HawkeTalk

During the early years, SEO was the gas that drove the Internet engine. If you wanted your website or your business to go anywhere, the only way it could move was with the proper SEO strategy. It’s not as important as it once was, but there was a time when keyword placement, rankings, taglines, and on and on, were all part of a successful online effort. They were essential and no one was more connected to those things and how to leverage them than today’s guest. Rand Fishkin is considered by most to be one of the pre-eminent voices in SEO. He built an incredible business that focused on this service, walked away, and built SparkToro, an audience research software entity, which is moving in that same direction. He’s currently the Co-Founder and CEO of SparkToro and joins us to share interesting insights into his business journey, where he got things wrong, what he learned, and how he’s using those things in his current business, working each day to get business and life right. It’s not all about money, it’s about passion and finding your definition of success!In this episode:(3:51) – Rand talks about what he wanted to do when he grew up. (8:10) – Realizes he loves visual arts, but that’s not where his talent resides. (12:35) – Rand discusses why he was so passionate about SEO. (20:30) – Rand outlines the debt snowball his business was facing.(24:00) – Not all entrepreneurs have a safety net. (29:49) – Human and professional relationships are built on vulnerability. (34:32) – Advice to people looking to be tech entrepreneurs. (42:30) – Rand leaves Moz and suffers from depression.(47:20) – Balance in business and life, without assumptions driving you. (50:55) – Be brave enough to define success for yourself, on your terms. (52:20) – The importance of finding happiness in what you do.Our GuestRand Fishkin is the Co-Founder and CEO of SparkToro, the makers of fine audience research software. He’s dedicated his professional life to helping people do better marketing through his writing, videos, speaking, and his book, Lost and Founder. When Rand’s not working, he’s usually cooking a fancy meal for the love of his life, author Geraldine DeRuiter. If you bribe him with great pasta or fancy cocktails, he’ll pull back the curtain on big tech’s dark secrets.Resources and LinksHawke Mediahttps://www.linkedin.com/company/hawkemedia/https://www.instagram.com/hawkemedia/?hl=en https://hawkemedia.com/https://twitter.com/hawkemediahttps://www.facebook.com/hawkemedia/Rank Fishkinhttps://sparktoro.com/team/randhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/randfishkin/https://www.instagram.com/randderuiter/?hl=enhttps://twitter.com/randfish

During the early years, SEO was the gas that drove the Internet engine. If you wanted your website or your business to go anywhere, the only way it could move was with the proper SEO strategy. It’s not as important as it once was, but there was a time when keyword placement, rankings, taglines, and on and on, were all part of a successful online effort. They were essential and no one was more connected to those things and how to leverage them than today’s guest. Rand Fishkin is considered by most to be one of the pre-eminent voices in SEO. He built an incredible business that focused on this service, walked away, and built SparkToro, an audience research software entity, which is moving in that same direction. He’s currently the Co-Founder and CEO of SparkToro and joins us to share interesting insights into his business journey, where he got things wrong, what he learned, and how he’s using those things in his current business, working each day to get business and life right. It’s not all about money, it’s about passion and finding your definition of success!

Have you ever looked at someone living in a big home, driving a nice car, with a picket fence, perfect kids, and on and on? Everyone has done this a time or two and wondered how that person figured it all out. Well, here’s the truth of it all; they didn’t. They just learned a valuable lesson about focusing on the one area they were great at and making the most of it. That’s how they made it and, on the surface, at least, appear to be getting it all just right. Today's guest is Jon Levy, an incredible author and researcher delving into human behavior. He's renowned for his innovative work in understanding what drives human connection and success. Join us as Jon shares his struggles, triumphs, and invaluable insights, making him one of the most sought-after business minds globally. If connecting with others and personal growth are on your agenda, tune in for some powerful wisdom!In this episode:(6:16) – Jon details what he wanted to be when he grew up.(7:14) – Jon discusses his dyslexia and how he feared it would limit him in the corporate world. (12:00) – Life at New York University begins.(15:12) – After failing in startups, Jon goes corporate with applied sciences. (26:59) – Jon launches an experiential education public speaking agency. (32:12) – Jon writes a New York Times bestseller. (38:30) – Learn not to manage people but to manage outcomes. (45:40) – You don’t need to have it all figured out to be great.(46:00) – Most people are only good at one thing. (47:00) – No matter how successful, there’s still the worry about not fitting in. Our GuestJon Levy is a behavioral scientist and New York Times bestselling author known for his work on trust, human connection, belonging, and influence. Jon specializes in applying the latest research to transform the ways companies approach marketing, sales, consumer engagement, and culture. His clients range from Fortune 500 brands, like Microsoft, Google, AB-InBev, and Samsung, to startups. In his free time, Jon works on outrageous projects. Among them spending a year traveling to all 7 continents, or the world's greatest events (Grand Prix, Art Basel, Burning Man, Running of the Bulls, etc.) and barely surviving to tell the tale.Resources and LinksHawke Mediahttps://www.linkedin.com/company/hawkemedia/https://www.instagram.com/hawkemedia/?hl=en https://hawkemedia.com/https://twitter.com/hawkemediahttps://www.facebook.com/hawkemedia/Jon Levyhttps://www.jonlevy.com/http://www.linkedin.com/in/jonlevytlb http://www.instagram.com/jonlevytlb/?hl=enhttps://twitter.com/JonLevyTLB

