Many people feel an urge to read up on the shenanigans of the Kardashians; who in the blazes have they married now, “she wore WHAT?!” that kind of thing. But within the online marketing industry there is one man we have elevated to celebrity status, a man who we just want to sit down and have a coffee with, a man who (and I’m sure the female SEOs will agree) is really rather easy on the eye. That man is CEO and co-founder of SEOmoz Rand Fishkin. So to feed your need for nerdy heart-throb gossip, indulge in these 10 little known facts about the man himself.
#1 Rand Wanted To Be a Dog When He Grew Up
Yep, when Rand was asked as a child what he wanted to be when he grew up, his answer was to be a dog! When questioned by his parents about why that was his dream, he said it was because dogs are liked by all, are very loyal and also friendly! Too cute ey?
#2 He Has Never Owned a Car
With the money and status Rand has, you would think he could be seen cruising around in some top of the range motor; a Porsche maybe or a shiny 4×4 perhaps. Nope. Rand bought himself a scooter back in 2008 and this is only mode of transport he has ever owned.
#3 He’s Quite the Art Connoisseur
When he’s not busying himself with shooting Whiteboard Friday and other work commitments, Rand indulges in his passion for 19th and 20th century art, in particular the works of Homer and Seurat.
#4 “Fishkin” is Not Actually His Family Name
His Great-Grandfather immigrated to America and upon arrival to Ellis Island his name was changed to his employer’s name, which was Fishkin (there are lots of conflicting opinions surrounding Ellis Island name changing).
#5 He Proposed To His Girlfriend Via My Super Proposal
When he decided he was going to pop the question, he didn’t just book a table at a nice restaurant and get down on one knee; he went all out. He bought an advert (or commercial, if you like) and used this to propose to Geraldine during her favourite programme. Good job she didn’t decide to stick the kettle on in the break.
#6 His Wife is Just a Little Bit Awesome
Ladies, (and some men I would assume) it’s a bitter pill to swallow just to learn that Rand is off the market, but what really sticks in your throat is the fact that the woman is unquestionably cooler than we will ever be. Geraldine travels the world with Rand and documents her journey on her blog everywhereist.com. Read a couple of her posts and you will soon realise that she is incredibly witty and a brilliant writer. Last year, she spoke openly about being diagnosed with a brain tumour, which she named Steve.
#7 He’s a University Drop Out
Rand attended the University of Washington in Seattle from 1997 to 2001 but failed to graduate because he chose to drop out and work for his mother’s PR Company and quickly started to set up SEOmoz instead. Hmm, yeah he probably made the right decision!
#8 He Has a Penchant for Yellow Shoes
If you have ever been to an event where Rand has been speaking, you will probably have noticed his yellow shoes. When asked about it he says they are his personal fashion trademark, worn to help make him easily identifiable because techy people are rubbish with faces. He is always on the lookout for Yellow Puma shoes as he is now down to his last pair and they have been discontinued!
#9 He Shaved Off His Beloved Beard for Movember
Rand joined many other guys (and girls) in the SEOmoz team and took part in Movember to raise money for vital men’s health issues including prostate and testicular cancer. Collectively, the Moz team rose over $4,000! Rand also supports a range of other charities including See Your Impact and Vittana.
#10 He Made It Onto The PSBJ 40 Under 40 List
Puget Sound Business Journal named Rand as one of their 40 under 40 and he also made it onto Business Week’s 30 best tech entrepreneurs under 30 list a few years back.
There we go; 10 facts about Rand Fishkin. It would be much more salacious to have uncovered a little dirt on the guy but alas, he seems like an all-round good egg. Let’s hope success goes to his head soon and we can all revel in reading about a diva strop at some convention where the end result is the hurling of a yellow shoe at an unsuspecting runner.
