Bio

Kyle is the co-founder and lead developer for Real Big Marketing, based in Jackson, Michigan. He’s a huge fan of WordPress, uses it every day and makes awesome stuff with it.

Building websites and developing plugins are his passions. Playing guitar is the only thing that could realistically get him to stop developing…if it only paid better.

Kyle will be presenting…

Kyle will be moderating the business panel “Building a WordPress Business” and also the developer panel “The Joys of Being a WordPress Developer”.

Why do you use WordPress?

Because I’m not a fan of headaches, frustration, confusion and limitations which is what I get with any alternative. I’d much prefer to stick with WP where I can accomplish anything I or my clients dream up.

When and how did you start using WordPress?

A few years back I was making websites from scratch using Dreamweaver when someone more experienced than I explained very kindly that no one actually makes websites that way anymore. The smart people are using this thing called WordPress. I gave it a whirl and have never considered going back since.

What would you tell someone to convince them to attend a WordCamp?

There’s usually beer after. And you can ride with me.

Tell us about something awesome you’ve experienced at a WordCamp in the past.

Meeting Matt Mullenweg at WordCamp Chicago in 2013 was really cool.

I also had a really good time at the speaker dinner in North Canton, Ohio. We got to go on a fun guided tour through the city and see some art galleries and stuff. It was pretty interesting and I made quite a few new friends.

Give an example of a cool WordPress project you have worked on recently.

Definitely clientdash.io has been my favorite recent project. It’s a really cool plugin that @JoelWorsham and I have been iterating on for months. I like where it’s going and we have some really cool stuff in the works for the next couple releases.

I’ve also been having a great time developing some themes from scratch using Zurb Foundation which is a very cool CSS/Javascript framework.

What is your favorite part of WordCamps?

Getting new stickers.

What advice do you have for anyone looking to start or grow a WordPress based business?

WordPress is growing fast so don’t hesitate. I think this is an excellent time to jump on board as there are so many incredible opportunities in this market right now. That and focus on quality. There’s not much room for more sub-par products and services.

Tell us something awesome about yourself that is not WordPress related.

I’m an award winning film director and play in a band. Don’t bother looking either up though. Just take my word for it.

Name someone in the WordPress community who inspires you.

Too many to count! I’ll list a few:

Peter Shackelford has always been a tremendous help and inspires me all the time to try new things and raise the bar.
Joel Worsham‘s creativity and development super powers constantly inspire me to improve and create bigger and better things.

Others who have impacted me in a big way: Ross Johnson, Brad Parbs, Chris Lema, Steve Zehngut, Pippin Williamson, Sam Hotchkiss, Jason Crawford, Chris Coyier, John James Jacoby, Rickey Messick, Andrea Rennick, Cory Miller, Brian Retterer, Kellen Mace and many, many others.

What has been your biggest WordPress related accomplishment to date?

I’m tempted to say the plugins I’ve been able to create or help create because I’m very proud of them but honestly creating a sustainable business that allows me to do what I want to do and be my own boss by using WordPress has really been my greatest accomplishment.

How have WordCamps impacted you and your business in the past?

Incredible connections. Great new friends. Invaluable insight. An entire drawer full of WP shirts. Need I go on?

Fill in the blank for other attendees: “If you __________ then you should come talk to me at WordCamp”.

…are here…

Actually, I’d really love to talk to anybody who’s struggling with WP or anyone living near Jackson county or any developers looking to collaborate on projects or anyone who can introduce me to the best beers in town.

What is your favorite WordPress related resource?

I think my local development environment is hard to beat. There I can experiment with anything and learn on my own.

More traditional resources would be Twitter, the Codex, Tuts+, CSS Tricks, Pippin’s Plugins and all my developer friends on Skype.

Where can we find you online?

Real Big Marketing
@MrKyleMaurer
LinkedIn
Google+
WP Round Table