Name of your website?mxdblood.com
Your name?
Rick McBride
Your Location (city, etc)
south FL
Please give us a short summary of your website?
Our purpose is to reach out and connect with other mixed blood Native Americans who are searching their history, or non-Indian people interested in learning the Red Road.
What inspired you to launch your own website?
My own journey. Also, a few years ago, and after much prodding, I stepped into the arena of teaching what little I might know of these ways. Mxdblood is one way I try to get the workshops, lectures, and writing in front of people.
When did you launch your first website, and what was it?
November 2007. This is my first attempt.
How did you decide on a name for your website?
I had originally queried "mixed blood," but that is already in use. I simply deleted the syllables. Mixed blood is a common term applied to us, so it will be easily recognized by people interested in the subject, even modified the way it is.
What makes your website different from other, similar offerings?
We are not "cultural warriors." Our focus is on actually learning the core spiritual values of our ancestors, which were strong on inclusion. As such, we know we have a lot to learn and we are not the "Indian police" you can so readily find all over the internet. I have been active ceremonially for some 25 years now, I have sat with many elders during that time, and I am very active in the community. Our purpose is to help build people, not tear them down.
What is your eventual goal? (To sell it, keep it for income, secure a book or other mainstream media deal?)
My goal is to extend the reach of mxdblood to its farthest possible limit in order to create as many beneficial relationships with other mixed blood and interested people as I can.
How does your investment of time and money balance against your success?
Every time a new person shows up at ceremony, every time someone participates in a workshop, or lecture, every time someone builds a drum or rattle with us, I know any effort I may have put into this humble site has been worth it.
If you had an unlimited development budget for development, how would you change your site?
I would find a good graphic designer who could do justice to our mxdblood symbol, Many Bloods, and have them develop it in a digital format that would allow me to use it wherever I choose as the opportunities arrived. I would also like a proper calendar (laid out like a typical print calendar) that I could put hotlinks from the day of an event to the event description/registration page.
If your site got really big, really quickly, would you be able to keep up with the demand?
Yes.
What unexpected costs and headaches have you had to deal with?
Nothing of any major consequence. Which is pretty awesome considering I am doing the site myself and I am definitely NOT a computer person. I use Web Studio 4.0 (drag 'n drop) and would recommend it to anyone interested in building something a little more interesting than a template.
What has been your biggest challenge?
$$
What method has been most successful for promoting your website?
Writing article, finding quality site directories like this one, and building my very humble e-mail list. Also, it helps to publish a newsletter, which mine just had its first year anniversary this month (April). For me, the whole objective is to create relationships with people.
How has running your website differed from your expectations?
Not as difficult as I first dreaded. I really did not want to run my own site, but my schedule changes weekly and I know it would have made me crazy waiting on someone else to do the updates. I feel a kind of freedom in knowing I can add/delete pages as I want. The best aspect of it, though, is being able to refer people to the site where they will get many of their questions answered, and where they can sign up for workshops etc.
How long have you run the site already, and how long will you continue to keep it up if you don't enjoy big gains in traffic, income or popularity?
The site is 18 months old now, we are on the first page of a google "medicine wheel" search, the second page when "mixed blood" is searched and so on. No more than it costs to maintain, I see no reason to base its life on any measure of material success. That's not what the site is about anyway, so why should that dictate whether it lives or dies?
Do I have to be a mixed-blood Native American to interact with you?
No. We are ALL mixed blood people when you get honest about it. Our purpose is to share the Lifeways with anybody who comes with respect. As the elders have said, these ways are for the people. Period. not the Tsalagi people. not the Lakota people, not the Apache people. But the people. So, if you're a people, check us out.
Wado! (thank you)
What is your website address?
mxdblood.com
