Podcasts about wordcamps

Introducing Russell Aaron I didn't learn WordPress at a fancy college or career academy. I graduated from the University of YouTube. My internship was the Las Vegas WordPress Meetup and WordCamp Vegas. The rest I learned building mortgage company platforms, working for casinos, inside managed WordPress hosts, and at some of the best WordPress development and support shops on the planet. Show Notes For more on Russell, check out his website: https://russellenvy.com Transcript: Topher DeRosia: All right. Here we go. Hey folks. Russell Aaron: And three, two, one. Topher DeRosia: Hey folks. Welcome to Hallway Chats. I’m Topher, and I’m here with Russell Aaron. I assume I pronounced that right, because it’s not that hard, but you never know. Russell Aaron: You know, so many people call me Aaron. They’ll tag me and they go, “Thanks, Aaron.” And I’m like, “You know, it’s Russell, but it’s cool.” Topher DeRosia: Yeah, nice. All right. Well, I saw a post on LinkedIn the other day from you talking about podcasts having the same people on episodes all the time. I thought, “Oh, I gotta have that guy on my podcast.” Because then you can’t go on any other ever again, because then you’ll be that guy. Russell Aaron: Maybe. Topher DeRosia: So, I snooped a little. You live much closer to me than I expected. Have we met? Did we meet at a WordCamp? Russell Aaron: I think we met at WordCamp Ann Arbor one year. Topher DeRosia: Oh, okay. I went to a whole bunch of those. Russell Aaron: Yeah. I think I spoke 2018, something like that. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. I was probably there. Russell Aaron: Yeah. Topher DeRosia: All right. So tell me where you live, what you do, all that kind of stuff. Russell Aaron: I currently reside in Indianapolis, Indiana, and I am just freelancing as of right now. You know, I live in a pretty small town where it’s kind of old school WordPress, if you will. Anyone who is worth their salt keys will remember a day when websites were not responsive or a business has a cousin of a friend of a brother who builds websites and, “Hey, he’s working on it,” and three years later, there’s still no new website. I kind of live in a town where I’m kind of getting back to my grassroots, where I stay up late at night with my insomnia, and I will roll up to a business and I will say, “Your new website can look like this today. If you pay me this much money, I will install it today, and this is your new website.” And it’s got your updated menu, and it’s responsive, and it works on mobile, and we can connect it to AppPresser and make it an app and stuff like that. So I’m kind of reliving the glory days of what I remember WordPress to be. Topher DeRosia: I’m also freelancing right now, sort of by choice, sort of not by choice. Somebody I’m married to would rather I had regular pay and insurance. Russell Aaron: Heard that. Topher DeRosia: Are you in the same boat, or did you do this on purpose? Russell Aaron: I did this on purpose. I was not working for the man, but I was working with some people. I’m over the tiny little granular things that somebody can fire you over. Like they’re watching if your mouse moves or they’re watching if you haven’t logged in. There’s just no more trust, I feel like, in so many cases. And so I know that I can do things better on my own, and I’m going to. Topher DeRosia: I have to admit, I love the freelance life. It is pretty special. Russell Aaron: Right. It’s almost like… what’s that movie? The 40-Year-Old Virgin, where they are making a website and they’re like, “Hey, Spider-Man 3’s on in five minutes. Let’s go watch it.” Like they totally ignore their job and they just go watch this movie now. It’s kind of like that. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Yeah. For me, it’s doing stuff with my wife. She has a day job, but it has kind of chaotic hours and not specific days of the week. And so I work when she does, which sometimes is Saturday and Sunday, and then I just don’t on Tuesday and Thursday. That’s pretty great. Russell Aaron: I’m kind of in the same boat. My wife has a wonderful job, and she is with a great group, and she does global advocacy. I mean, she just deals with people that are happy with the product, and she keeps them happy. She does lots of stuff like that. I’m kind of the same thing, where their company is now starting to get into AI, and they have so many questions, and I’m over here building things with AI and doing things like that. So I’m not exactly consulting, but my ideas are going into their company through my wife. Topher DeRosia: My wife works at a grocery store, and they have a cash machine they use in the back office that runs Linux. Russell Aaron: Oh, wow Topher DeRosia: And the IT guys had to come in and do some work on it, and she saw the screen and she’s like, “Oh, is that Linux?” And I’m like, “Who are you, and what do you know?” Super nerd. So what’s your company name? Do you have one, or is it just WP Pro Support? Russell Aaron: WP Pro Support. Topher DeRosia: WP Pro Support. Okay. Do you concentrate more on support, or do you build more? Russell Aaron: I have been doing support since 2011. I formed my very first support company, and I launched it the same day that Shane Sanderson launched Maintainn. My buddy, who you might know, John Hawkins, I was at the Vegas WordPress Meetup Group, and I had the idea in Vegas WordPress Meetup Group where there’s 70 people sitting right here behind me and they all want help. And I was like, “How do I do this?” So I built my first thing where I gave everybody free-for-life support, and they were my test group, if you will. And they helped me work out my bugs and tickets, and they helped me work out how I actually operate and do stuff like that. Then when I launched it, literally that day, John goes, “Wait, have you seen this?” And we had no idea about each other, but we literally launched them the same day. Fast forward three years down the road, I ended up working for Maintainn when it was owned by WebDevStudios. But everything I’ve done in WordPress has been support, whether I’ve worked for a mortgage company, a casino in Vegas, hosting with Liquid Web, doing stuff with NerdPress or AppPresser. Everything I’ve done is support. That’s really where my passion is because I remember what it’s like being a first timer. I think that there is a huge market potential here of people are always going to be new. I don’t care who you are. There’s always somebody new walking in the door, and there has to be a person who will sit down and say, “Come here, I’ll hold your hand.” And I am that person. I always try to look at WordPress from that lens is if a new person is looking at this today, are they going to be happy? Are they going to be confused? And I go from there. So currently today I’m transitioning away from support as we know it, where you write a ticket and then somebody on the other end is like, “Hey, I fixed your site,” or whatever. And I’m transitioning to a new product that I’m working on. So I’m going to be getting away from traditional support, but I’m still going to be doing things in the support space, if that makes sense. Topher DeRosia: Yeah, that makes sense. When I first got into WordPress, it was 2010, and custom post types were brand new. Russell Aaron: Right? Topher DeRosia: And I was out of my element with WordPress. I did not know what I was doing, but I did know PHP, and no one else knew post types yet. So when it comes to that, I was on an equal footing, and that was my way in. That was my leverage. I made a lot of money in the early days just building custom post types. Russell Aaron: Custom post types and single-posttype.php or whatever. Yeah. Topher DeRosia: So I was a competent PHP guy who didn’t know WordPress. And I feel like we’re in kind of the same transition space right now with AI, where we have tons of competent WordPressers who don’t really know AI yet. I think there’s a great space for that, teaching our friends, teaching everybody we’ve known for 10 years in WordPress. You know what I mean? Russell Aaron: I do. That’s one of the things that I really love about WordPress is that… let’s take the new 7.0 that just came out, I think it re-leveled the playing field. Before this came out, there were people that were ahead of others when it comes to patterns or blocks or the command palette and stuff like that. But now I think with this, we’re back to an even playing field because every… I mean, not exactly. There’s still some people who know AI a lot better than others, but you’re always five minutes ahead of somebody and five minutes behind somebody else. Topher DeRosia: Oh, yeah. Russell Aaron: But I do think that with 7.0, a new level playing field has come out. And now is the time to start learning, or you got to wait until 7.1 comes out where that new level playing field comes out. But that’s what I love about WordPress is that it continues to happen. Like you said, CPTs. I still love CPTs. I think they’re one of my favorite things. I look at all of these features, you know, page builders, another time when the playing field was leveled again. Now you learn page builders and then shortcodes and then this and then that. I think that’s the one gift that WordPress keeps giving is that you might be out of date six months from now, but then 7.1 comes out and you’re caught right back up. Topher DeRosia: Right. Yeah. And while you’re five minutes ahead, you quick do a WordCamp talk. Russell Aaron: Yes. Yeah. Topher DeRosia: For that long, you know more than other people, right? Russell Aaron: At least it’s on video, right? Topher DeRosia: Right. I was an expert for a minute and a half. Russell Aaron: That was my 15 minutes of fame. Topher DeRosia: What is your WordCamp life like these days? When was the last one you went to? Russell Aaron: The last one I went to was in Vegas, 2018. It was at the Plaza Hotel, which I worked at. When John was putting that together, in Vegas we had a wonderful space, and it was called The Innevation Center, and it was at a data facility called Switch. And they donated so much to us, and we are so grateful to them. And then they kind of had a change in their policy where they weren’t doing things, and then they overpriced how much it would cost to hold events and stuff like that. I was working at a hotel, and so we had this giant convention space, if you will. And so because I was able to pull some strings, we got a great, great discount, all food paid for. I mean, all of it. So that was my last WordCamp. The after party was on top of a pool deck, and there was pickleball courts, and there was a pool, and there was an open bar. I mean, it was rad. That was my last one. I have kids now. My kids are seven and eight and so my WordPress travels have slowed. No, I’m sorry. I take it back. WordCamp US last year was my last one, where we went scorched earth. That’s what I call it. I call it WordCamp scorched earth. Topher DeRosia: I was there for that one. I used to go to a lot every year. Go to- Russell Aaron: Five, six? Topher DeRosia: Five and 10. But since COVID, I think maybe just US every year. It’s weird to just go to one. Russell Aaron: It is. And just US, it’s almost like we used to have what I used to call regional events, where I lived in Vegas, I would hit up WordCamp Orange County, then I’d hit up San Diego, then we’d hit up LA, and then we’d make our way up to Portland, and then maybe if San Francisco did one, and then Phoenix. I did all my regional stuff. And then every once in a while I would venture… I mean, I love WordCamp Minneapolis. Love the people up there. Love so much about that event. Used to do that a lot. What’s the one in Ohio that I used to go to? Topher DeRosia: In the teens, there were five in Ohio. And being in Michigan, I used to just cruise down there. Russell Aaron: It’s a three-hour, three-and-a-half-hour drive, huh? Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Russell Aaron: About that. Yeah. Topher DeRosia: At the time, I was working for a company that was paying me to go to WordCamps. I had to make the case for each one, but it was a really simple case for all the Ohio ones because I didn’t need a plane ticket. I just drive over there. It’s like five in Ohio. There was Ann Arbor, there was Detroit, there was Grand Rapids, there was Chicago. I mean, there was almost 10 WordCamps within a three-hour drive of me. Russell Aaron: That’s beautiful. Topher DeRosia: It’s just not there anymore. Russell Aaron: I was very fortunate to work for companies like WebDevStudios, where I could tell them, “Hey, I got into WordCamp Minneapolis. I’m going to speak there.” And because I’m speaking there, they would reimburse me X amount of dollars for something, and then they would sponsor the WordCamp, and then they would make a thing out of it. I mean, I was very fortunate in being able to do that. Then I worked with a really great company called NerdPress, and they are a fantastic group of people that do the same thing. And then I ventured out into different straits, and it was very much different. I’ll say that much. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Those are good times. Russell Aaron: It’s almost like… the way that I put it is it’s like we all graduated. We all did our four years of college, we all graduated, and now we went to our temp jobs or we went to our internships. Like the band broke up. Topher DeRosia: Yep. Yeah, it is a lot like that. I have seen generations of WordPressers. There was all the crew before 2010 that were downloading zip files and hacking themes to even get them to run. Then there was after 2010, and custom post types were new and stuff. And then there’s the whole Gutenberg generation that never experienced all that crazy theme stuff. Russell Aaron: I mean, you tell people that child themes were so new that people didn’t even grasp the concept of a child theme, and today it’s so baked in. It’s not even something that people think about. It’s just you install this and the child theme, and it’s a thing. But I remember writing those by hand. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. No kidding. Then to a certain extent, not even having child themes anymore because nothing is stored on the file system. Russell Aaron: I love it. I love it. In my very first WordCamp talk in Vegas 2012, I made a prediction that everything was powered by the theme. Everything used to… I mean, that’s as far as I go back is every template was the same. It was left column, right sidebar, header, and every page, whether you liked it or not, looked like a blog post. And it wasn’t full-width, responsive. I remember a lot of that. And then corporate themes came out, and then cupcake themes came out, then lawn company themes came out, and then the rise of Envato and stuff like that. That’s a good name for a band, The Rise of Envato. Topher DeRosia: I’d go see them. Russell Aaron: But all that stuff comes out. And then you look at it now and it’s like, that seems so far away. I still remember the day that I learned about child themes, and I’ve never forgotten that. And I think, coming back full circle, that’s why I stay in this beginner support space because I’m kind of keeping that nostalgia around, I guess. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. There’s a lot of joy in watching people’s eyes light up when they get it. Russell Aaron: That’s the best part is just telling people what’s possible. When they’re frustrated with something and you go, “Oh, hey, Gravity Forms can do that.” And they’re like, “Wait, what?” And I’m like, “Yeah.” And they can also do… And I just start naming stuff. And I show all 50 extensions that they have and they’re just like, “Wait, what?” And I’m like, “Yeah.” I’m like, “This starts getting radical when you’re into it.” Topher DeRosia: There’s something I miss from old WordPress that I don’t see in modern WordPress. It might not be a thing. And that is dramatic new styling with a theme the instant you install it. My wife is not a computer person and does not care about computers. She loves design stuff. There was a time we used Winamp. Russell Aaron: Wow. Topher DeRosia: And she loved getting skins for Winamp. And she would download 30 in a day and try them all out. And then when I set her up for the blog the first time and showed her the theme repo on .org, this is in 2011, she would literally spend a day just downloading theme after theme after theme. Russell Aaron: Same way. Topher DeRosia: And you just install it and poof, your site looks amazingly different. These days, I mean, you install something like Kadence or GeneratePress or Ollie or any of them, really, and it’s kind of a blank canvas. Russell Aaron: It’s very minimalist. It’s very minimalist. Topher DeRosia: I miss the ability to say, “I feel like making a change today,” and two minutes later, your site looks completely different because you’re using… Russell Aaron: Couldn’t agree more. Couldn’t agree more. I mean, I look back at old pictures from when I would host the meetup group in Vegas, and there’s pictures of me talking, and then on the screen behind me is my old site, and it was this old layout. I bought the theme from Envato because I was just fascinated with it. It was everything that I wanted it to look like. But same thing is now when you change your theme from this one to that one, that dark grunge kind of thing is gone, and now you’ve got this bootstrap-looking thing or whatever. I agree with you. I think that comes from my days of being in MySpace. That’s how I got started with all this. So you could change your MySpace template like that, and I think that’s where it comes from, at least for me. Topher DeRosia: I haven’t even looked into it. Can you make a Gutenberg-based blog theme that has a very striking look and just release it? And then, I don’t know, just release a whole bunch of them like in the old days? Theme shops had 35 themes for sale, and they all looked different because they were all totally different themes. Russell Aaron: I remember there was a day on Envato where it was the same theme, it was just rebranded. So it was like theme name 1.0, and it was called Atlas. And then it’s the same theme but in orange, and now it’s 1.2, and it’s called Dungeon or something. And then we have 1.3 again. Same theme, same framework, but each version was named something different. It made that developer look like they had five different products instead of just one over and over. Now you look at something like a page builder, and it’s like, “We’ve got 500 different templates in one thing.” I can’t do that. I think that’s too much for me. Topher DeRosia: It’s like the days of the CSS Zen Garden. Russell Aaron: Right. Topher DeRosia: HTML is the same, CSS changes. Before I used WordPress, I built my own blog system. Russell Aaron: Oh, wow. Topher DeRosia: It never got super advanced, but I used it for 10 years. One of the things you can do in your HTML is register alternate stylesheets. It’s the same tag, it’s just an alternate word in there. And then in Firefox, at least, you can go under “view Page Style”, and they would all be listed there, and you can just choose different themes. I figured out the JavaScript, even though I didn’t know JavaScript. I figured out the JavaScript to make a little dropdown box in my sidebar so my visitors could say, “Oh, I want to change my theme here.” I never figured out how to do that in WordPress because everything was so tied to style.css. I didn’t know how to make a different one be the main one. But that’s something else I miss in WordPress is the ability to just so dramatically and dynamically change your design because your content is structured so well. Russell Aaron: You know, not only that, but I really liked the websites where there was a demo, and then it gave you a basic username. The username was demo, the password was demo. But then the one thing I never figured out was how every 24 hours the site would just reset. So somebody can go in there and they could do whatever they wanted to do. They could create their own pages. They could create their own blog posts. And for 24 hours, there was a page called Russell’s Awesome. But then after 24 hours, it would just reset. I always thought that was so cool, but I could never figure out how to do that. Topher DeRosia: Oh, yeah. And everybody was editing all at the same time, within that 24-hour period. Russell Aaron: I have since restructured my website. I use the block theme from WebDevStudios. I kind of feel like that’s where I got my education from. I was somebody who kind of dabbled around in WordPress, and then when I went to go work with them for three years, they had a set of standards that I couldn’t even fathom to begin with. But then as we built things and I saw how their machine works, how their business revolves, I was like, “You know, for me, this is the way that I like to do things, is the way that they like to do things.” And so my new website… I mean, not new website, but it’s my new theme, I actually had AI build it for me. I had Claude. I was using… It’s by ThemeIsle. Neve. I was using Neve, one of my favorite themes. Love them. So I was using that, and then my site was kind of all over the place. It was an “I’ll teach you how to do this”. That’s kind of the main focus of my site is I will jump on a call with you, and whatever questions you have, I’ll sit here for five hours with you if you want. I will teach you and until you get it. But then I also had this section about band names that were just… earlier when we were talking about the rise of Envato, you know, like I would have a section on my blog where you could create a new band name and then I had all these random blog posts. And so my website was kind of like this potluck, if you will, just like this random stuff. And I was like, you know, I want to be doing something else. I think my website needs to change. And I have those old blog posts still, but they’re hidden. So now with my new theme, I had AI look at my old site and say, this is what I think we should do. I picked out some colors and over like five days, I had it build me five different HTML pages, like completely different, you know? And then I started giving AI and I said like, “Okay, I want to look like this.” And then I was like, well, okay, I like this and I like this, but I also like this from this other site.” So I started feeding it information and like when the HTML came out, I had 12 different templates. I had my blog posts, I had my archive, but I had everything built in HTML. And the cool thing about the WDS block theme is that it serves everything as an HTML page. So I literally just took AI and said, “Take these HTML pages, bake them into how this theme does it,” and bam, my site came up. I had it done in maybe two days. Topher DeRosia: Wow. Russell Aaron: And then after that, I had it take all of those HTML pages and create me patterns. So now I can go in, and when I go into my full site editor, I can go to patterns, I have all my homepage patterns, my blog patterns, I sliced everything up, and they’re all WordPress native blocks. So I can literally go in and change the coloring on any page I want instead of having to edit the HTML or anything. And now that I have that, I feel this sense of freedom where I’m not worrying about an update coming tomorrow, if my update is gonna break or I don’t have to read a changelog that is not specific anymore. I can’t stress how much I love not having to read changelogs or the lack of changelogs. I mean, I’m fully happy with how things have come out. And over time, I’m gonna keep fine-tuning it, but I’m pretty much where I’m at right now. With all of this new technology that’s come out, I’ve really kind of found my love again for WordPress. I was kind of in a slump where I just wasn’t really doing anything. Now I take my son and we’ll drive down to Louisville, Kentucky. He rides BMX. So while he’s racing, I will literally have Claude Code open on my computer and I will log into the Claude app on my phone and I can keep sitting there having the same conversation. So this new thing that I’m building, I can still do it while I’m sitting there watching him race or while I’m doing something else. I was just like, this is fantastic. And then my wife will drive home and I’ll just sit there and I talk into my phone, I literally put the microphone on and I’ll be like, “You know, I don’t like that. And here’s my thoughts about this.” And you know, my phone dictates all of that and then I send it to my computer through the app and it just keeps spinning things up. Then by the time I get home, I have a new version that I can demo or I have a new version that I can test. I mean, I am just so fascinated by it. Topher DeRosia: That’s cool. Were we at WebDev at the same time? Russel Aaron: I don’t think so. Topher DeRosia: I was there just over three years ago. Russel Aaron: I was there 2015 through 2018. Topher DeRosia: Oh, yeah. I came much later. I was only there for like two months. Russell Aaron: Oh, wow. Sometimes that’s the way it goes. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. They were gonna get a big contract that hired a bunch of people and two months later didn’t get the contract and let us all go. Russell Aaron: As much as I hate that, that also taught me that the people that do great work or the people that show up every day and are putting in more than they’re getting out, those are usually the people that stay in companies like that. That really changed my work ethic. I used to be somebody who wanted to be not lazy, but I didn’t wanna be pressed for time or having to go, go, go and having to be on all the time. Now, I’m the opposite. Now, I’m like, now that I’ve done that, I kind of earn for that stretch for a little bit. I mean, you were just saying that how you’ve transitioned to where you are. I was watching a Barstool Sports interview with a guy who runs a pizza shop in… it’s either New Jersey or New York. The guy’s only open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. And he’s only open nine to six or something like that. And he built that business… well, it’s been in his family for like 60 years or something. He has one of the last original pizza ovens ever. But anyways, the point is, is that he lives at the pizza place, that’s where his entire life is, but he built the business around his life. I’m doing the same thing where if I wanna literally go jump on my bike right now and go for a two-mile ride, I’m gonna go do that. And I don’t have to feel like, hey, you’re not logged in and we’re not tracking your mouse. Like what’s happening? How come you’re not on Slack? You know what I mean? I’m not tied down to that. And I can’t stress that enough of like, that is where I wanna be. