Thanks a million!

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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Over the weekend the My 1-2-3 Cents website hit a milestone. Sunday evening the counter reached 1,000,000. I'm not going to lie, I've been waiting for this moment since I started the My 1-2-3 Cents blog in 2010. Yes, it's been just over seven years and I had hoped growth would happen faster. But I'm grateful none-the-less.

Readers of this blog are the ones to thank for the continued growth. I have a few specific shout outs I'd like to make here though. I consider Jeff Rose my blogging mentor. It was his idea for me to start a pro wrestling blog. In the early years, I had trouble increasing numbers. I got frustrated and there were times I thought about calling it quits. Instead, I tweaked my approach and added "life" and "pop culture" to the tagline.

Along the way, I became friends with Tom Harness at Harness Digital Marketing. He suggested changes in the layout of my blog and gave me ideas on how to get the word out on social media. Then in 2016, I got inspired to start a blogging streak, thanks in part to Gary Vee. I've continued that tradition to this day (between here and my other blog page KevinHunsblogger). 

When I started the KevinHunsblogger page, I decided to return My 1-2-3 Cents to its roots of being a pro wrestling blog. Since March 2017, everything posted here has been wrestling related. I have found in recent months the posts I write about independent wrestling, specifically Stride Pro Wrestling, get the most reads. 

I've had a few guest bloggers through the years too, most notably Chad Smart. We've been friends for more than a decade and have been to nine different WrestleManias through the years. I appreciate his help and the prizes he sends to give out to readers and listeners (the My 1-2-3 Cents podcast started in 2014).

And that brings me to this. Now that the million reader milestone has been reached, I'm going to celebrate with a giveaway. Just head over to the My 1-2-3 Cents Facebook page, like it (if you haven't already) and comment on this post. Thanks, everyone.

Lucky number 7

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Listen to the podcast

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

September 3, 2010, the My 1-2-3 Cents brand was born. At that time, I was just looking to start a wrestling blog and share my opinions and memories about my favorite pass time. Some have questioned the name, My 1-2-3 Cents, so for those who don't know it's a play on the phrase, my two cents. The referee in a wrestling match has to make the three count, so I went with My 1-2-3 Cents.

Each year when I write a post commemorating the anniversary I thank Jeff Rose. He's a friend of mine and the most successful blogger I personally know. He gave me the idea to focus a blog on just wrestling. Of course, through the years this page was tweaked and I added other content to it, but since developing another brand this year, Kevin Hunsblogger, My 1-2-3 Cents has returned to wrestling only content.

Tom Harness & Kevin Hunsperger at a Cape Championship Wrestling show

I'd also like to thank my buddy Tom Harness from Harness Digital Marketing. He's helped with getting the word out about all my products and has given me some solid ideas for growing the My 1-2-3 Cents brand. Look for some new endeavors coming up in 2018. My hope this year is also to reach one million page views. As of this posting, the page sits at just over 957,000. It's been a long time coming but I have no plans on giving up. 

Thank you as well to everyone who reads and shares this blog. It means the world to me to see it reshared on Facebook and Twitter. I even occasionally run into people in public who comment that they've read the blog, watched the YouTube channel or listen to the podcast. 

Your feedback is critical to the development of the My 1-2-3 Cents brand. You can comment on this post or leave an anonymous review here. 

The birthday blog

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
Listen to the podcast

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

September 3, 2010 I launched My 1-2-3 Cents and wrote my first blog here called The Opening Match. I'd been blogging on other platforms for a couple of years, but not with any consistency. I decided to start a wrestling blog at the urging of my friend and blogging guru, Jeff Rose. 

I don't know if I've ever explained the name of the blog. It's a play off the phrase "my two cents". In wrestling a referee counts 1-2-3. In my attempt to be clever I mashed the two ideas together and six years later that's what we have. Most of the things written here are opinion and not "wrestling news." I don't have the time or resources to have a news site.

While wrestling is still the primary focus of this blog, a few years ago I added "pop culture" and "life" to the categories. Stories about my childhood and high school years seem to resinate among readers. Over the last year I've expanded my blogging to go beyond this page and I'm writing blogs for other people now (if you're interested send me an email). Writing has become one of my favorite things to do.

