Post Status Podcasts

In this episode of the Post Status Happiness Hour, Michelle Frechette chats with Jess Frick to explore the latest advancements in the WordPress community, focusing on Pressable's newly redesigned website. Jess provides an inside look at the new features and improvements on Pressable’s site, including its enhanced user experience and functionality. The episode also covers the Independent Plugin Alliance for WordPress (IPAWP), a new initiative to support smaller plugin companies, Michelle’s new role at Post Status Executive Director and some new things they are up to. The episode also teases an upcoming conversation with Doc Popular about his innovative work with WordPress on the Fediverse.Top Takeaways: Pressable's Integration and Community Engagement: Pressable, as discussed by Jess, is committed to providing valuable hosting solutions and integrating with various community and plugin initiatives. Jess highlights how Pressable supports the WordPress community through partnerships and is open to exploring collaborative efforts with plugin developers, such as confirming compatibility and assisting with marketing strategies. This reflects Pressable's dedication to fostering a supportive ecosystem for WordPress users and developers.Pressable's Role in the WordPress Ecosystem: Pressable is actively involved in the WordPress community, offering robust hosting solutions and working closely with other organizations and plugin developers. Jess Frick emphasizes how Pressable is committed to providing high-quality service and support, and how it engages with the community by being a resource for plugin developers and exploring ways to collaborate on marketing and growth strategies. This involvement showcases Pressable’s dedication to both technical excellence and community support.Community Engagement and Support: Michelle and Jess discuss the importance of community support and engagement, highlighting how they’ve used platforms like Post Status and WP Coffee Talk to foster connections and growth within the WordPress community.Focus on Inclusivity: The conversation emphasizes the significance of inclusivity in content creation. Michelle and Jess appreciate tools like Yoast's inclusive language checker for helping writers avoid unintentional offense and promote better practices.Learning from Mistakes: Both Michelle and Jess share experiences where they learned from mistakes and used them as opportunities for growth. Michelle recounts instances where she acknowledged errors in accessibility and inclusion and took steps to improve.Mentioned In The Show:PressableKadenceYoastOmnisendUnderrepresented In TechOMGIMGIndependent Plugin Alliance for WordPressWS FormKathy ZantCory MillerCorey MaassDoc Popular🙏 Sponsor: WordPress.comBuild and manage professional sites with secure managed hosting on WordPress.com. Beautiful themes, built-in SEO, and payment tools, and access to over 50,000 plugins. Everything you need for your business, plus 24/7 support from WordPress experts. 🐦 You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:Jessica Frick (VP of Operations for Pressable)Michelle Frechette (Director of Community Relations, Post Status)Olivia Bisset (Intern, Post Status)The Post Status  podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. 📝Browse our archives, and don’t forget to subscribe via iTunes, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Stitcher, Simplecast, or RSS. 🎧

In this podcast episode, host Corey Maass and Michelle Frechette discuss their new initiative to create a collaborative WordPress plugin directory. They share their vision for a dynamic platform that goes beyond listing plugins to become a marketing resource fostering community growth and engagement. The discussion covers their approach to inclusive yet targeted guidelines, creative marketing campaigns, and leveraging networks like Post Status. Corey and Michelle also explore the potential for cross-promotion among members and outline their plans for a summer sale and engaging assets. If you're a WordPress plugin developer or business owner eager to connect and innovate, this episode offers a glimpse into an exciting new project and how you can get involved.Top Takeaways: Collaborative Directory Concept: Corey and Michelle are developing a WordPress plugin directory that emphasizes collaboration over competition. The goal is to create a platform where businesses can support each other and engage in joint marketing efforts rather than focusing on traditional affiliate models.Inclusive Yet Targeted Guidelines: They plan to establish guidelines that are inclusive but also target specific types of plugins and businesses. This approach aims to maintain quality while allowing for diverse participation.Cross-Promotion and Marketing: The initiative will include cross-promotion among participants. They plan to use creative marketing assets, such as memes and other visual content, to boost visibility and drive traffic to the directory.Community Engagement: There’s a focus on building an active community around the directory. Corey and Michelle propose using Slack and Post Status for discussions and idea sharing, and envision bringing in experts for talks and workshops to benefit members.Early Stage and Rapid Development: The project is in its early stages with a goal to move quickly, aiming for a summer sale and rapid development. They emphasize the importance of getting involved early and contributing ideas to shape the initiative's success.Mentioned In The Show:MexicanTrain.onlineZach Katz WS Form Post Status SlackWP Tavern OMG IMGStellar WPFreemiusLetter PeopleFiverrDeadpoolWolverineWordCamp USMahjongGravityKit🙏 Sponsor: WordPress.comBuild and manage professional sites with secure managed hosting on WordPress.com. Beautiful themes, built-in SEO, and payment tools, and access to over 50,000 plugins. Everything you need for your business, plus 24/7 support from WordPress experts. 🐦 You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:Corey MaassMichelle Frechette (Director of Community Relations, Post Status)Olivia Bisset (Intern, Post Status)The Post Status  podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. 📝Browse our archives, and don’t forget to subscribe via iTunes, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Stitcher, Simplecast, or RSS. 🎧

