Small Company. Big People.
Most agencies bring out the big leaguers to ooh and aah you with their pitch. Then they bring in a team full of little leaguers to manage your account. We’re different. We don’t hire rookies. Your account, big or small, will get the attention of our founders and the expert cast of online marketing rockstars we employ.
Dan Golden – Founder
Dan has been in the local search business since “local search” was a business. After a brief stint as a touring musician, Dan founded Be Found Local in 2004 to address the need for a holistic approach to multi-local online marketing. In 2009, he joined forces with long time partner and fellow Northwestern University graduate Steve Krull to form Be Found Online.
A seasoned veteran in the search marketing industry, Dan managed a search marketing team at DoubleClick Performics and had a stint at Google before leaving to start Be Found Local (now Be Found Online) full time. Dan has overseen hundreds of millions of dollars in search marketing spend for marketers like Toyota, Lexus, Cabela’s, FTD and Northern Tool and loves providing this same level of expertise for clients at Be Found Online.
Steve Krull – Founder
Steve founded The Krull Group in 2006 after several years of managing web sites and search marketing campaigns for ConsumerGuide.com and HowStuffWorks.com. Today at Be Found Online, Steve and the team manage search marketing, SEO and reputation management programs for a variety of business to business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) clients. A Chicago native, Steve lives in the city with his wife and kids and is an avid Cubs fan and Little League coach.
Jeannine East
VP Clientology
Jeannine has been immersed in the Internet Marketing industry since 1999. She has worked as a paid search manager, search engine optimization professional, partnership manager, strategist, and technical writer. She’s graced the offices of PrairieWeb Internet Marketing, LocalLaunch, and OrangeSoda before she joined BFO in 2010. A Jill-of-All-Trades at Be Found Online, Jeannine supports sales efforts by writing and editing proposals, presentations, and website content; and is overseeing the growth of BFO’s partnership initiative. She has a BA in English and a Technical Writing Graduate Certificate from Northern Illinois University. When she’s not working, Jeannine is reading, crocheting or trekking with her Girl Scout troop across the Illinois wilderness.
Joshua Barwa
Account Director, Search
Joshua has been involved in a variety of search marketing programs since he began his career as an Account Executive at Position Technologies, Inc. from 2003-2010. Specializing in account management and search strategies, Joshua has helped hundreds of companies find success through search marketing. Joshua’s experience with search-based marketing programs include: Paid Search, Paid Inclusion, Display Media, Local Search & Shopping Feeds. During his career, Joshua has had the pleasure of working with more than 400 clients, including: Staples, Jos. A. Bank, Ugg Australia, Orvis, Nationwide Insurance, Chili’s, See’s Candies, Inc., Cricket Mobile, and The Home Depot.
Ted Miin
Account Manager, Paid Search
Ted entered the Internet marketing world in 2006 when he trained in Google AdWords through the Google online certification program. He operated as an independent consultant, managing small business accounts in southeast Michigan. An entrepreneur at heart with ambitions to fry bigger fish, Ted relocated to Chicago in pursuit of opportunities with strong Internet marketing teams. After a few years of honing his paid search skills with the continually evolving industry, Ted connected with Be Found Online and joined their SEM team in 2011.
In his free time, Ted plays with the Chicago City-Wide Symphony Orchestra, is an avid movie-watcher, and (tries to) maintain a fitness regimen. He enjoys cooking improvisational Chinese dishes, and his favorite dish is Thai basil chicken.
Andrew Mast
Search Marketing Analyst
Andrew Mast is a graduate of Northern Illinois University’s School of Business. Before joining BFO, Andrew helped local clients at RH Donnelly improve their business ranking on the search engines, and he brings his local search expertise to Be Found Online. A Certified Google Adwords Professional, Andrew oversees local search and product feed distribution for BFO clients while managing select paid search campaigns for Google Grant recipients. Andrew lives in DeKalb, IL and puts 146 miles on his car every time he drives to the office.
In his spare time Andrew builds and airbrushes custom bean bag games.
Josh Sager
Facebook Advertising Luminary
An experienced digital and social marketer, Josh managed and optimized search marketing programs for large retails accounts at Performics. With subsequent freelance gigs in search, Facebook, and LinkedIn, he is well poised to design, launch and fine tune targeted Facebook advertising campaigns in line with client goals. Josh loves learning how consumers behave by analyzing their response to message content and delivery, then using that information to maximize results.
