Back in 2005, some of you may know I ran a website called Great Adventure Online, a fan site for the popular New Jersey theme park, Six Flags Great Adventure. It was so popular, that for awhile when you Googled the theme park, my website would be ranked higher than the actual official site to Six Flags.

I managed to grow this site to an active online community of over 2,500 daily fans with over 40,000 hits a month; and even larger during peak season.

When you’re 12–14 years old, this is an unfathomable number.

I still remember clearly the advice given to me by then park president, Mark Kane. He asked me how I was making money on this.

I told him I wasn’t.

He was shocked, and immediately followed up with a stern, why not?

I couldn’t compreh...