The Genesis of the Extra Money Blog. Who Am I & Why Should YOU Care?

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This month marks a very important milestone in my online career. I finally got around to publishing my first blog post. If you have been following me on my website and newsletter for sometime now, you know that this was in the works for a very long time. In fact, I had designed the blog a while ago, but just never got around to get started blogging.

You might be wondering why I am just now getting to blogs. They are old news after all aren’t they? While I agree that blogs have been around for a while, and I have known all about them till now, I just never felt the need to have one. However, things have changed over the years and after overwhelming requests time and again, I have finally entered the blogosphere with my first blog post (applause please).

Since this is my first post, I thought I’d 1) introduce myself (in the event you haven’t read about me) and 2) explain the “genesis”, or the beginning of this blog. So here we go . . .

A Bit About Me

My name is Sunil and I was in college when I got into internet business. I have always been an entrepreneur in my mind and my action even prior to that, but it was then when I really became a believer in the Internet. Of course it helped that Google and all were coming on board at that time. Today I am convinced that the Internet is not only the present but also the future.

Before I started this blog, I started an ecommerce web business, grew it organically over a 2 year window, and then sold it to the third highest ranking power seller on eBay at the time for a lot of money. Since then, I launched multiple other websites adopting different business models, grew all organically and turned them into automatic income generating machines.

Because I intensely studied and applied search engine optimization (SEO) and core internet marketing strategies, I was able to establish profitable websites from ground up with very little investment, if any. I then started helping small businesses (and still do today) as a consultant establishing a web presence and getting their websites indexed as high as possible on search engine search results in order to bring them more business. I am sure you will agree that in today’s business world, a website is a MUST.

This month onward, I will be focusing my time and efforts into this blog, doing something I’ve always wanted to do – bring awareness and impact positive change on a larger scale.

My Personal Background

I am Indian, was born in another Asian island thousands of miles away from India and grew up speaking 4 languages. I moved to the United States when I was 15. Growing up, my parents were very well off. I had the luxuries of maids and drivers every day (yup I didn’t even have to go to the fridge and grab a glass of orange juice as everything was catered to me) and had no worries except to go to school, then come back and play video games or go to the park to meet friends and play basketball or paintball (it was BB gun war back in the day).

After losing my mother at the tender age of 10, and subsequently my father’s ill condition (2 heart attacks) while vacationing in the USA, my family experienced an unfortunate turn of events that lead to severe depletion of wealth. It was a financial catastrophe to say the least.

My father sold off and liquidated his businesses and we continued with an average, humble, middle-class lifestyle in the USA. There were many struggles settling in a new country, with new laws, regulations and way of lifestyle as just some of the newer aspects to learn and adopt to.

My father is not educated, and having to handle not only himself, but 3 young children and an aging mother at the time was extremely challenging for him. With God’s grace, time moved on, the kids grew independent and self sustaining, and I just shared with you a part of my past in a nut shell.

What Was I Before an Internet Entrepreneur?

I was both a white collar corporate employee and an entrepreneur. In my reincarnation as an employee, I worked at Taco Bell (fast food) while I was in high school. I then kept busy with odd part time jobs leading up to college as well as during summers.

I attended school at the world renown the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor (GO BLUE), and even though I travel a lot, no matter where I am my heart still bleeds Maize & Blue on Fall Saturday afternoons (and sometimes evenings too). I did my bachelors in Financial Economics and got my Masters in Accounting. I subsequently got my Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license as well as my Finance Charter. Yes, I got numbers stamped all over my forehead – and letters after my name.

After completing my masters, I joined a big 4 (big 5 at the time) accounting firm, moved up rapidly and subsequently moved into a Fortune 100 Financial Services organization where I was promoted to a Manager in a Corporate Finance role. While I was running in the rat race, my entrepreneurial side was exploring various ventures here and there, partly experimenting (learning) and partly succeeding as well.

In my other reincarnation as an entrepreneur, I was (and still am) involved with a lot. It started early when I was a junior in high school. I remember my brother and I used to buy these Super Nintendo games and then sell them to FuncoLand (it was sold and the name changed) for a profit. Sometimes we would buy from Funco, play it, beat it and then sell it for a profit.

