“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven”– Ecclesiastes 3:1
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4ga_M5Zdn4[/youtube]
There’s a shocker in this post … but first let me tell you a story.
I was 15 years old when the Byrds came out with their version of “Turn! Turn! Turn! (to Everything There Is a Season)” written by Pete Seeger in the late 1950s.
The lyrics were adapted almost entirely from verses in the Book of Ecclesiastes, set to music and recorded in 1962. The song was originally released as “To Everything There Is a Season” on The Limeliters’ album Folk Matinee and then some months later on Seeger’s own The Bitter and the Sweet.
The song became an international hit in late 1965 when it was covered by the American folk rock band The Byrds, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #26 on the UK Singles Chart.
We Are Changing.
At 15, everything is changing.
And life kept on changing … rapidly.
Things are still changing … rapidly.
On May 27th, 2003 I registered the domain, jvAlert.com and today it looks almost identical to the way that it did over a decade ago.
jvAlert started out as a “by invitation only” group of top-level Internet marketers, including people like Mark Joyner, Declan Dunn, Yanik Silver, Willie Crawford, Anthony Blake, Charlie Page, David Garfinkel, Diane Hughes, Duncan Carver, Eva Browne-Paterson, James Maduk, Jim Daniels, Jo Han Mok, Jun Han, Larry Dotson, Lee Benson, Mark Keegan, Marty Foley, Michael Green, Neil Shearing, Paul Myers, Peter Twist, Phil Wiley, Robert Imbriale, Shawn Collins, Sherry Gordon, Sid Hale, Simon Grabowski and Theresa Cahill just to name a few of our quality members.
For a long time it was just a small group of hand-picked folks who did interesting things like build subscriber bases of over a million subscribers by collaborating and working together to build our businesses.
Eventually, we decided to open membership — still by invitation only — to a wider base of our combined 30 million subscribers and on the first day of our pre-launch, September 15th, 2003, jvAlert climbed to a Alexa traffic ranking of number 362 out of all of the sites on the Internet.
jvAlert Live hits 362 on the Alexa Rankings
In 2005, I went out for lunch with Andy Jenkins, Frank Garon and Mike Merz – wish I could remember who the fourth guy was – and it was a great time spent with people who understood what I was doing. You can relate I’m sure.
It was such a good time I decided to e-mail the members of jvAlert and see if any of them were in my neighborhood who wanted to go out for lunch.
Over 30 people responded including my incredible friend Frank Sousa who is the heart and soul of the spirit of jvAlert Live.
Frank e-mailed me back and said that he wanted to fly from Spokane, Washington to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for lunch.
Among the other people who wanted to attend were my soon to be friends Sterling Valentine, Jane Mark, Phil Basten, Richard Rossbauer and about 26 others — let me know if you were there because my memory is fading fast – so we decided to get a meeting room at the Renaissance Philadelphia Airport Hotel.
We decided since Frank was flying in from Spokane to have a networking dinner on Friday night, then a full day of “Hot Seats” followed by a networking breakfast on Sunday.
On November 10th, 2005 I registered the domain, jvAlertLive.com and shortly after three guys sat on a couch.
Well, actually it was a love seat — big enough for two — plus a chair and this is a picture of that famous couch.
Frank Sousa, Sterling Valentine and I sat down and had an ordinary conversation, just like you have at any event. The questions were simple. “What are you working on?” and “How can I help?”
Sterling had been trying to finish a product and I had a system for product creation that I wanted to prove worked.
That simple conversation resulted in my mentoring Sterling through his successful creation and launch of “JV Formula” with over $100,000 in sales and a list of over 10,000 people in 92 days.
But that was just the start of the “Impact Factor” …
From that simple conversation, many millions of dollars were made, but more importantly countless lives changed.
I’ll let YOU tell the stories of how jvAlert Live changed your life. I know that it changed mine.
My first book, Impact: How to Get Noticed, Motivate Millions, and Make a Difference in a Noisy World, was inspired by my experiences with jvAlert Live events and how those events changed peoples lives – maybe including yours.
For the Love of the Game
Kevin Costner stars in the 1999 film, “For the Love of the Game” about a baseball legend almost finished with his distinguished career who at the age of forty has one last chance to prove who he is, what he is capable of, and win the heart of the woman he has loved for the past four years.
