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Another Trip To Melbourne
I’m sorry to say that I missed another week of posting a blog. Once again, my own personal circumstances prevented me, and I had nothing of value to post. I hadn’t done anything in the training department and hadn’t created any new relevant videos on TikTok. I won’t go into detail of what was happening except to say that it resulted in another short overnight visit to Melbourne.
Jury Duty
I had been notified by Queensland Courts that I was required to attend court for the purposes of jury duty starting last Monday. Knowing that I had a two-day Melbourne trip booked and paid for, I submitted a request to be excused for the two days in question. I had been offered a letter from my doctor giving me a medical excuse but was unable to have it sent to me until the day I was supposed to attend court. So, on the Monday morning I got up early and set off to go to court. I was terrified that the excuse would be refused, and the trip would not be able to go ahead. I needn’t have worried as halfway there; the phone rang from a private number. It was a lady from the court saying that my excuse had been accepted and I need not attend until my trip had ended. As it turned out, I received a text message the day I got back saying that I was not required the following day and as the following Monday (i.e. tomorrow) is a public holiday I would not be required then either.
I had been summonsed for jury duty once before many years ago but was able to avoid it on that occasion because I was working for the Department of Justice. Maybe they think that their workers would not have an impartial view or would be naturally biased in favour of the court. Who knows?
When I received this summons, I was partly excited and partly disappointed. Excited because it would be interesting to be involved in a court case from a juror’s perspective and disappointed because they wanted me for four weeks minimum. Talk about putting your life on hold! Another disappointment was that, had I received the summons two months later, I would have been able to refuse on the grounds of my age. At age seventy or above, one has the choice of doing the duty or declining. I still have just under three more weeks where I may be required but they are very good at letting you know in advance if you are needed the following business day. If I am needed, I do hope that my business will not suffer consequently.
Here’s a thought. I could make short videos during lunch and tea breaks where I could document what I’m doing. Of course, going into details of any cases I’m involved with would not be a clever thing to do. Generalizing would be okay though, I’m sure.
Update on Training
I have managed to complete week 14 of the Beginners Advantage training. We are starting to learn about traffic amplification utilising paid rather than organic marketing. As far as paid advertising is concerned, some very good advice is that you should never spend more than you can afford to lose. I don’t like to think of it as being lost; more that it is an investment. Paying for traffic means that your content will be shown to many more people than would otherwise see it if it were not paid. Being exposed to more people will multiply the chances of your content attracting followers and subscribers, meaning that you will be able to help more people who are just behind you, and want to learn from you. This will eventually lead to you being able to make offers to them at the appropriate time, i.e. when they have learned to know, like and trust you.
A general rule of thumb is to start with a minimum layout of $5 per day even if you can afford more. The general advice is, if your budget doesn’t allow for paid ads right now then it’s best to persevere with organic marketing and establish a firm foothold. However, adding a paid component when you are ready and able can be a huge boost to your business.
I hope to be able to expand on this subject next week, courts willing! Enough from me for now. I apologise if the content is somewhat lacking, but I hope you have gained something out of it. I’d be honoured if you could leave a comment.
Until next time,
Take care.
Hi Andy,
I actually live in an outer suburb of Melbourne, that is near to Seaford and Frankston beaches.
I have only done jury duty once and they didn’t except my excuse. I was a teacher at a beauty school at the time, so for a whole week students didn’t have classes because of it.
I haven’t yet done any posting on social media or started making videos. But today I purchased the Canva Wizard program advertised on Facebook which is a video based learning platform so you can copy what is shown in the tutorials. A bit like how we have been learning from Dean’s Beginners Advantage training.
I was surprised that you can start Facebook lead ads for as little as $5 a day. A good idea to boost subscribers to your email list and make sales.
Good luck in your journey.
Regina
Andy, It sounds like you had quite the adventure with jury duty and your trip to Melbourne! It’s understandable that personal circumstances can sometimes get in the way of regular blogging. Your experience with jury duty is both nerve-wracking and intriguing. It’s great to hear about your progress in the training program, especially learning about paid advertising. Thanks for sharing your updates, and I’m looking forward to hearing more next week. Thanks, Atif
Hi, Andy! Your pictures are always so beautiful!
I like the idea that the 5 dollars a day spent learning how to do paid traffic is not lost, even if it’s not profitable. Instead, it’s an investment in learning how to do paid traffic. I also like the idea that there’s no point in spending a lot of money in the beginning. You are learning, so you won’t make a profit at first. Spending more than is needed to learn would be a waste. Good point!
