Dividend Mantra

Helping you be a wise investor, smart spender, and frugal saver.

Three Years, 440 Posts, 12,494 Comments And 2 Million Pageviews

By 69 Comments

Just yesterday, Dividend Mantra crossed the 2 million pageview mark!

I wanted to write this post to thank everyone who has stopped by this blog over the last three years and made it what it is – a fantastic community of freedom fighters, dividend growth investors, fans of capitalism, early retiree hopefuls and independent thinkers.

I really do appreciate it, and I thank each and everyone of you. I hope to continue writing and inspiring for years to come. This blog turns three years old in about five weeks, and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate that upcoming milestone than to acknowledge you awesome readers. I’ve learned a lot along the way, and I’m a better investor and writer because of you. I’m coming up on 450 posts, and I’m just as excited to write now as I was when I wrote my first post back in March 2011. My fire has never burned brighter.

I’ve got so many exciting topics that I want to cover, and I feel like 2014 is going to be the year that I kick my journey to financial independence into high gear. I know there are many investors out there that have been stopping by and commenting since this blog’s inception, and I see that many of you have a six-figure portfolio just like I do with thousands of dollars in completely passive dividend income rolling in yearly. Still others are just now starting to stop by after finding my blog because they’re starting their own journey to early retirement or financial independence. Either way, I’m excited to follow your progress and I hope to be a source of motivation, education and entertainment along the way.

I can only ask you readers to please continue to follow my journey. I’m not selling anything here but hope and inspiration, and I plan to keep providing both for as long as you all want to continue consuming it.

The next milestone is 3 million pageviews, and I hope to reach it even faster than the ~7 months it took to go from 1 million to 2.

Again, thank you. I’m always available for conversation through email and I try to respond to every single one. I’m also open to comments and/or suggestions, so if there are topics you’d like to see covered please feel free to let me know in the comments or by email.

Thanks for reading.

Photo Credit: Master isolated images/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Comments

  1. Congratulations, Jason! I will continue to stop by on a regular basis. You truly are an inspiration for us all. Thanks for all you do!

    Dave

  3. Congrats Jason! Our of curiosity, what is your average monthly page views? Your blog audience is an inspiration for young upstarts like us. I remember how happy I was when I started averaging 150 unique page views per day (excluding the spammers like vampirestat). Wow, 2 million views and 440 posts! Sleep well my friend, you’ve earned it :o)
    -Bryan

  6. Dave,

    Thanks so much. You readers inspire me just as much, if not more than, I inspire you.

    I appreciate the support. I hope to be still writing a decade from now when I’m on the other side of freedom.

    Best wishes.

  7. DGM,

    Thanks! I remember you stopping by when this blog was still just in its infancy. It was like a baby still learning to walk and talk. Now it’s running.

    Thanks for the support along the way. It’s been great to see our wealth and knowledge grow together. I really enjoy your blog as well, and I always look forward to seeing where you’re putting new capital to work.

    Keep up the great work!

    Best regards.

  9. Bryan,

    This blog should prove that anyone can do it. I’m just a regular guy who works at a car dealership and has a passion for writing and investing. I simply believe in hard work and persistence.

    The blog averages somewhere around 140,000 pageviews per month, according to Google. If I continue at that rate it’ll be another 7 months or so before I see 3 million. I’m looking forward to growing this blog and growing as an investor and writer.

    Thanks for stopping by!

    Take care.

  10. Congratulations Jason, I know that it has been a heck of a last three years, and the next few are going to be even bigger for you. Looking forward to following along on your incredible journey.

  11. DB40,

    Thanks so much. I look forward to many more years to come.

    I hope you continue to write as well, and update us all on your journey to early retirement.

    Best regards!

  12. Divi Me Up,

    I’m glad you find inspiration here. That’s exactly why I write. I try to provide inspiration through action.

    There’s a lot of theory, investment ideas and talk out there. I always wanted to put theory to the test, and show how action every single day could propel one to great heights.

    I look forward to seeing you grow with us!

    Cheers.

  14. Holy shit! That’s awesome man. Keep on fighting the good fight, people will continue relating to your message. You write about dividends, but that’s just a vehicle and not the heart of what you’re doing here.

