Matt Report

We hear it in blogging all the time. Find a niche and you will find your market. Meet Thomas Griffin author of Soliloquy a powerful responsive WordPress slider. In this interview we discuss what it's like to start off small and continue to refine to find the success you're looking for. Don't miss this episode! Interview with Thomas Griffin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5enH0cSMEgw Watch on YouTube Listen to the audio version The power of one A slider seems pretty basic right? A couple of images rotating across the screen -- no big deal. But when you're building a plugin for the world's most popular web publishing software, especially in an ecosystem of free, the business is tough. Thomas takes us down his journey of starting the business, finding focus, refining product, and marketing to WordPress users. I really enjoyed this interview and I hope you do too. Feel free to share this on the Twitter and join my mailing list -- every little bit helps http://mattreport.com/subscribe    

Episode 22: Improving your WordPress craft

Ever wonder what it's like to work at Automattic? Not sure what or who Automattic is? Meet my guest Erick Hitter as he introduces us to the life of an Automattician. Parent commercial company behind WordPress software and one of the largest virtual working companies on the planet. Episode 21: Interview with Erick Hitter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUAnRFvvAoY Watch on YouTube Listen to the audio version Becoming an Automattician Let's face it, who wouldn't want to be on the team of the most sought after virtual workforce? Especially the team that is one of the main driving forces of WordPress. If you're a freelancer or someone starting out with WordPress -- you're going to want to listen in on this interview. Erick and I talk about all the fun stuff at his job, how he got there, and how WordPress continues to evolve. Erick also takes us down his journey of the early days of coding, working at large WP shops, to now finding himself at the home of WordPress. Still loving these interviews? Let me know!

Episode 21: What it’s like to work at Automattic

WordPress is an amazing platform when it enriches the publishing power of a business or an individual. It's even better when it empowers an entrepreneur to find a niche market and build a real business. This is exactly what Stephanie Schechter is doing with the popular software. She's fusing her experience with industrial design and graphic design to produce awesome WordPress solutions. I love the story and the entrepreneurial drive Stephanie possesses and I'm sure you will too. Interview with Stephanie Schechter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzqyvKUA9h8 Watch on YouTube Listen to the audio version Fusing Industrial Design with Web Design Stephanie's roots are in industrial design and we chat about how that relates to a better product. If the Devil is in the details, then Stephanie's middle name is evil. We'll talk about refining your product or service offering and how it equates to finding better more informed clients. If you're looking to grow your portfolio and your bottom line - do not sacrifice your talent. The most real interview to date I've had the opportunity to sit down with many WordPress entrepreneurs and get them to reveal what it's like to run their business. Things like monetizing your plugins to increasing your freelance rates. However, my talk with Stephanie was a bit different. WordPress is not the core offering of her practice. She's focused on consulting startups  to grow the potential of their brand. Her and her team leverage WordPress as one of the tools to help them succeed. It gets even more real when we start talking about some of the fears of running a startup and how to overcome them. I think you will really find a connection with Stephanie and her story. Let me know in the comments below!

If the Devil is in the details, then Stephanie’s middle name is evil

What happens when your plugin business outgrows itself? What about if the WordPress plugin model turns your business into a commodity? Learn how Travis Ketchum the founder of Contest Domination built his product as a plugin and then transitioned to a traditional SaaS model. If you're looking to scale your WordPress business or grow revenue outside of the standard theme & plugin business -- this interview is for you! Interview with Travis Ketchum founder of Contest Domination http://youtu.be/St9R7vbKFs0 Watch on YouTube Listen to the audio version "I knew my plugin would become a commodity" Travis recognized that his contest plugin could be copied and turned into a commodity really fast if it stayed in the repo. His transition to SaaS isn't leaving WordPress behind however. He's still building for WordPress and enhancing the product so it does work flawlessly with our favorite CMS. Travis says he sees a melding of WordPress plugins and SaaS solutions becoming more and more popular in the ecosystem. If you're looking to scale your business do not miss this episode! Some of my favorite quotes from this interview: "The code I got was absolutely unusable" "I knew my plugin would become a commodity" "Use the best developers and designers money could buy" Do you like learning about all things business for WordPress? Let me know below and share this podcast with others!

Why a SaaS model might be better than selling a plugin

Want to land the big client? What happens when they ask for a $1 million insurance policy? Welcome to the big league. My next guest is C.C. Chapman author of Content Rules and Amazing Things Will Happen. In this interview we talk about what it's really like dealing with a big client and how you should be ready for the challenge. C.C. used WordPress for big brand projects and then later sold the agency in 2009. Let's dive right in and listen to this great story! C.C. Chapman interview: landing the big client and getting ready to scale http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPWZXyCuzGU Watch on YouTube Listen to the audio version What we're learning in this episode I didn't know where to begin summarizing this episode (because it's so epic), so I'll do a bullet point outline: There's snake oil salesman in every industry - how do we deal with it in WordPress?  Running a big brand creative agency and then selling the business. Build your brand by doing great work and good ol fashion networking. If you're not ready or willing to scale, you could get screwed with a big client. Have a goal you're trying to achieve. Hand shakes and hugs trump likes and shares. (think about it!) His only regret, not self promoting harder Everyone is afraid to sell and it drives me nuts. C.C. knew his first book Content Rules was top notch - but even he admits he didn't push it hard enough. When you know you have something great, tell the world. Why not? What do you have to lose? You don't have to be all, "Pitchy pitchy, selly sell." about it. (Thanks Chris Brogan) Promote with confidence knowing that your product is better than it's competition. If you have something with very little or poor competition, why wouldn't you want to shout it from the roof tops? You're just a freelancer offering services? Why are you better than the next person? What's the value you bring to a project? Tell us! Amazing Things Will Happen It's the title of C.C's second book and it's the mantra of many entrepreneurs. If you're busting your hump, putting out great work, and letting the world know who you are the path to success will be prosperous. We're not just talking money in the bank, but finding what you want in the life/career balance and forging great relationships along the way. What do you think? Are you on the path to amazing things? Let us know!

