Jared Elvidge is a young and energetic SEO and internet professional who lives in Saratoga Springs, Utah, along with his wife, Cory, and sons Riley, Sammy, Brock, and Brody.
Understanding that Jared has been an entrepreneurial spirit his entire life will explain a few of his activities!
When he was a kid, he sold greeting cards door to door to his neighbors so that he could purchase a 110 Kodak camera (which meant “110 film” for those who remember needing film in their cameras!).
As a young high school freshman in 1987, his local newspaper wrote about Jared, impressed with a screen printing business he ran out of his parents’ basement. This was followed by a custom airbrush design business that he began as a high school senior.
From 1993-1995, Jared volunteered full time as a missionary in Colombia, South America, an “amazing experience!” as he put it.
I asked Jared to expound a bit more on his background, which he did in an interview with me.
KATHY: Jared, can you tell our readers a little more about your professional background, and how you came to become involved so passionately in Internet Marketing?
JARED: Well, in 1999 I “accidentally” started a web design company. I designed and created my first website for my friend’s dad’s business, which led to several referrals, which then led to several more and before I knew it I had a web design business.
By 2003 I added search engine optimization services to what I was offering in my business – a website without traffic is pointless, and search engines are a monstrous source of traffic if a person knows how to go and get it!
KATHY: Jared, you mention that in 2004, a large and world-wide and well-known internet marketing company had taken notice of what you were doing. You said that they contracted you to speak at their internet marketing workshops around the world, to teach people your SEO and other business strategies. This is especially interesting to me, because I know this company very well – in fact, 3 of my own websites are hosted by them. And, they are the very people who introduced John and me to the world of internet marketing.
Tell us a little more about what this entailed.
JARED: These were one day workshops that averaged about 60-100 internet marketers and entrepreneurs at each event. Between 2004 and 2008 I spoke at over 300 of these events, spending alternating weeks out on the road speaking and then home running my business. During this time I really fell in love with helping others get the hang of all this online business stuff.
KATHY: Jared, all your entrepreneurial propensities aside, as a young man, you were shouldering quite a bit of responsibility. Whether it was running a business as a teenager, working as a missionary in South America, or teaching internet marketing and entrepreneurial strategies around the globe – there must have been SOMETHING within you that helped you define and develope your focus and work ethic at an early age. Can you tell us a little bit about that? 
JARED: Honestly, I don’t know if I’d really classify it as a good work ethic or ability to put aside distractions and focus… I think it’s more that I’ve always just really been driven by passion, to a fault even some times. If I feel a strong passion about something, I have a tendency to get completely wrapped up in it for a long time! I certainly wouldn’t have run my screen printing or airbrushing businesses as a kid if it had felt like work. I just loved art, and enjoyed the attention and money running the business provided, so I kept doing it.
I have always felt passionately about religion and service, so a 2 year volunteer church mission made sense. Luckily I’ve always been quite passionate about entrepreneurialism and business, which has worked out well. But I’ve also experienced long periods of time where my passions led me to focus on less productive activities. In the end, I feel life is to be enjoyed! I think it makes the most sense to find those things that you’re most passionate about and immerse yourself in them (assuming their healthy, legal passions of course).
KATHY: Before we move on to part 2, I just want to share the following video that will help our readers get to know you – this was VERY creative, and has spurred me on to also get involved more with video. Ok folks! Here’s Jared! (Continue with Part 2 below the video)
READ ON => PLEASE CONTINUE TO PART 2 – RESHUFFLING PRIORITIES