Today on the WP Elevation Podcast, our guest is Sarah Pressler! Sarah is a Texas-based WordPress project manager who is here to share her experience building WordPress websites and custom plugins.
Sarah joins us to discuss the advantages of working in a small team, what she gets out of attending WordCamps, the importance of acknowledging influential role models, and much more on this episode of the WP Elevation Podcast!
Sarah is giving away one free year of DesktopServer Premium from ServerPress, valued at $99.95! To enter the competition, leave a comment below nominating one person for a WordPress leadership award.
Sarah Pressler hated WordPress the first time she downloaded it! But eventually she came to love it and today she runs a handful of WordPress-based businesses. Sarah keeps busy building and maintaining ServerPress, CodeBrain Media, and her newest project, Optimalist WordPress Plugin.
Although Sarah is a successful WordPress developer, she didn’t always picture herself working online. In fact, as a child she wanted to be an orchestra conductor. Sarah loved the idea of being in a leader. Although she doesn’t work in the music industry, Sarah is certainly plays the role of leader in her work.
Sarah started spending time on the Internet when her children were babies. She began blogging as a means to occupy herself during their naptime. Sarah also created a group for mothers in her area in order to socialize and network.
Eventually, Sarah learned HTML and CSS by tinkering with features on her blog. Her proficiency in writing online grew, and soon a friend asked Sarah to write promotional web copy. That helped Sarah realize the potential to make money online and opened her eyes to new possibilities.
Today, Sarah dedicates the majority of her time to working on business development and communicating with clients. She also keeps busy collaborating with her team on product development, as well as working on social media.
In addition to being a successful product developer, Sarah also teaches ballet. When she’s not working, Sarah loves spending her time outdoors with her children.
Join us on today’s show to hear Sarah explain why DesktopServer is a must-have tool, how being a stay-at-home-mom got her interested in the internet, and building WordPress websites and plugins on this week’s WP Elevation Podcast!
Q: What’s the #1 thing any freelancer needs to know?
A: Manage your time.
Q: What’s the best thing you’ve done to find new customers?
A: Twitter campaigns.
Q: How do you stop competing on price?
A: Absolutely stop comparing yourself to others.
Q: Any tips for writing better proposals?
A: Take your time, be thorough, and actually spend time with your clients.
Q: What’s your favorite CRM tool?
A: We love the team behind the UKUU People, which is a plugin for WordPress.
Q: Any ideas for getting referrals from existing clients?
A: Ask for them.
Q: What’s the #1 thing you can do to differentiate yourself?
A: Specialize.
You can reach out and thank Sara on Twitter or on her website.
Sarah suggested I interview Paul Clark. Paul, keep your eyes on your inbox!
Hint: to enter the competition, leave a comment below and nominate one person for a WordPress leadership award!
64 Responses
I really enjoyed the interview it had a quite interesting start “sex education” on WordPress podcast!
Cherries will never the same in my mind.
About who I would nominate as being a great WordPress personality? It must be Morten Rand-Hendriksen of Lynda.com. He is great WordPress educator and has contributed to the WordPress community connected to usability standards. Also he just a great guy and super smart!
I really enjoyed the interview it had a quite interesting start “sex education” on WordPress podcast and cherries will never the same again in my mind!
About who I would nominate as being a great WordPress personality? It must be Morten Rand-Hendriksen of Lynda.com. He is great WordPress educator who has strongly contributed to the WordPress community connected to usability standards. Also he just a great and super smart guy.
What a great conversation! I can certainly understand trying to balance working and family and the crazy hours that you sometimes end up working. I often work into the wee hours of the morning just like Sarah.
I would nominate Bill Erickson. As a Genesis developer just getting started I found his code snippets incredibly helpful, and he has been an inspiration to me as far as level and quality of projects.
What a great conversation! I can certainly understand trying to balance working and family and the crazy hours that you sometimes end up working. I often work into the wee hours of the morning just like Sarah.
I would nominate Bill Erickson. As a Genesis developer just getting started I found his code snippets incredibly helpful, and he has been an inspiration to me as far as level and quality of projects.
Great episode! I would nominate Mark Jaquith.
Great episode! I would nominate Mark Jaquith.
Great episode! Thought I’d got the wrong podcast at first though….
For me, it has to be Dustin Hartzler. 248 podcasts and 27 webinars over many years. Real insight and even personally answers questions by email.
Since finding the yourwebsiteengineer.com (via WPE 🙂 I have listened back to Jan 2013 and he has really inspired me to throw myself wholly into WordPress (after struggling about whether to switch to Drupal). I’ve now launched my first two WordPress sites within our company, and the response has been amazing.
