If you've been following us for a while, you'll notice that the name of this site has changed. What's behind this new name and the re-branding? What will be new, what will be the same, going forward?
Read on to find out...
More...
Too Much to Do, Too Little Time
Since its inception, this website has gone through many phases. It started out as a review website, then turned into more of a personal blog where I wrote about my own experiences and experimentation with business building.
There was a phase where I wrote a lot about SEO and reviewed SEO tools. Then there was a phase where it was all about creating offers, crafting better value propositions and getting the business fundamentals right.
Why all this transformation?
Because this site has never been primarily a business. It's always been a place for me to share my thoughts and findings about whatever I currently was working on in my businesses.
The problem with this becomes clear when you look at the posting frequency on the blog. The more time went on, the scarcer new posts became. That's simply because more and more of my time was occupied with working on my businesses, such as Thrive Themes. The more time these projects took up, the less I got around to posting anything here.
I could easily just abandon this site and move on. But I think there's too much value (and even more potential value) here. It would be a shame to let it wither and die.
Enter ActiveGrowth
ActiveGrowth is the revival of this website and to keep providing you with top-notch information, this website is no longer a one-person operation.
From now on, there will be a team of people working on the site, so it keeps going with or without my direct involvement.
With this new team, we're starting a few experiments, the results of which you'll see here soon. Some of the things we're lining up:
- Return of reviews: my all time most popular posts on the site are in-depth product reviews and comparison reviews. It's still exceedingly rare to find real and detailed reviews in the online marketing space and I want to bring this back as a major component of ActiveGrowth.
- New podcast: we're working on launching a new, highly experimental podcast. We want to see if it's possible to grow an audience by taking a totally different approach from the norm.
This doesn't mean that we're starting all over though...
What Stays the Same?
The tone and purpose of this website will remain. There are a few things that readers have come to expect, such as:
- Brutal honesty in product reviews. Even if we spend a lot of money on a review and everything we test is crap, we'll simply tell you exactly that and take the loss.
- Anti click-bait: a lot of the content here isn't of the audience pleasing type. We write about complicated things, advanced things and "unsexy" but important things that help you actually grow your business.
- No coddling: here, you get a direct, face-to-face view of marketing and online business strategy. We don't speak to you from a high horse or patronize you with overly simplified content.
About This New Podcast...
As mentioned above, we're working on a new ActiveGrowth podcast.
This will not just be any marketing podcast. Our goal is to do something entirely different. If you listen to marketing podcasts, I'm sure you'll agree that many of them are almost indistinguishably similar. There's something of an established formula for how to do a podcast.
In that sense, what we're making is the anti-podcast. The one that really stands out.
One of the ways to do this requires your help.
We do not want this podcast to be a monologue but a dialogue and that's where you come in.
If you're on board with this idea, you can help us out by hopping on a short 15 min call with me or one of the team members to talk about your business, your struggles, your big and small wins, etc. And by participating you might even get featured on a future podcast episode!
Simply fill out the form below and we'll be in touch.
We'd Love to Hear From You
How do you feel about this re branding? What is your favorite content? Let us know in the comments below!
P.S.: If you're here as this is published, you'll notice that we don't even have a logo for ActiveGrowth yet. And neither do we have a new site design. This is deliberate.
Why?
Because logos and site redesigns are nice, but they aren't what matters most. And when we talk about the importance of launching soon and starting a feedback loop, we mean it.
Nice move, Shane! I love the new name. I wish you lot’s of success for 2017.
Thank you, Angel!
Hi Shane,
I’m excited to see the new content and I hope the podcast can bring us useful information to put in practice. I’m tired to listen just magical theories and successful stories that are far from the real world. I like your products and I always purchase them just because they work in real life, the same is true about your blog posts.
Thanks for your input on podcasts, Claudemir. I have the same experience. Many of them are fun to listen to, but they don’t seem very useful, in the end.
Great stuff!! Excited about the new platform and the new Podcast. Also filled out the form, would love to hop on a call some time to talk about online business and provide you with some ideas for your podcast!
Thank you, Michiel!
Hi Shane,
so funny… I just visited your blog 10 minutes ago and was wondering why I missed the name change of it :)
Anyway, I love your work and looking forward to the upcoming reviews and the interaction with you here!
I’m a longtime fan and customer of you. A few years ago I bought Focus&Action which was one of the best things I did in my life. Unfortunately I don’t have access to it anymore, because you changed the site. I really would like to have access to the videos again. Do you have a download link to it? Of is there a support contact who can help me with that? I already wrote 5 emails to you and you support mail addresses.
Thank you!
Thomas
Hi Thomas,
Thank you for your comment! That’s very encouraging to hear, about focus&action. Sorry that the stuff isn’t accessible online anymore. The site and membership thing were so outdated that it stopped working at some point. I’ll check to see if I can share the content with you, somehow.
