WPMRR WordPress Podcast
188 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 34 ratingsIf you want to hear from folks behind companies like HubSpot, Help Scout, Indie Hackers, startups.com, Castos, Jilt, Delicious Brains and Beaver Builder, you've come to the right place. Welcome to the WPMRR WordPress Podcast, a weekly show completely dedicated to bringing you the very best from the intersection of WordPress and monthly recurring revenue. Whether you're new to the WordPress community or a wily open-source veteran, join the founder and CEO of WP Buffs and The WPMRR Virtual Conference, Joe Howard, as he hosts a diverse crowd of the best and brightest WordPress minds around. Want to grow a plugin business to 300,000 active installs in 1.5 years? Listen to Bhanu's episode. Want to run a podcast that's driven 500,000,000 downloads? Bradley's episode is for you. Want to scale a design agency to $2M ARR while working less and spending more time with family? Tune into Jay's episode. And with guests like Chris Lema, Joost de Valk and Brian Krogsgard, you're guaranteed to get the inside scoop on the future of the WordPress economy itself. Every week comes new stories that are guaranteed to give you lightbulb moments in your journey of building your own WordPress business. Subscribe today and we'll be in your podcast player this upcoming Tuesday!
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
E38 - Bib Fortuna on running a $10,000,000+ business (Wil Schroter, startups.com)
April 23, 2019 06:00 - 41 minutes - 39.5 MBBib...well, Wil has been starting startups since before the internet was a thing. He’s got 20+ years of experience founding multiple companies, much of that experience he shares today. We talk about why it’s not smart to try to do too much at once, what building an internet business was like before your grandma knew what a startup was, and we humanize the inner emotional battle we each go through while working on our companies. Enjoy and check out his podcast, Startup Therapy!
E37 - Going open-source or closed platform
April 16, 2019 06:00 - 45 minutes - 63.8 MBIs your business safe? Today’s episode goes deep as we go over the pros and cons of using open-source or closed platforms. So if you’re interested to know what the banning of white nationalists on Facebook has to do with the future of your business make sure to give this episode a listen.
E36 - Éowyn on productizing eCommerce email automation (Beka Rice, SkyVerge/Jilt)
April 09, 2019 06:00 - 50 minutes - 70.4 MBIf you’re building a team you better love meetings. Beka shows us how she’s able to manage a team of over twenty people in an engaging and efficient manner, making sure no one feels left out. We cover topics like converting abandoned carts into sales, the practicalities of email marketing, and pricing of your products and services.
E35 - Christie’s big news!
April 02, 2019 06:00 - 48 minutes - 67.5 MBWell, there’s no need to ruin the surprise right? You’ll just have to listen to hear the news for yourself ;)
E34 - Wonder Woman on providing churn lowering support (Michelle Ames, Give)
March 26, 2019 06:00 - 46 minutes - 43 MBIn case you’re wondering if Michelle’s the real Wonder Woman, she’s not...but she is a woman working wonders. She’s the head of customer success at Impress.org and in this episode she gives us many practical tips on dealing with frustrated customers, keeping happy customers happy, and why managing relationships is the key to lowering churn. Enjoy!
E33 - Qui-Gon Jinn’s 48-hour content marathon (Bob Dunn, bobwp.com)
March 19, 2019 06:00 - 45 minutes - 64.4 MBQui-Gon Jinn...again!? Just kidding, it’s Bob from BobWP. We talk about why age shouldn’t be the thing to stop you from starting in the WordPress space, reminisce on how blogging used to be and how it’s still a relevant medium today, and why written content is the key to driving organic traffic to your site. Enjoy!
E32 - R2-D2 on dominating the enterprise space (Mario Peshev, DevriX)
March 12, 2019 06:00 - 48 minutes - 67.5 MBMario tells all on all things clients, agencies, and enterprises. More specifically about analyzing similar issues multiple clientele may be having and how allocating a percentage of income generated by their business towards hiring a research and development team to solve that joint problem the group is experiencing, which, in turn saves time...and maximizes revenue. And that’s just one small part of what we cover in today’s episode, be sure to tune in!
E31 - How to take a 3-week vacation from your business
March 05, 2019 07:00 - 45 minutes - 62.8 MBIf you think you’re the star quarterback of your business - YOU’RE WRONG! Your business isn’t you and if you can't take a 3-week vacation at any given time you will eventually be punished by your own success. A founder’s job isn’t to do everything all the time, a founder’s job is to do just enough work to get paid so they can delegate that work allowing you to focus on the next thing, your job as a founder is to grow. But how can you grow if you don't at least have the opti...