My 1-2-3 Cents has grown over the last six years, not just in readers though. In addition to the blog here, there's a weekly podcast on the Jittery Monkey Podcasting Network that is 100% wrestling related. The YouTube channel is not as robust as it once was, but I am working on some ideas for that. Then there's social media sites like Instagram, Twitter (@my123cents) and Facebook. 

As social media and technology evolve, so do my ideas for My 1-2-3 Cents and blogging in general. Thanks to all of you for the support and stay tuned, new things are on the horizon!

Find your influencers

My influencers: Jeff & Mandy Rose, Emily Eddington & Tom Harness

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
Listen to the podcast

Follow my blog with Bloglovin 

My wife, children and parents are among the biggest influencers in my life. I wouldn't be the man I am today without all six of them. I strive to be a better person every day thanks to their support, understanding and influence. I love them all and know they're value in my life. There are other influencers who have made a huge difference in Kevin Hunsperger, the blogger.

Jeff Rose & Kevin Hunsperger

This blog as you know it wouldn't exist without Jeff Rose. Jeff is a friend who encouraged me to find my blogging niche and suggested I start writing about wrestling. So September 3, 2010 My 1-2-3 Cents was born. I've looked to Jeff and his wife Mandy for insight and advice in the world of blogging. The two of them are the most phenomenal bloggers I know. Mandy's House of Rose blog has a staggering number of readers, covering everything from design, parenting issues and marriage advice. Jeff's Good Financial Cents blog includes valuable information on your financial health. He's studied how to be a great blogger and has shared that information with others. Jeff has an awesome series of video podcasts up on iTunes now. Jeff and Mandy are not just great bloggers, they're wonderful people. Thank you both for your advice through the years.

Kevin Hunsperger & Emily Eddington spreading Christmas cheer

Shortly after I started the My 1-2-3 Cents blog, I added a supplemental YouTube channel. I have my friend and former coworker Emily Eddington to thank for that. She started her Beauty Broadcast channel in the early days of YouTube and has grown it into a much loved and well-respected channel. (She has a blog by the same name too.) Her content is so popular, Emily was asked by YouTube to create more channels. She shares her thoughts on all things beauty related, but also gives viewers a glimpse into her family life (which is growing). Emily encouraged me to get started with the wrestling vlogs six years ago and answered a ton of questions when I was getting started. She's one of the most sincere and kind people I've ever known. What you see on camera is what you get in real life. Thanks "Eddi" for helping me navigate the sometimes confusing ways of blogging and YouTube.

Tom Harness & Kevin Hunsperger being Smurfy on Craftbeericans

My final influencer is my buddy Tom Harness. We met via social media and mutual friends several years ago. Tom leads a team of budding young stars at Harness Digital Marketing and are making a difference here in southern Illinois and beyond. We have even developed a professional relationship as a result. But Tom was an early supporter of My 1-2-3 Cents, once meeting me for lunch and helping revamp the look of this website. He's always there to share, like, retweet and favorite the content I post. We're also working on another joint venture with the Craftbeericans. Stay tuned, we're just getting started there. Tom's friendship and leadership have been invaluable to me.

I am forever grateful to these people not just for being influencers, but for being friends too. I value my relationship with each and thank them all for their support, advice and positive outlook through the years. My wish is that everyone out there finds at least one person to influence them along the way to strive to do better.

Thanks a (Half) Million

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Nearly four years ago I started this blog, as a way to share my opinion on professional wrestling, something I am very passionate about.  I was encouraged by my friend, Jeff Rose, who has a very successful blog called Good Financial Cents.  He and his wife Mandy (House of Rose) are both very well known in the blogging world.  Between their websites and podcasts, I have learned a lot and I think improved this page greatly.

Hit 500K today!  Thank you 

I never thought then, I'd reach this milestone of half a million page views.  Compared to many, this isn't that significant, but through the years I've watched the number of reads consistently grow.  It's a true labor of love and I wouldn't be here without you.  Thanks for reading and sharing. 

Since 2010, just like me, this blog has evolved.  It's not just about wrestling anymore.  The tag line is Wrestling. Pop Culture. Life.  I try to write about all these things on a regular basis.  I do it, because I enjoy writing.  But that's not the only reason.  After hearing countless stories of people turning their hobbies into a profitable blog, I decided to give it a whirl.  While I'm never going to be able to retire from my day job, blogging has provided a little extra income.  

I've had help from friends too.  There are many who have provided posts here, as well as my buddy and Wrestlemania traveling partner Chad.  You've all shared some great tales and I thank you for that.

