View Full Version : Doing very well, then leaving the biz for good
quiet
12-07-2003, 09:49 AM
... and never looked back? those i have known who've left, always seem to come back sooner or later, in one way or another - regardless of success. is it really that difficult of a business to leave (assuming you disbanded on a high, profitable note)?
Wizzo
12-07-2003, 09:53 AM
I know of 1, made alot of money early in TGP days, and cashed out and has never looked back... but I agree it's rare to see someone leave it for good! :blink:
Peaches
12-07-2003, 10:33 AM
Spanker is one as is one of the original founders of Mr. Cash. :)
Well I pretty much had no choice but to leave when we got hit with an obscenity situation from our phone sex empire back in the late 80's. It was that or deal with a costly obscenity prosecution that would have eroded all the money I made.
The ironic thing it turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me because we switched to mainstream pay-per-call programs and made a fortune because there was no competition to speak of, we had innovative ideas that weren't knocked off like our adult concepts so we got longer runs on them, and we were able to market on TV for the first time.
Television is the most powerful marketing medium out there. When you have the ability to jump into 10% of US households with a 30 second spot you can do 50,000 and more 900 calls per day.
Right before the Net came around I had started to revive a lot of our adult programs on the side so it was perfect timing.
The thing about adult, it will never be as big as any mainstream type deal, but it is very consistent if you are a sharp operator and marketer. In the beginning you could be a monkey and still make money, now you have to be a real wiz and work much harder, but the money is still out there.
Carrie
12-07-2003, 05:01 PM
I know of one person who said he was getting out but still hung around the boards, eventually took a position with one of the Big Guys and started up his own program again; he stopped working for the Big Guy and recently sold ALL of his adult stuff (program, domains, everything) and I think a bunch of his mainstream stuff as well.
He wasn't back on the top of his game but his program had great potential and was profiting and quickly gathering speed; no idea why he decided to jump out unless he just didn't want to deal with the stuff he saw coming up (Visa, Acacia, etc).
sperbonzo
12-08-2003, 12:23 PM
I know a huge australian player who made some massive money, then got out. He is still in the internet game, but has not gone back to adult, and says that he never will. Actually, he should never need to.....
Torone
12-09-2003, 07:40 AM
Originally posted by KRL@Dec 7 2003, 10:47 AM
mainstream pay-per-call programs
Please explain...
TeenGodFather
12-09-2003, 08:21 AM
Originally posted by Torone+Dec 9 2003, 04:48 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Torone @ Dec 9 2003, 04:48 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin--KRL@Dec 7 2003, 10:47 AM
mainstream pay-per-call programs
Please explain...[/b][/quote]
call me and I'll tell you.
I can also tell you what kinda gorgeous partner you're going to marry, and who's going to win the next nfl game.
Torone
12-09-2003, 08:27 AM
Originally posted by TeenGodFather+Dec 9 2003, 07:29 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (TeenGodFather @ Dec 9 2003, 07:29 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'>Originally posted by -Torone@Dec 9 2003, 04:48 AM
<!--QuoteBegin--KRL@Dec 7 2003, 10:47 AM
mainstream pay-per-call programs
Please explain...
call me and I'll tell you.
I can also tell you what kinda gorgeous partner you're going to marry, and who's going to win the next nfl game.[/b][/quote]
Oh! That kind of PPC... :D
Mike AI
12-09-2003, 11:34 AM
A few people left after the big boom, back in 98-99, lots of people took out tons of cash, and poured it into mainstream internet companies.
Back after the bubble popped, almost all came back to the biz one way or another.... and none ever was as successful as they were orginally.
Originally posted by Torone+Dec 9 2003, 07:48 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Torone @ Dec 9 2003, 07:48 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin--KRL@Dec 7 2003, 10:47 AM
mainstream pay-per-call programs
Please explain...[/b][/quote]
You name it we did. The really big ones were in music pop / rap / rock group fan club hotlines.
OMG, those were monsters, cause we snagged a couple of big named groups just as they were getting famous.
Also had a hugely successful stock market pay-per-call program.
But the 900 game got harder after a few years, because the floodgates opened and anyone could get a 900 number. We had some of the first ones during the monopoly days when only 100 had been allocated for the whole country from AT&T.
Peaches
12-09-2003, 11:59 AM
Originally posted by KRL@Dec 9 2003, 12:48 PM
But the 900 game got harder after a few years, because the floodgates opened and anyone could get a 900 number. We had some of the first ones during the monopoly days when only 100 had been allocated for the whole country from AT&T.
KRL, I was in the 900 biz back in the 90's (and a bit in the last 80's, but as a provider of the lines). I worked for Harold Mann back in the 900 sex days - did you ever do business with us?
Driven
12-09-2003, 02:08 PM
I did very well during 1997-2000 then burnt out of the business, couldn't stand it and had to take a 2 year break. I needed it but surely lost a lot of opponunities. Now i'm back working on cutting edge stuff & its very exciting again to be in a business with so much potential and ideas people haven't made happen yet.
Thats the thing, most mainstream businesses are just overdone everyone has done everything, but with adult you can think up a new idea and make it happen, or people have a good idea but you can improve on it and make something so much better. Gotta love this business.
