All Episodes

Nathalie Lussier is has created a unique, powerful LMS plugin for WordPress that people seem to love. That's because Nathalie, on top of using the product herself, listens to her customers. In this episode, she'll give us lots of great advice for how to grow our business and improve customer relationships. Show NotesAccessAlly30 Day List Building ChallengeAutologin LinksSponsored by: Plesk | Pantheon

I focused a lot on automation in 2018, so I was really excited to talk to today's guest, Chris Bintliff, on how he used automation for his client-onboarding process. Chis is a fantastic, energetic guy and offers a lot of great advice here. If you're looking to save time through automation, this is for you. Show NotesChris on TwitterThe Automated ConsultantNot Really Rocket ScienceZapierTypeformPipedriveChris Lema and Managed WooCommerce HostingRightMessagePodiaSponsored by: Castos | Plesk | Pantheon

Anton Kraly is the founder of Drop Ship Lifestyle and has an incredibly story of how he got to where he is today. I'm grateful for Anton's time and for sharing both his story, and his tips on how we can get into drop shipping. Show NotesAnton on TwitterDrop Ship LifestyleThe 4 Hour Work WeekAlibabaAlexaArchitect ThemeMembiriumInfusionsoftSensei LMSVimeo ProInvision Power BoardsSponsored by: Plesk | MailPoet | Pantheon

Myke Hurley is a well-known podcaster and founder of Relay FM. To kick off Season 6, he gives us some fantastic advice on starting shows, sponsors, and lots more. His story is incredibly interesting and I think it's a great way to start this season and the new year. Myke on Instagram | TwitterRelay FMBrad Dowdy and Nock Co.5by5Stephen Hackett / 512 PixelsThe Best Advice I Never TookLibsynMegaphoneSponsored by: Castos | Plesk | Pantheon

In the run up to the release of WordPress 5.0, I created a mini-series on Implementing Guteneberg on my YouTube channel. This episode combines the 4 interviews for your listening enjoyment! Justin Sainton In Episode 1, I talk to Justin Sainton about how his agency, Zao, used Gutenberg to create a custom light fixture builder. You can find Justin: On TwitterAt His agency, ZaoRene Morozowich In Episode 2, I talk to Rene Morozowich, a self-employed WordPress Developer, about how she dipped her toe in the waters of Gutenberg by doing a low-risk, brand new site for a client new to WordPress. Rene on TwitterRene's WebsiteBill Erickson With Episode 3, I talk to Bill Erickson,  a WordPress Developer who's implemented Gutenberg on several projects. We wax poetic about what Gutenberg is really great at, and some things to look out for - Bill's an excellent developer and I really appreciate him taking some time to share his experience over the last several months. Links Bill EricksonBill's blog post on building a Gutenberg siteAlonso Indacochea Finally, with Episode 4, we hear from Alonso Indacochea. He is the founder of the agency behind Block Party, a set of data visualization blocks for Gutenberg. We talk pretty high level about getting into the Gutenberg product space, and what that could mean for the WordPress ecosystem. Alonso on TwitterBlock Party  Check out my courses on Gutenberg here.Watch the interviews on YouTube.

Vova Feldman started one of the most popular plugin marketplaces in the WordPress space. His story is one that came out of filling a need, but also a realization: while there are a lot of people selling plugins in the WordPress space, we can be doing better. He offers advice on building your business, and a community around it, and much more. Show Notes@VovaFeldman | Email: vova@freemius.comFreemiusWe Used to Hate WordPress Page Builders – Now We Decided to Use OneJoin the Facebook CommunitySponsored by: Creator Courses | Pantheon

Kim Gjerstad is one of the founders of the popular newsletter plugin, MailPoet. In this episode we talk about how he’s been able to build a successful product and company with a fully remote team. Kim gives great advice about on boarding, tools, and building a company culture. Show NotesKim Gjerstad - kim@mailpoet.comMailPoetBuffer’s Open BlogMatt Mullenweg on Remote EnvironmentsWe Work RemotelyAngel.coStackOverflowSponsored by: Creator Courses | Pantheon