Dustin always sounds so passionate about WordPress, and even though he is a Happiness Engineer at WordPress.com, he never tries to persuade you to use it over the self-hosted version.
Great episode! Thought I’d got the wrong podcast at first though….
For me, it has to be Dustin Hartzler. 248 podcasts and 27 webinars over many years. Real insight and even personally answers questions by email.
Since finding the yourwebsiteengineer.com (via WPE 🙂 I have listened back to Jan 2013 and he has really inspired me to throw myself wholly into WordPress (after struggling about whether to switch to Drupal). I’ve now launched my first two WordPress sites within our company, and the response has been amazing.
Dustin always sounds so passionate about WordPress, and even though he is a Happiness Engineer at WordPress.com, he never tries to persuade you to use it over the self-hosted version.
Awesome! Loved this, I’m in TX and totally motivated! I would nominate Troy Dean for the WordPress Leadership award because, it’s motivating tons of us to grow and take the market by the arm and produce awesome work. Do Deeper! Dont get me wrong, but learning the skills in WP Elevation will help us transform small businesses to no longer feeling like virgins in the market…
Awesome! Loved this, I’m in TX and totally motivated! I would nominate Troy Dean for the WordPress Leadership award because, it’s motivating tons of us to grow and take the market by the arm and produce awesome work. Do Deeper! Dont get me wrong, but learning the skills in WP Elevation will help us transform small businesses to no longer feeling like virgins in the market…
Go, JD, Go!!
Go, JD, Go!!
Hi Amber! It’s nice to meet another working mom! It’s definitely a wild ride – so grateful to be available to my family though. One day they’ll all be grown and gone!
HAHA Jonathan – oh man – that was… Troy totally caught me off guard – I haven’t heard anyone use that phrase in DECADES! LOL
Hi Amber! It’s nice to meet another working mom! It’s definitely a wild ride – so grateful to be available to my family though. One day they’ll all be grown and gone!
HAHA Jonathan – oh man – that was… Troy totally caught me off guard – I haven’t heard anyone use that phrase in DECADES! LOL
Hi, Sarah. it was funny but I also thought the interview in general was great!
Hi, Sarah. it was funny but I also thought the interview in general was great!
Thank you Sarah! I cant wait to start. I’m one of the ones that knows what can be done with wordpress, install it, setup hosting, email, themes, frameworks, etc. but bad on the pricing, design, customization of code, seo, ppc, etc. I’m looking forward to networking to get outsource till i get well rounded.
Thank you Sarah! I cant wait to start. I’m one of the ones that knows what can be done with wordpress, install it, setup hosting, email, themes, frameworks, etc. but bad on the pricing, design, customization of code, seo, ppc, etc. I’m looking forward to networking to get outsource till i get well rounded.
Hi Troy and Sarah:
Some great points you made in this episode. WordPress has the market share it does because for whatever reason, it has a strong community. Although there are times it is like a dysfunctional family, it always comes together for the greater good, and pushes forward.
There are a ton of great people who deserve to be recognized as leaders within the community. Like you, I lean towards people that feel authentic and down to earth.
You mentioned Cory Miller. I think he is a solid leader. Not strictly because of the things he’s done with iThemes, but because he inspires others, while staying humble and vulnerable. I love what he is doing with WP Prosper.
Sarah mentioned Paul Clark. I’ve never met Paul personally, but I heard him speak at WCSF last year on the work he did for the Free Burma Rangers. That’s something we can all look up to. Paul was also kind enough to give me a few pointers early on in my WP career, when most people of his level would not have bothered taking the time. I appreciate that.
Morten Rand-Hendriksen was mentioned by Jonathan. Morten is one of the most intelligent folks I’ve met, and I’ve had the pleasure of being on Hangouts with him before. He is truly part of the conscious, not only of WordPress, but also of the larger web community itself.
Chris Lema is a person who I’d consider one of our most valuable leaders. He gives freely of his knowledge and expertise, and is a very gracious person.
Nancy Lyons is a person that I didn’t know about until this year. But she’s a person who exemplifies the best parts of our community. She stands for people and social justice, and that’s something worth being passionate about.
Hi Troy and Sarah:
Some great points you made in this episode. WordPress has the market share it does because for whatever reason, it has a strong community. Although there are times it is like a dysfunctional family, it always comes together for the greater good, and pushes forward.
There are a ton of great people who deserve to be recognized as leaders within the community. Like you, I lean towards people that feel authentic and down to earth.
