Have you heard the story on how I met my wife? Here is the post on the old blog, but I will repost here as well.

Update: We were married February 6.

Originally posted 9/28/09
You may or may not know this but over the summer, I got engaged! Her name is Jen Williams and we met on eHarmony last year. Our official match date was 11/27/08.

I was on eHarmony after my divorce several years ago but I wasn’t ready for a serious commitment. When my children relocated from Florida to the metro-Atlanta area in the fall of 2008, I started looking at relocating and wanted to get serious about finding the right match once I moved. During the Thanksgiving Weekend, I signed up for eHarmony again and filled out my detailed profile. This time I knew in my head the kind of person I was looking for in Atlanta. I had a checklist. I won’t embarass her with the details here but I will tell you that my search was over on day one. Jen was the only person I went to open communication with and as soon as we started talking on the phone, I cancelled my eHarmony subscription. When you know, you know.

Jen had been on eHarmony for a while and was about to give it a break. I think my persistence and overall confidence that we should be together helped her decide that she was done looking as well.

We were an incredible match from the beginning. We talked for hours every night for the next two weeks. We met one night in mid December at a Taco Mac in Alpharetta. There was an instant attraction. Sometime during the date she excused herself and went to the ladies room. On her way back, she leaned into the booth and kissed me. I was floored. I was in love.

I Got Lucky. In January, I was fixated on XM Elvis Radio. One night I heard the song, I Got Lucky, a 1962 recording from the movie Kid Galahad. For some reason, every lyric of that song hit me with truth. I really did get lucky when I found Jen. And I have cherished her everyday since then. Needless to say we have a theme song.

I moved to Roswell in March and the courtship was on… We are getting married on June 12, 2010 in Roswell, Georgia. Her two boys and my son and daughter will be a family that day. For now, we are spending lots of time together and loving every minute of it.

It’s time for you to join eHarmony. You know who you are.

Save 17% on a 12 month subscription at eHarmony! (coupon code: CJPROMOBBT Expiration Date 9/30/10)

By Sharon Hall
The Nugget

Dahlonega resident Bruce Hoffman has read plenty of books on Vietnam. Many, perhaps most of them, he says, “are either all about combat, or crying-in-your-beer books.”

Hoffman had a different perspective on the war. He was a young (right out of high school), gung ho Marine, ready for action and stuck much of his time “in the rear with the beer,” he says. But recollections of those times, and the struggle and eventual success to get into combat, generated some good memories. Those memories are the basis of “And My Mother Danced With Chesty Puller.”

The unusual title comes from a family story Hoffman says he often heard as a child. “My dad served in the Pacific with Marine Corps Gen. Lewis “Chesty” Puller, the only Marine to earn the Navy Cross five times. My mother used to tell the story about being at a reunion with my dad, and Chesty Puller was there, sitting at a table. Marines would approach his table and shake his hand, but most just pointed him out to their wives or dates. My mother was never shy, and she told my dad the general was just sitting there and needed to get up and dance and enjoy himself and she was going to go ask him to dance, and before he could say anything, she did. I think later on, my dad told the story more often than my mom, but that story is one of the reasons I joined the Corps. I just always knew I would be a Marine like my dad.”

Hoffman joined the Corps soon after high school, right after the Gulf of Tonkin incident which propelled the U.S. into the Vietnam War. He then spent “three and a half years fighting to get into the war,” he says. “If you are a Marine, and there’s a war going on, that’s what you’re supposed to do.”

Most of this time was spent stateside or in Okinawa, with one tour of duty in the rear echelon in Vietnam before he was able to get into the action, finally serving as a gunner on a Huey helicopter flying Medevac and gunship missions during his last six months in service.

All the stories, from training to trooping through bars and brothels with his buddies, are there, along with stories of brave young men in combat. Amidst the recollections is the story of an adolescent’s growth into manhood, of a dedication to duty and the bonds of friendship formed by men in common cause.

“I just wanted to write all my old stories down before I forgot them,” Hoffman says.

He did have to do some research to refresh his memory about some of the details. He bought a collection of “Leatherneck” magazines on E-Bay, and accessed the Texas Tech Vietnam archives online, but he also “kind-of filled in the blanks a little bit with my own perceptions,” he says.