We did newspaper routes, can collecting, comic book trading, action figure trading and even sold a ton of stuff on eBay when it was still an online shop where you posted stuff found in basements (now it is a full blown store where manufacturers sell directly).

Moving on to college, whenever I had saved some money from my part time jobs (I worked throughout college despite having a full scholarship), I was always buying undervalued used cars from private sellers and flipping them for a quick $500-$1,500. I remember making $2,000 one time when I had flipped a Jeep. Pretty good for a part time college gig.

After college, I found myself in one of the most prestigious professional firms in my industry. I was involved in several hi profile projects. However, my entrepreneurial side kept pulling me away from it. Now earning REAL MONEY, I started studying real estate in my spare time. That eventually led to my first investment in a zero down 5% mortgage deal on a condo sold by a motivated dentist who was looking to leave the area.

A year later I got my second, then third, then fourth and the story goes on. I am still actively involved in real estate deals. Real estate has developed into a passion – and in romantic terms my “first-love” (just don’t tell my wife because I told her she is).

While involved in real estate, I was studying the internet. I studied it straight for about 2 years and then decided to start implementing what I had learned. This lead to my first ecommerce website, which 2 years later and over 30,000 recurring loyal customers, was sold. The site became extremely profitable, and a lot of work (inventory issues, drop shipper management, cash flow, warehousing, xyz).

I was approached by an unsolicited buyer who I ended up selling the business to about 3 years from its inception. My returns? Immeasurable! Considering I started the business with less than $2,000 but a whole lot of sweat equity. I enjoyed the entire experience so much that I thought I could do it for the rest of my life. I sure can, but I also enjoy getting out there and interacting with other sharp individuals. I do like aspects of Corporate America as much as I bash it. I will say however that there is nothing like starting something from scratch, growing it and then cashing it in for a nice healthy profit.

While I was doing all that, I decided one day to invest in a small business in my community. Yes, I get bored easily and I know you can tell. I ended up buying my first brick and mortar business before I had sold my ecommerce business. The experience was and has been very rewarding (I still own it). This is about where I decided to draw a line around my desire to expand into other areas.

Without having done so, and with my interests, I am sure I would have toyed around with anything and everything that came to mind. I have learned throughout the years that the more you spread yourself thin, the less you get done. It is best to focus your energy on targeted tasks for optimal results. For most, this is just one thing at a time. For some, it can be 2 or 3, but rarely will I advice more than that. We are only human at the end of the day.

While I tend to my brick and mortar business, real estate investments and stock portfolio, the internet is where I spend most of my time and energy. I have hired business and property managers who have helped turn my investments into passive, residual sources of income. They therefore do not require much of my time and attention. I simply oversee the operations and accounting on a very high level. The same goes for my portfolio. I used to be against paying someone from investing on my behalf. But if that someone can prove that they can deliver much superior results that I would have on my own, then I do not mind sharing a piece of the pie.

Why I got Involved With Entrepreneurship?

Ah, the million dollar question I get asked almost everyday by at least one person. Why did I pursue “side gigging” (which comes with its own set up risks and headaches) when I had a comfortable, high paying career in a Fortune 100 (not 500) company? After all, business ventures are risky and can fail and a lot of time and money can be lost in it right? True. But this is what I truly enjoy doing. I loved my career, but I simply love entrepreneurship more. It is in my blood.

Ask yourself the question “what would I be doing right now if I were financially free and independent?” In other words if you didn’t HAVE TO work, what would you be doing instead? Your answer is your true passion. For me, it was and still is entrepreneurship, and more specifically it has evolved into internet entrepreneurship.

For me, I do not view entrepreneurship as a risk. I see it as an opportunity to succeed. No matter what anyone else says, I don’t think there is even a chance of failure if you go at it the right way (strong statement I know). Major universities today have fully developed entrepreneurship programs, something unimaginable just a couple decades ago. There is a lot of science incorporated into entrepreneurship – it is not all art anymore. Bottom line is that I do not view it as a risk – period!

Having a solid educational background helps tremendously as well. It is because of my education that I was able to land my first career opportunity. This has had a lot to do with my success, maybe not directly because I started most of my entrepreneurial ventures with little money, but definitely indirectly. Why? Because I cannot tell you the confidence, the security and the psychological advantage I had when I started pursuing my entrepreneurial side. I would not have been in this position if it wasn’t for my career. Is it mandatory? No, but it definitely helps.

