GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 2 - October 2007

21 H ow did you learn about the online gaming industry? I started as a player. I found a great community of Canadian players and met some really cool people who loved poker as much as I did. It wasn’t until I decided to startmy own site that I found the affiliate forums and really became excited at the endless possibilities that this industry provides. What about the industry interests you? Absolutely everything about this industry interests me. The affiliates I have met who are some of the most remarkable people I have had the opportunity of knowing. I never expected to build some of the relationships I have. My affiliate managers are amazing. They go above and beyond what you would expect them to do to see an affiliate become successful. I am constantly learning about SEO, marketing, and all the aspects that are involved and I want to continue to learn as much as possible. You’re an avid poker player and have focused on poker for your sites. Can you tell us how you first got into poker? I love the game. It doesn’t matter where I play, online, the casino or even a home tournament. I started playing online about two years ago and it was basically for fun until I came across a poker forum specifically for Canadians. I ended up playing one of their league games at Titan and just enjoyed the social aspect of their game. This is where I would say my actual interests in the game started. The community was so involved in the game itself that it was always a learning curve. Yes, you had people complaining about losses and such, but the regular members were more into learning and improving as well as helping each other build upon their own games. This is when my whole perception of playing changed. It wasn’t about just playing for fun anymore; it was about learning to improve. When and why did you decide to become an affiliate? It’s really ironic: I started my forum the day that the UIGEA was passed... I know – great timing. I ended up moving on from a forum that I was part of because I had seen areas where there was room for improvement and wanted to do this. It wasn’t about making money or any of that at the time; it was a hobby. I thought I would take what I felt was missing and build upon it. Whatdoyourfriendsandfamilythink about your new line of business? At first they really didn’t understand, especially my husband. I really do think he thought this was going to be just a phase and all. Now that he is seeing the progress I have made he is more open to the concept and is excited for me. How do you balance family life with running a portal? This has been one of the more persistent difficulties I have had. When I first started I spent a lot of time trying to learn as much as I could and as fast as I could. I knew nothing about this business, so it took me a lot longer to learn what I have, and of course a lot of trial and error. I think you have to find a middle ground if you are planning on taking this seriously. You can very easily put so much into this that it can affect your family time. In the beginning my husband was not overly thrilled with the entire process, and to be honest, he disliked it completely. Over time it has grown on him. I do most of my work late at night, freeing up family time during the evenings. INTERVIEWWITH Cheryle Shepstone | kaus She started on UIGEA day . . . and she’s still here to tell about it! Current Hometown: Meaford ON Canada Age: 28 Favorite food: Italian Site: pokerriveronline.com (at press time, the sale of this site was pending) CONTINUED ON PAGE 50 >>