I've been back from a trip to San Diego for a mastermind and conference and am just now feeling 'recovered'. Anyone who has attended a conference for a few days knows exactly what I'm talking about (and in this case was at the end of the week and I didn't stay for all of it).  You're motivated and inspired to go, suck up all the information and inspiration you can and come back and kick ass and take names. Then of course by the end of the first day your brain is on overload, spinning with ideas and all kinds of ways you're going to 'take things to the next level'. I know you know what I'm talking about. The mastermind was only 2 days (one day of Baja ATV racing in Mexico, which was amazing) followed by a full day of mastermind (mastermind-ing? is that a word?). The ATV racing was a blast (although I don't need to do that again) but was a LONG day (we sat in traffic for 2 1/2 hrs. crawling to the border), then had a quick shower and a dinner out with everyone. Our mastermind was the next day from 9 - 7 and was amazing. And exhausting. But brilliant. I had one day in between the mastermind & conference and had more or less made up my mind on my 'free' day that I was going to skip the conference entirerly. Partly because I was a little fried (I drove down to San Diego on Sunday..  7-8 hr. drive), but really because I simply did not need MORE information! I gained SO much from the mastermind and I knew exactly what I needed to do and implement. More information would just have overwhelmed me (and frustrated me to be honest with you). Of course I woke up on Thursday morning with a slight change of heart (very slight) and went to the conference for the keynotes on Thursday. And I'm glad I did. The information I got from the 3 keynotes was completely in alignment with what I did at the mastermind earlier in the week and that was enough. My brain was on overload, I was emotionally tired and I just wanted a few days to myself. Aah the wisdom that comes with age. I actually think I might take a 4 day sabbatical every month, where I'm not available online to anyone and just checkout, or I could start with taking Fridays off. hmm... Why a Blog Isn't A Business There is a LOT of noise online and I'm the first to say that sometimes it can be hard to filter. But the key, and I'm SO not kidding here, is to find your own voice and trust your gut! Which I really just started doing this past year, but it has paid off in ways both measurable and immeasurable. One of the things that people seem to have a HUGE aversion to is List Building. They don't want to use pop-ups (I asked people on FB and pretty much EVERYONE agreed that they hate them, but they work. So someone is opt-ing in through them, right?). What people do is put this little opt-in box off to the side in their sidebar hoping people will subscribe for their 'newsletter', or e-zine as they were called (can we just retire that phrase already?). Hear my heart on this (thank you @AllegraSinclair for that saying... brilliant), you DON'T have to use pop-ups, but you DO need to put your opt-in in front of people and in a way that motivates them to opt-in. Here's a question for you... How many 'newsletters' do you sign up for? No opt-in offer, no value provided, just "hey, let's stay in touch?" Be honest. For me? Unless you're Brene' Brown or Dr. Wayne Dyer, then it's highly unlikely that I'm going to subscribe just for updates (updates on what exactly?) And no, you don't need to be a 'celebrity' but it is human nature to think "What's in it for me?" How many emails do you get in ONE day? Let's apply this idea to an 'offline' business, and in this case, because I spent the majority of my working life in retail (until I started my business 6 years ago), we'll use a retail store as an example. You open the doors, provide TONS of free stuff to your customers, don't ask for a way to stay in touch with them or communicate with th...

