While working towards a career transition into technology (where his real passion lies), Rich stumbled upon WordPress, and let’s just say it was love at first site! Since then, he has submerged himself in all things WordPress; developing WordPress sites and attending WordCamps and meetups while discovering his own WordPress voice. When he’s not knee-deep in achieving Career 2.0, Rich works full time in Supply Chain and teaches Web Development at a local Community College, evenings and online.

Why Do You Use WordPress?
I use WordPress because it provides such a quick path to creating an entirely new presence on the web. It is easy for new users and experienced developers to craft that presence into whatever they want.

When and How Did You Start Using WordPress?
I started using WordPress when I was in school pursuing a development degree. One of the classes was based in PHP and used WordPress to highlight it’s best uses.

What Tips or Resources would you recommend to a new WordPress User?
New WordPress users should stop for a moment and consider what they are trying to express. They need to think about how to build their online presence as they build their site. This includes the title of their site, any logo’s (even bloggers need a logo!), and the theme they use.

What advice would you give someone who’s building a business around WordPress design or development?
Interact with the community as much as possible! We are a wonderful group of people who help each other in so many ways. Get on Twitter and start following some of the big names….and some of the small ones. There are not many online communities where you can ask a rockstar a question and get an answer. You can with WordPress!

How do you stay informed about WordPress (news, tips, etc)?
Twitter and podcasts are critical! There is so much information out there, along with timely events that you need to stay current on. Listen, interact, and learn.

What do you like most about WordCamps?
WordCamps are a great opportunity to interact with members of our community in real life. Developers, users, designers, speakers…..everyone is at a WordCamp. Sit down and have lunch with someone you don’t know, you never know where it can lead.

Where can we find you online?
Web: rkoffy.com
Twitter: @rkoffy

Andrew Walsh is a writer, web entrepreneur and academic librarian interested in the ways we learn, create and interact online. He has a small business, Social Web Enterprises, where he operates a small network of informational websites and provides writing and consulting services. Andrew also writes for various online and print publications about the digital age and web trends.

Why Do You Use WordPress?
I use WordPress for several reasons. It’s intuitive and easy to use while still allowing for powerful customization of just about any type. And perhaps more importantly, it has an amazing community of people from all around the world working together to make it the best it can be.

When and How Did You Start Using WordPress?
Around 2008 I started teaching myself HTML and CSS so I could build websites. For a while I coded from scratch before realizing I was not a designer and there were much better ways to do what I wanted. I learned about blogging and WordPress in particular and started to see how “blogs” were turning into so much more than the online personal diaries they had been in the early days. Instead, it was possible to build just about anything you could dream up. I loved WordPress from the start and never looked back since.

What Tips or Resources would you recommend to a new WordPress User?
Don’t feel like you need to know everything to be successful. Learn by experience and through trial and error. Read the Codex, as there is some amazing information there. I recommend Googling specific problems you’re having and taking note of the best sites that come up with the answer. There are some great blogs out there on getting the most out of WordPress and this is a good way to find the ones most relevant to what you’re doing. Reach out to the authors and engage in the comments section.

What advice would you give someone who’s building a business around WordPress design or development?
First, be sure you can articulate how you are different from other businesses and how you will bring value to your market (your “unique selling proposition,” if you will). Second, figure out where your clients hang out and start to go there to share expertise and insights. This might mean guest posting on other sites, becoming active in communities or forums, or networking in the “real world.” Build your trust and credibility, really get to know people, and the rest will follow.

How do you stay informed about WordPress (news, tips, etc)?
I’d say Twitter most frequently. But I also subscribe via email to several blogs that cover WordPress and peruse other social sites such as Reddit for news and discussion. And, of course, WordCamp Dayton!

What’s a cool WordPress based site you’ve seen recently?
I learned that WordPress is used for the official website of Sweden and thought that was pretty cool. It’s a nice site, too.

What do you like most about WordCamps?
My favorite part is that they bring us all together and provide immense value for everyone from complete beginners to experienced developers.

