Blogging My Life...
All I can say is thank god. Mike Grehan, someone I have always deeply respected and looked up to, have made a bold move. He has formally resigned from MarketSmart Interactive (AKA WebSourced).
Now that I have a place where I can speak frankly, I will - to some extent.
I was honestly shocked and sad when I heard Mike joined WebSourced. But I did not state so there. Soon after Andy left WebSourced and it worried me even more. Since Mike and Andy were pretty good buddies, I had to think - something was up.
Heather is still there, I believe and also a good guy, Garrett French. When will they leave? I don't know. The reputation MarketSmart I. has rubs off on those who work there. Mike leaving, doesn't help them much. 22 comments in a post on my personal blog doesn't do much for them either.
Mike, I know this must have been a hard situation. But you know you can count on us in the community you helped build. If you need anything, we are here for you.
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Comments
Heather left a while ago, according to Greg
http://conferences.webguerrilla.com/back-from-vegas/
Posted by: aaron wall | August 3, 2006 10:44 PM
Wow, that is a relief. Thanks Aaron!
Posted by: Barry Schwartz | August 3, 2006 10:48 PM
Looks like the big guns have moved from the ship. What sort of marketing power does WS have left?
Posted by: Brian Turner | August 4, 2006 6:39 AM
Unfortunately, they have plenty of marketing power. Do you think any average Joe who wants top rankings knows about Mike or Andy? Of course, they are awesome to have to pitch a fortune 500.
But it is more important that they are the "largest" SEM company then having Mike around to pitch these companies.
It is unfortunate, but that is how I see it.
Posted by: Barry Schwartz | August 4, 2006 7:01 AM
This was definitely coming to MarketSmart Interactive (aka Websourced), a bogus company of hucksters whose MO is to $crew unsuspecting companies out of their cash for NON - EXISTANT "SEO campaigns" and some crude boilerplate web design.
These guys are gr$$dy scum and I'm happy to see a straight shooter and pro like Mike G. bail out before his good name is forever tarnished by this farce knows as MarketSmart Interactive.
My company was unfortunately contracted with these jokers from 2003 - 2004. One of the worst and most costly experiences of our Internet existence in more ways than one.
Each and every one of my company's experiences with MarketSmart Interactive's (aka Websourced, Pro-Ranking, CGI holdings, Cherish, KeyWordRanking, and all their other "subsidiary" websites LOL!!!) cast of characters,... from our dealings with Pat Martin, Jeff Martin, Tom Dwyer, Mark Shurtman...all the way down to Jennifer Lumer and Leigh Garner...were unfortunate attempts to extract money from us every which way and at every turn for unfullfiled promises and non-existent SEO work.
By the time we realized the extent of how we were being shafted by KeywordRanking.com we were already out of thousands of dollars and 2years of Search Engine life lost.
Andy Beal and Mike Grehan (2 of the good guys) saw the greed for $$ (based on your initial "success" with bilking small businesses into long term contractual agreements with your bolier plate solutions) that had completely blinded the company, and decided it was time to jump ship and bail out before their reputations in the SEO industry would become tarnished as a result of the Websourced/MarketSmart Interactive farce.
Posted by: Judah | August 10, 2006 3:37 PM