According to the websites owner, the audience includes early adopters, social media enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, influencers, brands and corporations, marketing, PR and advertising agencies, Web 2.0 aficionados and technology journalists. WasArrested is also popular with bloggers, Twitter and Facebook users – an increasingly influential demographic.

Today I was tipped off to the new look and feel of the website and figured I would give it a try.

Some of the new features include a few new stories, believable videos pertaining to each article, a new popular section that displays the last 20 stories created on the website and the ability to leave comments on the articles posted.

One question I had about the new look was “What about the old stories that were created from people in the past, will they still work?” the quick answer was “Yes!”. It seems the new technology of the website still remembers all the stories that were made in the past. Sounds genius to me.

Anyway, I figured I would let you guys know about this exciting new launch as i found it very entertaining. Hopefully you do too. Feel free to post your stories here!

I’ve been a little “inactive” here because every now and then I run off into my metaphorical mountain to improve, hone and master my god given skills. This means writing “practice” articles and experimenting with techniques in my niche while doing a sh*t load of reading.

While I was in this “phase” of intense reading, I realized something crazy and had a huge mental shift. So here’s a little motivational post for you peeps.

It became VERY apparent to me…

► That no one… AND I MEAN NO-ONE stays top dawg forever. Especially in the whole “marketing advice” and “make money online” niche. The leaders in this space fluctuate more often than the stock market. It’s crazy.

This means that in YOUR niche, the top dawg will be de-throned and be replaced by someone else too. Call it the circle of life or whatever but the fact is that no matter how grounded, successful or popular this person is… they will get their a*s beat by someone better. Then THAT person will eventually get topped by someone else, and so on and so forth.

So if we know this will happen, why are people cool with being “ok”?

Too many bloggers and “online business owners” are shooting for mediocracy (or “good enough”) because they have been led to believe that there is “enough room” for anyone who gets their feet wet on the internet. There isn’t! If you want to be at the TOP, then you can’t think this way. There is only “enough room” for those who want to collect peanuts, not for those that want a T-Bone steak… you need to be at the top of the food chain to get that.

What’s really messed up is that from the surface, it SEEMS that there is enough room for everyone to co-exist peacefully because:

1. So many people are making some average income to get them by, but let’s face it, this business is pretty insignificant. You can’t survive off this forever.

2. The top dawg is surrounded by a “few smart ones” who maybe aren’t as rich but are close enough… so it seems very appealing to be in this position to a newbie or outsider. The truth is that these people were either top dawg in the past or are going to be the up-and-coming mofos who will knock the current champ off his podium. There is a reason they are “close enough”.

How many times have you heard “If I can only make a 1/3 of what he/she’s making… I will have made it“. Heh, so pathetic! What’s actually going on behind the curtains is that these “few smart peeps” are constantly trying to 1up each other. The fact that they are AIMING for the stars is what’s keeping them in the sky. They might not even admit it publicly, but comon… are you kidding me? Why is there a new marketing product, ebook or online course coming out every 2 months from these “gurus”?

Because competing and wanting more is HUMAN NATURE. The proof is right there. And don’t think, even for a moment, that the “gurus” are releasing their new products because they have something REVOLUTIONARY DIFFERENT to share. Flock no! It’s the same re-hashed BS they sold a few months back… they just re-packaged it with something shiny and threw in a few useless bonuses to sweeten the deal. (This is true 99% of the time, but just like any rule, exceptions do exist)

Now, I’m competitive by nature so a “go-get-er’!” type mindset comes very easily. I’ve got the hunger. I want to (respectfully) mop the floor with the faces of my competitors and make them cry. Repeatedly if possible. Constantly if sustainable.

(Anyone who happens to be in the fitness niche… be very afraid)

But the really worrying thing to me is that not all of you will want to aim so high. In fact, you’ll be happy if your blog starts to pull in 300 visitors a day and you end up selling some affiliate products here and there so you can quit your 9-5 job. Maybe you’ll write a small ebook one day too, but that’s as far as you’ll take it.

However, you need to remember, there will be someone out there who’ll be doing it better than you and will probably end up attracting half your business from right under your nose (notice I said attract, not steal). But he/she cannot sustain that position forever. They WILL be knocked off by someone at one point another… so my question is:

WHY THE FLOCK CAN’T THAT PERSON BE YOU?!

