I’m always looking for more motivation for myself, and a bit of fun as well. This thought came to me at lunch, we’ll see if Mr. Serin is interested in accepting my challenge.
The Casey vs. DebtKid Challenge:
The first one of us to reach $20,000 in monthly revenue wins. To even things out a bit, I will not count the current 7K a month my business currently generates since I started that before I even started writing about my story here.
I’ll give you a bit of a head start Casey. You CAN count your already existing blog revenue. I get to count any income that starts coming in from the projects I have coming out the next 2-3 months. Sound good?
Each month we’ll compare revenue numbers.
First one to 20K in a month buys lunch for the loser. (since he’ll still be poor).
Why Should Casey Participate?
Competition is good. I’m a very competitive person, and anything that will motivate me more than I am already to succeed should be good.
You need to be making 20K a month to get out of your situation. I also need to be in that range to really start making dents in my debt. So, let’s go!
Let’s do it Casey. No hate, no drama, no contracts, just a fun competition between two people who are trying to turn things around in their lives.
What do you think?
Will Casey accept my challenge? Will either of us ever get to 20K in monthly revenue? Who do you think is going to win, me or Casey? Who has more of the advantage? Let’s hear what you think.
{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }
I think that’s like challenging a turtle to a high jump contest. I’ve followed both of your stories, actually found you through his site, and have more respect for you than you can imagine.
I admire that someone just a year or two younger than me is operating a successful business. It’s funny how you can be successful in one aspect, but be hurting in another.
Anyways, you’ve inspired me to start blogging more. I’m also looking to start my own business up in a few months. Just something on the side.
Also, when can we expect the full story on how you ended up in debt? If you wish that is.
Funny, I did High Jump in High School (6′1″ was my best).
It is funny how I can be running a successful and growing business but be in the situation I’m in. Well, I’m not sure if funny is the best word, sometimes it sucks!
Thanks for the vote MoneyDork
Can Casey count his cash back at close pre-foreclosure? If so you’re doomed.
Why on Earth would you seriously entertain this, Casey is a joke if not a criminal. He’s chosen a path of “grey” in what he considers business, if you don’t get caught it’s not wrong whether it’s business or personal relationships.
Kid i’ve mentioned you a few times in the Caseyverse as the right way to go about turning your life around. I know many other train wreckers have said the same thing.
The idea of a challenge is a great thing, but there are people who are actually trying to turn their lives around as best they can. I would ask you to reconsider this idea.
Nigel’s Guest Blogger,
Good points. I wasn’t thinking anything big, just a little checking in competition once in awhile. But you might be right that I don’t challenge Casey.
It was just a fun thought, none of my friends understand the situation I am in (or know about it). I’m trying to keep my energy up and like I mentioned, I’m a real competitive person. Thanks Nigel’s Guest Blogger.
Money Dork,
The full story of how I got into my 300K hole of debt here would take days. I just don’t have the time to rehash it right now. Plus, I’m trying to focus on what I can do right now to change things.
Someday maybe I’ll come back for posterity purposes and write more about it. It really was about a 3 year process with lots of ups and downs and addictions and lies and….yeah. Like I said, some other time in the far away future. I’m a different person now, no more trading, no more lies.
I’ll repost what I wrote at CaseyHaterz.com … yes, the guy has generated enough anger against him to sustain an entire Internet Forum with nearly 500 people. Anyway:
Casey will win easily by exploiting a loophole… see, the Debt Kid™ thinks that $20,000/month means an increase in $20,000 in cash over the course of a month.
Casey, on the other hand, will find a quarter on the street, claim that it took him one second to pick up, state that there are approximately 2.6 million seconds in a month, and extrapolate that he made roughly 2.6M * 0.25 = $650,000 that month. Suh-weet Deal.
I appreciate competition and the drive it can get you, but there are plenty of other bloggers out there in a similar situation as you, I think it would be a great idea for mutual motivation. Put something fun on the line.
I respect the way you’re handling your situation and am rooting for you. I think you and Casey are really similar in the bravado that got you in the situations you’re in, but you’ve got things turning around.
