Speaker Interview: Jarrett Gucci

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Jarret runs a WordPress fix it service where he helps fix WordPress problems for a small flat rate fee. He’s taken some time to participate in our Speaker Interview series.

Jarrett also runs a community on Facebook that is WordPress related. You can find out a lot more about Jarrett in his bio.

Jarrett will be presenting on What to Do When You Don’t Know What to Do.

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NILE FLORES: What got you interested in WordPress?

JARRETT GUCCI: At first because I was looking for a solution that I could pass off to client and allow them to manage their own content. What kept me around WordPress was and is the community behind it.

NILE FLORES: What is the most interesting WordPress-related project you’ve worked on?

JARRETT GUCCI: JamesRay.com which included e-commerce and sensei lesson drip.

NILE FLORES: Name 3 WordPress plugins that have always been on your MUST install list, and why.

JARRETT GUCCI: So hard to pick just 3 but these I would say are a must.

NILE FLORES: What is something interesting about you that the WordPress community doesn’t know?

JARRETT GUCCI: I have a passion to help homeless people and hope one day to start my movement called PB&J Across the USA where 1 million PB&J sandwiches will be passed out to homeless people.

NILE FLORES: In regards to new WordPress users, what one or two pieces of advice would you give them that could be very helpful?

JARRETT GUCCI: Make sure you have selected a host that accommodates WordPress and offers excellent support. Get involved in online WordPress communities to forge relationships with others that can help when you get stuck.

If you have any questions for Jarrett, you can either ask in the comments section of this post, or at the conference.

Afterparty Update

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Holy cow!  WordCamp St. Louis is less than 4 days away!  It seems like just yesterday we were started planning.  I’m really excited for everything we have in store for this weekend and I hope you are too.

I just wanted to pass on a quick update about the Afterparty (no `capital_P_dangit` oddly enough).  Due to some “crossed wires” the schedule originally listed the Afterparty as starting at 6pm, when in fact it is actually going to start at 7pm.  Also, we wanted to let everyone know that we’re going to have light appetizers, ice tea and lemonade, and a cash bar.  If you’re looking for a full dinner, there are dozen’s of restaurants within walking distance of City Museum and we hope that the extra hour between the end of the day and the Afterparty will allow you enough time to sample some of Downtown St. Louis’ vibrant culinary scene.

If you do decide to stop for dinner before coming to the Afterparty, don’t worry about being late as we are going to be climbing through caves, sliding down monster slides, and running around skateless skate parks until 11pm.  But don’t forget that we’ve got a full day of hands-on activities planned for Community Day on Sunday, so save some of your energy for helping then.

See you all soon!

Speaker Interview: Christoph Trappe

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Speaker Interview Series

Christoph is from Iowa and regularly speaks to spread the news on the very topic he will be presenting here at WordCamp St. Louis – Re-Imagine Blogging as Authentic Storytelling. You can read more about Christoph in his bio here at WordCamp St. Louis.

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NILE FLORES: What got you interested in WordPress?

CHRISTOPH TRAPPE: I first used it to launch EasternIowaNews.com. It’s so easy to get started. I heard about how easy it is to use.

NILE FLORES: What is the most interesting WordPress-related project you’ve worked on?

CHRISTOPH TRAPPE: Probably EasternIowaNews.com, but I’m currently in love with my current project at AuthenticStorytelling.net. It was also fun and a learning experience to launch topical websites for a local media company a few years ago. Details: http://authenticstorytelling.net/topical-websites-gazette-company-2010-2012/

NILE FLORES: Name 3 WordPress plugins that have always been on your MUST install list, and why.

CHRISTOPH TRAPPE: Editorial Calendar, Jetpack, and Yoast SEO.

NILE FLORES: What is something interesting about you that the WordPress community doesn’t know?

CHRISTOPH TRAPPE: I blog on the mobile app while riding a stationary bike. A lot. 300 words in 30 minutes is possible.

NILE FLORES: In regards to new WordPress users, what one or two pieces of advice would you give them that could be very helpful?