In this episode of the Post Status Happiness Hour, Michelle Frechette chats with Mark Westguard, the creator of WS Form, a powerful and flexible form-building plugin for WordPress. Mark discusses WS Form's standout features, including its advanced conditional logic, breakpoint selectors for responsive design, and its capacity for complex customizations and integrations. They explore creative uses of the plugin, from dynamic MadLibs to WooCommerce product customizations, and reflect on their favorite WordCamp experiences, such as WordCamp Europe and WordCamp US. Mark also teases upcoming updates for WS Form and shares insights on making the most of WordPress events.Top Takeaways: WS Form's Flexibility and Power: WS Form is highlighted as a highly flexible and powerful form builder, capable of much more than just creating basic forms. It includes advanced features like conditional logic, dynamic content generation, integration with WooCommerce, and even the ability to handle complex calculations.Responsive Design Features: WS Form supports responsive design with customizable breakpoints, allowing users to adjust form layouts across different screen sizes. This feature is especially useful for ensuring forms look good and function well on mobile, tablet, and desktop devices.Developer-Friendly Features: The form builder is designed with developers in mind, offering hooks for custom and legacy API integrations, as well as the ability to run WordPress filter hooks and action hooks. This makes it highly extensible for those with coding skills.Support and Knowledge Sharing: Mark Westguard actively responds to customer support inquiries by not only providing direct help but also creating knowledge base articles based on common questions. This approach helps build a comprehensive resource for all users.Community Engagement: Both Mark and Michelle emphasize the importance of attending WordCamps and being involved in the WordPress community. They discuss the benefits of networking, sharing ideas, and learning from others, which are vital aspects of their experiences and successes within the community.Mentioned In The Show:WS FormEventbriteWordCamp USWordCamp Asia WordCamp Europe GiveWP Bootstrap Foundation WooCommerceBarn2 PluginsLiquid Web Datakit Zach KatzGravityKit 🙏 Sponsor: A2HostingA2 Hosting offers solutions for WordPress and WooCommerce that are both blazing fast and ultra-reliable. WordPress can be used on ANY Web Hosting plan from A2.  You can deploy WordPress easily on Shared, VPS, or Dedicated Hosting plans. A2 also offers Managed WordPress and WooCommerce Hosting. Take a look at a2hosting.com today!🐦 You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:Mark Westguard (Founder, ws_form)Michelle Frechette (Director of Community Relations, Post Status)Olivia Bisset (Intern, Post Status)The Post Status  podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. 📝Browse our archives, and don’t forget to subscribe via iTunes, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Stitcher, Simplecast, or RSS. 🎧