The answer is that it CAN. Ain’t that an empowering thought? So stop crying, start wanting more and aim as high as humanly possible.

I’ll see your a$$ at the top where we shall dine on a fancy T-bone steak.

Hell… I’ll even foot the bill.

© FitJerk

This is not quite a guest post. Infact FitJerk does not even know that this is on here! But not to worry, he posted it for the ProBlogger community and specifically stated “I wrote this for the community but it’s not bound to this place. If you wish to republish this on your blog or post it on a site… you are free to do so as long as: 1. You keep the title & content intact and un-edited, 2. Include one do_follow link back to my blog with my pen name as the anchor text.” So obviously I thought that this post would be an excellent post for you all to read. I think it is very interesting and you probably would not be suprised when I say it has created a lot of lively discussion on the forum! Check out FitJerk’s blog and also have a look at this amazing interview. What do you think of this post? Do you agree with him? If so why? If not, why?

I think this slide show really makes us understand how young the internet really is and how much more it is going to change in the future. Remember, there is always a innovative idea somewhere… even in areas such as the internet that seems overcrowded. The end of originality is NOT here, and probably never will be!

Please let us all know what you think about this and what the internet will be like in just another 10 years!

Shane

What do you want to see from Success Circuit?

Do you have any ideas on how to improve the current theme/layout?

What kind of posts do you prefer?

If I was to interview just one more person, who would you wish it to be?

Please let me know anything that comes to your mind, absoloutly anything! Do not worry, there will still be real content before this upgrade comes.

Shane

As you know, things get old and boring very quick. The internet some how speeds up this process. So I have decided it is time to spice things up a little. Now, I have big plans for Success Circuit which shall hopefully begin implementation by the end of the month. No promises though!

However, as you know I visit ProBlogger.net (and.com!) a lot. The other day a post was written by Mary Jaksch of Goodlife Zen regarding a Wordpress plugin called Apture. I am trying to cut down on plugins, which will hopefully be noticed very soon, but this plugin really amazed me. It looked so useful! So I have installed it, and it is not going away.

This is actually a test post to make sure Apture does everything that it looks like it does, so I am going to try to embed some videos or something in a minute using Apture. This plugin will allow you to have a lot more access to a lot of information by using links and embedded media. For example it can find me the link to information about Richard Branson or Mary Poppins!

I can also embed this interesting marketing mistakes video.

Have fun and if you are doing anything interesting let me know!

Shane

If you like to do domaining or graphic design then there is a high change you have heard of The Hive Designs. But, did you know they have had a makeover? Completely new website! It looks absolutely amazing. Check their new site out, and if you need any design work then I completely recommend The Hive Designs. I have had designs from them before and they were very professional but more importantly… the price was nothing compared to what the designs were actually worth. So scoot off and go order some designs!

The Entrepreneur Club is a brand new community that is being created by Roland Millward. It is not officially launched yet so join now! Now, the best thing about his website and community is… IT IS FREE!!

Now I need to quickly mention Old Steamers,  a brand new website about steam trains. The owner is Jamie House, Roland Millward’s nephew, so expect great things! By the way, this is his first website, so I am sure he will appreciate any help.

Income Diary is another of the sites I would like to mention. I think I have mentioned Michael Dunlop’s new website before… if not then check it out because it is VERY interesting and inspiring! A newer part of the site is his forum, which I recommend joining. I am an administrator there so expect to see me often.

Now for the reason why this list is so massive! PRO BLOGGER NOW HAS A FORUM! When I first saw the forum (a few days before release) I think it was about $20 a month. It is currently $1.95 and if you join now at that price then that is the only price you will ever have to pay! The best thing about this forum is the community and the amount of motivation everyone provides.

As a treat, here is a list of people’s websites that replied to my post on the problogger forum about this Link Fest.