CHRISTOPH TRAPPE: Just start. Share great stories!

Speaker Interview: Hilary Fosdal

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As part of our Speaker Interview Series at WordCamp St. Louis 2015, we’ve turned our attention to Hilary Fosdal.

Hilary will be speaking about Steps to Finding and Hiring a Web Designer. Hilary is from Chicago, Illinois, and runs a business that helps builds the presence of other businesses.

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NILE FLORES: What got you interested in WordPress?

HILARY FOSDAL: After I learned HTML and CSS I started exploring open source content management systems. WordPress had great documentation and an active community – two things that were important to me.

NILE FLORES: What is the most interesting WordPress-related project you’ve worked on?

HILARY FOSDAL: Most recently, the most interesting WordPress-related project I’ve worked on is the Leukemia Research Foundation’s ABC7 Gibbons 5k website.

NILE FLORES: Name 3 WordPress plugins that have always been on your MUST install list, and why.

HILARY FOSDAL: iThemes Security = Safety first!

Contact Form 7 = Keep the lines of communication open.

Google Analytics by Yoast = Tracks everything!

NILE FLORES: What is something interesting about you that the WordPress community doesn’t know?

HILARY FOSDAL: I am fascinated by competitive eating. Attending (not participating in) the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest is on my bucket list. I watch Furious Pete’s YouTube videos. You should too.

NILE FLORES: In regards to new WordPress users, what one or two pieces of advice would you give them that could be very helpful?

HILARY FOSDAL: Never stop experimenting. Don’t be afraid of breaking things. When things break you get an opportunity to fix them and in the process learn more – which in turn makes you more courageous in your work.

Please feel free to say hello to Hilary in the comments below, or at WordCamp St. Louis. Don’t forget to buy a ticket to the event or you’ll miss out on a lot of awesome stuff, including Hilary’s presentation.

Speaker Interview: Tim Sisson

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Hope you’ve been enjoying some of the answers that our presenters have been sharing for our Speaker Interview Series. This interview is with Tim Sisson.

Tim is with InMotion Hosting as head of their Customer Community Team. You can learn a little more about Tim in his bio too.

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NILE FLORES: What got you interested in WordPress?

TIM SISSON: In 2009 I took a job with an engineering company managing their internet marketing and they happened to use WordPress for a blog. But the interest didn’t fully take hold until I was writing about it at InMotion Hosting about 5 years ago. There’s where the love of all things WordPress really took shape.

NILE FLORES: What is the most interesting WordPress-related project you’ve worked on?

TIM SISSON: They’ve all been interesting in their own right. I definitely favor projects that expand the boundaries of what WordPress can do. The fact that its such a flexible tool makes it incredibly strong. Lately, moving content from other platforms on a large scale has interested me and proven to be a great challenge.

NILE FLORES: Name 3 WordPress plugins that have always been on your MUST install list, and why.

TIM SISSON: This is such a loaded question! It’s like asking me which child of mine is my favorite… but right now…

Gravity Forms – Small price to pay for an incredibly flexible plugin especially if you have unique needs within your forms. It’s much more these days than contact forms.

Events Manager Pro – This allows us to plan events, have people register, manage the spreadsheets for check-ins. The Pro version is worth it and really has allowed us to expand revenue streams for the non-profit.

W3 Fastest Cache- Caching can make a huge difference in page load performance. We all know what speeding up your page load times does for your user experience. This particular caching plugin is simple to use.

NILE FLORES: What is something interesting about you that the WordPress community doesn’t know?

TIM SISSON: I smoke and cure meats. It’s a neat hobby to learn the science and art of curing meats (without killing folks!). Last year we made some cured hunters sausage and wild goose prosciutto. Cooking in general is a way to step away from a computer screen and interact with my kids. Cooking is a family experience in my house!

NILE FLORES: In regards to new WordPress users, what one or two pieces of advice would you give them that could be very helpful?