In this podcast episode of the Post Status Happiness Hour, Michelle Frechette is joined by her friend and WordPress security expert, Kathy Zant. They delve into various aspects of website security, focusing on WordPress. Kathy discusses her recent security courses aimed at demystifying WordPress for beginners and emphasizes the importance of proactive security measures. They highlight the critical role of regular backups and the potential risks of automated updates. Kathy shares practical security tips, such as using strong passwords and enabling two-factor authentication. The episode is both informative and engaging, filled with personal anecdotes and humor, making it a valuable resource for listeners.Top Takeaways: Importance of Security: Both Michelle and Kathy emphasize the importance of understanding and implementing robust security measures to protect websites from hacks.Criminal Behavior: Kathy highlights that criminals (including hackers) often look for the easiest targets. If a website or home has visible security measures, they are more likely to move on to an easier target. However, if a determined attacker sees something of value, they might still find a way in despite the security measures.Auto Updates: Kathy advises against relying solely on automated updates, especially for websites that are crucial for business. She recommends a process of updating on a staging environment first, ensuring everything works, and then updating the production site. She highlights real-world scenarios where automated updates have caused issues, leading to downtime and confusion over whether a site was hacked or simply experiencing an update-related error.Content Creation and Community Engagement:Kathy discusses her responsibilities at Motivation Code, including managing content across different platforms and facilitating challenges to foster community interaction. Despite facing technical challenges with platforms like LinkedIn, she remains committed to creating engaging content and moving activities to more effective platforms like Facebook.Mentioned In The Show:ShopifyWixSquarespaceMotivation Code CrowdStrike StellarWPWordCamp USNathan IngramMark WestguardKathy’s website🙏 Sponsor: WordPress.comBuild and manage professional sites with secure managed hosting on WordPress.com. Beautiful themes, built-in SEO, and payment tools, and access to over 50,000 plugins. Everything you need for your business, plus 24/7 support from WordPress experts. 🐦 You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:Kathy Zant (CEO, Zantastic LLC)Michelle Frechette (Director of Community Relations, Post Status)Olivia Bisset (Intern, Post Status)The Post Status  podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. 📝Browse our archives, and don’t forget to subscribe via iTunes, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Stitcher, Simplecast, or RSS. 🎧

In this podcast episode, host Corey Maass and Michelle Frechette discuss a variety of topics, focusing on their recent travel experiences, encounters at the Canada border, and interactions with the WordPress community. The guest shares insights into their work with WordPress, including creating open graph images and developing tools for image cropping and batch multi-image generation. They also introduce Open Graph Online, a tool for archiving open graph data. The episode highlights the importance of user-friendly tools and previews an upcoming online conference where the guest will present on maximizing image engagement in WordPress.Top Takeaways: Use of Tools: Both Michelle and Corey emphasized the importance of using specialized tools like character counters and image generators to enhance efficiency and quality in their work processes.Product Development Insights: Corey discussed his approach to product development, highlighting the shift towards user-friendly features based on user feedback, rather than focusing solely on technical capabilities.Event Promotion: Michelle promoted Corey's upcoming presentation at the Stellar Sparks event, showcasing their collaborative effort in preparing for and marketing the event.Casual and Engaging Communication: The conversation between Michelle and Corey was informal and engaging, incorporating humor and personal anecdotes to maintain interest and connection with their audience.Continuous Learning and Improvement: Corey's ongoing refinement of his presentation content for the event demonstrates a commitment to continuous learning and improvement in their respective fields.Mentioned In The Show:Word CounterGrammarlyOMGIMG.coYoastOpen Graph OnlineCrop ExpressBasil HaydenUnderrepresented in TechStellar WPStellar SparkBlossom🙏 Sponsor: WordPress.comBuild and manage professional sites with secure managed hosting on WordPress.com. Beautiful themes, built-in SEO, and payment tools, and access to over 50,000 plugins. Everything you need for your business, plus 24/7 support from WordPress experts. 🐦 You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:Corey MaassMichelle Frechette (Director of Community Relations, Post Status)Olivia Bisset (Intern, Post Status)The Post Status  podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. 📝Browse our archives, and don’t forget to subscribe via iTunes, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Stitcher, Simplecast, or RSS. 🎧

In this podcast episode, Michelle Frechette and Drew Griswold discuss the upcoming Stellar Spark event, a free gathering featuring 15 speakers on various WordPress-related topics. Highlighted speakers include Josepha Haden, Tammy Grant, and Nestor Angulo, covering subjects like WordPress security, SEO, and content creation. The event will have two tracks, with all sessions recorded for later access. Michelle and Drew emphasize the importance of registration for accessing recordings and networking opportunities. They also announce a 40% off sale on Stellar products for registrants. The episode reflects their enthusiasm for connecting with the WordPress community through this event.Top Takeaways: Stellar Spark details: The event is completely free.Videos will be recorded and available for viewing after the event.Registration encouraged for easy access to post-event materials.Networking Opportunities: Hallway track Zoom room staffed by the Customer Success team for networking and speaker interactions.Mentioned In The Show:StellarWPStellar Spark ConferenceJosepha Haden ChomphosyTammie ListerNestor AnguloYoastXaver BirsakLana Rafaela CindricIvailo HristovAlex StandifordBud KrausLindsay Miller David WolfpawAdam WeeksDavid AfolabiCorey MassBet HannanWordCampFiverrWordPressLearnDashGiveWPRCPThe Events CalendarSolidKadence🙏 Sponsor: A2HostingA2 Hosting offers solutions for WordPress and WooCommerce that are both blazing fast and ultra-reliable. WordPress can be used on ANY Web Hosting plan from A2.  You can deploy WordPress easily on Shared, VPS, or Dedicated Hosting plans. A2 also offers Managed WordPress and WooCommerce Hosting. Take a look at a2hosting.com today!🐦 You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:Drew Griswold (Director of Outbound Marketing, Stellar WP)Michelle Frechette (Director of Community Relations, Post Status)Olivia Bisset (Intern, Post Status)The Post Status  podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. 📝Browse our archives, and don’t forget to subscribe via iTunes, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Stitcher, Simplecast, or RSS. 🎧

