Category Archives: WordCamp Speaker Interviews

Using Podcasts to Grow & Market Your Business

WordCamp Speaker Interviews,

 

Jeff Large is a speaker at WordCamp Chicago this talking about Using Podcasts to Grow & Market Your Business. Get to know him below!

Professional Bio

Jeff Large is a digital consultant and strategist. He runs Come Alive Creative, a web and graphic design agency specializing in eCommerce. He also uses his experience as an educator to teach business owners more about web development, podcasting, and digital marketing.

WordCamp Chicago Mini-Interview

  1. When did you first become interested in WordPress?

2010 (I think) but I was doing basic web development before that as well.

  1. What motivated you to speak at WordCamp?

I love teaching and helping others. Before going full-time with my agency, I was a teacher for over 7 years. Speaking at events is a way for me to continue teaching and giving back.

  1. Why do you think WordPress is different from other web platforms?

I prefer WordPress because it’s a low barrier to entry but it can be infinitely expanded if you know what you’re doing. Beyond that, it’s surrounded by a great community and always seems to be growing.

Communities and the Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense

WordCamp Speaker Interviews

Josepha Haden is a speaker at WordCamp Chicago this talking about Communities and the Gentle Art of Verbal Self-Defense. Get to know her below!

Bio

Josepha comes from a long line of writers and was raised to be a life-long learner. She has a passion for language and storycrafting, a skill she practices on starsandthemoon.com. Josepha has over a decade of experience using SEO, data analysis, and content marketing to bring success and visibility to clients all over the world. Since 2010 she’s been working in her hometown of Kansas City to increase digital literacy and get more women in tech. Josepha works at Automattic as a community organizer for the WordPress open source project and can be found on Twitter as @josephahaden.

WordPress Mini-Interview

  1. My initial introduction to WordPress was at WordCamp Fayetteville in 2009 or so. I founded the local Kansas City community in 2010 and started hosting WordCamps in 2011.
  2. I believe strongly that WordPress can be used to help everyone learn and perfect their 21st century skill set. One of the most elusive, but most important, is the skill that allows us to have more effective communication online. With better communication comes better collaboration which is, arguably, the heart of the WordPress project. I am motivated to speak at WordCamps to raise awareness of these skill-honing aspects of WordPress.
  3. The people, hands down. I’ve never been to a WordPress event (Meetups, training workshops, WordCamps, you name it) where I felt unwelcome. The platform is made infinitely better by the support and encouragement of the people who build it.

Intro to WordPress Hooks

WordCamp Speaker Interviews

Ian Wilson is the speaker on Intro to WordPress Hooks at WordCamp Chicago this year. Get to know him with our mini-interview below.

Bio 

Co-Owner at build/create and WordPress user since 2006.  Ian works as designer, developer, marketer, and erstwhile sysadmin to keep all aspects of site development running smoothly within his team.

Mini-WordPress Interview

1) I first became interested in WordPress in 2006 while I was looking at easier ways to make a website for myself.  When I looked at the PHP for the first time I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  Now here I am!

2) I also like talking about things that make me excited and trying to spread that excitement to other people.  I really want to be the speaker that helps a couple of people achieve that break through where suddenly something they didn’t understand before becomes clear and they “get it”.

3) I feel that the community around WordPress is one of the greatest things about it.  It embraces users of every skill level and incorporates their experiences into the end product.  WordPress empowers us to deliver high quality, easy to use solutions to our clients in a way that nothing else does.

Using WordPress for Bloggers

WordCamp Speaker Interviews

Maddy Osman is talking on how Using WordPress for Bloggers. Before WordCamp starts, get to know her in this post.

Bio

Maddy Osman is a digital marketer who has a passion for blogging. Her lifestyle blog,www.ChicagoCheapAss.com, shows young adults how the find the best deals and values in Chicago. If you’re more interested in learning how to be more effective with your own blog, check out her website, www.The-Blogsmith.com.

WordPress Mini-Interview

1.       When did you first become interested in WordPress?

I first became interested in WordPress when I created my initial portfolio website. At the same time, my boss in College was teaching me the in’s and out’s of the platform. I haven’t looked back – I work exclusively with WordPress in personal and professional projects, now.

2.       What motivated you to speak at WordCamp?

I use WordPress from many different perspectives – as a content creator and as a website designer. I hope that sharing my knowledge of the platform, I can help others!

3.       Why do you think WordPress is different from other web platforms?

WordPress is very user friendly once you’ve given it a fair chance. Even non-technical people can get a lot out of it! It’s also ideal for my web clients – I can pass on a website to them that’s easy for them to edit without my help.