Jen Jamar is speaking on The small business guide to content strategy at WordCamp Minneapolis.

What inspired or motivated you to give this talk at WordCamp?

When it comes to creating content, there are a lot of people with great ideas and the motivation to start writing, but not as many people take time to think through opportunity costs and how their ideas fit within their overall business strategy. Content marketing absolutely works, but it happens through an investment of time and resources. When that’s not done with a long-term plan in mind, you risk wasting those resources for very little return. At the end of the day, if this talk helps other business owners get get more value out of their WordPress site, I feel like I’ve helped contribute to the community.

How do you “create intention” in your job, career, or life?

I create intention by remembering to be grateful in everything I do. I’m thankful to wake up every day and feel fulfilled when I sit down at the computer to start working.That gratefulness informs the way I work. For example, I don’t take every project that comes my way. l accept the projects that I’m really excited to work on, because I know then I’ll push myself to deliver exceptional work. And for those that don’t excite me, I try to recommend someone else that would be a great fit.

If you were a WordPress Plugin, what Plugin would you be and why?

Follow Ups from Woo. I meet a ton of people at the events I attend, as well as the ones I organize. It’d be awesome to have super powers to stay in touch and connect with them better after the events.

If you were not doing your current job, what profession would you be in and why?

Maybe a bartender because they get to be social and talking to people is part of their job. Or I’d go full-on creative and get into performance arts. Even though I’m totally uncoordinated and often trip over my own feet, I love dancing and aerial arts.

What professional and/or research resource(s) can’t you live without?

Google is my best friend. Give me a solid Internet connection and I’m pretty darn happy.

Matt Perry is speaking on Scaling websites with WordPress examples: lessons from the movies at WordCamp Minneapolis.

What inspired or motivated you to give this talk at WordCamp?

I feel like an accessible talk about scaling is something that is missing from the world — being able to write code that can scale is an important skill for the WordPress developer. Also, I like movies.

How do you “create intention” in your job, career, or life?

One way that I create intention in my career is to check in with myself and my teammates once a year, in a sort of big-picture, directional way. Do I still love what I’m doing? Am I learning every day?

If you were a WordPress Plugin, what Plugin would you be and why?

Hello Dolly. I love being an object of controversy.

If you were not doing your current job, what profession would you be in and why?

I would be a teacher, like both of my parents. I love teaching and learning. I recently began volunteering with an amazing organization here in Seattle that teaches coding skills in the prison system — check them out: www.un-loop.org

What professional and/or research resource(s) can’t you live without?

Good documentation. I’m grateful every day for the dozens of times I look up a function or technique online. I use Dash (the OSX app) to make it easy.

Mallie Hart is speaking on Personality: Does Your Business Website Have Any? at WordCamp Minneapolis.

What inspired or motivated you to give this talk at WordCamp?

It’s a topic I often blog about and discuss via social media.

How do you “create intention” in your job, career, or life?

I know how to say no, when to say yes, and understand that you need to carefully consider any maybes.

If you were a WordPress Plugin, what Plugin would you be and why?

Social Warfare: It’s awesome, easy to work with and has tons of personality.

If you were not doing your current job, what profession would you be in and why?

History Professor: Because I majored in medieval history.

What professional and/or research resource(s) can’t you live without?

Adobe Creative Suite, Google, Twitter

Shawn Pfunder is speaking on Bicycle Freelancing at WordCamp Minneapolis.

What inspired or motivated you to give this talk at WordCamp?

WordCamps are made up of doers. You know, people that ship. Or, at the very least, people who want to ship. They’re just looking for a little guidance about how to do it. It’s inspirational to rub shoulders with a creative class who want to execute on great ideas. People who want to leave the world a little bit better than how they found it.

How do you “create intention” in your job, career, or life?

Oof. That’s a great question. Can I say I try to intentionally create intention? If only to sound like I know what I’m talking about? Honestly, I ask myself these questions at the beginning of each month:

1. What do I love? What am I good at?
2. What do I suck at?
3. Who can I help while doing what I love?
4. Who can help me suck a little less?

And then I usually put on some headphones, crank up some kind of obscure post-rock, and free-write about those 4 questions. Sometimes I end up writing about something beautiful and life changing. I share it with my friends to try and impress them. Sometimes it devolves into haikus about tacos. Either way, it always helps me refocus. It reminds me of what’s important to me.

If you were a WordPress Plugin, what Plugin would you be and why?

Hello Dolly. I (want to) symbolize the hope and enthusiasm of an entire generation summed up in two words.

If you were not doing your current job, what profession would you be in and why?

Today? A travel writer. I read not too long ago about how you can get a grant from Amtrak to travel across the US by train and write about your experience. I’m obsessed with that idea. Think about it. Just you and a folding bike and the clickity clickity of the rails. We need a new On the Road American anthem. Something unique that takes us in and out of small town dancehalls, Elks’ Lodges, pubs where people glue quarters to the floor. It’s life-affirming stuff. Face-to-face dinners and local drinking rituals. That’s the way to build bridges with others and figure out what’s going on in the world.

So so legit.

OK. Look what you’ve done. Now I’m convincing myself to quit and start over. Thanks for that. It’s time to refocus…

What professional and/or research resource(s) can’t you live without?

Ulysses. Reeder. Spotify. That’s professional, right? I mean, depending on my playlist. I’m not going to crank up ELO while I’m working. I’ll stick to Godspeed You, Black Emperor or something without lyrics.

Jennifer Bourn is speaking on The Path To Conversion: Storytelling Through Theme Design at WordCamp Minneapolis.

What inspired or motivated you to give this talk at WordCamp?

I’m a designer! Most WordCamps and meetups I attend focus on development and content, with maybe a few sessions on design if you’re lucky, yet every website needs to take design into consideration from day one. Design sets the foundation for the emotions and perceptions associated with a brand, and it guides websites visitors along their journey of discovery to a conversion.

How do you “create intention” in your job, career, or life?

To me, creating intention means you are purposefully taking (or not taking) specific actions so you can achieve a specific outcome. The intention in my workday is to focus on the deadlines and client work at hand without distraction. This means I close email, close social media, put on headphones, and get to work. This focus and intention then allows me to use the non-working hours to create joy in my life through family adventures, activities, and fun.

If you were a WordPress Plugin, what Plugin would you be and why?

If I’d be a WordPress plugin? Oh goodness! I think I’d be Give so I could enable others to contribute to great causes and do great things in the world.

If you were not doing your current job, what profession would you be in and why?

If I wasn’t a designer, I’d probably be a writer or a teacher. I always wanted to be a teacher when I was growing up and I love little kids. I’d never teach middle school or high school!

What professional and/or research resource(s) can’t you live without?

Clearly as a designer, I must have the Adobe suite of tools. I also must have my headphones, my iPhone, and good old Google.