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Topher: Hey everyone, welcome to Hallway Chats. I’m Topher, your host today. My regular co-host Nyasha is sick today, so it’s just gonna be me and our guest.

Before we get started, I want to say thanks to our sponsor Nexcess. We’ve been hosted with Nexcess for a couple of years now and it’s been extremely good. To put it bluntly, their servers are fast, uptime is great, good communication when there needs to be downtime. A couple of times over the couple of years we’ve had midnight outages for 20 minutes while they redo something. But that’s great. I’m happy with their communication.

As a nerd, they give me what I want. I like SSH, I like database access, I like to get under the hood, and it’s all there. They also offer some stuff I don’t use but it looks really sharp. They have WooCommerce automated testing, which is great if you’re running Woo. They have a Sales Performance Monitor and a plug in performance monitor. So if those things sound like something you can use, I recommend giving it a shot.

You have to forgive me, I have a slight cold but we’ll press through. Our guest today is Maestro Stevens. Welcome, sir.

Maestro: Thank you for having me, Topher. Great to be here.

Topher: Welcome. I’ve been looking forward to this.

Maestro: Absolutely.

Topher: We met quite recently at Buffalo WordCamp for the first time. And then very soon after we got connected because of WordCamp Europe, and now we’re doing this. It feels like within the span of a month we’ve become best buddies.

Maestro: Yes, yes. It’s been a short journey but it feels like it’s been forever.

Topher: Yeah. You know, I’m impressed that we haven’t run into each other sooner because I mean, we live within 300 or 400 miles of each other. It seems like we would be going to the same kind of WordCamps or meetups in the same communities, you know?

Maestro: Yeah, I definitely can see that happening a lot more now that we have linked up at the WordCamp Buffalo-

Topher: Oh, yeah.

Maestro: That’s where we met in person, got acquainted.

Topher: So tell me a little about yourself. Where do you live and what do you do?

Maestro: Speaking of where I live, like you said, I’m pretty close to you. I’m in Cleveland, Ohio, currently is where I reside and I am a Brand Webmaster, also coined myself as the Fresh Prince of WordPress, just mainly because I’m striving to bring a fresh perspective to the WordPress community. I started my journey in WordPress back in 2018. But I started my company, which is a creative agency, helping people build websites and brands back in 2015.

Topher: Awesome. I’m going to tip my hand a little bit and tell the crowd that this is our second time through this podcast because somebody didn’t press the “record” button. So a couple of my questions I kind of know the answer to but I want to hear them again anyway. You own your business. Are you a solo? You said you had a team. Are they W2 or contractors? Where are you in that growth process?

Maestro: Good question. Within the growth process, I started my hiring process about two years ago. Started off with part-timers and contractors. I did the whole, you know, Upwork and Fiverr thing, then I ended up just deciding to outsource overseas permanently, I would say, and just hire and work with people part-time. And then recently this year, I brought on two of my staff members that I’ve been working with for the past two years. They’re the ones who’ve made it through the trials and tribulations. I brought them on full-time, and I pretty much call them my employees or training wheels, if you will.

Topher: What was it that gave you the confidence to commit to paying people that much? Like they’re dependent on you now. Was it you just had enough work consistently and said, “Hey, let’s go for it”?

Maestro: I would say what gave me the confidence was me, and I don’t know exactly what sources that I use. I was doing a lot of research at that time, whether it was Google or YouTube. But I was just getting a lot of great feedback… not feedback, but great ideas from other people who are looking to take themselves to the next level out of entrepreneurship or solopreneurship and become a real business owner. And they said, you know, you’re going to run into a wall at some point in time between working with people who are coming in and out of your business, or even part-time versus people who are working with you consistently more so full-time because they’re less distracted with other projects.

Topher: Oh, yeah.

Maestro: You know, and I really thought about that and it really resonated with me because that was one of the big keys of building culture, you know, having the attention.

Topher: Yeah, I never thought of that. That’s a really good point. I guess it’s why a lot of companies don’t allow side work—they want your focus. Well, that’s really good stuff. So you’re going to be speaking in two weeks at WordCamp Europe? How long?

Maestro: A weeks?

Topher: Oh, eight weeks?

