Social Media, SEO and Internet Marketing Consultant | Palatine, IL

Finding My Muse: Palatine Social Media

May15
2012 Leave a Comment Written by John Garvens

It’s official. On May 8, 2012, I decided to take the leap and start my own business–Palatine Social Media.

Palatine Social Media is an Internet marketing company in Palatine, IL and specializes in social media marketing and search engine optimization (SEO). We help you generate leads and grow your business using a combination of Internet marketing strategies.

Why social media and SEO? Because I’m really good at it.

Since I began working at FLO MMA in December, I doubled our number of followers on social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and improved our Google search rankings for a slew of new keywords. This led to a dramatic increase in the amount of traffic to the FLO MMA website.

Not long after that, a few friends of mine asked me to help them build their online presence. It didn’t take long to figure out that this might be a good business idea. After all, I’ve been wanting to start my own business for quite some time. Now, I have an idea that I know will work.

Business owners know that they need to start using social media, optimize their website using SEO and creates a sales funnel that generates leads for them. But they don’t know how to do it. I do.

Only time will tell if this business venture will be successful. But I’m incredibly optimistic about the future.

Palatine Social Media. Get Social.

Posted in Palatine Social Media

NAGA 2012 Chicago Grappling Championships

Apr27
2012 Leave a Comment Written by John Garvens

On April 21, 2012, I competed  in the NAGA 2012 Chicago Grappling Championships at Chicago State University and took second place in my division. Check out my fight videos!

Posted in Uncategorized

Michael Ellsberg Contest: My Results

Dec27
2011 Leave a Comment Written by John Garvens

Three months ago, I worked as a team member at Whole Foods Market. For a retail gig, the job wasn’t terrible, but I wasn’t happy. Don’t get me wrong, Whole Foods Market is a great company, and I admire John Mackey a great deal. But the job just wasn’t for me.

After reading Michael Ellsberg‘s latest book, The Education of Millionaires, my views changed. I decided to stop making excuses about why I couldn’t have an awesome career and took action to change the things about my career that I didn’t like. Within a matter of months, I changed everything. Now, I have an awesome (and unexpected) career doing something that I absolutely love. And it feels amazing!

What am I doing?

I am the manager of FLO MMA–a martial arts gym and fitness center in Palatine, IL. In a nutshell, I run the show–sales, marketing, maintenance, inventory, etc.

Basically, it’s the best job I’ve ever had. And I can’t wait to see where it takes me!

Posted in Networking

Book Review: The Education of Millionaires by Michael Ellsberg

Oct23
2011 1 Comment Written by John Garvens

Last week, I finished reading Michael Ellsberg‘s newest book–The Education of Millionaires: It’s Not What You Think and It’s Not Too Late.

I have to say that it was one of the best books that I’ve read in a very long time. Most of the lessons contained within the book either validated what I already believed or altered my perception to see things in a new way. While it had a tendency to get a bit “preachy” from time to time, I thought that it was definitely a worthwhile read. In fact, I plan on using it as a reference as I start my own business.

Ellsberg starts his book with a healthy dose of honesty.

You’ve been fed a lie. The lie is that if you study hard in school, get good grades, get into a good college, and get a degree, then your success in life is guaranteed.

This might have been true fifty years ago. But it is no longer true today.

If you want to succeed now, then you must also educate yourself in the real-world skills, capabilities, and mind-sets that will et you ahead outside of the classroom. This is true whether you’ve been to college or not.

Following the introduction, Ellsberg treats each chapter as an individual “course” in how to develop the seven success skills:

  • How to Make Your Work Meaningful and Your Meaning Work
  • How to Find Great Mentors and Teachers, Connect with Powerful and Influential People, and Build a World-Class Network
  • What Every Successful Person Needs to Know About Marketing, and How to Teach Yourself
  • What Every Successful Person Needs to Know about Sales, and How to Teach Yourself
  • How to Invest for Success
  • Build the Brand of You
  • The Entrepreneurial Mind-set versus the Employee Mind-set: Become the Author of Your Own Life

Ellsberg argues that if a person possesses these seven skills that there is little that can stand in their way on the road to success. And while few go on to become millionaires/billionaires, you will find that it is not impossibly difficult (or risky) to start your own business.

Posted in Book Reviews

My Harajuku Moment

Oct10
2011 Leave a Comment Written by John Garvens

As my friends already know, I read–a lot.

Books, magazines, blogs, newsletters, etc. It doesn’t really matter what it is. I just love to read. But recently, I read an article that struck a chord with me and resonated in an incredibly powerful way. Tim Ferriss would call this my “Harajuku Moment” which he defines as “an epiphany that turns a nice-to-have into a must-have.” For me, it was an article written for Tim’s website by author Michael Ellsberg.

The article? 8 Steps to Getting What You Want… Without Formal Credentials. In the article, Ellsberg discusses how to sidestep formal credentials, resumes and the standard job search in order to “create your own damn credentials” and “create your own damn job.” His advice flies in the face of career counselors who insist that resumes, cover letters and more “education” will help you get your dream job.

At the end of the article, he announces a contest: The person demonstrating the highest-quality results by December 29, 2011 will win six months of private, 1-on-1, free coaching from Ellsberg himself. Not a bad deal if you ask me. And anyone who knows me knows that I can’t resist a challenge. That said, I accept Ellsberg’s challenge.

I intend to win.

Like I said, the article is great. In fact, I liked the article so much that I bought his book–The Education of Millionaires: It’s Not What You Think, and It’s Not Too Late. In a word, the book is amazing. It punches conventional wisdom in the face and debunks common myths surrounding sales, marketing and entrepreneurship. It will make you rethink your career: what it means and where it’s going.

Read the book. Seriously. It’ll change your life.

Posted in Entrepreneurship