Tim: What’s your WordPress “origin” story?
I started out wanting to write my own personal blog. A friend of mine was working on a WordPress plugin at the same time and told me I should use WordPress for my blog. So we set it up in WordPress. The more I learned about WordPress to use it for myself, the more that I wanted to learn. Finally, at the end of 2013 I decided that my main source of income would be WordPress.
Now I clean hacked websites, teach people how to be secure with their website, design, develop, wrote a plugin, and teach others how to use WordPress.
Tim: Whats your top 3 WordPress plugins? Why?
- Jetpack- I know it has a “”love it or hate it”” feeling with everyone but I absolutely love it. I hate uni-taskers. I hate seeing 73 plugins on a website when they only need 17. Jetpack is one of the very few that if you only used this plugin, it would be all you really need.
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Akismet- If you have comments open, then you should have Akismet. Nothing works better at comment spam than this unless you have comments turned off.
- Hello Security- Well the first reason this is in my top three is because I wrote it. (Shameless plug) It gives random security tips on your admin screen to remind the user to pay more attention to their site. ”
Tim: Whats your most proud achievement around WordPress?
My most proud achievement would be getting a plugin on the repository. Five years ago if someone would have told me that I would have been writing any type of code and enjoying it I would have thought they had went completely bonkers.
Presently, I am working on another very special project that I am still holding quite close to the vest that I hope to have it launched by Hampton Roads.
Tim: What do you want our readers to know about you?
My favorite thing to do is help others succeed. I love helping people whether it be building or fixing their website, helping them overcome an obstacle, or start their own business.
I also never just sit still and do nothing. I am always reading a novel, writing, working out, doing something. My fiancé says that I am not even still in my sleep.
So if you have a question you think I might be able to answer, a book you would like to share, or a good joke to tell, come find me.
Tim: Define yourself with one word.
Passionate
Michele is talking about what to do next after launching your WordPress website so you won’t want to miss it.