WordCamp Kent

Here at WordCamp Northeast Ohio, we are pretty big fans of the Lifehacker series “How I Work”. We asked our speakers to do a WordPress take on that idea, and thus was born “How I WordPress”- a series where some of the best minds in WordPress share a bit about their process with our readers/attendees.

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Name

Kyle Maurer

Location

Jackson, Michigan

Current Gig

Lead Guitar

Career Summary

I started my career milking cows on a dairy farm. Since then I’ve found myself in a variety of roles which all gradually involved more and more technology, particularly web technology. In 2011 I decided I’d rather run my own company so I partnered up with a friend and we began taking on client work. Since then we’ve grown our team, grown our client base, taken on many exciting projects and have become very involved in the WordPress community.

One word that best describes how you work?

Coffee

Current Mobile Device/Why

You mean my iPhone? Are there others?

Current Computer/Why

MacBook Pro. Because I can rely on it.

What apps/software/tools can’t you live without?

Slack, Podcast App, Fitbit

What’s your workspace setup like?

Kinda looks something like this 

What’s your best time/effort-saving life hack?

Running instead of walking and driving really fast.

What’s your favorite to-do list method?

Momentum https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/momentum/laookkfknpbbblfpciffpaejjkokdgca

After your phone and computer, what gadget can’t you live without? Why?

My guitar tuner

What everyday thing are you better at than everyone else?

Writing rap lyrics about WordPress

What do you listen to while working?

Enya and The High Kings

What do you do to stay inspired?

Listen to podcasts

What are you currently reading?

Star Wars: Cloak of Deception

What sort of work are you up to now?

Painting our upstairs bathroom and working on my WCNEO presentation

What’s your sleep routine like?

10pm – 5am most days

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

If you lift others up around you and make people feel comfortable and good about themselves, you’ll be a very popular person

Any other tidbits you think might interest attendees?

I really love craft beer and home brewing. I’m also really hoping you’ll consider attending WordCamp Ann Arbor this year as well. We’re looking for speakers, sponsors and volunteers now.

Fill in the blank: I’d love to see ????? answer these same questions

Jeff Chandler

Here at WordCamp Northeast Ohio, we are pretty big fans of the Lifehacker series “How I Work”. We asked our speakers to do a WordPress take on that idea, and thus was born “How I WordPress”- a series where some of the best minds in WordPress share a bit about their process with our readers/attendees.

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Name

Don Abbott

Location

Kent Ohio

Current Gig

The Snarky Gardener – a Northeastern Ohio vegetable gardening blog.

Career Summary

Software developer for 30+ plus years; last 8 years at Kent State University

One word that best describes how you work?

Distracted

Current Mobile Device/Why

Nexus 6 – Android’s phone means I’ll get updates sooner.

 

 

What’s your best time/effort-saving life hack?

Live 5 minutes from work

 

After your phone and computer, what gadget can’t you live without? Why?

A.M. Leonard Soil Knife. I always have a knife/trowel on me while in the garden

What everyday thing are you better at than everyone else?

Gardening sarcasm

What do you listen to while working?

Podcasts, audio books, and rock music

 

What are you currently reading?

Earth Abides by George R. Stewart

What sort of work are you up to now?

Non-fiction and fiction writing, including my first book to sell via my blog.

What’s your sleep routine like?

Bed by 10 PM; up by 7 AM

 

Any other tidbits you think might interest attendees?

Guest blogger for Mother Earth News

Here at WordCamp Northeast Ohio, we are pretty big fans of the Lifehacker series “How I Work”. We asked our speakers to do a WordPress take on that idea, and thus was born “How I WordPress”- a series where some of the best minds in WordPress share a bit about their process with our readers/attendees.

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Name

Melanie Sklarz

Location

Cleveland (proper)

Current Gig

Director of Marketing

Career Summary

Museum Educator/Curator turned Content Curator/Marketer – from DC to Cleveland.

One word that best describes how you work?

Strategic

Current Mobile Device/Why

iPhone 6S – but, of course!

Current Computer/Why

Dell Netbook. Laugh all you want, but it’s small and mighty.

What apps/software/tools can’t you live without?

Canva and PicMonkey

What’s your workspace setup like?

Bold, colorful, and creative.

What’s your best time/effort-saving life hack?

Chunking tasks.

What’s your favorite to-do list method?