TIM SISSON: Take your time and ask for help. There’s plenty of people especially at WordCamps who are experts in their own right. Take advantage of their accessibility and ask them for advice. The great thing about WordPress is it’s been used for so much, someone before you has likely tried what you’re trying to accomplish. I haven’t met a single person in the community that wasn’t willing to offer up advice.

If you have questions for Tim… don’t be shy. Feel free to leave them in the comment section below, or catch him at the event. 🙂

Speaker Interview: Will Hanke

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Will Hanke is a St. Louis local that specializes in SEO, and next on our Speaker Interview Series for WordCamp St. Louis 2015. Will is quite active locally. You can read up more about him on his official bio for the WordCamp St. Louis event.

Will be speaking on a subject I love and did last year in WordCamp St. Louis 2014 – WordPress SEO. I’m extremely excited he’ll be taking the helm, and also thankful for him taking part in this interview. 🙂

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NILE FLORES: What got you interested in WordPress?

WILL HANKE: I was creating websites back in the FrontPage era, and WordPress was a natural progression for me. The ease of use, ability to customize and engagement options hooked me.

NILE FLORES: What is the most interesting WordPress-related project you’ve worked on?

WILL HANKE: Definitely FloatMissouri.com. I loved building the custom theme, business pages and the ability to help create a community.

NILE FLORES: Name 3 WordPress plugins that have always been on your MUST install list, and why.

WILL HANKE: Yoast SEO, Raven Schema, and Yet Another Related Post Plugin (YARPP).

NILE FLORES: What is something interesting about you that the WordPress community doesn’t know?

WILL HANKE: I was using the Internet before it was called the Internet during my military days.

NILE FLORES: In regards to new WordPress users, what one or two pieces of advice would you give them that could be very helpful?

WILL HANKE: Definitely get a backup plugin before you start playing around with things, and make sure it’s working. Then go wild! Click everything and learn as much as you can about the CMS. The possibilities are truly endless!

Please feel free to leave a comment below and ask Will any questions- either about him, what he does, or even about SEO. 🙂

Speaker Interview: Brian Goldstein

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As part of our WordCamp St. Louis 2015 Speaker Interview series, we asked Brian Goldstein to tell us a little bit about himself.

Brian is a St. Louis local, a University of Missouri University alumni and will be presenting on Building Responsible WordPress Sites.

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NILE FLORES: What got you interested in WordPress?

BRIAN GOLDSTEIN: I’m having a hard time actually remembering. I knew I wanted to blog way back in 2006-07, and didn’t want to use LiveJournal or Blogspot.

NILE FLORES: What is the most interesting WordPress-related project you’ve worked on?

BRIAN GOLDSTEIN: Anything that I’ve done with Billy and Justin (my partners in Our Collective.)

NILE FLORES: Name 3 WordPress plugins that have always been on your MUST install list, and why.

BRIAN GOLDSTEIN: I’m partial to Advanced Custom Fields, Custom Post Types UI, and Gravity Forms.

NILE FLORES: What is something interesting about you that the WordPress community doesn’t know?

BRIAN GOLDSTEIN: I require Chinese food once a fortnight.

NILE FLORES: In regards to new WordPress users, what one or two pieces of advice would you give them that could be very helpful?

BRIAN GOLDSTEIN: My advice is twofold. Always have your own domain, and enjoy tinkering with it, but learn how to develop locally and test it first.

Please feel free to get to know Brian at the event on March 14 & 15, 2015. You can also ask questions below in the comments.

If you haven’t got your ticket, please get your ticket while it’s available. 🙂

Speaker Interview: Russell Fair

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To start our Speaker Interview Series for WordCamp St. Louis 2015, the organization team decided for 2015 to send out a list of 5 questions to all of our speakers. Rather than ask different questions, they were the same exact inquiries. This is because each person has their own experience with how they started with WordPress.

We’re starting off at the bat with Russell Fair. Russell will be speaking about Debugging Common WP Problems. Russell will also be part of hosting the Kid’s Camp.

Enjoy!

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NILE FLORES: What got you interested in WordPress?

