In this concise "6 questions in 7 minutes" interview, Professor Pete Alexander talks with Michael O'Connor, founder of the Service Professionals Network (SPN). O'Connor shares practical SEO advice—specifically warning against long, hard‑to‑remember domain names— and explains his win‑win networking business model that monetizes traffic through Google Ads, Amazon clicks, and sponsorships. He emphasizes a research habit of asking multiple, detailed questions on Google and YouTube to gather diverse perspectives, arguing that no single source is sufficient. O'Connor recounts his first job landscaping from age nine, illustrating an early work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit. He promotes SPN as a free, growing directory with thousands of members and businesses, inviting listeners to join. The episode showcases O'Connor’s blend of practical online marketing tactics, relationship‑building philosophy, and personal backstory, all delivered in a rapid‑fire, conversational tone.
Chapters
This is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life podcast, where business leaders share their insights. It is 6 questions in 7 minutes because successful business leaders are busy and rarely have more time to spare. So let's get to it. Question number 1: In a few sentences, please tell me who you are and what you do.
Hi Pete, I'm Michael O'Connor. I'm with the Service Professionals Network, serviceprofessionalsnetwork.com. I know that's a mouthful. I talk a lot about SEO, search engine optimization. First thing I would always tell people is don't have a long domain name like serviceprofessionalsnetwork.com because it doesn't make any sense. Nobody would ever remember it. You have to say, you know, serviceprofessionalsnetwork.com like 8 times before somebody actually remembered it. So I would say, you know, don't do that. So I'm more like the do as I say, don't do as I do type guy on the internet. I work 9 to 5 Monday through Friday, is my typical office hours.
Mike, so great to have you on the show. Question number 2, what's the best thing about working in your industry?
I get to make fun of people for a living. I get to talk about whatever I want to talk about. But seriously, I get to make relationships with people. I do— my website is a social media website, it's a networking website. I get paid through Google Ads and Amazon clicks and things of that nature. I have a few sponsors, so it's all based off of traffic. So what I actually enjoy doing to bring people to my site is I build win-win relationships. I introduce different people that do different things to each other. And basically I'm the guy that knows the guy on the internet.
Perfect. Question number 3: I have a fictitious book with all the answers for business. What chapter would you think most companies should read?
Oh man, what chapter? You know what, really you guys can skim through it all because that's the thing that I think most people really fail at. Is that when you get into business, like my dad always say, if you're gonna play business, you gotta play to win, because otherwise you're gonna lose, right? And if you're only focusing on one chapter— and maybe I'm wrong here because a lot of people say that, you know, Mike, you're a jack of all trades, master of none, because, you know, I have a social media site slash business directory slash, you know, uh, blogging platform. You know, it's kind of like there's no one carved out niche, so maybe I'm the wrong guy to ask that question, but Me personally, I would skim through the damn book and then keep a good reference of different chapters that you can go back to when you need them. Got it.
Similar to what I would do, I think. Question number 4: Other than the generic work harder, have a great attitude, and care for customers, what advice or insight would you give to other business leaders?
You know, it's going to be really simple and yet really super profound all the same time. Because, you know, a lot of people, they, they focus on doing the big things, so the big tricks, right? You know where I find out most of my information? I get most of the best, the best key stuff that really changes my life? Google and YouTube videos. A lot of people, when they go to Google, they, they don't ask the right questions. They don't ask enough of the right questions, right? And so You know how people like to do schedules and block at times, right? I have research time. So whenever I want to research a particular topic or something I have to come back to later, I'll write it down on my notepad. And every so often, a couple times a week, I'll sit through and I'll clear out the list by extensively Googling whatever that topic or thing I didn't know about was. I'd ask like 8 different questions about it. You know, a lot of people when they do one Google, search, they just get like the bare minimum information. And I think that you really, you know, it's kind of opposite of what I just said about the chapter, right? Because when you actually need to know something, you got to really research all the different areas because unfortunately you can't really trust any of one source of information. And, you know, it's probably the reason why I do the Win Win Networking. This is different viewpoints, different ideas on the same subject. Helps you get the best answers.
I think that's really insightful because I know for me, I've found different YouTube videos that, you're right, one on the same topic and I'm watching two different ones and there's a different perspective and I can apply whatever I can learn from each one. And so it's really—
People don't really have any idea like how true that is. Like, you know, 100 different plumbers, 100 different solutions. Go figure out how to make pancakes. You know, search how to make pancakes on YouTube, and there's gonna be 8 different videos on how to make pancakes. They're all different, and they're all good pancakes. I've tried them all. They're different. You know, French toast too. I mean, some guys, you know, they just put the eggs in different spots, different ways, and, you know, it doesn't matter as long as you get the end result. Mm-hmm.
I couldn't agree with you more. Question number 5: What other business leader like yourself would you like to acknowledge and invite to be on my podcast?
Well, since most of them won't talk to me due to restraining orders, and you probably already interviewed most of my real friends, all my social media buddies, I'm gonna have to dig deep and say Richard Di Padilla with Global Goodwill Ambassadors, or Lisa Jones with Global Goodwill Ambassadors. They're not necessarily more— more of the most business-minded folks, you know, they're more on the nonprofit side, but I bet it's somebody you haven't had yet on your show. And I would really like to see what they have to say.
Oh, it's great. I will reach out to them. Thank you for that. And our final—
I'll send you an introduction.
Oh, perfect.
That's what I do.
That's right, the win-win.
I told people, see, like we had to come back to that. Circle back, guys. That's what I do. I circle back. I talk a lot, but I always circle back to my points.
I love it. And our final question, question number 6: Please tell me about your first job.
My first real job was probably landscaping. I was under 13, 9 to 13, depending on how seriously it had to be, you know, before you consider a job. But we started doing landscaping and lawn maintenance when I was 9 years old. By the time I was 13, we had 101 lawns. And by the time I was 16, we had 300 or 400. We used to drive our trucks with the grass in the back of it full to school with the lawnmower trailer in the back. So, you know, you're in third period science on the third floor and you look out in the parking lot, right? And you see the O'Connor landscaping trucks and trailers, two of them right next to each other, right? With the trailers and all the stuff on it, right? And there'd be no cars parked around it for like 40 spots because the grass smelled so bad. All the stuff in the back of the truck was great. Nobody messed with us. When we wanted to leave, we just pull out. Nobody's in the way.
What a great story. I absolutely love it. I can imagine being on that third—
I tell people that's why I couldn't get a date in high school. I was too busy working hard and didn't smell good. That's my excuse. I'm sticking to it.
Mike, thank you so much for being on the show. How can people find you?
searchprofessionalsnetwork.com. I don't know if I mentioned that earlier, but I have a website that people can join. It's absolutely free. You might have to listen to me tell a few bad jokes here and there, but it will help you advertise. You know, it gets thousands of clicks on a daily, weekly basis. You know, it's got— we broke the 2,000-member mark. We have almost 10,000 businesses listed in the directory, and it's getting search results from Google, you know, internet. So come on board, join the team, have some fun. Thanks for your time, Pete.
You bet, and I can't I can't say enough great things about SPN myself. I'm a member there and I love being a part of the network. So everybody listening, definitely join that, join SPN. And this is—
Well, I appreciate the shout out. I hope I didn't talk as long as Scotty Schindler, you know, with his 16 minutes and you know, that guy. Those surfers, no respect for time.
Thanks, Mike. This is Professor Pete Alexander with the Winning at Business and Life podcast. For more insights and ideas, please go to LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, or iTunes. And search for the Winning at Business and Life Podcast. Thanks for listening.