Where can we find you online?
Web: AndrewJWalsh.com
Web: SocialWebEnterprises.com
Twitter: @walshand

Flox, BuddyPress, bbPress, WordPress, Alumni of 10up & Automattic, Blogs at jaco.by

Why Do You Use WordPress?
It’s the best way to publish to the Internet

When and How Did You Start Using WordPress?
2007, building sites for clients

What Tips or Resources would you recommend to a new WordPress User?
wpbeginner.com and wordpress.tv

What advice would you give someone who’s building a business around WordPress design or development?
Sell BuddyPress & bbPress themes. They are a hugely untapped market.

How do you stay informed about WordPress (news, tips, etc)?
WP Tavern. WP Chron. Twitter.

What do you like most about WordCamps?
Intimate backchannel discussions.

Where can we find you online?
Web: jjj.me
Web: jaco.by
Twitter: @JJJ

I’m a Happiness Engineer for Automattic, on the Jetpack team. I’m a mom of three kids under five, a photographer, and a nature lover. Before joining Automattic, I was a university biology lecturer for almost a decade, so I love to teach and help people learn new things. Speaking at WordCamps gives me my teaching fix.

Why Do You Use WordPress?
Because it is beautiful, it is intuitive, and the community is second-to-none.

When and How Did You Start Using WordPress?
I’ve been using WordPress for my Photography sites for about ten years, because nothing else compares.

What Tips or Resources would you recommend to a new WordPress User?
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with people for help. Utilize the WordPress.org forums, Facebook groups, and WordPress.com Happiness Engineers. Most folks who use WordPress *really love WordPress*, and are eager to help out when someone needs a hand.

What do you like most about WordCamps?
It is fun to see people in 3D and make connections with folks.

Where can we find you online?
Web: lightcandy.org
Web: mythreebirds.com
Web: jennyhooks.com
Twitter: @happymattic
Facebook: Jen Hooks Photography

Born at the dawn of the digital era (1989, apparently), I’ve grown up around tech, media, and entertainment all of my life. It’s so ingrained that a profession was an easy choice – after a four-year stint at the University of Cincinnati’s highly competitive Electronic Media program, I graduated and went out into the big scary world.

Why Do You Use WordPress?
I use WordPress because really there’s nothing else like it. Sure, there’s tons of other CMS platforms, but none of them have the simplicity and flexibility of WordPress. Not only is WordPress easy to use as a developer, it’s easy for clients to operate, which is a godsend compared to bulkier systems like Sitecore.

When and How Did You Start Using WordPress?
Funny story – the first time I used it, I JUST wanted the blog aspect – that’s all I figured WordPress was for, anyway. After a long and kind of frustrating attempt at embedding the WordPress blog, I just remade the theme in WordPress… And holy cow, it worked! Within the month I’d converted three sites over, and I’ve never gone back to the old way.

What Tips or Resources would you recommend to a new WordPress User?
READ, PLAY, AND CODE!

There’s so many resources out there that it can be overwhelming at best. The Codex will be your best friend down the road, but it’s hardly the place to start… Instead, let’s think of it like a martial art with three stages, SHU-HA-RI.

SHU: This is where you learn the basics. Learn how to apply a theme, learn how to make a child theme, follow any tutorial you can get your hands on and don’t be afraid to copy someone’s code (as long as you’re not profiting off of it 🙂 ) to make something happen. Doing is the only way to learn here.

HA: After a base knowledge has been formed, you can start to experiment. Try to build a plugin. Try to decide if something is worth a plugin or just a function. Make sure you know what a function is. Start to get creative with the basic tools to see how far you can go – I created a 10,000 page database with two plugins and a lot of sweat and tears… It was done the wrong way, but it was a lesson well learned.

RI: Once you’re comfortable experimenting, go crazy! Try new things – you’ll always have a backup to fall to, right? WordPress has so much untapped potential that only you can discover, so start those basics.

Wax on, wax off. 🙂

What advice would you give someone who’s building a business around WordPress design or development?
WordPress is flexible, and therefore your business should be just as flexible. The great part about WordPress is that it’s easy to use and can fit almost any need – don’t limit yourself to popping out dime-a-dozen themes or niche development. TALK to your customers and adapt – not only do you get paid, but you might get a fun WP project out of it too.