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Yeah, it is a good life. We are at about the time to wrap it up. Okay. So I’m gonna do that. Where do you hang out online? Russel Aaron: Where do I hang out online? Topher DeRosia: Are you in any common WordPress Slacks? Russel Aaron: I’m on the main WordPress Slack sometimes. I tend to watch more than I do involve anymore. A long time ago, I used to be very vocal and I used to be not afraid to walk in to a room guns blazing. With the big cultural shift that happened in WordPress, I tend to just sit back now and be more self-reserved. So I post on my website, russellenvy.com. I’m on LinkedIn. I’ve been utilizing Reddit a lot too. I think for me, Reddit is a place where I kind of disagree with the fact that you can hide behind a pseudonym, but I do like the brutal honesty that people will have because they are hiding behind something and they will say, dude, this flat out sucks. Or they’ll be like, Hey, this is great, but it would be cool if, or somebody can be like, “Hey, that already exists. You’re not doing anything new.” I do like that. Because it kind of not puts me in my place, but it shows me either how connected or disconnected I am to what I think I’m doing. And so Reddit is a very great place. I mean, everything is russellenvy.com except for Twitter or X, whatever you want to call it. Topher DeRosia: All right, cool. Russel Aaron: Where do you hang out at? Topher DeRosia: I am in probably 40 slacks, but the vast majority of them, I don’t look at. I’m there so that someone can ping me. I’m in a couple of slacks in India. Okay. I’m in the WordPress Italian community Slack. Russel Aaron: That’s interesting. Topher DeRosia: Post status make, of course there’s a hero press Slack. I have my own company Slack, my local meetup has a Slack. There’s just a lot of them. I wouldn’t say I’m super active on any of them. I just occasionally interact with somebody. I use my own company Slack to invite my clients in when we talk there. Russel Aaron: Right. Do you find yourself reading things more than, you know… from the outsider looking in, I post a lot and it looks like I post a lot… I mean, especially on LinkedIn, but I’m always consuming more than I’m posting. Do you find yourself doing that? Like where you’re… maybe not keeping up with the trades anymore, but like, you know… I used to read maybe 1,500 blog posts a week and then… what was that service where you could like save…? I used to have a service where you could save articles and then that way, late at night, I would just read, you know, maybe 10 or 15 of them a night. But now I look at things like Reddit where I see… I just look at somebody who’s going on there and asking for help. Again, it’s a standard WordPress person that, hey, I’m new to this, I don’t know how, and I’m looking at it and I’m just like, how can we make that better? That’s kind of where I’m at these days. Topher DeRosia: I don’t read a whole lot in Slack. It really is for my convenience. I’m pretty active with my RSS reader. I follow a lot of stuff. Russell Aaron: Oh, wow. Topher DeRosia: Because I don’t wanna go chase it all down all over the internet. So, you know, there’s that. I’m on LinkedIn a fair amount, Facebook a little bit. I’m on Mastodon and Blue Sky mostly just to post stuff. It’s funny, I have more followers… No, let me say it this way. Mastodon, I have the fewest followers, but the most engagement from those followers. Russell Aaron: Isn’t that interesting? Topher DeRosia: Yeah, I’ll post something and I’ll get some favorites or reposts or whatever. Blue Sky, I get almost nothing at all, despite the fact that I have like a thousand followers there. Russell Aaron: But Blue Sky is a community that is fast-moving. I almost compare it to anything Meta has, which is you can post today right now and in three minutes you’re 785 posts down. That’s what I really love about Reddit is that I posted something about this AI team that I’m building that I give away for free on GitHub, and so for like five days, I was the number two post on that subreddit. And the volume that I saw from that. I mean, Reddit really loves human writing. If you go in there, you post something that somewhat seemingly might suggest that you had AI do anything with it, they will just downvote it. But if you write original and you write from the heart and stuff, like your stuff skyrockets there. I’ve learned a lot from Reddit because of that. Topher DeRosia: That’s really cool. Russell Aaron: It’s interesting. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. All right, well, thanks for chatting with me. Russell Aaron: Thank you for the time. Topher DeRosia: And now you can’t be on anybody else’s podcast. Russell Aaron: I’m actually starting my own, sir. Topher DeRosia: Are you? All right. Russell Aaron: I have, like you said, the reason why we started this is because you saw something from me that says, “I’m tired of the indie circuit,” if you will. I put out a LinkedIn post, I don’t know, maybe a month ago at this point and I asked people if they wanted to be on a show. So I have WP Roundtable. I got that from Kyle Mahler, a person who I love in WordPress more than I can express. One of the best people on the planet, I feel like. I was thinking about starting that up again, because we don’t have WP Watercooler anymore. We don’t have anything like that. That’s kind of where I got my start from. But again, I also identify that that’s kind of the problem is that every Monday or Friday I was on a show and I was one of the people that you would see constantly. And so I was sitting there thinking and I was like, what doesn’t the space have? What kind of show do I wanna watch? Because I don’t watch shows when they come out, do you? Topher DeRosia: No. Russell Aaron: I always watch them maybe four weeks down the road at like 2:30 in the morning when I have nothing going on. And by that point, the information is almost stale. I mean, the way that anything works these days. And there’s a few that I might watch maybe within 48 hours of coming out, but at this point, there is something… a new idea that myself and… the guy’s actually an automatician. And so it’s actually kind of interesting because we don’t wanna say anything that would put him in a position to where he’s saying something bad about the company he works for, but I’m also the person where I get to say something to the person who works at Automattic to maybe incite some change. So we are working on something like that, but it’s not going to be an interview show. It is not going to be something where you tune it out or you put it on a 2.5 playback speed just to get through it. You know what I mean? And that’s really what the emphasis of my post was about is that so many of the interviews go that way. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Are you familiar with wppodcasts.com? Russell Aaron: Yes. Topher DeRosia: Okay, good. So when you get it started up, submit it there. Russell Aaron: That’s a place. I’m very fascinated by Gary Vaynerchuk. Are you familiar with Gary V? Topher DeRosia: No. Russell Aaron: I watch something Gary V every day. That guy makes me feel like I’m lazy every single day, but he is also one of the people that says like, “Hey, you’re 40, you’re still just a baby.” A lot of people feel like I should be two kids, a house, marriage, this, that, and because I’m not, I’m behind the ball. And he’s one person that’s like, “Listen, you’re still a kid.” And he’s like, “You’re 40, I’m 40, and you have 10 years until you’re 50.” And even then you’re still so young to where you can generate something again and from 50 to 60, you can now do. That kind of mentality really moved me around. Why I bring that up is, I’m trying not to post on the same places that everybody else is. I wanna find that new venture. Substack is a great one. And they also have a way to release podcast episodes through them. So they can actually be your entire engine. So like you don’t have to host them on different places and stuff like that. So I’m looking for different plays like that. Topher DeRosia: All right, cool. Well, I look forward to hearing about it when it comes out. I’m sure you’ll post on LinkedIn. Russell Aaron: Yes, yeah. Topher DeRosia: All right. All right then, well, I will maybe find you on Slack or Reddit or someplace. Russell Aaron: Slack, Reddit, LinkedIn. Either way, please keep in touch. First of all, it’s great to see somebody familiar in the space. It’s great. I mean, just talking about the old days, I could sit here and do it forever. Topher DeRosia: All right, I’ll see ya. Russell Aaron: Have a good one. Topher DeRosia: All right, so that was the end of the podcast. If you could send me a headshot. And yep, that’s the one. Cool. And any links you want in the liner notes. Russell Aaron: Cool. Topher DeRosia: And two or three sentences about you and what you do and whatnot. Russell Aaron: Cool. I noticed that you… are you trying to revive Hallway Chats? Or is it something that when you just find something interesting, you’re like, hey, I’ll go do that. Topher DeRosia: That’s it right there. Russell Aaron: Okay. Sure, sure. Topher DeRosia: There was a time when it was a weekly podcast and now it’s a whenever I feel like it podcast. Russell Aaron: I love it. I think that’s the biggest reason why I’m trying to do something different is I really dislike watching a podcast. The first thing they do is they come on and they go, “Hey, welcome to WP whatever. Hey, sorry we didn’t post this week. I was bit…” If you are gonna say you’re gonna post every Wednesday at one, that’s on you. But I do not like when things start off with an apology. Like just get to it. Because I’m not watching it Wednesday at one. I mean, unless you’re Joe Rogan, or unless you are somebody who has a huge following that people will watch you live because it’s important. Otherwise, it’s just consumable stuff, you know? Topher DeRosia: Yeah. For years, I posted it Heropress weekly on Wednesday without fail. I would ignore my family to go get it done. Then I was talking to Morton Rand Hendrickson. You know him? Russell Aaron: Uh-huh. Topher DeRosia: Yeah, he’s a huge fan of Heropress. And I said to him, “Do you read every week?” He’s like, “Oh no, not at all.” He’s like, “Oh, I thought you really liked it.” And he said, “Oh, I love it. But I don’t have time to read every week.” Every few months I’ll get depressed about the WordPress community and I’ll go read 10 essays. And then one time I was at WordCamp Ann Arbor, probably the same one you were at and Josepha came to me and said that… she was kind of a sounding board for employees that come to her and said, “Listen, I’ve been working support all day and people suck and I’m depressed and I hate life.” And she would just listen for a while and then at the end they would say, “Okay, I’m gonna go read a bunch of Heropress and I’ll feel better.” And it really changed my perspective of what I was making. I wasn’t making a weekly publication. I was making an archive, a collection to be used as a tool, a library. Russell Aaron: I’m gonna say this poorly, but it’s almost like you are creating a support help hotline where it’s like, if you’re on the verge of blowing up your website, please call this number. We’ll talk you down from it. It’s almost like you’re building that. Topher DeRosia: That’s funny. Russell Aaron: That’s interesting. And then now you’re just selective about it or you’re so far- Topher DeRosia: I’m less aggressive about finding essayists and less insistent that they get it to me by a certain time. Like I would find somebody and say, listen, I need it by Sunday on this date. And they were like, “Okay.” And that worked for a while. Russell Aaron: Oh, before, before. Okay. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. But now I’ll find somebody… No, I don’t go looking as often. Russell Aaron: You’ll maybe find something that somebody wrote and you’ll be like, “Hey, are you interested in doing this?” Topher DeRosia: Yes. And I don’t find people as often. I used to find my people on Twitter and I’m not on there anymore. Russell Aaron: Like by personal choice? Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Russell Aaron: Okay. Topher DeRosia: I just left Twitter. Russell Aaron: Oh, wow. You feel like your life improved? Topher DeRosia: Yes and no. Russell Aaron: Okay. Topher DeRosia: I feel the loss of what Twitter was. And it’s not there anymore. It’s just gone. Russell Aaron: Especially around WordCamp and stuff like that. That used to have to be the place that you’d be on, you know? Topher DeRosia: The Twitter I loved doesn’t exist anymore. And so, yeah, I feel that loss. Russell Aaron: I need a t-shirt that says that. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Wow. I’m in the process of making a printable store. Printable? Printful. Printful store. Russell Aaron: Cool. Topher DeRosia: With Woo, to make a video with. I need to make a bunch of products. Maybe I’ll make one of those. Russell Aaron: It’s interesting. Wow. You just flat-out left X. Do you feel like with Heropress, it was… and again, this is why I made that post, is that people almost see it like they can make the rounds. And it’s like, well, I haven’t gone there yet. And so they’re gonna submit something to you because they’re gonna get some press out of it. And it’s not so much what’s best for your brand or it’s not best for your website. They just see it as, well, I’m gonna get some exposure there. Do you feel like it used to be that? Topher DeRosia: No. I’ve gotten maybe two or three submissions ever like that. And a couple of them, I was able to say, “No, that’s not what we’re about. It’s this other thing, what Heropress is actually about.” And they’re like, “Oh, well, okay, that’d be great.” And they do that. And maybe one or two people have said, “I built this great company and everyone should come use my company.” Like, no, not so much. Russell Aaron: Interesting. Topher DeRosia: And that’s the end of it. Russell Aaron: I remember back in, I wanna say like 2013, people used to call each other out and be like, why are you giving the same speech at WordCamp Miami, WordCamp Minneapolis, WordCamp San Diego. And that’s kind of where I was at with that same LinkedIn post. It’s like, I really, really enjoy watching Matt Cromwell’s show, but the guy that he just had on also was on Jonathan Denwood and was also on this one. It was also on, I was like, I’ve already seen this. Maybe I get three more percent information that wasn’t in that last, or because Matt knows a little bit more about personal stuff in WordPress or building a business, he might have some more insight there, but it’s like, I’ve already heard this and I’m kind of already over it. And that’s kind of where I was at is you don’t have to just say, I’m gonna do this one and that’s it. But it’s almost like, you’re making yourself not… what’s the word. Not credible because you’re going around and saying the same thing and it’s just, you’re not doing anything different than a blog post could have done. Topher DeRosia: You know what I mean? I don’t feel too bad about repeating WordCamp talks because, especially at small camps, because a lot of people are just gonna go to their local camp and never go to another one. And unless they cruise.tv, they’re not gonna see it. I struggle a little bit with podcasts because I’ve been asked a lot over the last 10 years to come on a podcast and talk about the story of WordPress. And it’s the same story every time, you know? And so, I’ll try to mix it up a little bit, give different information that I’ve never given before, that sort of thing. But it is something I think about and struggle with a little bit. Russell Aaron: What do you struggle with about it? Topher DeRosia: I don’t wanna just say the same thing over and over again. You know, I don’t want people to go, oh, Topher’s on another podcast episode. Oh, I’ve heard this story. I don’t need to be on this episode. Fortunately, it’s been around long enough that I can give a brief synopsis of the beginning and talk about stuff that’s happened in the last couple of years. Russell Aaron: Right. Topher DeRosia: Which is gonna be really different from the podcast episode I was on in 2020. Russell Aaron: You know? Right. Topher DeRosia: It’s an interesting dilemma when you have one story to tell and everybody wants you to tell it. How do you deal with that? Russell Aaron: Well, I’ve noticed that too. It is like, you know, I’ll watch [Insert Famous Name Here], and they have a podcast, and they’re interviewing, again, [Insert Famous Name Here], and that person was also just on That Famous Name and That Famous Name. I actually saw somebody, it’s like almost a year ago, and they were just like, “Do you want me just to say this so your show has this speech in it or are you genuinely asking me?” Because, you know, like you want this story so you can post it on your social media. But I’ve already given that story 15 different times because they wanted it for their own, you know? And it’s almost going that way where I kind of respect it in a way because you don’t want to post other people’s content. But I also feel like I’m tired of saying the same shit over and over again. It’s interesting, man. Topher DeRosia: Yeah, that’s a dilemma. Russell Aaron: So you’re just like kicking back and… are you building something for you that you think is gonna scale or are you trying to get away from WordPress? That’s kind of where I’m at right now. Topher DeRosia: Yes and no. I have always wanted to… I’ve always been better with people than code. I’m a life coach. Russell Aaron: Yeah. I did not know that about you. Topher DeRosia: I love talking to the client more than coding. I love helping people learn things. And so those skills could be anywhere in WordPress, but also could be anywhere outside of WordPress. So I’m looking for those jobs and they are not out there. Russell Aaron: Right. Topher DeRosia: So here we are. Russell Aaron: I’m to the point now where my son, he’s eight, but he races BMX, like actual bikes and stuff. And so there’s a college here in Indianapolis and it’s one of the best cycling schools in the country. And there’s like five Olympians that practice every Tuesday and Thursday and they’re right in our back door. These are people that have a great social following, but they don’t post very well. They have a brand name, but they don’t have a website. So I’m noticing that every new space that I go into, it’s kind of like I get to jump back into WordPress again, where it’s like, hey, I just built a website for this BMX track in Louisville, Kentucky. It’s one of the best tracks in the country by everybody that has ever raced in a sport, they all vote that it’s one of the best, but they don’t have a website period. I just went through this where they have a guy, he’s their treasurer and he’s like, “Well, I’m an AI software guy.” And I’m like, “Well, how come you don’t have a website?” And he’s like, “Well…” And I’m like, “Listen, I submitted a new version of a we… literally, I uploaded it to my Russell website or to my Russell Envy site and I just put it in a sub-folder and I was like, “Your website could look like this today.” I was like, “For free. I don’t want anything from you. No free anything.” I was like, “I want to donate this to you because I want to grow the sport.” And the guy’s like, “I wanted to build it and React.” And I’m like, “Well, why didn’t you?” And the guy’s like, “Uh.” And I’m like, “I have free hosting for life from WPEngine.” And I was like, “I won’t charge you guys ever. I will host a site. I have free with AppPresser. I’ll build you guys an app where you guys can send push notifications.” And the guy’s like, “Well, I want to have a lot of control and say over it.” And I was just like, “All right, you know what?” And then I built my own. Now I own a domain all about their BMX track and now they’re calling me going, “We should have went with you.” I’m to the point now where I’m nice. And then it’s just like, “Dude, I’m 10,000 miles over you and I’m going to go this way.” Liquid Web did that to me. Liquid Web brought me in and they were like, “We’re going to…” I was supposed to be the OG stellar WP. They brought me in, I was hiring all my friends and I was bringing in people and we were building something. And then they called me and they were like, “Well, you can either be a level two support person or you could just not work here.” And I was like, “Well, I don’t work here anymore.” And they were like, “Well, wait, hang on.” And I literally hit “click” and I have never logged on since. Topher DeRosia: That’s funny. Russell Aaron: I’m in that same boat where, you know, I don’t have to work for you. You know what I mean? Like, fuck, I’m 40. I should be doing something on my own anyway. I kind of wish I had… what was WP 101? Sean did that for all those years. I wish I would have done that. Or every week, I should have had some YouTube about talking about something and maybe I could have monetized that, but I’m not behind the ball. I let the ball slip is what I feel like. Topher DeRosia: It’s not too late to start. I picked that up when Sean, quit and I’ve got a YouTube channel with a bunch of stuff on it. I published one today. Russell Aaron: Oh wow. It’s just interesting things that you think about, or is it like educational, like tutorials? Topher DeRosia: It’s educational tutorials, but stuff that I find interesting. Like today I made a desktop wallpaper for WordCamp Europe. Russell Aaron: Nice. Topher DeRosia: And I did it by going to their webpage in my browser and using the console to hack the HTML and CSS until it looked like a screen, a wallpaper. Russell Aaron: That’s fucking cool. Topher DeRosia: So I published it right before I’d started talking to you, like minutes before that. And it has three views. Russell Aaron: Woohoo. Topher DeRosia: But a couple of weeks ago I did one called fun and games in the terminal. And it’s how to play Tetris in the terminal and how to make a choo-choo train go across your screen when you type LS wrong. And it has 784 views right now. Russell Aaron: That’s awesome. Topher DeRosia: I did one on how to brighten a photo. I did a series. I’m working on a series called Topher learns how, or I talk to people who know how to do things that I really should know how to do, but don’t. I talked to Scott Kingsley Clark about pods, which has been around forever, but I’ve never used. I talked to Donata about Termageddon, because I know it’s important, but I have stayed away because I don’t understand and it’s scary. Russell Aaron: Termageddon. I’ve never heard that. Topher DeRosia: Oh. You know the little cookie consent things, privacy policies and whatnot? Russell Aaron: Yeah. Topher DeRosia: So when you sign up with term again, you pay a surprisingly low monthly fee and they have a human get on the phone with you and talk through your requirements of where you live, your legal stuff. Like, are you in Europe? Are you in California? Where are you? Where are your customers, your viewers? Then you drop in a short code for your privacy code and for the cookies and they keep them up to date based on how the laws change. So you don’t have to pay attention to, Oh, did California make some crazy new law about cookies? What do I need to do to update my site? It’s really, really great. So I did an interview with her. Russell Aaron: $12 a month or $119 a year. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Russell Aaron: What is the point of having a privacy policy if you don’t pay extra for limiting your liability? Wow. That’s amazing. Topher DeRosia: It is. Russell Aaron: That’s someone just thinking outside the box. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. I have a couple of videos where I was given an account at a hosting company that I’ve never used and videoed logging in for the first time and getting to a website. Russell Aaron: Oh, wow. Just from first login to setting everything up to now you have something production. Wow. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Specifically not reading the docs. Russell Aaron: Oh, just trying to brute force your way through it. Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Russell Aaron: That’s smart, dude. Topher DeRosia: It’s partly about… well, they may have wonderful docs. It may be super easy to do if you read all the docs. I don’t want to read the docs. Russell Aaron: Me neither. Topher DeRosia: Clickety clickety click, I have a website. So I did GreenGeeks. I did honesthosting.io. I did X cloud. So that’s the kind of stuff I’m doing. Russell Aaron: That’s interesting. That is something that, that Gary V talks about a lot is that it used to have to be where you are this WordPress brand and you do just this and all your videos could only be about that. Anytime you stepped outside the box, people were like, “Why am I watching this?” And today now we’re to finally to where my website would probably actually thrive is it’s so random. It’s just something out of my head and one thing can skyrocket and it’s like hitting the jackpot, you know? That’s interesting. Topher DeRosia: Another thing I did is I made a site called topher.how and because I realized I had never really made stuff in my own channel. I’ve been blogging for decades, making videos, WinningWP. I have over a hundred videos on WinningWP. Russell Aaron: WinningWP? Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Russell Aaron: Did you start that when Charlie Sheen started doing Winning? Topher DeRosia: No, no, no, no. But I was thinking, boy, I’d love to have all this stuff on my own website, but I don’t want to go find it all and copy paste posts. And then I realized nearly every place I’ve ever made content has RSS for their authors. Russell Aaron: Yeah. Topher DeRosia: And so I found the sites, found my author RSS feed and started piping them into WP all import. And now topher.how has all my content from the last 15 years on a dozen different sites, doesn’t more than a dozen different sites, all my videos, all my posts, everything on wordpress.tv, all that stuff. So it’s kind of a portfolio. Yeah, so you can go to topher.how and see all my stuff. Russell Aaron: That was actually one thing that I was really proud of was that my entire WordPress journey is documented on somebody else’s project. So, like you go to WPwatercooler and my resume, what is great about it is that it is not me who can edit those videos, it is not me who can master them. Those words are there. Those words are me. You want to know my qualifications in WordPress, there’s all my shit. For me, I was like, “That’s actually pretty sick. You know what I mean?” Topher DeRosia: Yeah. Russell Aaron: Wow. Topher.how. Oh, dude, do you know who Jeffrey Zinn is? Topher DeRosia: No. Russell Aaron: Oh God. Him and Brandon Dove they have Pixel Jar. Have you ever heard of Pixel Jar? Topher DeRosia: Maybe. Russell Aaron: They’re big West coasters. I’ll tell you that much. He just wrote me, “He literally just said, dude, how do you find the time to write so much on LinkedIn? I enjoy all your stuff, but mostly I’m blown away by the volume.” Topher DeRosia: Nice. Russell Aaron: I’m going to write him back and just tell him the truth. But you know, it’s all thought man. Interesting. Topher, I’ve had a lot of fun. Am I taking up your time? Topher DeRosia: I should get back to work. Russell Aaron: All right, sir. Have a good one. Topher DeRosia: All right. I’ll see ya. Russell Aaron: Bye. Topher DeRosia: Bye.