Readers, thank you again for supporting me over the several years, as I share my opinion and stories about the things I find interesting.  Keep reading and sharing, and don't forget to check me out My 1-2-3 Cents on YouTube too.

Your Thoughts, Your Health

Herman Louw, Jeff Rose, Kevin Hunsperger
2014 Southern Illinois Men's Health Conference

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

I invite everyone to read my blog, but this particular post I'm hoping to reach men around southern Illinois.  Since 2009, I've been the co-chairman of the Southern Illinois Men's Health Conference.  The 2014 event just wrapped up, and I'm striking while the iron is hot for 2015.

Jeff Rose
2014 Conference

I'm appreciative of the 120 plus men who attended the event.  And I can't thank my co-chair Herman Louw (who also blogs), the committee members, and the Women for Health and Wellness board enough for all they do leading up to the conference.  It's a huge undertaking.  Our keynote speaker in 2014 is a friend of mine, Jeff Rose.  He has done just about everything under the sun and has done it successfully.  He's also a blogger, who inspired me to create My 1-2-3 Cents nearly four years ago.

Breakout session
Exercise!

This post is for the guys who didn't attend the conference this year, or those who have NEVER attended the Southern Illinois Men's Health Conference.  I want your feedback.  You don't have to post it here.  Click here to email me.  I want to know what we can do to make the event attractive to you.  I got some interesting comments during the course of the day, but that's from people who were there.  I want to hear from guys who haven't come to the conference.

Please take a few minutes and give me your thoughts.  Thanks!

ATTENTION! Let's Talk About Your Health & Wealth

Blood screenings

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents

In 2008, I was approached by the Women for Health and Wellness, Incorporated here in southern Illinois to help get a Men's Health Conference off the ground.  For years (decades actually) the group had done a Women's Health Conference with great success.  At the time, I was not only anchoring the morning news at WSIL, but I was also the medical reporter.  I jumped at this opportunity, mostly because there's nothing like this for men around here and I felt (still do) that it's a great service to those who attend.  Men's Health Conferences are pretty rare around the country too.

Vision screening

We held that first conference about nine months after the initial meetings.  We are now gearing up for the sixth annual MHC, and I wanted to share with you the importance of annual event.  The cost is $45 and includes blood screenings (be sure to fast 10 to 12 hours prior) for total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL & LDL, blood sugar, and coronary heart disease risk assessment.  Other screenings available at the conference (March 22, 2014) include vision, blood pressure, heart rate, dental, hearing, skin cancer, and foot problems.

Breakfast and lunch are a part of the deal as are a dozen different break out sessions.  Men chose their three favorite and get to attend the 50 minute sessions.  Topics this year include prostate health, heart disease, colon cancer, 401K planning, fishing, and the million dollar knee.  You can see the complete list and descriptions (as well as register) by clicking this link.  

Core training vs. Strength training

It's my hope that men who attend the conference will not only walk away bettering themselves, but helping others in their lives.  Whether it's a father taking the information and improving the lives of his children or a middle aged man sharing the details of a session with his poker buddies, or a retired man explaining the importance of diet, exercise, and quality of sleep to his grandkids, I do believe this conference can change lives.

Jeff Rose
goodfinancialcents.com

Our keynote speaker this year is a personal friend of mine, and I'm honored that he will be a part of this year's conference.  Jeff Rose is a veteran, blogger, author, and Certified Financial Planner.  Fun fact: Jeff is the guy who encouraged me to start writing this blog in the first place.  Anyway, back to the subject, Jeff's keynote over lunch will include more about his successes.  He's accomplished many things through the years, balancing work, family, blogging, and his time in the Army National Guard.  I don't think anyone will be disappointed in hearing Jeff's story and chances are he'll inspire you to do something you may have never considered before.

If you're in the region, come out and take some time to focus on yourself.  There are plenty of awesome prizes this year too, including four box seats to a St. Louis Cardinals game (donated by Dr. William Hays) a complete set of DDP Yoga (donated by DDP Yoga), and two passes to Shawnee Bluffs Canopy Tours (donated by Shawnee Bluffs Canopy Tours in Makanda).  There are plenty of other great prizes too.  

I hope to see you at John A. Logan College on Saturday, March 22 from 7 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.  Call 985-9210 for more details. 

Are You Listening?

