About Shawna Newman

shawna newman

I’ve been living my best “daytime pajamas” life while scaling websites and doing SEO full-time since April 18, 2009 (my first day of cubicle freedom, though technically it was a Saturday – but that still counts, right?) and have seen my income go from nothing to five figures a month.

When I first got started, the SEO & websites was a hobby while freelance writing paid the bills.

From there I created downloadable digital products, KDP books, and niche websites. I scaled and flipped those online assets.

I dabbled in local newsletters and other online things.

These days I run the best Reddit marketing agency and a small local SEO agency. And for fun I grow directory sites, Pinterest sites, and more.

I get asked a lot how I got into doing this for a living.

Here’s the quick read of that boring history lesson:

  • While finishing up my MBA in 2007, got into making money online with Made For Adsense (MFA) sites (hello, famous Shoemoney check!) + PayPerPost + freelance writing (my undergrad is in English & Journalism)
  • Lost my job in Los Angeles in 2008 when the recession hit = decided to focus on freelance writing + sites and not go back to a cubicle, cause fuck that
  • Earned almost $2K in one week in 2008, took a sweet vacation to Steamboat Springs and never looked back

I’m not a guru. I’m just tired of hearing how there are no women in SEO or Internet Marketing. There’s plenty of us and we make bank just like the guys.

I’m always testing weird shit online. Lately it’s random things that get you cited in LLMs.

Wanna get to know me better? Here’s some fun facts about me …

I watch a LOT of cartoons, so lots of Adventure Time. LSP is my favorite character, followed closely by BMO. And lately I’ve been watching a lot of Big City Greens (Tilly is my spirit animal), Molang, and Bob’s Burgers (I am so a Louise, lol).

via GIPHY

I’m also super into board games, with Splendor being my current favorite thing to play.

I drink a LOT of coffee. Tony’s Coffee out of Bellingham, WA is my go-to brand when I’m in the USA. This is currently my favorite beans they sell.

I was living in Amsterdam when the pandemic hit.

And I guess that’s about it.

14 thoughts on “About Shawna Newman”

  1. So happy to have come across you Shawa. I just bought your course and am going through it now – you are definitely a rarity. Your honesty and no bullshit teaching is awesome. I started and stopped a niche site because I became overwhelmed – but you have inspired me to begin again – I too want out of the 9-5 so I am going to follow your teaching to the ‘t’ 🙂

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  2. Good to read about your background, Shawna. So much of your journey resonated here, from the travelling to the knocking web design work on the head to the affiliate journey. From an ex-journalist and ex-Steamboat ski bum!

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    • Ah, I love Steamboat so much! Though I’m a sucker for most cute mountain towns in Colorado. Happy to have you around, Steve 🙂

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  3. This is awesome. Congratulations on living the life. One a separate now, would the dynamics of the beginners course be focused on only affiliate sites or are they the same across board for sites like ecommerce. I own a brand ecom store and was wondering if the course might help.

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    • I don’t have much experience with ecomm sites, and the course is more focused on doing affiliate/content sites. Sorry I can’t be of more help!

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  5. Bellingham? wat wat. Can I contact you when I go up there next to discuss SEO 🙂

    Subbed to your emails. Similar to how I write and approach seo and ranking.
    Though I am trying to get more links too

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  6. Hi Shawna–I saw you interviewed on Doug Cunnington show, and it made me psyched to see a woman (for a change) rocking it in this space. Your tips are golden, so I hit rewind several times to take notes. Glad to learn here that you teach a course, I’ll check out that link next. Keep rocking it lady!

    Reply

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