Tell us a little background info about yourself. Where are you from? How old are you? How long have you been working in this industry?
I am originally from New Delhi, India but have been in the states for well over 35 years. I am probably the oldest individual in this industry (43) but loving every minute of it. 
What accomplishments so far are you the most proud of?
Outside of having an amazingly beautiful wife and an absolutely adorable daughter, I think that the accomplishment I am most proud of would be the recent buyout of AVG. It has been a couple of years in the making but I feel it was done the right way. It is about creating a recognizable brand with a reputed team and I think we are almost there. The other accomplishment would be of course making it to your interview on this blog, I know you have numerous choices and I am glad you chose me (I sound like an airline). 
How did you come to learn about this industry? Why did you choose this career? When did you first realize the full potential in affiliate marketing? When did you first “hit the big time?”
I actually got into this industry by accident. I used to own an internet café in Chicago (Go Cubbies) and some of the patrons who frequented the café needed a website and search engine optimization done and I happened to have some contacts in the space which truly enabled me to find out the benefits and rewards of Internet marketing and haven’t looked back since.
As far as hitting it “big time” – I think that is still to come. I think completing the buyout of Affiliate Venture Group was definitely a step in the right direction. We all measure success differently and to me it is more about the relationships you make and the experiences you have and knowing that you have made a positive impression on people.
What do you think it takes to be successful as an affiliate?
Thick skin, persistence and perseverance are critical to becoming a successful affiliate. What may be working today may not tomorrow (thanks Google), what may be hot one day may not be the next (we can thank the folks at FTC for this). Odds are you will lose money when starting out, but to truly become successful – you have to test, retest and then test some more.
Ralph Waldo Emerson said it best, “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.”
What have been your biggest failures and frustrations?
I do not consider anything I have done a “failure” per se (unless you count that one semester in college 
What is the single toughest problem you've had to face, and how did you get through it?
That’s an easy one, which was to get my wife to say “YES” when I proposed to her a few years back. How I got through it – well I rented a boat, went deep into Annapolis Harbor and gave her a choice. 
Is there anything that you don’t like to do, that you just hate working on?
I am a people person, like being out and about and hate being tied down behind a desk and worrying about paperwork. This is why my partner (Chris Kautz) and I make such a good team, he is great on the operational side of the business and myself – well still trying to figure that one out.
What is the future of marketing?
The world of internet marketing is changing at a rapid speed, and therefore individuals and companies at the forefront of providing innovative solutions will be the call of the day. The future of internet marketing is going to be more fiercely competitive as the technologies continue to evolve. The information blogs such as yours provide will play a crucial role in keeping the visitors informed about marketing trends and more importantly how to take advantage of it.
If it’s possible for you to share, are there any particular niches that you currently favor? Or that you aren’t necessarily in right now but that you would recommend?
The flavor of the day is mobile/sms marketing and pay per call. These are two areas I am looking to get into but quite haven’t been able to crack just yet…well successfully at least. 
What niche has worked best for you?
The financial sector, more specifically “penny stock investing” has done amazingly well for us at AVG. We were somewhat ahead of the game and made a pretty penny (no pun intended) but this too has now become saturated and all the more difficult to make some serious money. Fortunately, we have the good fortune of having our own exclusives so that has made it a bit easier.
Which methods of promotion do you favor?
As an affiliate, the methods that work best for me are social media and SEO. As a network owner, the methods most of my advertisers prefer are Email and Search. I am looking to get into PPV as well as radio to supplement my online initiatives.
How have you made those promotion methods successful?
For me it has all been about testing and retesting. I have the good fortune of knowing a lot of people smarter than me in the industry and they have proven to be a valuable resource. I think persistence is key, given enough time – I think I can make anything work.
What have you been up to recently? What projects are you working on?
Well, a couple of weeks ago, I along with my partner (Chris Kautz – formerly of Rextopia) fully acquired Affiliate Venture Group and as such have been extremely busy with that. We also have some exciting initiatives in place (unable to go into details just yet) so looking forward getting those executed and launched.
What problems have you had with those new projects?
It is not that we have had real problems with the projects, just a limitation on the time. We are both constantly working around the clock but such is the life of an Affiliate Marketer I guess.
Do you think anything particular in your past prepared you for this industry? Your education? Jobs you’ve held before?
I am a big believer that everything happens for a reason and I can pin point specific examples or situations that have helped me to succeed in this industry. I find it rather amusing that even after having done this for as long as I have; most in my family don’t have a clue what I do. 
What are your greatest strengths?
Where do I start? 
Business wise, I have thick skin and very sociable. I have had the privilege of meeting some of the industry’s leading personalities and have managed to integrate those experiences into my businesses.
What are your greatest weaknesses?
My wife and my accountant would have a field day with this. I am not the most “organized” person and could stand to improve in that respect. Apart from that – whereas one of your other interviewees had a great technical background to help with his AM, I am rather weak and definitely could use some improvement in that area.
What motivates you?
Seeing the smile on my daughter's face when she wakes up motivates me. The desire to build free clinics for my wife so she can provide medical care, free of cost motivates me. As hard as I work, it pales in comparison to what she does; so getting to a point where I can help ease her burden would be amazing.
What is the best advice you’ve been given and try to apply to your life?
The best advice I have been given has been from my father and it is to not be afraid to take risks. Even if it doesn’t work out, you can always learn from the experience and apply it towards your next venture. There is quote from T.S. Elliot that I like: “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.”
Who has impacted you most in your career, and how?
There are two people that have impacted me the most, my father and my wife. Throughout college I was not the most studious student and unfortunately my grades reflected that all too well. There was such a communication gap between my father and I that he actually took up sports so that he could communicate with me on my level. That alone had a drastic impact on me (other than his ability to scare the living crap out of me 
What kept me on the track was most certainly my wife. Not once did she ever doubt my ability even if that meant sacrificing what was important to her. She is the main driving force behind my ventures, often my biggest critic but always my biggest proponent.
What are some of your long-term goals? How much is enough? If money was no object, what would you be doing?
My long term goals would not be much different than what they are now. Family is job #1 and to ensure their happiness is all that matters. It’s the little things, a hug from the daughter first thing in the morning or giving cereal to the wife before she goes to bed.
If money were no object, I would still be doing what I am doing this very instant. However, I would devote a fair share of my time to help my wife start up free clinics to help those who cannot help themselves. Without getting into the politics of it all – the hospitals have become so administrative, insurance driven and bottom line focused that good patient care has become a footnote. This is not why she spent a good portion of her life going through medical school.
How do you like to spend your free time? What doe work-life balance mean to you?
In our free time we like to go visit the family, travel or just hang out with some good friends. We routinely get together monthly and have an all night poker games. If there is any time remaining, I like to work on my blog and some other side projects.
What is your greatest achievement outside of work? What are some of your unfulfilled dreams?
My greatest achievement outside of my work would have to be cajoling my then “best friend” into marrying me (to this day I have no clue what she was thinking 
As it comes to unfulfilled dreams, I can honestly say that I am very very content with where I am. I try to live life for today and not worry so much about what tomorrow may hold and thus there is no dream or aspirations to be unfulfilled.
Do you have a Twitter account or Facebook “Like” page?
twitter.com/RickyAhuja
facebook.com/rickyahuja
Ending
Jonathan, I do want to take a few seconds to let you know how much I appreciate you taking the time to conduct this interview. You have set a very high standard for all affiliate marketers to aspire to and the industry needs more people like you.
All the best,
Ricky Ahuja
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment