Not every WordPress agency owner starts with a computer science degree. Laurie Barron's journey from accountant to agency co-founder proves that sometimes the most unexpected backgrounds create the strongest businesses. With degrees in accounting, computer information systems, and human-computer interaction, Laurie brings a unique perspective to web development: one that values both the numbers and the user experience.

In this episode, Laurie shares how she built not one, but two successful companies: Pursu Agency (with co-founder Betsy) and Simply Styled Sites. After 15 years in WordPress, she's learned that the real value isn't just in building websites. It's in the strategy, automation, and business systems that make those websites work harder for clients. She discusses why AI and page builders haven't replaced the need for expert developers, how to scope projects profitably, and why knowing your "zone of genius" is critical to sustainable growth.

For Gravity Forms users, this conversation is packed with practical ideas. Laurie reveals how she's transformed Gravity Forms from a simple contact form plugin into a complete business automation tool. From content gathering systems that feed into ChatGPT, to support ticketing workflows connected via Zapier, to survey fields that help clients make data-driven decisions.

In This Episode

• 
  Why Laurie's accounting background became an asset when running a WordPress agency
• How she met her business partner through an agency contracting gig
• Why AI and page builders aren't replacing agencies, and why this fear sounds familiar
• Why knowing your core competency protects your profitability
• How to structure paid discovery periods for larger projects ($10K+ discovery phases)
• Using Gravity Forms + Gravity Connect + ChatGPT to automate content creation
• Turning consulting expertise into self-service products clients can purchase

Connect with Laurie Barron

• 
  Pursu Agency: pursu.agency
• Simply Styled Sites: simplystyledsites.com
  
  

Resources Mentioned

• 
  Gravity Forms - The form plugin Laurie has used for 15 years and calls essential to her work - gravityforms.com
• Gravity Wiz - Add-ons and code snippets that extend Gravity Forms functionality - gravitywiz.com
• Gravity Connect - Tool that connects Gravity Forms with ChatGPT for AI-powered form workflows - gravityforms.com/gravity-connect
• Zapier - Automation platform Laurie uses to connect Gravity Forms to other business tools - zapier.com
• Asana - Project management system she connects to forms for support ticketing - asana.com
• WooCommerce - E-commerce platform (though Laurie explains why she's selective about these projects) - woocommerce.com
  
  

Standout Moments

"I feel like knowing how to use Gravity Forms and becoming an expert at it, I can do anything. But I also think I could do anything anyways, so Gravity Forms just helps." - Laurie Barron

"This happened when page builders came out. Everybody said 'anybody can do it.' But there's always gonna be people that don't want to do it. And there's the education piece: do people know how to do it properly?" - Laurie Barron

"You can create a website in minutes with AI, but it's gonna look like everybody else's. It's not gonna stand out from the competition. It might not reflect your voice. What you don't get is the strategy behind it." - Laurie Barron

In this episode of Breakdown, Matt Medeiros sits down with Dave Smith, CEO of Gravity Wiz, to talk about a product that has a lot of WordPress builders buzzing: API Alchemist. If you’ve ever wanted Gravity Forms to talk directly to other apps and data sources, this is your new best friend. Dave walks us through how API Alchemist lets you send form data to any REST API and bring the response back into your entries. Pair it with Populate Anything and you can even pull data into the form before submission for smart validation and slick UX.

We also touch on GP Bookings, Gravity Wiz’s flexible booking platform for appointments and rentals that works beautifully with Gravity Forms and, via Product Configurator, with WooCommerce. Dave shares how AI is accelerating development behind the scenes while still requiring human review, and why the “WordPress-as-a-platform” mindset gives agencies and site owners a durable edge.

Curious how this all plays out in real life? Think VIN lookups that auto-fill make and model, higher-ed networks standardizing data across hundreds of sites, or internal tools that read a PDF, extract data, and feed it straight back into Gravity Forms. If you care about owning your data, building faster, and keeping clients out of SaaS lock-in, this one’s worth a listen.

Takeaways

• 
  API Alchemist = go-anywhere connections. Send Gravity Forms submissions to any REST API, receive a response, and update the entry post-submission. It’s a powerful DIY way to integrate without waiting on a purpose-built add-on.

  
  

• Add Populate Anything for live magic. Use remote data in real time on the form. Validate inputs, build chained selects like year → make → model, and improve UX by showing results before submit.

