What inspired or motivated you to give this talk at WordCamp?
I love the WordPress community, and I want to see small businesses succeed. I think knowing your audience and how to talk to them can be a major obstacle to success.
Do you have any advice or words of encouragement for those who are thinking about getting involved in the WordPress community?
The WordPress community truly embraces and values all of its members, and is a worthwhile investment. You’re all but guaranteed to make amazing friends and professional connections if you get involved. I highly recommend it, it’s truly changed my life. 🙂
If you could make one improvement to WordPress today, what would it be?
I would improve the development documentation by making it even more user-friendly to non-developers that are trying to get into development. That’s another big hurdle I see often.
Who do you most admire and why?
Hmm… I have a hard time naming just one. I think I most admire people that have gone through public rejection of their truest self or core beliefs, and have come out stronger on the other side. Rob Bell, Ellen Degeneres, or the Dalai Lama, for example, have all been publicly shamed and rejected for being courageous enough to be unapologetic about themselves and their beliefs, and have drastically influenced public opinion, shifted the conversations we’re having, and moved the world just a bit closer to love and acceptance of all people.
What’s your favorite quote from a book or movie?
It’s not a movie, or a book (sorry), but this is from Doctor Who, “The Zygon Inversion,” and pretty much sums up my life philosophy:
Doctor: So, let me ask you a question about this brave new world of yours. When you’ve killed all the bad guys, and it’s all perfect and just and fair, when you have finally got it exactly the way you want it, what are you going to do with the people like you? The troublemakers. How are you going to protect your glorious revolution from the next one?
Bonnie: We’ll win.
Doctor: Oh, will you? Well maybe — maybe you will win. But nobody wins for long. The wheel just keeps turning. So, come on. Break the cycle.