In this epiosde, Adam Weeks interviews Joe Simpson about reviving local WordCamps, emphasizing their unique value in fostering in-person connections, empowering new voices, and adapting to technological changes like AI in the WordPress community.

Celina García García, también conocida como Celi Garoe, es Project Manager y Copywriter y es una de esas personas que parecen haber llegado a WordPress por casualidad, pero que luego encajan demasiado bien como para que aquello fuera casualidad. Antes de llegar al editor de bloques, los tickets de GitHub y las WordCamps, Celi tuvo […] El episodio Episodio 350: La comunidad crece, con Celi Garoe es un podcast de Un billete a Chattanooga.

Our latest episode offers very clear advice: Do NOT Let AI Build Your Website, with Alison Rothwell. A digital strategist and founder of VA Website for You, Alison also picked up a Silver Award at the 2025 Best Businesswomen Awards. With nearly twenty years running her own business and a background spanning government communications, PR and digital marketing, she brings a wealth of knowledge to this conversation. We discuss why relying solely on social media is a genuinely risky strategy for any business. Alison moved on to explaining what a well built website created by humans should actually do for you. Furthermore, there is an essential piece about why owning your own corner of the internet matters more than ever in 2026. There is also a brilliant and candid conversation about AI. Not just around websites. Alison relates the hilarious story of a business owner who asked an AI tool for a summary of his own company. The result was an entirely fictional origin story. Alison and Debbie also get into the thorny subject of AI generated award entries and why evidence will always matter more than polished prose. Vitally, Alison tells us why awards have become a permanent fixture in Alison's marketing calendar rather than an occasional afterthought. Oh, and she once did an entire project on making someone completely unfindable online. Which might be the most intriguing client brief we have heard on this podcast yet. About Alison Alison Rothwell helps virtual assistants and service-based business owners build professional, credible online presences that actually generate work. After more than a decade supporting microbusinesses through her WordPress consultancy WP Fiddly Bits, she identified a consistent gap. She found capable, experienced professionals trying to grow their businesses without the right foundations in place. No proper website, no visibility, and no clear system for attracting clients. That insight led her to create VA Website For You, a productised website service that gives virtual assistants a marketing-ready WordPress website quickly, affordably, and without the usual tech overwhelm. Alongside her business, Alison serves as a Trustee at an Academy Trust, contributes to the WordPress Marketing Team and has also presented at WordCamps. Her work is grounded in a simple belief: marketing should be built on evidence, systems, and real experience, not trends or theory. In 2025, Alison was proud to receive Silver at the Best Business Women Awards, recognising her impact and her values-led approach to business.       {1:48} Why Alison started her own business. {5:42} How Alison came to work in the VA niche. {7:54} Why people still need a website in 2026. {11:03} Why people don't need AI but do need a pro designer to build their webites. {14:53} When awards first appeared on Alison's radar. {17:25} The benefits Alison has enjoyed by entering awards. {18:15} Making awards a constant part of the marketing plan. {19:31} How Alison has stayed visible after nearly twenty years in business. {21:22} Her plans for the next few years. {24:55} Why using AI to complete award entries is a bad idea. {27:52} Why clients pay for years of experience. {29:17} Alison's clients outside the VA space.   Connect with Debbie at: https://thebusinessawardsshow.co.uk                                         https://bestsmeawards.co.uk/                                        Connect with Alison:  https://vawebsiteforyou.com/ LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisonrothwell/ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/virtualassistantwebsites Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alisonrothwell  

In this episode, Nathan Wrigley speaks with Jonathan Desrosiers about tying WordPress releases to flagship community events like WordCamps. They discuss the logistical challenges, especially around scheduling, international holidays, and global contributor coverage. The conversation explores the evolving WordPress community, impacts of COVID, renewed excitement for building, and initiatives to involve younger contributors. They touch on the role of AI, resurgence in open web tools, and ensuring WordPress remains relevant and exciting for future generations.

In this episode, Nathan Wrigley speaks with Jonathan Desrosiers about tying WordPress releases to flagship community events like WordCamps. They discuss the logistical challenges, especially around scheduling, international holidays, and global contributor coverage. The conversation explores the evolving WordPress community, impacts of COVID, renewed excitement for building, and initiatives to involve younger contributors. They touch on the role of AI, resurgence in open web tools, and ensuring WordPress remains relevant and exciting for future generations.

The host first noticed Ryan through a post on a Lifter LMS property. He almost blocked it as spam but checked first and learned of an ongoing deal. This led to their connection, despite attending the same events like WordCamps.Influence WP solves problems like fake deal sites that hide affiliate links. Users click expecting discounts but get tricked into full-price buys, benefiting shady promoters. As a result, Influence WP became a trusted hub for real WP deals (99% WP-focused), with no affiliates or bias. All partners get equal treatment. Users enjoy giveaways, unbiased videos from a first-time user's view, and honest reviews that spot issues like bugs, poor wording, missing about pages, or no changelogs. These help vendors build trust.Ryan's World:InfluenceWP | ChangelogWP | WP Turned UP | MyListing Club 

This episode of TWiW covers the latest in WordPress, with a strong focus on AI advancements, new products, and features expected in WordPress 7. The discussion includes updates on community events, challenges with in-person meetups post-pandemic, and the integration of AI tools for site management and design. The hosts also touch on debates around sponsored talks at WordCamps, the evolution of commercial and community aspects within WordPress, and recent plugin developments. Listeners get insights into both technical advancements and the shifting landscape of the WordPress community.

En este episodio, que ha tardado en salir, hablamos de que aunque no hemos podido publicar, tenemos la intranet de Potencia Pro más animada que nunca tanto en cuanto a actualizaciones de plugins y ya de paso os recordamos que sería estupendo que os apuntaseis al canal de Youtube del podcast https://www.youtube.com/potenciapro para llegar a los 500 suscriptores y así nos activen la monetización y sacar unas perrillas con videotutoriales de WordPress de las cosillas que hablamos en el podcast y alguna cosilla más. Tema del día Se acerca la nueva versión de WordPress en que nos acercamos a la versión de edición colaborativa a toda velocidad, parece mentira después del tiempo que se está trabajando en ello pero ya está casi aquí, ahora se están solventando ciertos problemas relacionados con la asignación de autoría de bloques al autor que lo esté publicando, pero poco más, por lo visto el funcionamiento es maravilloso. Actualidad Mariano nos hace un resumen de las próximas WordCamps y WordPress days y nos explica qué eventos son los que salen en el escritorio de WordPress. Plugin del día Hoy os comentamos y par de plugins que son una maravilla: Hablando de monetización https://es.wordpress.org/plugins/ad-inserter/ Query Loop filter -> https://github.com/humanmade/query-filter ¿No eres suscriptor? pues estás tardando, porque por sólo 1,6€ al mes (el 14 de febrero subiremos el precio del plan anual de 20€ a 30€) tendrás acceso a todas las descargas de la intranet y lo más importante, nuestro amor. Soñaremos contigo todas las noches. Métodos de contacto Enviadnos vuestras preguntas al grupo de Telegram. Si nos queréis decir algo directamente lo podéis hacer a @potenciapro , @materron, @mpc, o en el grupo de Telegram Y si eres muy muy muy fan del podcast Echa un vistazo a cómo nos puedes ayudar en https://potencia.pro/se-prosperoso/

Thanks Pressable for supporting the show! Get your special hosting deal at https://pressable.com/wpminuteBecome a WP Minute Supporter & Slack member at https://thewpminute.com/supportOn this episode of The WP Minute+ podcast, Matt Medeiros hosts a panel discussion of WordPress predictions for 2026. Panelists Raquel Manriquez, Kurt Von Ahnen, and Eric Karkovack cover topics such as the restructuring of WordCamps, the rise of plugin suites, the impact of AI in hosting, and the future of community events. They also examine the implications of ongoing legal battles and share rapid-fire predictions, highlighting the evolving landscape of WordPress and its community. Takeaways:A restructuring of WordCamps might take hold in 2026.The community is seeing a push for more alternative WordPress events.AI will play a significant role in differentiating hosting companies.The rise of plugin suites may lead to agency dynamics changing.Legal battles may impact the direction of WordPress and its branding.The importance of community and user experience in WordPress is emphasized.AI could lead to a major shift in how users interact with WordPress.The panel expresses mixed feelings about the future of Facebook and OpenAI.The need for a cohesive community approach to WordPress is highlighted.Important Links:Connect with our panelists on LinkedIn:Matt | Raquel | Kurt | EricThe WP Minute+ Podcast: thewpminute.com/subscribe ★ Support this podcast ★

In this LMScast, According to Matt Medeiros, The WP Minute is changing profoundly from being a WordPress news and community site to a resource for agencies and freelancers that is more value-driven and instructive. At first, The WP Minute concentrated on reporting on upcoming WordCamps, community conversations, product releases, and WordPress-related information. Though such information […] The post Create Impact And Revenue From Free Courses With Matt Medeiros appeared first on LMScast.

About This EpisodePodcasters struggle with a deceptively simple question: should you put your guest's name in the episode title? On one side, names can spark curiosity and search visibility—when the guest is a household name. On the other, unknown names waste precious title space and suppress clicks. This episode gives you a fast, practical decision framework so your titles stay short, searchable, and binge-worthy while your show notes carry the full context your audience—and search engines—need.Previous EpisodeUse Reddit To Write Episode Titles That Rank (And Get More Downloads) | S4E19Related Podcast EpisodesOne Secret To More Podcast Downloads | S4E14The RIGHT Social Network For Your Podcast | S3 E17Does Your Podcast Have TOO Many Guests? | S3 E16How Podcasters Can Succeed by Following Hulu's Strategy | S3 E15Fortune Cookie Readings for the 20 Most Active Podcasters | S3 E18About Bruce ChamoffBruce Chamoff is a podcaster, musician, entrepreneur, and public speaker. He founded the Long Island Podcast Network in 2005 (rebranded in 2023 to the World Podcast Network) and has helped thousands of podcasters grow audiences worldwide. He speaks at WordCamps across the U.S. and Canada and presented at Podcast Movement 2025 in Grapevine, Texas—always focused on practical, measurable podcast growth.