I'm going to let you in on a personal little secret of mine... something I've discovered about myself in the last 12 months. It's what tells me that I'm onto something really good and I should pursue it. Ready? It's when the idea or thing that I'm feeling inspired to do, create or pursue makes me feel like a kid on Christmas morning!!! That ridiculous, unfiltered, pure excitement that you just can't contain and feel like you're ready to bounce out of your own skin (if only we all had Tigger's skills...I would be a bouncin' fool!). The more 'work' I've done on myself the last few years the more I realized that in order to grow and move forward in my personal life and business life (although for me I don't know how much of a division there is) that I needed to allow myself to really FEEL what I was feeling. That meant that when something didn't go as I had hoped that it was o.k. to be disappointed. It was o.k. to say "that sucked" and to take some time for myself to get out of my head. When I allow myself to acknowledge this I usually move more quickly through whatever funk I'm in or feeling. Here's the kicker. The same is true when GOOD things happen! It's SOOOOO vitally important to celebrate the wins. Honestly and purely. And nothing feels quite as sweet as when I simply feel the joy and excitement about the wonderful things that show up in my life. Like a little kid on Christmas morning. Yep, that happy. Which brings me to my interview with the brilliant Victoria Prozan. I was introduced to Victoria via @andyghayes after I interviewed him for the podcast and he mentioned that he had hired someone to help him with the naming of another business/website of his. Andy sent an email introduction but of course as soon as our interview was over I went over to her site and was HOOKED instantly! I went through her bio, her testimonials, all of her site and followed up to the introduction from Andy immediately. As soon as I got off the phone with her (just a quick call to clarify a couple things) I signed up for her Superluxe Naming Experience right away (keep in mind I did that a few days before a trip to Scotland thinking I would do the homework on the plane ,which I didn't... ;-)  And just as an FYI, she's making some changes to what she offers and doesn't have the Superluxe Naming experience up on her site right now, but you can sign up for her 'Creative Ambrosia'). I absolutely LOVED the process that Victoria used for our session together too! It was such a testament to having an online business, doing what you love and working with the right people. Once I signed up for the Superluxe Naming Experience I was sent a PDF (35+ Pages), 6 audios and a shared Google doc where I needed to put the answers to my exercises (from the PDF & audios) and then we would have on 90 minute session where she would help me name what I wanted to name (which ended up being for the new brand & site, KimDoyal.com). OMG! SO FRIGGIN FUN!!!  The exercises were definitely work, but for anyone who has a creative bent it was more fun than anything else.  It was really more about giving myself permission to take the time for myself to do the exercises so I could start off the new site and brand exactly as I wanted- with absolute clarity & alignment. O.K., enough rambling on my part! Listen to the interview and be sure to check out Victoria Prozan... she's amazingly talented, super fun and just brilliant at what she does. Links from this episode Victoria Prozan

What an amazing year. Truly. I knew I was going to end the year with a year in review post and podcast, but when I really started thinking about this year it kind of took my breath away. Both in my business and personal life, although the personal changes are really internal and probably not something most people on the outside looking in would be aware of. I absolutely LOVE reading other people's year in review posts, hearing what worked and what DIDN'T work (not everyone is comfortable being that transparent, but for me it's the only way now) and seeing what plans (if any yet) they have in store for 2014. I've already started planning for 2014 and will hitting the road running in January (more on that in a minute) but it's unlike any other planning I've ever done. *On a side note: I have to tell you that when I was looking for an image for this post I wanted to find an image that not only showed what was in the rear view mirror (o.k., so it's a sideview mirror in this picture, but you get the point. It still shows what is 'behind') but the current location as well. As in the present moment (you thought I was going to say looking ahead, huh?). Because that's one thing that has shifted for me this year, in a BIG way. Really learning to be present. Focusing on the here and now, not what I should / could be doing, where I'm going OR expending energy on the past (when it doesn't serve me). It's honestly changed my life. Enough of that, let's get onto the Review I wish I could tell you that this was going to be a chronological review in terms of what occurred month by month, but that's just not how I roll (you probabaly knew that already, right?). I'll do my best to keep it somewhat organized and clear, just bear with me. My Business I launched the Podcast Without a doubt I can tell you that launching the podcast was the BEST thing I did for my business in 2013. And easily the most FUN (if youve never watched my Manifesto, then check it out here… one of my commitments to myself was that if its Not Fun Im Not Doing It. So the podcast blew me away on ALL fronts). I truly had no idea how much I would enjoy recording the podcast, writing the show notes and getting my message out to the world. The relationships that have come from the podcast via interviews and sharing of the podcast have not only opened doors for me but have simply enriched my life in ways I couldnt imagine. The importance of building relationships in business is something you hear over and over again but until you put some serious effort into it you cant quite imagine the impact it will have on things long term and how grateful youll be for the people that show up. In large part because of everything that has occurred through the podcast Ive decided Im going to launch another podcast with my new brand (KimDoyal.com, coming VERY soon) and teaching a podcasting course unlike anything else out there. More on that soon too. Podcasting is hardly new, but its still a GREAT time to get in and get started. To me its still a bit like the wild wild west and everyone has the opportunity to stake their claim. Coaching This is something I sort of fell into for lack of a better description, but its also taken things to a whole new level for me. Coaching is something I wanted to do but really wasnt sure how I wanted to do it, how I would offer it and what I would charge. Fortunately for me I didnt have to think too hard about this because someone emailed me asking if I did coaching?! Whaaaat? (See what happens when you start getting clear on what you want?) A subscriber of mine emailed me and asked if I did coaching so we set up a Skype call and talked about what she was looking for. Prior to our call she had sent me her site and some notes and I had an idea as to what I wanted to offer going into the call. The rest as they say is history.