    I see you bought some OHI. One of my favorite REITs because of its superior operational performance.

    Best wishes!

  15. w2r,

    Thanks a ton. It’s been a great three years for many of us, and I’m just glad to be a part of this great community. There’s many of us aggressively seeking independence, and I think we’re stronger as a group than we could ever be independently.

    I’m looking forward to seeing you catch us up on the progress you’ve had over the last year and continuing that success into the future. 🙂

    Best regards!

  16. CI,

    Thanks, man. You were one of the first regular readers, and I do appreciate that. I remember seeing you switch names and bring your blog online and I was really excited to see your portfolio and watch it grow over the years. As I was commenting just above, I think we’re stronger as a group – as a community – than we could ever be alone. I owe a lot to the support of everyone who stops by, as it has allowed me to grow in more ways than one.

    I’m glad to be a fellow shareholder with you in Omega. I look forward to adding to it as time and capital allow.

    Thanks for stopping by.

    Take care.

  17. It just goes to show that your hard work is paying dividends! Ha! I have learned a lot from your journey and continue to wish you the best luck. I truly believe that you have accomplished your goals because you have told your story to other people. Through your devotion and hard work you will be able to retire early and enjoy life the way you want to.
    In regards to my own blog I appreciate the advice. I have a lot to write about but am currently deciding whether I should continue with my blog or make a website due to the template designs. As of now I am leaving both options open. I wish I could talk about dividend stocks all day but I have a lot of school work to get done unfortunately.
    In other news I bought 31 shares of Realty Income Corp (O) today and can’t wait for all the dividends I will receive from them.
    Once again congrats and I wish you the best.

    Dividend Prodigy

  18. It’s amazing how time flies. I remember when I first stumbled on your blog, it quickly became my favorite after I noticed how real and genuine your posts are. I remember the old blog format you had, sometimes I think about it because it takes me back to the days when I was starting my own journey (back when making several hundred dollars a month in dividend income seemed like a remote possibility). I also think about how in the future, when we are all retired, we can look at these posts with nostalgia and tell ourselves “boy, it’s a good thing we had the guts to follow such a crazy but rewarding path”.

    You’re one of the goodfellas, a representative of a burgeoning community that hopes to reach freedom through dividend stock investing. What we do is totally outside the norm, so you are doing us a great service by establishing a nexus for kindred spirits to come together.

    I don’t have a blog yet, but I may start one in the future. In the mean time, I vicariously enjoy the experience of a successful blog through Dividend Mantra. When I get ready to start my own blog, I’ll ask you for lots of advice.

    Cheers!!

  19. DM,

    Congrats on your amazing journey. I know it is just beginning, but you have so accomplished so much. I am not just talking about your investing success, but your success in connecting with so many and helping us all grow. I have only been following your blog for a few months but your impact on my investment philosophy has been tremendous. Thank you for your tireless effort. As a fellow dealership employee I understand and greatly appreciate your goals for financial freedom. Keep up the outstanding work and l look forward to your future posts!

  21. Congratulations on your anniversary DM! Here’s to many more years of inspiration!

    I can see your financial independence dream becoming much more closer to achieve.

    Good luck in your journey!

    DGI

  22. DM,

    Congrats on the milestone! Your blog was one of the first I read and motivated me to start my own. You have a large and well deserved readership. I look forward to following along on the rest of your journey.

  23. DM,

    I’ve followed you from a number of countries around the world as I’ve traveled for business, obviously most recently from Thailand. I’ll always remember waking up one morning last year and switching on the TV only to see you on Today. Fun times. Like Spoonman, I don’t have a blog so I’m more of a passive member of the DGI community, but I enjoy all the hard work you put into this site. My investing knowledge and dividend portfolio are much better because of it. Thanks for inspiring us to stretch for something more.

  24. DM,
    Way to go! Congratulations! 🙂 Blogging is not easy at all. Providing amazing, informative, and inspirational content on a consistent basis is very rare. You have done it all here at Dividend Mantra. Thank you for the inspiration. I look forward to every post.
    Sincerely,
    Ian

  25. Congratulations and thanks for sharing your story! Keep on. I’m along.
    Good luck and best regards from frosty Finland, Scandinavien
    Kinski

  26. Jason congratulations on your milestone. I love it how you progress against naysayers especially the negative ones. Despite your blog growth you’re still very much in touch with your audience which is a big reason why I read this blog. When you reach your fi number I’ll buy you a beer, or if you ever get to hawaii.

