Meet Steven Burton, Author

Steven Burton describes himself as a part-time author, chef, old soldier, little league football Coach, and best buddy of Jack Kitty. He writes about everyday people and real-life experiences. Later this year, he'll be releasing a book called Midlife Man in Crisis. You can read excerpts from that book and many other selections of his work on http://beneaththerainbow.com. And find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/beneaththerainbow/.

1. What inspires you to sit down and write about something?

My inspirations come from the world around me. I was in the U.S. Army for 20 years, and along the way I have lived all over the world, experienced many different cultures, and talked to people from all walks of life. Watching how other people interact with each other and listening to their stories has become a kind of hobby of mine.

Pop culture bombards us with tales of the rich and famous, but I think most people have great stories to tell regardless of their social or economic standing which is why I started the Beneath The Rainbow short story site. When you drill down in to the events of most people's lives, you will find heroes, villains, and protagonists worthy of a Shakespearean drama.

2. Would you tell us a little bit more about your forthcoming book?

Midlife Man in Crisis chronicles some of the defining events men (and some women) go through when they hit that period of life the dictionary defines as middle age. I try to approach the subject with a touch of humor although there are moments when some of the events can be described as drama, or so my beta readers tell me.

Tackling issues involved with the loss of youth, no longer being a parent of young children, and even the oft maligned "midlife crisis girl" event wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, although it has been fun. The events described in the book have either happened to me or someone I was close to, with maybe a slight bit of exaggeration in the telling. After all I am in old soldier, and we are supposed to add a little hyperbole to our stories.

3. Why do you think that our culture talks so much about the idea of the midlife crisis, and what does "midlife crisis" mean to you?

There are roughly 82 million people in the United States between the ages of 45 and 65 (27% of the population), so put into perspective that is more people in that demographic in the United states then there are people living in Germany, France, or any western European country. You could multiply the population of Canada two times and still not have as many people as the United States has in middle age category. A big reason we talk about it so much is there is a lot of us.

In my own experience, midlife crisis is what happened when I slowed down enough to realize how much the world had changed around me. Empty nest had hit, the kids had all moved out, my wife was now an ex wife, and even worse when cute college girls talked to me, they used the tone and demeanor reserved for friends of their parents and grandparents, not the flirty banter that always been our form of communication before. When you're a middle-aged man at a restaurant, and the 20-something girl who is your waitress says, "Thank you, sir".......she really means SIR.

4. You post original work on your website on quite a regular basis. What are some of the best responses you've received from readers?

I have received some great comments and words of encouragement since I put up Beneath The Rainbow, but my absolute favorite was when a guy I hadn't seen since boot camp posted, "I always wondered what happened to my buddy" under a short story I'd written about joining the Army. Prior to his comment, I hadn't seen or heard from him since 1981. We didn't have cell phones, computers, etc back then, and snail mail could take two to three weeks to travel one way overseas, so you couldn't really keep in touch with all the friends you made through out your military career. To hear from someone I hadn't talked to in 20+ years, that was a real treat.

5. What else would you like readers to know about you and your writing?

I have a kind of a sardonic sense of humor, and there are times people don't understand when I am laughing at myself, and I do laugh at myself a lot. My hope is that anyone reading my writing gets that aspect of my work.

Prior to this book, my writing has been confined to blog posts and ghost writing for others who have tailored my work to fit their own style. I am anxious, and I admit a bit scared to put out an entire book with my own name on it.

Thanks for spending time with me, Mandy.

Thanks, Steven!

Meet Dan Anton, Atlanta SEO Online Marketer

Dan Anton is an Army veteran who has found success as an online marketer and SEO expert. After experiencing a a combat injury in 2008, he found a new career online--in fact, within six months, his online business had made him over a million dollars. See a full list of Dan Anton's military achievements and awards at http://dananton.com/awards-testimonials.

1. Before you were known as one of the best online marketers in the world, you were in the Army. Can you tell us a little about your military life?

When the towers fell on September 11, 2001, I was 21 at the time and ready to graduate with honors from Mount Clair State University. This event altered my life forever; I decided right then and there that I was not only going to become a soldier, but I was ready to defend America and aggressively pursue anything that threatened her existence.

I didn't want to just "join"--I wanted to test myself, which is why I became an Infantry Army Ranger, and retired as a Major, completing two tours of combat duty in Iraq. I received two bronze stars for combat related actions, but on my last deployment my convoy was hit by an IED, badly injuring my spine, which directly led to my next career, online marketing.

2. You primarily focus on SEO, and software. How does it work?

SEO is short for search engine optimization. One of the lessons I learned from the Army was systemizing and streamlining processes. Creating large websites, optimizing them, and promoting them is more akin to a science than random happenstance. Of course, the human element is critical, which is why experience and the right team in place is critical to success. Simply put, I develop SEO software and services that deliver results.

3. How useful is your computer science background for your career?

I've always been fond of working with computers and technology. Even before going to Officer Training School, I studied Computer Science. Fast forward to today: it's invaluable as it allows me to not only see problems from a "coder" perspective but also intelligently lead and critique our development team. Considering the bulk of our business is software based, college helped prepare me well.

4. What was your first venture online?

I've been making money online since 1999, when I use to sell informational guides for video games such as World of Warcraft and sell used video games online. My military career always came first, so I had to back burner a lot of ideas until I had more time and more money. In 2006, around the time of Myspace and social networks popping up, my brother and I created a social network for gamers. We had thousands of loyal members but just didn't have the big venture capital required to launch a massive website to rival Myspace, Facebook, Reddit, etc. It taught me a great lesson on scaling properly, cash flow, and focusing on services to help others, versus trying to be an island and achieve success alone.

5. Do you have advice for anyone looking to switch careers?

Never switch careers because you are picking the lesser of two evils. There are so many different ways to make money and/or help others, so you should really sit down and think about what type of person you want to become, and not force a decision. In my case, I knew my military career was over, but a new, growing passion pulled me towards helping business owners achieve even more success. The more you attempt to help others, the more you will see a new career unfolding before you as a service is a need, and if it's a need it can become a fine-tuned skillset to earn a living as a career and not just a job.

If you are a business owner and wish to reach out about our Atlanta SEO brand, follow the website and contact form.

Thanks, Dan!