I met Bill at SMX, I was relatively new on the speaker circuit and he was onstage adored by SEO fanboys, it was Chicago 2012 - at least I think it was. Just let's say we're both getting old and it's tougher to remember. I do remember meeting up at a few more SMX conferences over the years... was always good to catch up.

We kept in touch and I hired GoFish Digital - Bill's company - for a few successful projects once I went client-side and planned to meet up now we were both in Virginia. Fast forward and Bill is 410 to California.

Undeterred, I tracked him down (I don't like to use the word 'stalk') to the Sunshine State on a work trip and we shared a cuppa and chocolate something in a little cafe in Carlsbad where we chatted search and a bit of life, but mostly about the chocolate something.

So how did Bill help me - apart from adding a few inches on my waistline?

He always called me on my assumptions & hypotheses when I spouted either without proof, agreed with me when I wasn't wrong, and generally kept me informed through his patent analysis and gentle nudges towards GoFish articles.

Bottom line he's both a scholar and a gentleman. Cheers and get well soon Bill.

pic: we also shared a site clinic session where I looked confused and he kept texting me :-)