I am not a people person.
It is nothing personal against individuals, I just detest the B.S. most people spit.
The problem; I am in an industry full of people that spit B.S. on a daily, if not momentary basis.
Despite this fact there are a ton of people in the industry I would love to meet and talk to. Although I dislike empty conversations with most people I understand the value that they have, and I love learning everything someone is willing to teach me.
With SES San Jose coming up at the end of the Summer, I got to thinking who the people I would like to meet most would be. Then I realized that list would be too extensive, and that if I blogged about it, it would be too much of a Sphinn bait piece. Since I hate those kind of posts (Jesus I am filled with hate) I decided to go a less douchey route.
So instead I thought I would write about the SEOs I would most like to share an uncomfortable and time consuming event with. This really narrows down my list, to not only people I respect, but also the kind of people I find personally satisfying. An empty conversation in a stuck elevator would be the worst kind of torture, so in choosing the SEOs I would share the experience with it is important to choose not only on the basis of respect for what they have to teach me, but also someone that wouldn’t make the event more torturous.
Chris Winfield
This guy is brilliant.
Exhibit A, his Twitter presentation for SES Toronto that he had his Twitter network help create.
Exhibit B the fact that he is a mainstream media magnet.
I am not sure if anyone in our industry has a better understanding of social media, and the value of the medium in terms of its correlation to search.
He is also a pretty great guy, his personality being one of the factors that makes him such a sought after speaker. Also he is well groomed and would be the least likely person in our industry to smell up the elevator when the air circulation lessens.
Lee Odden
I met Lee Odden at SES Toronto. Within moments of meeting me he was sharing PR and social media concepts. He was honest and insightful, and not simply spitting out information to me to prove his domininance in the space.
He is equally comfortable speaking about SEO, as he is about social media, and branding online.
From his Twitter feed, one can also tell that Lee is a big time family man and outdoors man. These are characteristics I share, and could lead for quality conversation in-between screams for help in a stuck elevator.
Jordan Kasteler
Alright this one is a no-brainer. Jordan, aka UtahSEOPro, is my partner in our new venture, Search & Social. If I didn’t like him enough to be stuck in an elevator with him, I don’t think I would start a business with him.
But Jordan is also one of the brightest young minds in search and social media. He is speaking on SMX Local and Mobile’s “Cracking the Code” panel this summer, as well as at SES San Jose in August. Jordan’s background in design and development give him a great asset in analyzing the structural weaknesses of a site, and diagnosing how to handle these weaknesses in the sites optimization. He is also a strong Digger and Sphinn master.
Jordan also has a great taste in music opting for bands like Pennywise and Bouncing Souls, and shares my love for getting his body permanently desecrated in the form of tattooing.
David Harry
David Harry is one of the most approachable individuals in our industry. I know no matter what question I have David will either get me an answer or find me someone who will. Being a young SEO it is nice to have an ally like David.
He is also one of the better SEO and Social Media bloggers out there right now, and I find his blog, The Fire Horse Trail, to be one of the most underrated Internet marketing blog in the blogosphere.
Aaron Chronister
The Mad Hat has an attitude about SEO very similar to my own. He sees the web in shades of grey, and walks along that path.
He isn’t afraid to call out nonsense when he sees it, for instance a blog post he wrote late in 2007 about some link equity double speak by Eric Ward. This is the kind of attitude I carry in my personal life, and really admire someone who can carry it into their professional life.
Aaron also has a rockin’ beard, something I can admire. He is also a hard core son-of-a-bitch when it comes to drinking, something else I can admire.
Aaron is the only person on this list I haven’t had personal interaction with on any kind of real level, but I could totally see him and myself falling out of that elevator drunk as two skunks when they finally free us.
Andy Beal
Andy is one of the most honest and geniune individuals I have met during my time in this industry. He puts out a superior product no matter what the venture is. Whether its Trackur, Marketing Pilgrim, or his book, everything Andy has done in the last year has been a great asset to our industry.
Andy is one of those guys you just feel comfortable around, and that doesn’t treat you like an inferior, even though you will likely never accomplish all that he has in his career in yours. He is down to earth, and the kind of guy you would share a Sunday afternoon barbeque with.
So I am not saying I want to get stuck in an elevator in San Jose during SES, but if I did these would be the guys I hope would be in there. So I have to remember to carry around a liter of whiskey in case it is Aaron Chronister.
As a side note I am pretty sure if any of these guys wrote a “Top Six SEOs I Wouldn’t Want to Be Stuck in an Elevator With” post, I would be at the top.
23 responses so far ↓
1 David Temple // Jul 7, 2008 at 8:45 pm
Tough list to come up with, hats off for keeping it at six. I doubt seriously that you would be at the top of the “wouldn’t” list but nice bit of self deprecating humour nevertheless. You made my elevator list for sure but you have to bring the booze.
2 graywolf // Jul 8, 2008 at 7:28 am
if you get on an elevator with me a conference I may suddenly have to exit immediately remembering something urgent I needed to do right away ;-)
3 admin // Jul 8, 2008 at 7:51 am
@David - No problem I will keep a flask on me permanently.
@Graywolf I don’t blame you, for oh so many reasons.
