Hey there! My name is Jim Shirley and I'd like to help YOU build your online business.
Okay, I'm writing out my biography here because it's required. Frankly, I don't like talking a lot about myself - I prefer talking about you and how I can help you.
But, with that being said, this is what I've got in something of a chronological order:
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FORMAL EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Public Policy from the University of Denver
Graduate work (on scholarship) in Econ at the University of Denver
I bailed early on graduate school when I got a job in the mutual fund industry.
CORPORATE
In my corporate career, I've been:
- an editor
- a research analyst
- product manager
- product development manager
I've done work with people from around the world including: Africa, Brazil, India, Thailand, China, Europe, England, Canada, Russia, Japan, Australia, Philippines, and New Zealand. And these were not just quick chats - I worked with people in these regions for months and years.
I've started and failed with four online businesses.
And I have 3 online businesses that are going strong today (and have been since 2009, 2012, and 2015)
WORDPRESS WEBSITES
In 2004, I decided to finally learn how to build websites (it was something I wanted to learn since the late 90's). By 2005, I had moved from coding everything myself to using WordPress. Since then, I've helped dozens of small businesses get their business online. I have lost count, but I have built at least 50 websites for my own personal use using WordPress. Today I have 17 blogs / websites online.
WRITING
In 2007, my infant daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease and from that point on, I learned everything I could find out about eating gluten-free.
In 2010, I published my first book - a gluten-free shopping guide (hey, back then it was not at all clear what foods were gluten-free and I aimed to fix that for my family and others like us).
I went on to publish another four books.
I have written hundreds of articles and blog posts for my own websites on topics from eating gluten-free to self-publishing to internet marketing.
Through my various websites, I've created and sold (or given away) information products.
COPYWRITING
Sometime after publishing my first book, I got introduced to the subject of copywriting. It was not by accident - I needed to figure out how to sell online. The late Gary Halbert once said something along the lines of "...if you need a good copywriter, you'll probably have to do it yourself."
Anyway, I spend my spare time learning from the masters of copywriting and then applying that knowledge.
VIDEO
Sometime in my corporate life while working as the product development manager on $20 million a year software product, our technical writer left and we couldn't replace her (some kind of hiring freeze).
Anyway, we were about to launch a new version of our software and we had no updated help documents. So I got Camtasia and started recording 'How To' videos to use instead. They were a hit and I had a blast making them...and I've been making videos of all kinds since then.
If you've gotten to this point in the biography (and you are still awake), go ahead and take my course...I believe you will be glad you did.
Jim
