Image by AMagill

As a teenager, Jeremy “ShoeMoney” Schoemaker was a fat nerd (his words, not mine). Undertaking various ventures and jobs over the next decade or so, he mostly self-taught the world of computer programming and online marketing. The popping of the dot-com bubble left him broke, but at age 29 he turned things around – found a girl, lost 200 pounds, started a business, etc.

In March 2007 he launched AuctionAds  – an affiliate marketing service for eBay, showing auction ads on relevant sites. A few months later, AuctionAds was bought by eBay. Since then, ShoeMoney continues to be a leader in the online and affiliate marketing world, sharing his insights through his blog ShoeMoney.com.

There are a lot more details regarding his story – college, other companies he started, his media group – but what’s the general message we can take from the success of Jeremy Schoemaker? Obviously hard work and dedication are going to bring success, but he mentions a few specific ideas on his blog.

• Always be looking toward the future. Putting yourself at the forefront of a current trend will help you capitalize upon (and monetize) that trend. You can even build upon your current success by tailoring what you do to whatever the current or upcoming trend happens to be.
• Base your efforts on what you already know, while expanding your expertise. There’s no need for you to start completely from scratch on a new idea; take what skills you already have and apply them. As a secondary initiative, discover what other knowledge and skills may be helpful to your new project, and expand in that direction.
• Success doesn’t always come from an earth-shattering, ground-breaking idea; something small can have a huge impact on your future success. Some low-risk experimentation can lead to significant returns on your investments. Don’t be afraid to take a few chances and see what results come your way.