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.

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.