1. Ikaro – the english version of one of the most popular blog about new media and blogging in Italy.
2. Joomla Blogger- a blog with tips, tutorials and news about Joomla (and some SEO mixed in).
3. LifestyeDesign4U – a blog about lifestyle design, entrepreneurship, personal development and blogging.
4. Christopher Mark Smith – a personal blog about IT, technology, gadgets, and blogging.
5. ATMac – Disability, impairment, OS X, iPhones and iPods.
6. No Pity City – Disability gear that pulls no punches.
7. Four Walls No Limits – For the bedridden, housebound and nearly housebound.
8. Huzzer Magazine – An online magazine site that helps WordPress users, either beginners or pro to get to know further about WordPress, provides tutorials on WordPress related topics and give update on the latest WordPress news.
9. Writer Seven – Writer Seven is a blog dedicated to providing guides and information articles for developing one’s writing style and grammar.
10. Matthew Lyle- Matthew writes about blogging, designing, and makes free Wordpress themes.
11. Thailand Land Of Smiles - Everything to do with Thailand from travel tips to attractions and personal stories.
12. Social Photo Talk – Social media and how it can be used by photographers.
13. Home Business Advice- Blog gearing towards people that want to start a freelance writing career.
14. Affiliates Tips- Blog about affiliate marketing.
15. Pyjamanation – Blog about  home office work and location independent lifestyle.
16. Uk Cider – Blog about real cider and perry
17. Pakblogger – A blog about Mobile Phones tips, mobile phones reviews/news, mobile phones themes and games and also occasionally about tech topics including software review, social media, Windows tips and tricks and How To tutorials.
18. http://failgif.com- Posting a couple Failure Gifs each day
19. http://dailygifblog.com- Posting random gifs daily for nearly a year now…over 1000 in the archive
20. http://dailyacid.com – A blog with a corrosive dose of the best of the web
21. Marriage Moments – Daily ideas, resources, and thoughts to Enrich your Marriage.
22. Eric H Doss – Technology and management for small businesses and nonprofits, including Web 2.0, blogging, social media, and SEO stuff, with a bit of personal life stuff thrown in.
23. YGrab – Domain Name Blog with all the latest news, tips, and ways to make money with domain names!
24. Dumb Otaku – Blog about Japan, Japanese Culture/History and learning Japanese.
25. Dane Blogger – A blog about a young blogger from Denmark who writes about blogging and internet marketing.
26. Future Expats – A blog about moving overseas.
27. Web 2 and More – A blog aimed at the self employed and small to medium sized enterprises who want to use cloud computing and Web 2.0 technologies to enhance the way that they work and provide services to their clients.
28. P How To – A photography how-to site.
29. What A Wookie – A blog about making money online.
30. A Boundless World – A blog on personal development. A Boundless world, live boundless.
31. Robs Web Tips – Blogging tips to help you succeed online. I actually already knew about Rob’s website, as he helps a lot on the Income Diary Forums, it is really worth reading through his posts!
32. Discovering Purpose – A blog about ways in which people can live a life of purpose, through personal development, self discovery and personal growth.
33. Genius Hackers – A blog about technology.
34. Swift Themes - Free Wordpress Theme(s).
35. Domainvestors – A blog about domain investing.
36. Fix Your Broken Marketing – A blog about marketing for small creative services businesses (left-brain focus for right-brained creatives).
37. Chatty Gal – Described as the “Everyday Girl and Mommy Blog”
38. Strained Peas and Other Messes – Blog about attachment parenting.
39. Blippitt – An entertainment news blog that covers celebrities, tech, pop culture, and what’s going viral.
40. Market Your Startup- A blog about Social Media Marketing Strategies for Startups and SMEs.
41. Eat, Play, Frag – A blog about video games.
42. Professor Beej- “I write about television, gaming, and books from the perspective of a gaming, slacking, geeked out English professor. I do what I can to bridge the gap between the world of academics and geekdom. “
43. I Was Laid Off – “geared to people who have been laid off. I was one of the millions. Even though I’m working contract jobs right now, the future isn’t secure quite yet.”
44. SoundsAndGear.com – Not actually one from the forum but Joe’s music blog is great!

From the moment we are born there are smiling faces constantly in front of us. As each week of our early days go by our parents and others are hoping to see that first smile from us. Following that first smile come a constant barrage of faces wanting to see that smile over and over again. Many funny faces will be pulled, toys waggled about in the air and strange noises made all in the attempt to recreate that smile. More often than not that smile will be delivered back to these hard working makers of smiles!

Smiling is a natural and contagious event that is only shared by humans. We love to see a warm smile directed to us and it makes us feel good. Sadly though with the passing of time sometimes things happen that make us sad or even bitter and smiling on these occasions is a rare event. Our attitude can become downhearted and smiling is no longer a real part of our natural persona.

