Ross is a designer and developer at 3.7 DESIGNS and the creator of Project Panorama (https://www.projectpanorama.com), a project management plugin for WordPress.

He started 3.7 DESIGNS over ten years ago when he noticed an abundance of websites that were “digital brochures” rather than a unique experience crafted for the web. They have always had a focus on meticulously executed design, usability, accessibility and web standards.

They started using WordPress in 2006 for blogging solutions and it became our CMS of choice in 2008.

Ross Johnson will be presenting “Mastering the Design Approval Process” on Saturday, October 15 at 2:45pm in the Assembly Hall.

Why do use WordPress?

The community, flexibility and user experience.

When and how did you start using WordPress?

I started using WordPress in 2006 when I decided I should have a blog. After a brief stint with blogger, I decided I wanted something easier to customize and self hosted. WordPress was the gold standard at the time so I made the leap.

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

You’ll get more out of a single day at a WordCamp than an entire year of trying to learn things yourself.

What is your favorite part of WordCamps?

Meeting new people and learning about the projects they’re working on.

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

Network.

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

I’m a watch collector.

Name someone in the WordPress community that inspires you.

Kyle Maurer. He contributes to the community in lots of different ways. He always goes out of his way to try to help people, especially those who are new and intimidated. He’s got a great business sense… plus he’s in a band which is cool.

What has been your biggest WordPress related accomplishment to date?

Launched a successful WordPress plugin business (SnapOrbital)

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

I’ve made connections, learned new things and built awareness. Hard to imagine it getting any better.

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

are a designer

What should someone learn before attending your talk at WordCamp Ann Arbor?

empathy

What is your favorite WordPress related resource?

ManageWP – managewp.org

Where can we find you online?

• https://www.projectpanorama.com
• https://3.7designs.co
• https://www.snaporbital.com
• https://www.twitter.com/3pointross

Ian Wilson is the Creative Lead at Build Create and will be presenting “If I Knew Then What I Know Now” at 10:15am on Saturday, October 15 in the West Conference Room.

Why do use WordPress?

Easy to work with, easy to develop for, easy to customize, easy for the end-user to use. WordPress provides me with a highly functional and extensible canvas upon which to build whatever my clients need! And of course the community is beyond amazing!

When and how did you start using WordPress?

I started using WordPress in 2006 for a personal site. I wanted a blog with a portfolio, and I knew I had to figure this whole PHP CMS thing.

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

If you intend to ever develop as a professional in any role within the WordPress system you need to go. It is the cheapest and easiest way to cram a ton of knowledge and wisdom into your brain. You will always leave inspired and informed! It’s a no brainer 🙂

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

One of my favorite WordCamp stories is from a security talk where the presenter showed us step by step how easy it can be to access a site that isn’t locked down. Changed my perspective on security forever, I still mention this talk…about any time I ever talk to anyone because it seriously changed my life.

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

What we’ve been doing and more lately is transferring people’s business processes into a WordPress powered workflow. That kind of custom development is so exciting because not only is it a challenge, it also has a ton of ROI for the client. This can mean complex event management, dispatch management, fundraising, all sorts of processes that of times have many moving parts that reduce the efficiency of the operation.

What is your favorite part of WordCamps?

My favorite part of WordCamp is giving a talk and seeing the different reactions from people.  Sage nods from the veterans, blank stares from neophytes, and eagerly raised hands from people who are right in the thick of it. And it changes every year!

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

Write your code the WordPress Way. Keep it simple, don’t go overboard and wind up with some crazy obfuscated spaghetti nest of code in the interest of writing high brow abstractions.

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

By night I am a struggling singer songwriter.

Name someone in the WordPress community that inspires you.

Gosh I have a few, and I can’t name just one!

Michelle Schulp is a great designer, talks about design exactly how I would, and is one of the best conference organizers the world has ever seen.

Tom McFarlin consistently writes posts that I learn from, I can’t say that about many people.

Pippin. Because Pippin, duh. We all want to be him when we grow up.

And of course Ross & Kyle because we are all in the Michigan WordPress trenches and are among the few people whose work I actually respect. They keep me on my toes!

What has been your biggest WordPress related accomplishment to date?

