April 10, 2024 — The work we do in DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging) in the tech community, and WordPress specifically, matters a great deal.

Imagine making unilateral decisions on global projects from only one point of view. This effectively disengages users, customers, clients, and community. The decisions we make about how products, software, services, and community operate must take into consideration how people from every part of the world – including underrepresented groups – will use them and be involved.

From making sure our venues are wheelchair accessible, to making sure our websites are accessible to users of different disabilities and languages, to making sure our community is accessible to all people inclusive of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, physical ability, nationality, socio-economic status, religious beliefs, and any other characteristics that are a part of our identity and humanness matters. It matters a lot.

How we do the work to achieve this is allyship. And it’s worth it.

This session will present some history of how we’ve gotten where we are, the work that’s currently in place, what might be on the horizon, and how each and every one of us can (and should) advocate for representation and inclusion.

November 21, 2023 — Being Human: In today’s digital age, businesses often lose the personal touch that was once a cornerstone of customer satisfaction. Michelle emphasizes the importance of maintaining a human connection with customers. This involves genuine communication, avoiding impersonal email-only interactions, and allowing customers to connect with real people. Being human builds strong customer relationships and fosters loyalty.

Investing in Tools and People: Modern technology offers various tools to support customer success without the need for traditional phone systems. Michelle suggests investing in tools like Aircall.io to enable efficient communication between customers and customer success experts. These tools help maintain accessibility, automation, and personalized support.

Choosing Words Carefully: Michelle advises against overusing generic phrases like « thank you, » which can go unnoticed. Instead, she suggests using language that inspires and reinforces the customer’s decision to work with your company. Crafting messages that convey excitement and enthusiasm can help build a lasting relationship with customers.

Apologizing Appropriately: While apologizing is essential when necessary, Michelle suggests using nuanced language when addressing issues with customers. Instead of a simple « I’m sorry, » she recommends phrases like « it’s unfortunate, » which express empathy without necessarily admitting fault. This approach helps maintain professionalism while addressing customer concerns.

The core message of Michelle Frechette’s presentation is that by focusing on customer success and loyalty, businesses can reap numerous benefits, including easier sales, stronger client relationships, smoother renewals, more recommendations, and improved bottom-line results. To achieve this, it’s crucial to create valuable products, be genuinely human in interactions, invest in the right tools and people, carefully choose your words, and apologize appropriately when needed. Ultimately, dedicating a team to customer success can contribute significantly to the overall success of an organization.

October 4, 2023 — Join Michelle Frechette as she leads the conversation about what the Open Source Community means to three different members of the community. Where have we come from? How do we navigate where we are? What does the future hold? And how do we define success as both individuals and as a global community?

And what does this mean for WordPress?

Moderated byMichelle Frechette

October 2, 2023 — That’s what I thought to myself back in 2019 when I launched WPCoffeeTalk. I learned by doing. (Which means I learned by making a LOT of mistakes.)

Since then I’ve launched a few more podcasts, guested on even more, and co-host a few, too.

Launching a podcast is amazing, but there’s a lot you need to take into consideration, and a lot of questions to ask yourself when you get started.

Join me for a session to learn what to do, and what not to do, when you decide it’s time to become a podcaster.

September 10, 2023 — Looking for the good things during bad times has become one of my survival tactics. Finding the good in bad situations – like looking for a phoenix rising from the ashes – has often helped me stay positive when it felt like the world was burning.

The last few years have felt a lot like that. From a global pandemic to flooding, supply chain issues, political unrest, war, event cancelations, and personal struggles, this has been a difficult time for many, if not most, of us.

We have pivoted so much and so often it has felt like we have constantly been reinventing ourselves, our businesses, and our community.

So what good things have I found since this all began? WordPress has been constant and consistent. I’ve discovered a deeper love for WordPress and the WordPress community that I ever imagined.

Join me as I share the good things that have come from a trying time, and how I think we can continue to move forward in a globally-positive, community-oriented way.

August 16, 2022 — Hear from a panel of volunteers who contributed work to the WordPress. 5.6 release. Learn more about how to volunteer for WordPress.org projects and how to make new volunteers feel welcome.

August 8, 2022 — For WordPress and the WordPress ecosystem to be truly accessible, it has to be available to everyone.

Accessibility means accessible to those with disabilities (and we often focus on screen readers, etc.), but those in the BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and Neurodivergent communities often find the way to success paved with roadblocks.

This talk shares the struggles that people in our community experience in finding success, as well as ways we can all be advocates for one another and make room at the table for everyone.

October 10, 2021 — For the WordPress to be truly accessible, it has to be available to everyone. That means not only being available to those with disabilities, but also to others in the BIPOC, LGBTQ+, Neurodivergent, and senior communities.

This talk explores some of the lesser known accessibility challenges that people in our community encounter with their digital experience. It suggests how we can all be advocates for one another, and deliver a better experience to more site visitors.

May 29, 2021 — You can build your brand while boosting sales, referrals, and loyalty) by building a community around your products, services, and agency.

This talk shares some of the best practices in building community. It includes information about Facebook groups, social media strategy, community engagement, and the role of a customer success team.

March 20, 2021 — Finding the good in bad situations – like looking for a Phoenix rising from the ashes – might help you stay positive when it feels like your world is burning.

Did 2020 feel like that for you? From a global pandemic to murder hornets, to event cancelations, and personal struggles: 2020 was a difficult year for many of us.

We pivoted so much and so often it felt like we were constantly reinventing ourselves, our businesses, and our community.

This talk recognizes some of the good that came from 2020’s trying times and suggests how we can move forward in a globally-positive way.