Daniel Espinoza is a man who wears many hats: agency owner, product seller, family man, and more. In the episode we get into how he manages keeping everything running smoothly. This is a fantastic conversation for anyone who wants to diversify what they do, without getting too overwhelmed. Show NotesDaniel EspinozaGrow DevelopmentShop PluginsBeka Rice and JiltStart with WhyEasy Digital DownloadsFreemiusProsPressStudioPressTotal Money MakeoverQuestion of the week: Why haven't you launched your plugin? Let me know on Twitter @jcasabona or joe@howibuilt.it Discuss with others over on the Facebook Group!Sponsored by: Creator Courses | Pantheon

Liam Martin is the founder of Time Doctor. In this episode, we talk all about how he founded the company, from idea to how it's grown to the massive user base it boasts. We also talk about how long it takes for companies to become overnight successes, and how to set yourself apart from other services. Show NotesLiam MartinTime DoctorRunning RemoteSXSWSponsored by: Creator Courses | Pantheon

Chris Lema is a man who knows how to build a good product. And in this episode, he's going to tell us all about how he helped build Liquid Web's Managed WooCommerce Hosting. We'll talk about what eCommerce shops need, the importance of performance, and he'll give us lots of great tips. Show NotesChris Lema | TwitterLiquid WebCaboPressBryce Adams and MetorikBrian Richards and WooSeshPerfMattersWP RocketJiltBeka Rice and JiltGlewAstra ProBeaver BuilderEmail Chris: chris@liquidweb.comHow to Speed Up Your WooCommerce Store | Part 2Sponsored by: Loxi | Pantheon

I can't believe we've reached episode 100! This episode is an introspective (retrospective?) on how I built How I Built It. I'll go over the idea, what I've learned over 2 years of podcasting, some pretty sweet automation, and more. I want to everyone who's listened, shared, came on, and sponsored the show. I wouldn't have been able to get here without all of you! Question of the week: Why haven't you started your podcast? Let me know in the comments or at joe@howibuilt.it Show NotesJoe on TwitterCalendlyZapierBlue Yeti | Rode ProcasterMy Podcast SetupHazelLibsyn | PowerPressHow I used SearchWP and Monochrome ProGenesis / Monochrome Pro: https://casabona.org/sp-monochrome *SearchWP: https://casabona.org/searchwp/Github Repository: https://github.com/jcasabona/hibi-modsBuild Your Podcast Website in 3 DaysSponsored by: Creator Courses | Pantheon

Joe Howard is the founder of WP Buffs and has lots of experience managing a fully remote team, building a business on Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR), and of-course, offering top notch support to those who need it. In this episode we get deep into a lot of different topics surrounding those area, and much more. Show NotesJoe HowardWP BuffsWPMRR CourseTurn the Ship AroundCheck out my new podcast website course and get a special offer!Sponsored by: Creator Courses | Pantheon

Brian Richards is officially the first repeat guest on the show, and this time around he's talking about his online conferences, WordSesh and WooSesh. Brian talks logistics, speaker selection, and of-course, the tech stack. It's a super interesting conversation. Plus, if you're interested, WooSesh is October 18-19, 2018, and it totally free! Show NotesBrian RichardsWooSeshWordSeshWPSessionsEpisode 11: Brian Richards and WP SessionsPatrick Rauland and Building a WooCommerce ShopWooConfCrowdcastAlso check out: My new Podcast Website course | Facebook Community Question of the week: What are you doing with eCommerce? Let me know on Twitter (@jcasabona) or at joe@howibuilt.itSponsored by: Creator Courses | Pantheon

Max Seelemann is one of the founders and developers of Ulysses, one of my favorite Mac and iOS apps. I am excited to talk to him today because it is a different perspective on the software developing process. Ulysses is software I use nearly every day to write up show notes, scripts, articles, and more. I was keen to hear how they built it and the decisions they made throughout the 15 years(!) of development. Show NotesMax SeelemanUlyssesRelay.fmAppStories / MacStoriesQuestion of the week: What app do you use it for writing? Let me know on Twitter @jcasabona or e-mail me at joe@howibuilt.it Join the Facebook Community / Check out the ShopSponsored by: Backblaze | Pantheon

