In June 2016 (yikes!), I wrote my first article for MainWP. It has been quite a ride. I have enjoyed it and enjoy the freedom to write articles I like to write.
One of those types of articles are Q&A articles. I first learned to write these when I was a Startup & Tech writer for a statewide publication in Arkansas.
I took the idea and created my own spin on it and I can often be found calling them a podcast interview in text.
They are fun. I get to interview interesting people and showcase makers in the WordPress space.
Today, I look back at the Q&A articles for 2022. We are starting with the latest and moving back to January. Enjoy!
Q&A with Kathy Zant Director of Marketing at StellarWP
I get to meet many people in WordPress and one of those is Kathy Zant. She is quickly becoming one of my favorite persons.
Kathy is the Director of Marketing at StellarWP and she loves animals, her family, and being geeky.
I asked Kathy if she was a marketer, salesperson, or a developer. This is how she answered,
“These days they call me a marketer, but I consider myself an evangelist and empowerer. I help people get more out of the platform and the solutions as best as I can. Having grown up in the early days of the internet, I feel like I owe it to share my experiences with others so they can find success in building and owning their platforms. “
I also love what she has learned from animals. You can read about that and more in the article.
Q&A with MainWP user and website care consultant Jos Klever
If you are active in the MainWP Users Facebook Group, you likely have met Jos Klever. Jos is active in the group and willingly helps others with problems.
The Dutch developer has been servicing his WordPress customers since 2015. One thing we learned about Jos is he likes to travel and he likes beer.
“But when I’m not at my computer, I like drinking as many different beers possible. In almost 3 years, I’ve tasted around 1000 different beers. If you’re interested, you can check my Untappd profile! I like to watch movies and series, Formula 1, hiking, traveling, exploring nature, etc.”
Q&A with Talisha Lewallen of WP Connects
WP Connects is one of the newer organizations in the WordPress space founded by Talisha Lewallen.
The organization seeks to connect United States military personnel to careers in WordPress, thus helping them transition to civilian life a little easier.
I met Talisha in a mutual WordPress community. I asked her to share more about who she is and her organization.
Aside from her passion for WP Connects, she has an active life.
“Outside of WordPress, I like to do a variety of things. From Camping to working on our farm. I am also an award winning Cherokee Nation Basket Weaver, which can be a bit unique. I love to do anything artsy to almost anything outdoors.”
Read the interview with Talisha.
Q&A with David McCan of the Dynamic WordPress Facebook Group
Q&A with David McCan of the Dynamic WordPress Facebook Group
David has one of the best WordPress Facebook groups. He also does a great job with tutorials.
He is very well organized and willing to help.
He talked about why he started his Facebook group, his favorite WordPress tools, what he is excited about moving forward in WordPress.
He also told us how he got started in WordPress.
“I worked for a number of years as a manager and programmer for a large event photography company. As I started to transition away from that, I looked at what was happening in website development and eventually got involved with WordPress. I liked how easy it was to extend WordPress and I connected with a lot of nice people who were involved with the community.”
Read the interview with David.
Q&A with developer and WordPress expert Rene Morozowich
In 2022, I was happy to feature various users of MainWP. One of the first was Rene Morozowich. I came across her when I was looking for articles about MainWP.
Her article detailed why and how she switched to MainWP. I reached out to her, and she agreed to be featured.
She told us some of her favorite features and what she likes to do in her spare time. She also gave us an idea of how she started using WordPress.
“I started blogging on WordPress at the end of 2016. At the time, I was working as a programmer, but I was unhappy. I signed up for a 3-month Skillcrush class at the beginning of 2017 and started freelancing halfway through.”
Q&A with Disha Pegu from Atarim
In the last couple of years, MainWP and Atarim have worked together to serve our users.
That’s why you will see many of us in both communities, and that means you will probably meet Disha Pegu.
Pegu runs the Atarim community on Facebook and the various social media channels.
She describes herself as, “A social scientist, huge supporter of diversity inclusion (everywhere), a compassionate marketer.”
Pegu is passionate about community and keeping it engaged.
As for tools to keep her going, there is just one.
“Literally just one tool, “Todoist.” I don’t keep up well with using tools to stay productive. I guess I am the most productive during my work hours when I had a good sleep! Good sleep is my medicine to stay productive & efficient. No tools work for me.”
Read the interview with Disha here.
Q&A with Automattic’s Josepha Haden Chomphosy
Over the years I have been honored to interview some movers and shakers including the founder of Laravel Project.
So, my first ever WordCamp, there was a young lady who was part of the organizational team named Josepha Haden Chomphosy.
Josepha, of course, has become quite important in the WordPress world as the Open Source Division Lead at Automattic.
She agreed to be part of a Q&A interview, so we sat out to make that happen.
One thing I asked her was her advice for non-techies in WordPress. She answered,
“Feel free to take your time as you’re learning the ropes of the open-source project. It can feel like everyone else was able to jump right in, but the secret is that many of us were silent learners for years before we made our first contributions.”
Read the interview with Josepha here.
Q&A with Davinder Singh Kainth of The WP Weekly & WP Awards
Davinder Singh Kainth has been publishing tutorials, designs, and news for years.
When he published The WP Weekly in July 2020, he hit on something that made him one of the most respected publishers in our industry.
The WP Weekly is a roundup of news and what’s new in the WordPress circle.
In 2021, he launched The WP Weekly Awards.
MainWP won in the WP Support & Services category in 2021.
I visited with him about the awards, The WP Weekly, what he learned and what he was surprised to learn.
“Now with 1000s of people reading The WP Weekly every week, I am very serious about this project. As a result, for the last couple of months, I have been working on various workflows to streamline the process for more consistent and quality content delivery. And yes, learning never stops and shouldn’t!”
Wrapping it up
Did you have a favorite article at MainWP in 2022? Let us know in the MainWP Users Facebook Group.