Anyone who has been following me for any length of time knows that I love finding new tools, plugins, resources, software... whatever... to try and test out. If it can add value to my audience without creating a boat load more work for me, I'm all in. That's what Interact is all about. Easiest Quiz Builder Ever. Josh Haynam of Interact got in touch with me to let me know what they were up to and I instantly fell in love with the product! Because I focus on what makes WordPress easier for the everyday user I knew this would be something my audience needed. I say needed because I've had multiple clients who have wanted to create a quiz for their opt-in offer or use it as a lead generation tool to engage with their audience but the thought of using a form builder to do this seemed to stress them out a bit and just about every time they ended up changing their opt-in offer to something that was a downloadable product as opposed to an interactive quiz. Which is a bummer. Because a quiz gets your audience to engage. It's fun. It's a relationship builder. One of my favorite questions when I interview guests for the podcast is hearing their story of how they got to where they are and Josh, like many of my guests, got started with site design for clients. Working with clients, even if that's not your ultimate goal, is a great way to determine what your market needs. Which is how Interact came about. After receiving requests for a quiz feature, time and time again from their clients, they decided to develop their own solution to solve the problem. Nothing like a hands-on approach to real time market research, huh? I also asked Josh what makes Interact different from WordPress form builders (I know you were wondering that too). You'll have to listen to the interview to get his answer, but I think after you watch the video you'll come to your own conclusion. One of them anyways. Which is that it truly is the Easiest Quiz Builder! You can create your first quiz for free too (smart guys... once you give it a go you're going to be hooked!). While you're listening to the podcast, take my uber-ridiculous "What's Your WordPress Personality" quiz & let me know what you think! The video below the quiz will show you exactly how I created it and give you a look behind the scenes of creating a quiz with Interact. I'm going to be doing some more testing with Interact (using the integration with Facebook to test using a quiz for lead generation and engagement) and will let you know how that goes. Be sure to cruise over to Interact and build your first quiz! You can create your own quiz or use one of their built-in templates (fabulous feature!). Be sure to let them know if there are additional features that you'd like to see added to Interact, they're working hard to make this the ultimate quiz building tool and the more feedback they receive the easier it will be to determine which features their users want.   Powered by Interact In the video below I show you how EASY it is to create a quiz with Interact! Enjoy the podcast, quiz and video and be sure to send me a link to your quiz when you set it up. [leadplayer_vid id="52AF5D64D54CB"] Links from this episode Interact

I absolutely love the way this interview came about, so of course I have to share it with you before we get into the meat of the interview. You may or may not have noticed that I've been working on stepping up my engagement on social media this past year. I wish I could tell you I was stellar at it now or had a really structured and consistent way of showing up, but I'm not quite there yet. Getting better, so I'll leave it at that. I think I connected with Ray on Twitter because I followed him from one of those Twitter emails that suggests other followers for you. For the most part, I'll look at someone's Twitter bio then click through if it looks like a relevant connection and then visit their site before I follow them (I'm sure I followed way too many spammers before implementing this process). Needless to say when I went to Ray's site "The Podcaster's Studio" I was sold, and not just because he's using Genesis (because that would just be silly), but because it was clean, easy to navigate and most importantly, had a TON of great content and podcasting tips! Ray's background and how he ended up at The Podcaster's Studio is amazing (I think this might be one of my favorite parts of the interviews... hearing the story that brought people to where they are today). From an aspiring Disney employee to Law Enforcement to getting a Master's degree in Sociology... Ray's story is inspiring to say the least. One of his first podcasts was a podcast on "How to Pick Produce"... literally, it was called "Produce Picker Podcast" and it was on how to choose and buy produce. And if this isn't an example of how you can podcast about anything, I don't know what is. And that's not a dig at the Produce Picker Podcast, because