  27. DM,

    Congrats. Also really liked your sale of INTC – which I did as well, but I put that profit into KMI (just could not resist).

    – Gremlin

  28. Congratulation on hitting this milestone! 2 million is really impressive – maybe I’ll get there myself someday. Keep doing what you’ve been doing and we’ll keep on reading!

  32. Hi Jason,
    Congratulations, dividends and pageviews are snowballing 😉
    Your blog is one of my favorite: you are sincere, enthusiast, motivated and it’s the real life with a great transparency on your decisions, I really have pleasure AND interest to read you.
    I follow the same journey as you and when it’s hard, your bolg help me to keep focused.
    Wall Street should hire you ! You make investing in the stock market something simple and rewarding for everyone. I aslo enyoy Early Extreme Retirement and Seeking Alpha.
    You have a bright future, keep going on !
    Eric

  34. Hey Dude!
    And good job!
    Just wandering have you done any research about Unilever Or Kellogg? I did take some look at these on my blog and they look good for my “Finnish Eyes” but how do see these as an American? Is Kellogg still a “big thing” in US or what? And what about Unilever in US? Don’t wanna bother you too much but i was just thinking that they could be good for your portfolio.

    Take care!
    ii

  35. Dividend Prodigy,

    I wish I could just talk dividend stocks all day too! I’d love to life a life like that. I’m hoping that day by day I’m migrating closer to that dream by getting closer to FI and then just being able to blog and write all day. At that point I could just write about investing, freedom, dividends, etc. with no worry. 🙂

    Congrats on the buy. Realty should serve you very well over the long haul. Glad to have you on board!

    Best wishes.

  36. Spoonman,

    It’s been a great journey so far. I read some of my older posts every once in a while and think how glad I was that I started radically changing my life back then. A lot of people questioned what I was doing, but I stuck with it through thick and thin. And it’s been great to have the support of everyone here along the way. That’s definitely made it a lot easier, because it’s tough to find people in my life that actually want to talk freedom, investing and aiming for a different life.

    I do hope you form a blog one day. Perhaps you can mix some travel in there as you guys will probably be on the road by that time. I’d love to read it if you do start one.

    Thanks for the ongoing support!

    Best regards.

  37. Pipeline,

    I’m sure you understand where I’m coming from since you work at a dealership too. Tough work, isn’t it?

    Thanks for the encouragement and support. Everyone in this community is really supportive of one another. It’s great to have each other, too, because people “in the real world” don’t really get what we’re doing. So it’s awesome to have people to lean on and exchange ideas with.

    This blog would be nothing without everyone that stops by and makes it what it is – so thank you! 🙂

    Best of luck on building your own blog as well. I’m looking forward to seeing it grow. It looks like you’re already collecting huge dividends. Keep it up!

    Take care.

  38. Martin,

    Thanks! I’m really fortunate to be where I’m at. Hard work pays off, but I feel like I’ve gotten a lot more out of everything than I’ve put in. I’m really thankful.

    Hope everything is going well with your journey as well!

    Best wishes.

  39. AAI,

    Hey, that’s awesome! I’m really glad you found some inspiration in what I’m doing here. There’s been a lot of dividend investing blogs spring up after mine, and I’m proud of having at least something to do with that.

    Your blog inspires a lot of people as well. I know I enjoy stopping by and seeing you stay so consistent. It’s a lot harder to walk the walk than it is to talk the talk when it comes to the idea of consistently investing in the ups and downs. But the rewards are well worth it, and I think your success is the proof in the pudding. Keep it up!

    Cheers.

  40. Tyler in Thailand,

    It was really surreal seeing myself on television. You know, there’s a funny story with that. I was working the morning that Today Show segment aired, and I had the television in one of our customer lounges tuned to NBC so I could catch it live. And there was this elderly woman in there drinking coffee and watching TV while she waited for her car to be repaired. So when my segment came on I was standing right in front of the TV and I could see in my peripheral vision that this woman kept looking at me, and then back at the TV – figuring out that I’m on Today. Anyway, after the segment ends she looks to me and gives me a $20 bill and says “This is for your freedom fund.”

