As we are nearing the end of another month, I have to say that this year’s “March madness” was especially exciting. For all of you basketball fans, you know that the term “March madness” refers to the craze, excitement, and unpredictability of the NCAA tournament–even though all the number one seed teams might actually make it to the Final Four this year!

For everyone else who is in this industry, you understand that the month of March is crazy because it is that 31 days post Affiliate Summit in Vegas and pre Ad Tech San Francisco when goals are high and productivity is vital. Being a start-up company, we are all very conscious of setting monthly goals and making sure that we adhere to them. Fighting to hit these goals each month keeps things extremely exciting, especially in these last few days of each month.

Throughout the month, you will surely hear a lot of “MTD” talk around our office. Whether it’s calculating Affiliate revenues or tracking offer volume, the month-to-date numbers and stats are what keeps us on our toes and very tuned in to what needs to be done so that we are able to end the month with no regrets as well as enter the next month with high confidence levels.

Our AKMG team grows stronger and more conditioned with each passing month, and it is always crazy to look back at previous months and see how far we have come in such a short time. While the inevitable month-to-date madness can be stressful at times, it is the hurdles that challenge us to come up with new plays and procedures, which in turn help us reach a higher level of success each month. It has been a great season so far for AKMG, and I look forward to the craze, excitement, and unpredictability that is yet to come.

AKMG has been around for over 5 months now and I can’t even begin to explain how far we’ve come in a few short months. Last fall feels like a lifetime ago, literally. I remember in the early days when I was having to call people and try to convince that it was a good idea to work with us. Now I’m getting calls from advertisers & agencies saying that they’ve heard good things about AKMG and are anxious to start working with us. Wow, what a shift in such a short period of time. Thank God for the shift! Otherwise my day-to-day life wouldn’t be very much fun.

In an industry where everyone is intertwined and connected, it’s crucial that you establish a reputation for yourself and your company. Otherwise you have nothing because everyone talks and everyone knows each other. This topic came up just a few nights ago at dinner with a few industry colleagues. Some of us were meeting for the first time and we immediately knew at least 10 people in common within the first few minutes of the conversation. We all agreed that reputation always precedes the person and the company they are representing so it’s important to stay true to what you say you’ll do and not burn any bridges along the way.

So that’s my two cents this week…trying to finish up for the week since it’s Winter Music Conference here in Miami. One of the best weeks of the year here!

I found myself doing a lot of philosophizing this week (yep that’s a real world…check it). I’m not sure if it’s due to the fact that I am trying to take more lunch breaks or that I started taking the stairs to floor 9 of the parking garage every day after work; either way, in all this newfound free time, I’ve been thinking about what really seems to matter at the end of each day.

By this I mean, what is the difference between those days when you can log-off AIM, shut down your computer, and walk out the door feeling content, and those days when you go home grumpy and unsatisfied–ahh the roller coaster of working full-time, eh?

Isn’t it funny how much easier it is to gain clarity when you’re at those peaks–at the top of the roller coaster if you will–then when you’re caught in the twists, turns, and loops. It seems to me that it’s in those high-times that you feel less pressure, less stress, and much more confidence, and thus you are able to step back and examine your day-to-day craze…and suddenly the clutter becomes decipherable.

I think that at the end of the day, what enables you to leave the office feeling accomplished and satisfied, is knowing that you truly put forth more than your best effort that day in all aspects of your job, and that you were able to make progress from it. You will never be able to control the shit storms in our industry–IP issues, data centers going down, a promising offer completely flopping, etc.–but what you can control is your attitude.

At the risk of sounding like my dad (”Go to your room and change your attitude, Michelle”), if you are able to keep a positive attitude throughout the day and stay focused at the task at hand, then you will self create the energy needed to give more than 100% each day. And at the risk of sounding like my Lacrosse Coach in college (”If you’re not giving 100%–at the BARE MINIMUM–then what’s the point of getting out of bed in the morning, let alone getting on the field”), I guarantee that if you are giving 100% each day, at the bare minimum, then you will not find yourself going home unhappy or dissatisfied at the end of the day…which has really been good for me, because climbing nine flights of stairs is not exactly a mood lifter…

I get this question all the time and YES it is possible to live and work with South Beach. Just like anything, if you have access to whatever you want 24/7, there is no major urgency to be out and about all day, every day. Don’t get me wrong, I love being out and about in South Beach but I save it mainly for the weekends when I take my mini-vacations. That’s the best part actually about living in Miami Beach. Every weekend, you get to escape reality and go on vacation…drinks at the Sagamore, long brunches at La Piaggia, mimosa’s at Segafredo, chilling by the pool bayside looking out onto the beautiful bay, relaxing on the 3rd Street beach, etc, etc. Really there is whatever you want here and that’s what makes Miami so unique. Unlike any other place in the U.S. for sure.

An average work day, South Beach really isn’t unlike any other city except for the slight torture of having a bay view and being able to see everyone having fun on the boats and jet skis (ugh). Other than that, it’s pretty normal. I start the morning with the customary trip to Starbucks followed by checking emails & voicemails and catching up before our West Coast office opens up. Then it’s normal day like any other in our industry…pure hectic-ness until I finally sign off of AIM late into the night (Eastern Time).

I suggest anyone reading this to come and visit the AKMG South Beach office but be sure to stay through the weekend to experience the true essence of Miami life!

P.S. Yes, that’s the view from the AKMG South Beach office!