Billy battles against his emotional and physical limits as he strives for a Perfect Game with flashbacks to all of the moments throughout his career that have meant so much to him.
In the end, Billy chooses to hang up his glove at the close of his perfect game.
I played jvAlert for more than a decade for the love of the game.
We’ve grown together, changed together, loved together and now it’s time for jvAlert Live to go out with the perfect game.
As Mitch Axelrod would say, “There’s a new game of business.”
This is the new beginning.
As my vision grew, it expanded beyond joint ventures, beyond Internet marketing, beyond marketing and beyond one life into creating a legacy of impact that can literally change the world for the better.
When we live in the past, we can’t be in the present.
The Perfect Game …
It will be good to take one powerful look at what we have done together. We should share the stories, raise the glass and celebrate all the jvAlert family has done for over a decade.
We will be together in Las Vegas and Philadelphia to close out the year for jvAlert Live, but I want something more.
I want to give you some time to plan for something special to cap our journey together.
Sometime soon, I’ll announce jvAlert Live: The Perfect Game.
It will be our final jvAlert Live event and I want jvAlert to go out with the perfect game, to celebrate the joy of our friendships made to last for a lifetime and share our hopes for the future.
I hope that you will be there with me.
Let’s work together to make this the best event we’ve ever had.
Over the years we have had amazing speakers and I’d love to bring back the best of the best.
I’d love to have a day of pure networking for the highest caliber marketers on the planet and three days of magic filled with incredible content from the best in the world.
I want this one to be the perfect game, so let me know who should be there and plan to be there yourself.
No, it’s not the end of the family.
It’s the rebirth.
New life, new projects and new relationships.
I have so much to tell you … soon!
All the best,
Ken McArthur
KenMcArthur.com
jvAlertLive.com
OneDayIntensive.com
TheImpactFactor.com
Ken your heartfelt message sent shivers down my spine. I am thrilled and excited for you, us and everyone you touched and uplifted throught jvAlert Live. You made a big impact on me, and my life is changed because of it. Thank you for inviting me to celebrate your NEW Beginning and to play your NEW Game. BIG Impact zone ahead. Mitch
It’s so wonderful to have you in my life Mitch. Thanks so much for your constant support.
Looking forward to see what you have in store for the future Ken!
I’m excited too Willie! So great to have you in this journey together for so many years.
Ken, as one of the many hundreds of speakers over the years at jvAlert Live events, and as a person who personally experienced and was on the team to create the power of the Impact Factor, I’m excited to see what comes next for you. It’s time. With your work, even more people will be positively impacted and building the businesses and lives of their dreams. I wish you all the luck in the world!
Felicia Slattery
Thanks Felicia! What a wonderful job you did for many years, speaking and leading our events. You are a big part of the story of the jvAlert Live family.
What a graceful piece, Ken. I am looking forward to it, because I know whatever you do will be infused with integrity, care, and community.
Thanks Ray, coming from you — the master of graceful pieces — it’s a great compliment. Looking forward to celebrating with you.
I’m so excited for you Ken! You’ve had an Impact on my life so far. I’m ready for a New Beginning and a New Perfect Game. See you in Vegas! #jvAlert #roadtrip #vegas
Thanks Jeanette Joy! I’m ready!
It’s an honor to have been part of jvAlert Live’s origin, Ken … but the ability to call you Friend for over a decade is the most important part to me. Looking forward to being there for the next phase, as I have for Affiliate Showcase, jvAlert, jvAlert Live, etc., whatever that may be .. 😉
Thanks so much for the friendship Mike. That will never end.
Looking forward to then next evolution!
Ken, while I’ve moved on to developing a food product which will be marketed on line, I give you tons of thanks for all you’ve taught me over the years. While we’ve never been in the same brick and mortar space at the same time, I feel I’ve “known” you since before jvAlert, when you started “Affiliate Showcase”.
You’ve taught me much over the years, and I wish you the perfect game, as jvAlert begins it’s metamorphosis once again. God Speed to you!
Thanks so much Shari! You were a treasure at the perfect time. Let’s extend it for the next decade!