I always recommend experimenting with your passion on the side while maintaining a full time career. Trust me – it helps. It is not wise in my opinion to walk away from your 9 to 5 and take a nose dive full fledge. I will always tell you to juggle and make the move when it feels right. For some it may never feel right, and there is nothing wrong with that. I have a whole circle of friends who juggle both their profession and their side gigs. They are perfectly happy and doing very well. They will likely retire 25 years before the average person retires and with a much better quality of life. I also have a full circle of friends who gave up their 9 to 5s and took the dive. Tons are doing very well, and some are not. Bottom line is that anything is possible. I am simply suggesting a way that would make it easy on your MB&B – mind, body and bank account.

While I have many good things to say about some corporate careers (it can be very lucrative for some), entrepreneurship (for me at least) is a much, much better option and the answer to financial freedom and living my life on my own terms. I do what I want, when I want, however much I want. I don’t have anyone but myself and my family to answer to. It is more secure (and I can go into this debate with anyone). No one can lay me off or fire me, and my income streams are so diverse that if one dries up today, I can rely on the 36 others to keep my bank account filled up. Not to mention I can always add more streams at will.  What would you do if you lost your paycheck today?

Why Did I Choose to Blog About My Passion Publicly?

Few reasons. People are always fascinated with my story. I have been told countless times that I should write a book. So many friends and relatives come asking for help with taxes, forming business entities, SEO, internet marketing, real estate, X, Y, Z and it is just hard for me to sit down with each and everyone and put in my 110% to help them. I have done that plenty, but I felt like I could contribute much more on a much larger scale if I wrote about it publicly. I have the ability to produce and deliver valuable content – so why not? Not everyone can say this for themselves.

The other reason is because the Easy Extra Money Online website I developed is focused mainly on helping folks make money online from home or anywhere else with just an Internet connection and no out of pocket investment or expense. As the website evolved, I got into countless others ways one can make money from home with no investment. Then many visitors realized that they need a website or blog to really make some serious cash like I was making. That fact, coupled with the questions people asked me about business in general, lead to this blog.

One of my objectives with this blog is to help others by sharing what I know about making money online from home with no investment and at the same time help develop them as well rounded business people so that they can take advantage of opportunities that will often come their way. For example, if you are working from home and making money, wouldn’t you like to hear about the right approach to tax planning so that you don’t end up paying all you make in taxes? Tax planning is a huge (if not the biggest) benefit of entrepreneurship.

Sometimes I have been called rude for not responding to calls or emails. I am just one person. If I focus my time on email inquiries, I won’t be able to dedicate the time I do to my online content. This is one of the bigger reasons I decided to preach what I know publicly. I have spent a lot of time developing a detailed website, a newsletter and now a blog containing thousands of pages dedicated to four major topics most on my readers are interested in.

I have a full section dedicated just to paid surveys, a section to tons of other legitimate work from home opportunities, a section on making a website to get to the next level of earnings and finally this blog which brings everything together by discussing each category in more detail, along with various other relevant subjects that will only help you with your goals and objectives. And why settle for a book when we have the Internet today? This is the best thing since the big bang theory that brought us all into existence. Quite honestly, I truly believe in that. My work is available 24 hours 7 days a week all around the world absolutely FREE. Just boot-up the computer and Walla!!

If you think I have a secret that no one else has and you want to know it, I recommend you subscribe to my blog to stay up to date. There is no such thing as a secret that any one person possesses. The recipe to success is quite clear and available publicly. Passion, persistence, determination mixed with properly planned action almost always equates to success (a very subjective term by the way).

Why I Got Involved With Internet Entrepreneurship Specifically?

Because I have not found another avenue where you can truly automate things and turn life into paradise from a financial perspective. With the systems and concepts I have implemented I feel like I have the ability to print money anytime I want. I did not get here overnight by any means. It takes time to get to a level where you can do that, but take comfort in the fact that it is possible to reach a level where you start to own your own printing press of greenbacks.

