Boiling Pot Media Sponsor Interview

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Boiling Pot MediaDescribe your company in one sentence?
Boiling Pot Media is an origin for tailored brand, message and web solutions.

Why did you choose to sponsor WordCamp Ann Arbor?
WordPress has given a lot to Boiling Pot Media. Since WordPress is open source, we could begin a relationship with the software and the WordPress community. Since WordPress is intuitive, we could build systems that we, and our clients, can use. Sponsoring WordCamp Ann Arbor appealed to us because it presents an opportunity to help grow the community that has been so helpful to us.

What is your favorite WordPress-related resource?
This question feels almost impossible to answer! WordPress has so many tools, extensions, and resources available that are all so desirable, and so necessary each for it’s own purpose. It’s like asking a builder to choose one tool from their belt and explain why it’s the best. Here’s how we’ll answer: We rely heavily on, and relish reading from Codex, and WordPress-related discussions on StackOverflow.

What kind of people do you like to meet at WordCamp?
We’re eager to meet and connect with a wide swath of folks who represent the diversity of web developers.

What do you find inspiring about the WordPress community?
The generosity and nonjudgement of the WordPress community inspires us. We’ve rarely, if ever, seen WordPress developers unduly withholding or disparaging others. We appreciate how, in this community, beginners and experts show mutual respect and foster knowledge and best practices among each other in a kind and productive manner.

What would you tell someone to convince them to attend a WordCamp?
We would advise: “It will change your life – phenomenally – for the better. You will have, or will feel like you have superpowers after attending WordCamp. You may emerge with a new surname that reflects your brilliant, honed identity – like ‘Code Shot’, ‘WP Poet’ or simply ‘Maestro’ … ” because, we enjoy very dry humor. Really, though, we’re sure everyone would enjoy WordCamp, and are confident that they will take home knowledge and relationships that will be valuable for many years to come.

Tell us something awesome about your company that is not WordPress related?
Kalamazoo (our city) is an indigenous word (from Native American Algonquian) that means Boiling Pot. It referred to some of the Kalamazoo River rapids. Besides having exciting imagery, we chose Boiling Pot Media for our name to remember that there were people and landscapes that came before us.

Where can WCA2 attendees follow your company online?
Boilingpotmedia.com
Facebook.com/boilingpotmedia
Github.com/JRyven

Thomas Stirling, The Worlds Most Interesting Man?

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Thomas Stirling is an interesting man. If you do any client services you need to attend his talk and meet him afterward. His knowledge and insights will help change the way you approach the web design process.

What drives you to speak at WordCamps?

WordPress has such a wonderful community of people behind it and I feel honored to be a part of that. My talks focus on process and passion, exploring things I have learned running a creative agency that is growing. I like sharing some of the things we have tried and have helped other people like me who are starting out. There is nothing more satisfying than helping someone else out.

What is your session about?

In this talk, I share how to improve the quality of the websites you build by simply changing your approach to the design process. The outcome is a stronger relationship with your client, a repeatable method for continued website improvements, and an outstanding experience for both the client and its users.

What would you like to see change about the WordPress platform in the next 5-10 years?

I look forward to seeing how people leverage WordPress for its REST API as it continues to be used more an application framework. Anything we can do to empower users to do more with less expertise is a good thing because it exposes more people to the underlying technology out there. Beyond that, as more of a wishlist – I am excited to see how WordPress evolves to meet the needs of its users as we move into the VR and IR web experiences of tomorrow.

Who do you think is under represented in the WordPress community?

I think the community could benefit from two things, a more comprehensive job board and some mentorship programs. I think some of this exists in some of the larger cities in the form of meetup groups, but a centralized place.

What was the most challenging WordPress project you’ve worked on?

Working with local Governments has posed new challenges. We are doing some creative stuff with WordPress multi-site, along with advanced modules and custom pages for departments.

What’s a problem you recently solved creatively using WordPress?

