Interview with Dustin Verley , 19 year old internet marketer

Dustin Verley (also know as the Wealthy Hustler) is a 19 year old internet marketer and  entrepreneur. In 2000, he began messing with websites and now 8 years later he is running his own website and making money through internet marketing. His blog, Wealthy Hustler, was released in February 2008 and is now gaining quick momentum. The Wealthy Hustler blog documents how to make money online and earn freebie gifts as well. At the same time, it tracks Dustin’s lifestyle change from a small time internet marketer to a big time internet marketer (the level before Super Affiliate.)
 
 
 
  WJ:  How would you describe your profession?
 
My profession consists of two different careers if you will. Internet marketing and  entrepreneur. My entrepreneurial side emerges in the form of operating a website blog and a few more sites to be released in the future. My internet marketing side comes from promoting and marketing both online and offline products and services.
 

  WJ:  How did you get into New Media/Online publishing/Online communications?  Did you see yourself getting into this field early on?  What did you used to do “in an earlier life” (prior career, if any)?
   
I’ve had a few jobs prior to turning towards a internet career. Between 2004 and 2007 I had around 4 different jobs. My first job in 2004 I cut short and mutually terminated the job since I was in my freshman year of high school and wasn’t doing too good academically. The other 3 were jobs that helped me get through a few financial discrepancies.
 
I started website designing at the age of 12 (2000). Around 2005 is when I realized I was built to do internet marketing and although it took me almost a year and a half to two years, I finally put forth the effort in January 2008 and successfully made $402.95 (exact) on my first commission check. So yeah, I did see myself getting into the field early on but patiently studied internet marketing to keep from any issues.
 

  WJ:  What do you think are the turning points that helped make webmastering/online publishing/online marketing a lucrative business field?
 
I believe that the turning point is finding a problem and a solution when it comes to  internet marketing. The internet is called the “information highway” for a reason and if you discover a problem that you feel could solve many issues consumers suffer from, you’ve found yourself a winner. Its all about providing the consumer with something that will benefit them in the end.
 
An example would be a auto mechanic who has their own shop but needs to leverage the work by hiring another mechanic. Most likely, that auto mechanic is going to turn towards career sites like CareerBuilder, Monster, HotJobs, etc. He has a problem (needs another mechanic) and one of those three listed sites could be his solution.
 
 WJ: In your opinion, what is the most exciting recent development in online publishing?
   
The internet is always evolving with new concepts and ideas so I couldn’t really say. It  seems like every day a new idea emerges and becomes the new big hit. The most exciting  development came back in the 1990’s with the finding of internet marketing, or at least in my opinion.
 

 WJ:  What do you think are the essential skills to become a successful webmaster?

The determination has got to be the biggest. I’ll be real, I seen many people fail in the  long run because they couldn’t comprehend anything that has to do with websites. No matter whether its basic’s like HTML or CSS all the way to managing a website. You need the determination and patience. If you have neither one then websites isn’t for you.
 
As a side note, you don’t need to learn everything in website managing to operate a website. Although you can’t promote internet products through social media sites, you can always find a social networking site and get your little piece of the web.
 

 WJ:  Being a webmaster has gone from being a one-person job to a field that allows
specialization. Is that a good thing or a bad thing for your business?

As of this interview I only operate one website which is the online money making blog at http://www.wealthyhustler.com and the work load really isn’t as heavy compared to a E-Commerce site. Although when I begin adding new sites, the work load may pick up so it may need 1 or 2 additional people to maintain. But I’m about passive income so I’ll most likely find a way to set them on auto pilot where little to no work is required.
 
 WJ:  Do you think the industry is regulated enough?  Have the authorities or the Net’s relevant governing bodies become too restrictive?  Which areas of online activity do you think NEED further regulation?

I used to run a very small (5-10 listeners at a time) internet radio station. The one thing I discovered was the many un-licensed radio stations. The station I was running was for Indie (or Independent) artists. If your operating an internet radio station without the proper licensing that is NOT playing Indie artists, you may want to look into one. I’ve heard fines could be as high as $150k for EACH UNAUTHORIZED song played.
 
One other sector is internet taxes. I believe the U.S. government should make up some more laws that put internet taxes at ease. Right now, the only taxes I’m aware of is  self-employment tax. The great thing is though that things like your website hosting, your domain, your internet, etc. Simply whatever is required to operate your website business is TAX DEDUCTIBLE. That means you don’t pay taxes on that specific item. But don’t let it fool you, if your internet is used for both business and personal, only half of the bills is TAX DEDUCTIBLE.
 
 WJ: What are the challenges the industry is facing today?
   
Many people are providing fraudulent leads and sales. This gives internet marketing  (and blogging combined) a bad name because it turns advertisers off or requires them to put strict regulations in that is unsatisfactory to the legit performers. I believe that needs  to be corrected ASAP to help construct a better module for the legitimate performers and weed out the bad (or fraudulent) performers.
 

  WJ:  What would your advice be to someone who is just getting his or her feet wet in  online business?
   
Be Patient… I couldn’t say it anymore then that. Don’t believe those late night infomercials promising internet millions overnight. It could be possible to make internet millions, but not without the proper research, time, and patience. These are your 3 key factors you’ll want to keep in mind. If your interested in learning about how to make money online and receive free gifts, then subscribe to the RSS feed on WealthyHustler.com
    
Please keep in mind that until April 01, 2008 there is a $50 RSS contest going on. All  subscribers will be entered to win $50 cash. Good luck in getting your internet hustle on,  and as the slogan implies, Work Smart. Get Paid!

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