In this episode I chatted with Andy McIlwain. Andy’s a not only a great guy but also open and honest about his experience at GoDaddy.

The post Andy McIlwain – GoDaddy Content and Humanity Manager appeared first on Adam W. Warner.

Today I chatted with Alex Standiford. We met at WordCamp Northeast Ohio and I immediately felt as though we were old friends. Funny how that happens in the WordPress community.

As with all my guests, Alex has shared an interesting path to getting involved with WordPress and plugin development.

http://www.easybeerlister.com/

With Easy Beer Lister, you will spend less time managing the beer information, both online and offline.

• Spend less time showcasing your beer on your website. Add and update all of your beer information in one place, and the info will update everywhere else.
• Spend less time fussing with manual menu creation. Easy Beer Lister makes it easy to create beer menus, both for print and a TV screen.
• Have you already added your beer information to Untappd? With the Easy Beer Lister Untappd addon, you can import all of your beers in minutes!
• To see a demo site running Easy Beer Lister, visit http://brewio.alexstandiford.com

If you’d like to help support the development of Easy Beer Lister, and make a few bucks, you can sign up for the affiliate program here:

http://www.easybeerlister.com/affiliate-area/

The post Alex Standiford – Easy Beer Lister Developer and So Much More appeared first on Adam W. Warner.

Today I chatted with Michael Hull. I met him at WordCamp Asheville in North Carolina this past weekend. As we got to know each other, he expressed an interest in podcasting and that's something I desperately wanted to get back to doing. We talked about our introduction to computers, Michael's background in Math and how he got started in WordPress.

I was at the mall play area the other day and after some kids fell down, another kid was trying to kick them in the head. I told the boy "No Kicking!" and was reminded by a family member that I shouldn't be disciplining other kids. But I think I disagree.

Why a Podcast? Personal I used to consider myself an artist. I used to write poetry, draw, paint and create things that didn't previously exist. It was a way for me to express myself and "get it out of my head", good or bad. Looking back, I think it was also a way to relieve stress and simply be happy doing something other than what was expected of me by others. Creating websites used to fill that void, but for the past couple of years it's been less about building something new and more about just keeping the business running. Business Time will tell if this reason pans out to be true. I struggled with deciding the focus of this podcast. Should it be strictly business? Should it be strictly personal? Should I talk only about being an Entrepreneur Dad? How do I build the "Adam W. Warner" brand in the best way? In the end, I made the decision to talk about whatever it is that was on my mind when I record an episode. Afterall, I think about building my business, and my kids, and my family, and my health, and my this and my that all the time. Why not use that as fodder for my content? It just makes sense because I know me. I know that if I try to create content (or art) that I'm not passionate about, I'll lose interest and move on to the next shiny object. Time I suffer from too many ideas, not enough time in the day syndrome. Add to this the responsibilities of having two young kids. I can barely find enough free time to brush my teeth each day.Sound familiar? How in the hell do I expect to find time to create more blog posts or shoot and edit video? The answer is that I won't, and more blog posts and a video podcast would fail. Audio podcasting has a few main benefits... I don't have to look presentable like I would like to on video. Parents, you know what I'm talking about. Much less editing time. Audio creation from anywhere. I can sit at my desk, or record audio from my phone while at the playground, or at 2am while sitting on the toilet if I want. (not that I would;) Why the Name? This is also something that I went back and forth on for awhile, but thanks to my friends Matt, Kim, and Robin who helped me brainstorm and drill down to a name that is catchy enough to gain some interest, but also meaningful enough to cover my somewhat varied topics. "Don't Panic! with Adam W. Warner" If you don't understand the "Don't Panic!" reference, it's a direct quote from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy book series by Douglas Adams. I read this series of books in high school and for whatever reason, the story just really stuck with me. It's a humorous adventure through Space and time with a great cast of characters, but also makes some great points about "Life, the Universe and Everything". The words "Don't Panic!" also sum up what I'm currently focusing on and that's to not get too stressed each day and be more calm. Running a business, keeping up with the household chores (like simply mowing the lawn), and managing the ever-changing schedule of wife and kids kind of threw me for a loop. I'm a planner. In order to keep my mind focused, I like to know what's coming two or three steps ahead. This has mostly gone out the window these days, so the words "Don't Panic!" mean a lot and help me keep things in perspective. I'm also 42 years old, and this number has special significance in the book series above (if you haven't read the series and intend to, don't Google it because you'll ruin the fun!) Experimenting This is still an experiment. You're going to see things like the transcription below (complete with typos and mashed together text for now) and probably other additions/deletions on this site as I piece together the technical aspects of this little vision of mine. Will I continue? Will I monetize this someday? Will anyone listen? No clue. I have some ideas, but I am committed to focusing on ONE THING and that's just creating my "art".