Maestro: I mean, no. Like a week? It’s less than two weeks. So a week and a couple days.

Topher: Oh, a week.

Maestro: Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

Topher: Wow. It is looming?

Maestro: Yeah.

Topher: What’s your topic?

Maestro: My topic is based on templates and templates within the Gutenberg editor. The title is called Fresh Off The Block: Transform WordPress With Templates.

Topher: Nice. That’s cool. I get to peek at your slides. And one of the things that I was very happy about is that it’s not just Gutenberg templates, it’s a universal templates in all the WordPress, which is cool because it used to be… that was really only the one that was the PHP theme template. Occasionally we plug in templates, but even though those are theme templates. And now we have so many different things. What are all the different types of templates you’re gonna talk about?

Maestro: I don’t want to give away too much of the juice. You know, people are going to be able to watch the replay at wordpress.tv.

Topher: That’s right.

Maestro: But you know, to your point, some examples are things like PHP templates, other plugin templates, their form templates that you can be using in WordPress. They don’t have to be Gutenberg templates.

Topher: oh, yeah,

Maestro: Template whether or not you’re using some type of… I know people think of the theme. So there’s templates in Gutenberg itself. But there’s also theme-based templates, which are a different thing than the block-based templates. And even templates outside of WordPress, for example, like design-based templates, whether you use Figma or Canva, before you even get into the WordPress ecosystem and start designing, you know, are you helping yourself create a way of giving yourself a head start? That’s pretty much what they are, are head starters.

Topher: All right, folks, if you want to hear the rest, go get yourself a ticket to Athens.

Maestro: Yeah. It’ll be amazing.

Topher: Is this your first time speaking at one of the flagship of WordCamps?

Maestro: I would say yes, it is my first time at one of the flagships. So WordCamp Buffalo was my first time live. So that was a great, I would say, kind of pre-game warmup for something like this.

Topher: That’s quite a jump to your second camp being one of the flagships.

Maestro: Yes, I will definitely say I’m honored. I’m grateful. I believe I earned this opportunity. You know, it wasn’t just given to me just for the kicks. But at the same time, I know that there are a lot of other great people who applied and they could have done just as a great job as I believe I’m going to do. So I’m just grateful that I was chosen. But I will say that that last WordCamp Buffalo just gave me a lot more confidence that feel like I can’t do this. It’s just be myself.

Topher: That’s great. I know a number of people that have just generally increased their public speaking skills, in general, through WordPress, either just talking to meetups or going to WordCamps and speaking or whatever. You know, their first one they’re terrified and by the 10th one they’re doing a whole lot better.

Maestro: I can agree with you on that.

Topher: So how are you feeling about it? I mean, it’s a big stage. Are you nervous?

Maestro: Well, I guess before I answer that, I mean, were you nervous your first big one?

Topher: No. No. In general, I don’t really get nervous speaking in front of people, but my first big one was U.S., and that was probably my 20th time speaking at a WordCamp. So it wasn’t that different. But you know, different things make people nervous. Some people are worried about their knowledge of their topic, and other people have that cold and they’re worried actually about all those eyeballs looking at them, you know?

Maestro: Yeah, yeah. That’s a good point. I would definitely say based on that, I’m not too worried about the eyeballs. I’m not too worried about my slides or anything like that. I mean, I feel like based on me having prior speaking engagements and opportunities, it’s helped. On top of the fact that, you know, the last one I did was WordCamp Buffalo, it’s all helped compile me to feel pretty confident. But I would definitely say my own doubts will come internally for me. Like, you know, am I going to be good enough? Or will I be too funny or too boring, too this? You know, just those little small things.

Topher: Oh, yeah.

Maestro: Am I gonna be too serious?

Topher: Yeah. I have every confidence you’re gonna do fine. I mean, you’re doing fine here in a podcast in front of the entire internet.

Maestro: Thanks so much.

Topher: I was gonna ask you… So you spoke at Buffalo and now you have worked with the Europe team? What’s it like working with a very international team with all those different cultures and communication skills and processes?

Maestro: Good question. I would definitely say it’s an interesting experience, something that I’m embracing a lot more now that it’s happening in real-time versus me thinking about, you know, when it’s going to happen back when I first got accepted, and just knowing that I wouldn’t be talking with people with more diverse or different backgrounds, from the even a language standpoint, you know, versus working with U.S. people.