I think the pit of despair, I mean sweet media and attention that Casey thrives on isn’t a good thing for your story.
Plus it would mean that Benoit would probably turn his amazing Internet Detective Skills on you, turning up random pictures that I would inevitably use in some bizarre collage of you and and mating fish or something, let’s not let it come to that…
DebtKid — I have no doubt you’d win, but it might be better to not ever get close to Casey Serin, because Casey has a reverse Midas touch. Everything he gets involved with turns to ****.
By the way, I posted this as a polling thread on caseyhaterz.com
I think it’s a good question, you v casey.
I understand your thoughts on not wanting to hash it all out. I am just interested because I have always had an interest in flipping houses, Casey taught me why I shouldn’t do that (though I do have a few real estate investments that are not flip related). Now I’ve stumbled upon your story, and I have had an interest in getting rich in the stock market, and I feel you can teach my why I shouldn’t do that (no offense), though I do have a nice portfolio that I try and keep stable.
Mating a fish? Oh God…
OK, let’s brainstorm a bit. Who would be good to challenge that would be fun and friendly that is another entrepreneur?
Actually, have you thought about challenging the guy from Get Rich Slowly, or The Simple Dollar, or 2millionblog.com. Most of them like to focus on alternative streams of income (i.e. blogging, prosper, et al…by the way, is it poor style to utilize two forms of latin in a sentence?).
MoneyDork,
There is nothing wrong with investing in the stock market! That’s a good thing! “Getting rich” with it, that is where you get into trouble.
My problem was that I thought I was a “trader” and could read charts and the market and “get rich in the stock market”.
I think as long as you keep your portfolio stable, you will be fine. Maybe someday I’ll post some of my trading records, or old trading journal entries. Yikes.
Debt Kid,
If you want to arrange something with GRS, I’m a moderator/site admin for JD. We can make something happen I bet that would be the competition you need.
You have my email address. Holler back.
As much, I’d love to talk with you offline. Nothing business related, just would like to ask you some questions/advice. You have my e-mail as well.
Jericho, fyi I love GRS!
This should be pretty easy.
Shouldn’t that be earnings, not revenue? If it costs you $30000 to make a widget, and you sell it for $20000, that’s $20000 in revenue but a $10000 loss, right?
Obviously you’ll have to not count debt repayments as expenses since that’s kinda the point, but you do have to count your office rent, your payroll (if you have employees) etc. etc.
Ok, debtkid, you want a challenge? like many posters here mentioned, challenge someone worthy. CS is scum. Everything he does has been shady. And not only that, his shadiness would probably screw you over. He might somehow get his father, his mother, his uncles, relatives, neighbors to cosign some bs mortgages and he gets 20k+ cash back. Nothing he has done is clean. NOTHING. Even monetizing his blog is a greyish, because it built on top of his criminal past and his current gloating of shady deals. 10 years ago, I might have challenged you.
But now, I am too fat of a cat to take on.
That said, I like your enthusiasm. Your courage to take on your problems. Keep it up.
Heh. I like this, even though yeah, normally I’d advise never to get involved with CS. I also agree with the others that Casey would never be able to win except if he comes up with some technicality. Which, BTW, I’d suggest you re-write the rules something along the lines of this:
$20k/month in provable income (bank statements will suffice), for 3 consecutive calendar months
That would keep Casey from getting lucky on some one-time deal. Anyway, a worthy challenge — and a great way to draw traffic/attention to your blog!
Any word from Casey yet? I tried asking him in his comments but he deleted it.
The most realistic contest you’ll ever get into with CS is to see who’s first to become a long-haired hippy. (I have no idea what you look like, but Casey presumably has a head start, haha).
Another possibility: each dig an equal sized hole in the ground, fill it with water and the winner is the first person to harvest sufficient algae to make enough sushi wrappings for a lunch for two.
No word from Casey. That’s cool. It looks like I may ending up doing a challenge with another (more loved) entrepreneur. Will be better for everyone.
DK — latest news is that Serin has sold IAFF.com and is heading off into the sunset of an FBI investigation, so no wonder he’s not responding.