Comienza una nueva temporada de Potencia Pro, una vez puesto septiembre en condiciones y entrando en octubre bien peinaditos nos ponemos manos a la obra hablando de WordPress y comenzando las visitas a WordCamps y WordPress Days, por lo pronto nos vamos a WordPress en Femenino, ya estás tardando en venirte, que son 5 euritos de nada https://events.wordpress.org/malaga/2025/wordpress-en-femenino/tickets/

Episode IntroductionReddit is one of the most powerful, underrated tools for podcasters who want more downloads and better visibility in search results. With over 1.2 billion users every month, Reddit generates an endless stream of real questions from real people—questions that represent genuine demand. That makes Reddit a goldmine for podcasters looking to grow their audience through smarter podcast SEO and more clickable episode titles.Instead of spamming links in Reddit threads, the smarter strategy is to listen. Join at least five subreddits that match your podcast niche—sports, nutrition, marketing, technology, comedy, or whatever you focus on—and start collecting the recurring questions that people are asking. These questions are pure research gold. Paste them into a document and build a living database of audience intent.Next, run those questions through Google. If you see that a Reddit thread already ranks on the first page, you've discovered a proven high-traffic keyword phrase. That's your signal. Take that exact question and use it as your next podcast episode title—or adjust it slightly to make a tighter promise under 55 characters. When searchers type that same question into Google, your episode can appear alongside Reddit, Quora, and other trusted sources. This is how you tap into organic discoverability.When you record the episode, build your talking points around the best answers, patterns, and objections you found inside those Reddit threads. This ensures your content doesn't just match the title but fully matches the searcher's intent. Then, in your show notes, write a clear summary of the process and highlight a few bullet-point takeaways. Skimmable notes help both your listeners and search engines parse your expertise.Listen to the Audio Podcast Featuring the Podsafe Music of Major The Black Sheep - As The World Turns:In this episode, we feature the podsafe music of hip hop sensation Major The Black Sheep with the song As The World Turns. Know for creativity and authenticity. My music gravitates every day life, inner Thoughts, and substance matters. Key Takeaways:Join 5 niche subreddits and track recurring questions.Google those questions to confirm demand and ranking.Turn the winning question into your episode title.Record an episode that answers it better than anyone else.Use structured show notes with headings and bullet points.Publish consistently. Over time, AI tools and search engines will learn to recognize your content as a reliable answer source, driving more exposure, more downloads, and long-term podcast growth.Previous EpisodeHow To Make People Binge Your Podcast | S4E17Related Podcast EpisodesHow to get ChatGPT to Suggest Your Podcast For More Downloads | S4E16Use ChatGPT to Create Your Podcast Show Notes FAST in MINUTES | S4E15One Secret To More Podcast Downloads | S4E14Shari Gives Her Opinion on AI In Podcasting | S4 E13Playing Podsafe Music on Your Podcast in 2025 with Shari Post | S4E12About Bruce ChamoffBruce Chamoff is a podcaster, musician, entrepreneur, and public speaker. He founded the Long Island Podcast Network in 2005, rebranded it as the World Podcast Network in 2023, and has helped thousands of creators grow audiences and monetize smarter. He speaks at WordCamps across the U.S. and Canada and presented at Podcast Movement 2025 in Grapevine, Texas—always focused on practical, measurable podcast growth.

✏️ Suscribirse https://youtu.be/oa0QgTiK7Lw En este episodio 237 de Negocios y WordPress repasamos las novedades más importantes del ecosistema digital: las actualizaciones de Bricks con componentes convertibles a bloques de Gutenberg, las nuevas funcionalidades de ChatGPT (agentes, conectores, compras directas), la comparativa entre Billing y Factura Directa para facturación online, cómo crear un mini CRM con Gravity Forms usando IA, y algunos trucos de CSS para mejorar tus diseños web. También hablamos del nuevo curso de WordPress desde cero, próximas WordCamps y el flujo de trabajo para crear shorts de forma eficiente. Nuevo curso de WordPress desde cero para profesionales Yannick está en plena producción de un curso de WordPress desde cero orientado a profesionales, que será el más completo de YouTube. El curso incluye: Fundamentos de HTML y CSS Diseño de temas a medida Funciones PHP y código personalizado Inteligencia artificial aplicada a WordPress Gutenberg, Elementor, Bricks y otros page builders Sistemas de diseño con Tailwind Plantillas de WooCommerce Roles, formularios, automatizaciones, SEO, seguridad y optimización El curso tendrá unas 50 lecciones (no son cortas) y estará disponible primero en La Máquina de Brandy para miembros de la comunidad. Cuando lleve unas 30 lecciones publicadas, comenzará a subirse semanalmente a YouTube. Novedades en Bricks: La beta que trae funcionalidades potentes Componentes de Bricks convertibles a bloques de Gutenberg Una de las novedades más destacadas es la posibilidad de convertir componentes de Bricks en bloques de Gutenberg con un simple clic derecho. Esto permite que los clientes puedan usar elementos avanzados directamente desde el editor de bloques sin tocar Bricks. Biblioteca de templates Bricks incluye ahora una colección de templates predefinidos muy espartanos, en grises y con lo básico. No son tan elaborados como los de otras bibliotecas, pero sirven como punto de partida. Gestión de queries personalizadas Ahora puedes crear, nombrar y categorizar queries para reutilizarlas en diferentes partes del proyecto. Además, incluye un editor visual para queries de APIs donde puedes ver una vista previa de los objetos JSON, desplegarlos y configurar parámetros de filtrado. Formularios con creación de posts desde frontend Los formularios nativos de Bricks ahora permiten crear y editar posts desde el frontend, reduciendo la necesidad de plugins adicionales. Generador de tipografía fluida Bricks incluye un generador de tipografía fluida que permite definir rápidamente variables CSS para diferentes tamaños de texto, con vista previa en tiempo real. Falta un generador similar para espaciado, pero es un gran avance. ChatGPT: Nuevas funcionalidades y actualizaciones Compras directas en ChatGPT OpenAI ha lanzado la API Instant Checkout, que permite realizar compras directamente desde el chat. Está integrada con Shopify y desarrollada junto a Stripe, y ambas plataformas se llevan comisión por las ventas. Agentes y nuevas capacidades ChatGPT Plus ahora incluye un botón de "Agentes" que permite realizar tareas más autónomas, como navegar por webs, leer archivos o ejecutar acciones complejas. Conectores con Google Calendar y Gmail Se han añadido conectores con Google Calendar y Gmail, facilitando la automatización de tareas cotidianas. Grabación de reuniones Nueva funcionalidad para grabar reuniones y obtener resúmenes ejecutivos automáticos, aunque todavía está en fase inicial. Modo voz y pantalla compartida en móvil Ahora puedes mostrar la cámara y la pantalla en tiempo real desde el móvil, ideal para soporte técnico remoto. Proyectos en ChatGPT La función de proyectos permite subir documentación común y mantener conversaciones organizadas por temas, evitando mezclar contextos. Programar en Cursor con la extensión Codex (OpenAI) Últimamente Elías está usando bastante Cursor para programar, y alguna que otra vez se le termina el uso gratuito. Así que se decidió a probar la extensión de OpenAI, que tiene una funcionalidad similar. La ha estado probando con la clave de API, pero ahora que tiene cuenta de ChatGPT Plus ha podido conectarse con su cuenta y así ahorrar consumo a través de la API. La extensión funciona de forma bastante similar al chat integrado de Cursor, pero no te habilita el autocompletado como hace nativamente. No obstante, tiene una funcionalidad de "autocontexto" que permite enviar los ficheros abiertos y cualquier otro del proyecto si el agente lo necesita. Y por cierto, también te permite elegir el modelo, el modo de uso (chat o full access) y consultar el uso de tokens. Puede ser una buena alternativa si dispones de cuenta de pago de ChatGPT (o no te importa usar la API key) y quieres evitar pagar por un plan de suscripción de Cursor. Facturación online: De Billing a Factura Directa Por qué el cambio de Billing a Factura Directa Elías se cambió de Billing a Factura Directa principalmente por: Falta de integración con Make: Billing prometía compatibilidad con Make desde hace más de un año, pero nunca se implementó. Problemas de usabilidad: Filtros que no funcionaban correctamente (filtrar por "no cobrada" mostraba también facturas anuladas). Proceso de baja complicado: Requiere confirmación por email y elimina todo el acceso histórico inmediatamente. Ventajas de Factura Directa Integración con Zapier (y próximamente Make) Interfaz rápida basada en Material Design Plan gratuito hasta 5 clientes distintos Más opciones de gestión: Apartado de bancos, métodos de pago y configuraciones avanzadas Inconvenientes de Factura Directa Para cobrar una factura hay que seleccionarla primero en la lista y luego ir a un menú desplegable, en lugar de tener un botón directo dentro de la factura. Mini CRM con Gravity Forms y ChatGPT Elías creó un mini plugin con ayuda de ChatGPT que unifica todos los envíos de Gravity Forms en una lista de contactos tipo CRM. El plugin: Muestra una lista de contactos con nombre y email Al hacer clic en un contacto, muestra su historial de envíos Unifica envíos de diferentes formularios por email Se creó en menos de una hora con ayuda de IA (Cursor o Codex) Incluye buscador, paginación y usa las tablas nativas de WordPress Es un ejemplo perfecto de cómo la IA reduce el esfuerzo para crear funcionalidades personalizadas que antes no haríamos por falta de tiempo. Flujo de trabajo para crear shorts de forma eficiente Elías comparte su flujo optimizado para crear shorts del podcast: Descript genera capítulos automáticamente al editar el podcast Revisa los capítulos y selecciona los que tienen potencial para shorts Crea una escena privada con los fragmentos seleccionados Los ordena por interés y los copia a composiciones separadas Edita cada short manualmente (recortes, transcripción corregida) Crea plantillas de CTA (una para WordPress, otra para automatización) Publica en Metricool (2-3 shorts por semana) Sobre Opus Clips: Probó esta herramienta de IA para generar shorts automáticamente, pero los resultados son "una basura comparado con hacértelo tú mismo". Incluso grabando clips perfectos con inicio y final claros, no los corta bien. Sobre Metricool: Permite elegir el frame de portada y hacer clic derecho para guardar la imagen. Está presente en eventos como DSM y Raiola, y publica estudios anuales muy interesantes sobre redes sociales en su blog. Próximas WordCamps y eventos WordCamp Galicia (Pontevedra) Yannick asistirá este fin de semana a la WordCamp Galicia en Pontevedra, donde impartirá un taller práctico sobre cómo montar un proyecto formativo con WordPress: Contenidos restringidos por compra Sistema de cursos sin plugins de pago Opción con código + IA o con plugins como ACF El taller se adaptará a las preferencias de los asistentes (todo con código, híbrido o con plugins). WordCamp San José (Costa Rica) El 1 de noviembre, Yannick estará en la WordCamp San José con una ponencia titulada "Cómo ser arquitecto de páginas web", donde hablará de los diferentes roles en el desarrollo web usando el símil de construir una tienda física: El empleado (usa lo que tiene) El albañil/obrero (usa builders sin guía previa) El arquitecto (planifica estructura y diseño) WordCamp Valencia - WordPress Tech Congress Esa misma semana, Yannick moderará las Lightning Talks en Valencia, charlas de 10 minutos sobre SEO, marketing y WordPress. También presentará "El Semáforo WordPress", una dinámica interactiva donde el público responde con tarjetas (roja, amarilla, verde) a dilemas del día a día con WordPress y clientes. Trucos de CSS y buenas prácticas para diseño web Clases para CTAs principales, secundarios y terciarios Es recomendable tener diferentes niveles de CTAs (principal, secundario, terciario) para jerarquizar la importancia visual de los botones en tus diseños. Clase de lectura con max-width Usar una clase de lectura con max-width: 80ch mejora la legibilidad de los textos largos, evitando líneas demasiado anchas que dificultan la lectura. Padding en ems para coherencia visual Usar padding en em en lugar de píxeles hace que el espaciado interno se adapte automáticamente al tamaño de fuente, manteniendo proporciones coherentes en todos los tamaños. Grids automáticos con tamaños mínimos Tener 2-3 grids predefinidos con auto-fit y tamaños mínimos (300px, 230px) cubre la mayoría de necesidades de layout sin complicaciones. Contenedores con versiones normales y anchas Definir un contenedor normal (900px) y una versión wide facilita la consistencia visual en toda la web. Clase full-height con fallback Usar 100dvh para altura completa es moderno, pero conviene añadir un fallback con 100vh para navegadores antiguos (especialmente Firefox). JetFormBuilder: Pagos recurrentes con Stripe JetFormBuilder ha añadido finalmente la posibilidad de pagos recurrentes con Stripe (ya los tenía con PayPal). Esto facilita crear sistemas de membresía o suscripciones sin necesidad de WooCommerce, solo con el plugin de formularios y algunas configuraciones estructurales. Conclusión: Herramientas que evolucionan, flujos que mejoran Como ves, el ecosistema digital no para de evolucionar. Desde las novedades en Bricks y ChatGPT, pasando por la gestión de facturación online, la automatización con IA y los trucos de diseño web, estar al día marca la diferencia. ¿Qué herramienta te ha sorprendido más? ¿Usas alguna de estas en tu día a día? Nos encantaría conocer tu experiencia.

Join us for an inspiring conversation with Mike Stott, a WordPress veteran whose journey from writing an e-book about being terrible at Call of Duty to becoming a key player at Automatic will captivate entrepreneurs and developers alike.In this episode, we explore:Mike's fascinating transition from finance to WordPress, starting with £20 WordPress installationsThe story behind Jetpack CRM's acquisition by AutomaticInsights into balancing physical wellness with digital entrepreneurshipRaw, honest perspectives on working within the WordPress ecosystemGlobal adventures from WordCamps to family travelsWhether you're a WordPress enthusiast, aspiring entrepreneur, or simply love a good success story, this episode offers valuable insights into building a successful career in the digital space while maintaining work-life balance.More at https://manananomas.com

Podcast E-E-A-T Method: Make Your Show Discoverable in the AI EraEpisode IntroductionMost podcasters feel the squeeze: discovery is noisy, recommendations are algorithmic, and attention is a flighty housecat. This episode gives you a practical, no-fluff system for making your podcast easier to find and easier to trust by applying Google's E-E-A-T framework—Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness—to your episode planning, titles, show notes, and link structure. The goal: earn more “yes” clicks from humans and from AI assistants that surface answers.Previous Episode How To Make People Binge Your Podcast | S4E17 Apply the E-E-A-T Method to Your PodcastExperience: Show lived experience in every episode. Open with a one-sentence “why I care” statement, then add a quick proof—what you tried, measured, shipped, or learned. In your notes, mark experience with phrases like “What we tested,” “Where this worked,” and “What surprised us.” Pull a concrete detail from your transcript (a metric, tool, or constraint) so the claim feels verifiable.Expertise: Teach one crisp, non-obvious thing per episode. If the topic is common, narrow the scope: instead of “grow your audience,” do “double first-week downloads with title rewrites.” In show notes, summarize the method in 3–5 steps and list any frameworks or formulas named in the audio. Link to definitions or sources you cite so curious listeners—and search engines—can follow the thread.Authoritativeness: Earn authority by borrowing and interlinking it. Quote credible sources, reference relevant case studies, and link to prior episodes that establish a track record. Use a small “Further Reading & Listening” block to point to your own best episodes on the topic and to high-quality external material. Cross-linking your catalog increases session time and teaches algorithms what your show is about.Trustworthiness: Be specific, cite numbers, and avoid hype. Add a short “Assumptions & Limits” line in your notes (what this advice does and doesn't cover). Include your name, role, and a contact or site link in every description. If you recommend products or services, disclose relationships. Consistency across episode titles, descriptions, and transcript formatting reduces friction and builds trust over time.Practical Checklist You Can ReuseTitle (≤55 chars): Promise one clear outcome using the listener's language.Hook (first 2 lines): Problem → result → one-sentence method.Method steps: 3–5 skimmable bullets that mirror the audio structure.Proof: 1 metric, 1 constraint, 1 example from your own experience.Interlinking: Add “Previous Episode” and a short “Related Episodes” block.Trust block: About the host + contact/site; disclosure if applicable.Episode Key TakeawaysE-E-A-T isn't a buzzword; it's an editorial habit. Put a real-world detail in every claim.Titles are tiny ads—front-load the promise and avoid vagueness.Show notes do double duty: human skimmability and machine parsability.Cross-linking your catalog increases completions and long-tail discovery.Trust compounds: consistent structure + specific facts = more recommendations.Related Podcast EpisodesUse ChatGPT to Create Your Podcast Show Notes FAST in MINUTES | S4 E15One Secret To More Podcast Downloads | S4E14The RIGHT Social Network For Your Podcast | S3 E17Does your podcast have TOO Many Guests With Shari Post? | S3 E16How Podcasters Can Succeed By Following Hulu's Strategy | S3 E15About Bruce ChamoffBruce Chamoff is a podcaster, musician, entrepreneur, and public speaker. He founded the Long Island Podcast Network in 2005 and rebranded it to the World Podcast Network in 2023. Bruce teaches at WordCamps across the U.S. and Canada, presents at Podcast Movement, and helps creators grow audiences, strengthen authority, and monetize smarter.