    I tried to refuse it, but she insisted. She kept telling me that I would put it to good use, and she wished me the best of luck in my journey. I thought that was really sweet.

    Anyway, people make life worth living. It’s really all about the relationships we build. And I really appreciate the relationships I’ve built here at Dividend Mantra. Thank you for following along. I hope to keep writing for years to come!

    I hope you’re still enjoying Thailand. That’s the experience of a lifetime.

    Best wishes.

  41. Ian,

    Thanks! I know that you know how difficult blogging and writing is. You’re doing some great things with your site as well, so congratulations to you on that!

    I couldn’t inspire without an audience, so thank you for being a part of this community and making it that much better. This is all nothing without the people that stop by.

    Stay in touch! Hope all is going well for you as you walk your own path.

    Take care.

  42. Kinski,

    Stay warm there in Finland! We’ve got some pretty cold weather here in the U.S. Even here in sunny Florida it was 45 degrees F and rainy today.

    Thanks for following the journey. I’m aiming to continue inspiring and providing great content for as long as I possibly can. 🙂

    Best wishes.

  43. Charles,

    I hope to be able to visit Hawaii at some point! That would be amazing. You live in paradise, my friend!

    Thank you for the warm wishes. I’ve never let the naysayers bother me. I march to the beat of my own drum because I just happen to really like the tune. 🙂

    Thanks for staying in touch. Best of luck to you on your own continued blogging success and wealth building. I know you’re way ahead of me, so I’m inspired to keep shooting for the stars.

    Best regards.

  44. Gremlin,

    Nice move there! I think that switch was a great move. I think there’s greater certainty in Kinder Morgan’s business, plus you have to like the greater yield and greater income growth. Nice play. 🙂

    Thanks for stopping by!

    Take care.

  45. Matt,

    You’ll get there one day as well. It just takes hard work and persistence. You’ve gotta stick with it and have a long-term vision.

    Congrats to you on starting your own dividend journey. It looks like you’re off to a really nice start already. It looks like we have a couple of holdings in common with GE and JNJ.

    Keep it up!

    Best wishes.

  46. Dividend Mom,

    Thanks! I hope all is going well for you, too.

    I never heard how everything worked out with the vandalism in your rental property. Hope everything turned out okay with that?

    Stay in touch. Best of luck throughout 2014 in growing your portfolio.

    Best regards!

  47. Joe,

    Ha! I’m going to do my best to piss off the naysayers. 🙂

    Inspiration is I aim for here. It’s not easy to live well below your means and invest thousands of dollars every single month, but it’s awesome to know I’m not the only one doing it. There’s many of us out there aiming higher, and I think in that we all gain strength.

    Take care!

  49. Eric74310,

    Thanks for the kind words. I really do appreciate that!

    I’m really glad that this blog serves as a place that like-minded people can get together and discuss investments, financial independence, freedom, dividends, wealth and the idea of a better life. Thanks for the support. This blog wouldn’t exist without readers like you.

    I’m happy to write, and I can only hope that I’m able to keep writing for many years to come!

    Best wishes.

  51. investingIdiot,

    I’ve highlighted Unilever a few times here lately. I think it’s a great company, and I wouldn’t mind investing in it at today’s price. I’ve never really taken a look at Kellogg. I’ll have to take a peek under the hood at some point. 🙂

    Best wishes.

  52. Super duper congrats Jason!

    Thank you for putting yourself and your thoughts out there for three years plus. Investing has also become a hobby of mine during this time and your inspiration has a lot to do with that!

    Cheers my friend!

    Chris

  53. I will continue to drop in for your knowledge and insight, I must confess to withdrawal symptoms while you were not posting over Christmas and New Year.

    As long as you keep posting the quality you have been, I will keep reading.

    I would also love to get one tenth of your page views on my blog

    Thanks
    FI UK

  56. Chris,

    Thanks so much. The support I’ve received here at the blog has been tremendous.

    I’m really glad that my journey has provided you some inspiration. That’s really why I write. I think people have a lot more control over their destiny than they believe, and I’m here to prove it.

    Stay in touch!

    Take care.

