November 14, 2019 — I’m guessing you’ve heard of burnout. It’s all over the HuffPost twitter feed. Sounds like you might be at risk given all the demands on your time and your brain. Despite being common, burnout is much more than a self-help fad. The way that burnout can effect your brain has major implications for your creativity, productivity, relationships, and overall physical and mental health. But don’t worry… you aren’t doomed to feeling fried, jaded, and apathetic. Forty years of research have helped to clarify some key burnout prevention strategies. In this presentation, Dr. Walling will give you ideas and strategies to help you keep your creative edge, professional cool, and personal sanity.

January 23, 2019 — The final panel will be a mix of prepared questions and moderated (to control length tone and moderate quality) audience questions to turn some of the aspirational and motivational points back into tactical practical takeaways.

Attendees will be guided through how the pieces fit together while inspiring and highlighting practical takeaways where attendees gain long-term motivation, and are able to implement immediate tactical changes when they get back to their desk.

January 22, 2019 — Okay so you started a business. You have a least one customer and they give you money for your service or product. Yipee! It’s all straightforward from here, right? Unfortunately, no. Dr. Walling will highlight five toxic beliefs that have the power to seriously disrupt the health of your business and the well-being of your life. These beliefs include: 1) My business is my baby. 2) I love my customers and my customers love me. 3) The hustle makes the money. 4) I got this! 5) No time for feelings- this is business. She’ll explain how founders adapt these ideas and the serious consequence they can have. And of course, she’ll walk you through how to avoid embracing these dangers so that you can do your work and enjoy your life.

August 23, 2018 — You want to live on the edge of your creativity. You want to optimize your productivity. You want your business to thrive. However, the life of the WordPress pro can come with heavy psychological burdens. Stress, isolation and the risk of stagnation can take a toll on your health and professional edge. A few simple strategies can help protect your productivity and satisfaction. Dr. Sherry (psychologist & yoga teacher) will teach you ways to better manage stress, decrease procrastination, and become adept at focusing on what’s most important. This workshop has several experiential components- participants should wear clothing that is comfortable for gentle movement.

July 8, 2018 — It’s hard to make the change from being a solopreneur to taking the first steps in partnering or hiring and broadening your team. In this talk, we will walk you through the self preparation and tactical best practices to take the first baby steps, walking and then running for both partnering with other freelancers and hiring your first team. We’ll cover how to prepare yourself and your business for an expansion and how to architect the type of team you need. We’ll emphasize the practical “how tos” you’ll need for each step.

Presentation Slides »

August 6, 2017 — You own a WordPress business. You’re someone in charge of driving the growth of a business in a competitive space. Your role may afford you many opportunities and benefits… maybe you’re living your dream. However, if you’re honest with yourself, you may also notice heavy psychological burdens like burnout, isolation, and the looming threats of stagnation and failure.

Over time, the weight of these burdens can take a major toll on your physical health, emotional well-being, relationships, and professional edge.

The good news is that a few simple strategies can help you enhance your longevity and life satisfaction. I will walk you through steps to help you better manage anxiety, find work-life integration, and become adept at reading and understanding your own personal well-being.

August 5, 2017 — As WordPress enters its teenage years, our community is no longer just thinking about startup mode. Entrepreneurs are trying to figure out longevity, and how to build a long lasting business. Karim brings the perspective of 23 years of building and leading digital teams from 30 to 300. Immersed in the WordPress ecosystem the last 5 years, Karim has seen some trends that worked against the traditional silicon valley idea’s of success. Are we a special snowflake, does Open Source make a difference in Start-up longevity?

In leading this discussion, Karim will build on the topics of the morning talks by Scott Mann and Sherry Walling. We have invited Rebecca Gill and Jon Brown, who both have many years in business before joining our community, to create a panel that collectively brings hundreds of years of business experience to the WordPress ecosystem and our community.