Ray had some real life experience and market research that inspired him to create the "Produce Picker Podcast". Oh. And it also landed him on "Emeril" (as in Emeril Lagasse). Not too shabby, eh? We also talked about making money with podcasting (which I'm sure is something many people are curious about). One of my favorite quotes from Ray and this interview was: "If you're getting into podcasting for the money, try something else". Before you get discouraged, make sure you listen to all of this interview. Because you CAN make money with your podcast, it just may not be as direct and obvious as you think. The benefits of podcasting and what it does for your brand and business are not as easily measured as simple analytics or income. Eventually Ray ended up with his current job, which allows him to podcast full time, from home ( a dream job as he says). Of course there's a fantastic story behind how he got the job... it was a connection at a podcamp and a few interruptions on Ray's part that landed him his dream gig. Consulting too? Sometimes. And if he has the time. And that came from giving a talk and someone asking. Pretty simple, but another testament to finding something you love, sticking with it and letting it evolve organically. Getting started Podcasting I was THRILLED when Ray shared one of his favorite new mics (which is affordable for EVERYONE), why he likes it and where you can get it. I don't want to give away the entire interview in the post, because it's great and Ray has SO much knowledge and I know you'll enjoy listening. If you're even remotely interested in podcasting be sure to subscribe to Ray's site, connect with him on Twitter (as he says, he "loves the twitter") and subscribe to his podcasts in iTunes. Links from this episode The Podcaster's Studio (website) Ray's Gear Page (where he shares the mic he mentioned in the show) Ray on Twitter Produce Picker Podcast The Podcasters Studio (podcast) Podcast Quick Tips (podcast) Podcasters Round Table (podcast)

Where the bucket has 2013 gone?! Seriously. I swear I say that every year..."where has the year gone"... and this year is no different. It felt like it was just 90 degrees yesterday and I was hanging out by the pool (o.k., so it was 90 degrees a month ago maybe, but still). For whatever reason I have had the hardest time getting back into the swing of things since our trip to Scotland (we've been home over a month now and I keep thinking I'm just going to wake up with a "ta-da" feeling... but no. Not happenin). I didn't completely put business on hold while I was gone but I feel like I've been in catch up mode for a while. The truth is my business is simply growing. So naturally it makes sense to start something new, right? (just the way I roll... what can I say?) Which is where my 'Secret Project' comes in. Based on the image in this post - it's probably not much of a secret, is it? I'm officially launching KimDoyal.com. You may (or may not) have read the post back in February of this year when I contemplated moving away from The WordPress Chick. I had an experience with someone I referred to as a 'fizzy douche' because, well... because he was. You can read the post here to find out why said individual earned this 'oh so lovely' title (it was definitely earned). It was more than just this one incident that made me consider giving up "The WordPress Chick". Long and short of it, I was tired. I had created a perception of how things needed to be on this site and was worried that if I changed things up at all I'd lose a bunch of readers and subscribers. Of course as life tends to teach me over and over again, my perceptions aren't always reality. I received lots of love and "NO! Don't leave The WordPress Chick!", which made me feel wonderful, truly. But I still knew I needed to mix things up a bit. With the launch of my podcast and the content that as gone along with it you can probably tell I've been sharing a lot more than just WordPress news or Genesis news. There are so many other parts to my business that I enjoy that I knew I needed to branch out and bring more into this site and what I do. I've been bringing in more of my personal journey (as it relates to my business) and have to say that the response has been overwhelmingly positive. But... Something was still missing. Time for a new platform. Enter KimDoyal.com. There are a lot of reasons behind the launch of this site, one of which is something I've started this year, almost accidentally (accidentally in that someone emailed me to ask if this was a service I provided). And that is coaching. Something that I absolutely LOVE! I've done some tests running coaching off of this site and will probably do more of it in the first of the year, but the choice to run coaching and different products and services through KimDoyal.com is because it's much less restrictive. There won't be an expectation that everything I