Posted: Oct 27, 2025 | By James King | 8 min read
I spent my 53rd birthday looking at my retirement savings and having a mild panic attack.
Not because the number was zero. But because the number wasn’t enough. And I knew it.
You know that feeling, right? When you do the math and realize that the whole “work till 65 and live your dream” thing isn’t going to work out the way they promised?
Yeah. That feeling.
So I did what any reasonable Gen Xer would do: I Googled “how to make money online.”
Worst. Decision. Ever.
Actually, scratch that. Best decision ever. But it sure didn’t feel like it at the time.
The $10,000 Education I Didn’t Plan On
Here’s what nobody tells you when you start looking into affiliate marketing:
The information is out there. For free. But you won’t believe it until you’ve wasted thousands of dollars on courses that tell you the exact same thing.
I know this because I am living proof.
Since 2021, I’ve spent over $10,000 on courses, programs, and “opportunities” that promised to teach me the secrets of affiliate marketing.
Some were decent. Most were garbage. A few were outright scams.
I got pitched by guys with rented Lamborghinis. I bought courses from “gurus” who’d never actually made money from affiliate marketing (they made it from selling courses about affiliate marketing – see the problem?).
I signed up for programs that promised “passive income in 30 days.” Spoiler alert: it didn’t happen.
Did I feel like an idiot?
Hell yeah.
Multiple times.
But here’s the thing that kept me going:
Every time I got screwed over, every time I wasted money on another garbage course, I thought: “If you could just figure this out, you could help other people do the same thing – but save them all this heartache, frustration, and money.”
That thought kept me in the fight.
Like Rocky coming back, beating after beating.
Eye of the Tiger, baby.
Want to avoid the mistakes I made? Join my weekly newsletter for honest, no-BS tips on building affiliate income. [Click here to join]
What I Actually Learned (The Hard Way)
After three years, thousands of dollars, and more failed attempts than I care to count, here’s what I wish someone had told me on Day 1:
1. It Takes Way Longer Than 30 Days
All those courses promising “passive income in 30 days” or “your first $1,000 in a week”?
They’re lying.
Not because it’s impossible – but because it’s so rare that banking on it is like planning your retirement around winning the lottery.
Reality check: It took me about 4 months to make my first affiliate sale. And it wasn’t for thousands of dollars. It was for about $47.
But you know what? That $47 proved it was possible. And that changed everything.
What you should expect:
- Month 1-3: Lots of work, little to no income
- Month 4-6: First sales start trickling in
- Month 7-12: Building momentum (but still not “passive”)
- Year 2+: This is when it actually starts feeling sustainable
If you’re not willing to put in 6 months of consistent work, don’t start. Just don’t. Save yourself the frustration.
2. Your Age Is Actually an Advantage
I know what you’re thinking: “But everyone doing this is 25 years old with perfect skin and a ring light.”
Yeah, they are. And nobody trusts them.
You know who people do trust? Someone who’s been around long enough to know the difference between quality and hype.
When you recommend something, people believe you. When a 22-year-old “influencer” recommends the same thing, people assume they’re getting paid.
Your life experience is your competitive advantage. Use it.
3. You Don’t Need Thousands of Followers
This was huge for me to learn.
I wasted months trying to “build an audience” before I started actually promoting anything. I thought I needed 10,000 Instagram followers or a huge email list.
Nope.
100 engaged people who trust you > 10,000 random followers who don’t.
I made my first $1,000 with an email list of about 150 people. Not thousands. Not tens of thousands. 150.
Start building your list on Day 1. Even if it’s just your mom and your best friend.
4. Email List > Everything Else
Speaking of email lists…
Here’s the biggest mistake I made: I focused on social media and ignored email for way too long.
Why that was stupid:
Instagram can shut down your account tomorrow. Facebook can change the algorithm. TikTok can ban you for no reason.
But your email list? That’s yours. Nobody can take it away.
Plus, people who give you their email address are actually interested in what you have to say. They’re not just scrolling past your post while they’re bored in line at Starbucks.
Start building your email list immediately. I cannot stress this enough.
5. Most “Gurus” Are Full of It
This is the one that cost me the most money.
There are a LOT of people out there selling courses on how to make money with affiliate marketing. And most of them have never actually made money from affiliate marketing.
They make money from selling courses.
How to spot a fake guru:
- They show screenshots of income but never explain how they got it
- They promise specific results in specific timeframes (“$10K in 60 days!”)
