Over the years, I have watched lots of things change. And, I have also been fortunate to grow a great career, work with and meet some of the most amazing people ever, and be part of an industry that I value dearly.
None of that will change.
But some things will…
We Are Moving to Israel
Since my wife and I met nearly 6 years ago, we knew that this was a life dream we had and wanted to fulfill together. A vision for how we wanted to raise our children and develop our future generations together.
So we are doing it.
It feels good to finally talk about it. I have been passively telling people about this for months, but have been living with this secret for a while.
But I want to reiterate that nothing is going to change. Really. Nothing. In SEO terminology, think of this as a 301 redirect on my physical location. Same thing in a different place (yes, I just geeked that).
Let me answer a few question that some people might have.
Where Will You Live?
We are moving to a community called Zayit (translated as Olive) which is located in Efrat.
This area in gorgeous. Everywhere you look has an unbelievable view. Its absolutely stunning.
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Why Now?
This is the million dollar question. Like I said above, this has been our dream. When we got married 6 years ago, we gave ourselves 5 years to make this happen. Our kids are growing up to be incredible little people.
We don’t view moving there as a “drop everything and do whatever the hell you want” move. It’s a life challenge for sure, but I hope and pray that this opportunity will not only keep my kids on the same “being amazing human beings” life track but help them become more passionate and devout in what they believe. We view this as a gift that we are able to give them.
Right now we are both doing fantastic in our careers, which are both very transferable to life in Israel. My wife is a nurse and they need those everywhere. I do internet marketing so I can pretty much work from my couch and never move :).
So Where Will You Work?
Working from my couch at home long term would interest me for about :25 seconds. I am actually really excited to be joining a start up digital agency based in Jerusalem called Kahena Digital Marketing. There, I will be the Director of SEO, performing many of the same functions that I am now, among many more.
If anything, this keeps me even closer into the industry than before! Over the past number of months, I have gotten to know the team and I have to be honest, they pretty much rock! I know you will all be hearing more about Kahena in the future so for now, stay tuned. We won’t disappoint!
And, if any of my marketing friends ever come to visit Jerusalem, you have my promise that you get a personalized tour guide to show you around, have a good time, and a great office at the JVP Media Quarter to sit and work in if you need. JVP is home to Israel’s leading venture capital firm, and also 5 minutes from the old city of Jerusalem … Hard to pass up, right 🙂
Will We Still See You Around?
For sure online. My presence at US based conferences, for the first year, will likely be a little lower than it used to be since I really need to make sure my families adjustment is as smooth as possible. But I know that as I help grow Kahena, I will be making trips to the US a few times a year for clients and conferences. So distance for travel shouldn’t be too much of a problem. In fact, I think being in Israel keeps me somewhat more central in the world, which will bring opportunities beyond the USA. And, not to mention that Israel has a few great ones as well, including SMX Israel, TedX and my company even puts on KahenaCon which promises to be amazing if its anything like last year.
This is NOT Goodbye
I really mean that, and I hope no one thinks of it that way. My face will be popping up the same amount that it used to, and I will keep in touch with everyone the same (this is why I love the Internet so much).
Speak to you all very soon, see you on the interwebs, and keep on doing what you love, because I want to hear about it soon.
And when you come to Israel, look me up so we can get a falafel together!