A lack of smiling can make our misery worse. Just as people are drawn to those who smile so they are repelled from those who look miserable. What can we do to change this situation? We may not be able to change or immediately improve the problems or attitudes that have made us lacking in the smiling department but if we start to smile we will see an improvement in die course. Remember the line in a well known song “smile and the whole world smiles with you”

Go and take a look in a mirror and give yourself a smile. Think of some happy thoughts and smile again. That’s better! Practice your smile. When you greet someone smile and then say ‘hello’ and and after saying goodbye smile.

Look at the person you are smiling at as a friend even if they are someone who you are meeting for the first time. When you smile you will break down barriers and build trust. People will warm to you, you will feel better. Always look people in the eye when you are smiling at them and your eyes will add to the warmth of the smile.

Be natural, be warm and friendly and your smile will light up the world. You will also find that your worries and stresses will be minimized the more you smile.

So go out and smile at everyone you can! Let’s get the world smiling!

Roland Millward is an entrepreneur and founder of the new Entrepreneur Club which offers free lifetime membership. Join today at http://www.profitsrgood.com/join-here/

Now, a lot of people concentrate by listening to music… some people think it is impossible. It is not. The reason that this works (and is the point of the post) is that you sing the songs (well I do, but you sing it in your head at least!) If you have a song then you have probably heard it before, and know roughly how long the song is.

So the plan is… set tasks for certain songs! Listening to music will help you to get things done, similar to timing yourself. Of course most tasks cannot be done in the time music is on for, so set up a playlist. It is sooo easy to do, and don’t forget you can use headphones if there are lots of people around.

What do you think of listening to music, do you think it helps get those dreaded tasks done?

Also, which kind of music is best? Your favourite? Perhaps Classical? I have been listening to songs ranging from ABBA to Status Quo and seem to find the faster the beat the faster I type!

“Hmm, sounds rather boring to me. Oh well, lets check it anyway.” I thought to myself. I read the report and found it very interesting actually, so you can read it too!

The link to the main post is at OnStartsUps.Com which I recommend reading and commenting on, the comments are VERY interesting to read. You may notice the people over there are much more interactive and comment more *hint* *hint*.

If you are boring and want to get straight to the article then go and read The Anatomy of Entrepreneurship.

Now time for me to go to bed, have fun!

Shane

Firstly, could you please tell us about yourself?

I am a 13-year-old entrepreneur and started my own business, Pencil Bugs, kind of by accident when I was nine years old. I am in 8th grade, go to a private school and live in Temecula, California with my mom and dad.

Not many people start a business at all, yet you started when you were 9! What have you learned since then?

I have learned more than school will ever teach me. The possibilities of things to learn are endless when you are not just reading from a book. The biggest skill I have learned is public speaking. It was really scary in the beginning but now it is kind of fun. They don’t teach that in school. Well, at least not in a business way of public speaking. I’ve also learned about all aspects of running a business. I may not always do the specific tasks every day because I am still in school but I know how to do my own accounting, update my website, fill orders, and many other functions so I could do them if I had time.

How did you come up with the idea of donating to charity and have you had any specific experiences from doing so?

Donating is very important. Ever since I started my business I knew I wanted to help other kids. So I started by donating to a foster home in Temecula.Then last year I began a program with Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego, California. Each quarter, I use a portion of my sales and buy toys, games, books, and other activities for the kids in the hospital. The thing about donating or volunteering your time is that you don’t have to give a lot. Even the smallest amount or effort can make a difference in someone else’s life.

Who/what is your greatest inspiration in business and life in general?

My parents are my inspiration and drive for the business. They have taught me everything I know and they support me through everything I do. I hope to continue my business and become so successful that I can do more for other people. One of the important people I look up to is Bill Gates. I admire him for all the charitable giving he does.

How would you describe your lifestyle?

I feel I have a very easy lifestyle. I am a pretty regular kid. I go to school, do homework, but my parents don’t over schedule me with a lot of extracurricular things so I get plenty of time to play and be a kid. I guess my business is my extra thing. I am happy with how things are.

Would you say that you are so successful because of your parents and the way they have brought you up? If so, what do you believe is the most important thing they have taught you?