I’m a visual person, so I like Trello.

After your phone and computer, what gadget can’t you live without? Why?

Does my microwave count?

What everyday thing are you better at than everyone else?

Organizing my time. I use a analog planner and everything is color-coded.

What do you listen to while working?

Thievery Corporation Pandora station.

What do you do to stay inspired?

I shake up my routine as much as I can. I try a new exotic food, go someplace new or randomly search the web following my curiosity.

What are you currently reading?

The Happiness of Pursuit: Finding the Quest That Will Bring Purpose to Your Life by Chris Guillebeau

What sort of work are you up to now?

Professionally – online branding and marketing. Working on a new website. Personally – developing a creative retreat for the fall.

What’s your sleep routine like?

8 hours a night. I love sleep. It helps me be more creative.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Trust the process.

Any other tidbits you think might interest attendees?

I was trained as a feminist art historian. I love visual culture.

 

Here at WordCamp Northeast Ohio, we are pretty big fans of the Lifehacker series “How I Work”. We asked our speakers to do a WordPress take on that idea, and thus was born “How I WordPress”- a series where some of the best minds in WordPress share a bit about their process with our readers/attendees.

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Name

Seth Alling

Location

Madison Heights, MI

Current Gig

Lead Developer at Ranch House Designs (http://ranchhouseesigns.com/). I work on all new sites that require custom functionality beyond a standard WordPress install. I also design most of those sites as well.

Career Summary

I’m a developer turned designer turned developer and so on. I’ve switched back and forth between the two because I’ve gotten tired of the other, which has actually helped me become someone who can do both. I’ve been working with WordPress since 2009.

One word that best describes how you work?

“Strategery”

Current Mobile Device/Why

Galaxy S7. I prefer having a little more customization over my device, so I prefer Android over iOS.

Current Computer/Why

15″ MacBook Pro/Working with a Mac gives me easier access to a *nix command line, while still appealing to my designer side. I also love hotkeys, and it gives me the ability to program 5-finger shortcuts, which a Windows can’t do. I have the 15″ because I value the extra screen space when I’m traveling.

What apps/software/tools can’t you live without?

Sublime Text, Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, ForkLift, Sequel Pro, Twitter, DropTask, CodeKit, Spotify

What’s your workspace setup like?

I’m organized in some things, and not in others. The photo contains a quick clean of half the desk. I work out of an office I built in my basement. Yes, that’s an old CRT Monitor to the left. They still exist and mine will be replaced soon. And I stack my monitors on old religion manuals from college.

What’s your best time/effort-saving life hack?

Writing bash scripts to take care of my mundane tasks.

What’s your favorite to-do list method?

DropTask. Everything is visualized into circles. I can’t do lists.

After your phone and computer, what gadget can’t you live without? Why?

My wife and kids. Not a gadget, but I’d be lost without them.

What everyday thing are you better at than everyone else?

Making a Sloppy Joe sandwich.

What do you listen to while working?

Spotify. The music changes all the time; I really don’t have a specific working soundtrack.

What do you do to stay inspired?

I’m religious. I attend church weekly. I try to serve others in need and I read from the scriptures and pray daily.

What are you currently reading?

Brainrush by Richard Bard

What sort of work are you up to now?

Doing a deep clean of our basement so we can move most of the kids toys out of our living room.

What’s your sleep routine like?

Go to bed around 1 or 2. Wake up at 8.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

To not worry about pleasing everyone, because it’s impossible.

Any other tidbits you think might interest attendees?

My parents bought our first computer when I was 18 months old. It had double 5 1/4″ floppy drives, no hard drive and an amber monitor. I was fortunate enough to be able to play games on it. To access the game menu, I had to type my name and press enter. When I was 3, I was in a nursery class at church and we were asked if we knew how to spell our names. I eagerly raised my hand and proudly said, “S-E-T-H-Enter.” I was doomed to become a nerd.

Fill in the blank: I’d love to see ????? answer these same questions

Matt Mullenweg

Here at WordCamp Northeast Ohio, we are pretty big fans of the Lifehacker series “How I Work”. We asked our speakers to do a WordPress take on that idea, and thus was born “How I WordPress”- a series where some of the best minds in WordPress share a bit about their process with our readers/attendees.