In this episode of WordPress People we interview Ron & Andrea Rennick of Rennick Media Ltd. If you’re not familiar with this prolific couple, and you are serious about succeeding online with WordPress, this interview is a must-listen.

Take your online business to the next level by learning how they started, the revenue streams they’ve created with their various web properties, lessons learned when looking for information, and about their latest plugin that allows a Multisite admin to completely duplicate a site, with plugins settings and all.

Special Note: The Rennicks have provided a discount coupon only for WP Pro Business readers! Check the bottom of this article for details.

Ron & Andrea Rennick Interview - WordPress People

Meet the Rennicks

Ron

Always adept at math and logic games, Ron was introduced to computers in high school through an elective course. A few years later, he had the opportunity to attend college and take a computer programming diploma program where he excelled and graduated at the top of the class.
Learn more about Ron…

Andrea

Remember the Vic20? Andrea does. She had a Commodore 64, new. Her grandfather was a radio guy and she saw that electronic gadgets can be fun. Push a button here, tweak it there… create something new.

Creativity plays a large part of her life – inside the house and out. From sewing and cooking to gardening, you won’t find her just in front of the computer. She also likes to take pretty pictures and she wishes she could get paint chips sorted by hex color.
Learn more about Andrea…

What Do They Provide to WordPress Users?

The list products and services they provide is long, and they’re not all just paid-for either. Ron and Andrea are true WordPress People and exhibit the same community spirit that WordPress, and Open Source software as a whole, was founded on.

They provide a wealth of expert advice and information through various forums including the official forums, StudioPress, and WP Tavern to name a few. They also provide free plugins to the community and offer support and regular updates to add new features and keep up with new releases of the software.

Plugins:

The Rennicks provide plugins for WordPress Network sites at WP eBooks. Please note that these plugins are for WordPress installs making use of the Multisite feature. One of their latest plugins, WP Replicator allows you to completely duplicate an existing site on a Multisite installation. It’s a very powerful plugin for streamlining the development of new sites within a Multisite install.

eBooks:

All of the plugins you’ll find on WP eBooks also come with detailed eBooks containing instructions and tips on how to make the most of the features provided. They also provide stand-alone eBooks for free plugins. One example is the installation guide for the freely available SharDB plugin.

It contains specific instructions for setting up multiple databases to scale your WordPress network (multisite) install.

• Step by Step instructions with screenshots
• Database creation using cPanel
• SSH scripts for database creation
• SSH/cron script for database backup
• Troubleshooting guide

Tutorials:

You can find a wealth of WordPress Multisite tutorials at their other site, WPMU Tutorials. WPMU stands for “WordPress Must-Use”. I believe this was the first site ever dedicated to teaching how to use the features of Multisite.

Learn more about Ron & Andrea Rennick here.

Coupon for Rennick Media Ltd. WordPress Plugins and eBooks

Now through April 25th, receive 15% off any product at WP eBooks. Just use this special coupon code when purchasing, WPRO15.

The post Ron & Andrea Rennick Interview appeared first on Adam W. Warner.

In our interview with Leanne Zinn-Cox of Red Dart Consulting you’ll learn why Leanne chose WordPress to power her management consultancy business presence.

Leanne Zinn-Cox - RedDartConsulting.com

Meet Leanne Zinn-Cox

Leanne Zinn-Cox is recognized as a visionary change agent possessing more than twenty years experience in consulting, executive management, sales and six sigma process improvement. Leanne has a proven track record of increasing revenue, quality, efficiency and profit through the deployment of strategic organizational initiatives and production/process redesign.

Please Note: The video quality is a bit lacking, but the audio is crystal clear.

What Does She Provide?

While most other consultants focus on peripheral areas and high level matters, Red Dart Consulting helps you drill down, assess your opportunities and challenges, create end-to-end innovative solutions and take aim. We collaborate with our business partners to look beyond standard solutions, develop new insights, and use proven implementation tools and methodologies for getting your business on target.

How She Got Started

Her story began at the early age of 19 and an appetite for Real Estate, she obtained her Real Estate Salesperson license and acquired her first property in Naples, Florida. Subsequently, she obtained her Community Association Management license and joined a management and real estate investment company. It was there that Leanne was drawn to the legalities of the industry and joined a law firm as a real estate legal assistant.