In this podcast episode, Michelle Frechette and Corey Maass delve into their product's development and marketing strategies. They discuss the technical challenges of image management, including resizing and the potential for automated featured and open graph image placement. The conversation also explores the idea of creating media kits and the integration of their product with platforms like WordPress. The speakers consider customer-driven feature prioritization and the importance of aligning marketing and development efforts. Additionally, they mention using an app for plant identification, highlighting the diverse applications of their product and the continuous pursuit of enhancing user experience.Top Takeaways: Value of Customer Feedback: Recording all ideas, even seemingly insignificant ones, can lead to valuable insights and features that resonate with customers. Customer demand should guide product development.Importance of Collaboration: Collaboration between development and marketing teams is crucial for creating products that meet customer needs effectively. Both teams bring unique perspectives that contribute to product success.Content Repurposing: Creating comprehensive onboarding materials, such as videos, can enhance user education and promote the product. Snippets from these materials can be repurposed for social media and documentation.Continuous Improvement: Regular updates, planning, and communication ensure alignment between team members and facilitate ongoing product improvements. Iterative development allows for flexibility and adaptation to evolving user needs.Customer-Centric Approach:Prioritizing features based on user feedback and demand ensures that the product remains relevant and valuable to its target audience. Keeping the customer at the center of decision-making drives product success and growth.Mentioned In The Show:UnsplashPictureThis appDiviCadenceInstagramWP SpeakersUnderrepresented in techWP Wonder WomanDerek AshauerAdobe LightroomWP WorldFaizan🙏 Sponsor: WordPress.comBuild and manage professional sites with secure managed hosting on WordPress.com. Beautiful themes, built-in SEO, and payment tools, and access to over 50,000 plugins. Everything you need for your business, plus 24/7 support from WordPress experts. 🐦 You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:Corey MaassMichelle Frechette (Director of Community Relations, Post Status)Olivia Bisset (Intern, Post Status)The Post Status  podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. 📝Browse our archives, and don’t forget to subscribe via iTunes, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Stitcher, Simplecast, or RSS. 🎧

In this podcast episode, MIchelle Frenchette and Corey Maas discuss the plugin's features and user experience. They address user feedback, particularly issues with the onboarding process and interface design. The host demonstrates how to create a site and install the plugin, emphasizing the importance of template creation for image generation. They also consider improvements to the plugin's UI/UX and integration with WordPress, including the management of admin settings.Top Takeaways: Importance of Understanding User Experience: Corey emphasizes the significance of understanding how users interact with a product, especially for someone like Michelle, who is new to using it. This helps in refining the product's usability and functionality.User Feedback Drives Product Development: The conversation highlights the iterative nature of product development based on user feedback. Corey listens to Michelle's questions and feedback to better understand areas where the product can be improved or clarified.Clarity in Product Communication: Corey recognizes the value of clear communication in explaining the product's features and functionality. He uses the conversation as an opportunity to articulate how the product works, helping Michelle and potentially other users understand it better.Productivity Enhancement: The conversation underscores how the product aims to streamline repetitive tasks and enhance productivity. By automating image generation and template usage, users like Michelle can save time and effort in creating visual content for their websites or social media platforms.Mentioned In The Show:CanvaPhotoshopBeaver BuilderYoast Squirrly SEOWooCommerceAdmin Menu Editor Pro🙏 Sponsor: A2HostingA2 Hosting offers solutions for WordPress and WooCommerce that are both blazing fast and ultra-reliable. WordPress can be used on ANY Web Hosting plan from A2.  You can deploy WordPress easily on Shared, VPS, or Dedicated Hosting plans. A2 also offers Managed WordPress and WooCommerce Hosting. Take a look at a2hosting.com today!🐦 You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:Corey MaassMichelle Frechette (Director of Community Relations, Post Status)Olivia Bisset (Intern, Post Status)The Post Status  podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. 📝Browse our archives, and don’t forget to subscribe via iTunes, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Stitcher, Simplecast, or RSS. 🎧

