Over the last couple of years, I’ve been learning how to market on the internet. Initially, I was using my new skills to promote my Network Marketing efforts. More recently, I’ve come to realize that these skills are transferrable to many other applications.

I had lived in San Antonio for over two decades. It’s a great place. People are friendly, and it’s very easy to get around. I enjoyed it a lot. It’s also very close to Austin.

Austin is only 80 miles up the road. Considering how close it is, it is quite remarkable how different it really is from San Antonio. I always had fun going to Austin. It was like a getaway. A chance to be away from home and let loose. It’s a place where anything goes.

The obvious things that you’ve heard about Austin are all true. People are very fitness conscious, the level of education is very high, there is a very vibrant music scene, and the high tech industry is booming. Because it is the State Capitol and a college town, it’s a place where people are very politically aware, and know how to party!

What you may not know is how entreneurial Austin is. More specifically, it has become a mecca for many of the so-called Gurus in the Internet Marketing arena.

About a year ago, I started coming up to Austin for a Meetup Group called the Internet Markeeting Party. I connected with David Gonzalez, a very successful internet marketer, who runs the Internet Marketing Parties. To call this a meetup group would be an understatement. Many of the people who come to these mixers are the who’s who of Internet Marketing.

What’s even more amazing is the caliber of the speakers that David has been able to assemble. In less than a year, I have made friends with some very influential marketers. Most of them are very down to earth, yet have the capability to move a LOT of eyeballs! Being able to connect with people like this is very exciting. They are so open, and willing to share information…it is a small, but vibrant community.

So, sometimes you just have to say WTF! I went through a very dark period in San Antonio over the last 3-4 years. I decided that I could not look at Austin as a “getaway” any longer, but that it was time to make it my home.

I wanted to be part of this. I wanted to be part of the buzz…of this amazing community of forward-thinking people. Of course, I had friends that had moved up here over the years, and knew a few people here, but I wanted to get in the middle of all of this.

So, I did what any sane person would do. I sold EVERYTHING. I sold my house, my furniture, and even my old car. Why? Because it was time to start fresh in my new home.

I now live in a nice little apartment right on Town Lake, overlooking downtown. I’m walking distance to Downtown, SoCo, amazing restaurants and coffee shops. More importantly, I’m CONNECTING. I’ve been here less that 3 weeks, and have already had lunches, coffee, and parties with some incredible people. I have made more connections in 18 days than I would have ever dreamed of.

I’m not going to lie. This amount of change is not easy. I live in a different place with different furniture, driving a different car, have a different daily routine, and now have different friends. It’s a LOT of change all at once. But, I am embracing it, and it is all working out beautifully.

Whatever it is you are pursuing, I can only encourage you to think about making some big changes in your life….the kinds of changes that can allow you to make new friends, breathe different air, get new ideas. Just remember how important the power of association is. You don’t have to take things to the extremes that I did, but if you decide to move to Austin, feel free to look me up. I’ll be happy to show you around, and introduce you to some incredible people!

Best,

Shecky