The Butterfly Effect in Marketing: Mike Filsaime’s Journey to Online Success

Less than five years before delivering this talk back in 2007, Mike Filsaime had no knowledge of internet marketing and was working as a general manager at a major Toyota dealership in Long Island, New York. His journey began in October 2002 after purchasing a product called Instant Internet Empires from a spam email!

Initially treating internet marketing as a hobby, Mike struggled with traffic (visitors to his website) and sales until March 2003. That's when he shifted to a list-building strategy: Simply giving away free products in exchange for email addresses and following up with prospects via email.

Mike realized that sending traffic directly to sales pages, no matter how good they were, wasted 96% of opportunities. Instead, by capturing leads first he built relationships, gained trust and made sales over time. He began seeing consistent earnings: $1,500 a month with 1,500 subscribers, $3,000 with 3,000, and $5,045 with 5,000. This validated that list building was a scalable model.

In June 2003, he documented his process in an information product called Carbon Copy Marketing, a guide with videos and templates so others could replicate his success. Selling this product helped position him as a leader in the industry.

In August 2004, his employer discovered his side business and forced him to choose between the dealership and internet marketing! Mike made his choice and became a full-time online entrepreneur, marking August 5th 2004, as his personal “Freedom Day.”

Motivated by product names like "John Reese’s Traffic Secrets", "Million-Dollar Day" and the “Four-Minute Mile Mindset", Mike coined the term "Butterfly Marketing", reflecting how small actions can lead to large effects. Though he registered the domain in 2004, Butterfly Marketing didn’t launch until January 31st 2006, after 1.5 years of preparation. However, it generated $674,000 on the first day and $1 million within five days. Worth the wait?

Mike continued building viral, list-driven businesses:

• List.com made $75,000 in a single day.
• Instant Buzz, acquired through creative financing, became a major success.
• Pay.com became his most profitable and lowest-maintenance venture.
  

In November 2006, Mike released The Death of Internet Marketing, a controversial report that created huge buzz. In just 24 hours it gained over 34,000 opt-ins and ultimately attracted 100,000 subscribers in a month.

Through these experiences, Mike learned to leverage viral marketing, simple and effective delivery mechanisms, and the power of storytelling and community building.

By 2007, Mike’s business was generating $350,000/month (~$11,000/day), with over 500,000 subscribers and a diversified income stream including product sales, mentoring and speaking.

His journey from car dealership manager to seven-figure internet marketer demonstrates how deliberate learning, strategic list building, viral marketing, and resilience can transform a business... and a life.

Watch the full presentation below. Maybe it'll give you an idea or two!