Transitioning larger institutions with thousands of pages into WP can be challenging. We are doing a lot with custom post types for categorizing, displaying and filtering data across a wide array of use cases with the goal of making it easier to update and edit these larger sites.

Where can people find more about you?

I am pretty easy to find, add me on social and ask away if you can’t find an answer to the question you are looking for. There is a lot of good content about me and my team on our website at stboston.com. My social media presence is pretty tame, but there is some good content on Facebook and Instagram.

The Infamous Kevin Lane Skarritt

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You never forget a Kevin Skarritt presentation. He’s smart, funny and engaging and his talks always both teach and entertain. Let’s get to know him a little better.

What drives you to speak at WordCamps?

Making connections and meeting new peeps.

What is your session about?

Going “Social” with “Word Press” ….. Exploring the possibilities of managing, enhancing and integrating your social media activities into your WordPress site.

What would you like to see change about the WordPress platform in the next 5-10 years?

More flexibility

Who do you think is under represented in the WordPress community?

The UI/UX Industry. There are several groups here in Michigan (IXPA, MiUPA, MichiCHI, various MeetUps, etc.) but I rarely encounter them at Word Camps.

What was the most challenging WordPress project you’ve worked on?

A site with a complex CPT where the client had poor communication skills. Bad combo.

What’s a problem you recently solved creatively using WordPress?

Boosting SEO in a site by creating a robust Project Gallery CPT.

Where can people find more about you?

http://linkedin.com/in/skarritt

Nexcess Sponsor Interview

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NexcessDescribe your company in one sentence?
Managed web hosting with a fully trained support team ready to help you 24 hours day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Why did you choose to sponsor WordCamp Ann Arbor?
The short answer is that we’re always looking for ways to get better. The landscape changes quickly, so we also value this event as a way to maintain our support team’s expertise. Staying knowledgeable about current events and breaking trends in the community also helps us continue to deliver innovative products that make our clients’ lives easier.

What is your favorite WordPress-related resource?
I have to say I’m biased, but blog.nexcess.nethas provides a wealth of information, not only on WordPress but also on WooCommerce. Second to that, I spend a lot of time at https://winningwp.com. Run by WordPress enthusiast Brin Wilson, it’s pretty much the equivalent of the Library of Congress for WordPress.

What kind of people do you like to meet at WordCamp?
You! We want to meet you: the creators, the bloggers, the designers, and the developers. You are the foundation behind one of the biggest open source communities, and everything you do pushes the Internet into new territory!

What do you find inspiring about the WordPress community?
The community’s hunger to find solutions to every problem, no matter the size or scope. Also, the possibilities that come from simple discussions in the community that tease what’s coming next!

What would you tell someone to convince them to attend a WordCamp?
This is a place to learn from like-minded people who accomplish great things using tools available to everyone in the community.

Tell us something awesome about your company that is not WordPress related?
In 2001, we were a single rack of server in CEO Chris Wells’s garage, and he was hosting family and a few brave friends. Today, we design and build our own data centers, have a global presence, and host over 40,000 eCommerce sites

Where can WCA2 attendees follow your company online?
Either visit our blog at blog.nexcess .net, or head to our website at www.nexcess.net.

If you’re more of a social media person, we’re also active on Facebook (www.facebook.com/nexcess/) and Twitter (twitter.com/nexcess).

LiquidWeb Sponsor Interview

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liquidweb logoDescribe your company in one sentence?
Liquid Web is a $100 million dollar hosting company focused on providing the best managed hosting experience to web professionals, site and store owners that are running mission critical sites by offering an array of managed hosting options, including managed WordPress, and by being the most helpful humans in hosting.

Why did you choose to sponsor WordCamp Ann Arbor?
We choose to sponsor WordCamp Ann Arbor as a way to continue providing our local community with a great group of speakers that represent both local and national WordPress talent.

What is your favorite WordPress-related resource?
For beginners that are just getting started with WordPress we recommend checking out WP101 and WPBeginner. Both are excellent resources that help beginners get started with WordPress.

What kind of people do you like to meet at WordCamp?
We like to meet everyone!