You mentioned Cory Miller. I think he is a solid leader. Not strictly because of the things he’s done with iThemes, but because he inspires others, while staying humble and vulnerable. I love what he is doing with WP Prosper.
Sarah mentioned Paul Clark. I’ve never met Paul personally, but I heard him speak at WCSF last year on the work he did for the Free Burma Rangers. That’s something we can all look up to. Paul was also kind enough to give me a few pointers early on in my WP career, when most people of his level would not have bothered taking the time. I appreciate that.
Morten Rand-Hendriksen was mentioned by Jonathan. Morten is one of the most intelligent folks I’ve met, and I’ve had the pleasure of being on Hangouts with him before. He is truly part of the conscious, not only of WordPress, but also of the larger web community itself.
Chris Lema is a person who I’d consider one of our most valuable leaders. He gives freely of his knowledge and expertise, and is a very gracious person.
Nancy Lyons is a person that I didn’t know about until this year. But she’s a person who exemplifies the best parts of our community. She stands for people and social justice, and that’s something worth being passionate about.
This was the first full podcast I have listened to from WP Elevation. When it first started…I thought I had downloaded the wrong thing! What the hell are they talking about virginity for?! When I finally caught up with the conversation I was hooked. Great information, informal conversation. Loved every minute 🙂 Someone else has already mentioned that Troy should be nominated. I concur. There are two places I continually go for more information: wpelevation.com and zoerooney.com. She has gone back to education, but she is still super influential on me and her content is fantastic as well. She and Troy are my top two!!
This was the first full podcast I have listened to from WP Elevation. When it first started…I thought I had downloaded the wrong thing! What the hell are they talking about virginity for?! When I finally caught up with the conversation I was hooked. Great information, informal conversation. Loved every minute 🙂 Someone else has already mentioned that Troy should be nominated. I concur. There are two places I continually go for more information: wpelevation.com and zoerooney.com. She has gone back to education, but she is still super influential on me and her content is fantastic as well. She and Troy are my top two!!
Another great episode Troy! And the “pop the cherry” comments are hilarious!
I nominate Chris Lema for a WordPress leadership award!
Another great episode Troy! And the “pop the cherry” comments are hilarious!
I nominate Chris Lema for a WordPress leadership award!
I would like to nominate Syed Balkhi. His website wpbeginner.com has been an amazing resource for getting me through the wp newbie phase!
I would like to nominate Syed Balkhi. His website wpbeginner.com has been an amazing resource for getting me through the wp newbie phase!
Weird start to a podcast …
I am going to nominate Stephen J Carnam, creator of Desktop Server. May seem like pandering a bit, but I have used a lot of tools associated with wordpress and it is the ONE tool I cannot live without.
Weird start to a podcast …
I am going to nominate Stephen J Carnam, creator of Desktop Server. May seem like pandering a bit, but I have used a lot of tools associated with wordpress and it is the ONE tool I cannot live without.
I’d like to nominate:
Ryan McGovern
https://www.youtube (dot) com/user/RayOO7Malcolm
and
Tyler Moore
https://www.youtube (dot) com/user/Conutant
who I feel have made some fantastic tips and tutorials for the WP Community!
I’d like to nominate:
Ryan McGovern
https://www.youtube (dot) com/user/RayOO7Malcolm
and
Tyler Moore
https://www.youtube (dot) com/user/Conutant
who I feel have made some fantastic tips and tutorials for the WP Community!
I nominate Chris Lema and – even though it sounds like a suck up – Troy Dean. Heck, but there are just so many great folks who are deserving.
I’ll be honest, I came over here (this time) because I sooo wanted to extend my DesktopServer Premium for free (I can’t imagine my world without it now)…
But what a fun interview. I’m already rewarded. One thing though, I’m putting my headphone on for all future WP Elevation episodes… More tea vicar!
I nominate Chris Lema and – even though it sounds like a suck up – Troy Dean. Heck, but there are just so many great folks who are deserving.
I’ll be honest, I came over here (this time) because I sooo wanted to extend my DesktopServer Premium for free (I can’t imagine my world without it now)…
But what a fun interview. I’m already rewarded. One thing though, I’m putting my headphone on for all future WP Elevation episodes… More tea vicar!
I would nominate Karol from Codeinwp.http://www.codeinwp.com/
I would nominate Karol from Codeinwp.http://www.codeinwp.com/
I nominate Oliver Nielsen from https://www.webmatros.com for his exceptional WP leadership skills and compassion!
I nominate Oliver Nielsen from https://www.webmatros.com for his exceptional WP leadership skills and compassion!
I would like to nominate Morten Rand-Hendriksen from Lynda.com. His approach fits both the novice and the seasoned, and covers the important background details while staying on-topic.