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Name

Melinda Helt

Location

Pittsburgh, PA

Current Gig

Freelance Graphic Design, WordPress Websites and WordPress Training

Career Summary

I started my career as a print graphic designer and spent 7 years working in Higher Education Marketing where I transitioned into online design and then WordPress. I left the education world in 2011 to build my own freelance/consulting business.

 

Current Mobile Device/Why

iPhone – I’m an Apple user all the way. Tried an Android Tablet once… that wasn’t fun 🙂

Current Computer/Why

Apple MacBook Pro – Why? See above!

 

What’s your workspace setup like?

I have a small dedicated home office, but I’m often found working on the dining room table, from the couch, or from any number of local coffee shops and cafes.

 

What’s your favorite to-do list method?

While I admit it’s overkill, I use Podio for work-related to-do lists. I have a few ongoing clients that I use it with, and it’s easier to keep all of my to-dos in one place. The mobile app isn’t perfect, but it works.

After your phone and computer, what gadget can’t you live without? Why?

The only other tech gadget I use on a regular basis is my iPad. I wish I could say I used it for many things, but really, it’s just a Netflix viewer for me.

 

What do you listen to while working?

Depends on the day. Sometimes nothing, sometimes music from Pandora, sometimes background noise at the location I’m working from. Sometimes it’s even power tools!? (There’s always a renovation project going on around my house!)

 

Here at WordCamp Northeast Ohio, we are pretty big fans of the Lifehacker series “How I Work”. We asked our speakers to do a WordPress take on that idea, and thus was born “How I WordPress”- a series where some of the best minds in WordPress share a bit about their process with our readers/attendees.

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Name

David Brattoli

Location

Elyria, OH

Current Gig

Owner of Infinite Reality LLC and Web Designer/WordPress Developer at Lorain County Community College

Career Summary

Graduated from Bluffton University in 2007. Bachelors Degree in Mathematics with minor in information Technology. Associates degrees in Computer Gaming and Simulation Design and Associate of Arts with emphases in Graphic and Web Design from Lorain County Community College in 2010 and 2015. Have owned Infinite Reality LLC, a web and graphic design firm, since 2012 with an emphasis in WordPress for the last two years. Along with my business I have worked as a web designer/WordPress developer at Lorain County Community College since 2013. I have also begun teaching a Web Design class focusing in WordPress and advance web design techniques at the college.

One word that best describes how you work?

Inventive

Current Mobile Device/Why

iPhone 6 Plus. I prefer Apple products and like the powerful intuitive design of the phone and OS.

Current Computer/Why

Macbook Pro 15 inch. I find Macs to be better suited for graphics and web design. Also because it gets the job done!

What apps/software/tools can’t you live without?

WordPress, Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom), Brackets, FileZilla, Netflix, Hulu

 

What’s your best time/effort-saving life hack?

My responsive theme framework. Having a solid framework that includes responsive tools to get a project jump started saves me time everyday

What’s your favorite to-do list method?

Microsoft OneNote

After your phone and computer, what gadget can’t you live without? Why?

My Nikon DSLR camera, Xbox and Playstation. My camera because it encourages me to get away from my computer and allows me to find inspiration for my designs. Along with the camera, my Xbox and Playstation allow me to decompress because without them I might just go crazier than I already am.

What everyday thing are you better at than everyone else?

Actively listening. I find the more critiques I get on my work the stronger the work I produce.

What do you listen to while working?

Country mostly, but I mix in just about everything from 70’s rock to hip hop, RB and Rap. I listen to just about everything. It all comes down to my mood and the project I am working on.

What do you do to stay inspired?

Read blogs and websites on web and graphic design trends, videos on WordPress TV, talking with other web/graphic designers and going to local WordCamps .

What are you currently reading?

Smashingmagazine.com, WpTavern.com, mor10.com, WpBeginner.com and audio books of Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code/Inferno/Lost Symbol

What sort of work are you up to now?

Working at Lorain County Community College. We are currently transitioning all College sites to WordPress. Along with this I am currently working with several non-profit clients to create unique custom WordPress sites.

What’s your sleep routine like?

Sleep? What’s that?

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Best advice or quote I have ever heard came from a movie. Here it is
“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place and I don’t care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain’t about how hard ya hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!Now, if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain’t you. You’re better than that! ”
― Sylvester Stallone, Rocky Balboa

Any other tidbits you think might interest attendees?

 

Fill in the blank: I’d love to see ????? answer these same questions