Awesome Ken – Looking forward to being a part of your new chapter 🙂
Tracy Repchuk
Always a new adventure Tracy! Great to have you be a part of it in the past, the present AND the future!
I’m proud of you, Ken. It’s a big step. But in life it’s important to let go of the good to make room for the great.
Looking forward to it and to the rest 🙂 and to all the great things you will be doing in the future which will be have as much impact (and more) on many many people. And yes it is time…
JVAlert Live may be coming to an end, Ken, but the impact you’ve left as its legacy will live on for a long, long time yet to come. Among everything else, it helped to coalesce what we were doing individually into what became the online marketing industry, and no one can ever deny you your status as one of the founding fathers. More important, to Teri & me personally, is the friendship you’ve given us over the past 10 or 12 years – I look forward to your further adventures!
The imagery in this is beautiful, Ken. And…I’m also very excited about whatever it is you have up your sleeve. 🙂
Poppa Ken, this was beautifully written and obviously came straight from your heart. And such a wonderful heart it is! JV Alert has impacted countless numbers of people, but the impact you are yet to make will cast a brilliant shadow on all that has come before. We’ve got your back, my friend. You are not only “the nicest guy in internet marketing”, but one of the most kind and superb individuals I have the privilege to know. Bless you!
Great piece Ken, and what Donna said… Looking forward to – ‘What’s Next’.
Ken, You will probably never know the extent of the positive Impact you’ve had on many people. Myself included. Truly unique. I know it is time for you to move into something even larger, and would love to be a part of it. Wishing you great success in everything you do, and all that is yet to come!
Eloquently expressed my friend. As Confucius said, “They must often change, who would be constant in happiness and wisdom.” You have brought much joy & wisdom to others, touching them with your open heart & desire to serve.
I know Joel calls you the “nicest guy in Internet marketing,” but I call you the most huggable. Papa Ken, I am honored to be a part of the JVAlert Live family and look forward to the next chapter in your journey. I know more good things are yet to come. (((hugs)))
I’m glad I had the experience of participating in 2 jvalert events, The community and networking were priceless. Thank you for your integrity, vision, and hard work Ken. I really look forward to whatever you do in the future.
One of the great things in my life has been to get to know you Ken, not just as a business acquaintance, but a VERY close friend and confidant. Those JV Alert meetings will always remain precious to me, and even more precious to me is to know that you and I will remain friends and mastermind partners for MANY years to come.
Ken, it has been an honor and a pleasure to be a subscriber to your newsletters over the past decade. It has also been an honor to have conversations with you on the phone when I was living in Blanco, Texas, when you first started JVAlert Live. You probably don’t remember me because I’m just a guy who flies under the radar of less than 7MM on a Google search. I think it’s somewhere nearer to 2.7 million now because I, too, have gotten old and slowed down.
We’ve come a long way in this industry and you’ve added so much to our benefit. I got started with you at Affiliate Showcase, then went on to watch you grow with the big names you’ve mentioned in your piece.
The one thing I will miss most when we all fade into the final sunset is those phone calls about separating the “trash traffic” from the quality leads. LOL! I never knew the difference until my lists hit the 2MM mark.
I learned a lot from you. I hope you stay in touch with us as you start your new venture. Just don’t retire. We have too many adventures on our Bucket List. Let’s keep this going. We’ll need each other to one another’s eulogies. I sure do miss you, old friend.
Ernest O’Dell
Ken, from the day I first met you some 7 or 8 years ago at one of your earlier JV events in Philadelphia, you have helped me add more purpose to my life. Thank you and Thank You again!
Ken I will follow you and #jvalert anywhere. I vote for Orlando, Florida near Disney World “The Happiest Place on Earth” where dreams come true!
Hey Ken, Thanks for being a true friend. Looking forward to the next chapter – Phil and Jane
My experience with jvAlert was life changing. I got the chance to get to know the most amazingly creative and helpful people! Many of those have become true friends and JV partners. I can’t thank you enough for allowing me to interview you and being sweet enough to include me in your book! I am honored to call you a friend, Ken. God bless you and all your future successes. I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ve got in store for us next!
Wow, beautiful! To creative destruction and continuing to impact all of us on new levels:-)