do on that site be tied to WordPress (even though in some round about way it may be... you just never know). I am SOOOO TOTALLY Excited about this. I feel like a little kid on Christmas morning. You'll see more of my quirky sense of humor, no-nonsense approach and desire to live life on my terms on KimDoyal.com. And of course that means another podcast (have I told you how much I love podcasting?). While I finish up the branding elements and site design you can sign up to get notified when the site launches and my official 'Launch Party' (not exactly sure what that will look like, but it will be fun!). A New Plugin Nothing beats creating something because you need it, huh? That's where my ideas come from when it comes to plugins (the whole 'few' I've had created). I've been doing a lot of digging into e-Commerce and WordPress and what the best options are based on the customer experience and what is being sold. I went into more detail in my post titles 'Selling With Genesis',

So here's the follow up to my little mention in last weeks episode about accountability. My interview with Wes Ward, my new accountability partner and uber brilliant (and fun) branding sensei (yes, I actually just used the word 'Sensei'... I think it was a subconscious move considering we talked about The Karate Kid and Mr. Miagi in this interview. Literally. I swear it makes sense though). First, before I share a bit about this interview, I should tell you right off the bat that I'm intentionally not going to share some of the "meat" of the interview in the post / show notes. And I promise it's not to 'make you listen' to the show, but there is no way I could do it justice. Especially since throughout most of the interview I feel like a little kid, giddy with excitement about having my mind blown over communicating value (trust me, it's so much MORE than that though). Literally. The Mind Blowing Part Having been online for almost 6 years full time now (that kinda trips me out to say that!) I'd like to think I've seen my fair share of methodologies when it comes to marketing, creating content, branding, etc. Of course my 'fair share' is relative to the space I'm in, the sites I visit and who I'm connected to or subscribe to. Which is why it's SO ridiculously important that you step outside of your comfort zone and connect with other people. Be OPEN. Which is what I have become over the last year and a half when I realized certain things just didn't "feel" right. I couldn't quite put my finger on the disconnect other than I knew I needed to start trusting myself, showing up as myself and completely detaching from the opinions of other people (good or bad). To say the results have been amazing would honestly be an understatement. But that's not what this interview and post is about. I connected with Wes in a Facebook Mastermind I'm in (and yes, I promise I'll share more of this journey with you too) and neither of us could attend the live in person mastermind in Palm Beach in October. At the live mastermind the people who were there set up accountability partners with other members of the group, so when I was on the first call the week after I put something in the chat asking if anyone was looking for an accountability partner. Which is when Wes popped up and said yes, dropped his email in and we chatted on skype later that day (Wes is in Melbourne, Australia... gotta love skype!). Oh. My. God. At one point towards the middle of our call I had to stand up and walk around because I was so excited and couldn't sit still, literally. And at this point in my life I'm pretty chill, so this doesn't happen often (note to self: find more things that get you so excited you have to get out of your chair!). You'll hear about Wes' background and what he's doing now that has completely made me look at branding and storytelling in a different way (it's much better and MUCH more fun!). I've started working through Wes' training, Publish and Grow, over the last couple of weeks and will be sharing some BIG changes to my business, a new brand (don't worry, The WordPress Chick isn't going anywhere) and some updates on this process. I know personally that for a LONG time I avoided doing this type of "work" because quite honestly it didn't feel like "work". You know what I'm talking about right? That old way of thinking about "work" and what it should look like (I still battle this one from time to time but it's easing up). Let me give you a couple insights into the interview that might shed some clarity on what I'm referring to when I say doing this type of "work": Value proposition Story behind the brand What are the results you deliver What is the value you provide to your clients & customers THAT'S what I'm talking about. The stuff that requires you to close your email, get creative, do some soul searching and get CLEAR on the things that will build your brand and business for the long...