Herbert Mwanda
Search Marketing Analyst
Herbert’s interest in technology started in high school leading to me pursuing an undergraduate Computer Science degree in the “good old” days…programming in Pascal, the first versions of Visual Basic and C++. After college, fate landed Herbert in corporate sales and marketing at a leading alcoholic beverage manufacturer (East African Breweries Ltd). The online bug hit him after a couple of years doing outside sales and marketing and managing distributors in designated territories. Consumer adoption of technology to shop and purchase online encouraged Herbert to further pursue online marketing. Herbert says online marketing “is more accountable due to tracking abilities compared to “blind” outside sales. At least now I can see where I hit most, my conversions, track results and optimize!”
Dan Reno
Technical SEO Director & Analytics “Machino”
Dan, sometimes known as seoDR (online), “The DR” or “Machino,” started in Internet Marketing at the ripe age of 18 years old and has been loving it ever since. He originally started in paid search for a small group of Ecommerce websites selling Poker Supplies and Mini Scooters. He shortly thereafter expanded into organic search (SEO) and was later acquired by AmericanEagle.com; a leading suburban Chicago web development company. Dan was the team lead for AmericanEagle.com’s SEM department and was in charge of SEO, PPC and Analytics for a wide array of clients.
After that, Dan took a position as SEO Analyst at Netconcepts, where he was responsible for managing both SEO consulting engagements and programs. Upon looking to return to “sweet home Chicago,” Dan found Be Found Online. The rest, as they say, is history. He is now the resident Google Analytics specialist here at BFO and member of the SEO team. In his Internet Marketing tenure, Dan has worked with many great clients including, but not limited to: Stuart Weitzman, Donald J. Pliner, Chicago Bears, Fence Center, Pin Mart, O’Reilly Media, Cushman’s Honeybell, Cabela’s and The Palms.
Dan’s passions include spending time with his lovely fiancé, watching movies, drinking craft brew, shooting pool, website development and a few things much more embarrassing than those previously mentioned. If he won the lottery, Dan would go back to school for either Software Engineering or Film (yes, you read that correctly).
Chris Campbell
SEO Specialist
Chris is a creative, resourceful, and driven digital marketing strategist. He enjoys directing innovative strategies in Internet marketing and SEO by putting his leadership skills and strong entrepreneurial experience to use. A random fact is that he actually has two nicknames, Porkchop and the Hurricane. His dislikes are Internet Explorer 6-9.
Dianna Kersey
SEOlogist
Dianna is Be Found Online’s Rocky Mountain virtual commuter. She maintains SEO clients from the beautiful state of Montana. “Have Internet, will work” is Dianna’s motto and it allows her to raise a family, grow an organic garden and support local sustainable living in rural America.
Dianna has been an online affiliate marketer for over nine years and became a CIW certified webmaster in 2007. An avid student of SEO, she immersed herself in the ever changing organic world of search engines. Dianna stays ahead of the competition by working closely with Google, Yahoo, BING, Yandex & Baidu on current local, mobile and international search engine algorithm trends. She has enjoyed SEO work with Morrison Foods, Aquafina Pepsico, KFC, InterCall, Oragenics, Adecco, BodyLogic MD, Global Medical Sales, The Palms, Arizona Tile and many, many more.
In her spare time, Dianna and her husband Wade raise a beautiful little girl on an 80-acre horse ranch. When she’s not shoveling snow or horse stalls, she is renovating their 108 year old home, making wine and writing an urban fantasy trilogy series.
Eric Erlebacher
SEO Analyst
Eric recently moved to the area from Upstate New York. He has an eclectic background in all things web: ranging from Design to Development, SEO to Social Media; he loves making clients happy with their online presence – whatever that may require. He is passionate about digging deep into the data and providing a clear understanding of how to make sites better for visitors and clients alike. His past jobs include working in Web Design and SEO and is thrilled to now be a part of the BFO team. When Eric isn’t behind the blue glow of his computer screen, he’s found hanging out with his dog – Duke the Boxer, reading, exploring the outdoors, or crushing the competition in trivia.
Steve Kozma
Search Marketing Analyst
Steve earned his B.A. in Classical Languages from the University of Iowa with a double minor in Physics and Astronomy, currently on course to attain an M.A.T. in Latin. Steve started at Be Found Online in a temporary summer position and found out that he enjoyed the company and Internet Marketing so much that he joined the team full time. Now our Competitive and Search Trend Analysis expert, he helps BFO clients outperform their competition. Steve says, “Working in SEO and PPC has been quite an experience and I have learned more about the industry than I could have ever imagined. Be Found Online definitely has the best atmosphere of any work place I have been in.”
