If I could tell myself in 2004 what I know now in 2023, I would’ve avoided burnout and built a successful, six-figure online business in half time it actually took.

1. 2004 The Idea: Look, here’s the plan. You’re gonna buy this domain, but you won’t do jack shit with it. Then you’ll have to re-buy it for a higher price in a few years. So buy the domain and use it ASAP. Build the site using WordPress. Keep the design clean and make sure it loads really fast.
2. 2009: The Blackhat SEO Phase: Don’t waste time building shitty backlinks to your shitty articles and don’t use anything called Unique Article Wizard. All you have to do is write the best articles on pool care and publish them consistently.
3. 2011: The First YouTube Video: You need to make at least one video a week. Publish consistently. Try different video styles. You don’t need to be near a pool. Don’t give up on YouTube. Every week.
4. 2013: The Podcast: Just keep writing articles and making videos. And stop making those infographics. They don’t work in the future. Your podcast won’t be huge, but it’ll be rewarding. Just stay focused on what your business does well.
5. 2016: The Software Phase: Software will NEVER be your thing. You’ll attempt to create and sell software over the next few years and fail every time. All of that time would be better spent working on Swim University. And now Roasty and Brew Cabin.
6. 2017: The Airport: There was 2017 Matt staring down at his phone on the verge of tears. He must’ve just read the Amazon email saying commissions were getting cut to the bone.
7. 2004: The Future: You’re gonna make money selling banner ads and putting affiliate links on your site. But the most lucrative thing you’ll do is create and sell your own products. Stay in your wheelhouse. Write articles, produce videos and design graphics. In 2013, you will create an e-book on how to take care of a hot tub. You won’t know it, but that’ll be the most important moment in your business. Just build your website on WordPress, make it load fast, do some keyword research, and publish articles and videos around them. Then, make a few digital products, like ebooks and video courses. Promote them on every page. Make this your focus and treat affiliate commissions as a bonus. If you do this consistently, you’ll be successful in about 4 years or less.