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Photo of Rafat Ali by RexHammock

At a time when the newspaper industry is as much in flux as it has ever been, this story may come as an ultimate motivator for some of you.

Rafat Ali, born in India, is the creator of paidContent.org and contentNext.com. He is heralded voice in the new media journalism landscape and his company has a presence throughout the U.S. And he more or less stumbled right into it all.

During an economic downturn of the early 2000s, Ali found himself jobless and living in London. He was a journalist with some experience and had created paidContent.org to act as an "interactive resume," he tells VentureVoice.com.

While hunting for a job, his site began to gain traction and soon advertisers were asking to post banners on his site. Ali decided then, he would give running his own business a shot.

Listen to Rafat Ali’s full story, including his thoughts on the past, present and future of online media.

I share Ali’s story because I know many journalists now are dealing with similar pressures, many are laid off and trying to find another job, perhaps online.

Opportunities are endless for journalists who want to create a substantial revenue-generating online business - and Ali’s story is just one example of how hustling can help get you there.

Be sure to listen in as Ali gives some advice for those of you who want to strike out on your own. It might be just the push you need.

Are you already in the midst of starting your own online venture? What type of journalistic values will it incorporate? I’d love to hear your story too!