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One of the beautiful things about being self employed is the freedom to schedule downtime when you need it. After a grueling year on the WSOP trail, La and I spent the last couple months relaxing at home, catching up with friends and family in Dallas and Cali, and limiting our poker expeditions to long weekend poker outings. It was a time for unwinding, reflecting on the season past, and contemplating what the future holds.
My blog downtime was also influenced by a frustrating series of mishaps in my social media marketing and writing endeavors. Most wounds were self inflicted: not getting a contract before putting in significant work on a project, underselling myself to a point where I couldn’t continue on another project I was enthusiastic about, and linking my content without consideration for a formatting that would protect my site’s traffic. The time away has let the sting of these mistakes fade and the lessons sink in. My biggest mistake was prioritizing these new ventures over established income streams and missing some great opportunities on the felt for these unproven side projects.
On the poker front, our long term direction in poker is about as clear as the legislative swamp that US online poker is sunk in. We are definitely pruning down the travel schedule for WSOPC stops and exploring other options. The ever expanding number of WSOP circuit stops continues to dilute value and increase the cost of chasing points, making it a less attractive proposition. We are considering a move to a poker friendly city, or a trip across the border for a few months of online grinding. Whatever we do, many of the smaller “point chasing” stops will no longer be on the schedule.
My attempts at sidework have also left me with a decent backlog of trip blogs. I won’t fill in all the gaps, but I will be revisiting a few spots to hit the high points in the coming weeks. I will also be experimenting with some different formats like photoblogs moving forward, so please leave comments and let me know what you think.
Glad to see you writing again. I simply relate to you more than most pro/blogging/social media/writing/grinding poker players. I place a high value on what you have to say. Maybe it’s Texas. Maybe it’s having sat by you, once. Maybe it’s the fact I appreciate a player with a family, trying to maintain a normal life. All that said … photoblogs are always cool! Keep grinding, keep writing.
Thanks Raymond I appreciate the kind words. I don’t plan to completely convert to a photoblog, I’m just trying to find a way to clear my backlog without losing my mind.
Can I suggest a move to Vegas? Yours truly is moving there in a few weeks. All the cool kids are doing it! LOL. Just thought I’d mention it because I’d love to see more of you and La.
It would be great to see more of you too Jen! I was living in Vegas when La and I started dating and she dragged me back to Dallas
We will definitely put it on the list of possible destinations, it certainly meets the legal poker criteria and the early online poker sites have some promise as well.
I always enjoy the blog updates… Look forward to them regardless of the format!! Keep grinding!!