The WordPress community is comprised of people and their relationships with one another and the open source CMS itself. Combined we are a global neighborhood, complete with volunteers, freelancers, employees, a marketplace, and a multitude of opportunities; opportunities for relationships, working, learning, teaching, sharing, volunteering, and more. At its foundation, its most fundamental part, this neighborhood is built by every individual member. We are each an integral part of this growing, morphing phenomenon, so it is up to us to ensure that it is a robust living organism. How do we do that? *For Myself: by making sure I stay healthy both physically and emotionally *For You: by checking in on my friends and coworkers to help where needed *For Us: by contributing to the community in thoughtful and deliberate ways This talk shares ideas to keep us all healthy, learning, and flourishing, for the betterment of ourselves, each other, and the WordPress neighborhood.

1. The Care & Feeding of the
WordPress Community
Me, You, & Us
Michelle Ames
@michelleames
WorksByMichelle.com

2. Who am I?
And why should you care what I say?
• I love WordPress
• I eat, breathe, sleep, dream about WordPress
(But I do also have a life outside of WordPress…kinda)
• I believe in open source
• I believe in the power of community
• I believe that I contribute to the community
• I believe in you and your ability to contribute to the
community, too
@michelleames

3. Who am I not?
(And why you should still listen to me)
• I’m not a developer/coder/programmer
• I’m not paid by WordPress or Automattic
• I don’t get perks for evangelizing WordPress (unless you
count the amazing friends, opportunities, support…)
• I can’t necessarily fix your broken site
• I do work for free (sometimes)
• But I don’t work for free (usually)
@michelleames

4. The Care and Feeding of ME
• Why me first?
• What can I do for me?
• How can I make sure I’m ok?
• What do I do when I’m not ok?
• How do I connect with the outside world?
• How do I ensure I have what I need to be:
• happy?
• healthy?
• fulfilled?
@michelleames

5. Why Me first?
• Because self care is not selfish
• I deserve to be happy
• I deserve to be healthy
• I deserve to be fulfilled
• I cannot pour from an empty vessel
• If I have nothing left, then I have nothing to give to anyone
or anything
@michelleames

6. What can I do for me?
• Eat healthy food (and eat what I want sometimes, too, even if it
isn’t the healthiest)
• Eat at least 2 meals a day (preferably 3)
• Drink plenty of water
• Get up and move around
• Engage in things I enjoy
• Spend time with people I enjoy
• Learn things I want to learn
• Take time for myself (games, massage, mani/pedi
lunch out, GOOD coffee, a day off, binge GOT)
My
goodness…
NONE of
these say
WordPress!!!
@michelleames

7. How can I make sure I’m ok?
And what do I do if I’m not?
• Journaling (and read it over - does it sound like me? does my
tone change? would I be worried about me if it was someone
else’s words?)
• Regular health checks
• Listen to others’ concerns about me
• Seek help if I need it
• Accept help when it’s offered
• Connect with others
• Follow instructions (health/mental health) from my doctor
@michelleames

8. How do I connect with the outside world?
• In WordPress
• Virtually
• Social Media
• Slack
• Text
• Call
• In Person
• Meetups
• WordCamps
• Coffee
• Meals
• Outside WordPress
• Virtually
• Social Media
• Text
• Call
• In Person
• Family/Friends
• Classes
• Places of worship
• Meetups
• Coffee
• Meals
• Hobbies
About 70% of the global workforce works remotely at least once a week…and in IT it’s even higher. (CNBC)

9. The Care and Feeding of You
• Why you next?
• What can I do for you?
• How can I make sure you’re ok?
• What do I do when you’re not ok?
• How do I connect with you?
@michelleames

10. Why you next?
•Because you matter
•to your family
•to your friends
•to your clients
•to the community
•to me
@michelleames

11. What can I do for you?
How can I make sure you’re OK?
• I can check in on you
• I can reach out to you
• I can read between the lines, and hear what you’re saying
around the words
• I can read your social media - are you posting as usual? as
often? like you?
@michelleames

12. What can I do when you’re not OK?
• I can listen to you
• I can be there for you
• I can help shoulder your burden when possible
• I can get you help
@michelleames

13. How do I connect with you?
There are SO MANY WAYS!
• I can have coffee with you
• I can Skype/Zoom/Hangout/Facetime with you
• I can mail you (yes real snail mail) a card/letter/note
• I can text you, message you, tweet you
• I can send you a singing telegram
• I can play games with you (Words With Friends, anyone?)
• I can encourage you
• I can support your passions
@michelleames

14. This is Chris Flannagan
• Works for Modern Tribe
• Loves His Family
• Loves Hot Wings
• Not Self-Conscious AT ALL

15. This is Chris Flannagan
We:
• Are Facebook Friends
• Occasionally Chat
• Play Words with Friends
• Have 31 Mutual Friends
And we’ve NEVER MET

16. This is Nick Adams
• He remembered me
• I had no recollection who he
was
BUT…
• We both live in Rochester
• We both love WordPress
• We have 53 mutual friends
• We both are churchgoers
• We both sing
• And now we are close friends

17. Supporting Each Other’s Passions &
Projects
The Story of WPCoffeeTalk
• Launched May 24 (3 weeks ago)
(Website & Twitter)
• 208 Followers
• 2 Episodes Released
• 18 Episodes Recorded
• 10 More Booked
• 64 Views on YouTube
• 12 Audio Plays
@wpcoffeetalk

18. The Care & Feeding of the Community
• Why is the community last?
• What can I do for the community and how do I
participate/connect?
• How can I make sure the community is ok?
• What do I do when the community is not ok?
• How do I ensure the community has what it needs to be
healthy?
@michelleames

19. Why is the community last?
• Because ME and YOU are the COMMUNITY
• It’s made up of hundreds of thousands of MEs and YOUs
• We need to be OK first in order for the community to be OK,
too
@michelleames

20. What can I do for the Community?
• First - make sure I am ok
• Next - make sure you are ok
• Find ways to contribute that interest me
• Attend and participate in Meetups
• Attend and participate in WordCamps
• Speak at events
• Organize events
• Volunteer at events
• Participate in the forums
• Review themes and plugins
• Tweet, post, and share

21. What can I do for the Community?
• Make Room For Others
• In Groups: PacMan
• At Meetups
• At WordCamps
• At Coworking
Your
Group
Room for
Others

22. How can I make sure the Community
is ok?
• Read about it
• Follow the conversation
• Participate/attend
• Don’t believe everything I hear: seek out reputable sources
of information
• Make sure it’s accessible for all on the web and in person
@michelleames

23. What can I do when the community
is not ok, and what can I do to ensure the community
has what it needs to be healthy?
• Participate/attend (because the COMMUNITY IS US)
• Support when I agree
• Support when I don’t agree
• Check in on myself
• Check in on you
• Help where and when I can
@michelleames

24. Because all told, it really is Me, You & Us

25. I’m Michelle Ames, and I’m happy to be part of the
WordPress Community with you
Head of Customer Success for:
GiveWP.com, WPBusinessReviews.com, Impress.org
Author of A Good Firm Handshake (and other essential business tips)
Twitter: @michelleames
Instagram: @ClickHappyDesigns
Website: WorksByMichelle.com (Slides Here)