In this podcast episode, Corey Maass and Michelle Frechette, co-hosts of a live marketing session, delve into the nuances of marketing a WordPress product. They explore the creation of customer personas, the differentiation between various customer types, and the importance of tailored marketing strategies. The discussion covers the challenges of targeting decision makers and users, the role of agencies, and the significance of language in marketing to diverse customers. They also emphasize the need for understanding the product's benefits from each persona's perspective and adjusting marketing efforts to effectively engage with each group.Top Takeaways:Understanding Customer Personas: Corey and Michelle emphasize the importance of understanding and defining different customer personas based on their roles and decision-making processes.Tailoring Marketing Language: They discuss the need to tailor marketing language and messaging to resonate with each customer persona, highlighting their unique motivations and pain points.Identifying Benefits and Features: Corey suggests creating a matrix or spreadsheet to map out the benefits and features of the product across different customer personas, helping to identify areas of overlap and nuances specific to each persona.Speaking Each Persona's Language: They stress the importance of speaking each persona's language, focusing on what resonates with them and addressing their specific needs and concerns.Iterative Marketing Strategy: Corey and Michelle acknowledge the iterative nature of marketing strategy development, expressing their willingness to adapt and refine their approach based on feedback and new insights.Mentioned In The Show:Coca ColaBeaver BuilderHubSpotChatGPTCanvaPhotoshopContent JourneyLindsey MillerStellar WPFreemius🙏 Sponsor: WordPress.comBuild and manage professional sites with secure managed hosting on WordPress.com. Beautiful themes, built-in SEO, and payment tools, and access to over 50,000 plugins. Everything you need for your business, plus 24/7 support from WordPress experts. 🐦 You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:Corey MaassMichelle Frechette (Director of Community Relations, Post Status)Olivia Bisset (Intern, Post Status)The Post Status  podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. 📝Browse our archives, and don’t forget to subscribe via iTunes, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Stitcher, Simplecast, or RSS. 🎧

In this podcast episode, Michelle Frechette and Corey Maass delve into their experiences with design and technical challenges. They discuss the intricacies of using Beaver Builder for creating a 404 page, with Corey expressing frustration over camera issues and a desire to enhance brand representation. Michelle brings up an accessibility oversight in a newsletter and the necessity of attention to detail, exemplified by Google's logo updates. The conversation highlights the significance of accessibility and meticulous design in creating content that resonates with and is accessible to all users.Top Takeaways:Transparency in Business: Corey discusses how transparency has become more prevalent in the startup world, particularly with the rise of platforms like WordPress. He reflects on the value of transparency, even if he doesn't always agree with or fully understand its implications, suggesting that it fosters relatability and authenticity in business interactions.Continuous Improvement: Throughout the conversation, Corey and Michelle emphasize the importance of continuous improvement and learning. They discuss how podcasts, businesses, and individuals evolve over time, highlighting the value of feedback, reflection, and adaptation in achieving growth and success.Collaboration and Support: Corey and Michelle express gratitude for the support they receive from their audience, as well as from other podcast hosts within the community. They highlight the collaborative nature of the WordPress community and the willingness to help each other succeed in their respective projects.Mentioned In The Show:Beaver BuilderBalsamiqJoel SpolskyPeldiAdobePippin WilliamsonBen Laird WPSeriously, Bud? podcastWP Coffee TalkThe Tipping PointDrunk Tank PinkWP MotivateKathy Zant🙏 Sponsor: A2HostingA2 Hosting offers solutions for WordPress and WooCommerce that are both blazing fast and ultra-reliable. WordPress can be used on ANY Web Hosting plan from A2.  You can deploy WordPress easily on Shared, VPS, or Dedicated Hosting plans. A2 also offers Managed WordPress and WooCommerce Hosting. Take a look at a2hosting.com today!🐦 You can follow Post Status and our guests on Twitter:Corey MaassMichelle Frechette (Director of Community Relations, Post Status)Olivia Bisset (Intern, Post Status)The Post Status  podcast is geared toward WordPress professionals, with interviews, news, and deep analysis. 📝Browse our archives, and don’t forget to subscribe via iTunes, Google Podcasts, YouTube, Stitcher, Simplecast, or RSS. 🎧