Security should be a beneficial add-on, not an assumed part of every hosting plan. That is one of the central ideas Aaron Campbell, VP of Product at Monarx, brings to this conversation with Jesse Friedman. Aaron spent 15 years in the hosting world before moving to a company that helps hosts fight malware and bad actors, and he draws a clear line between what a host should secure and what falls to the site owner.

Jesse and Aaron work through the metaphor of hosting as a neighborhood. The host keeps the streets clean and the infrastructure secure, but there is only so much they can do when a site owner uses a weak password or hands out admin access without thinking. They talk about how the low barrier to entry in WordPress created millions of users who never learned the basics of staying safe online.

The two also look at how AI could help close that education gap. Aaron shares how Monarx uses language models to turn technical breach data into plain words that regular people can act on. Anyone running a hosting company or building WordPress products will find useful ideas here about positioning security, building customer trust, and meeting users where they are.

• Monarx
• Have I Been Pwned
• Bluehost
• WordCamp US
• Code for the People

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This episode is a practical guide to getting the most out of WordCamp US in Phoenix. Jesse Friedman sits down with organizers Megan Marcel, Caroline Harrison, and Carol Stambaugh to talk through the schedule, the sponsor hall, and the many ways attendees can connect with one another.

The organizers explain how stopping by sponsor booths benefits both the sponsors and the attendees. It is one of the few places where you can talk directly to the people building the future of the web. They also highlight the new makers market and share why the hotel lobby often becomes the best networking spot of the whole week.

Megan and Carol describe how a single hotel lobby conversation last year turned into a daily working relationship. That kind of story captures what makes this community different. With accessible pricing, a coupon for 25 percent off, and something for every skill level, this episode makes a strong case for booking your ticket now.

• WordCamp US
• Radiateu
• 10Up
• Fueled
• Beaver Builder
• WP Playground
• WordCamp Asia
• Make WordPress Slack

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WordCamp US keeps ticket prices low on purpose, and this episode explains why. Jesse Friedman sits down with organizers Caroline Harrison, Megan Marcel, and Carol Stambaugh to talk about accessibility, community, and the work that goes into a great event.

Megan Marcel describes the sponsor support that lets the team focus on getting people in the door rather than turning a profit, along with perks like daily lunches, a happiness bar for one-on-one WordPress help, and speakers you can meet in the coffee line. Caroline Harrison talks about the volunteer experience and the friendships that form on the organizing team. Carol Stambaugh shares a story from WordCamp Phoenix about an attendee who found more value here than at a conference costing two thousand dollars.

There is also a candid section for hosting companies. Carol, an agency owner herself, explains what she looks for in a host, including watchdog tools, easy access to logs, and the freedom to move on and off a platform. She offers a smart approach to networking on the floor by asking customers about both their horror stories and their success stories. It's a valuable episode for hosting professionals and event-goers alike.

• RadiateHUE
• WordCamp US 2026
• WordCamp Phoenix

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Vito Peleg of Atarim explains why scope creep is the healthiest thing for agency growth. He and Jesse talk through AI as a junior team member, the value of taste and relationships, and why the human still signs off at the end. A practical take on blending AI with real expertise. 

• Atarim
• Arrow
• Hostinger Cody
• Elementor Angie
• Pressable
• Bluehost
• Hidden Door
• CloudLinux
• WebPros
• Sequoia

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Roughly 75 percent of agencies say they've already lost work to AI, according to a recent industry survey. Jesse Friedman and Vito Peleg of Atarim use that reality as a starting point for a candid conversation about where agencies stand today and how they can respond instead of falling behind.

Vito shares his background, from building websites on GeoCities and touring Europe as a musician to founding Atarim, which now serves more than 50,000 agencies. He was one of the first people to access GPT-2 through the API and built one of the earliest AI tools for WordPress in 2020. That long view gives him a grounded perspective on what AI can and can't do for creative teams.

Listeners will hear practical thinking on the delivery problem, automated reviews, and how to frame AI as a team you manage rather than a replacement for your talent. Jesse and Vito close on a clear point for anyone in the hosting and agency space. If work is moving to AI, the smart move is to bring it in-house and hold it to your own standard.

• Atarim
• WordPress One
• Bertha AI
• CloudFest
• Monarchs
• The Admin Bar
• Canva
• Lords of Uptime

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The web lost its sense of fun somewhere along the way, and Nick Hamze wants it back. In this episode of Impressive Hosting, he and Jesse Friedman trade ideas about a future where websites are an expression of both the creator and the visitor, not a sea of beige and sans-serif sameness.

They riff on RSS, semantic content, and the idea of layering your own design over any page you visit. Imagine stripping away ads, keeping the content, and viewing the entire web through a lens you built yourself. They even revisit Microsoft Bob and picture a reader that presents blog posts like cable access television.

Underneath the playfulness is a serious point about the cost of universal solutions: the same theme, the same textbook, and the same website for everyone strips away value. This is a forward-looking conversation for anyone thinking about what WordPress, hosting, and the open web could become.

• Regionally Famous
• Panel Alpha
• RTCamp
• Elementor
• Gravatar
• Jetpack
• Studio
• Archive.org
• Media Temple
• wlog.fm

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Nick Hamze is building 500 WooCommerce themes with AI while he and Jesse talk. Nick explains why niche themes for plumbers and pizzerias beat the same old coffee shop demo. This conversation will change how you think about AI in WordPress hosting. The future of WordPress is weirder and more wonderful than you think. 

• Regionally Famous
• Miles
• Jetpack
• Rich Tabor
• Storefront
• Brew Protect

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Why is every hosting company suddenly launching an agency program? Jesse Friedman and Miriam Schwab, head of WordPress at Elementor, explore what's driving the shift. They discuss the economic value agencies bring, why their feedback matters most, and how hosting companies can build real relationships with the people building sites every day. 

• Elementor
• Elementor Partners Program
• Hidden Door
• Bluehost
• Hosting.com
• CloudFest
• WordCamp Europe
• WordCamp Asia
• RT Camp
• Post Smith
• WordPress VIP

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What happens when AI deletes a production database and its backups? Jesse Friedman and Miriam Schwab discuss the real risks of AI in WordPress, why off-site backups matter more than ever, and how Elementor's Angie keeps experiments safe from production disasters. 

• Elementor
• Angie
• Elementor One
• Jetpack
• CloudFest
• WordCamp Europe
• WordCamp Asia

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Are we all just orchestrators now? Jesse Friedman and Chris Coyier discuss the shift from writing code to conducting AI agents, what that means for the future of websites, and why the web might end up bigger and healthier because of it. 

• CodePen
• CSS-Tricks
• Jetpack
• Paperclip
• Multica
• Bluehost

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