Don’t get screwed when landing the big client

Let's cut to the chase. WordCamp's are great, but it's a breeding ground for our competition. I know, I know -- we're all friends here. Just hear out my next guest. John is a master marketer and business builder. He uses WordPress to write his blog which ultimately lead to publishing his book, Brand Against the Machine. He joins us to talk about improving our business and ultimately our bottom line. If you're someone who dosen't want to come out of the basement from coding, don't bother pressing on to this interview. If you're ready to kick ass and take names later, potentially saying goodbye to your coding buddy at the next WC -- hit play now! John Morgan on bullshit radars, understanding customers, and quitting your competition http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mG3AR9O5Z1w Watch on YouTube Listen to the audio version Are you ready for the cold hard facts? What do I love about John? No bullshit, straight talking, all around awesomeness. But he's not all flash. He's been marketing and building businesses for 12 years. So yes, there's plenty to learn from him. Knowledge vs know how If you're someone looking to hire a WordPress developer or designer, listen up. John makes the point, with WordPress at such a low barrier to entry, there are people that know about WordPress "stuff" and then there's the people that have the know-how and there's a big difference. Ask your next WordPress hire if they have actually built, supported, and launched the knowledge they posses. Bullshit radars are better than ever If you're a freelancer applying for the above job, be on the lookout: people's bullshit radars are better than ever. You might not get by with some complex jargon, flashy portfolio of themes, and free shared hosting. People want quality work and if you're pitching them cheap solutions, you should learn how to raise your rates. Customers don't know you have the solution for them This is a biggie. We (as in the WordPress community) spend so much time with each other, we never reach our clients. Sure there's the argument that you might find some low hanging fruit at large WordCamps and I'm sure there's a case for finding an enterprise client or two. But John's point is, if you're looking to drum up business, spend time at other venues where your clients will be. If your niche is restaurants, is the WordCamp audience good for you? Think about it. If you want better clients, build a better brand This is obvious, but overlooked quite often. Partly because it's not easy and the other part is we're so busy working we forget to elevate ourselves. First you need to be honest with yourself and understand that you want to grow. Second, you need to start taking those action steps to charging more and growing the brand. I need to know Do you like hearing from "non" WordPress people? Are you enjoying interviews like this that help you improve your WordPress business? Are you a freelancer getting some value from the podcast? If you like what I'm doing, consider hitting this link to join the FREE VIP list: Join VIP Now!  

Building a WordPress business? Think twice about your next WordCamp.

Want to learn how to be more productive in your freelance career or WordPress business? If you answered yes, you've come to the right place. Meet Mike Vardy a productivityist by day, author and blogger by night. I invited Mike on to the show to talk to us about becoming more lean and mean with our daily work habits and freelance business. That's not all Mike is good for -- he's been using WordPress for years and has some amazing feedback. Let's dive in! Mike Vardy interview about using WordPress as an Editor and Productivityist http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BP75dbNqwo0&feature=youtu.be Listen to the audio version "There's nothing worse than submitting an article to an editor and it's written in Word" Why I interviewed Mike and why you should care Aside from the fact he's downright awesome -- he's giving us another angle. I think it's super important to talk to the users of WordPress so we -- as the "pro" -- can fully understand how the people on the outside view the software. You might be doing this already with your own client base. Listening is a very important piece to becoming a better freelancer or small business entrepreneur. We need to take into account how the people are interacting with the product and service we put out. What does WordPress mean to my client? Do they care it's WordPress or just that it will get the job done? What is WordPress solving for this particular project? What do you think? On productivity Productivity porn. Yep, he said it. There are a TON of productivity apps, resources, videos and so on. We talk a lot about that in this interview, so make sure you give it a listen. Mike recommends getting a good feel for what works for you. If it doesn't feel right, don't force it into your daily routine. This is something I try and practice everyday. How do you stay productive? Did you like hearing this 3rd person view? Are you going to be more productive? Let me know in the comments!

Mike Vardy: Learn to manage your time, clients, and expectations

Literally, the lights went out in this episode! But hey, if you're listening to the podcast on iTunes or Stitcher - you won't even notice. Seriously though, what happens when the lights go out on your client's WordPress website? Mika leads the WordPress support team at Dreamhost and is part of the core WordPress team reviewing plugins into the repo. If you're looking to learn more about supporting clients, dealing with shared hosting and the WordPress community - this is the episode for you! Mika Epstein Interview. Supporting WordPress at Dreamhost and the community http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzNM9XX_8t0 Watch on YouTube Listen to the audio version When the lights go out on your client How do you handle support issues with your client? What happens when the problem isn't on your end, but the 3rd party you host with? Mika is the head of Dreamhost WordPress support, so we get into a lot of the behind the scene details at the popular hosting company. We're also taking the lessons learned from a big company like Dreamhost and filtering them down to the ground level of supporting your own client base. If your practice is a large agency or you're just a single freelancer with a dozen accounts -- this is the episode for you. The WordPress community Are you looking to give back to WordPress and the community? A lot of folks are always looking to give back. Andrea Rennick and I talked about this in our interview. You don't have to be a developer or designer, you can contribute in other ways. Documentation. Support forums. Evangelism. There's plenty of ways to give back and Mika and I chat about that in this interview. [photo source] How do you support your clients in their time of need? Post your tips in the comments!