He was a little concerned how those perceptions would be received by other Marines who served at the same time as himself. He has since been vindicated, however, by reviews posted on the Amazon site where his book is available (www.amazon.com).

“I’ve really appreciated those reviews, especially since some were from folks I served with,” he says.

“The book aroused some strong memories of the times and the ‘men’ (most under 21) who humped the terrain, unloaded the bodies, resupplied their fellow Mariknes and that special group that came back to get you no matter how hot the LZ,” wrote one reviewer. “… a wonderful book that captures his Vietnam service and presents it in a very personal and real manner,” writes another; and “… an insightful and accurate portrayal,” writes a third.

“And My Mother Danced With Chesty Puller” is Hoffman’s first attempt at writing. He is currently involved in a second project, writing his memoir of 27 years with the Sheriff’s Office in Tampa, Fla.

My choice for Georgia Senate District 56 – John Albers, has been endorsed by the retiring incumbent and that’s outstanding news, says Greg Hoffman, Marketing Gorilla.

John Albers, the leading candidate for the Georgia State Senate for District 56, is proud to announce that retiring Senator Dan Moody, who has tirelessly and steadfastly served the people of North Fulton County in the State Senate for the last 8 years, has strongly endorsed John Albers to be his successor.

The announcement was made (Saturday) at the North Fulton GOP breakfast at Horseshoe Bend Country Club.

Said Senator Moody, “I am extremely proud to endorse John Albers in the campaign to be our next State Senator. Serving in the Senate has been a great honor and it has reinforced my commitment to supporting leaders with a deep commitment to serving others over self. In both his professional and personal life, John has demonstrated a consistent commitment to serving others. He will truly be a “Customer Service” Senator who will serve the families of North Fulton faithfully and effectively.”

Albers thanked Moody for his service and his confidence. He then proceeded to tell the Senator of how much he would be missed. Said Albers, “My inspiration to run for this office and my model for how to lead effectively is Dan Moody. Dan has been a tireless advocate for all the people of North Fulton. I look forward to continuing his proud tradition of leadership and service.”

Moody’s endorsement comes on the heels of Albers impressive debate performances and continues the surge of grassroots support that John is receiving all across North Fulton. John has and will continue to be the candidate of choice, who has chosen to run on the issues and not false negative attacks.

For more information or questions, please contact the campaign at info@votealbers.com. Visit VoteAlbers.com

And My Mother Danced With Chesty Puller by Bruce Hoffman is the story of a young Marine’s adventure during the Vietnam War, sometimes humorous, sometimes hair-raising.

Drawn into the Marine Corps by World War II stories from family members and the ultimate dream of serving as an Embassy Marine in an exotic land, Hoffman enlisted in 1964. Over the next few years he struggles to get into the fight in Vietnam but mostly finds himself stuck “in the rear with the beer”. After volunteering three times for Vietnam he’s finally able to transfer to Marine Corps Helicopter Squadron VMO-2, and fly as an Aerial Gunner in UH-1E Huey Helicopters.

“My first kill and the loss of fellow Marines left lasting memories but so did the adventures at other duty stations along the way,” Hoffman said. “I wanted to highlight the adventure part rather than focus on the combat. From the feedback I’m hearing, my readers appreciate being reminded of the little details about their service that made the experience less painful.”

Hoffman shares stories about boot camp where he writes, “Parris Island, the first place the Marine Corps tried to kill me.” He also goes in-depth into being stationed at the Marine Corps Air Stations in Beaufort, SC and Cherry Point, NC. It was the Beaufort station where he turns down a part-time job as a shotgun rider for a bootlegger. Then off to war training at Camp Pendleton, CA followed by the endless tales of booze and brothels in Okinawa. He was able to find a few girlfriends in the Carolina’s, Okinawa, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The one life lesson Hoffman says he wants to pass along to future Marines who read this book was taught to him by a Major at his first duty station in Beaufort. “Be careful who you make friends with.” the Major warned him. “You become who your friends are, if you pick Marines who get in trouble, you will get into trouble, if you pick good Marines as your friends, you will become a good Marine. Pick your friends in this Marine Corps very carefully.” Hoffman says this is a life lesson he still carries to this day and has served him well throughout his life.