RUSSELL FAIR: Well that was a long time ago and WordPress wasn’t the mature publishing platform that it is today. Still, the thing that made it attractive was that I could give it to a total novice and they could publish content on their own, without needing to know html, have any special software, or rely any other protocols to publish their thoughts online.

The simplicity and ease of publishing was, and still is one of the biggest reasons I love WordPress. One of the other big motivators for my interest was the WordPress MU project. The Idea that I could run multiple sites off one codebase was awesome. When that was rolled into the core platform, my interest was renewed and I find more reasons to love WordPress each day.

NILE FLORES: What is the most interesting WordPress-related project you’ve worked on?

RUSSELL FAIR: Probably the Nixon Foundation Website (nixonfoundation.org). I worked on it several years ago and it was one of the first projects where I pushed my knowledge about themes to the limit, and even made an attempt at writing my first plugin. The amount and quality of content they have is amazing and was just a fun and interesting project.

NILE FLORES: Name 3 WordPress plugins that have always been on your MUST install list, and why.

RUSSELL FAIR: The Yoast family of plugins for sure, SEO, Google Analytics etc. They’re vital to making your website get found and figuring out what your users are reading.

GravityForms, The form builder itself is just great, but when you add in all of the external API integrations it is just amazing. I use it all the time.

WP Super Cache – this one is pretty much a must have for making your site zippy. Nobody likes a slow website so WPSC is a must have for my sites.

NILE FLORES: What is something interesting about you that the WordPress community doesn’t know?

RUSSELL FAIR: I’m an outdoor nut. I like camping, geocaching, hiking, and pretty much anything I can find an excuse to get off of my computer to do.

NILE FLORES: In regards to new WordPress users, what one or two pieces of advice would you give them that could be very helpful?

RUSSELL FAIR: 1 – There is almost always more than one way to accomplish a particular job – this is especially true with WordPress. If you’re running into obstacles, stop and think about a different approach.

2 – Backups are mandatory. If you’re not backing up your site, and testing the integrity of your backups you’ll might wind up loosing everything. If you don’t have a backup solution in place that you KNOW WORKS, stop and do that now before you do anything else.

A big thanks to Russell for his time in answering these questions. Feel free to ask him questions and connect with him at the event.

Partnering with Hands Up United for Community Day

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We’re excited to announce that we are partnering with the Roy Clay Sr. Web Development and Entrepreneurship Workshop, a Hands Up United initiative, for our Hackathon during WordCamp St. Louis’ Community Day on March 15th.

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Students learning HTML, CSS, and WordPress at T-REX

The 6-week workshop (named for North St. Louis County native and Silicon Valley entrepreneur Roy Clay) consists of teaching Ferguson/St. Louis youth HTML, CSS, JavaScript, UX, entrepreneurship, and small business management with the goal of participants learning the complete set of web development skills needed to help build sites for others in their community. Funds raised using the group’s GoFundMe campaign provide participants that complete the program with a $500 stipend and a personal laptop to continue using the skills they learned.

To develop these skills, participants have been meeting for 12 hours per week since early February doing everything from creating static HTML pages to creating wireframes using client requirements to customizing WordPress themes.

All of their hard work will culminate on March 15th when we have a full day scheduled for working with the participants, local small businesses, and community organizations they’ve been working with to finish and launch their WordPress sites. We’re hoping you’ll join us to help put some of the finishing touches on their sites as well as showing these young, new WordPressers that they are part of a huge community of volunteers worldwide.

Look Your Best at WordCamp St. Louis

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With only a scant few weeks left until WordCamp St. Louis 2015, we wanted to share with you the design for our conference t-shirt. All attendees will receive one of these beautifully designed shirts from Anda Creative.

WordCamp St. Louis T-Shirt Mockup

Pretty snazzy, eh? If you haven’t bought your ticket yet, now is the time. We’ve already sold over half our allotment and last year we sold out a week in advance!

Volunteers and speakers – we have something extra special for you. But that’s a secret. 🙂