E30 - Qui-Gon Jinn on eclipsing 33% of the web (Joost de Valk, Yoast and WordPress)
February 26, 2019 07:00 - 38 minutes - 54.3 MBJoost tells his story from working as a consultant to becoming a freelance consultant to building the empire that is Yoast but that’s not all we talk about. We talk about WordPress - what it is and how it got so big, and our projections for the future of the platform, as well as some tips for new businesses. Like prioritizing design and the power of branding early on. This is a great conversation, be sure to grab your notebook!
E29 - BB-8 on physical and digital organization (Joe Casabona (casabona.org)
February 19, 2019 07:00 - 46 minutes - 65.6 MBWho knew BB-8 was a pen connoisseur? In today’s episode, Joe goes deep on everything note taking: pens, notebooks, to-do apps, how to efficiently get tasks done, and more. He’s a genuinely cool dude and he even timeboxes too! So go ahead, grab a cup of joe and hang out with a couple Joes. Episode resources: Hobonichi Techo Timeboxing
E28 - Yoda on scaling a highly profitable business (Troy Dean, WP Elevation)
February 12, 2019 08:00 - 44 minutes - 62.6 MBMay the force be with you today because we have a very super special guest...Yoda! We talk about how standard operating procedures are key to scaling a business quickly and efficiently, how journaling is keeping him focused on high-level goals, and why good sales shouldn’t come off as sales-y.
E27 - Background Ewok #5 on thriving as an independent designer (Michelle Schulp, Marktime Media)
February 05, 2019 08:00 - 36 minutes - 51.9 MBWebsites aren’t just pages on the internet, they are content displays...and that’s why great design is important. Michelle tells us how she leverages jobs as portfolio building learning opportunities, makes an impact as a keynote speaker, and does all this while still living a healthy lifestyle by prioritizing diet and exercise - even if that means being late to work!
E26 - Darth Maul on sales and marketing for freelancers (Jennifer Bourn, Profitable Project Plan)
February 04, 2019 08:00 - 43 minutes - 61.1 MBJennifer may not be Darth Maul but she’s got a temper like a sith lord if you cross her or her family! Today’s episode is jammed packed with practical tips and tricks for everything from standing out as a freelancer, transitioning out of agency work while still maintaining MRR through courses, and how to get your kids involved in your business. You do not want to miss this one!
E25 - Obi-Wan on getting to 15,000,000+ downloads (Jeremy Moore, Ninja Forms)
February 03, 2019 08:00 - 39 minutes - 55.4 MBLet’s be honest, 15mil+ product downloads doesn’t happen overnight, there are many tiny steps that lead to explosive growth along the way. Jeremy talks about MRR vs ARR, price elasticity, why employees may have to wear multiple hats and when that’s appropriate, and much, much more in today’s episode. He may not be the real Obi-Wan Kenobi but his WordPress wisdom comes close. Enjoy!
E24 - Frodo on scaling premium WooCommerce hosting (Rahul Nagare, Scale Dynamix)
February 02, 2019 08:00 - 43 minutes - 60.8 MBRaising prices might seem counterintuitive to scaling your business, but think again! Rahul tells us exactly why raising your prices, sometimes exponentially, can help you drum up higher quality business. Fewer clients, more revenue, and better relationships - it’s a win-win for everyone.
E23 - V on transitioning from motorcycles to SaaS (Marc Benzakein, ServerPress)
February 01, 2019 08:00 - 47 minutes - 65.9 MBThe more control you have over your business’s systems, the more juice you get out of the orange...or however the expression goes. The number of employees you have doesn’t equal how great your company is, sometimes extra employees are just band-aids for improperly designed systems. In today’s episode, Mark tells us why this is and how he would do things differently if he had to do it all over again.
E22 - Princess Leia on developing fearless freelancers (Carrie Dils, Fearless Freelancer)
January 31, 2019 08:00 - 33 minutes - 46.6 MBEver wondered how to freelance or how to be a more successful freelancer? Carrie spills the beans on everything...from why you feel like you’re not being paid enough, why not knowing what to do is okay as long as you have persistence, how to network with like-minded people, and much more! She’s a teacher at heart so have your notebooks ready, enjoy!
E21 - Threepio on telling stories that close deals (Chris Lema, Liquid Web)
January 30, 2019 08:00 - 44 minutes - 61.4 MBHey, we’re coming at you live from BeachPress this week and our first guest is Chris Lema! He’s actually running the event this year and tells us how bringing awesome people together through storytelling is the key to exponential growth.
E20 - How to get your 1st customer (and then some)
January 29, 2019 08:00 - 51 minutes - 72.2 MBToday we share 1st customer stories, how when you’re starting out sometimes you have to do things that don’t scale, and why millennials are killing the fabric softener industry. Whether you’re struggling to find your 1st customer or are on your 1,000th you’ll be enjoying giggling at our silly blunders along the way. PS, stay tuned for new episodes every day for the next 7 days!