Birth control is a hot-button issue in our nation. With politicians going back and forth trying to determine who has a right to a woman’s body, this appears to be an argument that will continue to rage on for many years to come. But here’s the thing: no matter what politicians decide, a woman still needs to have a clear understanding of what’s going on with her body.Our guest today is a woman who understands the importance of women and their bodies, especially as it relates to fertility and birth control. Elina Berglund is a renowned Particle Physicist, member of a Nobel Prize-winning team, and founder of Natural Cycles. Natural Cycles is an innovative fertility app with over 3 million users worldwide. Today, Elina will share her journey through science that led her down this powerful, life-changing path of entrepreneurship that is truly impacting women throughout the globe. In a world that tosses around the title innovator far too frequently, sit down and enjoy this conversation with a woman who has earned that esteemed moniker!In this episode:(2:04) – At the age of five, Elina knew she wanted to be a physicist. (4:16) – How Elina moved out of her comfort zone of only wanting to be a physicist. (4:34) – Elina always followed a passion, not a career.(11:31) – Transitioning into full-time entrepreneurship.(13:51) – The challenge of working in isolation. (18:12) – The company is growing with over 3 million current users. (18:35) – Elina discusses the current milestones the company is achieving. (21:06) – Advice from Elina about chasing your dreams. Our GuestElina Berglund is the Co-Founder of Natural Cycles, a fertility-tracking application that entered the market in 2013. A native of Sweden, Berglund, an engineering physicist, completed her PhD at CERN. It was there that she began searching for the elusive Higgs boson particle. In 2012, following the discovery of the Higgs boson and being part of the team awarded the Nobel Prize for that feat, Berglund started to focus on family life, and it was during that time that she began seeking alternative contraceptive pill options. She created a powerful algorithm, used to identify the fertile window in a woman’s cycle, which led to the path of entrepreneurship she is on today. To date, Natural Cycles is used by over 3 million people in over 200 countries, proving that Berglund is a true difference maker.Resources and LinksHawke Mediahttps://www.linkedin.com/company/hawkemedia/https://www.instagram.com/hawkemedia/?hl=en https://hawkemedia.com/https://twitter.com/hawkemediahttps://www.facebook.com/hawkemedia/Elina Berglundhttps://www.naturalcycles.com/https://www.instagram.com/elinascherwitzl/https://www.linkedin.com/in/elina-berglund-scherwitzl-43b68331/

Birth control is a hot-button issue in our nation. With politicians going back and forth trying to determine who has a right to a woman’s body, this appears to be an argument that will continue to rage on for many years to come. But here’s the thing: no matter what politicians decide, a woman still needs to have a clear understanding of what’s going on with her body. Because at the end of every single day, that body still belongs to her.Our guest today is a woman who understands the importance of women and their bodies, especially as it relates to fertility and birth control. Elina Berglund is a renowned Particle Physicist, member of a Nobel Prize-winning team, and founder of Natural Cycles. Natural Cycles is an innovative fertility app with over 3 million users worldwide. Today, Elina will share her journey through science that led her down this powerful, life-changing path of entrepreneurship that is truly impacting women throughout the globe. In a world that tosses around the title innovator far too frequently, sit down and enjoy this conversation with a woman who has earned that esteemed moniker!

