Sales Associate to Owner of Central Penn SEO

After graduating from Penn State University with a degree in Communications and a 3.4 GPA*, I was offered a sales job with an SEO/Social Media Marketing Company called Central Penn SEO. I was instantly intrigued by the industry, specifically the ability to offer small, local businesses the opportunity to compete with large corporations that have traditionally dominated the ecommerce industry. Since I was in a sales role at the company, I wasn’t required to actually learn how to optimize websites and market businesses through social media channels, but I was so interested in the topic that I decided to conduct extensive research the subject online in order to teach myself. I bookmarked and consumed every webinar, powerpoint, whitepaper, and blog that I could find. Sites like Hubspot, Search Engine Land, SEOmoz, Mashable, Mediabistro, All Facebook, All Twitter etc…helped me gain a deeper understanding of the services that I was selling, and allowing me to better explain them to my clients. After talking with Ryan Everhart, the owner of Central Penn SEO, about my interest in the subject, he gave me the opportunity to put my knowledge to the test. A few months went by, and I began to show a real aptitude for the profession. Around this time, Ryan was offered a very well-paying job with a major company which required him to sign a non-compete clause, forbidding him from working with Central Penn SEO in any capacity. Rather than let the company fold, he offered me full ownership, which I gladly accepted. I was now the sole owner of a company in an industry that I had only recently entered into.

*It’s worth noting that my 3.4 GPA is a consequence of one extremely bad semester in 2004 that resulted from personal family problems. When I returned to finish my degree a few years later, I achieved a 4.0 GPA, Lambda Pi Eta National Communications Honor Society Award and membership, and Dean’s List standing throughout the course of my final six semesters.