Inspiration

Where does the inspiration to teach well come from? How and why do we teachers keep going at a time in Ontario when we are so often depicted as public enemy number one? What is the motivation when funding for kids is considered such low priority, and testing them such a high one? The answer is quite simple. We know we make a difference. We know we are called to make a difference. Sure, the academics are important, but in the years after the children leave our classrooms, they won’t remember the Cs or the Bs. What they’ll remember is whether they felt loved in our classroom, whether they felt safe, and whether they felt God.

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And that can make all the difference in the world. In 1986, I was 22 years old, immortal, and out to discover the world. I had just completed the first year of a two-year volunteer contract to teach mathematics in Africa. I was posted to an impoverished boarding school in Malawi, a sliver of a country in Central Africa, with another Canadian teacher for a roommate. Unlike my roommate Janet, I was a novice teacher, still feeling my way through lessons, spending long hot nights planning and grading, while I listened to distant drums and nearby crickets.

My job was fulfilling despite the overcrowded classrooms and 1920s British textbooks and by the end of the first year I was beginning to realize that job satisfaction was dependant on a lot more than my student s academic successes. Besides the new experiences in my community, the opportunities to travel were fantastic. It was near the end of one particular trip that I learned how important one teacher s influence can be. On this occasion Janet and I had been visiting the fabled Victoria Falls that Livingstone had so loved.

We had been lucky enough to hook up at the end of our trip with some young American missionaries who were driving their new pick-up truck back from South Africa to their Malawian mission. They were in a hurry to get back as one of their number had just come down with malaria, and they were eager to have as big a company as possible. I was worried about accepting a lift in a vehicle with South African license plates. This was, after all, still the apartheid years, and Zambia had been bombed by the South African air force less than six months before our trip. I was afraid that the soldiers that manned the many roadblocks on our route might not. Give us the chance to explain that none of us were actually from South Africa before they reacted. But there were going to be risks whether we accepted the lift or rode along the twisting pot-holed road in one of the Zambian buses whose undercarriage was held together by chicken wire.

Janet and I had already decided that avoiding adventure was neither possible nor always desirable. Nevertheless, I tensed every time we came to one of the many military roadblocks that lined our route. At first all went well at the various stops. In the heat of an African afternoon, the soldiers were happy to do no more than a quick check of our apers and vehicle before retiring to the shade. We were actually beginning to enjoy the breathtaking views of the distant mountains, and close to the road, the sight of brilliant scarlet-leaved trees announcing a rainy season soon to come. Janet and I sat in the back of the pick-up for the entire journey and the breeze kept us cool as we covered our heads in the local cloth, or chitenge to prevent sunstroke. It wasn’t’t until we approached the last roadblock that the aggression I feared began to seem a reality. Right away we could tell things would be different.

Even before we had completely stopped at the gate, a row of soldiers had risen and were facing us, rifles very much in evidence. As soon as we had braked completely, an officer walked angrily to the driver s side and ordered the three Americans out. Other soldiers gathered around, rifles in hand. Janet and I were frozen in the back unsure of what we should do. The Americans tried to explain that one of their company was too sick to stand, but the soldiers had no time for what they took to be excuses. The missionaries were pulled stumbling from the cab. Sitting in the back I could feel the adrenaline rushing as I recalled every orror story I had heard about travelers in Africa. The seven Germans who had disappeared on the Bulawayo-Victoria Falls road. The Canadian mother who had been strip-searched along with her two daughters by Zambian soldiers. I did not of course at this time remember that the anger Africans feel against foreigners is justified by decades of aggression and rule by outsiders. All I felt was panic as the yelling went on at the front, as one of the missionaries began to cry, as the soldiers voices became angrier, and as we waited, and waited, interminably in the back of that truck.

One of the soldiers finally came around to Janet and me. We had taken out our passports and were nervously waiting. He demanded that we hand them over, then, as his gaze fell on their deep blue covers, his whole face changed. Canada? You re from Canada? he asked excitedly. We hardly knew what to answer. Do you know Father Leclerc? he went on. He taught me French in high school. He was such a good teacher. Is he a White Father? I asked tentatively, trying to control the shaking in my voice. Yes he is! answered our guard, delighted. Do you speak French? I told him I did, and, in what I was beginning to feel was some kind of twilight zone we exchanged a few words in French. Suddenly our attention was called back to the front of the truck. The sick missionary had begun to collapse and one of his friends put out a hand to steady him. We heard the slap of rifles going up and the yells of fear even before we turned and saw the panicked faces of the Americans. For a moment the tableau of missionaries and soldiers stood frozen in the shimmering heat. I felt the ball of a scream stuck in my throat, but before I lost the struggle to control it, our new friend called out sharply to the other soldiers.