  
  

• Bookings that fit your business. GP Bookings covers appointments, services, and even rentals. It’s designed as a platform that gets you 80–90% there, with room to tailor the last mile.

  
  

• WooCommerce compatibility. Tie Gravity Forms into Woo with Product Configurator so bookings and other advanced form flows can become real products.

  
  

• When to use a dedicated connector. API Alchemist is excellent for flexibility, but large files or high-complexity use cases (e.g., Google Sheets at scale) still benefit from specialized connections that handle edge cases and efficiency.

Important links

• 
  https://gravityforms.com/
  
  
• https://gravityflow.io/
  
  
• https://gravitywiz.com/
  
  
• WP API Explorer (mentioned by Matt): https://wpapiexplorer.com/

  
  

  
  

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration API: https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/api/

Coming October 14, 2025- Crew Collective, a podcast from Rocketgenius 

Crew Collective is a podcast dedicated to the art of storytelling. Hosted by Stuart Barefoot, each episode will explore the stories that help shape us—books, movies, songs, video games—nothing is off limits. We’ll talk to creators of all stripes about their process, their craft, and the worlds they build.

On this episode of Breakdown, I’m joined by Blake Whittle, founder of ClikIt and new owner of Infinite Uploads. Blake has been running a successful WordPress agency for years, but he’s now steering his business toward the world of WordPress products.

We cover his journey from launching websites as a college freshman, to managing 200+ client sites, to acquiring Infinite Uploads and rolling out new plugins that make WordPress media management easier. Blake shares his long-term vision of moving fully into software and explains why the Gravity Forms ecosystem is a key part of that future.

He also opens up about the challenges of agency life versus product life, how AI is shaping opportunities for developers and site owners, and why he thinks WordPress still offers huge potential for the next generation of builders.

If you’ve ever thought about transitioning from client services into products—or you just want to know how to handle big file uploads through Gravity Forms—you won’t want to miss this conversation.

Takeaways

• 
  Transitioning from agency to products: Blake explains why he’s aiming to sunset his agency within 10 years and focus entirely on WordPress plugins.

  
  

• Infinite Uploads expansion: After acquiring Infinite Uploads, Blake launched new plugins including Big File Form Uploads, which now integrates directly with Gravity Forms.

  
  

• Solving real-world problems: Big File Form Uploads makes it possible for users to bypass hosting upload limits, chunk large files, and accept multi-gigabyte uploads through Gravity Forms.

  
  

• AI’s dual role: A potential threat to agencies through AI site builders, but a growth opportunity for plugin developers as it brings more beginners into WordPress.

  
  

• WordPress remains wide open: From blogs to SaaS, Blake still sees WordPress as one of the best platforms for young developers to start building with.

Important links

• 
  Gravity Forms
  
  
• Gravity Flow
  
  
• ClikIt
  
  
• Infinite Uploads
  
  
• https://wordpress.org/plugins/tuxedo-big-file-uploads/
  
  

In this episode of Breakdown, Matt is joined by Sam Texas—a serial founder, Django developer, and self-described "vibe coder"—who’s found his way back to WordPress through the doors of AI automation and Gravity Forms.

Sam shares how a casual client call with Trooper Dev led him down a rabbit hole of connecting Gravity Forms to an MCP (Modular Command Protocol) server and Claude AI, enabling non-technical sales teams to spin up customized forms in minutes without touching the WordPress admin. It’s a real-world example of AI empowering teams to build faster, smarter workflows—and Gravity Forms being the foundation that makes it possible.

Matt and Sam explore the strengths of WordPress as an application platform, how AI will reshape plugin discovery and form creation, and why open standards like REST APIs and MCPs might signal the next era of low-code/no-code development. Along the way, they talk about the surprising value of WordPress authentication, owning your own content in the age of LLM scraping, and how vibe coding is changing the shape of small software projects.

If you’re building modern workflows on WordPress, or just wondering what it means to mix AI with forms, plugins, and automation—you’ll want to hear this one.

Takeaways

• 
  AI + Gravity Forms unlocks new workflows: By integrating Gravity Forms with an MCP server and Claude AI, Sam was able to prototype a no-code form creation tool that shifts power from developers to sales teams.

  
  

• Gravity Forms is more than forms: Sam describes it as the "soup-to-nuts" process layer in a workflow—doing much of what services like Zapier or Make try to stitch together.