PJ Taei is the founder of Uscreen, a video on demand service for people who are serious about selling videos. Whether it's your online course or a video series, they have you covered. In this episode, PJ and I talk about controlling your platform and making videos as easy as possible. Show NotesPJ TaeiUscreenVimeoLearnDashSponsored by: Backblaze | Pantheon

Mark Zahra, among other things, recently released the EDD Bookings plugin for Easy Digital Downloads.  I was excited to talk to him about this because it's something that I thought of doing myself back when I was teaching multiple classes at the University of Scranton. When I was on campus to help manage a fluid schedule for my own office hours, I deemed that project was maybe a little over my head for the amount of time that I had. It's very cool to see that it's come to fruition a few years later. Mark also hosts Mastermind.FM and worked over at WP Mayor. Show NotesMark ZahraEDD BookingsMastermind.fmWP Mayor | WP RSS Aggregator Pippin Williamson and Restrict Content ProCheckout the How I Built It Shop for t-shirts and more. And make sure to join our Facebook Community!Sponsored by: Techmeme’s Ride Home Podcast | Pantheon

Jeremy Green is a developer and founder of Zeen 101. They created an interesting product called Leaky Paywall, which is a plugin that allows you to put content behind - you guessed it - a paywall. Jeremy also has some really interesting insight on how people consume information. And, of-course, we get into some development details. Show NotesJeremy Green |  TwitterLeaky PaywallZeen 101Jeremy on Post Status DraftBeka Rice and JiltBe sure to check out: The new t-shirt shopThe Facebook GroupQuestion of the week: Have you considered adding a paywall to your site? Let us know on Twitter @jcasabona or via email, joe@howibuilt.it.Sponsored by: Techmeme’s Ride Home Podcast | Pantheon

Closing out this miniseries on SEO is Lindsay Halsey. She’s the co-founder of Pathfinder SEO and in this episode we talk about how her product basically combines a lot of what we talks about over the past month – automated tools and stats, with a coaching component that can really help you up your SEO game for you or your clients. She has a really great analogy for it that I don’t want to spoil! Show NotesLindsayPathfinder SEOWebShineZeek InteractiveLanding Page School PodcastBe sure to check out the new shop: https://howibuilt.it/shop/ and the Facebook GroupSponsored by: Pantheon

So far this season we've looked at starting an SEO agency and an SEO product. But what we haven't looked at was a good strategy - especially when it comes to Pay per Click and the like. Well that changes this week with our guest, Pam Aungst. She's an SEO expert with her own agency that wants to make sure SEO is a personalized strategy. She tells us how in this episode. Show NotesPam AungstPam on TwitterStealthHallway ChatsEpisode 21: Liam Dempsey and WordPress MeetupsLighthouse for ChromeSponsored by: Traitware | Pantheon

John Doherty is the founder of Credo. I met John at CaboPress, an incredible business mastermind week, and we got to talking about the marketing and SEO side of things. Know I don’t know much about that, but Credo is definitely something that can help me in a unique way. In this episode we talk all about the importance of finding the right people to help you in your business. Show NotesJohn DohertyJohn on TwitterCredoCaboPressEpisode 12: Chris Lema and Beyond GoodJennifer Bourn and Profitable Project PlanEpisode 1: Jason Coleman and Paid Memberships ProQuestion of the week: Have you ever had a business coach or mentor? Let me know on Twitter at @jcasabona or email me, joe@howibuilt.it.Sponsored by: GravityView | Traitware | Pantheon

Jeremiah Smith is founder of SimpleTiger, an SEO company that focuses on SaaS companies. This episode is going to kick off a miniseries about SEO and I’m happy that Jeremiah is starting it off. He offers so much incredible advice about SEO and life in general. I love his story, and I think you will too. Show NotesJeremiah SmithSimpleTigerDanny Sullivan / SEO LandSara Dunn and Niching DownNick EubanksCheck out my new show, Creator Toolkit and join our Facebook community. Question of the week: What’s the best piece of SEO advice you’ve ever gotten? Let me know on Twitter at @jcasabona or email me, joe@howibuilt.it.Sponsored by: GravityView | Traitware | Pantheon

