SEO.com was recently invited to take part in a unique event featuring Daymond John from the popular show ‘Shark Tank’ and hundreds of high school students from around the country. Mr. McCauley, an amazing business teacher from Davis High School in Kaysville, Utah, started tweeting Daymond over a year ago to ask the business celebrity to make a guest appearance via Skype for his Entrepreneurship students.

As busy schedules go, nearly a year later, McCauley and Daymond arranged a hangout on Google+ but took it a step further by inviting hundreds of high school business classes to participate. The team at Google+ graciously came through at the last minute to extend the normal 10 person hangout limit so students around the country could participate.

The 45 minute Q&A session between the successful entrepreneur and aspiring high school students left us with several valuable lessons:

1. Fail, Fail and Fail Again

Unknown to many, Daymond John closed down his clothing brand, FUBU, three times in the early days in the early 1990′s. FUBU later went on to become a major pop culture brand and do millions in sales each year. This story is not uncommon to some of the most famous successful brands and entrepreneurs.

From a recent article on FastMoney.com:

Pinterest is one of the fastest-growing websites in history, but struggled for a long time. Pinterest’s CEO recently said that it had “catastrophically small numbers” in its first year after launch and that if he had listened to popular startup advice he probably would have quit.

James Dyson failed in 5,126 prototypes before perfecting his revolutionary vacuum cleaner. Groupon was put on life support and nearly shut down at one point in its meteoric rise.

The ubiquitous WD-40 lubricant got its name because the first 39 experiments failed. WD-40 literally stands for “Water Displacement–40th Attempt.” If they gave up early on like most of us do, we’d sure have a lot more squeaky hinges in the world.

The key to Daymond succeeding after closing his business multiple times was that he kept hustling and kept selling. Daymond recounted the story about him approaching rappers to wear his shirts in their videos and then he’d take the shirt back and go to the next video set. He did this over and over until 3 years later his brand was major success but very few people knew that for many years, he only had 10 shirts.

2. Know Your Numbers, Know Your Business

To an investor like Daymond, nothing is a quicker turn off than being pitched by an entrepreneur who doesn’t know his numbers. If you’ve ever watched Shark Tank, you’ve likely seen the Sharks tear apart entrepreneurs who come unprepared or dodge the important questions.

Knowing your numbers applies at many levels. As an entrepreneur seeking investment, you should obviously be prepared with numbers regarding sales, pending orders, profit, expenses and market opportunity. The same principle applies as an employee of a company or as an agency offering consulting. Knowing your key numbers and key performance indicators is a valuable trait whether you work at one of the greatest SEO companies in the world or are in the early stages of launching one of the next greatest brands.

3. Analysis Paralysis & Common Sense

One thing that really struck me while listening to Daymond was how much gut feel and common sense play into his businesses and investments versus raw analysis of data and numbers. As mentioned earlier, you need to know your numbers but Daymond recommends avoiding analysis paralysis or over analyzing a situation. Sometimes you just need to dig in and get your hands dirty to learn or determine if an opportunity is good.

Daymond also discussed how the Sharks heavily consider the person when they invest, not just the business opportunity. They know that a given business may not work out but putting your money behind a hard working, smart entrepreneur is the safest bet they can make. Daymond, in particular, looks for a “hungry person with a great idea and a lot of desire”.

4. Born to be an Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship and innovation is something that’s been on many people’s mind since the passing of Steve Jobs. As one of the world’s most innovative thinkers, Steve Jobs lived Apple’s slogan of “Think Different”.

The following quote from an inspiring video of Steve Jobs gives a very revealing look into his mind and how he sees the world of business and innovation.

When you grow up you tend to get told that the world is the way it is and your life is to just live your life inside the world, try not to bash into the walls to much, try to have a nice family life, have fun, save a little money but that’s a very limited life.

Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact, and that is, everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you … the minute that you understand that you can poke life … that you can change it, you can mold it … that’s maybe the most important thing. Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.

Daymond John echoed these feelings by Steve Jobs during his Google hangout when answering a student’s question about when he knew he was going to be an entrepreneur. Daymond stated that he believes were were all born thinking like entrepreneurs but society teaches us not to be entrepreneurs by correcting us at an early age and telling us how things are supposed to be or how we’ll embarrass ourselves by failing.

5. The Future of Education is Bright

Mr. McCauley of Davis High School is leading the way by utilizing technology and social media to go beyond the text book and provide his students with a cutting edge education. Social media platforms have allowed him and others to reach out and get in front of celebrities and industry experts like Daymond John. With simple and innovative technology like Google+ hangouts, these celebrities and experts can now quickly and effortlessly communicate with students, fans and anyone else interested.