I couldn’t understand much of what he said but two words stood out again and again. Canada. And punzitzi, the word for teacher. After a moment the rifles slowly went down, and one of the soldiers gestured to the Americans to get back in the truck. They climbed slowly back into the cab as Janet and I held our breath. It didn’t seem possible that we would get away so easily. But we did. When moments later we were headed on our way, and we had all finished a long shaky prayer of gratitude I remember wondering, as I still do today, if I could ever have the same effect on my students as that unknown teaching Father obviously had on his.

That’s what teaching is all about. Hoping that somewhere, somehow the children you have taught will grow up to make moral decisions in situations and places you can’t even envision. We were lucky that that priest was Canadian like us. But even more, we were blessed that he was good at his vocation. Wherever he is, I thank him not just for that one brief moment in Zambia, but for the inspiration he has given me ever since.

No matter how seasoned you are in the world of online marketing, it’s always smart to surround yourself with other pros. The good news is that there are countless marketers online who are willing to share their advice. The bad news, of course, is that it’s not always easy to distinguish between the true gurus and the wannabes.

And that’s where this list come into play. The marketing experts that follow have met at least the following criteria:

1. They get results for their clients.
2. They’ve been around longer than a year or two. No fly-by-night marketers on this list.
3. They contribute to the marketing industry by consistently offering advice and new ideas for other marketers.
4. They’re trusted and respected by other top marketing experts.
5. They contribute something unique to the marketing industry. Each of the experts below are marketing innovators in some small (or big) way.

Ready to expand your marketing knowledge every day? The following 10 experts won’t steer you wrong.

1. Neil Patel.

The co-founder of , and , Neil Patel, a regular contributor to Entrepreneur, is recognized as one of the top 10 online marketers. His client list is impressive: he’s helped grow the revenues of renowned brands such as NBC, Amazon, Viacom, GM and HP. Whether you want to grow in your knowledge of Web analytics, marketing or conversion, you’ll learn a great deal from him daily.

Where to find him:

• NeilPatel.com
• (Crazy Egg blog)

Notable quote: “Don’t expect things to be handed to you or for doors to open up when you want them to. You have to be a go-getter and if you aren’t one, you better learn how to become one.”

Related:

2. Avinash Kaushik.

Avinash is an entrepreneur, author and speaker with a depth of knowledge that even the most seasoned marketers can learn from.

The digital marketing evangelist for Google, Avinash helps marketers understand the complex world of data analytics. He’s the co-founder and CEO of , and the author of two bestselling books: “Web Analytics 2.0,” and “Web Analytics: An Hour a Day.”

Where to find him: You’ll find a treasure trove of Avinash’s knowledge on his blog, .

Notable quote: “Data is important. I believe it can help drive your business strategy smartly. But, a data-first strategy, defined as above, is nuts. It will only slow down your progress and allow your competitors to crush you like a bug (even if you are a top player in your market today.) You should reject data-first. You should accept data-with strategies.”

3. Melissa Mackey.

A marketer since 1988 and a PPC practitioner since 2002, Melissa’s got a whole world of online-marketing knowledge to share. She’s currently the Search Supervisor at the largest independent B2B agency in the world. Her expertise helps clients achieve maximum ROI from paid search.

Besides busily serving gyro, Melissa has spoken regularly at marketing conferences such as PPC Hero’s HeroConf, Search Engine Strategies and SMX Advanced. In 2015, she became a Microsoft MVP for Bing Ads.

Where to find her:

• Melissa’s blog,
• Contributor to
• Contributor to

Notable quote: “I do this as well — at a minimum, I’ll visit competitor landing pages and take screen shots to share with our clients. Often, we get ideas from competitor landing pages — or at least we learn what not to do.”

4. Nadav Dakner.

Nadav is a veteran online marketer and the founder and CEO of , an Israel-based content marketing company. He helps well-known brands boost their online visibility through the latest PR, SEO and social media strategies. Nadav specializes in influencer marketing and performance PR and also gives back to the marketing industry by sharing his knowledge of things that work, and things that don’t.

Where to find him:

• Contributor to
• Contributor to

Notable quote: “As your audience faces this sea of information, what they’re looking for isn’t more. Instead, they’re looking for trusted and knowledgeable guides who can navigate them through the stormy, unorganized mess.