I’m glad your excuse was accepted!
I hope you had a wonderful trip!
Nakina
Hi Andy,
Jury duty is awful! I have gotten called maybe twice before, but thank goodness I was able to get out of it.
That’s awesome you are staying caught up on your training. I am behind a bit on that, but will get a head here soon.
I haven’t even started the organic way of traffic that I can’t even think about paid traffic yet. I will get there though. I hope it goes well for you once you start.
I look forward to your next post. Thank you!
Meredith
Andy, I completely understand when “life” gets the better of you and the online business tends to take a backseat. That was my experience this past week. But it’s okay; I’m giving myself a little grace about that, as you should too! 🙂 Glad to hear that your Beginner’s Advantage training is moving right along… keep on keepin’ on! You’re doing GREAT!
I’ve always wanted to do jury duty. I find it all so interesting.
Don’t worry about not posting, life is incredible at times and we must make sure we are enjoying it. Blogging documents these wonderful times but only when you are happy to do so. Rest is never wasted.
I’m looking forward to seeing how you are getting on with your training next week, and following your progress.
The I went to court was as a witness, and the experience was not pleasant. The judge was grummpy, the defence lawyer rude and agressive, and the process anything other than fair.
I afirmed that I would tell the whole truth, but then was told not to answer fully!
Yes and no answers do not tell the whole truth.
I sat most of the day in a small waiting room the first time, only to hear that the case had been refered to a higher court so I would not be needed,
Then the second time I was in the witness box for two hours, and made to feel as if I was the one on trial.
I made the mistake of sitting down after I had been sworn in, and was shouted at by the judge and told to stand because he had not given me permission to sit. After shouting at me…. he told me to sit!
I went to jury duty for a workman compensation case. It seemed like a weak case. The man who was seeking compensation looked like he was able bodied enough to work. I was dismissed because that was my position.
I’ve taken the stand several times in Child Abuse cases. Not a pretty picture!
Hi Andy,
That is a beautiful picture. Is that in Melbourne?
I missed a post two weeks ago but have learned other ways to manage a missed one by posting an explanation or doing a short post.
I wanted to find a way around it as I did feel bad for missing a week, but at the same time, there may be times when it is not possible, so to accept that we are only human.
Hi Eleanor,
All the pictures I use are from where I live in Palm Cove which is in Far North Queensland, Australia. I’m so glad that you like them.
Hi Andy,
After reading all those comments, it seems like there’s no space left to say something new or different. My point is that life is how it is – sometimes, you have a lot of time to do whatever you want to do. But most people, like me, tend to spend their free time watching videos on Facebook or doing things that don’t add any value to our lives. However, as soon as you try to do something beneficial, something that really is worthwhile, life presents many obstacles. I don’t know if this happens to you frequently, but it happens to me almost every day. I have to overcome many obstacles in order to keep going. It’s not an easy task to get out of your comfort zone and do something better. I was unable to post the week before. We have to keep moving.
Wishing you all the best in the jury and in your business.
Hi Andy,
It made me laugh when you stated that you had “nothing to blog about” and yet you had a terrific story about your jury duty! We always have something to say; only needs to be put down for others to read – just like you did above.
I worked for the legal department of a bank at one point and also received a jury summons. Although I would have loved to be part of that particular trial, I was excused – I just couldn’t be impartial to the situation.
Happy for you and your training. One thing I’ve been reminded several times – many times by Dean and his team: we go at our own pace and because of that, we are further ahead today than we were tomorrow.
All the best!
Hi Andy! I bought two small decorative palm trees last summer that I put on each side of the pool. Unfortunately, they didn’t even pass through the season😂
This said, like you I have been conveyed recently at the Court to be part of the jury for a cause that would have also been 4weeks long. However, many were called but few were retained because jury was randomly selected between summoned people. So I got back home with near 100$ for compensation. Thanks for posting.
Martin
Hi Andy: I enjoyed reading your post about adding paid advertisement as soon as possible. I plan to do the $5.00 per day paid program to give my business a big boost. I can afford to loose $5.00 per day because it’s an investment in my business, and not a loss. I realize that nothing ventured, nothing gained. I will also do my primary platform as well. I am really going to get down to business, and make this business a success. Thank for the info. I wish you the best.
From missing blog posts to Melbourne adventures and jury duty scares – what a rollercoaster ride, Andy! Your dedication to training and learning through it all is truly admirable. Remember, even in unexpected detours, there’s always a lesson or insight waiting to be found. Here’s to persevering through it all and coming out stronger on the other side!