I’d like to commend Mr. McCauley for going above and beyond for his students and hundreds of others that were able to tune in. I also have much respect for Daymond John who willingly took an hour out of his busy schedule to give back to students who regularly tune in to Shark Tank and look to Daymond and others for advice as they become the next wave of entrepreneurs and Sharks.

The Full Daymond John Google+ Hangout

5 Lessons Learned from Shark Tank’s Daymond John at Google+ Hangout Event is a post by SEO expert Bryan Phelps. For information about our SEO services or more great SEO tips and tricks, visit the SEO.com blog.

SEO.com was recently invited to take part in a unique event featuring Daymond John from the popular show ‘Shark Tank’ and hundreds of high school students from around the country. Mr. McCauley, an amazing business teacher from Davis High School in Kaysville, Utah, started tweeting Daymond over a year ago to ask the business celebrity to make a guest appearance via Skype for his Entrepreneurship students.

As busy schedules go, nearly a year later, McCauley and Daymond arranged a hangout on Google+ but took it a step further by inviting hundreds of high school business classes to participate. The team at Google+ graciously came through at the last minute to extend the normal 10 person hangout limit so students around the country could participate.

The 45 minute Q&A session between the successful entrepreneur and aspiring high school students left us with several valuable lessons:

1. Fail, Fail and Fail Again

Unknown to many, Daymond John closed down his clothing brand, FUBU, three times in the early days in the early 1990′s. FUBU later went on to become a major pop culture brand and do millions in sales each year. This story is not uncommon to some of the most famous successful brands and entrepreneurs.

From a recent article on FastMoney.com:

Pinterest is one of the fastest-growing websites in history, but struggled for a long time. Pinterest’s CEO recently said that it had “catastrophically small numbers” in its first year after launch and that if he had listened to popular startup advice he probably would have quit.

James Dyson failed in 5,126 prototypes before perfecting his revolutionary vacuum cleaner. Groupon was put on life support and nearly shut down at one point in its meteoric rise.

The ubiquitous WD-40 lubricant got its name because the first 39 experiments failed. WD-40 literally stands for “Water Displacement–40th Attempt.” If they gave up early on like most of us do, we’d sure have a lot more squeaky hinges in the world.

The key to Daymond succeeding after closing his business multiple times was that he kept hustling and kept selling. Daymond recounted the story about him approaching rappers to wear his shirts in their videos and then he’d take the shirt back and go to the next video set. He did this over and over until 3 years later his brand was major success but very few people knew that for many years, he only had 10 shirts.

2. Know Your Numbers, Know Your Business

To an investor like Daymond, nothing is a quicker turn off than being pitched by an entrepreneur who doesn’t know his numbers. If you’ve ever watched Shark Tank, you’ve likely seen the Sharks tear apart entrepreneurs who come unprepared or dodge the important questions.

Knowing your numbers applies at many levels. As an entrepreneur seeking investment, you should obviously be prepared with numbers regarding sales, pending orders, profit, expenses and market opportunity. The same principle applies as an employee of a company or as an agency offering consulting. Knowing your key numbers and key performance indicators is a valuable trait whether you work at one of the greatest SEO companies in the world or are in the early stages of launching one of the next greatest brands.

3. Analysis Paralysis & Common Sense

One thing that really struck me while listening to Daymond was how much gut feel and common sense play into his businesses and investments versus raw analysis of data and numbers. As mentioned earlier, you need to know your numbers but Daymond recommends avoiding analysis paralysis or over analyzing a situation. Sometimes you just need to dig in and get your hands dirty to learn or determine if an opportunity is good.

Daymond also discussed how the Sharks heavily consider the person when they invest, not just the business opportunity. They know that a given business may not work out but putting your money behind a hard working, smart entrepreneur is the safest bet they can make. Daymond, in particular, looks for a “hungry person with a great idea and a lot of desire”.

4. Born to be an Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship and innovation is something that’s been on many people’s mind since the passing of Steve Jobs. As one of the world’s most innovative thinkers, Steve Jobs lived Apple’s slogan of “Think Different”.

The following quote from an inspiring video of Steve Jobs gives a very revealing look into his mind and how he sees the world of business and innovation.

When you grow up you tend to get told that the world is the way it is and your life is to just live your life inside the world, try not to bash into the walls to much, try to have a nice family life, have fun, save a little money but that’s a very limited life.

Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact, and that is, everything around you that you call life was made up by people that were no smarter than you … the minute that you understand that you can poke life … that you can change it, you can mold it … that’s maybe the most important thing. Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.

Daymond John echoed these feelings by Steve Jobs during his Google hangout when answering a student’s question about when he knew he was going to be an entrepreneur. Daymond stated that he believes were were all born thinking like entrepreneurs but society teaches us not to be entrepreneurs by correcting us at an early age and telling us how things are supposed to be or how we’ll embarrass ourselves by failing.