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

Like my reading preferences, I tend to listen to a lot of wrestling podcasts.  Since I've revamped my running and am hitting the trail for longer periods of time, listening to a podcast makes the time go by so much quicker.  In my opinion it's better than music.  When I have a chance to drive my wife's car, I can plug in my phone and listen through the radio.  It makes road trips (on my own) so much better.  So here are the shows I listen to, but note, they're not all wrestling related.

Dollars & Roses: Make Money Blogging: The hosts of this podcast are my friends, Jeff and Mandy Rose.  In fact, Jeff is the one responsible for the creation of My 1-2-3 Cents.  As an avid blogger, Jeff encouraged me to try a wrestling blog almost four years ago.  So it's only natural I continue to follow his advice.  Jeff and Mandy know what they're talking about and provide transparency each month with their financial reports.  They've shown time and time again you can be successful at blogging, you just have to work hard at it.

I want this blog to be successful and make money.  I'll be honest, I have made some cash, but nothing near what others are making.  After listening to a couple of their shows over the weekend, I'm going to be tweaking and making some changes to the current page.  My plan is to start making those changes in the next couple of weeks.  Some the ideas are simple, while others are a bit more complex.  But I'm fortunate to have friends like Jeff and Mandy, who are both successful bloggers and now podcasters.  If you've wanted to start your own blog or if you want to improve the one you have, check them out at Dollars & Roses.  Even after Mandy's recent blog about her first wrestling show, I still consider her a friend.

Pro Wrestling Ponderings:  I'll admit, I don't get to listen to the PW Ponderings crew as often as I'd like to.  I met Jerome Cusson, one of the founders of the site, two years ago when he was covering All American Pro Wrestling's Main Event here in southern Illinois.  Jerome and his team work hard covering the very best of independent wrestling.  If you're a fan of wrestling and want to explore what's going on on the indy level, I highly recommend visiting PW Ponderings and checking out the articles.  But listen to the interviews too.  They talk to some of the best and brightest on the local scene and who knows, one day that guest may be the next big thing in the WWE.  Jerome and I also did commentary briefly for Pro Wrestling Collision.

The Art of Wrestling with Colt Cabana:  I don't know this for sure, but I believe Colt Cabana revolutionized the whole podcast concept, especially for the world of wrestling.  For those who don't know him, Colt is an indy wrestler, who spent a brief period of time in the WWE as Scotty Goldman.  He's also CM Punk's best friend, and the WWE Superstar has dropped Colt's name more than once on WWE programming.  Colt's show is great because he talks wrestling and life with his friends in the business.  It gives listeners a chance to hear the voices of many talents they might not normally hear from.  But Colt recently landed a pretty big interview when he talked with WWE Hall of Famer, The Living Legend Bruno Sammartino.

Colt takes a comedic approach most of the time, but the conversation does not just revolve around wrestling.  Listeners get a chance to learn about the men and women Colt is interviewing beyond their love of spandex and baby oil.  The other thing I like about Colt (and I'm going to name drop and tell you I've met him on more than one occasion), is that he's running the show and his marketing, bookings, and merchandise sales all from his studio... apartment. (Listen to the show and that will make more sense)  Check out his website here.

The Steve Austin Show: Unleashed:  If you're a fan of the Rattle Snake's, you really should take the time to listen to Austin's podcast.  His shows drop twice a week, and have included plenty of memorable WWE Hall of Famers and Legends like Ric Flair, Jerry Lawler, Bret Hart, and Jim Cornette.  The stories are great, and many times, Austin will break up the interview into two-one hour shows.  Just like I enjoy hearing about the lives of indy wrestlers and how they're doing, I also love hearing the stories of stars from my childhood recount their time in the business and offer advice for the next generation.

So those are my four picks, those are the podcasts I primarily listen to.  Another show I plan to start listening to is Talk is Jericho with wrestling great, Chris Jericho.  Now that I'm caught up with most of my other shows, I'll start listening.  One of my goals for 2014, is to figure out how the whole thing works and start one of my own.

The Bad Habit Destroyer

Goodfinancialcents.com

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

My friend Jeff Rose writes a very successful blog on finances.  He's been featured on national (and local) television and has recently written and published a book called "Soldier of Finance."  Last year, he started a grassroots movement to make people more aware of the importance of life insurance.  It was a project I had a little fun with while helping get the word out.  Now Jeff is helping people break their bad habits or at least create some good ones.  I read his post and watched his video on the Bad Habit Destroyer and thought this is something I needed to be a part of too.