How do you stay informed about WordPress (news, tips, etc)?
Working every day with it! Blogs of course are great, but people are the best connections out there. Add everyone on Facebook and Twitter, and you’ll see the knowledge pour in.

What’s a cool WordPress based site you’ve seen recently?
Oh jeeze, this is a hard one. There are SO many good sites out there… I’d have to say the work done in some WooCommerce sites is really astounding, especially when it comes to e-learning.

What do you like most about WordCamps?
The people, the knowledge, the fun, and the memories. There IS a notable lack of campfire marshmallows, though.

Where can we find you online?
Web:
Twitter: @Danny_Santoro

I’m a WordPress guy in the buckeye state. Contributing writer for WP Tavern. Have been writing about WordPress since 2007. Host of the WordPress Weekly Podcast.

Why Do You Use WordPress?
I’m a WordPress guy in the buckeye state. Contributing writer for WP Tavern. Have been writing about WordPress since 2007. Host of the WordPress Weekly Podcast.

What Tips or Resources would you recommend to a new WordPress User?
To visit WPBeginner.com and register an account at WPChat.com as it’s a WordPress community aimed at helping people. I’d also tell them to read the Tavern to keep up to date with what’s going on in WordPress.

What advice would you give someone who’s building a business around WordPress design or development?
I’d tell them to follow Chris Lema, Matt Medeiros, and a host of other people to learn about about that subject.

How do you stay informed about WordPress (news, tips, etc)?
I write about WordPress for a living so I keep tabs on Twitter, email subscriptions, RSS feeds, and Facebook.

What’s a cool WordPress based site you’ve seen recently?
Wired.com

What do you like most about WordCamps?
They feel like family reunions that I want to attend.

Where can we find you online?
Web: wptavern.com
Twitter: @jeffr0

Chris Wilcoxson is the Lead Developer at DCC Marketing, a full-service, boutique marketing agency based in Decatur, IL. He has worked with WordPress since 2007 and authors several plugins including ArtistDataPress and BP Profile Widgets. When not coding, he enjoys time with his wife and two kids, watching movies, and making music.

Why Do You Use WordPress?
I think its easiest system for clients and developers to use. I’ve used other systems and found that WordPress continually thinks about how people are going to use this to get things done and make it easy for them. Plus, the WordPress community is just amazing!

When and How Did You Start Using WordPress?
I started a blog on WordPress.com in 2006. In 2008, I setup a self-hosted copy of WordPress and even wrote an ebook helping other musicians do the same. In 2011, I began writing plugins and themes and now I do that full-time.

What Tips or Resources would you recommend to a new WordPress User?
WP Beginner and WP Tuts are great sites for learning more about developing for WordPress. If you’re thinking more for the user side, I’d say YouTube is the best place. People are always posting new tutorials and you can find almost anything and see it in action.

What advice would you give someone who’s building a business around WordPress design or development?
Know your audience and solve their problem. WordPress can do anything you need it to do, but you’ve got to know problem you’re trying to solve and plan the best experience for when they are using your solution.

How do you stay informed about WordPress (news, tips, etc)?
I follow the core devs on Twitter and their respective blogs. These people know a ton and share it often. Other good devs to follow are Nathan Rice, Tom McFarlin, Justin Tadlock, Bill Erickson, and Lisa Sabin Wilson. There are so many great sites to keep handy too: WordPress Tavern and Smashing Magazine, plus Yoast’s website is always full of good information. Of course, the Codex.

What’s a cool WordPress based site you’ve seen recently?
I’m thoroughly impressed that Wired.com is a single WordPress install now. They have a crazy amount of stuff there and it gets a lot of traffic, yet it works smoothly.

What do you like most about WordCamps?
Sharing what I know and learning from others. I think the community around WordPress is the best thing about it and the fact that people are so willing to share what they know is amazing.

Where can we find you online?
Web: slushman.com
Web: dccmarketing.com
Twitter: @slushman
Facebook: Slushman Design

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