joshua & sally strebel keynote slides at WordCamp Reno 2011

1. BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL
WORDPRESS BUSINESS VIA
COMMUNITY
COLLABORATION
Joshua & Sally Strebel
Hashtag: #wcreno
Saturday, June 4, 2011

2. DISCLOSURE
Saturday, June 4, 2011

3. A LOVE STORY
• Joshua & Sally Strebel @strebel @bizgirl
• Husband and Wife, business partners.
• Met in college
• Married the day after Josh’s graduation
• Live in Phoenix, Arizona
Saturday, June 4, 2011

4. HARD WORK
• Started obü in 2003 as a design agency.
• BestPartyEver.com in 2006
• Flare9 (page.ly prototype) in 2006
• Page.ly in 2009
An overnight success
8 years in the making
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8. EMBRACE BIG PROBLEMS
• Everyday you are confronted with problems. Some small,
some large. Others likely have those problems as well.
• What area’s in your business are causing you problems and
what would be a perfect solution for you and others.
• Before working on your “thing” see who else may be already
doing it that you can work with. (momentum is priceless)
#wcreno
Saturday, June 4, 2011

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10. APPRECIATE YOUR
COMMUNITY
• WordPress is open-source. Someone else’s sweat is
contributing significantly to your livelihood.
• Say thank you and show your thanks often.
• Be a good ambassador & stay out of the politics.
• Give props to those that are kicking ass
#wcreno
Saturday, June 4, 2011

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12. KEEP YOUR COOL
• People are generally good.
• Suggested Reading: How to win
friends and influence people
• Your reputation is all you have.
• Don’t respond to the naysayers,
just do your own thing and be
the best at it.
#wcreno
Saturday, June 4, 2011

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14. CHOOSE THE RIGHT
PARTNERS
• Make sure there is a shared
ethos and an understanding of
what each brings to the table.
• Complimentary but Unique
• Win-win is good. Win-win-win is
be$t.
#wcreno
Saturday, June 4, 2011

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16. FALSE STARTS AND FAILURES
ARE A “TEACHING” MOMENT
• Despite your best intentions it
may not work.
• It’s okay, learn from it. FAIL pic
• Iterate and try again.
• Earning trust is not plugin.
#wcreno
Saturday, June 4, 2011

17. Saturday, June 4, 2011

18. CELEBRATE EVERY SUCCESS
• But not too much. Don’t get lazy. You are only as good as
your last home run.
• Share the wealth you greedy bastard, You did not get here
alone.
#wcreno
Saturday, June 4, 2011

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20. MEET YOUR NEIGHBOR
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22. LESS TALK DO MORE
• Improve an existing plugin
• Design a child theme for a framework
• Get involved in WordCamps
• Contribute to Core
• Involve your A-list freelancers
• ...Start something new, and look for ways to involve others.
#wcreno
Saturday, June 4, 2011

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24. THANK YOU
• http://page.ly
• @pagely @bizgirl @strebel
• Enjoy the rest of WordCamp.
#wcreno
Saturday, June 4, 2011