The book title refers to a story told by his parents that during a 1st Marine Division reunion in Chicago, his mother danced with the legendary Marine Corps General Chesty Puller. He writes, ” I told your father I’m going to go over and ask General Puller to dance, he is just sitting there, he needs to get up and enjoy himself…While we were dancing, I pointed to your father and said that’s my husband, he served with you and has great respect for you. After the dance the General led me over and he shook your father’s hand and told your father, “Thank you for being with me.” Your father tells that story more than I do now.”

Bruce Hoffman returned to Tampa and retired as a captain with the Sheriff’s Office, after twenty-seven years. He worked for a federal agency in Washington, DC, was security chief for the Tampa Port Authority after 9-11-01, and later owned an investigative business. He is retired and lives in Dahlonega, Georgia. To purchase the book, please visit http://www.mymarineyears.com.

Aquariums are fascinating, just like affiliate marketing. I’ll explain in a minute.

I’ve longed to start up again in the hobby I left about 5 years ago and now was the right time. As my 40th birthday present (early by a few weeks), my wife and I went out and purchased a top of the line 70-gallon system at Marine Fish and Reef in Marietta, GA. The lights and filtration were beyond the technology I used in the mid-90′s. Back then I had a fabulous show tank filled with lots of plants and easy to keep Angels and tetras. I want the same thing but the difference is we invested in everything up front as opposed to building a system over a period of a few years and experimenting. I’m using my best practices from back then to do it right this time. I’m sure I will make new mistakes but that’s part of the fun of keeping an aquarium.

The need for some personal balance is key when working from home. I keep the same routine. I don’t watch soap operas and I’m staying away from the refrigerator. Staying active physically is a challenge when you try to grow a business online and you want to sit in front of the computer 24/7. It helps that when I’m on the phone with affiliates or merchants because I pace around the house and now that it’s warmer, I pace “around” the house! So to help myself mentally, I placed the tank directly across from my desk in the home office. This way I can focus on it when thinking, especially when glancing over the top of my monitor. It’s very calming and easy to concentrate on when going through a brain blast on how to grow the affiliate programs I manage.

The way to pull this back to affiliate marketing in general is that building an aquarium for the first time is like building your first website and trying to earn money consistently. It takes knowledge, research, experimentation and failure before you figure out how to make it work. You will kill fish unintentionally – lots of them. Don’t believe everything you read, it takes lots of different variations to find the results you are looking for. If you keep at it and learn from your mistakes, those fish will stay alive and your plants will fill out and bloom. Ask questions on the FishChannel forum and bug the managers at the local fish store. or, ask questions on ABestWeb and talk to affiliate managers like myself.

Look for more pictures of my aquarium as time goes on. This is day 5 after adding water. No fish yet.

Equipment:
70-gallon glass tank
Custom built Cherry cabinet with hood
Reaction 4 EFU-35 canister filter
Root Therm substrate heating system
CoraLife 24-inch professional series retrofit kit – 10,000K Daylight HQI Metal halide Lighting [1 x 150 watt], True Actinic 03 Blue Compact Flourescent [2 x 65 watt], Lunar Blue-Moon-Glow 470nm LED Lighting [2x1 watt]
External Thermal Heater
5 bags of Flourite

Plants:
Amazon sword, microsword, bulbs, wisteria, ludwigia, various bulbs.

Someone told me once never to mention my health on social media. At the time, I was pretty sure I had H1N1 and I obeyed but it could have been a prime opportunity to slow down the media hype about the illness and let everyone know i was alive and surviving. Now I have the opportunity to share my experience with Solanova Supplements. This is my chance to brag about one of the great companies I represent. Because I’m not only their affiliate manager, I’m a customer. Sure, it reveals my weaknesses but that’s ok.