Hi Shane, I’m loving the new direction and name! I’ll be keeping a close eye on this and will incorporate participation in it myself in my 2017 plans.
Thanks for doing what you do!
Thanks for your comment, Bill! Glad to have you on our side. :)
Shane, happy to hear you’re keeping this going! Your reviews and info shared has always been helpful. Look forward to the continued honest reviews and marketing tips you share!
Keep up the great work!
Thank you, Mike! A new review is coming very soon and I can’t wait to share it with everyone. :)
hey Shane,
Glad to have you back from the wilds and thanks for the inspiration!
Like you, I am also in the process of re-branding my site and blog, all of which is a w.i.p atm, but I’m definitely in tandem with your thoughts and approach as you’ll see when I publish my site which should be quite soon. I’ll also be pleased to link with you…..
Thanks, Richard! I hope your rebrand and relaunch will go well!
H! Shane its just been a week or so since i subscribed to your blog & i am your FAN ! why i didnt find your blog before where were you ? non the less finally i got some genuine marketer to follow & learn from ! its like my 2017 new year gift ! i have gone through few post and i didnt feel overwhelmed or boring but insted i can focus while reading or listening to your work. Also to let you know that i always wait for your email & found your emails are dropping into promotion tab on my gmail. but i always check all the tabs :) ! once again thank you for all the help and effort you are putting to help other people ! i am willing to participate or any work you have for me to support this blog.
reg
sandy
Thank you very much for your support, Sandy! I’m very happy to know that you’ve already found good value here and we’ll be working hard to ramp up the value even further. :)
Hi Shane, Awesome news. Must admit wondered how you could possibly do so much – makes sense having a Team & looking forward to our the new site evolves.
Thanks, Alison!
Thankfully, I’m far past the stage of doing all the work myself. These days, it’s all a team effort that just happens to have my face on it in many cases. :D
Happy New Year, Shane! A big fan of your BRAIN here. I’m excited about this new direction, and I’m looking forward to learning from you and then team.
Thank you, Esta!
Hi Shane, I’m a huge fan of you, IMImpact blog and all Thrive products.
In fact, my marketing4nerds.com blog is inspires on you, using the same theme and the same brutal honesty we can feel in everything you guys do.
Thanks for being always inovating and helping your audience to improve their business.
So, congratulations about ActiveGrowth. You deserve and will get more and more success!
Thank you for your comment, Serge!
Your writing on the IM Impact site has always delivered intelligent and clear thought on various business topics. Your same high quality of content is delivered on the Thrive Themes site but IM Impact (now Active Growth) covers topics that are outside the scope of Thrive Themes. I’m excited to hear about the new podcast. You’ll broaden your reach to more people who can benefit from hearing your thoughts and experiences. I will definitely be reading, watching, and listening.
Thank you, Randal! That’s exactly my thinking as well: the scope of what we can cover here on ActiveGrowth is different from what we can/should do over at Thrive Themes. That’s one of the reasons it’s worth reviving this site, I believe.
Hi Shane,
Good and excellent news in 2017,
I knew your blog through ThriveThemes, I have learned a lot from your tutorials.
I felt like I was sitting across from a friend that was showing me what to do every step of the way! From a total beginner to someone who feels really comfortable using WordPress to manage my blog.
Honestly, I’m not a fan of Podcasts. English is my second language, sometimes I find it difficult to understand. But it’s a problem of mine.
Your Podcasts will be perhaps the best I’ve heard so far.
I look forward to the news about the new product.
I would like to learn how to create Podcasts, maybe I learn how to like it.
The biggest successes for the re-launching of your blog.
Hello Ana,
Thank you very much for your comment. Especially the part about sitting across from a friend means a lot to me, because that’s always been the tone I want to use. I don’t like the kind of thing where the “guru” is talking down to his students, so it’s great to know you didn’t get a vibe like that from me.
So happy to see this website back in action. Shane, you have always been one of my favorite follows – straightforward, no bs advice, from your own experience. Nothing beats it. Thanks for reviving this website. Excited to read everything you and your team post.
Thank you very much, Mark!
Hi Shane, Good to see the return of IM Impact. Your posts were extremely informative and good and I had always enjoyed reading them. It was my frequent visit to your blog that led me to buy the imimpact plugin which I am happy I did. Thrive plugins are one of the best that I have ever used.
Looking forward to reading your newer posts.
Cheers!
DK
Thank you for your support, DK!
Shane,
I actually noticed you made the name change a little while ago however glad to see its now official. That being said, I’m looking forward to reading and learning from what you and your team have to share.
Thank you, Matt!
Hi Shane.
Love Thrive Themes and your Imimpact blog.
Your blog inspired me to try and build my first wordpress website.
Highly motivated but with no experience, Thrive Themes and Thrive Content Builder made it easier than I ever thought it might be. Sky’s the limit from this point on.