Last edited by Driven at Dec 9 2003, 11:18 AM
Originally posted by Peaches+Dec 9 2003, 12:07 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Peaches @ Dec 9 2003, 12:07 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin--KRL@Dec 9 2003, 12:48 PM
But the 900 game got harder after a few years, because the floodgates opened and anyone could get a 900 number. We had some of the first ones during the monopoly days when only 100 had been allocated for the whole country from AT&T.
KRL, I was in the 900 biz back in the 90's (and a bit in the last 80's, but as a provider of the lines). I worked for Harold Mann back in the 900 sex days - did you ever do business with us?[/b][/quote]
Name rings a bell, but no. We worked direct with AT&T and had our own equipment. Also did some stuff direct with Sprint & MCI, a couple 011/809 companies, NTS and ATN.
Peaches
12-09-2003, 02:22 PM
Originally posted by KRL@Dec 9 2003, 03:21 PM
Name rings a bell, but no. We worked direct with AT&T and had our own equipment. Also did some stuff direct with Sprint & MCI, a couple 011/809 companies, NTS and ATN.
Ah, OK - we also worked with NTS and ATN and at one point we were MCI's largest 900 customer under our reseller company, TNI (CMI was another big customer of MCI in the late 80's - we were more early-mid 90's)
I was in 0+ before 900 (and 1+/WATS/etc before then with Sprint, MCI and an ATT reseller) so we probably know a few of the same folks. :D
davecummings
12-09-2003, 04:47 PM
Jeff Newman, who created www.busty-amateurs.com and allegedly made a LOT of money, only to close up everything over a year ago. I heard that he got "religion".
I'm glad I'm an agnostic:-)
Dave
www.davecummings.com
slavdogg
12-09-2003, 05:35 PM
Originally posted by KRL@Dec 9 2003, 11:48 AM
Also had a hugely successful stock market pay-per-call program.
KRL, is there still good money to be made in this ??
slavdogg
12-09-2003, 05:46 PM
there were a lot of people that got out and than came back in
many left but still make good money in adult.
very few left fot good, do well and got nothing left in adult.
the few that left completly are Spanker, Robin Nixon, and as Dave said Jeff Newman.
there are more people that tried mainstream and came back, than those that left adult biz and found success
Originally posted by davecummings@Dec 9 2003, 04:55 PM
Jeff Newman, who created www.busty-amateurs.com and allegedly made a LOT of money, only to close up everything over a year ago. I heard that he got "religion".
I'm glad I'm an agnostic:-)
Dave
www.davecummings.com
no doubt they made a lot of money ... but instead of keeping it they gave it away to freeloaders in the form of 'i love porn' tshirts and lighters and 'allegedly' some other more expensive 'merchandise' ...
There were some cool folks there - just too young & wanting to party hard over working hard ...
i still have my black baby-doll shirt & wear it regularly!!!
A few people left after the big boom, back in 98-99, lots of people took out tons of cash, and poured it into mainstream internet companies.
Back after the bubble popped, almost all came back to the biz one way or another.... and none ever was as successful as they were orginally.
Mike, think harder ... there are a handfull ;-)
The Liebermans havent come back... and last I saw Johnathan they were doing quite well in non-adult.
And there are some others I'm sure, the problem perhaps is that this is a business that is fast paced and has very clear paths to making money. Not too many mainstream businesses fit that mold.
Originally posted by slavdogg+Dec 9 2003, 05:43 PM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (slavdogg @ Dec 9 2003, 05:43 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin--KRL@Dec 9 2003, 11:48 AM
Also had a hugely successful stock market pay-per-call program.
KRL, is there still good money to be made in this ??[/b][/quote]
Sure. At the time though not many people understood pay-per-call and marketing pay-per-call. So when I approached one of the largest and best known firms on Wall St. to do a stock market hotline, there was still mystery to the 900 biz, and i was able to cut a good with them.
Now the Wall St. firms can go get their own setup and have seen all the ideas and marketing techniques.
Big difference. When you pioneer and become an expert, people will pay you to do the work in a new industry, because its less expensive and less risky then going and figuring it all out themselves.
But heck yeh, mucho dinero in financial information. Got some hot web projects and perfect domains :) for the market planned in the years ahead.
Sharpie
12-10-2003, 09:27 AM
Marc Overman....... he wasn't a big player, but he certainly made his share of money. He was talented enough to make it anywhere!
Peaches
12-10-2003, 09:30 AM
Originally posted by Sharpie@Dec 10 2003, 10:35 AM
Marc Overman....... he wasn't a big player, but he certainly made his share of money. He was talented enough to make it anywhere!
Sparky! Damn, I miss him. :(
Mike AI
12-10-2003, 10:27 AM
Originally posted by Peaches+Dec 10 2003, 09:38 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (Peaches @ Dec 10 2003, 09:38 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteBegin--Sharpie@Dec 10 2003, 10:35 AM
Marc Overman....... he wasn't a big player, but he certainly made his share of money. He was talented enough to make it anywhere!
Sparky! Damn, I miss him. :([/b][/quote]
Yeah Sparky is a genuis, one of the funniest people I know.
I think adult was a hobbie for him. He racked up with non-adult stuff, probaby still is....
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