A New Austin Personal Trainer

Warning: This is entirely a personal post, but if you live in the Austin area and interested in a personal trainer, keep reading. Or if you’re just curious about the randomness of my life.

Brian MorrisThere is a new face in the Austin Personal Training scene, and he happens to be my brother. Brian Morris just finished his certification from PFTA here in Austin. He will soon be starting as a personal trainer on some lucky gym’s staff, but is also looking for clients.

Most personal trainers are all about finding the young people looking to prepare for bikini season, but Brian is hoping to reach people of all levels of life and fitness. We come from a family with a history of obesity, so Brian and I both know adversity when it comes to weight loss. He is even working with our mom right now. She has gone through a gastric bypass and thyroid cancer, making for an interesting combination of fitness and nutritional needs. No situation is too difficult with someone this dedicated to a healthier life for everyone.

For example, he wants to reach the baby boomers that want a better quality of life, not a beach body. Keeping up with grandchildren and traveling the world (that hike up St. Paul’s Cathedral in London is 1000+ steps!) are their goals.

I am very excited about this new part of Brian’s life because I can not only aide in this new venture, but it’s awesome to see him this excited about his career. Brian really does love helping people with their fitness goals. He has been telling me every week for the past 9 weeks about what he is learning in class and helping me change my habits for the better. (yes Brian, intervals are what I need to do, I’m working on it)

So as promised, if you are in Austin, and always wanted to work with a personal trainer, let me know. I’ll get you the hook up. *wink wink, nudge nudge*

Join The RavenHunt

RavenHuntWe all know I love Raven Tools. I’m not shy about it, and no they don’t pay me. Well sorta, my affiliate link is over there to the side. But today I am not here to talk about their reports, tools, or awesome integration with my other favorite tool, Linkscape. Today is about The Hunt.

What is the hunt? Raven started this game in which they hide clues across the interwebs. The clues are on their site and other Search Marketing blogs. They did one hunt last month (I was lame and didn’t participate that time), and the newest one just started yesterday.

The Second Clue is being released today at 1pm CDT.

Don’t think you can’t participate because you’re a day or two behind though. The other clues are still out there for you to find. And it ain’t over until the Raven is Found! This contest is open to everyone, not just search marketers, and you can join in any day. Oh, wanna know what you can win?An Apple iPad.

RavenHunt Quick Facts:

  • RavenHunt is free for anyone and you can start playing at any time
  • There are two RavenHunt clues released each day (Be Sure to Get Both!!)
  • The object of RavenHunt is to collect the secret letters you find when you solve riddles
  • On Friday, the second RavenHunt clue will include a form for you to input the unscrambled secret word
  • You need to follow Raven’s Facebook and Twitter accounts to be updated on when clues are released

RavenHunt Prizes

RavenHunt Shirt

First Place:

  • Apple iPad
  • 1 year Pro subscription to Raven
  • Premium Membership to Search Engine Land
  • Copy of The New Community Rules by Tamar Weinberg
  • Copy of Web Analytics 2.0 by Avinash Kaushik
  • Official RavenHunt t-shirt

Second Place:

  • 6 month Pro subscription to Raven
  • Official RavenHunt t-shirt

3rd-10th Places:

  • Official RavenHunt t-shirt

Snack Time Cereal – SEM Edition

Twitter can produce the most off the wall thoughts and conversations sometimes. Just what I need for inspiration. I went to SMX Advanced in 2008 and Michael Dorausch posted to SEOmoz about SEO’s favorite Starbucks Orders. So fun to read. No real point, but why does everything we read have to be work related?

Taylor Pratt asked if cereal was allowed as a mid-afternoon snack today. A resounding yes was heard from what I saw, and that sparked my interest. What do search marketers (and any of my other followers) eat? Specifically, what is an SEO’s favorite cereal?

Winner: Lucky Charms

Voted on By:
Christa Watson
, Joshua Sciarrino, Lyndsay Walker, Dan Perry

Seems like everyone loves the marshmallows. Forget the sugar covered oats, we want the marshmallows!

Runner Ups

Voted on By: Matt Siltala, Dan Perry

Voted on By: Casey Yandle, Andrew Woods

Voted on By: Taylor Pratt, Casey Yandle

Voted on By: Alan Bleweiss, Chiropractic

Voted on By: William Attwood

Voted on By: Ruth Burr

Voted on By: Matt Pellerin

Voted on By: Robert Brady

Voted on By: Jason Harrison


Voted on By: Clint Zink

Raven PubCon Shirt Giveaway

Pubcon is always a great time. This year was no different – staying up until the sun comes up, crazy antics, and the best SEM information in one place. This year’s PubCon was sponsored by Raven Tools – a tool that I use and talk about regularly. I am a fan of their product and their whole team.

Raven Team
Raven Team

A few weeks before PubCon, Jon Henshaw sent me the coolest shirt ever. I had the honor of getting a limited edition PubCon shirt before everyone else. I was stoked. Raven shirts are awesome. This one was much more so. They are always really comfortable and well designed.

Raven PubCon Design
Raven PubCon Design

Note the name of the designer. None other than Jon’s wife, Kathryn (awesome name spelling btw).

The issue with these shirts is that Raven didn’t make many. They ran out fast once they started giving them away, but I have a surprise. I have an extra one.

How to Win a Limited Edition Raven Tools PubCon Shirt

So it’s the guys shirt (read: Green) in XL. Sorry you don’t get to choose the size. This was a bonus shirt that was magically left over.

So to win the shirt, you need to comment on this post or write a blog post about what about Raven Tools is your favorite. Anything. My favorite comment or blog post will win. Don’t have a favorite because you aren’t using Raven? Umm, free 30 day trial much? ;)

I’ll mail you the shirt and if you send me a pic, I’ll post it here. You have until Thanksgiving, November 26, 2009.

You are an SEO’s Parent If …

  1. You answer “They work on the Internet …” when asked what your child does.
    Since that narrows it down.
  2. You ask them for help with your computer when it breaks.
    As if we know what is wrong with your computer at all times.
  3. You send all of your friends to your child when their computer breaks.
    See #2. We just problem solve.
  4. You think they can design anyone a website.
    Repeat after me. Web designers aren’t SEOs, and SEOs aren’t web designers.
  5. You know they do something with search engines, so you think they work for Google.
    Sigh. Are there any SEOs on payroll at Google anyway?
  6. You think “optimization” has something to do with tubes.
    You heard a senator say it one day. So it had to be true.
  7. You just joined Facebook because you can learn more about their life in there.
    Yeah, we know we don’t call. Sorry Mom.
  8. You got on Twitter to keep an eye on their drinking habits.
    It’s better than the random drunk texts at 2am.
  9. Skype has lessened the need for long distance calling plans.
    And it’s so much more personal!
  10. Your child writes things on a website and tells you that Top 10 lists are an effective way to get traffic.
    They do learn, they do … *tear*

Thanks to Kristy Bolsinger for her help!