Episode Introduction - How To Make People Binge Your PodcastMost podcasters struggle with a familiar problem: people sample one episode and drift away. Discovery is hard, attention is scarce, and your back catalog gets lonely. This episode shows a practical system to turn casual listeners into loyal fans by encouraging binge listening — using smart interlinking, tight teasers, and deliberate “previous/next” navigation in your show notes and audio. When your episodes point cleanly to each other, you increase downloads, session time, and retention without spending a cent on ads.Previous EpisodeHow to get ChatGPT to Suggest Your podcast For More Downloads | S4E16SummaryWe reverse-engineer streaming platforms to make podcasts binge-worthy. Start with show-note architecture: add a clear “Previous Episode” and “Next Episode” link on every episode, then backfill as new episodes launch. Include a short “Related Episodes” block to surface 3–5 contextually similar episodes. In your audio, reference what listeners just learned last episode and tease what's coming next — “leave them wanting more” works in touring and it works in podcasting. Search engines and AI assistants follow these internal links and begin surfacing more of your catalog, improving discoverability over time. Even if Apple renders fewer active links than Spotify, most apps (and your website) do, so keep the HTML links in your notes. Over time, this creates a chain reaction: listeners hop backward to catch up, forward to stay current, and sideways to explore related topics. That's the essence of binge design for podcasts.Sample Transcript“Tell people in the next episode, this is what we're going to be talking about — and then stick with that. You'll get your audience to come back over and over, and download or listen to those episodes. Add ‘previous' and ‘next' links in your show notes so every episode points to the others. It turns your catalog into a chain reaction.”Related Podcast EpisodesUse ChatGPT to Create Your Podcast Show Notes FAST in MINUTES | S4 E15One Secret To More Podcast Downloads | S4E14The RIGHT Social Network For Your Podcast | S3 E17Does your podcast have TOO Many Guests With Shari Post? | S3 E16How Podcasters Can Succeed By Following Hulu's Strategy | S3 E15About Bruce ChamoffBruce Chamoff is a podcaster, musician, entrepreneur, and public speaker. He founded the Long Island Podcast Network in 2005 and rebranded it to the World Podcast Network in 2023. Bruce has taught at WordCamps across the U.S. and Canada, presents at Podcast Movement, and helps creators grow audiences, strengthen authority, and monetize smarter.

Episode IntroductionPodcasters today face a huge challenge: how do you get your show discovered in the new AI-driven world? It's not enough to rely on traditional SEO or social sharing anymore—AI engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and others are increasingly where people go to get answers. The problem is, if your podcast isn't structured properly, AI won't suggest your episodes when people are searching for solutions. This episode shows exactly how to make your podcast titles, show notes, and transcripts AI-friendly so you get recommended more often and increase downloads.Previous EpisodeUse ChatGPT to Create Your Podcast Show Notes FAST in MINUTES | S4 E15SummaryIn this episode of Become A Successful Podcaster, Bruce Chamoff breaks down how to align your podcast with AI discovery. With millions now asking AI tools for solutions, Bruce focuses on three levers: (1) optimize titles and show notes under ~55 characters and ~4,000 characters respectively; (2) publish your transcripts in show notes and on your blog; (3) build authority with E-A-T—expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. He also previews deeper dives on authority building and interlinking episodes for binge listening and long-tail discovery.Sample Transcript“…You want to get suggestions, so I'm going to give you three tips to make that happen. It's all about your episode titles and your show notes. Max out those show notes—usually ~4,000 characters is the limit. Put your transcript into a blog post so ChatGPT can find it, and become an authority. If you're an authority, ChatGPT will show you to more people and you'll get more downloads.”Related Podcast EpisodesOne Secret To More Podcast Downloads | S4 E14Shari Gives Her Opinion on AI In Podcasting | S4 E13Playing Podsafe Music on Your Podcast in 2025 with Shari Post | S4 E12Comparison of 7 Podcast Mics – My favorite podcast mic revealed | S4 E11The RIGHT Social Network For Your Podcast | S3 E17About Bruce ChamoffBruce Chamoff is a podcaster, musician, entrepreneur, and public speaker with decades of creative and business experience. He founded the Long Island Podcast Network in 2005, rebranded it to the World Podcast Network in 2023, and has helped thousands of podcasters grow audiences worldwide. Bruce has spoken at WordCamps across the U.S. and Canada, teaches podcasting on Udemy, and presented at Podcast Movement 2025 in Grapevine, Texas. His mission is to help podcasters—from beginners to veterans—build authority, gain exposure, and monetize effectively.

Episode IntroductionPodcasters face a constant challenge: keeping their workflow organized while still producing content that resonates and grows an audience. Many waste hours writing show notes, social posts, and video descriptions, leaving less time for creativity and strategy. This episode shows you how to streamline your entire release process with AI tools like ChatGPT, while also building better SEO, engagement, and binge-worthy episode connections.Previous EpisodeCheck out the latest episode of Become a Successful Podcaster with Bruce Chamoff here: The Latest Episode on Apple PodcastsSummaryIn this episode, Bruce Chamoff walks through his proven “Podcast Release Checklist,” designed to save podcasters time while boosting downloads. He explains how ChatGPT can handle tasks like show notes, HTML formatting, YouTube descriptions, and even tags. Bruce also demonstrates why transcripts from tools like Otter.ai may be more reliable than certain AI platforms, and how to use them without paying for expensive services. Beyond technical steps, he emphasizes SEO—optimizing every single podcast episode to attract more listeners individually. He also shares tips on cross-promotion, like linking previous and related episodes to encourage binge listening. The discussion includes video distribution strategies across YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook, plus why Canva is better than ChatGPT for thumbnails and artwork. By following this checklist, podcasters can stay consistent, professional, and discoverable without being overwhelmed by repetitive tasks.Sample Transcript“In your show notes, a sample transcript, a related podcast episode section—this is very important because you're going to get more downloads from every other episode that you put this in. And you get the full HTML version. If you're not a web designer, or you don't know HTML, that's fine. But you can tell ChatGPT to make you an HTML version.”Related Podcast Episodes3 Mistakes Podcasters MakeHow To Increase Podcast Downloads With SEOMonetizing Your Podcast EffectivelyBuilding a Community Around Your PodcastPromoting Your Podcast On Social MediaAbout Bruce ChamoffBruce Chamoff is a podcaster, musician, entrepreneur, and public speaker with decades of creative and business experience. He founded the Long Island Podcast Network in 2005, rebranded it to the World Podcast Network in 2023, and has helped thousands of podcasters grow audiences worldwide. Beyond hosting Become a Successful Podcaster, Bruce has spoken at WordCamps across the U.S. and Canada, teaches podcasting on Udemy, and has presented at Podcast Movement 2025 in Grapevine, Texas. His career blends media, marketing, and music, making him a dynamic voice in the podcasting industry.

In episode #346 of "This Week in WordPress," Nathan Wrigley is joined by Taco Verdonschot, Dave Grey, and Alex Osmuchenko for a lively discussion covering the latest in WordPress and beyond. The panel dives into upcoming features in Gutenberg 21.5, including the new accordion block and command palette, while sharing perspectives on the ongoing WP Engine vs. Automattic legal saga. They highlight the launch of the F.A.I.R. package manager site, growing educational initiatives like WordPress credits in Costa Rica, and a packed schedule of upcoming WordCamps and WP Accessibility Day. The team also explores the new Telex tool for building blocks with AI, a revealing page builder accessibility report, and Rocket.net's partnership with Hosting.com. As usual, there's plenty of banter, travel tales from WordCamp US, and an airport security story involving a suspicious Wapuu card game. Dive in for news, community, and plenty of WordPress insights!

In this podcast episode, host Michelle Frechette is interviewed by Macus Burnette to introduce "WP Trail Buddies," Michelle's initiative to help newcomers at large WordCamp events feel welcome and connected. The program pairs first-time attendees with experienced veterans for mentorship and support, easing anxiety and fostering community. Michelle shares her own WordCamp experiences, explains how the free, volunteer-driven project works, and discusses the broader importance of mentorship in the WordPress community. The conversation highlights the value of inclusion, friendship, and support, encouraging listeners to join and help make WordCamps more accessible for everyone.Top Takeaways:WP Trail Buddies Is a Volunteer-Led Mentorship Program: Michelle Frechette created WP Trail Buddies as a free, volunteer-based initiative to pair WordCamp veterans with newcomers to help them feel more comfortable at large flagship events like WordCamp US. The program is powered by free tools like Google Forms and WordPress.com, and even includes GDPR-compliant data practices. Although unsponsored, some organizations like Newfold have volunteered to provide swag like stickers and pins.The Focus Is on Flagship and Large WordCamps—for Now: Due to Michelle managing the project solo, WP Trail Buddies is currently limited to larger WordCamps (typically 250+ attendees). While open to expanding to other events in the future—like WordCamp Canada—the priority is on keeping things manageable and scalable. She's open to conversations with other camps that may want to adopt the model.WordCamps Are About Community and Belonging: Michelle emphasized how transformative WordCamps have been for her personally—from knowing no one at her first WordCamp Buffalo to attending nearly 100 events and mentoring others. She and Marcus both stressed that the true value of WordCamps lies in the friendships, mentorship, and support network built over time. Programs like Trail Buddies help foster this sense of inclusion from the start.Mentioned In The Show:WP Trail BuddiesWPIncludes.meThe WP World

This week I Share 10 Reasons Why There Is Power of Showing Up In Person [powerpresss]

In this podcast episode, host Michelle Frechette  welcomes Felix Arntz, a senior software engineer at Google, about his decade of contributions to the WordPress community. Felix shares insights on effective communication, persistence, and attention to detail in open-source collaboration. He highlights the importance of building relationships, learning from others, and embracing the welcoming nature of the WordPress community. The episode also introduces Felix's new "View Transitions" plugin, designed to enhance user experience. Listeners are encouraged to engage, contribute, and build connections within the WordPress ecosystem.Top Takeaways:Attention to Detail Is a Key Marker of ProfessionalismFelix and Michelle emphasized that small details—like capitalizing the "P" in WordPress—may seem trivial but are taken seriously by seasoned professionals. This attention to detail reflects pride in one's work and often becomes a litmus test for developers and marketers alike when assessing quality and seriousness.Thinking at Scale and Growing Gradually Are Crucial in Open Source Contribution: Felix discussed the importance of thinking at scale, especially when contributing to WordPress core. A feature might work well for a blog with 80 posts but break down on a site with tens of thousands. Additionally, contributors are encouraged to increase scope gradually, starting with bug fixes, so they can build trust, demonstrate commitment, and avoid burnout or disappointment when larger proposals stall.Personal Motivation Can Guide Your Niche in Open Source Work: Felix shared how his contributions to WordPress core initially grew out of real-world problems he encountered during freelance work. This insight reinforces the idea that contributors should follow their authentic interests and pain points when selecting where to focus their energy, making their efforts more sustainable and impactful.Relationships and Community Are the Heart of the WordPress Project: Michelle and Felix agreed that building personal relationships—whether at WordCamps, online, or through collaborative work—is not just rewarding personally, but also essential for project momentum. Felix shared how meeting someone briefly in person changes how online collaboration feels. Michelle told a moving story about how her community connections helped her navigate an inaccessible travel situation, underscoring the tangible power of WordPress friendships.Mentioned in the Show:This Week in WordPressFelix-Arntz.me

In this episode of the Post Status Happiness Hour, Michelle Frechette and June Lui introduce Speed Network Online, a new virtual networking initiative for the WordPress community and beyond. They discuss the origins of the idea, event logistics, and the benefits of relaxed, pressure-free networking. The hosts explain how the event will operate, including registration, costs, and future dates, emphasizing the importance of building genuine connections and fostering collaboration in a supportive environment.Top Takeaways:Speed Network Online Was Born from a Real Networking Challenge: The idea originated during a casual conversation where June expressed her struggles expanding her network at large events like WordCamps. Michelle immediately acted on the concept, purchasing a domain and jumpstarting the project. This quick collaboration shows the power of shared vision and execution between community members.The Format Focuses on Accessibility and Practicality: Speed Network Online is designed to be a virtual, low-pressure alternative to traditional networking events. It uses Zoom breakout rooms for one-on-one chats and provides participants with a spreadsheet of contact info afterward, eliminating the need for frantic note-taking. The event is purposefully inclusive, affordable at $20, and structured to reduce anxiety and improve accessibility.The Platform Encourages Relationship-Building, Not Just Pitching: Unlike speed dating or surface-level interactions, the goal is not to “close deals” or just market yourself but to build a lasting network of complementary professionals. The event supports deeper connections that may evolve into partnerships, project collaborations, or referrals over time.Speed Network Online Is Community-Driven and Evolving: June built the website from scratch, and they've begun promoting the project through a new Twitter (X) account: @SpeedNetOnline. They also encourage participants to create WP World profiles to make it easier to stay connected post-event. Michelle emphasizes that these types of grassroots initiatives are powered by genuine collaboration and shared community goals.Mentioned In The Show:Backpocket AceWP Accessibility daySpeed Network OnlineThe WP WorldZoomMark Westguard WS FormNathan TylerN SquaredMeet Michelle.online

This is the recording between Matt Mullenweg and Mary Hubbard on stage at WordCamp Europe 2025. They covered everything from regulation in the EU, the FAIR package manager announcement, and new education pathways, to what's next for WordPress core and the ecosystem. The session started with Mary interviewing Matt, followed by a live Q&A with the audience, tackling concerns from longtime contributors, organizers, and first-time attendees alike.Matt opened with thoughts on the European regulatory landscape, pointing out both the good intentions and friction caused by cookie consent banners and compliance rules. He emphasized WordPress' alignment with other open-source CMS projects like Drupal and Joomla, and the potential for advocacy through EU-based hosting companies. The topic of establishing a legal presence for the WordPress Foundation in the EU came up—an idea that's being considered but seen as too complex to act on right now.The FAIR project announcement got a cautious but open-minded response from Matt. While he acknowledged the potential of a federated repository for plugins and themes, he highlighted significant concerns around trust, rollout coordination, and analytics. He stressed the importance of plugin safety, org infrastructure, and recent advances in automated vulnerability scanning. Then came a rapid-fire Q&A: contributors asked about AI in WordPress, the sustainability team's future, WooCommerce's branding against Shopify, Campus Connect's expansion, funding WordCamps in underrepresented regions, and even the need to modernize internal tools like CampTix. A big highlight was the 150-hour university credit pilot launching in Pisa this month—an exciting new way to bring student contributors into the project at scale.Have a listen to the whole audio episode while you're on the go!  ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of the Post Status Happiness Hour, host Michelle Frechette discusses the upcoming Page Builder Summit with guests Dan Maby and Nathan Wrigley. Scheduled for May 12-16, 2025, the summit aims to unite the WordPress community. Michele highlights the collaborative spirit and the importance of community engagement. Dan and Nathan share insights into the planning process, the diverse range of sessions, and the evolution of page builders. They emphasize the summit's role in fostering learning and connections.Top TakeawaysThe Summit Is Exceptionally Accessible and Flexible: The Page Builder Summit is designed to be easy and low-pressure for attendees. With free access to pre-recorded sessions for 48 hours, viewers can tune in when it's convenient for them. The optional Power Pack gives extended access and extra bonuses.Visibility for Lesser-Known Creators and Speakers: One of the summit's highlights is giving a platform to a diverse lineup of speakers, many of whom aren't regularly featured at large in-person WordCamps or other conferences. It's a space for new voices and fresh perspectives to shine.Sponsorships Make the Event Possible—and Deserve Support: Nathan highlighted that without sponsor support, the summit wouldn't happen. Sponsors like GoDaddy, WS Form, BigScoots, and many others contribute more than just funds—they provide energy, tools, and community-building support.Mentioned In The Show:WPLDNPageBuilderSummit.com MagentoDrupalAnchen le RouxKadenceElementorDiviBeaver BuilderGoDaddyKinstaMelapressBlackwallPress Forward podcastBig Orange HeartWP Coffee Talk podcastBig ScootsWeb Designer ProYour Moxie MavenWeb Designer AcademyZainatain Dynamic.oooAB Split TestBS-Free BusinessWP MavensCroco BlockWS FormsCheck ViewDroip

On the podcast today we have Ryan Welcher. This was recorded at WordCamp Asia in Manila, and centres upon his developer relations work with Automattic, and his popular "Block Developer Cookbook" workshop. We discuss some recent new features in WordPress Core, including the Block Bindings API, Plugin Template Registration API, and Data Views, as well as the growing focus on documentation and developer experience in the WordPress community. We also touch on the impact of AI on WordPress development and the importance of interactive, engaging workshops at WordCamps. If you're interested in what's new in WordPress development, want to understand where the project is heading, or are curious about the real impact of recent changes and features, this episode is for you.

On the podcast today we have Ryan Welcher. This was recorded at WordCamp Asia in Manila, and centres upon his developer relations work with Automattic, and his popular "Block Developer Cookbook" workshop. We discuss some recent new features in WordPress Core, including the Block Bindings API, Plugin Template Registration API, and Data Views, as well as the growing focus on documentation and developer experience in the WordPress community. We also touch on the impact of AI on WordPress development and the importance of interactive, engaging workshops at WordCamps. If you're interested in what's new in WordPress development, want to understand where the project is heading, or are curious about the real impact of recent changes and features, this episode is for you.