I was not hungry for money; I had enough to live the way I want to live. What I was hungry for was the flexibility and freedom in life to do what I want on my own terms. I wanted all kinds of options, the option to spend time with friends and family at will, the option to work for anyone I wanted (if at all), travel, etc. You get the point. The world is mostly in a rut today. Lives are spent/wasted in cubicles and people feel helpless. It does not have to be this way. One of my goals with this blog is to inspire and encourage by example. For the record, I am still under 30 as I launch this blog. You will be privy to my personal stories that demonstrate my practical experience as an internet entrepreneur.

Just ask any rich CEO or corporate executive for what they would like to have more of. You will always hear “time” or a “better balanced life”. These people have all the money in the world. They have all the large homes and cars, they have everything except one thing, and that is free time. Have you seen the way they look? Round, bald and older than their age. Most are unhealthy and sick to their core. What part of that sounds good to you? Seen any good looking, healthy CEOs with a happy healthy family lately?

I did not want to be that person my friend. When I joined public accounting and I looked at my multi millionaire partner, I made the decision that I will not become like him. I made that decision quite early and that helps a lot. Why? Because if you do not know where your final destination is, or what your goal is, then how do you know you are taking the right steps and getting closer to it? That is the problem most people have. They don’t know where they want to get, so every step they take in between is all over the place in all directions.

I am glad I took that stance and since then worked toward that goal each step of the way. Today I can do whatever I want, whenever I want and not have to worry about how my bank account will replenish itself. I make money while I sleep, and there is no better feeling than that, at least from a financial security perspective.

Sunil,
Let the Bloggin’ begin . . .

7 Responses to “The Genesis of the Extra Money Blog. Who Am I & Why Should YOU Care?”

1. Russell says:

   July 28, 2010 at 9:32 am

   Excellent explanation and introduction. Stumbled upon your website through a tweet from someone I follow. Your blog looks very compelling, and addresses an under served market. As an employee and a part time entrepreneur, I can certainly appreciate what you are doing. Looking forward to hearing more from you. All the best!

   Reply
2. Sunil says:

   August 14, 2010 at 12:49 pm

   Russell,

   Glad you liked it. You are my first responder/respondent. Looking forward to interacting more…

   Reply
3. Shilpan says:

   February 18, 2012 at 3:44 pm

   Sunil,

   Your story is very inspiring. I think we both have similar passion for business. I think you will do very well in life because you have relentless desire to succeed.

   Reply
4. Larry says:

   March 11, 2012 at 8:56 pm

   Sunil,

   Wow, great post. I just got done reading some of your other, newer posts that are great.

   I was loving everything that you were saying, all up to the point about the Maze & Blue part. Being a big Buckeye fan(I live in Northeastern Ohio), I felt this sense of disappointment sink in. How can I follow along with your journey if you are a Wolverine fan.

   I’m just kidding.

   I look forward to your future posts. A lot of the things you have said in this initial post, I relate with you a lot. I too have a large entrepreneurial spirit in me, I left a good paying job to start a small business that I knew nothing about to turn it into a good little business. And then my interests turned to the Internet, which I have been trying to learn everything I can as quickly as I can and then learn how to implement it.

   Again, great first post and I look forward to future posts.

   Reply
   • Sunil says:

     March 12, 2012 at 4:13 am

     get lost. I don’t associate with anyone from Ohio.

     no really, good to have you here Larry. glad you enjoyed it and please let me know if there is anything I can do to help along the way. cheers to your success!

     Reply
5. rory says:

   March 13, 2012 at 3:55 am

   Kinda sounds like my life. I grow up in a well off family, go to Private Schools, and also playing rugby for one of the most expensive private schools in New England.

   But as time went on, I struggled to maintain the type of lifestyle my parents wanted, so as a typical teen, I decided to venture out on the hard streets.

   Through a lot of hard work, I have created and maintained a decent life online- by creating and selling mini Niche Websites.

   I will be a returning visitor, looking for new and innovative ideas o help increase my overall potential online.

   Reply
   • Sunil says:

     March 14, 2012 at 3:24 am

     You took some serious action there Rory and seems like it has rewarded you back. Do you ever look back and think about your parents as a safety net that you can fall back to/on? I am curious how such a background impacts your psychology as you go day to day?

     I am heavily into niche sites as well and would love to hear more about your process and how it works for you. Perhaps a guest post on the EMB?

     Reply