So, I would say, from a text communication and just from kind of emailing and things like that standpoint, it’s been pretty smooth. And I believe that the real test is going to come, you know, when I’m there physically. And now I’m actually having to verbally communicate or physically demonstrate the adequacies and things like that, or even understandings of somebody else’s background and culture and just try not to get offended or try not to offend somebody. I’ll try to still be myself. So it’s interesting to say the least.

Topher: Have you run into anything other than just minor misunderstandings? Like any cultural faux pas, or somebody says something and you’re like, “Oh, sir, we don’t say that here.”

Maestro: No, I don’t think I have yet actually. I can essentially see it happening in its own way, you know, form and shape. It’s different for everybody, just like the whole confidence thing. But in this situation, I can see, you know, mainly because of the fact that I am… Like you mentioned before, we did talk prior, but you used the word “army brat” before. I didn’t use it, you used it. I am an army brat. I had to admit that that was me. So me being an army brat because my mother was in the military, and that’s why I’m originally from San Antonio, Texas and I ended up moving to Cleveland. But that helped me see the world in a different perspective. So I’m kind of, I don’t know, pre-gamed for this type of situation as well, too, just because I’ve seen so many different cultural backgrounds with my mother being in military.

Topher: That is a huge help. I know, a lot of people who are not Americans say things like, “I don’t know how you get along with just one culture around you.” you know, because America is so monoculture. It’s not monoculture. But it’s all American culture. Unless you live near a border, you probably don’t hear too many other languages or, you know, in a super large city like New York or something.

Maestro: That’s true.

Topher: Have you ever been to Toronto?

Maestro: I’m looking forward to the day. It’s coming soon.

Topher: I recommend it. I’ve been told—and I’ve been there and I believe it—it’s the most diverse city in the world.

Maestro: I’ll give you a technicality part. I will be at Toronto because that’s one of my layovers before I get to…

Topher: Nice. It’s one of the most diverse cities. I think it’s the most diverse city in the world. You can meet somebody from anywhere. And all the food is there, all the languages are there, all the dresses… not dresses, Outfits, dress styles types are there.

Maestro: Fashion stuff.

Topher: It’s amazing. You should hang out there sometime.

Maestro: You know what else they got there, I heard? They got all the coders. All the coders.

Topher: Yes.

Maestro: How do you like that?

Topher: I had a co-worker one time. He and his wife they are both Europeans, not from the same country, but they lived nomadically. They were six months visa kind of people. Most countries will give you a six-month visa just for whatever. So they traveled around the world and moved every six months and neither one had ever seen the snow. And they said, “We should try that. Let’s try staying in Toronto for a year.” Oh, you picked it. The problem is they picked an apartment on like the 30th floor of this building. I’m like, “Oh, you’re never gonna shovel. There’s probably a restaurant in the ground floor. You don’t have to go outside. You don’t have to drive in it. That’s not really in the snow.

Maestro: No, that’s not really a snow. That’s something that Santa Claus would do when he retires trying to get away from the snow.

Topher: That’s right. All right. It’s 20 minutes. That’s about the usual time for Hallway Chats. Anything you want to talk about? Anything you want to ask me?

Maestro: I will definitely say that I appreciate, you know, everything you’ve done, and what you do for the community. And just to reiterate, since, you know, technically for our listeners, this is the first time they’re hearing this. But just going back to the notion that you’ve definitely created a model for people who are looking to enter into a tech community like WordPress, as well as pass on a lot of that knowledge and information and, you know, inspiration to their kids or to a nephew or to the youth. And that’s something that you do within your family and I believe that you do it with other people as well, too. So I just want to thank you for that, for your contribution to that.

Topher: I appreciate that. That’s really kind of you to say.

Maestro: Right on.

Topher: All right. I’m gonna read the outro here.

Maestro: Cool.

Topher: This has been an episode of Hallway Chats, a part of the HeroPress Network. My name is Topher, I was your host. And we’d like to thank Sophia DeRosia for the music and Nexcess for hosting our network. If you liked the episode, please subscribe and mention us on social media.