  
  

• WordPress can win in the AI age with open architecture: REST APIs, authentication, and extensibility make it an ideal frontend for enterprise CMS systems or data pipelines.

  
  

• Open web control matters again: In a world of AI scraping, owning your content, managing access, and understanding the cost of closed platforms (like Webflow) is becoming increasingly important.

  
  

• MCP (Modular Command Protocol) is promising—but early: It may bring much-needed standardization to REST APIs, but it's still experimental and lacks built-in security, so proceed with caution.

Important links

• 
  https://gravityforms.com/
  
  
• https://gravityflow.io/
  
  
• https://wpapiexplorer.com — Matt’s tool for inspecting and testing WordPress and Gravity Forms REST APIs

  
  

• https://trooper.dev — WordPress maintenance and dev agency where Sam is consulting

  
  

• https://x.com/HeySamTexas — Follow Sam on Twitter/X

In this episode of Breakdown, Matt Medeiros welcomes back Cole Fraser from Gravity Wiz to give us the latest updates from their camp—and there’s a lot to catch up on. Cole breaks down how Gravity Wiz is evolving from a plugin company into a full product ecosystem, with updates that will have Gravity Forms customers rethinking how they build and manage forms.

One of the biggest changes? The launch of Spellbook, a new centralized plugin interface that consolidates the management of all Gravity Wiz products right inside the WordPress dashboard. It’s a cleaner, more powerful way to handle plugin discovery, licensing, and updates—plus it opens the door for more free offerings.

Cole and Matt also dive into how AI is actually being used today in the WordPress and forms space. Spoiler: it’s still early days. While everyone’s rushing to ship AI features, many end users are just starting to explore the possibilities. The conversation gets philosophical, touching on form-building, data ownership, and how open source tools like WordPress and Gravity Forms may offer a more stable future as AI ecosystems start to get fragmented and commercialized.

It’s a must-listen for anyone building with Gravity Forms—or wondering how the AI wave is truly reshaping workflows.

Takeaways

• 
  Spellbook is here: A new unified plugin management hub for all Gravity Wiz products, improving plugin discovery, licensing, and free plugin access.

  
  

• Gravity Wiz is expanding strategically: The team now offers three major product suites—Gravity Perks, Gravity Connect, and Gravity Shop—with more sophisticated tools on the way like GP Bookings.

  
  

• Real-world AI use is still basic: Most AI use cases with Gravity Forms revolve around data processing after form submission, not full-blown automation or form generation (yet).

  
  

• Email remains critical: Gravity Wiz launched new integrations with Drip and MailPoet, plus an email validator tool to ensure clean data and workflows.

  
  

• Open source is the long game: Cole and Matt agree—owning your data and building on stable, transparent platforms like WordPress and Gravity Forms matters more than ever in the age of API limitations and AI volatility.

Important links

• 
  🌐 Gravity Forms
  
  
• 🔁 Gravity Flow
  
  
• 🧙 Gravity Wiz
  
  
• ✉️ Gravity SMTP
  
  

On this episode of Breakdown, Matt Medeiros sits down with Liam Dempsey, founder of LBDesign, a boutique digital agency based outside Philadelphia. Liam walks us through the ethos of his client work, how his team approaches website builds for nonprofits and socially responsible businesses, and where Gravity Forms fits into his workflow.

From building reliable donation forms to simplifying newsletter signups and contact pages, Liam emphasizes how Gravity Forms provides flexibility and trust for both him and his clients. He also shares practical insights on building long-term relationships with clients and why clear communication is key to delivering results that last.

Whether you're an agency owner, freelancer, or a marketer working with WordPress, this episode offers a grounded perspective on client services and smart form strategies.

Takeaways

• 
  Use forms to inspire confidence: Liam highlights how building dependable, intuitive forms helps clients feel more in control of their websites.

  
  

• Gravity Forms = trust + flexibility: From recurring donations to conditional logic, Liam relies on Gravity Forms to handle complex workflows without needing custom code.

  
  

• Build relationships, not just websites: Clear communication, transparency, and a focus on client needs are central to LBDesign’s process.

  
  

• Nonprofits need robust tools: Many of Liam’s clients are nonprofits, and he shares how Gravity Forms enables them to reach their goals without breaking the budget.

