As many folks now know, Todd Malicoat (aka Stuntdubl) is leaving WeBuildPages. His plans for the future are uncertain, but one thing is for sure. Wherever Todd goes in the SEO or online marketing world, he can be largely assured of a high salary, a great deal of respect and a senior position. How did a young man in his mid-twenties become so successful? Is there something we can all learn from Todd's example?
- Todd's major exposure to the SEO world came (under his pseudonym) on WebMasterWorld.
- Todd's been a ubiquitous presence at SES & PubCon conferences for several years.
- Several exemplary personal traits
- Approachability
- Friendliness
- Good at drinking beer (seriously)
- Easy to spend time with
- Exceptionally learned about the search world and the web
- Plugged in to industry news (both public and private sources)
- Personally connected to search engine employees
- Runs a well-read, well-respected blog (and updates it infrequently enough that almost every post generates links from other bloggers and news sources)
- Highly talented at writing coherently and succinctly
- Open with his knowledge & shares when he gets the chance
These features make it likely that Todd's probably received more unsolicited job offers in the past 2 days than most of us have in our lives. I suspect that if he does go to an SEO firm, he'll have a lot of independence and authority from day one.
This post wasn't made to heap praise on Todd, it's really here for those in the search world, or any other, to get a good idea of what makes for a successful career and how, in such a young field, just a few years of positive experience can build an exemplary reputation.
Hopefully I haven't just raised his starting salary by $10,000. :)
Good post overall. Enjoyed reading it.
Wow...you guys really gotta stop this, or my heads not gonna fit through ANY doors.
A few slight inaccuracies
>good at drinking beer Pretty BAD with beer actually...more of a rum and coke guy myself, but I fake it okay with beer sometimes;)
>mid-twenties Late twenties...but my boyish looks are finally working to my advantage:)
>gentlemen with a laptop Nope...he never called, and I never called him...was a nice guy though...shame he didn't call. I actually really like just HELPING small business owners to find stuff on their own, and love watching the "lightbulb going on". It's funny to watch when they realize that I'm telling them this Google stuff more for THEIR benefit than my own, and that I'm NOT really trying to sell them life insurance or a new car. I'm always excited to be able to give people GOOD information (like the "beginner's guide to SEO") to save them a lot of the headaches that many folks end up going through.
I did finally watch glengary glen ross too Jason...great flick, though I doubt I'll be adopting the boiler room style anytime soon:)
Thanks guys for all the nice comments. We're really lucky to work in a field that is for the most part damn good to one another. Cheers to high rankings.
You forgot another asset of Todd's that sets him apart from the rest: he's an extremely dedicated employee.
One night while we were all drinking A LOT of beers at a bar in Troy, NY, Todd noticed a gentlemen with a laptop checking his web stats. He wasted no time in approaching the man, making small talk, then soft-selling internet marketing services. I made a remark to him later that it was very impressive to see him selling even after hours, but I quickly got the distinct impression that this was a regular thing for him.
I don't know if he closed the deal and gained a client that night, but that's real dedication. Any company would be lucky to have him on their team.
I've rewritten this reply 5 times now. It keeps coming off like an a ulogy. Anyway, Todd's sites is one of the best. It's personable and really connects while cramming a lot of info into a small amount of space. I always learn a lot when I visit his site, and always leave wanting more to read.
Good luck Todd, I wish you the best, and thanks for giving as much as you have to the community.
I'm a new member to this site, but a long-time visitor. Good luck Todd, although we all know you won't need it.
I run a hosting company (startlogic.com) and we're always looking for strong, experienced SEO types. I'm certain you'll have a bright future. Thanks for the ongoing contribution.
Traits we could all strive for...I really admire top level SEOs that are still humble, down to earth, and approachable.