Every month like clock work, my auto-shipment of Super Q-NOL 100mg and Super Glucosamine show up in the mail. I take one CoQ10 and two Glucosamine a day. Both are new to my daily regimen in the last 6 months and I’m super impressed with the results. The Super Q-Nol helps keep my blood pressure down and the Glucosamine helps with nagging back pain from a car accident several years ago. I tried to get cheap with the Glucosamine and only took one tablet for two months but I noticed a big difference. Two a day really prevents the pain. I know the CoQ10 is helping me live longer and the glucosamine is helping me live better.

The new affiliate landing page with the CoQ10 offer is a great way to promote CoQ10 and if you belong to my programs, you already know about the bonuses associated with the offer. Read more on my forum at ABestWeb.com.

Through my relationship with TextMarks.com, I have started a mobile newsletter for fans of Greg Hoffman Consulting and anyone interested in mobile marketing and I plan to bribe you to join!

Mobile is the future of affiliate marketing in some shape or another. If you aren’t interested in text alerts because of your limited phone plan, I understand but if you already text your friends regularly, look at this type of alert as opt-in only, non-intrusive and used sparingly. The GHC Mobile newsletter will consist of 160-character updates on new clients and new deals to affiliates in my managed programs. I will no longer be building an email list and sending out a monthly html newsletter.

Today, I rolled out mobile marketing campaigns for my clients. They will be using the service to communicate their own messages to customers that opt-in to their group alerts. These campaigns will not be affiliate specific but it will compliment their ongoing internet marketing efforts. I’m happy to bring this value added service to them on behalf of GHC.

Subscribing to a text alert is easy and unsubscribing is even easier. This is an opt-in list only and there are no costs to join, ever. You can text the word akagorilla to 41411, you can click here or you enter your number in the widget below:

Did I mention there would be prizes? Oh yeah! Every 4-6 weeks, I will announce a new prize for anyone subscribed to my mobile alerts. Prizes will most likely be from my managed clients, such as Flirty Aprons, PokenZoo or Nanodots.

Next winner will receive two prizes:

1. I will manage a text alert just for your company. Let’s test mobile marketing together. One keyword, no ads with nearly unlimited texts per month.

2. A very rare Poken, the Blue Gorilla. How cool is it to win the blue gorilla poken from the Marketing Gorilla?

I admit I was never consistent and didn’t have award winning content but I’ve always wanted to deliver useful information. The traffic has gone up and down over the years but now that I have a dedicated audience of affiliates the content is improving and traffic is up. I’d like to highlight the top 10 posts on both the old version in blogger and the new version here on WordPress. These are my favorite posts over the last five years because they either generated the most conversation or they just made me happy:

10. Why Attend Affiliate Summit?

9. A breakthrough for Greg Hoffman Consulting

8. My brand of affiliate management

7. Cigar Blog press release

6. Certified Affiliate Manager

5. When Gregg Hoffman died

4. A happy moment

3. Meeting my new love

2. My gorilla tattoo

1. Resume taped to the box of donuts trick

I hope you enjoy the posts and I promise to keep improving the content. Meeting other bloggers and attending some of the sessions on blogging really motivated me at Affiliate Summit West. Please feel free to comment.

So, we launched quietly over the weekend. Same offer, same banners and coupons but I’m hoping to meet a whole new set of affiliates.

Join FlirtyAprons.com on Pepperjam Network.

On another note, my apron came in last week and I promised someone a picture of me in it. So here it is. The Marketing Gorilla in an apron from Flirty Aprons.com.

In July, I went to my local eye doctor for an exam and I was planning on buying contacts and glasses. But the glasses they had were just too much money to even bother. My old pair of glasses were cracked, scratched and the prescription was outdated so I never wore them anyway. But here comes 39DollarGlasses.com to the rescue. I was helping PMG with the 39DollarGlasses affiliate account and the merchant was kind enough to send me a free pair of eyeglasses. I sent them my prescription but first I had to measure the distance between my pupils because the local doctor left this off the prescription, just in case I decided not to buy from them. Thankfully, 39DollarGlasses has an easy to use chart on how to do this on their site.

The glasses showed up several days later and I wear them about half the time now, which I haven’t done consistently in about 10 years. The glasses are comfortable and sleek. It’s nice to have them as a back up to my contacts.

Anyway, I highly recommend buying your next pair of eyeglasses or sunglasses from 39DollarGlasses.com.