Interview with Michele Butcher

Interview, Speakers

Michele Butcher – twitter dark blue jeans social media icons designed by icons.mysitemyway.com LinkedIn dark blue jeans social media icons designed by icons.mysitemyway.com Google+ dark blue jeans social media icons designed by icons.mysitemyway.com

Michele will be presenting Intro to Jetpack on Friday in the Foundation Friday 201 track

Michele is a full time blogger, designer, and all around awesome person. Michele started her love for WordPress back in 2010 when she got her feet wet working with Bit51 as a content creator and support ninja until its merger with iThemes.

Michele is also the Organizer for the Southern Illinois WordPress Meetup. She is also the newest member of the WP Security Lock team in April of this year. When not in front of a screen, Michele enjoys life with her family and friends.

Interview:

Why do you use WordPress?
It was the first CMS I had ever used. I have tried others and none of them live up to the community that WordPress has built. I like using WordPress because of it being Open Source and what all Automattic stands for and has done.

What would you say to convince someone to attend a WordCamp?
If you are interested in even the tiniest bit of building and/or maintain a website then you owe it to yourself to go to at least one WordCamp. WordCamps are never the same, and you will always learn something new. They are one of the most affordable, educational experiences you will ever go to in the world of tech. You will come back with an information overload and a great feeling of belonging to a great community that words cannot truly express.

What is your favorite WordPress project you have worked on recently?
It has not been very recent, but my all time favorite project was working with Chris Wiegman and Bit51 with the Better WordPress Security plugin. It is now iThemes Security. It was so rewarding to watch the little plugin grow to what it is now. My favorite project that I am working on now is the work I do with the Southern Illinois WordPress Meetup.

Do you have any advice for someone looking to start or grow a WordPress based business?
Go for the gold! If your dream is to grow a WordPress business then the sky is the limit. Luckily, this is one of the best professional communities to grow a business in. Everyone is always willing to help, BETA test, or whatever is needed. There is always a person on a social media platform who is eager to help with someone needing a question answered.

What is your favorite WordPress-related resource?
The WordPress repository and forums. Typically I can find most of the answers in there. My second greatest resource is the WordPress community. Typically within minutes of tweeting, emailing, or posting a question, I have answers.

Tell us something awesome about yourself that is not WordPress related
I am a 4-H leader in my hometown. I only sleep about 4 hours every night.