Have you ever noticed how the "obvious" things aren't always as obvious as we think they should be? That tends to happen to me more often than I realized I until I started thinking about today's podcast and show notes. It's really more of an awareness than a 'DUH!' moment I suppose, but it truly hit me like a ton of bricks so I thought I'd go with the DUH! moment. It's kind of like what happens when you buy a new car... all of the sudden you see that car EVERYWHERE! Like everyone went out and bought the same car as soon as you did (if only we were all trend setters). So let's start with my 'DUH!' Moment. And I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume I'm not the only one who has had this realization. A friend of mine recommended a book to me (think I mentioned this previously) called 'The Slight Edge.' The Slight Edge is about doing the little things, day after day that add up and make a significant difference over time - in your personal life, career, whatever. The content doesn't really matter, it applies across the board. Then I finally decided to read Steven Pressfield's "The War of Art", which I'd heard about on plenty of occasions but finally bit the bullet after seeing him interviewed on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday (this is part of my Sunday ritual... coffee, the newspaper and Super Soul Sunday). One of my favorite lines (and I'm paraphrasing here) was about getting our "hearts where are ass's need to be." In other words, get out of your head and get to work. Novel idea, huh? In my post "Do You Ever Wonder?" I asked people if they ever wondered what differentiates those who succeed from those who don't, when both people appear to have the same knowledge and skills? Needless to say I got an answer (not from anyone specific, but simply from what showed up in my life). It's actually REALLY REALLY simple. And obvious. Ready? Show up. Do the work. Every. Single. Day. Then I started thinking about my business, the past 5 1/2 years and where I am today. Could I be further along? Sure, but I don't think I would have been ready for the things that are happening in my business today a few years ago. In fact, I know it. But what I DID realize is that I have done the work. I've shown up, I've stuck with it and now have a business and a brand that not only supports my family but is growing exponentially. And when I say exponentially I'm not only referring to income. I'm talking about connections, relationships, projects... all of it. And I can see where I have plenty of "work" to do in terms of the work I'm doing and how I spend my time. Do I work everyday? Yes, unless I'm sick or really truly need a day to myself. But, and here's the rub, can I be more effective with how I work and what I'm working on? Am I doing things strategically? (As well as organically, which I know sounds a bit confusing, but there is a certain level of 'flow' that I need to allow too.) Does my day have definitive direction as opposed to just a to-do list? You get the picture. The "shiny object syndrome" keeps us from doing the work. People who get caught up in the latest, greatest training or "thing" that they think will be the "answer" to their business growth get stuck here because it's easier to purchase something than it is to sit your ass in your chair and start writing. Creating. Whatever it is for you. What I've realized for me is that once I start writing and let myself just go with it everything flows. Which brings me to my next point for today's show. The Reality of Accountability. I could probably sum this up with one sentence. Truly. But that would be boring, plus, I'm SO friggin excited about my new accountability partner that this may get more wordy than I've anticipated. The ONE thing that is without a doubt the main factor in whether or not accountability will work for you is the person you choose to be accountable with. I've tried setting up accountability with a han...

One of the things I love MOST about what I do is that you never know when one thing is going to lead to something else and what that something else might be! That was the case with my interview with Andy Hayes. I was introduced to Andy Hayes from Jonathan Perez over at Sure Fire Web Services when I interviewed him for the podcast. He said Andy was very instrumental in giving him direction for his website and business (you can listen to my interview with Jonathan here), so of course I asked for an introduction. :-) The title of this post and episode was taken directly from one of Andy's clients, which of course was one of the things I asked him about during our interview (how could I not, right? When someone refers to another person as "The Quentin Tarantino" of anything, you gotta ask! You'll have to listen to the show to hear the story). Why I was SO interested in talking to Andy. Over the past several months I've been digging into the other side of my business (for lack of a better description). The how and why of everything I do, not from the personal heart-centered perspective, but from a strategic business perspective (novel idea, eh?). I realized with the changes I made in my business that not only was it time to take a  look at this but I was ready to take a look at it... and more importantly, do something about it. To give you an idea of what I'm talking about, let's start with a question. I've asked this question to the last 4 people I've done strategy sessions with (more about that in another episode) and they all had the same answer (and because I have to qualify everything, this isn't a dig at their answers. I would have given the same answer even a year ago). What do you want people to do when they come to your site for the first time? Their answer? "I don't know". Bom bom bom... My answer? I want them to opt-in. I want to build a relationship with them and that starts with getting them on my mailing list so I can communicate regularly with them. That question though is just the beginning. There's SO much more to the 'user experience' (never in a million years thought I'd be using that terminology) than what you someone to do when visiting your site. This topic has completely opened my eyes to the way I do things (still a work in progress of course and assume I will be for a long time). The content I create, the direction I'm taking my business, how I layout my post, pages and sidebars and what I want to offer in the future. Yea, I know. It's a lot. Of course my interview with Andy also led to another introduction I requested from him and have already hired the person he introduced me to! BUT... you'll have to wait a couple weeks for more details on that (I'm still in the beginning phase of this project). Andy's background is pretty extensive with technology and the user experience (he moved to Scotland for one company), but it was his training and teaching that I was interested in. He does workshops (in person and online) on topics such as: Website Critiques How to Build a "Top Shelf" Content Marketing Strategy and Think Like Your Client I told Andy right away that I was interested in doing a class for my audience where he does the Website Critiques! In the interview he explains what he does, some common issues he tends to see as well as a few easy fixes. You can register for the Website Critique Teleclass here (Tuesday, October 22nd from 5 - 6:30pm PST). Oh, and you'll also hear about Andy's book, "Create a Website That Converts", which you'll get a free PDF copy of when you register for the class (I read the Kindle version and it's great). I had a great time talking with Andy and am REALLY looking forward to the class! You can also submit your website for one of the critiques during the class! And don't worry, Andy's a great guy and will be kind. Direct, but kind. And you'll walk away knowing exactly what you can do to have your own Website That Converts!...

