Steve Steware will be talking about Podcasting 101. Steve is from St. Louis, Missouri.

Here is his interview:

NILE FLORES: What was it about WordPress that got you to start using it?

STEVE STEWART: I had heard about WordPress back in the mid-2000s from fellow personal finance bloggers and podcasters like Leo Laporte. Still not convinced I needed a CMS, I created a blog on WordPress.com. A couple years later I was YEARNING to add more functionality through plugins like PrettyLink and new I’d have to move to a self-hosted platform in order to podcast. So, in 2010, I launched my first real domain and started podcasting. I’ve seen other platforms like SquareSpace and Wix, but have never regretted sticking with the ‘ol WP.

NILE FLORES: What motivates you to give back to WordPress and its community?

STEVE STEWART: You want me to answer the question, “What motivates me to give back to WordPress and its community?” I’m a teacher at heart. I also know that the more successful others are, the better off I’ll be. They say, “The tide raises all ships”, so I know helping others in the WP community will help me in the long run.

NILE FLORES: How many WordCamps have you been to, and what was your best 1 or 2 experiences that you had when attending WordCamp?

STEVE STEWART: This will be my third WordCamp. Even though I’ve had the pleasure of speaking at two of them, my best experiences have always come from conversations in the hallways. Presenting valuable information is awesome, but being able to solve a person’s problem in a one-on-one conversation that took place over coffee is really impactful. At least I know for sure that person isn’t sleeping in the back row of my presentation.

NILE FLORES: What is your number 1 tip for WordPress users?

STEVE STEWART: My #1 tip for WP users is to install PrettyLink Lite or pay for PrettyLink Pro. This plugin allows you to create re-directs with your branded site as the base of the URL.

NILE FLORES: What is your favorite feature in WordPress?

STEVE STEWART: Plugins, plugins, plugins! There are thousands that offer all kinds of features.

NILE FLORES: What are your 3 most favorite WordPress plugins?

STEVE STEWART: Did I mention my favorite plugin is PrettyLink? I also love what Social Warfare does for customizing Tweets and Facebook sharing with images appropriate for their platforms. WP Courseware is a cool plugin that allows people who take my Audacity Workshop to keep track of which lessons they have already completed by placing a green check-mark by that lesson in the list. Very cool.

NILE FLORES: What is your favorite WordPress theme?

STEVE STEWART: I was using the LifeStyle Theme by StudioPress until it went goofy on me.