In this episode of the Post Status Happiness Hour, host Michelle Frechette interviews Tim Bouchard, and Ron Brennan discuss the upcoming Color Code event, a conference focused on design, technology, and marketing. Unlike traditional WordCamps, Color Code aims to be more inclusive, welcoming participants from various platforms and technologies. The event will feature a diverse lineup of speakers, interactive elements like a live graffiti art competition, and networking opportunities. Set to take place in Buffalo, New York, the conference emphasizes accessibility and community involvement, promising a dynamic and engaging experience for all attendees.Top Takeaways:Networking and Collaboration Opportunities: The Color Code event emphasizes the power of in-person connections. With a focus on creative professionals, marketers, and developers, the event is designed to facilitate collaboration through both formal presentations and informal networking (the "hallway track"). Attendees can expect meaningful conversations and potential partnerships that might not happen in a purely virtual setting.Diverse and Relevant Topics: The event will cover a range of cutting-edge topics, such as AI, content strategies, and the challenges of decoupling from major tech players like Google. These presentations, led by volunteer speakers, aim to provide valuable insights and practical knowledge, making the event a great opportunity for professionals to stay informed on industry trends.Affordability and Accessibility: With an affordable ticket price ($40), including lunch and the after-party, Color Code positions itself as an accessible event for professionals of all backgrounds. The organizers also plan to record sessions and make them available online, ensuring that those who can't attend in person still have access to the valuable content.Mentioned In The Show:Color CodePress ConfWP EngineMeetupSeneca One TowerDouglas DevelopmentLuminousGene McCarthy's

In this episode of the Post Status Happiness Hour, host Michelle Frechette interviews Roger Williams from Kinsta. Who serves as the Partnerships and Community Manager for North America. They discuss various topics including the WordPress community, Kinsta's new affiliate program, and their global sponsorship of WordCamps. The episode also highlights the creation of collaborative music playlists within the Post Status Slack community and the importance of concise, engaging content. Additionally, the guest shares insights on supporting WordPress contributors and the launch of Kinsta's new automatic updates feature for themes and plugins.Top Takeaways:The Importance of Thorough Testing in Software Development and Releases: Michelle emphasized the critical role of testing and feedback during the release cycle of WordPress 6.8, particularly as they approach its official launch. Despite having a dedicated testing community, the need for more testers is constant to ensure compatibility with a wide range of plugins and themes. The takeaway is that comprehensive testing is vital for minimizing issues at launch, and encouraging more community involvement can help ensure smoother releases.The Value of Consistent Community Contribution and Support for Open Source Projects: Roger highlighted the importance of documentation in open-source projects like WordPress, noting that it's often underappreciated until something goes wrong. He also spoke about Kinsta's involvement in supporting the community through contributions, such as sponsoring WordCamp and supporting documentation initiatives. The takeaway is that consistent, behind-the-scenes contributions, like documentation and community support, are crucial for the sustainability and success of open-source projects, even though they are often taken for granted.Kinsta's Automatic Updates Feature Enhances Site Reliability: Roger introduced Kinsta's new Automatic Updates feature, which ensures WordPress sites remain updated while minimizing risks. The system takes a before-and-after screenshot during updates and automatically reverts changes if visual differences are detected, helping prevent website issues that could impact business operations.Mentioned In The Show:KinstaLinux container project  LinkedInWordCamp USSevallaCloudflare EnterpriseStackOverflowMeetup.comWordPress FoundationEsoTerra CideryKinsta Automatic Updates

Say thanks and learn more about our podcast sponsor Omnisend. In this episode of the WP Minute+ Podcast, Matt sits down with Tessa Kriesel, a seasoned expert in developer relations and founder of Built for Devs. Once deeply involved in WordPress, Tessa now works with developer-focused companies to help them engage technical audiences authentically. She shares insights on how companies can build trust, engage communities effectively, and think strategically beyond traditional marketing.The conversation examines challenges freelancers and agencies faced in 2024 and what to expect moving into 2025. Tessa discusses the shift in DevRel from casual relationship-building to strategic engagement, the evolving role of AI in development, and how the tech industry is tightening budgets while demanding clear ROI. She also shares advice for WordPress product makers on pricing, sustainability, and community-building. She encourages them to challenge outdated practices like underpricing plugins and relying solely on Black Friday sales.Key TakeawaysThe Role of Developer Relations (DevRel)DevRel isn't just about attending WordCamps and networking; it requires strategy and delivering value.Companies must build authentic relationships with developers while aligning with business objectives.WordPress has a strong community, but other ecosystems also foster deep connections.Challenges in 2024 & Looking Ahead to 2025Economic pressures are causing tech companies to scrutinize spending and demand clear ROI.VC funding has shifted focus from user adoption to revenue generation.The lack of trust in marketing and business interactions makes it harder for companies to gain traction.WordPress & Business GrowthMany WordPress companies still underprice their products, following outdated open-source pricing models.Product makers should focus on value-based pricing rather than low-cost models with limited revenue potential.Relying on Black Friday discounts as a primary sales strategy is shortsighted. Products should be priced for sustainability year-round.The Role of AI in Development & BusinessAI is a powerful tool for efficiency but still requires human oversight.Companies investing in AI-driven solutions must balance automation with trust-building.Developers who integrate AI into their workflows will gain a competitive edge but won't be replaced entirely.Important LinksThe WP Minute+ Podcast: thewpminute.com/subscribeConnect with Tessa KrieselLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessak22/Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/TessaK22Learn more about Built for Devs: BuiltFor.Dev Support us for as little as $5 to join our members-only Slack group. ★ Support this podcast ★

On the podcast today we have Anna Hurko. Anna is the CEO of Crocoblock, a company with a suite of dynamic plugins designed to help developers build complex websites. With a background in computer science, Anna transitioned from support roles to leading Crocoblock, and has been with the company for over 11 years. Anna shares her journey, and discusses the growth of Crocoblock, and also talks about the company's marketing strategies and their active, and growing, participation in the WordPress community through WordCamps and meetups. If you're interested in how a company evolves with the WordPress ecosystem, and the challenges and successes that come with it, this episode is for you.

On the podcast today we have Anna Hurko. Anna is the CEO of Crocoblock, a company with a suite of dynamic plugins designed to help developers build complex websites. With a background in computer science, Anna transitioned from support roles to leading Crocoblock, and has been with the company for over 11 years. Anna shares her journey, and discusses the growth of Crocoblock, and also talks about the company's marketing strategies and their active, and growing, participation in the WordPress community through WordCamps and meetups. If you're interested in how a company evolves with the WordPress ecosystem, and the challenges and successes that come with it, this episode is for you.

Say thanks and learn more about our podcast sponsor Omnisend. In this episode of *The WP Minute+*, Matt chats with Ariele Krantzow, the Marketing Lead at Pressable, a Managed WordPress Host. Ariele shares her journey from a design-focused background to a thriving career in content and marketing. She highlights her experience as a long-time WordPress user, the community's influence, and the rapid learning curve she faced when she joined Pressable just in time for her first WordCamp.The conversation covers the value of quality hosting, customer education, and marketing strategies tailored to the needs of WordPress users. Ariele describes how Pressable balances startup agility within the larger Automatic ecosystem and focuses on creating a superior user experience. The discussion also focuses on the challenges and opportunities presented by AI in marketing and the WordPress ecosystem, emphasizing the importance of creativity, human connection, and innovation in a fast-evolving digital landscape.## Key Takeaways### Ariele's Journey to Marketing:- Started in design and community roles before transitioning into content marketing.- Values combining creativity and strategy to drive impactful results.### Marketing at Pressable:- Focus on customer education and simplifying the hosting experience.- Pressable is positioned as a premium, quality-driven host with a user-friendly dashboard and top-notch support.### WordPress Community Insights:- Ariele emphasized the value of WordPress in enabling diverse careers, from content marketers to developers.- Engaging with the community at WordCamps has been a cornerstone for learning and growth.### AI in Marketing:- AI is an assistant, not a replacement, for creativity in marketing.- Marketers must focus on producing unique, human-centric content to stand out amidst AI-generated content.### Video Strategy:- Pressable is expanding into video content to complement its robust blog and knowledge base.- Emphasis on relatability and authenticity in video production.### Important Links- *The WP Minute+* Podcast: [thewpminute.com/subscribe](https://thewpminute.com/subscribe)  - Connect with Ariele Krantzow: LinkedIn [linkedin.com/in/akrantzow/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/akrantzow/)- Learn more about Pressable: Pressable Website [pressable.com](https://pressable.com/)For more insights and updates, don't forget to subscribe to *The WP Minute+*! Support us for as little as $5 to join our members-only Slack group. ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode, Michelle Frechette chats with Bernard Mayer, the Senior Director of Communications and Creative at Omnisend. Bernard, based in Vilnius, Lithuania, shares his diverse background and insights into Omnisend's innovative marketing strategies, focusing on email and SMS marketing. The discussion highlights the importance of effective customer engagement and the significant impact of automated emails. Bernard also delves into his involvement with the WordPress community, particularly through WordCamps, and emphasizes the value of creativity and community in marketing. The episode concludes with excitement for the upcoming WordCamp Asia and its enriching experiences.Top TakeawaysThe Value of Organizing and Attending WordCamps: Both Bernard Meyer and Michelle Frechette emphasized the benefits of organizing and attending WordCamps. While it's a lot of hard work, the sense of accomplishment, networking opportunities, and camaraderie with other organizers make it a fulfilling experience. Bernard highlighted how it allows remote collaborators to meet in person, which adds an exciting dimension to professional relationships.Creative Marketing Through Humor and Engagement: Bernard discussed Omnisend's approach to marketing, which involves using humor, music videos, mockumentaries, and playful storytelling. These creative strategies make their marketing campaigns memorable and engaging, showing that a bit of fun can effectively capture an audience's attention.The Accelerated Nature of Event Preparation: Both speakers noted how quickly time seems to pass when preparing for large events like WordCamp Asia. Bernard highlighted the rapid pace from early-year planning to the event date, while Michelle described it as a snowball effect that builds momentum. This reflects the importance of staying organized and proactive during event planning.Mentioned In The Show:OmnisendStellarWPRytis LaurisWPCoffeeTalkWordCamp AsiaWordCamp GermanyWordCamp USSuno AIThe PIC

1087. Cierro un año más Al otro lado del micrófono, y como siempre, aprovecho este espacio para repasar todo lo conseguido en 2024. Hoy os ofrezco un repaso a los trabajos realizados, patrocinios y objetivos logrados con la ayuda de los kofiteros, oyentes y colaboradores que me habéis acompañado día tras día, a un lado y al otro del micrófono.A lo largo de estos doce meses, he participado en proyectos que van desde eventos en directo hasta la creación y asesoría de nuevos podcasts. Entre los momentos destacados, está la serie de streamings para Ford, gracias a Leo Almiñana, con quien ha sido un placer trabajar. También he colaborado con el podcast Marca Talento, de Rubén Montesinos, y llevé el podcasting a las aulas durante la Semana Cultural del colegio de mis hijas, donde los abuelos compartieron sus vivencias con los más pequeños a lo largo de cuatro grabaciones.Este año también me permitió poner voz a la cueva de Aladdín en la función de fin de curso de mi hija, un detalle que recordaré con cariño (y que espero que ella también). Además, retransmití la maratón de 12 horas en directo del podcast La Picaeta en Destilamad, participé en la Galicia Podcast Summit gracias a Leo @Ajenoaltiempo y a TAKO Coop. y volví a coincidir con grandes amigos en eventos como las JPOD 2024 y la Wordcamps de Torrelodones y Griñón. A nivel técnico, he trabajdo en la configuración de podcast como 'Ladrando en la Nube', 'Trago y medio' o 'Asómate', y he producido un nuevo proyecto titulado 'Microemprendedores', un podcast para Europa Press en colaboración con CaixaBank enfocado en la economía de los emprendedores y retransmitido y grabado un podcast semanal llamado 'Los Jueves' presentado por la Gerencia de Atención Primaria de la Comunidad de Madrid y dirigido a todos los profesionales pertenecientes a la Consejería de Sanidad de la Comunidad de Madrid, gracias a 'La Fábrica de Podcast'.Además, he colaborado con Ángel @ContadordeKM, del podcast 'Contando Kilómetros', en la mejora técnica de su proyecto, y produje las nuevas intros para Salvi Melguizo y su próximo proyecto "La conversión de la mirada". Los patrocinios también han sido clave para mantener mis proyectos. Gracias a Mumbler y a la Asociación Podcast se han podido realizar las 6 ediciones de Podnights Madrid 2024; y patrocinadores como Argal, Volvo, Margot Martín y el apoyo de la Agencia Catalana de Turismo, que han confiado en este proyecto para promocionarse.Y, por supuesto, no puedo despedir el año sin agradecer a los kofiteros que hacéis posible que este podcast siga creciendo. Gracias a vosotros, he podido cumplir objetivos como los monitores KRK Classic 5 Black Edition y el curso de ecualización de voz de Hoy Grabo, además de financiar los costes de mantenimiento y distribución del podcast, o las nuevas tazas de melamina que he sorteado. En definitiva, ha sido un año cargado de experiencias y proyectos que han hecho crecer mi podcasting.Nos reencontraremos el próximo 7 de enero, con más herramientas, eventos, curiosidades, recomendaciones y más ganas que nunca de seguir compartiendo este camino Al otro lado del micrófono.A todos los que habéis estado ahí, siguiéndome, apoyando o simplemente escuchando, os mando un agradecimiento ENORME.¡Felices fiestas y feliz año nuevo! _________________¿Ya has descubierto las novedades de la campaña de crowdfunding de Podnights Madrid 2025? Consulta el Verkami en este enlace: https://www.verkami.com/projects/39635-podnights-madrid-2025_________________¡Gracias por pasarte 'Al otro lado del micrófono' un día más para seguir aprendiendo sobre podcasting!Si quieres descubrir cómo puedes unirte a la comunidad o a los diferentes canales donde está presente este podcast, te invito a visitar https://alotroladodelmicrofono.com/unetePor otro lado, puedes suscribirte a la versión compacta, sin publicidad y anticipada de este podcast, 'El destilado del micrófono' a través de la plataforma Mumbler a través de: https://alotroladodelmicrofono.com/destilado (Puedes escucharlo en cualquier app de podcast mediante un feed exclusivo para ti).Además, puedes apoyar el proyecto mediante un pequeño impulso mensual, desde un granito de café mensual hasta un brunch digital. Descubre las diferentes opciones entrando en: https://alotroladodelmicrofono.com/cafe También puedes apoyar el proyecto a través de tus compras en Amazon mediante mi enlace de afiliados https://alotroladodelmicrofono.com/amazon o comprando culquiera de los cursos de edición de audio, locución y producción musical de Hoy Grabo mediante https://alotroladodelmicrofono.com/cursoshoygrabo La voz que puedes escuchar en la intro del podcast es de Juan Navarro Torelló (PoniendoVoces) y el diseño visual es de Antonio Poveda. La dirección, grabación y locución corre a cargo de Jorge Marín.'Al otro lado del micrófono' es una creación de EOVE Productora.

In this episode of the Post Status Happiness Hour, host Michelle Frechette interviews Raquel Manriquez and Carol Stambaugh. They discuss their new venture, Press Conf, a conference focused on the business side of WordPress. Raquel, a former community manager for Elegant Themes, and Carol, co-owner of RadiateU, share their motivations for creating this event. They emphasize the need for a business-centric conference within the WordPress community, contrasting it with the user-focused WordCamps. Press Conf aims to foster deep connections among attendees through a single track of sessions and an intimate setting. The episode highlights their commitment to inclusivity, meaningful networking, and authentic conversations.Top TakeawaysPress Conf addresses a significant market gap by being the first WordPress conference specifically focused on business aspects, filling an unmet need in the community for business-oriented professional development.The conference prioritizes meaningful engagement through intentional design choices like single-track sessions, no recordings, and an intimate setting - all aimed at fostering authentic discussions and deeper connections among attendees.Careful curation is central to the event's strategy, from thoughtfully selected speakers to a sustainable pricing model, ensuring high-quality content and long-term viability while delivering value to participants.The conference emphasizes building an inclusive community that welcomes both industry veterans and newcomers, focusing on fostering constructive dialogue and relationships within the WordPress business ecosystem.Mentioned In The Show:PressConfElegant ThemesWPWonder WomenRadiateUJeremy SaxeyWordCamp PhoenixPressNomicsSally StrebelJoshua StrebelDoc PopularWP SpeakersThe WP WorldMarcus Burnettewp.orgTroy DeanAlex KingChris LemaKarim MarucchiDave RyanBluehostNathan AtkinsonNathan B WellerBrian RichardsMatt Medeiros

Today is a big day. It's episode #400 of the WP Builds podcast. This is an important milestone, and as suck I'm going to do absolutely nothing of any kind whatsoever to celebrate it, aside from this paragraph of text. So there! I'm joined on the podcast by Bud Kraus. Bud is a WordPress educator and content creator, best known for his educational materials on joyofwp.com. His expertise in WordPress and his engaging instructional style have made him a pillar in the WordPress community. In this episode, we dive deep into Bud's journey, exploring how his passion for teaching and creating content started. We'll also talk about his podcast, "Seriously BUD?" which offers a refreshing departure from traditional WordPress content by focusing on stories and light-hearted conversations. Bud shares his motivation behind starting the podcast and the joy he finds in uncovering fascinating personal stories from his guests. So, join us as we celebrate Bud Kraus's contributions to the WordPress ecosystem, share some intriguing personal stories, and gain insight into what makes the WordPress community so special.

