You Have Something to Say

WordCamp Lancaster
March 5, 2016

taupecat.github.io/you-have-something-to-say

Tracy Rotton

@taupecat
Front-End Architect for
RP3 Agency in Bethesda, Maryland
Doin’ the #webdev thing since 1994

My Story

Like a lot of people, I started with WordPress by using it to create a simple, personal blog. I had years of web development experience, but had never used WordPress before. When I built my first WordPress blog, I found a theme I liked on the WordPress.org repository. I didn't feel like my blog really needed categories, so I didn't use them. But then all my posts had a "Filed under: Uncategorized" line at the bottom. It seemed silly. Since I knew PHP, I decided to go in and remove that line from the template. But there was a problem: I was afraid whoever wrote the theme would discover it and get mad at me. (No one is going to get mad at you if you modify a theme, although there better ways to do it than others.) Later, my career took a turn—as careers often do—and I found myself starting to develop WordPress sites professionally. I went to my first WordCamp (WordCamp Mid-Atlantic) and learned more about WordPress in one day than I had the previous six months. Later on, I joined a meetup group and started learning from the incredible community I didn't even realize was around me. After awhile, I felt like I had enough confidence to share some things I had been learning along the way. I had recently finished my first client responsive design project, and I was doing even more WordPress custom theme development. In the process, I thought of ways to combine the two. So I approached Andy Nacin and said I wanted to speak at a meetup. It went well.

Why Am I telling you all of this?

Your Story…

Why Are You Here?

Tweet it!

Everyone in this room has something that they know more about than anyone else.

Tweet it!

Find your passion and build on it.
Find your niche.

Tweet it!

Own What You Know

Tweet it!

Research, Research, Research

Tackling Imposter Syndrome

Learn By Helping Others Learn

You Have a Voice

Thank You

Share your story:
#MyWPJourney