E19 - Sauron on bootstrapping a startup community (Channing Allen, Indie Hackers)
January 22, 2019 08:00 - 48 minutes - 45.3 MBThe man, the legend, it’s Channing Allen! Today we get straight into the eyebrow raising details of bootstrapping one of the best startup communities online from scratch. We throw back the conversation to episode 7 where we talk about community building and how the Allen brothers chose to host their tribe on a platform of their own. If you are interested in online business you have to listen to this! Episode resources Indie Hackers Follow Channing on Twitter
E18 - Another Ewok on preparing for a year of digital nomadism (Robby McCullough, Beaver Builder)
January 15, 2019 08:00 - 45 minutes - 63.3 MB“Yub nub!” Another Ewok!? Robby McCullough talks about creating a life suited to travel, why living minimally is key, and how he believes experiences are much more valuable than material things. That’s why he’s had enough of the office life and is now preparing to gallivant the world as a bongo playing Ewok. Not really, but close! Acoustic guitars and WordPress will be involved. Episode resources: Beaver Builder Blog Follow Robby on Twitter
E17 - Yoda on dominating your finances (Ben McAdam, benmcadam.me)
January 08, 2019 08:00 - 50 minutes - 70.2 MB“PATIENCE YOU MUST HAVE my young padawan.” Ben is the Yoda of business finances, hands down. We cover so many awesome topics to help you and your business run lean and mean! Covering concepts like the 80/20 rule of profitability, how as a business grows it begins to gain some fat around the edges, and how it’s a good idea to tidy up your finances with a monthly expense review. Just listening to this episode will get you thinking about what expenditures you can cut to save some cash.
E16 - Jar Jar on masterfully experimenting with WordPress (Matt Giovanisci, Moneylab)
January 01, 2019 08:00 - 52 minutes - 49.8 MB“Mesa called Jar Jar Binks, mesa your humble servant!“ Okay, the first guest of the new year isn’t actually Jar Jar, but he’s kind of silly like him. His name is Matt Giovanisci and he once coded his own version of WordPress by accident. Today’s episode is interesting because Matt’s take on building WordPress sites will make you think. He urges founders not to put all of their eggs in one pool (get it?) and not to think of WP sites just in terms of MRR and ARR, but also like an investo...
E15 - Big, hairy, audacious goals for 2019
December 25, 2018 08:00 - 47 minutes - 44.6 MBHappy holidays WordPress people! Hopefully you enjoy our caroling...attempts. May your WP stocking be filled with much MRR this holiday season. Listen up for our goals moving into 2019 and why the new year is sort of an arbitrary time to set big goals for your business, but it also makes sense too. New year, new you, and all that jazz. Stay safe as you travel on the holidays!
E14 - Lando on scaling WooCommerce (Julian Melissas, Craftpeak)
December 18, 2018 08:00 - 39 minutes - 56 MB“How you doin’, ya old pirate? So good to see ya!” Today we have on Han Solo’s best friend and arch enemy, Lando Calrissian! Well not really, but he’s just as crafty (minus the backstabbing) meet Julian Melissas of Craftpeak. We talk craft, beer, and WordPress in today’s episode. So grab a cold one and hang out with us! Episode resources: Craftpeak Follow Julien on Twitter
E13 - Aragorn on moving from artist to marketer (Caylin White, WP Buffs)
December 11, 2018 08:00 - 47 minutes - 44.8 MBMeet the head buff of marketing at WP Buffs, Caylin White! Today we talk about her experiences as an artist and how she leveraged those skills to become a marketer. We also talk about the Lord of the Rings, floating in space, and much, much more. Enjoy!
E12 - A WordCamp US preparation guide
December 04, 2018 08:00 - 47 minutes - 66.9 MBTraveling is difficult, but with a little preparation, it doesn’t have to be...tacos help too. In today’s episode, we go over Joe’s WordCamp travel checklist, Christie’s taco Thursday party coming up, and how to get the most out of your WordPress business trips. Episode resources: Schedule for EVERY WordCamp
E11 - An Ewok on experimenting with pricing (Brad Touesnard, Delicious Brains)
November 27, 2018 08:00 - 46 minutes - 44.2 MBYaa-yaah!—"Greetings!" (in Ewokese) Nom, nom, nom… delicious brains aren’t just for zombies. In today’s episode, an Ewok named Brad Touesnard of Delicious Brains spills the gray matter on all things pricing and how scratching your own itch can be a great starting point when you’re new to business. We also talk about how honesty is the best policy when it comes to raising existing prices. You don’t want to miss this!
