Hello from the Texas Hill Country in Blanco, TX - USA

[dmsgroup]

Hi Rosalind (and all),

I've corresponded with Rosalind before, although it was several months
ago, and she might not remember who I was or what we corresponded
about.

I have the email on another computer on the network, so I - myself -
don't even remember what we discussed.

But, let me get on with my introduction.

My name is Ernest O'Dell and my main business website is posted in my
signature profile. I don't promote satellite TV on the Internet so much
as I promote the business opportunity. I also operate a training forum
for new affiliates and provide a lot of ongoing training, along with books,
articles, newsletters, etc., many of them at no cost.

I got started in satellite TV sales as an affiliate as sort of a fluke, just to
see if there was really any money in it. At first, I started promoting sat
through a Cognigen Networks affiliate, but only made a one tier spiff on
sales. When I "happened onto" the company's main site, I signed up
and got my own affiliate and managed to make some money with it, and
build up a sizeable downline through 3 tiers.

I eventually found another retailer that paid more in first tier commissions
and you can guess what I did. I began promoting the higher paying
affiliate, not only as an end product to consumers, but also building up
a downline.

Recently I came under scrutiny by the original company (I won't mention
their name here for the sake of the conversation) and they made
allegations that I was using spam to promote their product.

Quite the contrary! I wrote back to them and told them I don't even
promote them anymore and as far as I was concerned, since they made
the accusations, the burden of proof is on them, not me.

The founder of the company has been in some serious legal trouble over
some criminal activity that he was involved in back in December of 2005,
so I started putting some "distance" between me and them. I also notified
their partners (just in case they weren't aware of it), and I'm thinking...
this may have gotten back to them and now they're "black-balling" me.

I really don't care, because I never printed any slander or libel against
them (or him) since it was plastered all over the news, and I have the
link from the original newspaper account up on the east coast. Passing
the URL of the article along to "concerned affiliates" in no way put me in
jeapardy of legal action, but it may have cost me my affiliate.

Such as it is, as I've said before, I don't care - really - because I don't
promote their product anymore, and they don't owe me any money.
They've always paid me whatever they owed me, and they've never
withheld anything from me.

However, their training methods were extremely flawed and unworkable
and were all done via email autoresponders. The strategies taught were
also so old and defunct, that they hadn't been changed in over 10 years.

Now, I'm working on some joint ventures (real joint ventures, and not
some smoke screen with some unknown name in the Internet arena) with
major national retailers. Big names: names of major retailers that have
brick and mortar locations all over the world, and over half million
employees nationwide. You can only imagine how my downlines are
growing.

Needless to say, aside from my real estate ventures and commercial
developments, I really have more fun doing satellite TV and training
new affiliates. And I've learned how to "beat the system" - so to speak -
and make the retailers a lot of money, and make some big commission
checks myself. It's a win-win for both sides of the affiliate marketing
side of satellite TV, and my retailers love me for it!

I'm 53 years old, I've been living in the Texas Hill Country town of Blanco,
Texas for over 7 years, and have been having the "time of my life".

My neighbor, Dr. Joe Vitale, lives about 15 miles to the east of me in
Wimberley, Texas, and will be my keynote speaker in an upcoming
event. I would love to get Rosalind down here to speak to a group, but
may have to coordinate the locations, times, and number of tickets.
Perhaps that is something we can work on later.

I am also working on finishing 3 books that I've had in the works for
several years, and hope to have them finished in the next 8 weeks or so.
One of them is going to be an updated training manual, and another one
is going to be an inspirational "self help" type 'success' book, and the
third one is a compilation of works that I've been editing for the last ten
years.

I am also editing another book for a friend of mine who is already a
published author and teaching at Georgetown University in Washington,
D.C. He used to work for NPR (National Public Radio) and was tenured
with GU back about two years ago.

I have an old dog who "adopted" me when I rescued him from a ranch
out south of town. He hadn't been cared for very well, and was always
left outside to fend for himself, and was scared spitless everytime we
had big rains, lightening and thunderstorms. Out here in the Texas Hill
Country, the rainy "season" can become quite nasty with hail and high
winds. In the winter time, it's even worse as the temperatures can
drop in 20 minutes and produce - what the "old timers" call - a "Blue
Norther". It can get so cold, so fast, that the rain freezes on the vehicles,
and if your car isn't in a garage, you can go out the next morning and
spend an hour getting four inches of ice off of it.

You may think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. I have proof and pictures.
We have historical proof over the past 150 years where ranchers and
farmers lost thousands of head of livestock (cattle, sheep and goats) in
one of these storms. They would literally be wiped out overnight!

But I love living in this part of the country! The people are unique in their
own "quirky" sort of way, and we have millionaires, billionaires, movie
stars, and all sorts of people living here. We also have some plain, good,
"old fashion" hard working people who do much of the necessary work
that's done on these ranches in order to survive.

Sometimes I have to wonder how I've ever survived living out in the
wilderness of this scrubby country, had I not had some friendly "advice"
from some of those more knowledgeable "Old Timers".

I've had "run in's" with bucks "in heat", rattlesnakes, scorpions, and Brown
Recluse spiders than I care to remember. Each time I've been bitten,
stung, or struck, I've managed to recoup and go on. When it came down
to a goring between me and the buck, I pulled my sidearm out of my
holster and told him, "You're in a heap of trouble coming to a gun fight
with only one set of antlers critter!"