In other words, showcasing other people’s content cements your own website as an authoritative voice. Not only that, but curation is one of the most effective ways to build relationships and generate influence within your industry.”

5. Ian Cleary.

Ian is the founder of , a provider of online training in content marketing and social media. With a focus on using the best tools and technology, his training helps companies and marketers achieve better social-media results.

Ian is a regular speaker at marketing conferences around the globe, including Social Media Marketing World and Content Marketing World. He’s known as one of the leading social media specialists worldwide.

Where to find him:

• RazorSocial
• Contributor to
• Contributor to

Notable quote: “Influence is the new online currency. You build influence in your niche and you generate more money. It takes time to build influence, but it’s worth it.”

6. Syed Balkhi.

Syed was recognized as a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 30 by the United Nations. Specializing in viral growth, social media, lead generation and conversion marketing, when Syed has something to say, marketers listen.

Related:

Syed founded , the largest free WordPress resource site on the planet. He’s also the co-founder of OptinMonster, WPForms and List25. His focus is on using his success and experience to help others build and market businesses online.

Where to find him:

Syedbalkhi.com

Notable quote: “I often get asked about how many internal links should I have in my blog post. At minimum, it should be between two to three. You don’t want to force the internal links in your articles, but really there is no limit to how many internal links you can have. If you have a lot of content on your site, then go for 10 to 15 internal links. As long as it’s helpful for users, you’ll find it beneficial for SEO.”

7. Sujan Patel.

Sujan Patel is the motorcycle-racing, skydiving cousin of Neil Patel. An inspiring workhorse, he’s known for his 80-hour work weeks.

Sujan co-founded , an innovative growth-marketing agency that helps clients gain more customers and grow brand awareness. He is also a partner in several software companies, including ContentMarketer.io, Narrow and Mailshake.

His more than 13 years’ of online marketing experience has earned the trust of clients such as Sony, Intuit, Turbo Tax and Sales Force. Sujan’s book on growth hacking, “100 Days of Growth,” sold over 35,000 copies.

Where to find him:

• Sujanpatel.com
• Contributor to

Notable quote: “Successful companies aren’t the ones with the infrastructure and campaigns to quickly attract lots of new customers (even though, on the surface, they might seem enviable). Instead, it’s the companies that are able to keep those customers, long-term, that eventually win.”

Related: 

8. Andy Crestodina.

A Web strategist who believes in “doing great work for people you love,” Andy Crestodina has worked in Web design and interactive marketing since January of 2000. He’s known as being an evangelist for content marketing and ethical digital marketing.

Besides co-founding , Andy also founded — Chicago’s largest content marketing conference. His book, “Content Chemistry,” is currently in its third edition. He’s also contributed his advice to practically every highly-read marketing website.

Where to find him: You’ll find a large collection of his articles and podcasts on .

Notable quote: “To be successful, websites must do two things: 1. Attract visitors, and 2. Convert those visitors into leads and customers. In order to do this, Web marketers must do two things: 1. Create content and 2. Promote it. Content makes the difference between success and failure on the web.”

9. Heidi Cohen.

As chief content officer of , Heidi’s mission is to simplify the complex concepts behind today’s evolving marketing challenges. In her consultancy, , she builds on her clients’ competencies to “turn constraints into opportunities.”

Related:

Heidi has taught graduate level marketing at a variety of universities. She’s a sought-after speaker at marketing conferences around the world, and takes part in top events every year. She has spoken throughout the U.S., Europe and South America.

Where to find her: Find valuable insights with practical marketing tips and tactics at .

Notable quote: “Use your video content as audio content. It already exists. Strip the audio out of your existing video. Voila, new enhanced content marketing. This is an easy way to extend the lifetime value of your existing content. It avoids the problem of once and done content.”

10. Mari Smith.

Nicknamed “The Queen of Facebook,” Mari Smith is known as one of the world’s most trusted social media marketers. She co-authored “Facebook Marketing: An Hour a Day.” She also authored “The New Relationship Marketing: How to Build a Large, Loyal, Profitable Network Using the Social Web.”

Facebook recently selected Mari to hire and partner with as the company’s leading Small Business and Facebook Marketing expert. Forbes named her as one of the Top 10 Social Media Power Influencers four years in a row.

Where to find her:

• Mari’s
• Contributor to

Notable quote: “More than 89 percent of users access Facebook on their mobile devices and they check Facebook 14 times a day. Those people have an intimate relationship with Messenger. When your company starts conversations with users, you’re befriending them on that level. This is how to change business relationships into personal ones.”