$108,000 in 10 Weeks

$108,000 in 10 weeks. Ok, this is a little odd.

I had taken a class in internet marketing and I had just returned from a wealth seminar in Seattle.

I did a few months of research and based on my findings, I built a website. And that was the end of my money - I had no money left to do any advertising. And working at US Airways, (2006) there was barely enough money coming in anyway.

The website was up and almost immediately - with no marketing - sales began to come in. I had dropped a line in a pool of starving fish. Very important.

I began processing sales and cash was coming in so fast that I had trouble establishing the rate of cash flow - well - I was unable actually, it was totally beyond my abilities - there was just too much cash and it was coming in and going out at too rapid a pace.

After a few weeks, I realized that my bank account seemed to be shrinking instead of growing. At first it bothered me and I thought maybe something was wrong, but then I decided that it was just a temporary glitch due to sales and processing of those sales.

Another few weeks passed and as I watched my bank account near zero, I did some rapid recalculation. I was losing money! The charges for processing sales exceeded the income I was receiving from the sales.

After 10 weeks, I suspended operations. I had received over 300 sales and $108,000 - but my expenses were $117,000! Ooops!!!! Not a good thing.

Needless to say, my customers were not happy when I suspended operations, but I honored all sales - even though I had to borrow money.

I also didn't realize until a couple of weeks after suspending operations that one of the processors I was using - Paypal - expressly prohibited what I was doing and as a result, they laid claim to the last sale of $1500.

What was I doing? I was transferring money in Paypal accounts to egold.

My Song Was on the Radio!

In the mid 90's I was a journalist for "Entertainment Source" magazine - a central Mass. local magazine featuring arts and entertainment and reviews of movies, clubs, bands and movies.

Upon learning that I was an assistant manager for the band "Black Rose Garden," the publisher asked if I would be willing to start a band management business with her. Naturally I said "Yes." This became "Flair Management."

We did this for a couple of years and toward the end - in the mid and late 90's - I began to write song lyrics. I sold some of these lyrics to bands in the Boston area and a couple bands in the midwest. I sold all rights - which means I would not be eligible for accreditation or royalties on any song.

A band manager/producer in Boston asked me for several songs. I interviewed the manager/producer (Robin) to establish a feel for the band so I could tailor songs to their style and taste.

Robin had a very androgynous voice, I couldn't tell if Robin was a he or she. By discreet questioning I established that Robin was a female from Russia. And then she assured me she was a female. I needed that info because Robin suggested that she might sing with the band from time to time and I didn't want a male singing a song I had written for a female or vice versa.

One day, I sold a few songs to Robin and I knew that at least a couple of them were really good. We talked about two of the songs and I hummed and thumped to relay the melody and percussion I imagined for each song.

Robin bought a handful more songs over the next year - long after my association with Flair Management had ended - and then I moved to Phoenix (1997) severing my ties with Massachusetts and Boston bands.

A few years later, in 2005, a friend and I were driving home from work and a song came on the radio. I immediately began singing the song without ever "hearing" it before - because I had written it! It was one of the songs I had sold to "Robin" years before. They had left the song exactly as I had written it along with my humming melody and my thumping version of the percussion.

The song was "Wait" by Earshot. And "Robin," I found out, was a male.

You can watch the music video for "Wait" on Youtube - "Wait"

When I Was James Bond

I made a movie once during a film course I was taking. Titled "James Bond, Retired," it featured me playing James Bond with my friend Skip as the arch villain and my friend Dave N. as James Bond's assistant. Never finished the movie, don't remember exactly why. I had about 4 hours of raw film that I wanted to edit down to about 45 minutes. Worcester Airport offered me the use of their airport (which I accepted) and even a 737 if I wanted it (which I didn't accept) - try seeing if that would happen today! Almost had a free caterer and limos - almost. lol

The movie was about James Bond retiring to America to live with his daughter accompanied by his long time assistant. Of course, the bad guys find out and since James is no longer associated with Her Majesty's Secret Service, they decide to assassinate him as revenge, believing James will have no aid or help from the formidable resources of Q. Of course we had a beautiful woman (S.) and numerous extras including a woman playing James Bond's sister and her son.

The movie was scheduled to air on several local access stations in central Mass, when (if) I ever finished it, but that never happened.

It was fun, might even do it again, but I won't play James Bond this time - Skip is a much better James and I'm a much better villain.

11 Books and Counting

11 books and counting. So far, I have self-published 11 books and I have 2 more in the research stage. If I keep up at this, I figure a major publisher Has to pick me up eventually, right??

You can find 8 of my books here "Books by Perry Jones"

Invite to a Party - At the Playboy Mansion

Twice in Phoenix and once since I have been back in Massachusetts. Not much more to say; I didn't go, but I would have if I could have. Scheduling and money got in the way.