Over the course of 21 days, I plan to develop better habits.  Call it an early look into my New Year's Resolutions.  If you haven't already clicked the link to Jeff's site that I posted in the opening paragraph, do that now.  You'll find a downloadable chart to keep track of your progress for the next three weeks.

An apple a day....

I have plenty of bad habits that I'd like to break, but there are also things I think I can do in my life to implement positive change.  So instead of saying I'm going to cut out sweets cold turkey, instead one of my goals over the next 21 days is to reintroduce more fresh produce into my diet.  I used to eat a lot more fruits and vegetables throughout the course of a day.  Lately, I've stopped.  October through the end of December is a bad time for me in terms of letting my sweet tooth take over my life.  I go from eating Halloween candy to the pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving (along with all the other delicious foods) to Christmas cookies throughout the month of December.

So the first goal in my 21 Days is going to be to get at least the five daily recommended servings of produce every day, including the weekends.  Right now, you should be getting between 5 and 13 servings of fruits and vegetables every day.  In addition to eating all that extra produce, I want to be more consistent with my exercise schedule.  I do 60 push ups each weekday morning before going to work.  I'm going to bump that up to 75, and carry it over into the weekends too.

Doing some DDP Yoga

I recently accomplished my goal of running 500 miles in 2013.  My new goal for running is completing a half marathon, which is happening in February.  I've got some work to do to train for that, but in addition to the running, I am going to focus more on doing DDP Yoga as well.  I've started it twice now, but as they say the third time is the charm.

I hope by getting this habit destroying program in place now, I'll be better adjusted for the changes I typically try to make in the New Year.  What habits do you want to change?  Let's work together and share our progress in three weeks.  Don't forget to download the score card on the Good Financial Cents website.  Good luck!

Wrestling with Life

The Warrior Family

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

This post isn't really going to be wrestling related, but the video I've attached is.  It's a tongue and cheek way of looking at a very serious issue.  My friend Jeff Rose is a certified financial planner and a blogging guru.  He is the one who encouraged me to start a wrestling blog nearly two years ago, the rest as they say is history.

Anyway, Jeff's blog Good Financial Cents is very informative.  It's filled with great information and done in a fun way.  He also has a YouTube channel (two actually) and offers tips on blogging, vlogging, and money matters.  Jeff is starting a movement on his blog to get people talking about life insurance.  He's even offering cool prizes in the process.  Since September is Life Insurance Awareness Month, so it only makes sense to get this important message out now.  Like I said, I used wrestling to have some fun getting the message out, but I figured I'd write about the more serious reasons my wife and I have it.

I have had life insurance coverage through my job as a journalist, but honestly it's not a whole lot, probably not even enough to provide for my family for more than a year.  It was something I never really thought much about though.  My wife was running a daycare from our home, so she had no life insurance at all. Again, it never struck me that if something happened to her, I'd be up a creek without a paddle or the money to buy one.  We have three young kids and I work an odd shift, so I would have to have childcare in place for those weird hours and probably pay big bucks for it.

In 2007 my wife and I discussed the possibility of her becoming a surrogate for a couple who wanted to have a child.  Along with all the medical testing that was involved for both of us, we were also required to have a will (something until then we didn't have) and life insurance.  We explored our options and found a plan that really works for us.  If something had happened to my wife during the pregnancy or delivery, it gave her peace of mind knowing we'd all be taken care of.

The Hunspergers

By no means am I putting my life on the line at work, but you ever know when something might happen.  Knowing now that my wife and kids will have more than just the small amount I had with my job, puts my mind at ease.  They will be able to continue living in our home.  The kids will be able to keep doing their extra activities like baseball, golf, dance, scouts, and band.  They will also be able to go to college and not have to struggle, at least not too much.

Since my wife and I both have coverage it also means that if something happens to us at the same time, our kids and their caregivers will be financially stable too.  We both find this rewarding because we know it's not easy raising three additional children, especially in this economy.  Simply put, having life insurance is one less burden to think about in life and we are able to sleep a little better at night.

I've heard some people say they're afraid to even talk about the issue.  Get past those fears and think about the big picture.  Odds are you're going to be around a long time, so enjoy life a bit more without having to worry about leaving your loved ones in a financial lurch.  As I said in the video, you don't have to be the Million Dollar Man to afford it.