Today we’re talking to Zach Tirrell from Modern Tribe. We talk all about how they re-imagined that plug-in as Software as a Service called Loxi. We go over how they decided on which features to support, the importance of good design, and the tech stack, like using React. Speaking of React, We also talk a bit about Gutenberg. Show NotesZach TirrellModern TribeLoxiGutenbergGutenberg CoursesReact Article by SamCreator ToolkitSponsored by: Traitware | Pantheon

Bryce Adams is creator of one of my favorite tools, Metorik. Bryce tells us about the path the led him to making Metorik, his view on e-commerce, GDPR, and how he’s using some cutting edge tools. We also talk engagement and stats. Be sure to stick around until the end of the episode - I have a new show I want to tell you about! Show NotesBryce AdamsBryce on TwitterMetorikWooCommerceAnd be sure to check out my new show, Creator Toolkit, on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.Sponsored by: Creator Courses | Pantheon

Tessa Kriesel is a developer, community advocate, and educator. In this episode we get into our approaches to teaching, why it’s important, and the importance of giving opportunities to underserved areas and groups. We also discuss our “aha” moments – that time where programming suddenly clicked for us. Show NotesTessa KrieselPantheonOutspoken WomenCoders of TomorrowCoder DojoCodePenW3SchoolsJosh Koenig and PantheonSponsored by: The Events Calendar | Pantheon

Jennifer Bourn is the founder of Bourn Creative and creator of the Profitable Project Plan. She's also a freelancer who’s doing it right. She has worked out the perfect system to get and manage client projects; in this episode we're going to talk all about how she built it. Show NotesJennifer BournProfitable Project PlanBourn CreativeJen's A/V SetupBlair Williams and MemberPressEpisode 18: Pippin Williamson & Restrict Content ProDelightful DownloadsZoom WebinarsInfusionSoftRevVolt Heated SlippersSponsored by: Creator Courses | Pantheon

Abbey Perl started the Diverse Gaming Coalition to help combat online bullying through video games and modern pop culture. In this episode, I talk to her about why she started it, how she went about starting a non-profit organization, and much more. Show NotesAbbey PerlDiverse Gaming Coalition Twitch.TV@NinjaSponsored by: Creator Courses | Pantheon

Seth S. Scott's story is an interesting one. He up and moved to New York City to pursue a career in game development. He tool a game design boot camp and left with his first commercial  game, Membrane. In this episode we talk about risk and how he built a video game. Show NotesSeth S. ScottSeth on TwitterMEMBRANEMEMBRANE on TwitterUnitySponsored by: Creator Courses | Pantheon

Scott DeLuzio is a WordPress plugin developer who likes to scratch his own itch on some pretty heavy topics, and his latest is no exception. We talk about one of this summer’s hottest topics: GDPR. Scott and I spoke about this just days before the regulation took hold, so we were working through what it is, how it affects us, and of-course how his plugin can help. I should remind you that we are not lawyers. Show NotesScott DeLuzioPrivacyWPWhat is GDPR?How to Prepare for GDPRRian Kinney and TrademarksCARROT FitnessFightCampSponsored by: MailPoet | Pantheon

Rachel Cherry is a front end developer and lead organizer of WPCampus, a WordPress conference focused on Higher Education. In this episode, we talk about what goes into putting on this conference, from scouting a location to day-of logistics. Show NotesRachel CherryWPCampusChris Lema on How I Built ItLiam Dempsey on How I Built ItCrowdCastSponsored by: The Events Calendar | Pantheon

So we just wrapped up Season 4 a couple of weeks ago and it was my favorite episode for a lot of reasons. I got to talk to great people, the sponsors were fantastic, and we even had a miniseries on starting your own business. Plus, there were a lot of takeaways. I got a lot of immediately actionable advice from my guests. So hopefully you did too. Here’s some my favorites.  Sponsored by: WordSesh | Jilt | Liquid Web