went out and created attention through platforms like Facebook, Pinterest, X, and Instagram, and then directed that back into everything I was building. At the same time, I continued working on the technical side in the background, improving content and building search traffic alongside it.

When I look back at the Core Training now, I don’t just see lessons. I see the exact structure I followed to build everything I have today.

The Numbers Behind It All

When you step back and really look at the numbers, everything starts to come into perspective.

Across the first set of charts, what you’re seeing is two years of growth across Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram. All of it is organic. There’s a small ad spend behind this, pushing things forward. This is just content being put out consistently and people choosing to engage with it over time.

Right now, Facebook alone is on track to push toward four million views this year. Pinterest has already moved past two million and is still climbing, and if it keeps building the way it is, it could easily push toward three million. Instagram is still part of the mix as well, growing alongside everything else as the content continues to roll out.

What matters here isn’t just the numbers. It’s how they were built. This came from showing up every day, learning what works, adjusting, and staying consistent long enough for the platforms to start giving something back.

Canva made two years of views

When you move into the next set of charts, this is where Bing and Google come into play.

Over the last two years, Google has brought in around six thousand views. To me, that’s a steady background engine doing its job. It’s not flashy, but it’s always there, working whether I’m focused on it or not. That’s the long game of content.

Bing is the one that surprised me the most. The amount of visibility it brought in compared to what I expected was way higher than I thought it would be. That’s when it really clicked for me that traffic doesn’t come from one place. It builds from multiple directions if you give it enough time to grow.

Canva made two years of views

Now when we look at the Wealthy Affiliate chart, this is where things really start to tell a deeper story.

The first year was a struggle. I tested a few ads early on, thinking I could speed things up. They didn’t work for me, so I stopped. That’s why you’ll see a spike in that first year. It was testing, learning, and realizing that paid traffic wasn’t the direction I wanted to go.

This year is completely different. No ads, no pushing, just organic growth. And what you’ll notice is how the numbers shift. It’s not about spikes anymore. It’s about consistency. It’s about letting the system build naturally instead of trying to force it.

Canva made two years of views

Now here’s something most people don’t think about.

If I go into my back office and look deeper, there are more referrals than what’s showing on that dashboard. But even if we just use the number sitting there, around thirty people, that still tells a story. Out of those, maybe one actually tried to make a real effort before dropping off.

That’s the reality of this.

People come in, they look around, and then they leave. Not because it doesn’t work, but because they don’t realize what it actually takes. These numbers don’t come from quick wins. They come from time, consistency, and putting in the work when nobody is watching.

Wealthy Affiliate gives you everything you need. The tools are there. The training is there. The direction is there. But if someone comes in thinking they can copy and paste their way to results, it’s just going to turn into another thing they tried instead of something they built.

What we’re doing here is different.

We’re building something that lasts. Something people can find, come back to, and connect with over time. Whether it’s blogs, social content, or books, you’re creating assets that keep working long after you hit publish.

And when I look at all of this together, this is where my mindset is at right now.

I’m treating this like a system in motion. I’m watching what happens when I keep showing up, keep posting across platforms, and let everything build naturally. No forcing anything, just creating and observing.

And what I’m starting to see is that this kind of organic system has real potential.

If this is what it can do while I’m still testing and refining everything, then there’s clearly another level to this that I haven’t even tapped into yet.

At this point, I’m two years in. Between my books, ACX, and Facebook, this brand is now covering its own costs. I used to invest money into everything I was doing. Now I don’t have to.

Now I just build… and let the system work.

The Websites… The Good, The Bad, And The Real

Made in Image Studio

Through all of this, I’ve built multiple websites. And I’m not going to sit here and tell you they’re all perfect, because they’re not. Some are ahead, some still need work, and some are sitting there waiting for me to give them the attention they deserve.

But they exist. They’re built. And that’s what matters.

That’s something a lot of people never get to. They think about it, plan it, maybe even start… but never actually build anything real. For me, these sites are all part of the process. They show the progression, the learning, the wins, and the mistakes all in one place.

And the truth is, the work doesn’t stop once they’re live.

There’s always something to go back and improve. Updating old blogs, fixing structure, cleaning things up, making pages flow better, improving how everything looks and feels. That’s just part of building something long term. You don’t “finish” a website. You evolve it.

You take what you built yesterday and make it better today.

That’s where I’m at right now.

The focus isn’t on starting over or chasing something new. It’s on tightening everything up. Cleaning up the websites, improving the structure, and making sure everything works together the way it should. Turning separate pieces into a system.

At the same time, I’m still writing, still posting, and still building every single day. That part doesn’t stop. But there’s no rush behind it anymore.

Because I’ve already seen what this can do.

I’ve watched content I created months ago continue to bring in traffic. I’ve seen things sit there quietly and then start picking up out of nowhere. That tells me everything I need to know.

The foundation is there.

Now it’s just about strengthening it, refining it, and letting it grow into what it’s meant to become.

Made in Image Studio

Final Thoughts… The Real Talk

When people ask me what I’ve built over the last two years, the first thing they want to see is the numbers. Views, clicks, income, all the surface-level stuff that looks good on paper. But honestly, that’s not what matters. What matters is simple. The system works. I’ve earned money from something I built from nothing, and it continues to grow without me forcing it every step of the way.

Right now, I’m earning from multiple directions. My books are bringing in income with 16 books published, my audiobooks through ACX are doing the same and there is 14 of them created, my apparel shop is generating sales, Facebook is paying from content, and Amazon Associates has recently added another stream into the mix. None of this happened overnight. Every piece was built slowly, layered over time until it turned into something real.

And the truth is, I haven’t even tapped into half of what’s available yet. There are endless affiliate programs out there, but I’m not chasing everything. My focus has always been to build a strong foundation first. Five solid income streams inside one brand, make it work, and then duplicate that system across the others. That’s how this scales. Not by doing everything at once, but by building something that works and repeating it with purpose.

Wealthy Affiliate, for me, stopped being just a platform a long time ago. It became direction. It gave me the tools to take ideas I had sitting around for years and turn them into something real. It showed me that this isn’t about shortcuts or quick wins. It’s about building something that lasts. The training, the people, and the experience all come together, but it still comes down to what you do with it.

At the core of everything, it’s simple. Build a website, drive traffic, and monetize it. But what separates the people who succeed from the ones who walk away is what they build on top of that. You have to create something people actually want to land on. Something that feels real. That’s what creates connection, and that’s what keeps people coming back.

So here I am, two years in. Seven websites built, multiple income streams running, and a brand that didn’t exist before now standing on its own. It’s not perfect, and there’s still a lot ahead, but it’s real and it’s growing. This journey hasn’t even come close to its peak yet.

Two years in, and a lifetime to go.

Shawn