And so the story began. Within no time she was examining title, closing escrow, and quickly found herself managing the law firm real estate department. She was officially fully immersed in the title business. From there the sky was the limit as Leanne’s learning heightened. Her career advanced as she climbed the ladder of success in some of the industry’s most prominent companies. She quickly moved from Regional Director to State President/COO for Sunbelt Title Agency, a subsidiary of Cendant Corporation surpassing record revenues and productivity.

Learn more about Leanne and Red Dart Consulting here.

The post Interview with Leanne Zinn-Cox of Red Dart Consulting appeared first on Adam W. Warner.

We were very excited to have Brianna Karp from The Girl’s Guide to Homelessness join us for our first installment of WordPress People. Our new series will feature video, audio, and written interviews with a wide variety of WordPress users.

We hope you enjoy learning all the ways that WordPress is being used, both for business and personal blogs and websites, and Brianna’s story will show you proof of how your website or blog can help to create opportunities and open doors.

We invite you to receive emails updates when new interviews are published.

Brianna Karp - The Girl's Guide to Homelessness

Photo Credit: Kyria Abrahams

Who is Brianna Karp?

She created the blog The Girl’s Guide to Homelessness and is also now a published author with her book of the same name being published very soon. Brianna became homeless through a set of circumstances that you can read more about here.

When she knew that becoming homeless was imminent, she reached out online and had an immediate response from strangers interested in what she had to say about her situation.

From the first entry on her blog…

In three days, I will be homeless.

This is not by choice (although many individuals before me have chosen this lifestyle and enjoyed the freedoms that it can offer, and if that is what works for them, kudos!) Personally, I enjoy having a permanent residence and the sense of stability and security that it gives me. I look forward to living in an actual house again. However, it is what it is – in three days, I will be homeless. There are no caveats here, no “maybe” or “unless” or “possibly I can come up with something before then”. Come Thursday, February 26, I will be making my way on the streets of Orange County as best I can, and I will be considered that most stigmatized of people – a homeless woman.

How Did We Meet?

She started blogging using Blogger and not long after that, I became aware of her story through a video on another site I was following. I wrote about how we connected here. To make a long story short, Brianna moved her blogging to a self-hosted installation of WordPress with our help.

How Does She Use WordPress?

Brianna uses WordPress in many ways. To update her readers on what she’s been up to (and that’s a lot), to promote causes related to homelessness, and also to network with people all over the world.

There’s no doubt that The Girl’s Guide to Homelessness blog has helped to create opportunities and open doors for Brianna. Learn more about Brianna, WordPress, and blogging in our interview below.

Related Articles:

Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/12/us-books-homeless-idUSTRE74B3OI20110512
O.C. Register: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/-300057–.html

[SetupForSuccess]

The post Brianna Karp – Published Author and Blogger appeared first on Adam W. Warner.

I’ve had the opportunity to use many different WordPress slideshow plugins through the years and each of them seem to have certain features that they manage and execute very well. That said, each plugin is different and targeted toward a specific task and none of them ever satisfied me completely, but I’ve found one that comes closer than any of the others.

I want to call out right now that this is a paid plugin and that I am only sharing this information because I have purchased it myself and believe in it’s value. Therefore any links in this article that lead to the slideshow plugin are affiliate links which means if any of you end up purchasing this plugin, I can buy my dogs a few more treats:)

Promise: I will never recommend a premium plugin or theme unless I have personally used it and think it’s useful.

This plugin is aptly named Slideshow Plugin. It’s almost too direct of a name in the WordPress plugin world if you ask me, but the author seems to be pretty ingrained in the online marketing community, so I’ll assume she knows her stuff and how she wants her plugin to be found. I’ve made a short video of how to create a simple slideshow and insert it into a WordPress page using a shortcode that the plugin provides. I purposefully did not administer the plugin before making this video in order to show you just how user friendly and straightforward it was to setup a nice looking slideshow in a matter of minutes.

Click Image to Watch Video

There are several more configuration possibilities with this plugin, including adding an audio file to play during individual slideshows you create. Overall I’ve been very happy with the features of this plugin and in my opinion, it was well worth the cost of the developer license that enables me to use it on any client site that needs a slideshow feature. Read more about the WordPress Slideshow Plugin here.

The post How to use the WordPress Slideshow Plugin appeared first on Adam W. Warner.