Author: Jeremy Ward

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

There is so much that can be accomplished with the use of Social Media that many people and small business overlook. I want people to know that their websites and social media do not have to be two separate entities. Use one to boost the other and its easier than you think!

Do you have any advice or words of encouragement for those who are thinking about getting involved in the WordPress community?

“Do IT!”-Shia Lebeouf

If you don’t think you can, do it. Don’t be intimidated by the unknown. WordPress has a huge support community to help guide you along the way. Once you get started, you’ll see how good it feels to accomplish those minor tasks that you thought were so insurmountable. But remember young Padawan, “Do or do not, there is no try.”

If you could make one improvement to WordPress today, what would it be?

More built in Social Media integration… but maybe i’m biased.

Who do you most admire and why?

To this day, I still remember how Star Trek shaped my life. It was the first time I saw someone like me — an African American woman — on a spaceship. It might have been fictional, but Lieutenant Uhura was an icon for progress. Growing up, I was different from the rest of the girls. I didn’t want to be a princess or a dancer or anything involving bows and frills — I wanted to work with computers. That’s where Lieutenant Uhura came in. Well, her and Dr. Mae Carol Jemison, the first African American woman to travel to space.

What’s your favorite quote from a book or movie?

“Hold on to your butts.” – Samuel L. Jackson as Ray Arnold in Jurassic Park

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

I’m a big fan of WordPress and marketing automation.

Do you have any advice or words of encouragement for those who are thinking about getting involved in the WordPress community?

We are fortunate WordPress promotes inclusivity within its community creating a tribes of people that are selfless in their interest to share what they know about WordPress with others. Just show up to a meetup, user group or WordCamp and someone will say hello and ask how they can help.

If you could make one improvement to WordPress today, what would it be?

More validation and control around plugins, similar to the Apple App Store. If a plugin gets added to WordPress.org it should be vetted to work. Too many plugins are hit or miss and/or outdated and should be deprecated. Somehow this should be an opportunity for both Automattic and people who work to make contributions to the community.

Who do you most admire and why?

Seth Godin. He makes my head hurt. Every day he publishes a thought that challenges the way I live or think. Typically his posts are marketing focused. Sometimes it’s an observation on life. Usually it’s something simple. He has really mastered what is important. Managing time, self improvement and continuous learning. Things I work to be better at everyday.

What’s your favorite quote from a book or movie?

I have two… First is the fun one “Adventure, excitement… a Jedi craves not these things.” from Silent Bob in Mallrats. Second is business “Don’t find customers for your products, find products for your customers.” from Seth Godin

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

I was hesitant to use a page builder for our projects since my first first experiences were not very good. Fast forward a few years and they are changing everything about how we approach and build websites.

Do you have any advice or words of encouragement for those who are thinking about getting involved in the WordPress community?

A rising tide lifts all boats and that couldn’t be any more true for the WordPress community. There are so many opportunities to get involved. Find what resonates most for you!

If you could make one improvement to WordPress today, what would it be?

An improved writing experience for richer content.

Who do you most admire and why?

Simon Sinek – He is amazing at articulating the intersection between human behavior and sincere marketing.

What’s your favorite quote from a book or movie?

“In my experience there is no such thing as luck.” – Obi-Wan Kenobi

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

We enter into many of our web projects by focusing on budget, schedule, and technical requests from our clients and then later evaluate our designs with end users to find they either aren’t usable or they don’t solve actual needs. No matter how technically great the site is, if it we’ve failed at giving it usefulness, convenience, and/or enjoyment, people simply won’t use it. I wanted to share some of the tools and techniques I’ve had success building into early client and team conversations to make sure we’re thinking about our websites in the right way, even if ultimately we have to weigh pros and cons of implementing specific against scopes and budgets.

Do you have any advice or words of encouragement for those who are thinking about getting involved in the WordPress community?

Attend many meetups, request to give a lightning talk if you’re nervous about speaking for the first time, and volunteer at local WordCamps. Not only does volunteering get you a free ticket at the WordCamp, but it’s the no.1 best way to meet new people even if you’re shy.

If you could make one improvement to WordPress today, what would it be?

I think we’re driving toward this today, but a higher percentage of .org themes and plugins should be graded for accessibility (including multilingual).

Who do you most admire and why?

Out of anyone? My father. I always felt I knew him, but in adulthood I feel like I’ve started to understand him more and admire his life and his accomplishments. at times, his life is a bit Big Fish.

What’s your favorite quote from a book or movie?

“Come with me if you want to live.” As a UXer, this is what I feel like I’m saying when trying to convince team members and clients to listen to my suggestions.

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

I submitted a talk for WordCamp as I wanted to become more active in the community by sharing what I have learned. I always find speaking to be powerful. It helps me learn and reflect but, more importantly, it allows me to connect with others and learn from their experiences as well.

