A couple of weeks ago I hooked up on Skype with a great blogger by the name of Pat Flynn who has a fantastic story to share.
Pat was working as an architect and was about to get married – life was good – but unexpectedly he was laid off from his job and was left wondering what to do.
It turns out that getting laid off was the best thing that ever happened to Pat – he took a small blog about an architectural exam (the LEED exam) that he’d been using to help himself study for the exam and turned it into a six figure income generation machine.
He launched an E-Book off the back of his blog and in its first month he made $8000. That was just the beginning though – in his first year of business the site generated over $200,000!
You can check out Pat’s blog at Green Exam Academy and his newer site at Smart Passive Income.
My chat with Pat was both inspiring and informative and today I’m sharing it with those who have subscribed to the ProBlogger Newsletter.
UPDATE: Here’s the link to a more recent interview with Pat Flynn on the ProBlogger Podcast.
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I’ve already got the chance to listen to this being a subscriber and I can tell you besides the few times Pat gets quiet (I think it was his Skype microphone) it was really interesting to hear how he did so well in such a short period of time.
A lot of great tips were given in there and I think you should have a pen and paper when listening.
Pat is one of my favorite reads online. He is the real deal, and I’m excited to see him featured here at ProBlogger!
WOAH….what an inspiring story….yeah its true that if u have faith in urself then u can accomplish anything. Pat did the same thing. He’s an inspiration to all of us.
cheers
and thanks Darren for sharing your chat
I’ve been frequenting Pat’s site for a little while now.
He teaches a lot of common sense and elbow grease techniques. If you’re looking for an informative, down-to-earth source, Pat Flynn is your man.
I’ve employed a few of his tips, and its helped me get on the right track. The best part is, he’s still learning the ropes himself, so he basically shares the wealth of what he learns with everyone else so we don’t fall into the pitfalls he does.
I recommend checking his blog out.
Although I do not make enough of an income from my blog to afford the 5.95 subscription rate per month, I would like to say that I learned everything I know from Pat and would highly recommend him to anyone wishing to make money from blogging.
Having a lot of trouble getting it to load. I expect this to change soon in a day or two. I really love this section; I think it’s the best part of the blog and forums. Great marketing!
Very funny that this article should be posted right now. I just happened to find Pat’s blog earlier this week and had a quick email conversation with him about his eBook.
Legit dude and worth reading.
Chris Guthrie
Blog networks can deliver the benefits listed by Darren but not all of them for all bloggers.
Pat operates differently than alot of bloggers out there in cyberspace….he’s been successful, and he’s been showing others exactly how to do what he does….in complete transparency. Check out his income reports….it’s hard not to get inspired by the way his blog reflects a delicate balance between succeeding in business, as well as, maintaining great relationships with family and friends.
For the last 4-5 months of reading his blog, I eagerly look forward to subscribing to threads just so I can read each new comment. When Pat become a high tiered blogger, it may be difficult for him to effectively respond to everyone’s comments like he currently does, however, it’s pretty customary for him to always answer questions, address posts, and help out where he can.
If you haven’t downloaded his eBook yet, you HAVE to ASAP!
I forgot about this blog, I need to bookmark it so that doesn’t happen again.
I actually found the Simple Passive Income blog a couple months ago when I was first looking for ways to making a living online. I found him along with a couple others, but mostly forgot about everything except problogger.
Thanks for the article, and thanks for reminding me of this great site.
Randy – Just Point and Shoot
Pat is a very great guy and his story is very inspirational. I’ve read his blog a couple of times. I think his story teaches us that no matter what happens to us in life be it bad or good we should always be grateful for it, move on, and look at how we can succeed next.
good stuff, just finished the audio. I liked your question on the audo/ebook split, and the sales page discussion was very useful.
Thanks darren and Pat
I’m already a subscriber but I havent’ checked it yet.
I wish to be a success story just like him
I am a regular reader of Pat flynn’s smartpassiveincome.com. He has been sharing a lot of his learnings about making money online. Pat a good role model to bloggers. I have alread connected with Pat in all social medias twitter, facebook, digg, stumble upon and youtube.
I got newsletter with interview link. you should do transcripts for interviews. It is hard to hear alone.
I’ve employed a few of his tips, and its helped me get on the right track. The best part is, he’s still learning the ropes himself, so he basically shares the wealth of what he learns with everyone else so we don’t fall into the pitfalls he does.
I really enjoy Pat’s blogs … he is so down to earth and all about helping others achieve too.
Pat is a wonderful guy and I have read a few of his blogs. He has an extremely positive outlook and and believes in living life fully.
I’ve been enjoying Pat’s blog for a while now. Some really informative stuff on his blog.
A very great interview with a great model to learn on for strugglling blogger like me. This will encourage me to carry on with my journey towards giving great resources for Filipino entrepreneurs and at the same time earn money online for a living. Thanks, Darren.
Pat has been my Idol since i got to know him through yaro’s blog. His audio interview gives me new hope to dream. That’s why i started a “Free Hotel Management Training Blog” which i guess the first attempt. If i could get good number of royal visitors then i hope to write some ebooks like pat and may be i can be successful. My blog is: http://www.hospitality-school.com .Wish to get any suggestion to improve my blog.Thanks darren
I haven’t heard of Pat’s blog before. I must be living under a rock. I’m going to check this out, thanks
Thanks for sharing the interview information. Great for inspiration and motivation.
Thanks
Thanks for the information, why not here? You will got more readers.
Darren,
Beat you to the punch…but just barely! Pat did a quick email interview for me that may augment what you’ve got on the podcast.
See: http://bit.ly/8EHgna
Can’t tell you how much of a resource your site and 31D2BBB book have been! Thank you.
Ahh, I remember the first blog I ever created. I wrote a story just like this. Smart minds must think alike!
Pat is just great! I love the way he does the video-screen cast. He has accomplished a lot yet sounds very humble. I like the guy a lot.
an architect will be a great job! I love this.Cheers
This guy is very smart. I admire his attitude of being positive.
Good for Pat! It’s an inspiration to make me work harder on my blog. I just check out Pats blog and it’s pretty good so far.
Hey there Darren! If you’re planning on posting an interview this month please consider submitting it to my new blog carnival – The Compendium of Conversation!
Very funny that this article should be posted right now. I just happened to find Pat’s blog earlier this week and had a quick email conversation with him about his eBook.
Pat is such an awesome and down to earth guy. I’m amazed how he consistently bends over backwards to help his readers to help them achieve the success that he has. Pat was once again gracious enough to do an interview for me on my blog. Thanks Pat for doing what you do! http://www.goodfinancialcents.com/7-questions-with-pat-flynn-from-smart-passive-income/ And thanks Darren for sharing this post.
Synchronicity! Times two.
#1) I somehow stumbled across Pat’s LEED site last week & loved its look. Made a mental note to check it out later in more detail for good ideas to “steal.” ;)
#2) I’m in the process of creating a new business blog at the same time as I’m beginning to receive affiliate requests regarding my 3-year-old personal blog. And I have lots of questions! You, of course, have lots and lots (and lots) of answers.
I’m so appreciative of the wonderful information you provide in your blog and your publications. And of the introduction to Pat’s awesome ebook guide and his smart passive income site.
Thanks so much! Please keep up the good work.
Deborah Hymes | WanderNot, Inc.
I think one have to make sure your newsletters don’t have typos, grammar mistakes, and spelling errors. This is vital for having a professional looking newsletter.
I always learn so much from these posts, thank you!