I would like to nominate Morten Rand-Hendriksen from Lynda.com. His approach fits both the novice and the seasoned, and covers the important background details while staying on-topic.
I nominate Carrie Dils from lynda.com. I’ve been inspired to work with the Genesis framework by her excellent courses.
I nominate Carrie Dils from lynda.com. I’ve been inspired to work with the Genesis framework by her excellent courses.
I would also endorse Morten Rand-Hendriksen of Lynda.com. for setting the education bar. ServerPress is a great resource I cant go without from development start to finish and then support updates and conflict catching. Just need to make sure you have a system for backing up and deleting old projects which tend to pile up 🙂
I would also endorse Morten Rand-Hendriksen of Lynda.com. for setting the education bar. ServerPress is a great resource I cant go without from development start to finish and then support updates and conflict catching. Just need to make sure you have a system for backing up and deleting old projects which tend to pile up 🙂
I nominate Dylan Ryan from http://thewpvalet.com/
I nominate Dylan Ryan from http://thewpvalet.com/
I definitely nominate morton rand-henderson from Lynda.com. He really knows wordpress backwards and forwards, and make it easy for me, when i was just starting out
I definitely nominate morton rand-henderson from Lynda.com. He really knows wordpress backwards and forwards, and make it easy for me, when i was just starting out
I want to nominate Kyle Maurer of realbigmarketing.com! He’s awesome at what he does, and is very active in the WordPress community. I wouldn’t know anything about WP or web dev without him!!
I want to nominate Kyle Maurer of realbigmarketing.com! He’s awesome at what he does, and is very active in the WordPress community. I wouldn’t know anything about WP or web dev without him!!
Although I have never met, Pippin Williamson, via the internet, I’ve listened and learned quite a bit from him. I can’t imagine developing without Desktop Server and would love to get another year for free.
Although I have never met, Pippin Williamson, via the internet, I’ve listened and learned quite a bit from him. I can’t imagine developing without Desktop Server and would love to get another year for free.
I have to second Pippin! His plugins and tutorials are awesome. This was a great session… keep up the great work!
I have to second Pippin! His plugins and tutorials are awesome. This was a great session… keep up the great work!
Syed Balkhi definitely merits a nomination for his WPBeginner, which is a great resource for information and tutorials on WordPress applications. He definitely has made WordPress more accessible for a great many people.
Syed Balkhi definitely merits a nomination for his WPBeginner, which is a great resource for information and tutorials on WordPress applications. He definitely has made WordPress more accessible for a great many people.
Geoff Blake from Tentononline.com. His courses on WordPress are great. I learned a ton from his html and css courses also. Everything course he has can have a direct effect on making better WordPress sites.
Geoff Blake from Tentononline.com. His courses on WordPress are great. I learned a ton from his html and css courses also. Everything course he has can have a direct effect on making better WordPress sites.
I nominate Carrie Dils, she was my intro to WordPress and via her i came across desktopServer. Also she started (amongst others) the ‘get-away-from-cowboy-coding’ discussion that inspired me to a better workflow. Good Job!!
I nominate Carrie Dils, she was my intro to WordPress and via her i came across desktopServer. Also she started (amongst others) the ‘get-away-from-cowboy-coding’ discussion that inspired me to a better workflow. Good Job!!
I would like to nominate Jesse Petersen from Peterson Media Group. He’s a great teacher and really “the guy” who guide me to the right way to employ “WordPress” (It’s capital P, dang it!!!).
I would like to nominate Jesse Petersen from Peterson Media Group. He’s a great teacher and really “the guy” who guide me to the right way to employ “WordPress” (It’s capital P, dang it!!!).
I would like to nominate and show my appreciation for Scott Kingsley Clark – the lead developer of the free Pods Framework http://pods.io/ and his team who are working so hard to create version 3 of Pods which is one of the best solutions for custom post types available. I am donating my time to help launch a free student directory for http://Erickson.edu. I so am grateful to all the developers who have already donated licenses for plugins, themes and tools. Desktop Server is helping me figure out what combination of plugins and themes will work best. Having more than 3 instances would be fantastic!
I would like to nominate and show my appreciation for Scott Kingsley Clark – the lead developer of the free Pods Framework http://pods.io/ and his team who are working so hard to create version 3 of Pods which is one of the best solutions for custom post types available. I am donating my time to help launch a free student directory for http://Erickson.edu. I so am grateful to all the developers who have already donated licenses for plugins, themes and tools. Desktop Server is helping me figure out what combination of plugins and themes will work best. Having more than 3 instances would be fantastic!