It’s hard to find someone who can take technical info about websites, themes and associated features like CTAs, Optin Forms and explain them in a way that simple minds like me can understand. :) Your blog does an outstanding job at this.
Wish you continuing success with your blog, new podcast and Thrive Themes.
Best,
Gary
Thank you for your comment, Gary! I’m very happy to know that we’ve managed to make these things accessible to you.
I am interested to see where you take this. I love the rebrand and the fact that you’re expanding to a larger team with more attention to this topic. Looking forward to the new content.
Thank you, Mike! Looking forward to sharing what we’ve been working on. :)
Hi Shane,
Thanks for the update on ActiveGrowth. I’ve been using your products for several years now, and I always read your posts when the links arrive in my inbox.
I hadn’t noticed the lack of posts from you since I get stuff from Hanne at Thrive Themes almost every day. I thought she was taking over the posting activities.
I look forward to seeing new posts from you.
Hi Tim,
Yes, we’ve been very busy on the Thrive Themes blog and we’ll keep that up. Here on ActiveGrowth, we have an opportunity to create more content on different areas and I hope it will become just as useful as the Thrive Themes blog. :)
It’s always fun to see you pivot Shane! Though this is not totally a pivot. Looking forward to see what you come up with for the podcast. What I’ve always appreciated about you, regardless the type of content, is your brutal honesty. Hope your team will be able to continue that! :)
It’s been a pleasure being part of your audience (and a customer). It’s amazing how far you’ve come since the ‘Backlink Battleplan’ days … all the best!
Hey Andy,
Thanks for being along for the ride since early on. It means a lot to me, to have such ongoing support.
Welcome back. We’ve missed you. Writing about the unsexy things that appeal to a small group of happy buyers sounds like a sound marketing strategy to me :)
Haha, yes indeed! Thanks, Sarah!
Hi Shane, your skills is enviable. I will love to be part of this train
Hi Alex,
Thanks! My skills may be enviable now, but I started out being rubbish at everything, just like everyone else. ;)
One of my goals with this site is to help other people make the same transition from clueless to skilled as I made.
Eager to see new info here again; used to follow this site intently.
BTW, Happy New Year!
Thank you, Jesse! Happy New Year!
Great Name, Great Info, Great Products…all at a very fair and affordable price level. You always over deliver. I consider my yearly membership on Thrive as one of the best values on the net. Your a one of the real deal, no hype, guys on the net. You make up for a lot of “gurus” who are anything but.
Congratulations and Happy New Year
Thank you very much, James!
Sounds great Shane! I like brutal honesty :)
Thank you, Tomas!
A new podcast format with not too much whistles and bells just keeping things super simple and diving to the essence. Can’t wait to hear honest reviews and learn people’s experiences and insights on your ‘new’ show while being on the road !
Thank you, Johan!
Super, Shane! Excited about the new path!
Thanks, Martin!
Good luck Shane. Not that you need it as I am sure it will be just as awesome and helpful as Thrive.
Cheers,
Mary
That’s what we’re hoping to accomplish, yes. Thanks for your support, Mary!
There are many “mentors” out there in cyberspace…too many. If you are fortunate to find one who really cares about you AND knows his stuff AND shares everything with passion then grab on for the ride and don’t let go. I love learning with your team and look forward to ActiveGrowth innovations and “no fluff” information. Thank you for what you do. God bless you.
Thank you very much for your kind words, Harold!
Hi Shane, you have made working online fun for me. I have tried to get your private attention through email but to no avail. I want to invest into most of your recommendation this year. I need your one on one before I start. there are some key areas I will need your professional advice
Hello Alex,
I’m personally quite unavailable these days, just because of the sheer amount of messages I get. I don’t offer 1:1 coaching, but I want to highly encourage you to go ahead with your plans. You may think that you need my advice, but if you jump in, you’ll find that you’re more capable than you thought.
Hi Shane, I started back with you when you were “im impact.” Since then, you have changed to Thrive Themes. I am not sure if I was supposed to switch over to the new platform. My website has been stagnate for awhile, however, my goal for 2017 is to get direction from reputable people or a person, such as yourself to move forward. Since the internet is constantly changing, I need new insight on how to grow my business. All the information you provide is top notch. Even though I have been on hiatus with my website, I still have been following you (your posts and videos). Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Hi Carol,
I hope that we can give you all the information you need, both on Thrive Themes and hear, to help you achieve your goals.
Great SHANE. We always learn a lot from you. I appreciate your style of delivery and how you are constantly reexamining what your company delivers. Well done I need to figure out how to learn better from you. Collin
Hi Shane,
Have been following you since IMImpact and SECockpit days.
Glad that you are a busy man with less time to spare!
Thrive Themes is a great theme with all its tools. I am still learning all of them one by one.
All the best!
I am glad you are back to working on this blog. I have always love this site. Can’t wait to see the new work put into the site.
Thank you, John!
Shane,
Thanks for your work. Thrive Themes are awesome!