  57. FI UK,

    Haha. I’ll try to keep the breaks and withdrawals to a minimum. 🙂

    I appreciate your readership, truly. It’s been a pleasure to write and communicate with everyone who stops by. We’re all changing our lives one dollar saved and invested at a time!

    Cheers.

  58. D-S,

    Thanks so much! I plan on writing for many more years, so I hope you continue to enjoy the content and stay in touch. I hope all is well in Germany!

    Best wishes.

  59. Mark,

    Hey, thanks for stopping by. Hope you’re staying warm up there, my friend. I appreciate the ongoing support.

    I’m just doing my best to catch up with you on the dividend income. 🙂

    Best regards!

  60. Hey Mantra!

    I’m defitely late to this party… Like Mark said, WOW, 2-million page views is awesome. And 1 million page views in 7 months is incredible. That means your raking in 150K page views per month now – great stuff!!

    You’ve done it! You are on the way to the top now. You won’t be working for too much longer anymore…

    Cheers
    Avrom

  61. Avrom,

    Thanks so much. Your support from the beginning has been instrumental. I really appreciate it!

    This blog has grown much more than I ever thought it would. I just hope to continue giving back by writing, inspiring, encouraging, educating and entertaining. Writing will be something I continue to do even after early retirement because I just really enjoy it. Communicating with enthusiastic investors and freedom fighters from all over the globe is a real treat.

    Thanks for all the kind words over the years. And good luck with the webinar! I’ll try to spread the word. 🙂

    Best wishes.

  62. It’s been a truly amazing ride for you in 2013 and I’m sure it’ll be even better going forward. Your jump from 1M to 2M was crazy fast, at least as far as I’m concerned. Just keep on posting because you’ve been the inspiration for a lot of people, including myself.

  63. Pursuit,

    Hey, I appreciate it!

    The jump to 2 million did indeed happen quite quickly. I’m really blessed and lucky to have this amazing readership that appreciates what I’m doing. I didn’t know if anyone at all would be interested in my journey when I first started this. I just knew that when I looked around the internet I couldn’t find anyone out there that was aggressively seeking early retirement/financial independence on a lower income. I mean you had Jacob from ERE, and he did it in 5 years. But he lived very extreme, and also made a pretty decent income. Plus he didn’t chronicle his journey all the way along, but instead just at the end.

    Anyway, thanks for the support and for following along. I really appreciate it! I hope you continue to blog away and grow your wealth. You’re really killing it over there with the savings rate and net worth!

    Best regards.

  64. Not that you would ever consider it, and nor should you, but I bet you didn’t know that your blog might end up being worth more than your portfolio one day… 😉

    LOL you can quit your day job soon. Keep up the good work!

    Cheers

  65. Avrom,

    Hmm, I never even thought about that. I wouldn’t even know how to value a blog? A multiple of yearly ad revenue?

    I guess I should start blogging a little more about blogging, and not just dividend growth investing. 🙂

    I hope you’re right in regards to quitting the day job soon. I am getting burned out faster than I thought I would; however, I don’t know how how much I’d really like to rely on online income. I view the dividend income as infinitely more reliable, so that’s where I’m putting my faith.

    Best regards.

  66. DGI,

    Thanks so much! I really appreciate it. Your support has been wonderful. Your blog was one of the first I found when I first started to investigate investing in dividend growth stocks, so I’ll always fondly remember that.

    You’re also kicking some major ass in regards to your own journey. You’re more than halfway there already. It sounds like we’ll likely claim our financial independence around the same time. I’m looking forward to crossing the finish line sometime shortly after you. 🙂

    Good luck to you, too!

    Best regards.

  67. Yes Mantra, you definitely never want to rely solely on your web income, and the dividend stocks are the foundation – I fully agree. However you have something solid enough now to give you that option.

    Email me when you are ready. I have some suggestions and ideas, for the blogging and income etc.

    Cheers
    Avrom

  69. J. Money,

    Wow! Thanks for stopping by. I feel like a minnow swimming around big fish. 🙂

    Thank you so much for the kind words. I really appreciate it. I’m lucky to have had this type of success so far, and I just hope I can keep writing and inspiring for years to come.

    BTW, I just sent you a quick email as a question. No rush!

    Best wishes.

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