Hello my friends. It has been some time since I've been able to share some buzz with you. I have some very exciting things going on right now, so I wanted to give you a quick update and let you know what I've been up to.

Personal Reflection

I had an amazing vacation, as you might know from reading my last post more than two weeks ago. The time off really gave me an opportunity to reflect upon my career and my dreams for the future. I love blogging, social media, and networking with people online. For the past year or so, I have been enjoying these online activities while maintaining a full job as a software developer. In April, I even started another blog, BuzzPirates.com, which has had tremendous success so far. But it has been a lot of work. I don't know how I've done it, but so far I've been able to run two blogs, stay active on a number of social media sites (I'm still addicted to Digg), network with people online, and help my friends with technical matters - all while working full time developing custom software. Upon my reflection, I realized that with a baby on the way, it will not possible to maintain this frantic pace. Something has to change. I can either give up blogging or give up working.

Making a Choice

I am a firm believer that if you follow your dreams, you can make anything happen. So instead of taking the conservative path of stability by slaving away working for The Man, I have decided to walk away from my job and focus my skills and attention toward earning a living online. This is a big step, but I can make it happen. It won't be an overnight change, but I have a plan that I will be implementing over the next few months. I hope to have it fully in place by the time Buzz Jr. is born, but I can really use some help from all of you.

Stop Earning Money and Start Earning a Living

We've talked about earning money quit a bit here at BuzzMyBlog. Now I need to take it to a whole new level and focus on earning a living. The best way to do that is to capitalize on your talents and make use of your best skills. For some people it may be graphic design or writing. Other people are natural sales men or women who have a knack for Internet Marketing. As for me, well...I am a damn good software engineer. Internet Marking is fun and all, but I'd be foolish not to utilize the multiple degrees I have earned in Computer Science and Computer Engineering from some of the best universities in the U.S. So if I could somehow combine my development expertise with my love of blogging and social media, I'd be a very happy camper...

The Plan To Personal Independence

So my plan is to become an Independent Software Developer. I am in the process of lining up a few gigs that will allow me to develop software for clients a few days a week and will bring in enough money to support my family. The remaining days of the week, I can focus on my blogs and social media software projects of my own. I have some very exciting ideas and believe that eventually, I can do less software work for clients and earn more from my own online endeavors.

Cha-Cha-Changes

So over the next few weeks, you might notice a few changes here at BuzzMyBlog. Don't worry, its not going away. This blog is still my baby and you can count on finding good information and advice here for a long time to come. However, I will also be using it as a tool to promote myself and my services. I have met some wonderful people here at BuzzMyBlog and I hope to continue to get to know many more of you. I will continue to write articles and share some of my online experiences with you. But in addition, I hope that some of you can also become clients or might know someone who has a special need for custom software. So in the weeks and months to come, you might see some new features here outlining my development skills and my professional experience. I will still post regularly, but during this transition, my posts may be a little less frequent.

I Need Your Help

As I make this big move, I will be relying quite a bit on my friends and the people that I network with. I hope that you can become one of them. Here is what I need your help with.

• If you need help with ANYTHING, let me know. I will continue to respond to emails and am happy answer questions. But if you have a technical emergency or a simple need that you'd rather bang out for $20 bucks or so, then I am your man. Whether its a quick banner design or some help getting your new WordPress blog working properly, I am teaming up with my friend GrandmasterB to offer technical support services. Not everything will be $20, but we'll give you a fair and reasonable price on anything you need help with.
• If you need custom software, whether its an AJAX web application, a desktop utility, or even an mobile app, then let me know. I have been developing software for more than 12 years for organizations like Honeywell International, Prudential Financial, the U.S. Navy, even NASA. I will be happy to work with you do understand your need and negotiate an accommodating hourly rate. I will also be happy to pay a referral fee to anyone who is able to send clients my way.
• If you have an idea for the next great social media application, blogging tool, or any other software that can be sold online, let me know. I am happy to discuss potential partnership opportunities. If you've got an idea, I can make it a reality, and we both can make a lot of money.
• Finally, I will be making some changes to BuzzPirates.com to offer more online advertising. If you have a desire to advertise on an entertainment blog that gets between 50,000 and 70,000 unique visitors a month, please let me now.

Its going to be an exciting couple months. I thank you all for your continued support and assistance. Its going to be busy, but in the long run, this is the best move for me and my family. Feel free to contact me anytime to chat about anything. My Google Talk user name is jeffbuzz13. And, of course, you can always find me on Digg.

Wish me luck!

Jeff