What do you find inspiring about the WordPress community?
No other community has such a desire to learn than the WordPress community. We have representatives that participate in other communities and when we discuss internally the differences of our communities, it always comes back to the WordPress community’s desire to learn. Nearly everyone we meet is looking to learn something new, whether it’s a developer that wants to have time to interact with the REST API or a beginner that is looking for the best place to get a theme. We’re always willing and excited to hear the stories of successes from the community.

What would you tell someone to convince them to attend a WordCamp?
You will never find a conference, individual, or resource that is a bigger bang for your dollars than a WordCamp. At a WordCamp there is something for everyone, and it’s not just all about the sessions. Yes, you will learn something in any session you attend as WordCamp Ann Arbor has a terrific lineup of speakers. But you will also get to learn from other attendees that are walking the halls.

Tell us something awesome about your company that is not WordPress related?
Liquid Web does a lot more than just WordPress. If you are looking for domain registration, hosted email, or hosting for sites other than built with WordPress, Liquid Web can handle all of your hosting needs without needing to use multiple providers depending on what your site is built with.

Where can WCA2 attendees follow your company online?
You can find Liquid Web at www.liquidweb.com

The Multi Talented Rebecca Gill

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You can find Rebecca speaking at conferences all around the U.S. and she has been speaking at WordCamp Ann Arbor since our first year. She’s an expert in SEO, WordPress, user experience and marketing. Let’s learn more about her!

What drives you to speak at WordCamps?

I speak at WordCamps for two main reasons. First, I like to give back to the community and speaking is a great way to accomplish this task. Second, I’m a firm believer in the power of SEO and that anyone can perform quality SEO if they have the right education and desire. I speak about SEO at conferences so I can get people excited about SEO, let them see the possibilities SEO offers, and show them how to take the steps necessary to learn and execute quality SEO.

What is your session about?

In my session we’ll be exploring three core SEO tactics for creating search engine friendly websites and blogs. We’ll deep dive into setting up content silos, the pros and cons of content depth, and super powers found in internal links.

What would you like to see change about the WordPress platform in the next 5-10 years?

I would love to the active WordPress community to better reach those who are not active. The majority of WordPress users are unaware of the robust community, the willingness to help, and the amazing conferences that are available.

Who do you think is under represented in the WordPress community?

End users because they simply don’t know enough about what is happening in WordPress and how they can get involved.

What was the most challenging WordPress project you’ve worked on?

A large project that integrated WordPress, LearnDash, WooCommerce, and an outside forum into one learning platform. It involved a number of companies working together to produce a solution set for the client.

Where can people find more about you?

https://www.rebeccagill.com

Surelutions Sponsor Interview

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Surelutions

Describe your company in one sentence?
Surelutions offers WordPress web design, consulting, and ongoing management for locally owned small business and nonprofits.

Why did you choose to sponsor WordCamp Ann Arbor?
WordCamp Ann Arbor is great! It’s big enough to bring in WordPress gurus from around the country, but small enough to feel personable and welcoming to newbies. I’m only slightly biased, having lived and worked in the Ann Arbor area for a very (very!) long time :).

What is your favorite WordPress-related resource?
Tools-wise, I’m a big fan of iThemes suite of plugins – BackupBuddy, iThemes Sync, and iThemes Security. They are the first plugins I add to every new website build. WordPress business-wise, I can’t say enough good things about the training, resources, and members at WP Elevation. WordPress people in general tend to be a good lot, but the folks at WP Elevation take it to a whole ‘nuther level of awesomeness.

What kind of people do you like to meet at WordCamp?
I love to meet people who I can help. It’s nice to give back after learning so much from others at WordCamps over the years.

What do you find inspiring about the WordPress community?
The generosity of knowledge and willingness to help other people — strangers, for the most part! — is pervasive. I’m really proud to be part of such a giving community of people.

