Interview: Tom Patton

Tom Patton is a 26 year old Internet Marketer. He runs Cheapcarinsurnace4u.com as well as a few e-commerce websites. He’s an easy going guy with a passion for making money online, never working 9-5, and doing what he loves.

Tell us a little background info about yourself. Where are you from? How old are you? How long have you been making money online?
I’m 26 year old dude from California that has been working in the internet marketing industry since late 2008. When I was 15, I began working with graphic designs and started my own t-shirt company, Hydro Inc, out of my parents’ garage. Since then, I’ve graduated college and built a few websites, which I found out is something I actually like doing and makes money.

Do you have any experience with affiliate marketing? If so, to what extent?
I started out doing affiliate marketing working with insurance leads and skateboarding products. I started a site called volcomshirt.com, site ranked quick and I started to really learn about organic traffic. That was until 2 months later, Volcom called me and had me shut down the site for violating their trademarked name. Since then, I have kept a great relationship with Volcom and even helped them out by finding similar sites like the one I had owned. For the help, Volcom sends me free clothes. (learned my lesson quick about having trademarked names in a domain)

What accomplishments so far are you the most proud of?
Creating my own product website and really building my own brand. I like affiliate marketing, however when you own the product.. you make 100% instead of 10%. Also the fact I was able to quit my day job and focus more of my time on my internet projects

How did you become successful? Why did you choose this career? When did you first realize the full potential in the Internet? When did you first “hit the big time?”
I don’t like to stop. I work continuously familiarizing myself with internet marketing until I find something that works. I stayed up all night, worked Monday-Sunday. I realized the potential in the internet when I made 5X the salary I made last year in 10 months. I don’t think I hit it big time yet. or I don’t think I’ve hit it big just yet.

Set Goals for yourself and work towards them! If don’t reach them, lower your goal the following year and keep working towards it.

What do you think it takes to be successful?
Hard work, passion, heart, entrepreneurial spirit. You have to want it.

What have been your biggest failures and frustrations?
Wasting money on projects that I realized sucked. I really don’t like to write, stupid ideas.

What is the single toughest problem you’ve had to face, and how did you get through it?
Finding a niche that I really liked to do. I got through it by not giving up and continuously looking forward while focusing on the present. When I started making a little money it was the greatest feeling because I actually saw that it was possible to make money online.

Is there anything that you don’t like to do, that you just hate working on?
I don’t like writing. Mainly because I get 5 sentences into a blog and have writers block. PPC is something I know I need to work on but keep putting it up off.

What is the future of marketing?
TV and Mobile. I think you are going to be able to share anything you’re watching on the major social networks facebook, twitter. Status updates on what your “currently watching” It’s going to all be connected—phone, internet, appliances, vehicles.

What have you been up to recently? What projects are you working on?
Recently, I have been working on a new forum trying to attract a community of people to hang out and post information on the boards. Also outsourcing and getting a larger selection of products for my ecom sites.

What problems have you had with those new projects?
I have had a hard time finding the right people to help me with the forum. I needed the information to be accurate and not just made up off the top of the head so finding someone who knew a lot on the subject was difficult.

Do you think anything particular in your past prepared you for this industry? Your education? Jobs you’ve held before?
I’ve always worked with computers. I guess making fake id’s in high school with Photoshop got me pretty familiar with design. I took HTML and design classes in high school and college which contributed. Being individually motivated and having an entrepreneurial spirit I think has helped me. I’ve also had some customer service jobs in the past, which definitely prepared me run an internet business.

What are your greatest strengths?
Coming up with new ideas, not giving up, creativity, web design.

What are your greatest weaknesses?
Writing, ppc, procrastination.

What motivates you?
Being financially independent and making my own money on my own terms. Music, great stories & documentaries…

What is the best advice you’ve been given and try to apply to your life?
Don’t give up. “You can’t reach your goals if you don’t take that chance”

Who has impacted you most in your career, and how?
Marko Nikolic introduced me to internet marketing with a simple blog post. Right then I knew this industry was for me. My girlfriend always stood by me when I was starting out in this industry. Even when no money was being made, and all my time was spent on the computer she was cool with it, making me dinner and supporting everything I was trying to do.

What are some of your long-term goals? How much is enough? If money was no object, what would you be doing?
If money was not an object I would want to have a big warehouse full of stuff. By that, I mean a team of coders, developers, designers, writers, marketers constantly working on projects. We would come up with silly and real ideas and just build them.
　
Where do you want to be ten years from now?
Wife and kids, living on the west coast and running a bunch of web properties.

How do you like to spend your free time? What does work-life balance mean to you?
Hanging out with my friends and g/f, fishing, golfing, bowling , screen printing, movies, restaurants , road trips, and laughing.

If you could go back to being 18, what different career choices would you make?
I would have starting making websites, bought up a bunch of domains, and skipped college.

What is your greatest achievement outside of work?
Finishing college, great relationships.

Do you have a Twitter account or Facebook “Like” page?
Twitter.com/todaytom