5. The Future of Education is Bright

Mr. McCauley of Davis High School is leading the way by utilizing technology and social media to go beyond the text book and provide his students with a cutting edge education. Social media platforms have allowed him and others to reach out and get in front of celebrities and industry experts like Daymond John. With simple and innovative technology like Google+ hangouts, these celebrities and experts can now quickly and effortlessly communicate with students, fans and anyone else interested.

I’d like to commend Mr. McCauley for going above and beyond for his students and hundreds of others that were able to tune in. I also have much respect for Daymond John who willingly took an hour out of his busy schedule to give back to students who regularly tune in to Shark Tank and look to Daymond and others for advice as they become the next wave of entrepreneurs and Sharks.

The Full Daymond John Google+ Hangout

5 Lessons Learned from Shark Tank's Daymond John at Google+ Hangout Event is a post by SEO expert Bryan Phelps. For information about our SEO services or more great SEO tips and tricks, visit the SEO.com blog.

What happens when you gather 12 nervous students, a panel of judges, a customer with high expectations, and a room full of spectators? You get the final round of the Marriott School Sales Idol competition, held at the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Students in the Strategic Account Management class at the Marriott School of Management gathered on Thursday to put their knowledge and skills to the test, and met with a real customer to submit a proposal for services.

Each year the students are taught sales techniques in a curriculum based on the training program of Griffin Hill. This Utah-based company brings employees through a sales and customer service coaching program which focuses on integrity, and that’s exactly what sets this Strategic Account Management class apart from other classes in the same field.

“While this course is grounded in knowledge and sciences of human performance, psychology and marketing we are not satisfied in having students memorize and regurgitate theory.  Instead this course takes the student on a transformative journey where they apply the principles, processes, and skills of professional selling and account management through rigorous role-plays and case studies,”says Dr. Sterling Bone, a marketing professor who teaches this Strategic Account Management class at BYU.

Students in the class learn a variety of integrity-based sales techniques, from “case open” to “fulfillment and follow-up”. During the final round of this year’s competition, the 12 participants focused on the case open and needs audit portion of the sales cycle, and I was asked to participate as the “customer”. Since I’m a Manager here at SEO.com, I don’t necessarily need the services they were qualifying me for. I handle the marketing and SEO for my site in my spare time. However, I did learn a lot about my own needs, and the students had me thinking about my website in ways that I never would have considered before. That’s the great thing about working with an SEO firm- you have a second set of eyes looking at your web property, and collaboration can lead to great successes down the road. Speaking of that, why not request a free proposal from SEO.com, and see if an evaluation of your site’s online presence could help you reach your goals?

I met with 12 students individually (in front of the spectators, judges and Dr. Bone), and they asked me questions about the marketing needs of my Utah news site 24saltlake.com. They were each given about 8 minutes to gather all the information about my website that they needed, and made a promise to follow up with me in the near future to deliver a proposal of search engine marketing services they feel would help me reach the goals I’ve laid out for my website.

“Once the Sales Idol [competiton] rolls around the students have put in many hours of preparation, training, and role-playing with the Griffin Hill Integrity Sales System,” Dr. Bone points out.

After the interviews were finished, the judges and I left the classroom to evaluate the students on a number of criteria, including adherence to the sales processes they learned throughout the course. “I think the talent coming out of BYU’s business school is phenomenal,” said Dale Nguyen, Sales Manager for SEO.com. “The students were fantastic, and really used those skills developed through the Griffin Hill system.” Often these students are considered for sales positions with local companies, and Nguyen says many of the students in the competition would be great assets to both the sales and fulfillment departments at SEO.com.

Contestants were critiqued on their ability to speak to the specific needs of the business, if they were well versed in the online search marketing industry, if they could position the product based on real-time information, and if they were prepared to combat competitive objections.

Dr. Bone says that in the six years of the Marriott School Sales Idol competition, some students have even landed jobs with the companies like Kraft Foods, Ecolab, Durham Brands and SEO.com.

There were two classes in the final round, and the winner from each class received a trophy and a gift card. Second place winners also received a gift card. Not to mention the respect of their peers, and the cumulative knowledge and practical experience that they have gained throughout the year.

So, what’s in store for these students?

Keep your eyes on your favorite business magazine. You may see them on the cover in the future.

Selling with Integrity: SEO.com Sponsors BYU Marriott School’s Sales Idol Finals is a post by SEO expert Andrew Johnson. For information about our SEO services or more great SEO tips and tricks, visit the SEO.com blog.

SEO.com Social Media Manager Darin "Doc" Berntson will be raising money this week for schools as he travels to the SXSW Interactive conference in Austin,Texas. Berntson will stop at schools along the way to teach students about social media.

Social media has become a way of life for today’s youth. That’s why Chevrolet has put together a group of Internet marketing experts who will tour the nation teaching students as young as elementary school about social media in anticipation of this month’s SXSW Interactive conference in Austin, Texas.