I made a theme, custom WordPress admin skin, and content builder package thing that has really helped accelerate pushing out beautiful responsive content. I love it every time I use it 🙂

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

WordCamp helps me keep a finger on the pulse of the WordPress community and how it’s growing and evolving. It’s the benchmark I use to make sure I’m not burying my head in the sand over here 🙂

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

Struggle with feeling confident in your work and your business.

What should someone learn before attending your talk at WordCamp Ann Arbor?

You’ll get the most out of it if you run a business, but anyone who has to deal with clients should already have all the experience they need to share in the laughter and tears.

What is your favorite WordPress related resource?

THE CODEX!

Where can we find you online?

• buildcreate.com
• @buildcreate
• facebook.com/buildcreate
• @wilsonography

Rebecca is founder and president of Web Savvy Marketing. She has as a well-rounded business background within SMB and enterprise organizations, as well as over fifteen years of experience in sales and online marketing. She provides one-on-one SEO coaching, teaches group on-site boot camps, and is an SEO instructor at diyseocourses.com and seobootcamp.com.

Rebecca is running our WordCamp Warm-up as well as presenting WordPress, SEO, and you at 10:15am on Saturday in the Amphitheatre.

Why do use WordPress?

I love the great ease of use that is combined with the expansion options for functionality. WordPress scales from bloggers who write about their dogs to enterprise level websites that support Fortune 500 businesses.

When and how did you start using WordPress?

My first encounter with WordPress was in 2008 when it was a blogging add-on for our corporate Joomla website. I quickly fell in love with it and saw the value it offered to bloggers and small businesses. It wasn’t until years later than I realized it was so much more and could manage complex websites.

Now I use WordPress as a foundation for our agency, as a LMS for my online courses, and as an e-commerce portal for our theme store. I cannot imagine marketing on the internet without it.

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

WordCamp is an opportunity to expand your WordPress knowledge, but more importantly, it offers a chance to meet like-minded people. My closest friends are now WordPress users and I’ve met them all at WordCamps.

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

I know the WordPress community is filled with a lot of introverted people. I also know that while many of us love and embrace WordCamps, there is a large group of folks that are fearful of attending their first camp.

I understand the idea of heading to a WordCamp can be overwhelming. Heck I felt that way the first time I ventured to a cross-country camp myself. But I pushed ahead and I went and I was so thankful I did.

And over the last year or so, I had forgotten that such events can be incredibly scary. But I was reminded of it recently at WordCamp US.

There I was standing in the hall and someone I know from Twitter came up to me. He said he was so happy to meet me in person and that he felt as though he was meeting a rock star. While I laughed at the statement, it really touched my heart. We talked then and again a few more times throughout the event.

Then this sweet person confessed that WordCamps are really hard for him. That he feels “socially awkward” and that attending an event was emotionally difficult and very draining. His raw honesty was heartwarming.

The interesting thing was this gentleman was doing just fine. I had watched him communicate with me and other WordCampers. He put himself out there and I think he was rewarded for it.

I was happy we finally met in person and I hope he felt the same.

If you’ve considered going to a WordPress event and have hesitated, I ask you to reconsider.

Your friends are sitting in a chair at a WordCamp listening to someone talk about code, design, or community. They are waiting for your arrival and would be thrilled to have you say hello.

What is your favorite part of WordCamps?

Meeting new friends and reconnecting with existing friends. Each and every WordCamp inspires me and energizes me.

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

Meet other WordPress attendees. You will be surprised at how much easier it is to grow the business when you have friends around you. We want to help you grow and we will do everything we can to help.

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

I’m a room reader and I like to ask people a lot of questions. I do so because I’m interested in the person and what is inside. It also helps compensate for my inability to remember names and tie them to faces.

Name someone in the WordPress community that inspires you.

Hands down Cory Miller. He is a close friend that truly wants to lift others up and help them excel.

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

“have questions about SEO”

I’m happy to help!

What is your favorite WordPress related resource?

WP 101 videos. We load them on every custom WordPress website we build.

Where can we find you online?

• RebeccaGill.com
• diySEOcourses.com
• SEObootcamp.com
• Web-Savvy-Marketing.com