You know you're on the right path when someone reaches out to you to encourage what you're doing... even when it's something you've just started and you don't even know them. That was my first interaction with Marcus Couch. Not too shabby, huh? Marcus is one of those natural 'Go Givers' (book by Bob Burg) and an amazing community builder (I almost used the word connector as opposed to community builder but he really does so much more than connect people).  After one of my first podcasts had aired I received a tweet from Marcus saying he liked the show & to keep  it up (I swear I took a screenshot of the tweet but for the life of me I can't find it. :-( Note to self: keep better track of this stuff!)). Marcus has had a pretty amazing career and his journey to WordPress is a little different than some of my previous guests (of course everyone's journey is interesting... it's one of my favorite elements to the interviews) in that it was due to having a podcast in 2004 that he found WordPress! I know I didn't even know what a podcast was in 2004. Just sayin. :-)His background was in graphics and technology, which then led him to music and doing artwork for album covers (I asked him if there were any bands he worked with that we would know... and due to having grown up in suburbia and being a high school student in the late 80's you can probably guess my knowledge of rock music was pretty much Van Halen, Def Leppard, Poison.. you get the picture, but he did share a band with me). When he found how easy it was to produce an RSS feed with WordPress for his podcast (prior to that he had been hard coding it) he jumped on it right away. Once he put the podcast on WordPress it skyrocketed the show to the point where he had a weekly feature broadcast on Sirius Satellite Radio! I told him when I received his bio that I had no idea he was such a 'celebrity'. From being the marketing director of Entrepreneur.com to working with companies like Absolut Vodka, Footlocker and Godaddy ( to name a few), Marcus has gained been around the 'marketing block' so to speak (was that a completely goofy sentence?). The work he does with clients today is based on getting them results. He shares a really cool story about an experiment he's running which is creating some solid proof for his skills when it comes to results for his clients. Community Builder Extraordinaire Marcus and The WordPress Community WordPress Plugins A - Z When Marcus tweeted to me about my podcast he let me know he was co-host of the WordPress Plugins A-Z podcast with John Overall. They review the latest & greatest WordPress plugins, both bringing to the table a few plugins they've each found in the WordPress plugin repository (*listen to the episode to hear how many plugins are added to the repository daily!). I love how Marcus connected with John to join him on the podcast - he simply offered (after hearing the other co-host was leaving the show). Novel idea, huh? TIP! Without a doubt, one of my biggest 'takeaways' from this interview with Marcus was that it's really not as hard as we think to reach out and connect with people. Marcus jumped into the WordPress community with both feet (for both the podcast and WP Tavern, but I'll get to that in a minute) and even received some snarky comments from people. But it didn't stop him. Fortunately for us he stuck with it and continues to give back to the community. WP Tavern Just this past June Marcus joined WPTavern.com where he writes about, surprise, WordPress plugins. I have to tell you that I must have asked or commented a few times about when he actually sleeps! I find myself time challenged just to keep up with this site, content and clients, let alone a few sites! Marcus is stellar at bringing people together and pooling resources and sites into one place to better serve his audience, which of course led to another new WordPress venture called WordPress Radio! WPR.