“The purpose of the tour is to raise money and awareness for Adopt-A-Classroom,” said SEO.com Social Media Manager Darin “Doc” Berntson, a member of the team from Salt Lake City.

Adopt-A-Classroom is a non-profit organization that raises money for teachers to purchase resources for their classrooms.

“South by Southwest (SXSW) serves as a perfect venue for Chevy to listen, engage and build relationships with next generation customers. We launched the road trip idea two years ago and added the charity component last year,” said Rebecca Harris, a Chevrolet representative. “The activity has been a huge success. In the past, the road trip teams have had great interactions with the schools, the kids have had excellent experiences and the teachers have provided positive feedback on the content and funding assistance. ”

Teams from around the country will begin their trips March 5 and will travel for about a week.

The Salt Lake City team plans to visit schools in Utah, New Mexico and Texas. The final destination is SXSW Interactive, a festival focused on technology. The conference includes presentations from industry leaders and networking events.

“I have always wanted to go to South by Southwest. The event has always looked amazing,” said Berntson. “The road trip aspect is just an added bonus. Being able to partner with Chevy and bring awareness to the charity as well as raise funds for them is icing on the cake.”

According to Harris, “social media is changing the way the world is communicating.”

“Schools are beginning to integrate social media into the classroom experience. Businesses are using social media every day. As these kids enter the workforce, they will be expected to know how to utilize these tools,” she said.

High schools and universities have even started offering courses in social media marketing.

“Kids need to be aware of what’s acceptable and what’s not acceptable when it comes to using social media, and how these platforms fit into their lives,” Harris said.

She said that while elementary school students are not old enough to register for social media websites, Chevy wanted to teach the children about social media because they use the Internet.

“We are happy to be a part of the Chevy road trip to South by Southwest,” said Ash Buckles, president of SEO.com, an SEO services company. “Doc has a lot of experience in the social media field, and he is perfect to teach the next generation of marketers about social media.”

Chevy will have a map on its website with OnStar showing where the teams are at any given moment.

Follow Berntson and teammate Scott Duehlmeier on Twitter at @SLCSXSW. Use the Twitter hashtag #SLCSXSW and read the team’s blog at http://www.slcsxsw.tumblr.com.

SEO.com Participates in National Charity Road Trip that Aims to Teach Students about Social Media is a post by SEO expert Jon Reese. For information about our SEO services or more great SEO tips and tricks, visit the SEO.com blog.

Conference Will Let Professors and Industry Experts Weigh in on the Ethics of Search Engine Optimization

With black hat SEO techniques viewed as unscrupulous, symposium will explore the ethics of white hat versus black hat search engine optimization.

Utah Valley University will host a conference this week on the ethics of white hat and black hat search engine optimization techniques. Executives from SEO.com along with several professors will present on this controversial topic. The conference will take place at the university on March 8 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. There is no cost to attend and brown bag lunches will be served.

Public Speaking Event at UVU – Thursday, March 8 is a post by SEO expert Jon Reese. For information about our SEO services or more great SEO tips and tricks, visit the SEO.com blog.

SEO.com caught up with Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, backstage before he was scheduled to meet with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg Friday morning.

The senator offered some insight into the social-networking mogul’s psyche.

“He’s very shy,” Hatch said. “But when he starts talking about the Internet and social networking he comes alive.”

The stage was set for an intimate conversation between Zuckerberg and Hatch as crowds trickled into the Marriott Center at Brigham Young University.

Hatch said he befriended Zuckerberg in his role as a member of the Senatorial High Tech Task Force.

“He’s probably the No. 1 attraction in the whole high tech world,” Hatch said.

Zuckerberg’s speech in Utah is a rare public appearance for the Internet entrepreneur.

“He’s never done it before,” Hatch told SEO.com. “I think he’s been in some big meetings, but he has never done anything like this.”

Hatch will soon face a tough re-election fight. The conservative said he has not sought a political endorsement from Zuckerberg.

“He’s a friend,” Hatch said. “That’s good enough for me.”

When asked if Zuckerberg is a Republican: “Probably not,” Hatch replied.

According to the senator, Zuckerberg traveled to Utah with a staff of roughly 10 people, three of which are BYU graduates.

“He’s very well aware of where to get top-notch people,” Hatch said.

When asked if Facebook may open an office in Utah, Hatch said “I haven’t hit on that real hard yet.”

Hundreds of questions were submitted to Zuckerberg via Facebook.

“We asked the kids to send in questions,” Hatch said.

View our full recap of the event: Zuckerberg, conservative senator: an unlikely duo

Senator says Zuckerberg 'No. 1 attraction in the whole high tech world' is a post by SEO expert seodotcom. For information about our SEO services or more great SEO tips and tricks, visit the SEO.com blog.

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