An Important Update
Must Read for all subs
*Note* if you are an active Paid Substack user, please DM me for Slack access, regardless of when you joined
Intro
It was hard for me to figure out how to start this post off…So let’s get right into it.
The affiliate slack program is ending effective immediately.
(To be clear the Slack Group is NOT ending…Just the ability to be an affiliate for it)
A lot of thought went into this decision, so we’ll go over why I made it, why I started BowTiedBum originally, and what the future holds for this community.
For those that were eager to affiliate, don’t worry. There will be another affiliate opportunity in the very near future for a slightly different product that we’ll discuss later in this post. To repeat, if you’re interested in becoming an affiliate in the future, do not worry. You’ll have your time in the sun.
It’s hard to explain why I ended this Slack affiliate program without first discussing why I originally created this community in the first place.
BowTiedBum Origin
My first ever post was October 25, 2022. Almost a year ago at this point. Even though we felt like we moved on from the Covid craziness, the world was (and still is) incredibly hectic, and the future was uncertain. Layoffs, inflation, and other economic woes haunted Americans, and many were directly feeling the impact of inflation.
Personally, I was getting crushed at my W-2, my wife was working long hours as well, my family was growing, and my other WiFi businesses were starting to feel more like boring work, than the exciting side hustles I started years ago.
One thing remained constant. I was always excited about planning my next vacation, and I always made sure I wasn’t going to pay a penny out of pocket for it. For me, the credit card churning hobby started years ago, and never really fizzled out at all. I’m still just as much into it as I was years ago.
As I saw the BowTied Jungle growing, I knew I definitely wanted to get involved in some capacity. Especially when the content helped me so much over the years. I had a million reasons not to start BowTied Bum. Mainly, I was certain I wouldn’t have enough time to write all of the articles. I wondered who would find it and read it. I questioned whether or not people would even understand it, and even if they did, if they’d take action and be able to earn money with the tactics.
At that time, I had never done anything like this before. I never had a Twitter account that wasn’t a lurker. I never wrote a newsletter. I had no clue what I was doing, and had to figure everything out on the go. I figured I’d give it a shot for 6 months and put in an honest effort.
Well, the jungle noticed, Twitter noticed, and word spread once people started quickly making money with the Bum tactics. Pretty soon, readers gave me feedback, and I had enough content in the pipeline for the rest of the year.
Throughout this whole BowTiedBum project, I’d like to think we got most things right. Very right. The decision to include a Slack Group for all paid members this past January made a huge difference. Can you imagine what the community would be like today without Slack, and if we just had comments on Substack? Sure, you’d get your questions answered, but it would probably be slower. There certainly wouldn’t be the same sense of community that we’ve come to know in the Slack Group.
The Q1/Q2/Q3 quarterly plans helped make the $10K/y more attainable and easier to envision.
The BowTiedMahi FBA course was a natural pairing that strengthened each venture.
The “GAS STATIONS ARE ZEROS” post introduced people to a world, where they could potentially no longer pay for gas.
The “Free Disney” post helped families plan a free trip to Disney World, and I got to speak with people that were able to take their kids there with the bum methods. People who would have otherwise been unable to go.
I started this community with the idea that truly ANYONE can join and become successful in it and earn $10K/y. I envisioned a fun, lighthearted community that we would “build from within” and grow together. For the most part, we’ve reached that point. Many of the more experienced members now are able to answer other members’ questions, and there are plays getting discovered within the community. Most recently, Boolish discovered a play that took just a few minutes and resulted in $150+ per Chase card that you recently signed up for.
Needless to say, there’s been a lot of wins, and I couldn’t have done it without you guys.
Slack Affiliate
That said, the Slack affiliate launch was certainly not a win, and through no one’s fault but my own. I was so focused on providing an affiliate opportunity, that I didn’t really give enough thought on how to structure it. Separating out Substack + Slack didn’t really make sense and it was too confusing. Two different memberships, billing, and prospective joiners couldn’t get a sneak peak before committing to a year.
I’m working on a video course that will be an in depth guide to everything we do in this game. You’ll still be able to crush this game with just the Slack and Substack, but if you’re new and want to speed up your journey, the video guide will help you do it that much faster.
While I can’t automate this for you and apply for credit cards in your name, I want the video course to be the next best thing. And when it ready (Q4 or Q1 ‘24), everyone here will be able to be an affiliate.
The Slack affiliate program ultimately was a distraction from what really mattered. Creating and sharing content that drives people in the community forward.
What I envision going forward
I’m going to keep the Substack and Slack together, so when you sign up as a paid sub, you get both (as long as your Substack membership is active). It’s at a price point where it pays itself many many times over if you commit. We’ll likely see a slight increase in price in the next few weeks (for new paid subs only) and we may or may not have a free trial. As always, we’ll communicate this in advance.
Above all, the most important thing for me is to make sure the BowTiedBum community remains a place that is collaborative, helpful, and inspiring.
I want this community to be a safe haven and breath of fresh air from all your trouble in real life. Your work troubles, family issues, stresses, etc. That all goes out the window when you read these posts, and interact in the Slack Group.
Everybody gets a shot.
If you’re willing to come on as a paid sub and want to play this game with us. We’re happy to have you. A little effort goes a long way in this game, and the community is glad to see you succeed and will help you every step of the way if they see you trying.
I wish all of you the best of luck, and I hope you can understand why I made this difficult decision.
I’m looking forward to continuing to crush 2023 with all of you.
-BowTiedBum
Disclaimer: None of this is to be deemed legal or financial advice of any kind.