Say thanks and learn more about our podcast sponsor Omnisend. In this episode of WP Minute+, I sat down with Kurt von Ahnen, a WordPress agency owner and e-learning specialist. We dove deep into the world of web agency sales, particularly focusing on enterprise clients and the often-overlooked opportunities in the WordPress space.Kurt's journey into WordPress is fascinating - he transitioned from a career in the automotive industry to web development, driven by a desire for better work-life balance. What struck me most was how he leveraged his experience in customer service and project management to build a successful agency. Kurt's approach to targeting enterprise clients for e-learning solutions using WordPress and Lifter LMS is a great example of niching down. Kurt's perspective on WordPress diverse capabilities and the need for clear messaging to different user groups is spot-on. I appreciated his balanced view on WordPress's strengths and the importance of focusing on solving client problems rather than getting caught up in technical debates.We also touched on the role of AI in e-learning and content creation. Kurt's cautious yet practical approach to AI tools reflects a growing sentiment in the industry - AI can be a powerful aid, but it requires expertise and careful curation to be truly effective.Key takeaways for WordPress professionals:Transition from freelancing to agency work by leveraging your strengths and building a network of specialists.Target enterprise clients by solving specific pain points, like replacing expensive legacy systems with WordPress solutions.Focus on understanding and addressing client needs rather than getting caught up in technical debates about WordPress.Use your expertise to guide clients towards appropriate solutions, avoiding unnecessary customizations early in projects.Engage with the WordPress community through meetups and WordCamps to expand your network and opportunities.Approach AI tools with caution, using them to enhance your work rather than replace your expertise.Consider specializing in niche areas like e-learning to differentiate your agency.Important URLs mentioned:https://manananomas.com/scormpress.comlifterlms.comhttps://thewpminute.com/supportChapter titles with timestamps:[00:00:00] Introduction and background in the auto industry[00:14:00] WordPress evolution and current challenges[00:21:00] Targeting enterprise clients for e-learning solutions[00:28:00] Transitioning from freelancing to agency work[00:34:00] Marketing strategies for agencies[00:38:00] The role of AI in e-learning and content creation[00:41:00] Closing thoughts and contact information ★ Support this podcast ★

In this episode of the Post Status Happiness Hour, host Michelle Frechette interviews Marcus Burnette to dive into the many exciting features of WP World, a community platform designed for WordPress professionals. Marcus, the creator of WP World, walks listeners through its dynamic features, including customizable profile pins that reflect user specialties, a robust hosting review system, and privacy options for those who prefer not to share their location.Top TakeawaysUser-Friendly Features in WP World: Marcus Burnette highlighted various user-friendly features in WP World, such as the ability to customize profile pins based on user specialties and the option to hide locations for privacy reasons. This ensures the platform remains flexible and inclusive, especially for those who prioritize privacy or are digital nomads.Community-Driven Feedback and Development: Michelle Frechette shared how user feedback directly influenced the development of WP World. For example, her suggestion to add "accessibility specialist" as an option was quickly implemented. Marcus encouraged users to request features, showing that the platform is shaped by the needs of its community.WP World's Hosting Review Platform: Marcus introduced a comprehensive hosting review system where users can rate various aspects of hosting providers, such as performance and security. This community-sourced rating system provides valuable insights for people choosing WordPress hosts and ensures transparency by preventing paid listings.Playful and Engaging Design Aspects: Marcus, as a designer, has adding fun products like the "Capital P, dang it" mug. He also shared how events like WordCamps feature their own unique " u" mascots, contributing to the platform's lighthearted and engaging atmosphere.Collaborative Community Spirit: Both Marcus and Michelle emphasized their close collaboration and support within the WordPress community. Their plans to meet at WordCamp US to further discuss ideas highlight the strong, community-driven spirit behind WP World and its events. They also invited the audience to connect with them and grab stickers at the upcoming event, showcasing their approachability.Mentioned In The Show:WP WorldWP Coffee TalkWP SpeakersSeriously Bud? PodcastBud KrausChatGPTHeroPressJavi GuembeTopher DeRosiaElementorDo the Woo PodcastWP WonderWomenWP Career PagesWordPress.orgNexcessKaty BoykinKadence Amplify

In this episode, Michelle Frechette and Corey Maass  discuss their preparations for WordCamp US, including finalizing presentation slides and enhancing their product's homepage for better user engagement. They explore offering personalized onboarding sessions and the complexities of different plugins. The conversation highlights the importance of educational content and clear communication about their product's benefits, especially for users unfamiliar with WordPress. They also celebrate a successful classified ad in a newsletter and share experiences with user engagement and marketing strategies. The episode concludes with plans for future events and a light-hearted discussion about time management.Top Takeaways:Working on IPA WP Features: Michelle and Corey discussed their progress on developing features for IPA WP. They plan to refine these features and update the homepage to have a product ready to showcase at WordCamp US.Networking and Relationships at WordCamps: Corey and Michelle both emphasize the importance of attending WordCamps and smaller WordPress events. These events have allowed them to build strong professional relationships and friendships, like Corey's connection with Alex Standiford and others. They both miss the frequency of smaller, more intimate WordCamps, which foster closer interactions and connections.Productivity and Time Management: Both expressed the challenge of balancing multiple responsibilities, including work, hobbies, and preparations for upcoming events. They joked about the idea of creating a plugin to add more hours to the day, highlighting the ongoing struggle with time management.Mentioned In The Show:YoastRank MathStellar WPStreamYardMorgueFileDense DiscoverySeattle MagazinePaws of CoronadoSquirrelly Dall-E FiverrMastermind GroupAlex StandifordMarcus Burnette

In this episode of the Post Status Happiness Hour, Michelle Frechette chats with Mark Westguard, the creator of WS Form, a powerful and flexible form-building plugin for WordPress. Mark discusses WS Form's standout features, including its advanced conditional logic, breakpoint selectors for responsive design, and its capacity for complex customizations and integrations. They explore creative uses of the plugin, from dynamic MadLibs to WooCommerce product customizations, and reflect on their favorite WordCamp experiences, such as WordCamp Europe and WordCamp US. Mark also teases upcoming updates for WS Form and shares insights on making the most of WordPress events.Top Takeaways: WS Form's Flexibility and Power: WS Form is highlighted as a highly flexible and powerful form builder, capable of much more than just creating basic forms. It includes advanced features like conditional logic, dynamic content generation, integration with WooCommerce, and even the ability to handle complex calculations.Responsive Design Features: WS Form supports responsive design with customizable breakpoints, allowing users to adjust form layouts across different screen sizes. This feature is especially useful for ensuring forms look good and function well on mobile, tablet, and desktop devices.Developer-Friendly Features: The form builder is designed with developers in mind, offering hooks for custom and legacy API integrations, as well as the ability to run WordPress filter hooks and action hooks. This makes it highly extensible for those with coding skills.Support and Knowledge Sharing: Mark Westguard actively responds to customer support inquiries by not only providing direct help but also creating knowledge base articles based on common questions. This approach helps build a comprehensive resource for all users.Community Engagement: Both Mark and Michelle emphasize the importance of attending WordCamps and being involved in the WordPress community. They discuss the benefits of networking, sharing ideas, and learning from others, which are vital aspects of their experiences and successes within the community.Mentioned In The Show:WS FormEventbriteWordCamp USWordCamp Asia WordCamp Europe GiveWP Bootstrap Foundation WooCommerceBarn2 PluginsLiquid Web Datakit Zach KatzGravityKit 

Que no vayamos a las WordCamps de Europa no quiere decir que no hablemos de ellas, así que en este capítulo hablamos de la que se ha celebrado en Turín.

Embracing the Journey and Overcoming Challenges In a heartwarming conversation on the Dads with Daughters podcast, Bruce Chamoff, a seasoned podcaster and entrepreneur, shared insightful anecdotes about his journey as a father to his now 20-year-old daughter. As fatherhood is a unique and deeply personal experience, Bruce's revelations bring valuable lessons to the forefront, shedding light on the joys, struggles, and growth that come with raising a daughter. Welcoming Fatherhood: The Journey Begins It's not uncommon to feel a mix of excitement and bewilderment upon learning about pending fatherhood. Bruce's recollections of the day he learned he was going to be a father to a daughter paint a vivid picture of the emotions that accompany this pivotal moment. He beautifully captures the blend of enthusiasm and uncertainty that fathers often experience, highlighting the eagerness to embark on the journey of parenthood while simultaneously grappling with the vast unknown that lies ahead. Navigating Fears and Challenges: Insights from a Father's Perspective As Bruce shared his fears and concerns about raising a daughter, he echoed sentiments that many fathers can relate to. The apprehensions surrounding teenage years, the challenge of letting go, and the anxiety about protecting their daughters from potential heartbreak are universal themes. Bruce's candid reflections provide a platform for fathers to recognize and acknowledge their fears while learning to embrace the inevitable challenges that come with guiding their daughters through adolescence. Lessons Learned: Embracing Uniqueness and Understanding Balance One of the most poignant moments from Bruce's narrative revolves around the realization that children, especially daughters, will never mirror their parents entirely. This acknowledgment opens the door to a beautiful journey of comprehension and acceptance. By understanding their daughters' unique traits and embracing the differences, fathers can forge deeper connections, fostering an environment of mutual respect and understanding. The elusive balance between work and family life is a feat that many fathers strive to master. Bruce openly shared his experiences, acknowledging the struggle to balance his entrepreneurial endeavors with his responsibilities as a father. His insights underscore the importance of finding ways to integrate family into career pursuits, emphasizing the value of involving children in a father's professional endeavors as a means of nurturing work-life balance. The Impact of Podcasting: A Tool for Connection and Growth Podcasting has been a transformative force in Bruce's life, propelling him to connect with a global community and share his passions. Through podcasting, Bruce discovered a means to weave a rich tapestry of stories—a skill that also enhanced his role as a storyteller in his daughter's life. His experiences serve as an inspiration for fathers to explore creative ways to engage with their daughters, fostering deeper connections through shared interests and joint pursuits. Legacy and Continuation: Parenting and Professional Endeavors In a heartening turn of events, Bruce's professional journey subsequently intertwined with the personal domain, leading to a collaboration with his daughter on the World Podcast Network. This fusion exemplifies a harmonious blend of professional success and familial bonds, underscoring the significance of involving children in parents' passions and enterprises. Through this alliance, Bruce not only imparts invaluable skills and knowledge but also lays the foundation for his daughter's professional growth and development. Navigating Fatherhood with Intention and Love Bruce's narrative offers an array of insights and reflections on fatherhood that resonate deeply with fathers from all walks of life. His journey encapsulates the essence of fatherhood—embracing the unknown with open arms, embarking on a path of continual growth, and fostering enduring connections with daughters. His story serves as a poignant reminder that fatherhood is not solely about providing but also about nurturing, guiding, and fostering a legacy of love and understanding. TRANSCRIPT Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:05]: Welcome to dads with daughters. In this show, we spotlight dads, resources, and more to help you be the best dad you can be. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:16]: Welcome back to the Dads with Daughters podcast where we bring you guests to be active participants in your daughters' lives, raising them to be strong, independent women. Really excited to have you back again this week. You know, every week, I love being able to sit down with you, to talk to you, to walk beside you on this path that you're on in working to be the best dad that you want to be and working to make those meaningful connections that you want to make with your daughters. Why is it important? Well, it's important because you signed up for it. You signed up to be a dad. You signed up to walk on this path to be there with your kids. And sometimes the journey can be lonely. Sometimes the journey can be challenging. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:00:56]: And being able to learn from other dads, learn from other people, and understand that you're not alone is just part of the battle. I love also being able to bring you different people, different people that have gone through this journey themselves. They are going through this journey themselves and can share the experiences that they've had as a father because you're going to learn from them. And if you open yourself up to it, you'll probably take a few things away from it to be able to help you to be that dad you wanna be and to help you raise that daughter that you wanna raise. This week, we've got another great guest with us today. Bruce Chamoff is with us today. And Bruce is with the World Podcast Network. I love talking about podcasting, but we're not gonna be talking just about podcasting today. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:01:43]: We're gonna be actually talking about Bruce's experience in being a father to a daughter. He's got a 20 year old daughter That also helps him with podcasting too by go down that pipe that path a little bit. But I'm really excited to have him on, to have him tell his story, and for you to learn from him. Bruce, thanks so much for being here today. Bruce Chamoff [00:02:02]: Hey, thanks, Chris. It was Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:02:03]: my pleasure. Know, one of the things that I love doing, 1st and foremost, is I love turning the clock back in time. I said that you had a 20 year old daughter. So I wanna turn the clock back maybe 21 years. You know, back to that first moment that you found out that you were going to be a father to a daughter. What was going through your head? Bruce Chamoff [00:02:19]: Well, I was at work, and my wife called me. Actually, we're not married now, but she called me at the time and she said, are you sitting down? And I didn't think of hearing that she was pregnant. So she said, I said, yeah. I'm sitting down. I'm pregnant. I was excited. I mean, I think every parent gets excited when they hear that, but they're also dumbfounded at the same time. And I had that going through in my mind. Bruce Chamoff [00:02:40]: And then right away, we were talking about names. And that was the whole conversation. And, yes, I was excited. But, you know, that you just wanna be a parent. And you know that the day you hear that you are going to be a parent, you want those whole 9 months to just fly by. And that's what was going through my mind. I'm like, okay. Yes. Bruce Chamoff [00:03:02]: I'm gonna be a dad. Yes. She's pregnant. Perfect. I wish that that 9 months would just come tomorrow. You know? And that was it. But it was a really good journey, that whole thing. I got that new dad book series. Bruce Chamoff [00:03:15]: I forgot who the author was. I was reading that, like, from literally the first week when I found out that I was gonna be a dad and I was prepared. And that was it. You know, the whole family was excited. I mean, you know how that whole thing goes. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:03:25]: So I talked to a lot of dads and a lot of dads say to me that in having a daughter, there's some fear that goes along with that. You talked about pulling out those books and reading and trying to immerse yourself and learning what you need to learn and trying to figure it out. But as you think about the moments you've had with your daughter and raising your daughter, what was your biggest fear in raising a daughter? Bruce Chamoff [00:03:47]: What I've been hearing about from most people, and that is, oh, love her right now because when she becomes a teenager, she's not gonna wanna know you. And then you gotta watch out for all the guys. And, of course, I'm thinking, well, I don't really care about that now. We're gonna go through 10 or 12 years of her not me not worrying about that and that's what happened. But when she hit about 13, she was acting like a teenager and that's when everybody says just watch the guys. They're gonna come. They're gonna blow on. I'm like, okay. Bruce Chamoff [00:04:12]: And I believe that's the big fear from Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:04:14]: It is scary. And now how did you get through that for yourself? Bruce Chamoff [00:04:18]: I mean, really, you can't prepare for that. You just have to go through it. My friend Jay has I forgot how old his daughter is now but it's funny because he was telling me I love my daughter. She says I'm the greatest dad in the world. I'm like, yeah, you know, my daughter told me that too. And after a while, it becomes sort of the opposite when it become a teenager. So just appreciate all the compliments she's giving you right now because those compliments will go away for at least 4 to 5 years, and then they'll come back. And then he said to me, well, I'm playing Roblox with her. Bruce Chamoff [00:04:49]: I said, oh, yeah. I played Roblox with my daughter. He says, they were around back then? I'm like, yeah. They're very big company. They're now public. They have a stock. People are investing in the stocks. Like, I didn't know that. Bruce Chamoff [00:04:58]: I'm like, yeah. I didn't know that either. But I'm now giving him advice that no one gave me because his daughter, I think, is about 5 years younger than mine. So what I went through and honestly, my daughter and I get along really well now. I'm excited to know what's going on in her life. She calls me almost every day. She's working for me on the podcast network. We get along great, and it's amazing. Bruce Chamoff [00:05:19]: I just said, Jay, it's gonna be a little bit of a ride when she becomes a teenager. And I tell all the dads, if your daughter is not a teenager right now and what people are telling you about your love her right now and appreciate all the love that she's giving you because when she becomes a teenager, she's not going to know you. And honestly, most people told me that. All I can say is you can't really prepare for that. All you can do is prepare yourself because you can't change your daughter. Your daughter's gonna go that way. She's gonna be influenced by peer pressure. She's gonna be influenced by other teenagers, and there's nothing you can do about that. Bruce Chamoff [00:05:51]: You can only change yourself as a dad and how you deal with it and just learn to accept it, know it's coming, and also you can take comfort in the fact it's gonna go away a couple years later. And that's what I thought as Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:06:02]: I mentioned, things are not always easy. As you said, you get into those teenage years and sometimes they could be bumpy, but there's heart there's times that'll go simply, and they just flow. There's times that will be challenging, and you get through those, and you push through those. What's been the hardest part for you in being a father to a daughter? Bruce Chamoff [00:06:21]: That's kind of a loaded question. I mean, I would say, probably, another mistake that parents make, and I made this too, and this is what the hardest part is, is trying to get your child, whether it's a son or a daughter, to be exactly like you. And I tell all the dads that's never going to happen. And you know what? My dad got ups. He got upset with me too because I wasn't into the things that he was into. And you have to realize that your child, especially a daughter, will never be like you. They'll have some of those traits. Right? Because they are your kid, but they'll never be exactly like you. Bruce Chamoff [00:06:52]: And, also, the mother, you're whether you're married or not, your co parent is not like you either. So your daughter is going to take some of those traits as well and your daughter is going to take some of the of the traits from your entire family that also might not be you. So the hardest part for me was, okay, determining how is she like me, how is she not like me, and how we actually end up in the middle and accept all those things that she's not like me? And I'm doing it. And it's it's really cool thing because now I'm learning from my daughter. My father told me when I was a kid that daddies know everything. And of course when you're a kid, you don't know much. You don't have an education. So you're going to believe that your father knows everything. Bruce Chamoff [00:07:27]: And then as I started growing up and learning computer programming, I realized my father doesn't know how to program. So now at this point, daddies don't know everything. And now my daughter is teaching me things that I never knew. So it's great. Learn from your kids. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:07:42]: You definitely can learn from your kids. I find that with my own daughters that I learn things from them, you know, sometimes things that I don't wanna know, but but you definitely are still learning things and growing with them. And and that's important because, you know, the the minute that you turn that off or the minute you're not willing to learn from others and from your daughters specifically, that's gonna close off the relationship. And so it's really important to be able to keep that relationship open in that regard. I know you're a busy guy, and you've got a lot of things going on. You're an entrepreneur. You you have this network that you're doing as well. You're doing a lot of different things, and you've been doing this for quite a few years. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:08:21]: So as you look at the life that you've had and all the different things that you have done, talk to me about balance and what you had to do, balance the things that you were doing outside of the house and what you were trying to be inside the house, to be that dad that you wanted to be. Bruce Chamoff [00:08:40]: I'll be honest with you. I'm not the best at balancing, and I'm still learning that as I go through my life. Work life balance, I understand is absolutely important in anybody's life. So especially people who work. And I'll be the first to admit that I'm a workaholic. And at times when my daughter was growing up, there were times that I worked so hard that I did neglect her and I was always there for her. I mean, anytime she needed me, I I jumped and stopped what I was doing. But I always worked so hard, and there were times when I said to myself, I just have to stop what I'm doing right now and just be a dad and not be an entrepreneur and not be a workaholic. Bruce Chamoff [00:09:20]: And it's it's hard because you're a workaholic for a reason, you know, it's just like an alcoholic, you cannot stop drinking alcohol that easily and workaholic is the same thing. So I learned to just cut myself off at a certain time. You know, when 5 o'clock came, I said, that's it. I'm done working. I know I have a lot of things to do. Still, I have a lot of unfinished projects that I wanna keep on working on. And it's not just about the work life balance. It's also for your own health and your own stress level. Bruce Chamoff [00:09:49]: If you're a workaholic and you find it hard to stop being that way, my solution is to force yourself to just stop working at a certain time of the day. If you have to set an alarm, which is what I had to do, the alarm goes off and that's it. You stop working and you spend time with your family and that's it. So that's what I've been doing. And, you know, I'm in I'm now in my fifties. So the one thing that's actually in my advantage, like, if if you're in your if you're in the older generation, your circadian rhythm, which is your sleep cycle, shifts to an earlier time of the day, which makes it easy to stop working later on that day. So I used to go from to start working at like 8 o'clock in the morning to now I start working at 4:30 in the morning. And that's easy for me to do, to get up that early. Bruce Chamoff [00:10:34]: But with that said, I also cannot work past 5 o'clock at night. So at that point, if a dad is in that particular age range, I would say probably 40 years in age of up and up, It's easy to get up earlier, to start working and stop working and then spend time with your family. So to me, I think that younger dads will have a hard time with the work life balance than older dads. That's my experience. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:11:00]: Now I know that I mentioned at the beginning that you're a podcaster. You run this network called The World Podcast Network. You've been podcasting for quite some time, and I am a podcaster. I'm a podcasting fan. And I know what drew me in to this genre. But you've been doing this for longer than I have. So talk to me about what drew you into podcasting from an early point and how that impacted you as an ad. Bruce Chamoff [00:11:28]: When I was in college, I wanted to join the college radio station, and that was Kean University in Union, New Jersey, which at the time was called Kean College. And I graduated in 1988. I love heavy metal. I still do. And my daughter and I have seen a lot of hard rock and heavy metal concerts, which I'm so happy that she was into that music for a long time. And it also made us a little closer having the music connection together. And I wanted to play my favorite heavy metal music, but I couldn't get on to the radio station because it was booked. All the DJs the radio station was just full of DJs and there was no there were no openings. Bruce Chamoff [00:12:07]: So life went on. I graduated college. I've got a I got a degree in marketing, and I got a couple of jobs. 2005 when everybody was buying the iPad, like, almost everybody had an iPad, and I realized podcasting was out there. I ignored it. And then I was in a bookstore and saw from Todd Cochran of the Blueberry Network, the book for introduction to podcasting. Like, oh, this is a real thing because there's a book here. I didn't think twice. Bruce Chamoff [00:12:35]: I just didn't even look at it, and I just took it off the shelf. It was a shiny silver cover with green lettering. You can't miss that among other books. The artwork on the front cover was just there to grab your attention and it did. And I read that book literally within a week. And I'm like, I'm starting my podcast. And I did. And that's when I started my first podcast called the Fresh Music Series which is I finally got to be the DJ to play my music. Bruce Chamoff [00:13:01]: Now I was on Long Island at the time and I went on to Craigslist and put in that I had a podcast. And And because I'm also a musician, I'm a songwriter, and I'm still putting music out. If anybody wants to check my music out on Spotify, it's just look up Bruce Chamble. So I wanted to promote my own music, but I'm like, I'm not gonna be selfish about this. Maybe I could get other podcasters to come on to my podcast. And I put that Craigslist ad out, and literally, I had about 10 bands saying, hey. Play my music. Play my music. Bruce Chamoff [00:13:30]: Play my music. Okay. But you have to first email me that I have your permission that you're not gonna sue me in copyright infringement. And they said, yeah, you have my permission. I have it in writing. I went ahead and put people's music on my podcast and not once did I get sued for that. So I'm happy about that. And then I realized that there is something called the pod safe music directory started by Adam Curry of MTV and I started downloading all that music. Bruce Chamoff [00:13:53]: But my main goal is to promote my own music and other local bands. And that's what I did. Being a web developer and a marketing visionary, I envisioned more than one podcast. And I figured maybe I should build a website. It wasn't called The Podcast Network yet, where I have multiple podcasts. I know there are other podcasters out there. So I built a website called the Long Island Podcast Network. And I called it a podcast network because I wanted to be like a radio network, a TV network, a network of podcasts. Bruce Chamoff [00:14:27]: There was no podcast network out there yet, So I coined the term. And from there, 100 of podcast networks have sprung up all over the world now. But I went back on Craigslist and put an ad out there to the community and said, if you have a podcast, sign up. Here's the link. And I got 20 podcasts literally within 2 2 months. And then I had to expand the network. I got health, sports, technology, business. I mean, everybody was doing all types of podcasts. Bruce Chamoff [00:14:55]: And then I got called by Newsday which is the biggest newspaper out there on Long Island. I'm like, do you wanna do an article on my network? I'm like, this is like huge. And they came to my house. They did a whole a whole photo shoot on me. I started the podcast network February of 2006, so exactly 18 years now. And then 11 months later in November, it came out. And I was, like, blown away. It was a it was a page and a half, and it's a huge network. Bruce Chamoff [00:15:18]: There was a band called The Mondays that was founded by a friend of mine or fronted by a friend of mine named Ken Carmen. He joined the network and they're a pretty big alternative band. They're really talented rock band. And I played saxophone with them a few times and that's it. Like, he he told other people, people joined. So it's great. Now to answer your other question, how did this affect me as a dad and my relationship with my daughter? I just decided to get my daughter involved. So my daughter was how old was she? She was 4 or actually yeah. Bruce Chamoff [00:15:48]: No. She was 3 at the time. And I'm like, you know what? Work life balance. If I'm gonna do this, I wanna get my daughter involved and I think that's another thing that my advice to dads are whatever you're doing, if you're a workaholic like me, find a way to incorporate your daughter into your work and make it fun because that's work life balance. Right? You don't it doesn't have to be just you. And here's a good example. When I was 8 years old, my father, he was a CPA. And when I was 8 years old, he was working very hard during tax season. Bruce Chamoff [00:16:19]: IRS needs everybody's taxes filed by April 15th. So he would get bombarded. He would be working overnight and overnight and overnight and he decided to incorporate me into his business. So he had me doing filing at 8 years old. And that's a good example. It doesn't matter what you're in. I mean, if you're if you're a busy lawyer, then somehow you must have law firm, law forms, right, people fill out. Have your daughter come. Bruce Chamoff [00:16:44]: Let her do some filing. Teach her early how to be an entrepreneur and find a way. And I got my daughter involved and it was just amazing. My daughter also and I, we we did have a podcast called the daddy and daughter podcast. It was only, like, 4 episodes, and it just it it didn't work after a while, but it's still out there on YouTube. So, no, that's what you gotta do. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:17:02]: It is what you have to do. And you have to find that not only for yourself, that niche for yourself. I mean, I run about 5 different podcast myself. I'm either hosting or producing, and each is just a little bit different. And it goes to that multi passionate aspect. I hear people talk about people being multi passionate and having those different things that are you're you're so passionate about. And and I guess for me, you you know, bringing your daughter in and having her involved right now, how is she involved with your podcasting network? And how is that framing what she wants to do with her life? Bruce Chamoff [00:17:36]: My daughter is the maintenance manager of the World Podcast Network. We have grown so fast. We have over a 1000 podcasts that now we need to do maintenance every single day. And my daughter does the maintenance. She looks at the analytics because we give podcasters analytics. You can see your downloads and everything else. I mean, just like Buzzsprout and Anchor and Podbean, they have their analytics. We have analytics as well, and so does Spotify. Bruce Chamoff [00:18:05]: So we keep data, like, we collect the data. And my daughter will look at the analytics, make sure that they're up to date, they're working well. Sometimes the podcasters, they don't like their analytics. So they say, well, why is this graphic high? Why is it low? And my daughter looks at that and she analyzes it, but she does other things too. Like, she'll she'll do some data entry for the podcast network. She'll run reports. She'll generate reports. And she has a whole admin screen and a collection of reports that she actually maintains. Bruce Chamoff [00:18:35]: And she does a really good job with it. So I'm really very proud and to have her working for me. And the other thing too is when I work for my dad, and he passed away in 2005, so maybe he rest in peace. I feel like I'm giving back to my father by having my daughter work for me. So it's coming around full circle, and I love that aspect of it. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:18:54]: Now have a go going from where you were to where you are today, where do you go from here? Bruce Chamoff [00:19:00]: That's an interesting loaded question. I would have to say that we just keep on defining our mission and making our mission better and trying to help people. I mean, my mission is to help podcasters succeed in a lot of ways, growth, monetization, and just getting their message out, like, whatever the theme of their podcast is. And every podcast has a theme. The question is, are you reaching the right people? Are you reaching your target market? I mean, I'm a marketing guy, like I said, so I think in terms of target market and demographics and things like that. So, yeah, I think about how do I make The World Podcast Network better for the community? And how do I make The World Podcast Network help podcasters succeed? And I just sit down and plan out that goal and I build it. And then my team test it and we go back and forth with feedback and it's a cool thing, you know. That's why I keep going. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:19:51]: No. I love what you're doing and bringing podcasts together and being able to bring people together. Now podcasters are storytellers. And podcasts, to be honest, I mean, for anyone, are stories. And individuals that run podcasts love to tell stories or bring those stories out. As a father, you're a storyteller as well. And many times, fathers speak over the years, are oral tell storytellers in trying to help their daughters, help their kids in many different ways. How have you found that being a podcaster has influenced you as a storyteller, but also as a father in being able to better lead your own daughter in the ways of the world? Bruce Chamoff [00:20:37]: Interesting question. I mean, I'm a public speaker. I have absolutely no problems telling anybody anything in public. And to me, the more people I speak in front of, the better. And most people are the opposite. Right? Nobody likes most people don't like public speaking, but I love it. And my daughter has actually traveled with me in a few to a few places when I've spoken at WordPress conferences or WordCamps. She's traveled with me to Cincinnati and I don't don't I think she's I forgot where else she traveled me to, but she saw me and she said that she's not really a public speaker. Bruce Chamoff [00:21:12]: I don't think that she would get in front of people and speak at this moment in time. Maybe she'll change on that. But I really just love showing my daughter that I have no problem getting in front of a group of people and speaking. It's given me confidence. And she did tell me in Cincinnati that she was impressed with how I can just control an audience. I thought that was awesome. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:21:30]: Well, I really appreciate you sharing that. I think it's important and it's important to be able to see where you've been and where you are today and where you're going in the future. And that helps your own kids to be able to set a path for themselves. Now we all always finish our interviews with what I like to call our fatherhood 5, where I ask you 5 more questions to delve deeper into you as a dad. Are you ready? Very cool. Let's do it. In one word, what is fatherhood? Bruce Chamoff [00:21:52]: I'll just call it joy. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:21:53]: When was the time that you finally felt like you succeeded at being a father to a daughter? Bruce Chamoff [00:21:58]: Around 2006 when I started coaching her soccer team. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:22:02]: And what did you find in that that made you really feel that way? Bruce Chamoff [00:22:05]: Just the fact that my daughter and I connected in a particular activity that we could do together. I coached and she played. It was nice connection between the 2 of us. And also just the fact that, like I said before, we went to a lot of rock concerts together. I think my daughter and I have been to if I had to count, we've been to 6 concerts together, I think. And and that includes some pretty classic rock bands, like, we've been to the kids concert together too. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:22:26]: Now the question is is did you dress up like the band when you were there with the paint face paint and everything? Bruce Chamoff [00:22:32]: No. Not at all. But I did before like, I think in 1995, I did open up for Furley's Comet. So that was exciting. That was in New Jersey. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:22:40]: That's awesome. Now if I was to talk to your daughter, how would she describe you as a dad? Bruce Chamoff [00:22:45]: Hopefully, my daughter would describe me as a very caring dad and a very hardworking dad to make us successful and giving. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:22:53]: Now, who inspires you to be a better dad? Bruce Chamoff [00:22:55]: My dad. That was an easy question. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:22:57]: Now you've given a number of piece of advice, a number of number of things that you've learned along the way that you've shared today. As we finish up, what's one piece of advice you'd wanna give to every dad? Bruce Chamoff [00:23:07]: As I mentioned, for the younger dads with younger kids, don't worry if they become teenagers and they stop talking to you. Just learn to accept it. Don't stress over it and know that that will go away when you become a little older and never stop loving them. No matter what they tell you, no matter how disobedient they are, just give them your heart and be patient with them and everything else will just fall into place. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:23:29]: Well, Bruce, I wanna say thank you. Thank you for being here. Now if people if people wanna find out more about you, your podcast network, etcetera, where should they go? Bruce Chamoff [00:23:38]: You can look up Bruce Chamoff on all the social media. LinkedIn, mostly. I'm on Facebook just like everybody else or a lot of people. And I'm just starting to get on the TikTok, but you can always go on to the world podcast network at well, podcast dot network and send me a contact form message. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:23:55]: Well, again, Bruce, thank you. Thank you for being here. Thank you for sharing your own journey as a father, and I wish you all the best. Bruce Chamoff [00:24:00]: Thanks for having me, Chris. It was a lot of fun being on your podcast, so thank you so much. It's my pleasure too. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:24:06]: If you've enjoyed today's episode of the Dads with Daughters podcast, we invite you to check out the Fatherhood Insider. The fatherhood insider is the essential resource for any dad that wants to be the best dad that he can be. We know that no child comes with an instruction manual and most dads are figuring it out as they go along, and the fatherhood insider is full of resources and information that will up your game on fatherhood. Through our extensive course library, interactive forum, step by step roadmaps, and more, you will engage and learn with experts, but more importantly, dads like you. So check it out at fathering together.org. If you are a father of a daughter and have not yet joined the with daughters Facebook community, there's a link in the notes today. Dads with daughters is a program of fathering together. We look forward to having you back for another great guest next week, all geared to helping you raise strong and powered daughters and be the best dad that you can be. Dr. Christopher Lewis [00:25:04]: We're all in the same boat, And it's full of tiny screaming passengers. We spend the time. We give the lessons. We make the meals. We buy them presents and and bring your a game. Because those kids are growing fast. The time goes by just like a dynamite blast. Calling astronauts and firemen, carpenters, and musclemen. Get out and be the world. Choose them. Be the best dad you can be.