What would you tell someone to convince them to attend a WordCamp?
WordCamp is so affordable and such a huge value, that if you use WordPress, it’s crazy NOT to go. Whether you think you know nothing, or think you know everything, you’ll find something to learn, or a new person to meet, or an interesting new technique or tool to try out.

Tell us something awesome about your company that is not WordPress related?
Surelutions was the first business of its kind to win “Small Business Leadership Award” from the Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce.

Where can WCA2 attendees follow your company online?
surelutions.com
fb.com/surelutions
twitter.com/@surelutions

Ian Wilson – Designer, Developer, Dancer

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Ian Wilson is an incredibly talented designer, developer and break dancer. How do those skills relate? Trust me they do. I never miss a chance to see Ian talk, he delivers brilliant insights with the perfect about of wit. You should also listen to his podcast. Let’s learn more about him.

What drives you to speak at WordCamps?

The look on peoples’ faces as they agree, disagree, or maybe start to see things in a new light, and that is a magical thing. Getting feedback, as well as simply gaining more experience as a speaker is incredibly valuable and insightful.

What would you like to see change about the WordPress platform in the next 5-10 years?

I would love to see the core become more opinionated, more honed and carefully curated— efficient and lightweight. Continue to be a rock solid foundation and let the development economy thrive in providing different flavors of platform extension- eCommerce, eLearning, visual website builders, etc.

Who do you think is under represented in the WordPress community?

I can’t say that anything jumps to mind, the WordPress community in my experience has been inclusive and diverse.

What was the most challenging WordPress project you’ve worked on?

Easily answered! Managing a transition of over 70k SKU’s from different vendors into WooCommerce. The post_meta table hit over 2.3 million rows. Let me tell you, importing that many products on a weekly basis for managing inventory, remapping fields to better organize products, removing discontinued products, etc is pure insanity. It’s easily the most challenging project I’ve worked on and there are still product attributes that must be managed by hand.

Where can people find more about you?

buildcreate.com/about or on Twitter @wilsonography. Some day I’ll actually have a personal site…

Know the Code Sponsor Interview

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know the code logoDescribe your company in one sentence?
Know the Code empowers WordPress Developers to grow, innovate, and prosper by teaching the professional web development.

Why did you choose to sponsor WordCamp Ann Arbor?
I want to support WordCamps that are near where I live.

What is your favorite WordPress-related resource?
I read and refer to many different resources including Torque, WP Tavern, Post Status, Codex, and the source code.

What kind of people do you like to meet at WordCamp?
I really enjoy meeting the “makers”, those who design, build, and maintain the online experiences.

What do you find inspiring about the WordPress community?
I’m inspired by (1) the community’s generosity and (2) the entry point that makes it easy for anyone of any skill level to contribute.

What would you tell someone to convince them to attend a WordCamp?
Do it. Typically, we work and communicate in a virtual space. A WordCamp is your opportunity to get out and meet others in the community. It’s casual, non-intimidating, and fun. It’s also your opportunity to learn and grow in all aspects of how to use, promote, distribute, design, and develop websites. If you are so inclined, you can share your story, insights, or experiences to help others in the community.

Tell us something awesome about your company that is not WordPress related?
Beyond WordPress, you’ll find me in other web development communities and educational spaces contributing where I can help aspiring and professional developers be more awesome.

Where can WCA2 attendees follow your company online?
 Come learn something new at:
Website: knowthecode.io
Twitter: @KnowTheCodePro
Facebook: @KnowTheCodePro

Christie Chirinos an expert on web forms

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Christie knows a thing or two about web forms, just ask her about what Caldera Forms is doing these days! Let’s get to know her better.

What drives you to speak at WordCamps?

Community participation.

What is your session about?

Contact forms of great victory.

Who do you think is under represented in the WordPress community?

Young women

What was the most challenging WordPress project you’ve worked on?

Growing Caldera Forms!

What’s a problem you recently solved creatively using WordPress?

Voterunlead.org was a nonprofit I worked with and we implemented a creative solution with WordPress for them to be flexible in the political environment in the US

Where can people find more about you?

Calderalabs.org/team