Sports is woven into the fabric of American culture and no sport resonates more deeply than football. From Thursday to Monday, fans sit enraptured in front of television sets or fill large, raucous stadiums hoping to cheer their favorite team on to victory. Here’s the part that escapes the fans, before any of those games appear on television, stadiums are full, or games are won, a lot of business has to happen. Strategic business dealings and years of planning that yield desired results don’t just happen. It takes visionaries and leaders to bring it all together and make a team a success. Today, we're joined by Kevin Demoff, COO of the Los Angeles Rams, who brings firsthand insight into building a successful NFL franchise. His journey inspires us to pursue our dreams relentlessly. Tune in and get ready to step off the sidelines and into the game of life!In this episode(1:00) – Kevin discloses the unique way he learned how to read. (4:41) – Reality check comes for Kevin in college.(10:02) – The AOL Experience that opened his eyes. (12:06) – The leap of faith that leads to a life in football. (16:11) – Kevin chooses to go to business school and work for Tampa Bay. (20:00) – The Rams call and Kevin gets the itch to move again.(25:00) – Stan Kroenke purchases the Rams in 2009.(30:35) – The realities of why a sports franchise moves. (35:43) – Working hard to make the Los Angeles Rams one of the greatest sports brands in the world. (40:00) – The challenge of turning Los Angeles into a football market again. (44:44) – Your next job should scare you. If it doesn’t, it’s not worth the leap. (47:07) – The value of learning from your low points is discussed. Our GuestKevin Demoff is the Chief Operating Officer of the NFL team Los Angeles Rams. Since joining the team in 2009, Demoff has been responsible for re-organizing the club's business efforts with a focus on delivering a better overall experience for Rams fans and increasing the club's presence in the community. His tireless dedication to community engagement will continue to set the tone for the organization as it looks to become part of the fabric of the greater Los Angeles region.Resources and LinksHawke Mediahttps://www.linkedin.com/company/hawkemedia/https://www.instagram.com/hawkemedia/?hl=en https://hawkemedia.com/https://twitter.com/hawkemediahttps://www.facebook.com/hawkemedia/Kevin Demoffhttps://www.therams.com/team/front-office-roster/kevin-demoffhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-demoff-02a44631https://twitter.com/kdemoff?lang=en

Sports is woven into the fabric of American culture and no sport resonates more deeply than football. From Thursday to Monday, fans sit enraptured in front of television sets or fill large, raucous stadiums hoping to cheer their favorite team on to victory. Here’s the part that escapes the fans … before any of those games appear on television, stadiums are full, or games are won, a lot of business has to happen. Strategic business dealings and years of planning that yield desired results don’t just happen. It takes visionaries and leaders to bring it all together and make a team a success. Our guest today is a man who knows all about what it takes to build a successful NFL franchise. Kevin Demoff has built a career in the sport our nation loves by doing the hard work behind the scenes that makes Sundays a joy for so many. He’s the COO of the Los Angeles Rams and today, he stops by to share his incredible journey. It’s an incredible conversation that will inspire you to boldly pursue your dreams and make them … realities. Hey, if you’ve been standing on the sidelines of life, it’s time for you to get in the game. Listening to this episode will surely get you fired up and ready to give it, whatever it is, your all!

Horror, adventure, comedy, name any genre of movie or entertainment you can think of, and they’ll all take a backseat to a great spy thriller! From James Bond to Jason Bourne to Mission Impossible, on and on, there is nothing like sitting back and getting lost in a piece of work that centers on espionage and spies. The combination of storytelling, strategy, cat, and mouse and so many other elements make it a must-see for any entertainment enthusiast!Our guest today knows a little bit, make that a lot, about spying, espionage, and real-life thrills and dangers. Over the course of his illustrious 32-year career, Darrell M. Blocker has served his country well and, in the process, walked away as one of the most respected members of our nation’s military apparatus. Today he sits down to discuss his childhood, career in the armed forces, Black Hawk Down, and the hunting of notorious drug lord Manuel Noriega. This is one incredible conversation with an equally incredible man. If espionage, counterintelligence, or spying is your thing, this interview is definitely one you won’t want to miss!In This Episode: (1:00) – How being a middle child impacted Darrell.(2:47) – Not Black enough, not accepted by Whites. (4:24) – Darrell discusses how confidence played a role in his success. (8:13) – First experience with CIA people. (13:41) – Captain in USAF or moving to the CIA?(15:00) – Joins the CIA and reads every negative book he could find. (16:40) – Reveals his true identity to Peace for Kids. (21:30) – Manipulation is in all of us.(24:35) – It’s about trusting the person you bring in to be an asset.(29:21) – Arrives on the desk shortly before Black Hawk Down. (35:53) – Nigeria becomes a strong ally after 9/11.(39:12) – Using children as weapons was part of Al-Qaeda. (46:00) – Finding his path after 32 years of service. (48:03) – Most of his heroes are females.(49:20) – Business begins to gain traction. (52:14) – Balancing anger and ego.Our GuestDarrell Blocker is a 28-year veteran of the CIA’s Clandestine Service. A recipient of the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal, Darrell served multiple tours as a station chief, and was the most senior black Directorate of Operations officer when he retired in October 2018 with the rank equivalent to a three-star general.Resources and LinksHawke Mediahttps://www.linkedin.com/company/hawkemedia/https://www.instagram.com/hawkemedia/?hl=en https://hawkemedia.com/https://twitter.com/hawkemediahttps://www.facebook.com/hawkemedia/Darrell M. Blockerhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/darrell-m-blocker-3492a4bhttps://www.fpri.org/contributor/darrell-m-blocker/https://www.spyex.com/expert/darrell-blocker