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    We Need to Talk About Speakers and Virtual Events

    Have you ever had a friend ask you for a favor, only to ask you for like 5 more while performing that favor? “Hey can you help me move? Oh also, I’m out of coffee; can you pick some up? Also I need to stop at the realtor’s office to get the key,” and so on. It might be an innocent mistake, but sometimes it feels like your generosity is being taken advantage of. And it’s kind of annoying.

    That’s how it’s felt over the last few years with the emergence of virtual events. I’ve spoken at several, and many of them follow the same format of putting a lot of the onus on the speaker while reaping all of the benefits.

    Now, a few caveats:

    • I’m not talking to any one event organizer, and I’m not mad at anyone. This is true for most virtual events and I think we’d all benefit from a few changes.
    • I’ve been considering hosting/organizing a virtual event myself, so this serves as a way to outline how I envision such an event going1
    • I also know that planning any event is a lot of work. I don’t think event organizers are undeserving of the benefits, financial or otherwise.

    That said, I think we need to rethink our approach to having speakers at our virtual events. In my opinion, the speaker has one job: to deliver a great talk.

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    Announcing the (Unofficial) WCUS 2020 Speaker Interview Series

    I’ve sorely missed going to WordCamps. I love traveling, I love hanging out with people, and I love public speaking. I also know how much time and effort goes into planning a WordCamp, as well as WordCamp talks. I was also super bummed about WordCamp US 2020 cancelling its virtual event (though I totally understand virtual event fatigue).

    I wanted a way to give back at least a little to those who worked so hard, so I have a plan…and the first part of it is interviewing potential WCUS 2020 speakers on my podcast, How I Built It.

    Saving Wasted Time

    I know how much time goes into figuring out a good topic and putting applications together.Because I don’t want that work to be wasted, I’m doing an interview series on the podcast.

    I’ll pick 15-20 people who applied to speak to do 10 minute interviews with – it won’t be a formal talk, but they’ll have the opportunity to chat about their topic. I have a decent platform, and I wanted to lend it to some people who were looking forward to speaking.

    Send in Your Applications!

    I should make it clear that this is an unofficial series – it’s not backed by the WordCamp Organizers or the WordPress Foundation…though I’ve been told by members of the team that this is a good idea 🙂

    If you applied to WordCamp US 2020, fill out the form here. Please only submit one form. If you submitted multiple talk ideas, pick your favorite.

    If you’re selected, I’ll be in touch. Applications close on August 31st.

    Apply to be interviewed about your WCUS 2020 talk

    PS – if you want to get news on what else I’m working on, join my Build Something Weekly newsletter using the form below!

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    Finding The Right Recording & Streaming Software

    So you’re ready to start investing time into your Twitch stream or YouTube channel. There are lots of tutorials on finding and setting up the right gear, but what about software? How do you efficiently stream or edit videos? Does it matter what you use?

    As someone who’s used all sorts of video editing and streaming software over the years, I can tell you that finding the right software can go a long way in helping you easily stream or record. Here are my recommendations for each.

    Read More “Finding The Right Recording & Streaming Software”
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    Check Out these WordCamp Miami Speakers Before the Conference!

    Back in December I published the WordCamp US Speakers that have been on my podcast. This weekend I’m heading to WordCamp Miami, so I’ve decided to continue the tradition. WordCamp Miami has a killer lineup of speakers, and there are quite a few that have been on my podcast. If you’re heading to the conference and want to learn a little more about them, listen to these episodes.

    Read More “Check Out these WordCamp Miami Speakers Before the Conference!”
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    How to Handle Interruptions During Your Talk

    Maybe this has happened to you. You take the stage. The slides are peeped and displayed. Your talk starts. The nervousness subsides and you’re getting into a good flow. Then, when you’re finally comfortable, someone just has to interrupt you. This has happened to me more times than I can count. It even happened recently, when someone in the crowd felt the need to correct me on the duration of a construction project. So what do you do? What’s the best way to handle interruptions? Let’s take a look.

    Read More “How to Handle Interruptions During Your Talk”

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    How to Build Better Web Pages in WordPress

    When I was creating the website for my new project WP in One Month, I wanted to make sure the home page was diverse with content, different sections, and a lot of information. As a WordPress developer, I could have built a completely custom page template with custom fields for each section, and I could have made use of one of the many plugins to do that. However, I also wanted to get the site up and running quickly. I was pivoting the business and wanted to focus more on executing ideas than on developing the website (I know many developers can relate to me here). I opted instead to build a simple child theme from the theme Ward and use a page building plugin called Beaver Builder. It saved me literally hours of development and gives me lots of flexibility.

    Read More “How to Build Better Web Pages in WordPress”