Back when I started Aff Playbook (It was called PPV Playbook then), I was basically a hermit. I was a successful affiliate, but I almost never networked with anyone..especially in person. It wasn't that I didn't want to, I was just a little shy and had a hard time pushing myself to go out and meet people.
It took the urging of a few friends, but in 2010 I decided I would hold a small mastermind and meetup during Affiliate Summit West in Las Vegas. To my knowledge, I was the first to start offering a private mastermind and kind of paved the way for others who started doing it.
I remember being very nervous before the mastermind, but once I started it was smooth sailing. When I look back on that, it's interesting that so many affiliates who went on to become super successful attended. One of the attendees was Mark aka ‘ctrtard‘ who now creates all the Aff Robot tools in the forum, and has put on many masterminds with me.
That Affiliate Summit really kick started Aff Playbook and helped me meet lots of new friends and business partners. The reason I'm telling you this story, is that I think each of us probably has a similar story about their first conference. It's exciting to meet people who share the same passion you do. In person networking is one of the most important things you can do for your business. Shows like Affiliate Summit are where the real connections in this industry are made.
My guest on this episode is one of the co-founders of Affiliate Summit, Shawn Collins. Shawn got his start making content sites and managing affiliate programs before making the leap into creating Affiliate Summit. In this interview, we talk about his beginnings in the industry, what trends he has seen over the years, and where he sees the industry heading. Shawn has a front row seat to the Affiliate Marketing industry, so it's always interesting to hear his observations.
If you've never been to an Affiliate Summit, I highly recommend it. We almost always put on a meetup of some kind so if you come be sure to stop by and say hi!
You can learn more about Affiliate Summit.
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