Thankfully, I didn't have to shoot the beautiful creature, as he turned a
180 and ran away from me. I guess he figured I was going to win "this
one"! LOL

About 4 years ago, I finally rejoined "civilization" and moved back into
town and joined the local citizenry to improve the lot of those less
fortunate. I've joined the Local Lion's Club, I write for our local paper,
and belong to the Chamber of Commerce. I actively promote Blanco,
Texas, and I tie it all in with my Press Releases and articles every chance I get.

My idea of relaxation is taking a stroll in ankle deep, cool water, of the
Blanco River with my dawg, and holding the hand of my beautiful lady
friend, Sandra. Hopefully, someday, we will "tie the knot" that binds us
together for the rest of my life, because "ONE is a lonely number" and
I have finally found someone who makes a good friend. I hope to keep
her the rest of my life, because she's become my best friend, and best
friends sometimes make the best spouse.

I also like to fish in the river, and I do a lot of "catch and release". Most
of the fish around here are not really big enough to keep, so I put them
back in the water so they can grow up. Occasionally I get down to
Canyon Lake and catch some mighty big bass, usually around 3 or 4
pounds each, and I'll keep those. We also have a good supply of catfish
which provide for a really lively "fish fry" as we say in this part of the
country. Fish fry, hush puppies and beer, and lots of friends make for a
really good time, and the only thing better than that is one of our local
chili cook-offs -- or barbque.

Every year we have a Heritage Days Rodeo down at Yett Park, and a
Lavender Festival that rivals the French. The soil here in this part of the
country has produced a sizeable amount of fine vineyards, too, and one
can satiate their palate on some of the finest wines in the world -- grown
right here in the Texas Hill Country.

And, don't forget about the peaches! Ah! The peaches of Fredricksburg,
Texas can hardly be rivalled in taste, sweetness, and firmness. Anytime
you're down here in "this neck of the woods" - just north of San Antonio,
Texas and west of Austin - you've got to stop along the way and meet
some of the "colorful" folk in these parts.

Well, I guess I've rambled enough in my first introduction. And I've
probably "railed" a little too much, too. But I hope Rosalind will cut me
some slack, and the moderators will be kind and gentle, since I didn't
name any names like Rosalind did when she uncovered the unscrupulous
peccadillos of Stephen Ducharme. (By the way, Rosalind, I had
his "number" a long time ago and never bought anything from him.
What a joke he was! Now he's history!)

Do feel free to call me up and chat with me anytime you wish. You can
also email me through the form on my website listed in my signature.

I promise I won't try to recruit you or sell you anything, but if you're ever
interested in starting in this business, or any other, I'll "grill you" to make
sure you know what you're doing or what you really want.

I look forward to hearing from you and being a contributor to this forum.

Sincerely yours,

Ernest O'Dell
The 100 Grand A Month Club, and The Power Satellite TV Forum
Blanco, Texas

[Rosalind Gardner]

Hey Ernest,

Now THAT's what I call an introduction! Thank you so much!

I look forward to seeing much more of your writing in the NPT Forum in the future. You're in an excellent position to help our newer members out.

And lucky you... having Dr. Joe Vitale as a neighbor. I'm jealous!

Best to you,
Ros

[dmsgroup]

Hi Rosalind,

Thanks for the kind reply! I was thinking, maybe, my first introduction
was a bit too long when I posted it, but I said, "What the heck!" and went
with it. LOL (Actually, I shortened it, because I "chopped" a lot out
of the original.)

Actually, having Joe Vitale so close has been a blessing. I'm looking
forward to meeting the man behind the many books I've bought with
his name on them.

You know, they say that the energy in a human body is equal to 30 large
hydrogen bombs, and the human mind is infinitely more powerful than
that. Just imagine what people - and affiliates - could do if they could
learn how to harness that kind of power, and channel it in the right
direction in their lives, their business, or their relationships!

That's what I plan on revealing, soon, in a book that I've been working on.
When I get it finished, I want to present an autographed copy of it, not
only to Joe Vitale, but to you, too.

Whether you know it or not, just reading some of your websites and blogs,
I've been able to "piece together" some of your strategies and - sort of -
"pick your brain". You've been quite revealing, whether you know it or
not, or whether you intended it or not.

I look forward to being a positive contributor to your forum. Keep up the
good work Rosalind!

Cheers,
Ernest O'Dell
From the beautiful verdant hills of Las Lomas Tejanas
(that's Spanish for "The Texas Hill Country")

P.S. If you can make it down to Blanco the Thursday before Thanksgiving
you won't be disappointed! You can find details at http://100grandamonthclub.tripod.com/mrfire.
I'm arranging to have news media there, along with some newspapers, TV,
and radio. If you can't make it, I'll it least try to get you a copy of the
tapes or DVDs. -- Ernest

[BradleyD.Haslam]

Hi Ernest,

It's a shame people seem to dislike long posts,
I have found some very rewarding.
YOURS ranks right up top on the list!
I could practically feel the water between my toes.
And oh man do I love peaches, LOL!
VERY refreshing, thanks lots

I hope all goes well for you at your event.
It sounds awesome!
Oh...
Having Joe for a neighbor, yeah, I'm jealous too

If you get Ros and Joe in the same room,
I'd have to show up for the fish fry for sure!

Welcome to the forum!
It will be great to chat with you!
Brad.

[Rosalind Gardner]