Theron Lalla
Project Manager / Dr. Project
“Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!”
Theron is the ologist behind our ologists, splitting his time between project management and operations development. Prior to joining the team, Theron spent his career developing his skills in SEM client services and CPG product development for Fortune 100 clients, marketing consulting for the AMA and a couple of rock bands, and in the education world as a teacher and personal trainer/coach – a background that has made him uniquely able to observe, diagnose, and challenge our processes from several different perspectives. His goal is to make sure that the Beefer runs like a well-oiled machine.
Additionally, Theron is voracious autodidact with particular interests in cognitive science, data communications, complex Excel formulas & dashboards, software tech, and lifehacking. He spends his free time training in MMA, learning to breakdance, writing fiction, reading, learning to sing, searching for great comedians, learning to cook, and making fun of people who watch Jersey Shore. He also considers it a personal success that all of the teenagers he once taught how to drum – from reading music and holding a drumstick to playing at corps-level technical ability and chops – went on to become professional marching percussionists.
Anand Pillai
People Director
Anand has been working with Be Found Online since 2006. Anand serves as BFO’s de-facto recruitment director, handling staffing strategy and recruitment for the firm. Anand also has subject specific experience in project managing search campaigns and serving as a bridge between BFO’s technical teams and some key client relationships.
Having sharpened his analytical skills with an engineering and management degree from Northwestern University, Anand has a breadth of work experience with over 15 companies in the management consulting, advertising, non-profit and Web 2.0 startup worlds. Some of the clients Anand has worked with across his career include Schlumberger, Maquarie Bank, GlaxoSmithKline, the Prime Minister’s Office of Malaysia and Chicago’s America Second Harvest. Anand tries to find time outside of his ‘career’ to do as much yoga, hiking, and early morning conference calls as one could humanly fit into a day’s work.
Nina Mancuso
Contentologist
Nina is our content and blog writer straight out of NIU. She received two bachelor’s degrees: English with an emphasis in Technical Writing, and Anthropology with an emphasis in Archaeology. She is a member of the national organization STC, the Society for Technical Communication and was active in the STC-NIU student chapter for two years. In her final year of college, she was Vice President of STC-NIU, as well as a founding member of SACLO (Student Advisory Council on Learning Outcomes) and the Undergraduate Representative for the First-Year Composition Committee. When she is not writing for us, she enjoys reading novels, participating in Fantasy Football, and writing poems, songs, and short stories in her journals.
Robyn McCleary
Account Director
Robyn McCleary is a graduate from Northern Michigan University with a degree in marketing who loves her Venti White Mocha first thing in the morning. She played soccer in college and continues her love of the game out here in Chicago. She has the most precious dog on the face of the earth, a golden retriever named Indiana Jones. When she is not managing several accounts and has some vacation time, she loves to go to the Upper Peninsula to snowboard and camp.
Jackie Weber
Social and Reputation Management Analyst
Jackie has a keen understanding of what’s being said online and the impact it could have on your bottom line. She provides insights into conversation tones and social customer service that can stop potential problems before they have an impact. “Twitter Geek” is a badge she wears with honor. Before joining our team she was the account manager for several national and international clients helping them to develop and succeeding their content marketing plan. In her spare time you can find Jackie and her adorable puppy, Daisy, enjoying the Florida sunshine.
Heather Williams
Account Services Specialist
With a background in Social Media, Project Management and Customer Service, Heather brings her well-rounded social savvy and sass to the BFO team. Working for a development company previous to BFO, Heather helps put client projects in perspective from a technical aspect; from helping with building a social strategy to building tailored monthly reports for clients. Heather takes pride in being very organized and driven as well as working with the BFO team to make our clients happy.
When not found at the office, you can find Heather baking up a storm or running a muck, (literally) around the city of Chicago with her running buddies, whether on the Lake Front Path or in a race. Likes: Playing sports and singing. Dislikes: Mean people and being bored.
Natalie Sowards
Digital Strategist
Natalie Sowards is a senior marketer with experience across all digital marketing elements including paid search, search engine optimization, social media strategy, and custom research. Natalie started her career in marketing at an engineering firm and moved on to work in sales & marketing at Google. After 7 years at Google, Natalie started her own online marketing business to assist small and medium sized businesses grow their business. She joined Be Found Online in 2011 as a Digital Strategist. She enjoys traveling, cooking, and watching college basketball in her free time.