You should always be trying to learn new things and keep an open mind while investing in your education and training. Always be challenging yourself and testing your abilities as well.
Dante D’Ovidio is an internet entrepreneur based in San Juan, Puerto Rico and has recently been dubbed the “The Ad Prophet,” by his many enthusiastic fans. Lucky for his followers, he has been sharing his wealth of knowledge and secrets in the affiliate marketing industry, to the world. Some have even said that he is handing them the ability to practically print their own money, at will!
Dante D’Ovidio’s story started when he found himself in a slump, sleeping in his friend’s living room on an air mattress. Although he was in a funk, he was determined to find a better way of life for himself. It was at this point that he decided to start researching the online marketing industry. Things didn’t just take off right away though. Even though he was eager, he still had to maintain a way to support himself. He found himself in a “Nightmare come true,” by working for Big 4 Accounting. He was making little to no money and putting in nearly 12 hours a day in a corporate environment. After a year, he had enough. He then realized that he could make money by selling other people’s products using Facebook ads. He quickly emptied his bank account, in order to hire a coach within the industry. 9 months later, he had made more than $50,000 in profit, in just one month. At that point, he quit his day job and the rest is history.
Now he’s teaching other people his skills. Within his teachings, he show’s behind the scenes of what it’s actually like to do online marketing. Rather than showing off his cars and other successes, he displays the real tips and tricks that can help others get to where they want to be financially. His most successful student was on food stamps and paying his rent with a credit card, not too long ago. After his first month working with Dante, he cleared over $50,000 in profit as well. He was able to teach him to start and grow his affiliate marketing business and he can do it for you too.
Where did the idea for teaching affiliate marketing come from?
I received a flood of direct messages from people asking me to help save them from their lifeless 9-5 job and with so many fake gurus selling a dream, I wanted to show the real, behind the scenes efforts of someone who is practicing what they preach.
I felt the need to give back too. It doesn’t feel like that long ago, I was in a similar situation, like the individuals that approach me with questions. I found help at the beginning of my journey and quickly learned to be one of the best at what I do, so I knew I could give more people the keys to their financial freedom as well.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
I like to start my day by grabbing breakfast at a local coffee shop and read my favorite book, “The Holy Bible,” with my girlfriend. This sets up my day and fills my spirit with motivation, confidence, and security.
In the early afternoon, I like to step into my backyard, go to the beach and get some sun, workout, and take a dip in the ocean. This gets my blood flowing and I get my best and most creative ideas when I am in the ocean. Sometimes I work the remainder of the day from home, on whatever project makes me the happiest. Recently, that has been my strategy consultations. Other days, I’ll make my way to the office and work on more pressing matters.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I use prayer and thanksgiving to allow creativity to flow into my life. After deciding what I want, I simply reverse engineer the goal. I model after a company or person that is already producing the result I desire, then I put in the work! Although this is an old strategy, I have found it to be very effective in my life.
What’s one trend that excites you?
Well, it’s not really a “trend”, but recently I’ve been very excited about developing talent. It brings a lot of satisfaction and joy to me to be able to change a person’s life by teaching them a skill. It allows me to scale faster and make a positive contribution to society. The impact we have on others is our greatest gift. Success without fulfillment means nothing.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
I feel that my faith in God gives me a true edge. It drives me and heightens my productivity. While also giving me the ability to beat my competition. I derive all of my abilities and power by following the word of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. After reading 100’s of business and self-development books, I realized there is only one book that is truly necessary for productivity and success.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Invest in your skill sets. Yes, it will cost money but it will be well worth it and do not be afraid to fail. Failure is part of the process and will only make you better.
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.
The core pillars of life are as follow, from most important to least important: Spirituality, Health, Relationships, and Finance. Your focus should start at the top and work its way down to the bottom. Once you have accomplished that, the rest will come with ease.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
You should always be trying to learn new things and keep an open mind while investing in your education and training. Always be challenging yourself and testing your abilities as well. The only way to find out if something works or could be better is by trying. Keep your eyes and ears peeled. Notice what your competition and other successful companies in your space are doing well and model after them. “Good artists copy, great artists steal.”
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?
Model off of other successful company’s tactics, it will save you time and money. There’s no point in trying to reinvent the wheel. If someone is doing something better than you, take it from them and build from there. Like I said before, “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” Rather, “Stand on the shoulders of giants.”
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
I have failures every single day, I overcome any failure through faith and pure grit. Failures are not just part of life, but they are an absolute necessity for success as well. It’s what you do with your failures and how you adjust and recover that will determine your level of success. You should see every failure as an opportunity.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
The most common misconception about being an entrepreneur is that you need to have an idea. Instead, reframe and focus on building skill in an industry that you enjoy working in. The idea for a business will come naturally. You should also concern yourself with solving a problem or filling a need. Often times, very successful people who dominate entire industries still need help with something and have needs that must be met.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
Taking a mentor out to breakfast. Their connections, wisdom, and knowledge will provide an amazing return on your investment. Not to mention, the spiritual value is priceless.
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive?
I don’t use any productivity software or applications. One of the best investments I ever made was hiring an executive assistant to handle all of that for me. Being able to properly delegate tasks to individuals is a powerful tool in entrepreneurship.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
The Holy Bible. It has stood the test of time and has been the blueprint for so many other great success stories. Being well-versed in self-development and business related books, I realized that I was being foolish in thinking that I would not be able to extract deep wisdom from the Bible. Since then, it has changed my life and business exponentially.
What is your favorite quote?
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Gospel of Matthew
Key Learnings:
1) Decide what industry/skill you want to learn.
2) Invest in the education of that skill.
3) Suspend disbelief. (If someone else can do it so can you).
4) Massive action. (Frame your mind it will take 18 months of consistent effort before bearing any fruit).
Connect:
@dantedovidio
[email protected]
Carlyn runs the day-to-day publishing operation here at ideamensch and interacts with our awesome customers and entrepreneurs. She is likely editing this with a cat on her lap.