Posted on StellarWP.com on January 10th, 2024

In this episode, Michelle Frechette shares the enriching world of WordCamps and WordPress meetups, exploring how they can significantly enhance your skills and understanding of WordPress.

The original post can be found here: https://stellarwp.com/attending-wordcamps-and-meetups-can-increase-your-wordpress-game/

About the author:

Dubbed "The busiest woman in WordPress" by Matt Mullenweg at WCUS 2022, Michelle Frechette is the Director of Community Engagement for ⁠StellarWP⁠ at ⁠Liquid Web⁠. Beyond her primary role, Michelle wears many hats: She serves up insights as the Podcast Barista at ⁠WPCoffeeTalk.com⁠, champions diversity as the co-founder of ⁠underrepresentedintech.com⁠, created both ⁠wpcareerpages.com⁠ and ⁠wpspeakers.com⁠. Her leadership extends as the president of ⁠BigOrangeHeart.org⁠'s board, and she's a pivotal figure at ⁠PostStatus.com⁠ as the Director of Community Relations and contributor. Additional podcasting contributions include co-hosting ⁠Underrepresented in Tech⁠, ⁠WPMotivate⁠ and ⁠This Week in WordPress⁠. An author, business coach, and sought-after speaker at WordPress events, she resides near Rochester, NY, capturing its beauty through her nature photography. Dive deeper into her world at ⁠meetmichelle.online⁠

Transcript of Cami's Commentary:

I love this blog post by Michelle Frechette, who embodies the WordPress community's spirit. As I read through her journey from a novice to a central figure in the community, I couldn't help but think of her as the heart of WordPress.

Michelle's story may resonate with many of you, as it did with me. My first WordCamp was in Seattle in 2013. That year, I was invited by Kane Jameson of Content Harmony. Despite my fear of public speaking, watching him speak to a large audience left a lasting impression on me - I wanted to do that! It only took me ten years to get the courage to speak.

Over the years, attending WordCamps in Seattle allowed me to meet incredible people like Bob Dunn and other prominent figures in the local WordPress community. 2016-17, I volunteered at WordCamp, leading to even more connections.

I ended up co-hosting a Meetup from 2018-2023 and I've attended 17 official WordPress events. Thanks to GoDaddy, I have several WordCamp US conferences under my belt. As the first GoDaddy Pro Ambassador, I met many wonderful folks, like Michelle, while working in their sponsor booth in person and virtually. It is and will always be some of the most beautiful memories of my career.

To everyone in the WordPress community, regardless of your experience level, you are always welcome. I encourage all listeners to attend a WordCamp or a WordPress Meetup this year. It's not just a potential career booster; it can be a transformative personal experience. I finally got the courage to speak last year in Phoenix and Vancouver and the audience was warm and supportive in both cities.  WordPressers are good people.

Michelle's blog includes a collection of tweets from others detailing their experiences at WordPress meetups and WordCamps. I chose not to narrate these in my podcast due to permission concerns, but I highly recommend you check out her full post – you'll find the link in my show notes. Her post is not just a narrative; it's filled with valuable links for anyone interested in attending WordCamps or WordPress meetups.

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