Important links

• https://gravityforms.com/
• https://gravityflow.io/
• https://twitter.com/LiamDempsey
• Liam’s personal site: https://liamdempsey.com/
• Liam’s personal site: https://liamdempsey.com/
• Liam’s agency https://lbdesign.tv/
• Liam’s podcast https://startlocal.co/

In this episode of Breakdown, Matt Medeiros welcomes Joe Casabona back to the WordPress podcasting scene—not as a developer or educator in the WordPress space per se, but as a solopreneur helping busy professionals reclaim their time through automation. Joe opens up about his quiet exit from WordPress, what he's learned about niching down, and why having a clear personal brand matters more than ever when you step outside the WordPress bubble.

The conversation ranges from automation tools like Zapier and Make.com to the philosophical (and practical) differences between automation and AI. Joe shares his real-world workflows for podcast guest management using Gravity Forms and Notion—including clever conditional logic and URL parameters to streamline the guest experience. And yes, minivans, overpriced dealership diagnostics, and AI-generated podcast headshots even make their way into the mix. It’s an episode that blends WordPress roots, marketing tech stacks, and a healthy dose of northeast dad energy.

Takeaways:

• Clear branding and niching down are essential for professionals pivoting away from WordPress-focused work.

• Gravity Forms remains a backbone tool in Joe’s solopreneur toolkit, powering intake forms that kick off sophisticated automations

• Zapier is Joe’s automation tool of choice again, favored for its user-friendliness and broad integration support—despite Make.com’s flexibility.

• Conditional logic and pre-filled URLs can drastically improve form UX, especially for things like podcast guest workflows.

• Notion + Gravity Forms is a powerful combo, and the community-built integrations like Gravity Wiz’s Connect tools can extend functionality even further.

Important links:

• 🎯 https://gravityforms.com/
  
  
• 🔁 https://gravityflow.io/
  
  
• 🎙 Joe’s Podcast: https://streamlined.fm
  
  
• 💻 Joe’s Automation Templates: https://casabona.org/automation
  
  
• 🌐 Joe’s Website: https://casabona.org
  
  
• 🔌 Gravity Wiz Connect Add-Ons: https://gravitywiz.com

On this episode of Breakdown, Matt sits down with Casey and Zack from GravityKit so that they can explore the new changes coming to their range of products. Evolving products, new add-ons and all the fun stuff that comes out of GravityKit for the Gravity Forms ecosystem. 

Matt and Casey dive deep into talking about marketing. Some of the challenges, some of the fun parts of marketing a WordPress product in today's climate. Especially facing things like AI and the ever changing landscape of attention in marketing. And then Matt and Zack go deeper on the launches of GravityKit's new products, why GravityKit is building these products and ultimately how it helps customers in the Gravity Forms ecosystem.

In this episode of Breakdown, Matt welcomes Owen Stone, the new Head of Marketing at Cosmic Giant. Just a few weeks into his role, Owen shares his extensive background in podcasting, marketing, and his early encounters with WordPress. The conversation explores how Owen balances traditional methods (like using pen and paper for notes) with embracing new technologies, reflecting his pragmatic approach to the tech world.

The discussion centers around Cosmic Giant's Entry Automation 6.0, which just launched as the company celebrates its 8th anniversary. Owen highlights the event registration and data management features that help prevent form abuse and streamline data collection. Matt and Owen also dive into the importance of trusted software in the WordPress ecosystem, especially for agencies and freelancers who rely on dependable tools rather than short-term AI solutions for mission-critical functions like form handling, legal compliance, and data management.

Key Takeaways:

• 
  Entry Automation 6.0 features enhanced event registration systems and data verification to prevent form abuse and ensure legitimate registrations
• The new Multiple Form extension allows users to merge entries from multiple forms into a single output (PDF, Excel, JSON)
• Cosmic Giant ensures legal compliance in their forms, with professionally written copy that meets both US and EU regulations
• The WordPress ecosystem values trusted, long-term software solutions (like Gravity Forms' 15-year history) over newer AI alternatives that may lack support and reliability
• AI tools should complement rather than replace professional software, especially for critical business functions
• Cosmic Giant is actively seeking case studies and real-world examples of how customers are using their products

Mentioned URLs:

• 
  CosmicGiant.com - Entry Automation 6.0 now available
• Gravity Forms
• Learn.gravity.com - Our new learning site for all things Gravity