E10 - 5-ish ways to overcome your screen addiction
November 20, 2018 08:00 - 1 hour - 85.3 MBEver felt your phone vibrate in your pocket only to see you’ve got no new notifications? Ever lock your phone’s screen only to open up the same app you just closed 10 seconds later? Let’s face it, we’re all addicted to technology. If you’re a business owner looking to scale you have to focus on high-value tasks. Compulsively checking Twitter isn’t one of them! In today’s episode, we teach you how to take back your time the attention economy is stealing from us all.
E9 - Han Solo on being acquired (John Turner, SeedProd)
November 13, 2018 08:00 - 47 minutes - 66 MB“It’s not wise to upset a Wookiee.” In today’s episode Han Solo, AKA John Turner (not actually Han Solo), founder of SeedProd shares his experience building his company, selling 10,000 downloads of his plugin in the first two months, and his recent acquisition. We also talk about how he started in business in general, dealing with imposter syndrome, and diving deep into the moment he knew the 9-5 lifestyle wasn’t for him, as well as all the struggles and triumphs in between. ...
E8 - How to immediately get outed as a WPN00b
November 06, 2018 08:00 - 49 minutes - 46.5 MBWe’ve all done it, spelled WordPress with a lowercase “p”, or falsely claimed WordPress powers 90% of the internet. Today’s episode is filled with our embarrassing noobish mistakes and plenty of talk about dank WP memes. Whether you could use a good laugh or truly are a WPN00b you will want to hear this! Episode resources Brad William's WP Drake meme Spell my name meme Follow Joe on Twitter Follow Christie on Twitter
E7 - Should you use Facebook groups or Slack for community building?
October 30, 2018 07:00 - 52 minutes - 49.4 MBIt may take a village to raise a child and so too does it take a community to raise a business. Facebook groups and Slack channels can be effective ways of educating and engaging your core audience. Building a sense of community with your users can really differentiate you from the competition and give you the springboard needed to get quality feedback on new features or be your first new customers for new business ventures. Are you fully utilizing the benefits of community building fo...
E6 - Does ARR suck compared to MRR?
October 23, 2018 07:00 - 48 minutes - 67.3 MBOftentimes a yearly subscription can feel more like a one-time purchase as users churn without you even knowing (that is until you notice a steep drop off next year) or perhaps many consumers are experiencing “sticker shock” and passing on a $500/yr service, instead purchasing the more expensive in the long run, $50/month service, but does this mean ARR really sucks compared to MRR? Well, it depends. Find out which is best for your business in today’s episode! Episode resources: ...
E5 - Should you find a co-founder or go it solo?
October 16, 2018 07:00 - 48 minutes - 68.5 MBJoe is a solo founder, Christie has a co-founder, and having a co-founder can be a lot like being married, whereas being a solo-founder can be utterly overwhelming. Are you undecided which option is right for your company? In today’s episode, we go over 6 pitfalls of founding a business solo or with a partner. Episode resources: WP Simple Pay Sandhills Development AffiliateWP
E4 - Why project-based WordPress work is becoming old-school
October 09, 2018 07:00 - 40 minutes - 56.8 MBMany developers begin in the WordPress space building websites for themselves, clients, even YOUR MOM! Sure, you can make good money building websites for people, but this model of one-off gigs is quickly becoming the old-school way of getting work done. Every day more and more developers are choosing to sell subscription services and digital products (like WordPress themes and plugins!) over project-based work. In today’s episode, we’ll reveal why! Episode Resources: Brad...
E1 - The fatal E-Myth assumption that will kill your business
October 02, 2018 16:22 - 40 minutes - 56.1 MBMany entrepreneurs today are extremely talented in their niche, let’s take WordPress development for example. Just because you understand WordPress development and can build kickass websites doesn’t necessarily mean you know how to run a WordPress development business...yet, anyway. Are you thinking about insurance? HR? What about hiring? No? Not good! Simply being aware of this fatal assumption will get you thinking about how you can solve these problems and grow your business quickly...
E3 - Conquer the clock and add hours to your day with timeboxing
September 29, 2018 17:49 - 42 minutes - 59 MBDo you know what billionaires like Elon Musk and people like the rest of us have in common? 24 hours day, 365 days a year. Time, it’s the one constant between all of humanity. In today’s episode, we will go over various time management techniques to help you get more done in less time. Imagine taking advantage of Parkinson’s Law by only giving yourself 2 hours to do a full day’s work. You would then be forced to focus on the 20% of high impact tasks that would yield 80% of ...
E2 - To work or not to work...remotely
September 29, 2018 17:49 - 48 minutes - 68 MBDigital Nomad is a term we’ve all heard in recent years. You know, the people who wake up and 1 pm traveling the world working from WiFi connection to WiFi connection in every country imaginable? With today’s rapidly evolving workforce and rise in people making full-time salaries doing freelance work online more and more work is being done by regular people like us through the Internet. Before you get too excited, just because you can work from home or anywhere else in the world ...