Matt Report

Think freelancing is a tough gig? Try moving half way around the world and rebuilding your business from the ground up. In this amazing interview with Amber Weinberg, she's going to share that story with us. We're going to discuss the journey of selling WordPress sites to anyone that wanted one, to now working strictly working with agencies and commanding a minimum starting budget. All that and more in the latest episode of the Matt Report! Amber Weinberg on becoming a professional WordPress developer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltnlzNhHXKA Click to watch on YouTube Listen to the audio version What it takes to go from freelance to professional In every interview, I try and find the most useful lesson we can all take away after listening. What really excites me about Amber's story is how she progressed as a freelancer to a professional WordPress developer. Working strictly with agencies now and no longer doing "battle" with civilian WordPress websites. And did I mention she moved across the pond in the middle of all this? If you're a newbie developer or running your own business - listen to how Amber progressively made the shift to command more money per project by finding the right client. I hope you find this lesson as useful as I did. Want to know when I release more awesome interviews? Subscribe to my newsletter! Want to see something different or have someone you want me to interview? Let me know in the comments!

Amber Weinberg: Conquer your freelance career; become a professional WordPress developer

What makes a support team, business, or community successful? Someone with awesome drive, who communicates well, and genuinely cares about the customer. That's just a small part of what makes Andrea Rennick rock at her job at Copyblogger Media. I want you to watch or listen to this interview (because we had some technical difficulties half way through) and feel the passion that Andrea brings to the table. This is super important for those of us just starting out or even veterans looking to grow our business. You have to be passionate and care about the customer - bottom line. Andrea is going to share that and more about the WordPress community in the latest episode of the Matt Report! Andrea Rennick teaches us the importance of caring for our WordPress customers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYjHD_23iu8 Click here for YouTube Listen to the audio version Community If you're not building a community for your business or product - what are you waiting for? The competition is too great for you to think you can just sell to one customer and move on to the next. People want more value for their dollar, so start giving it to them. On the flip side, you can't go it alone building your freelance or agency presence. Build a community of other professionals around you. Need another WordPress developer? Connect with one. How about a designer? Discover some on the social web. Community means more than just where you live - it's who you interact with on a daily basis. People that are progressing your career or you as a person without you even realizing it. Take some time this holiday season and brainstorm how you will grow your community in 2013. Whatta' ya think? So far so good? I need more feedback! Are you liking these interviews? Do you want something different? Let me know - Christmas is right around the corner! If you can share this link with someone that would be super. If you could sign up for my newsletter, that would be an awesome present! :) Til next time!

Andrea Rennick customer advocate at Copyblogger on building a community in WordPress

Some of us love what we do and some of us do not. Tom McFarlin joined me to talk about building his WordPress freelance career. He's a partner at 8bit and co-creator of  The Standard Theme. He works with a wide range of clients and considers himself successful in doing so. It's not because of the money he makes - but that he loves what he does. I was delighted to have Tom on and share his experiences with us. Let's sit back and watch this amazing interview! Tom McFarlin on WordPress freelancing, building a team, and doing what you love http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0ELBAhrMwM&feature=plcp Click to watch Listen to the audio version The journey Here's what I love about Tom's journey: it's authentic. There was no master plan or cunning strategy. It was hard work, making connections, and building a product that someone loves that brought him his success. Tom has a lot of different identities online. From his freelancing portfolio, working with 8bit, to downloadable themes. He keeps this all organized using exceptional time management skills. He shares some of his tips with us in the video. Building a team via networking And we're not talking LinkedIN. Tom has been involved with the WordPress community since he started coding plugins. He also shares that getting involved with others and putting your work out as soon as you can is one of the best steps a young freelancer can do. It was by taking these steps, Tom was noticed from others in the community and how the guys at 8bit brought him in. What did you think? Episode #4 in the can! What do you think so far? I'm still working on the technicalities and interview questions as we move along. Want different questions? Shorter interviews? Let me know in the comments!

Tom McFarlin: How to make a living and find success using WordPress

Making money while you sleep is awesome. Making money while you sleep using WordPress is even better. Meet Brian Casel of CasJam Media. In episode #3 of The Matt Report, Brian and I discuss the life of a freelancer transitioning into a solo entrepreneur with a software as a service product. Brian built his product Restaurant Engine on WordPress. It's a place for small business eateries to come and start an affordable website. Continue to the interview to get all the great details of his journey. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ntg6S1gnA0&feature=plcp Listen to the audio version What you're going to get from this This was an amazing episode that went a bit longer than I expected. But that's OK because you're going to benefit from it. We talked about his journey from WordPress designer, virtual studio manager, to product designer for his new venture. The journey that he took to get there was found by satisfying his own itch in our industry. He found a need within his own client set, built a product, and now caters to them with an affordable valuable solution. Tons of great take aways from this. Struggling with supporting your own client base? Just when I thought supporting clients with a SaaS prodcut was going to be the number one issue -- it wasn't. Brian shares some great insights on how he supports his clients and how he actually enjoys doing it. He looks at support as a great feedback mechanism to help mature and expand on product offerings. He also shares some of the tools and tactics he uses to connect with users online. How do you find customers online? The million dollar question. Brian and I will discuss some of the methods he uses to attract more customers. We also talk about how efforts need to be made offline in today's noisy social media driven web. Looking for that right client? It might take more than a tweet or wall post. I'm still trucking on Lots of things still cooking for The Matt Report. I'm only 3 episodes in and I hope you're all enjoying it. I still need to improve as a host and I plan on it. Would love to know what you think in the comments below!

Launching a SaaS product using WordPress with Brian Casel

I had the chance to interview one of my favorite WordPress personas on Twitter Curtis McHale. I've been following Curtis for a while and just love the type of content he puts out. If you make a career out of using WordPress or a Freelancer in general you should read his blog and follow him on Twitter. If you want to learn how to scale from the small $500 sites, raise your rates, and fire your bad clients -- continue on to watch the interview! Watch the interview with Curtis McHale http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvVtEByQtTE Listen to the audio version As you will learn in this interview, he's a self proclaimed "great ranter." He expresses his thoughts, opinions, and experiences loud and clear. He also has the clout to backup his hard work ethic and passion for WordPress development. Hailing from outside of Vancouver Curtis makes a living developing WordPress sites and apps -- he's stopped by for an interview to share his thoughts with the rest of us. If you like what he had to say, please thank him! Thoughts on episode #2 of the MattReport This is only my second interview and I'm viciously studying other mediapreneurs out there to improve my content. I'm not happy with my lack of asking the right questions, talking too much, and rushing the guest into new segments without feeling that the last question was properly expanded upon. I've still got the um's and ah's and I hope to start working on those. If you like or don't like something I do in the interview, please let me know in the comments!

How to become a better freelancer and find the right clients with WordPress developer Curtis McHale.

Watch this interview to learn how Jesse Friedman went from newbie WordPress developer to noted WordPress author of The Web Designers Guide to WordPress (aff. link) in just 5 years. Also, we talk about doing WordPress the right way, the WordPress community, and how you can get involved and accelerate your career. Stick around to the end and learn how you can win a WP Engine hosting account FREE for the rest of your life. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRpb2Ji0WKw&feature=share&list=PLJPZBGTYJ3EIl1DRSBMgL_bCLuKuh7SAm Listen to the audio podcast Note: I hope everyone enjoyed my first interview on the MattReport! I promise to improve quality of the video and do away with my ummm's, uhh's, and ahh's as I progress! Thanks for watching and please subscribe if you want more great WordPress interviews!

Web Designer’s Guide to WordPress: How this developer became a noted WordPress author.