4 eddings // Jul 8, 2008 at 8:07 am
Very good list! Don’t feel bad, I don’t like people either ;)
I’d have to add these guys to my list:
You
Oilman - Todd Friesen
Stuntdubl - Todd Malicoat
Graywolf - Michael Gray
5 admin // Jul 8, 2008 at 8:10 am
@eddings thanks, I am not sure I am in that group..but those are great choices too. I thought about Oilman once I posted the piece.
6 Trontastic // Jul 8, 2008 at 10:22 am
Well done. I’m suprised you were able to keep it to 6!
I might consider:
Neil Patel - He’ll make ya laugh if not learn something.
Danny Sullivan - hmm, maybe not. Upon running out of diet coke, it might get ugly.
Kid Disco - He’s smart AND he could beat box to pass the time.
SexySEO — well… because she has great… seo.
7 Dave // Jul 8, 2008 at 2:21 pm
Ha haha…. No list is ever safe huh? They can go on and on….
So, does this elevator have a cash bar by chance? How long are we stuck there? I know it could get tough with me and Aaron sitting there dry fer sure…. I am sure Lee and Chris would be Twittering the whole experience, so they’ll be distracted. As would Andy be Tracking the Buzz on the whole thing…
Well at least you and JK can have some space to flesh out the ‘ol business plan – lol
Tnx fer the lovin’ – it’s been fun so far, looking forward to more of the same SpideyDave…
8 Marios Alexandrou // Jul 8, 2008 at 3:47 pm
Doesn’t all this social media stuff drive you up the wall since you’re not a people person? Sorry, I had to ask.
9 Bill Hartzer // Jul 8, 2008 at 3:49 pm
I think I would add Bruce Clay and Andy Hagans to the list.
10 admin // Jul 8, 2008 at 3:50 pm
@Marios to be honest it is much harder for me to insert myself into social media than most.
Jordan Kasteler thinks I am crazy because I come off as such a friendly guy, and since I am not really rattled when speaking, but that has more to do with my teaching background than my personality.
Great question though
11 Andrew Shotland // Jul 8, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Hmmm. No women on your list? What are you guys doing in that elevator anyway?
12 Glenn Batuyong // Jul 8, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Benj Arriola seems to be missing from that list:
- 2008 UK Webmaster World SEOContest2008 - 2nd Place
- 2007 SEO World Championship - 1st Place
- 2006 Vogermilten SEO Contest - 1st Place
13 Benj Arriola // Jul 8, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Interesting. Thanks Glenn, but sometimes contest are just contest. You rank high but sometimes contest stuff are not always applicable in real life SEO.
And I am sure each one of us with have their own personal top 6. I’d probably want Shoemoney, even if he is more of a PPC guy, I am just interested in what tools he has and how far he pushes the limit in things. And speaking of tools, I guess Dax Herrera. Now even pushing the programming side of SEO, probably Jaimie Sirovich as well. Then being a WebmasterRadio.fm fan, the other 3 will be Greg Boser, Todd Freisen and Dave Naylor.
But 6 seems to be too short of a list for me. Maybe that list is fine, then on my second elevator ride and 3rd I have a different set of 6.
14 Garrett Pierson // Jul 8, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Great list Dave! I would have to agree on all 6. I would have to agree with Benj Arriola about having a second and third ride in the elevator to meet even more people such as you!
15 admin // Jul 8, 2008 at 5:11 pm
To reiterate this list isn’t just a great bunch of SEOs, but these are guys I would actually want to spend the horrific experience of being stuck in a small space for a long period of time.
There are lots of smart SEOs and social media types I would talk to, but if I was forced into close quarters with I might have to knock their jaws unhinged.
16 TheMadHat // Jul 8, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Flattered that you would like to be stuck in an elevator with my psycho ass. We’ll for sure have to connect and drink some mind altering liquids sometime.
And maybe we can talk some sneaky SEO while we’re at it ;)
17 admin // Jul 8, 2008 at 7:39 pm
@themadhat trying to hit ThinkTank so we can do just that. Will be at SES San Jose though if not. Drinks of choice are tequilla and vodka
18 Hawaii SEO // Jul 8, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Is there beer in this elevator?
19 AussieWebmaster // Jul 9, 2008 at 6:48 pm
Hmmmm…. I have a completely different list
Becky Ryan
Jane Copland or Rebecca Kelly
Danielle Winfield - better looking than her husband
Rae Hoffman
Christine Churchill
Sarah Nadel
yeah I know most are married but it is a wish list
20 AussieWebmaster // Jul 9, 2008 at 6:49 pm
and am I going to hear about it from all the others I left off… could it be 60?
21 Dharmesh Shah // Jul 9, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Surprised to see a list of SEO folks that included neither Rand Fishkin nor Aaron Wall.
22 Lee Odden // Jul 11, 2008 at 10:41 am
Wow, thanks for inclusion on the list Dave. Looking forward to seeing you in San Jose.
23 Chris Winfield // Jul 11, 2008 at 1:58 pm
Thanks for the inclusion and really nice words Dave :)
BTW - I do have to agree with Frank (AussieWebmaster) - my wife is much better looking than me and would definitely be an even better choice ;)
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