May 24
Someone who has already burnt you asks you to work with them, because the person is “working directly with X and Y” who are 2 big name internet marketers you want to learn from, you are promised that you will be taught secrets and you will get information soon.
June
The person is back home, you think. But when you contact the person they say they went back but are now traveling, and they will get you information soon. The person needs “WordPress work” but will not give any details on what is needed. Repeat in July.
September 4
You have asked repeatedly about above work, and you are on final stages of writing a book about “How to Set Up WordPress.” Suddenly the person contacts you. The person wants you to join a coaching program. The person asks you to join said program, you say, “No, I don’t have the money.” You repeat, you also explain “last chance, burn me this time WE ARE NOT FRIENDS.” The person tells you if you do some work, that person will pay you enough to cover it. The work is setting up a couple wordpress sites per month and adding “some stuff” but that’s the only information you get.
September 11
Your WordPress guide is finished. (Ok, a week later you add another chapter, but still.) You are proud. Said person asks for a copy. Will review it, tell people, tell you if you made any editing mistakes. Your gut says no, but what could be the worst that happens?
September 27
The person does a class on WordPress. You see it on Twitter & Facebook. Your real friends knowing you gave the person a copy, start asking “are you in on this?”
October 8
You send an email asking “what about the work you had for me?” You get an angry email saying that you never did anything, so you won’t get paid. And the person had to go out and learn how to do wordpress and “doesn’t need you anymore.” Something you’ve been told by bigger and better, but it hurts like h*ll.
Funny since you sent the person a how-to-book. Now you have a course to pay for that you joined ONLY BECAUSE the person insisted and because you were going to break even. Money is extremely tight.
October midnight 8 into 9
You wind up crying, and feeling absolutely nauseous. And make a comment on Twitter and find out there are real friends in the world.
MJ,
I feel your pain, and I’ve been there myself in the past. Your instincts are telling you one thing, and your head is telling you another. Through out all your pain and suffering, I think the big lesson here is to really listen inside to your instincts or “gut feelings”. Everyone wants to give someone the benefit of the doubt, because we’re easy to forgive others. It may sound selfish, but it’s not, to take care of ourselves first. I don’t care how good the situation or advice from others may sound, if it doesn’t sit right for us, it’s not the right path. Take a deep breath, and know that you deserve to be treated better, not only by others, but by yourself too. Once we learn the signs, then we can recognize them much earlier and choose another path.