Brad's new job at Clearlink

Brad switched jobs a few weeks ago. Now he works at Clearlink instead of SEO.com. He is a SEO technician (I think that's what he's called now). He was a SEO Senior at SEO.com. For those of you that don't know what SEO is (I know I didn't), basically they do all they can to get company websites on the first page of Google and other search engines. It stands for Search Engine Optimization. There is an amazingly huge amount to learn and do for this job. I actually got a contract job there once and went in for a few hours to learn just a small amount of what they do and my brain was pretty fried. Brad worked at SEO.com for about 2 1/2 years. He went in knowing nothing and became a Senior there where he had a team that he gave tasks to, and made sure they got them all done and done right. He ended up learning how to build websites and made his own website called MMAshortsandgloves.com. He loves that MMA stuff (Mixed Martial Arts) I don't care for it, but lots of people are really into it. He had links on his website to places that sold MMA stuff, and was making some money off of that. He spent a lot of time optimizing that and it was on the first page of google for a few different search terms. He ended up selling that website, and now has a company that sponsors different MMA fighters called Gladiator Fight Wear. He's made their walkout shirts and tshirts, hoodies, beanies, and hats. His website is gladiatorfightwear.com If you go to MMA gear, you can see some stuff that he's had designed and made and is selling now. They've been vendors at some different fights which has taken them to Las Vegas a few times. I have dreams of Gladiator Fight Wear being the next Tapout. Look around next time you're out and I'll bet you see a bunch of Tapout shirts, stickers, and hats. But it's a lot of work, time, and energy for Brad. And money.
So Brad felt like he wasn't going to really go anywhere with SEO.com, so he started looking around for other places. He had a couple interviews with Clearlink before our cruise, and then got the job offer while we were in Florida on vacation. The one big downfall to this job is that it is out by the SLC airport--further than his SEO.com job in Bluffdale. It takes 1 or 2 hours to get there and to get back, depending on traffic, weather, and construction (Stupid never ending construction in Utah!) The commute really stresses him out. There are a whole bunch of good things, though. This company seems to have more money than they know what to do with. What they do is kind of confusing, but basically Brad is doing the SEO work for the local Verizon Wireless part of Clearlink. He optimizes the site and gets traffic to it. He's excited to have been assigned Verizon Wireless and he can basically do what he wants and what he thinks needs to be done.
Perks of the job: There are 2 company trips each year. One to Las Vegas and one to Mexico. All expense paid for the entire company and they look like fun! Somebody just got back from a trip that he won. The guy who won it got to choose his dream vacation--anywhere in the world that he wanted to go for a week. So he and his wife went to the Galapagos Islands for a week. Nice! I think we'd have to go to New Zealand. After Brad has worked there for a year, they pay 100% of our insurance premiums. Every day for the entire ski season (Which started 2 days ago!!) they will pick one person and give them a paid day off and 5 lift passes to any resort they want to go to and can take whoever they want--up to 5 people for free. This one got me really excited!! They bring in good food for lunch a lot like Cafe Rio (this one got Brad really excited!) and they take people out to lunch all the time. They have 2 company cars. One is a Cadillac Escalade that is way nice, which they took Brad out to lunch to Squatters in last week. I guess it has steps that automatically unfold when you open the door and automatically fold back up. The other car is a Porsche and that is for the employee of the month to drive. They seem very laid back. Like as long as Brad gets all his work done, they don't care if he does 40 hours a week, and he can go into the office any time during the day. Too bad my work schedule leaves him less flexible or he could go at random, odd hours and miss rush hour traffic. They do lots of different fun things at work. They are doing Movember and handing out prizes at the end of the month. Good ones. They just had a trip where they took a private jet to Vegas and stayed at some nice new hotel on the strip. They also just had an Ipad bingo game. And Cafe Rio and Happy Hour. Yes, Happy Hour. Anyway....I kind of wish I could work there for all the perks!

I am very proud of Brad and how he's done professionally. He was in college in Scotland for one year for computers and then in the Royal Navy for 4 years, so there was not much he could do in Utah with that. When we first moved here, he did the pre-concrete work, which my friend Dave calls the "job appreciation job" It makes you appreciate any other job you've ever had, no matter how bad. Then he was a used car salesman, and then worked at the call center for myfamily.com. Then Seo.com, and now ClearLink. He's probably making more than I could ever make getting a job with my Bachelors of Science degree that took me 6 years to get. That's how long we've lived here. Way to go, Brad!!