My parents are everything to me and without them I wouldn’t even have a business. The most important thing I learned from them is to never give up. If you do, you will never know what you could have accomplished. But even with all the support, it’s still hard being a kid with a business because we don’t always want to do what’s necessary. I’m just like everyone else. We all have tough times and decisions now and then.

Does being a successful entrepreneur change the way the other people at school treat you? If so, has it resulted in bullying?

Most other kids don’t see the magnitude of what I am doing. I do get bullied as a lot of kids do at sometime but it is not because of my business. A big problem is that some people just don’t see the real value of what I am doing so it means nothing to them. I don’t really talk about my business with other kids unless I’m speaking at another school or event. I think sometimes my classmates feel jealous so I just keep my accomplishments to myself at school.

What does it feel like to be featured on websites such as Forbes and ABC?

It is a real honour to be listed on the big ones. Sometimes even today, I still can’t believe that I have been on Forbes twice. The good thing is, the articles haven’t been about money. When Forbes contacted me about including me on their Top 10 Role Models List, I was so surprised because of the celebrities they also included. It’s more important to me that the media focuses on what I do and my charitable donations than how much I make. Money isn’t everything and I’m certainly not rich by any means but that will come. The big media is really great but I’m just as happy to give interviews for blogs and other websites. I’ve learned that you just never know who might read about you who could make a huge difference in your life or business.

Have you ever had times where you thought yourself or your business as a “failure”? If so how did you stop feeling like it? If not how do you keep yourself so optimistic?

If I said I never felt like a failure, I’d be lying. I think everyone has at least one moment when they question what they’re doing. Thankfully, I have my parents to get me through those times.

Now time for a strange question… on your website it says you play Runescape, this is actually a game that a lot of entrepreneurs I know (including myself) have played, do you believe that by playing the game it has taught you anything that you have been able to use in business?

I think Runescape can teach many good life skills like learning about the economy and pricing. Since it is an online multiplayer game, what one person does effects everyone else. The prices of items are always changing and that’s what makes it so fun. It can teach you valuable life skills without you knowing it and the game itself is really fun. Of course you could just play for the fun of it but I like to analyze new ways of making money so it takes a lot of time but I do have limits on how long I can play video games or be on the computer.

“but I do have limits on how long I can play video games or be on the computer”

What advice would you give to somebody wanting to start their first business?

Get help! No one should do it alone. If someone else has done it before, learn from what they have already done. You don’t need to go through it again. No matter what age you, are help is important. Then when you have gotten experience, you can help the newcomers. It is an endless cycle.

“Get help! No one should do it alone”

Do you believe that entrepreneurship is something that can be taught or that it is in the blood?

If you try something hard enough you can find a way to do anything. I don’t believe I am a natural born entrepreneur. My business happened by accident when I wanted to help my mom with a product she was doing for a craft fair. She told me I had to come up with my own idea to sell so that’s when Pencil Bugs were born. But before that, it’s not like I was thinking, “Hmmm, I should start a business even though I’m only nine.” My start was purely accidental. It’s just that once it started, with the help of my parents, my entrepreneurial spirit kicked in. But if you ask my mom, she’ll tell you I’ve always been somewhat of an inventor since I was really young. I used to make contraptions and put toys together to see how things would work. So maybe people do have something in them?

“My start was purely accidental.”

What was the best advice you have ever been given?

My parents tell me to never give up since you will never know what might happen if you quit.

If you could go back and change one thing in your past, what would it be?
I wouldn’t change a thing. There may be things that I didn’t like about what I had done but if I changed anyone of them I wouldn’t be here now.

How has the internet improved your business? If there was no internet how would your business plan differ from its current form?

Internet is one of the biggest reasons my business is successful. The internet lets age be no boundary. So without the internet, it would have been a lot harder to get exposure and I’m not sure if I would have continued.

Who made your website? Was it somebody you know, yourself or a company?

My mom made my website. She actually has a side business designing websites. I’m lucky she knows how to do that because it saves a ton of money not having to pay an outside company.

What plans do you have the future?

I have many plans but my current project is getting the Pencil Bugs mass produced. We are in the final stages with a manufacturer so hopefully before next year, real production will begin. I also have designs for a Pencil Bug plush toy, board game, video game, and maybe even a cartoon or a movie.

If there was just one thing that you would like people to remember about you, what would it be?

I want people to remember all the good things I did with my money like helping the kids in the hospital. That’s really important to me.

Thank you very much Jason.