- They have a rented Lamborghini in every photo
- They use phrases like “secret system” or “hidden loophole”
- Everything is “closing soon” or “only 3 spots left”
Real talk: Anyone who’s actually successful at affiliate marketing is too busy making money to create a $2,000 course about it.
The people teaching it? They’re making their money from you, not from affiliate marketing.
6. You Don’t Need Fancy Tools (Yet)
I spent so much money on tools I didn’t need.
$300 email software. $150/month landing page builders. $500 themes. $200 plugins.
Know what I actually needed?
- A domain name ($15/year)
- Basic hosting ($10/month)
- A free email service (until I had 1,000 subscribers)
- WordPress (free)
That’s it.
Everything else is a shiny object designed to distract you from actually doing the work.
Start simple. Upgrade when you’re actually making money.
7. Honesty Beats Hype Every Single Time
This is the big one.
When I started, I thought I had to be “salesy” to make money. I thought I had to use manipulative tactics and fake urgency and all that gross marketing BS.
Turns out, the opposite is true.
People can smell BS from a mile away.
When I started being brutally honest – telling people what sucked about products, who they weren’t right for, what the actual downsides were – that’s when things clicked.
Your reputation is worth more than any commission. Period.
Quick reminder: Grab my free Gen X Guide to Affiliate Marketing – it has everything I wish someone told me on Day 1. Get it here.
The Moment It All Changed
You want to know when this whole thing started to work for me?
It wasn’t when I bought the “perfect” course. It wasn’t when I got the “secret strategy.” It wasn’t when I cracked some code.
It was when I stopped trying to be someone else.
I stopped copying the 25-year-old influencers. I stopped using phrases like “crushing it” and “7-figure lifestyle.” I stopped pretending I had it all figured out.
I just started being myself.
A 58-year-old Canadian guy who made mistakes, wasted money, got scammed, and kept going anyway.
And you know what happened?
People actually started listening.
Because I wasn’t trying to sell them a dream. I was showing them reality. And reality is what people actually want.
What I’m Doing Now
I’m still building this thing. I’m still learning. I still make mistakes.
But I’m also making money. Consistent money. Not “quit your job and buy a yacht” money. But “this could actually change my retirement picture” money.
And more importantly, I’m building something that could help other people – especially Gen X and Boomers who are looking at their retirement savings and feeling that same panic I felt.
My goal isn’t to become a guru.
My goal is to help a few hundred people (or a few thousand, who knows) build an extra income stream that gives them breathing room. That lets them take the vacation they’ve been postponing. That means they don’t have to work till they’re 70.
If I can do that? Then all the money I wasted and all the mistakes I made will have been worth it.
So What’s Next?
If you’re reading this and thinking “Maybe I could do this,” here’s what I’d tell you:
1. Lower your expectations (seriously)
This isn’t passive income. This isn’t easy money. This is a real business that requires real work.
But it’s also the most realistic path I’ve found for building extra income without getting a second job or starting something that requires huge upfront investment.
2. Give yourself 6 months
Don’t judge whether this is working after 30 days or even 90 days. Give it 6 months of consistent effort.
If it’s still not working after 6 months, then fine – maybe it’s not for you. But don’t quit before you’ve actually given it a real shot.
3. Build your email list from Day 1
I cannot stress this enough. Everything else can wait. Build your list.
4. Be yourself
Don’t try to be the 25-year-old influencer. Don’t try to be the slick guru. Be the 45/50/55/60-year-old person you are.
That’s your advantage.
5. Only recommend what you believe in
Your reputation is your business. Don’t blow it for a quick commission.
The Bottom Line
I’m not going to tell you this is easy.
I’m not going to promise you’ll make $10,000 in your first month.
I’m not going to sell you a course for $2,000 that promises to “unlock the secrets.”
What I will tell you is this:
It’s possible.
Not easy. Not fast. But possible.
And if a 58-year-old guy who wasted $10,000 learning the hard way can figure it out, so can you.
Want help getting started? I put together a free guide with everything I wish I’d known on Day 1. No BS. No upsells. Just the straight goods.
Download the free guide here →
Or just stick around. I’m going to keep sharing what’s working, what’s not, and all the mistakes I make along the way.
Because we’re in this together.
James King
Still figuring this out, one day at a time
P.S. – Remember in Rocky III when Rocky loses to Clubber Lang and thinks he’s done? And Apollo has to train him to get the eye of the tiger back? That’s what this is. Getting that fire back. You’ve still got it. Trust me.
Comments? Questions? Think I’m full of it? Let me know below. I actually respond to every comment.
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