I know this statement seems like common sense and not really all that interesting but it is the basis of our business. I realize this more and more as every day passes. I like the fact that I have a close enough relationship with my some of my top advertisers that we text each other about business at any time of the day, any day of the week…including weekends. I prefer having more information than less, so I like these updates via text so that I know what’s going on and then don’t have to worry or think about it anymore. These relationships were built over time based on a few factors - gaining trust by doing what we say we will do, by sending the type of traffic that we say we’ll send, by looking out for their best interests and by responding to their requests quickly and in general just being easy to work with.

To further prove my point, I’d like to share a story from earlier in the week. I was having a conversation with one of my favorite advertisers and he gave AKMG some very high praise that I’d like to share. He has the ability to create offers and come up with new offer ideas all the time and he said that AKMG is one of the first networks that he thinks about to run his offers. He said that because he trusts us and enjoys working with us, he’d just rather have us his run the majority of stuff to make his life easier. Obviously I was very happy to hear that. More than that, I couldn’t agree with the underlying concept of his thought process - let’s keep things simple, work with the people we trust & like and make money! It’s not rocket science” so why complicate it!

Ok, back to work to focus on further building my current relationships, finding new ones to build and to respond quickly to my advertisers!

I often think about the difference between an executive who runs a great company and the one who runs a truly phenomenal one. Are these individuals so different? Do great achieving executives have a better upbringing or attend a higher quality school than low achieving execs? Are they more connected in the workplace, or does this individual just want it more….

I recall many years ago hearing a quote from a young kid fresh out of USC. Jared Pobre, now President of Ideal Exposure, said to me..”Successful people do what unsuccessful people DON’T do.” It’s a simple enough statement…not difficult to remember or recite, but I think about its meaning often and try to abide by those words on a daily basis.

Are you truly committed to the success of your company? Are you willing to sacrifice personal time with friends and family to ensure its success? Are you willing to do whatever is legally necessary to make sure it is not only successful but the leader in its field? If you answer an enthusiastic YES to those questions, I commend you. Few people are willing to make that sort of sacrifice for the betterment of their business. This, in my opinion, is what separates the good companies from the phenomenal ones.

I’m so fortunate that AKMG has a team that understands this philosophy. They bring 110% every day, to make this new, small company the leader in our field. We know the ad network space is crowded with formidable competitors, but we also know that we are successful people and are willing put in the extra effort to make this company a phenomenal one. It occasionally humbles me to see the work ethic and enthusiasm our team brings to the office each day. I thank each of you for that….

So, be SUCCESSFUL in your life. Put in that extra effort and do whatever is necessary to achieve greatness.

“Seriously Michelle, half the battle of being a successful Affiliate Manager is to be available to people in all methods of communication: phone, email, via text message, AIM, Yahoo, Skype…you get the idea…”

These very wise words came from our very wise CEO, before AKMG was even born, and I was getting the 60-second shpiel on Affiliate Marketing, Ad Networks, how to be a good Affiliate Manager–OK, maybe it was more like 70 seconds.

Bottom line is, with each waking day in this industry, I realize how true this statement really is. Yes Steven, as much as it pains me to admit, you were right…again.

It is so important to truly understand the power of communication and how to successfully execute the art of always being available, yet not completely enslaving yourself. Don’t get me wrong, I am still far from mastering this skill, but I do find myself getting the hang of it more and more every day.

Just like with my family and friends, I want my Affiliates to be able to get ahold of me at anytime and more importantly, trust that I will be there. After all, it is impossible for a relationship to progress without a solid line of communication. Sure you can meet new people and establish relationships all day long, but what takes that initial connection and turns it into a productive and progressive relationship is that line of communication (through whatever channel that may be) and having both the Affiliate and Affiliate Manager be able to rely on that line of communication.

It is all too easy to shy away from this constant communication-to ignore the AIM’s, to delete the emails, to screen the calls-but at the end of the day, if you are not constantly working to build and strengthen your line of communication with clients, then you are not progressing…and if you are not progressing, then you are standing still…and if you are standing still even for a second in this industry, then prepare to be passed on by.

So do yourself (and of course me) a favor and don’t underestimate the power of communication on a day to day basis. After all, it’s the day to day that gets you from the year to year, and in a year, I hope to be able to say that I have made great progress with all of you–both in revenue and in our relationship.

That quote came directly from our CEO Steven Patton on the Affiliate Summit exhibit hall floor…I about fell over when he said it! But the more you think about it, the more sense it makes. There are a lot of companies that do we what we do and it really comes down to who you like and have a good relationship with. Kim White our EVP and Co-Founder has always said that in this industry people stick with each other and not the company. So when someone leaves a company, relationships follow the person and that is so true. In the 5+ months that AKMG has been around, I’ve already followed a bunch of people to different companies simply because I like working with them.

It’s a hectic industry and I prefer to dedicate my time to people who are pleasant to work with, do what they say they’re going to do and are reliable. No need to add extra stress by dealing with people who are all over the place…and we’ve all worked with people like that…it’s so NOT fun. We’re all here to make money and have fun, right?!

Here are some other businesses that AKMG is in:

The “Good Vibe” Business
The “For Profit” Business
The “Cool Skate Deck” Business
The “Affiliate Marriage Proposal” Business

We try to stay away from these businesses:

The “Non Profit” Business
The “I Forget to Pay My Invoice” Business
The “Thanks for the Great Traffic, But I Don’t Feel Like Paying” Business
The “Net 5 Means Net 45″ Business

Ok back to good vibes and FOR-PROFIT…have a great rest of the week