Do you have any advice or words of encouragement for those who are thinking about getting involved in the WordPress community?

I am actually a new member to this community. I have been more active in the Drupal community in the past. That being said, there are three things I do when joining a new group. Attend events, volunteer and be social at events so I can meet people.

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

For the past year I’ve been working arduously on a plugin that has continuously tested my knowledge and patience. Throughout the process I learned a lot and feel that the mistakes I made can act as sign posts to help others make better decisions in their adventures through software development.

Do you have any advice or words of encouragement for those who are thinking about getting involved in the WordPress community?

In my experience the WordPress community has been extremely welcoming to all skill levels. Everyone is helpful and excited to work on such an awesome open-source platform together. Despite the number of developers all across the world there’s still a lot of potential to create unique and original plugins on top of the platform.

If you could make one improvement to WordPress today, what would it be?

It’s 2017. We shouldn’t have to reload the page to perform CRUD operations. AJAXify the entire backend.

Who do you most admire and why?

It’s impossible to say who I admire the most because who I am is constantly evolving. However right now I’d say Jordan Peterson, professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto for his dedication to intellectual integrity. Satoshi Nakamoto, inventor of Bitcoin and Vitalik Buterin co-creator of Ethereum for their incredible contributions to computer science. And finally Brendan Eich the creator of JavaScript for constantly pushing the boundaries of what the Web can be.

What’s your favorite quote from a book or movie?

“No action can be virtuous unless it is freely chosen.” ― Murray N. Rothbard

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

I feel like I have a unique perspective as a business owner outside of the WordPress community. Campaigns have a limitation on how much time you have to actually show success and it helps me frame differently how to make good decisions in WordPress businesses.

Do you have any advice or words of encouragement for those who are thinking about getting involved in the WordPress community?

The WordPress community is the most helpful and supportive community I have ever encountered. For anyone considering joining this community I say, “Go for it!” You will see a return in all the efforts you put into this community.

If you could make one improvement to WordPress today, what would it be?

I don’t think there is anything I would improve. I truly love this community and am so happy that I am involved in a formal capacity.

Who do you most admire and why?

My grandmother Mary. She has found a way to be accomplished, determined, solid in her stances and at the same time be kind, funny and loving. I hope that as I live my life I can be the same.

What’s your favorite quote from a book or movie?

“My dear, here we must run as fast as we can, just to stay in place. And if you wish to go anywhere you must run twice as fast as that.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

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

E-Commerce is a vast subject, and there is a lot of domain knowledge required to effectively help clients navigate all of the complexities and tools needed to be successful. My hope is that, after this talk, freelancers and agencies are more prepared when approaching e-Commerce topics with their customers.

Do you have any advice or words of encouragement for those who are thinking about getting involved in the WordPress community?

Dive in. Just commit to it and jump. We’re very fortunate to be working in a space where there is both demand and an excellent community.

If you could make one improvement to WordPress today, what would it be?

I’ve wanted to add art direction features to the media library for a while to make sure the focal point of an image is shown at all sizes and crops with minimal interaction. I just have to find the time to build it!

Who do you most admire and why?

Each and every person who has taken a risk and started something they can call their own. The creatives, developers, architects and dreamers. Jumping off that cliff isn’t easy, but the potential result is worth it.

What’s your favorite quote from a book or movie?

All your questions can be answered, if that is what you want. But once you learn your answers, you can never unlearn them.

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

I believe everyone has a story to share with the world, and I hope to inspire others to share theirs.

Do you have any advice or words of encouragement for those who are thinking about getting involved in the WordPress community?

It’s a fun community to be a part of!

If you could make one improvement to WordPress today, what would it be?

none!

Who do you most admire and why?

My brain injury community … every single day I watch them overcome obstacles they never thought possible. They inspire me to keep writing and sharing my story!

What’s your favorite quote from a book or movie?

“Nobody puts baby in a corner”

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

I relied on a lot of resources when I began to freelance and I wanted to be able to pay it forward and help others that might not know where to begin, want ideas on how to grow, or the discover tools and techniques available to be efficient.

Do you have any advice or words of encouragement for those who are thinking about getting involved in the WordPress community?

Coming as a designer, the WordPress community has been great! It really fits all levels of development experience.

If you could make one improvement to WordPress today, what would it be?

I already feel like I learn something new in WordPress every time I use it and I love that!

Who do you most admire and why?

My mother – She is caring, genuine, supportive, pushes me to excel and be a good human, but best of all – always full of crazy creative ideas.

What’s your favorite quote from a book or movie?

“We have so much time, and so little to do. Strike that, reverse it.” – Willy Wonka