In this podcast episode, Michelle Frechette and Corey Maass brainstorm strategies to enhance their product's appeal and visibility. They discuss adding engaging features to their website, similar to how children desire flashy bike accessories. They explore the idea of reframing their website to highlight the product's awesomeness, keeping an updated blog, and engaging in public speaking to be genuine and relatable. The conversation shifts to outreach for non-profits, suggesting giveaways, leveraging SEO, and integrating with other software. They consider sending products to post offices, aligning with national events for promotions, and sponsoring meetups. The episode concludes with excitement for future plans.Top Takeaways: Diversified Marketing Strategies: Corey and Michelle discuss a variety of marketing strategies to promote OMGIMG, including speaking at events, participating in podcasts, hosting giveaways, sponsoring meetups, and organizing discount events. This highlights the importance of diversifying marketing efforts to reach different audiences and maximize exposure.Focus on Education and Value: Michelle emphasizes the importance of educating potential users about the benefits of OMGIMG and why it's essential for their websites. This underscores the value of providing educational content and positioning the product as a solution to common challenges, such as improving website imagery and open graph implementation.Community Engagement and Support: The conversation explores ways to engage with the WordPress community, including supporting nonprofits, participating in WordCamps, and sponsoring meetups. This highlights the significance of community engagement and building relationships within the WordPress ecosystem to foster trust and credibility.Strategic Planning and Execution: Corey and Michelle discuss the importance of strategic planning and execution in marketing initiatives. They outline specific action items, such as creating presentation topics, developing a media page, initiating outreach campaigns, and organizing discount events. This emphasizes the value of setting clear objectives, prioritizing tasks, and implementing strategies systematically to achieve marketing goals effectively.Mentioned In The Show:GiveBig Orange HeartWordCampWordCamp CanadaYoastRankMathPost StatusStellarWPNational TodayCanvaSticker MuleBuiltWithMeetupsSquirrellySEO

In this podcast episode, Corey Maass and Michelle Frechette discuss plans for a future Rochester meetup presentation on images and open graph, with intentions to record and share the session on YouTube. They explore the idea of teaching using their own examples, similar to how a forum might demonstrate a product. The conversation also touches on reviewing the homepage for typos and excitement about making good plans. They encourage listener engagement through Slack, YouTube, and Twitter for ideas and feedback. The episode concludes with one speaker needing to prepare for a massage appointment and the other ensuring the next episode will proceed as scheduled.Top TakeawaysImportance of Alt Text: Michelle and Corey discuss the importance of alt text for images on websites, highlighting the need for proper descriptions to ensure accessibility.Utilizing Open Graph: Corey explains the limitations of Open Graph in describing images and the need for additional metadata like OG image alt to improve accessibility.Engagement at WordCamps: Michelle and Corey discuss the value of attending WordCamps for networking, learning about new plugins, and engaging with the WordPress community.Feedback and Collaboration: Michelle and Corey emphasize the importance of feedback and collaboration in the iterative process of website development, indicating their willingness to receive input from others.Iterative Improvement: Corey mentions the ongoing process of iterating and improving the homepage, highlighting the quick iteration phase and the importance of continuous improvement in website design and content.Mentioned In The Show:Open GraphMatt MedeirosDense Discovery NewsletterWP Beaver BuilderPexelsUnsplashPixabayWP MinuteCadence websiteMatomoSticker MuleWordCamp USWordCamp OttawaBBC Radio OneOrbital UnderworldWP CampusWordCamp Montclair WordCamp Rochester Post Status WordCamp MontrealCanvaTwitterYouTube404, the story of a page not found

On the podcast today we have Emma Young. Emma is the Head of Content for Hostinger and is on the podcast today to chat through her new found love of WordPress and the community which surrounds it. Emma's journey is quite inspirational. From having almost no experience with WordPress just a few years ago, she's now immersed deeply in all that WordPress has to offer. Just over a year ago she'd been using WordPress a little, but that was it. Then she found employment in the space and has been to all three 2023 flagship WordCamps, as well as the Community Summit. So the whole conversation is coloured with this newness and energy, which is quite infectious. If you're looking for a way to find your place in the WordPress community, this podcast is for you.

On the podcast today we have Vagelis Papaioannou. Vagelis is a software engineer from Greece. His journey with coding began during his elementary school years, in an experimental coding class. This sparked a lifelong passion within him. His love for WordPress dates back to the early versions. He's on the podcast today to talk about two things. First we chat about his experiences contributing to WordPress events, both local meetups and WordCamps. We then get into a discussion about his work with the Learn Team; how they work and what resources they're creating. If you're a seasoned WordPress enthusiast or just starting your journey in contributions, this episode is for you.

On the podcast today we have Jo Minney. Jo is the founder of a small business that specialises in building websites for organisations, mainly nonprofits and the tech industry. In this episode, Jo shares her insights on the challenges of organising WordCamps and meetups in Australia, where the large size of the country and small population present some unique obstacles. If you're used to a European or North American setting, it's really interesting how the geography of the country presents challenges not seen elsewhere. We discuss the importance of paying speakers and covering their travel expenses to create equal opportunities for freelancers and small businesses, as well as to give the Australian community a stronger voice. We chat about the challenges faced by the Australian WordPress community, from limited resources and burnout, to the struggle of attracting new organisers and attendees. Jo shares some exciting success stories, such as organising WordPress events and hosting a successful do_action event. If you're interested in hearing about how the WordPress community is doing in Australia, this episode is for you.