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Matt Schwartz shares his Atlanta upbringing, career path from video to web development, experiences at Disney, and insights on building his WordPress agency, Inspry. A thoughtful discussion on identity, mentorship, and community.

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Featuring highlights from six guests over the past year, with my commentary. This might be my favorite episode to date.

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In this episode of Seriously, Bud, Brian Cords shares his journey from English teacher to WordPress developer advocate at WooCommerce. Brian talks about raising five kids, playing guitar at home, discovering WordPress by accident, building community through writing and developer relations, and how tattoos, storytelling, and friendship all shape his life and work.

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In this episode of Seriously, Bud, June Liu reflects on her 33-year marriage, years living in Taiwan, multilingual upbringing, mental health journey, WordPress consulting career, and her work building authentic community through Speed Network Onlinxcerpt%

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Tom Willmot, CEO of Human Made, shares his inspiring journey from a nomadic childhood in the UK to building one of the most respected WordPress agencies. Hear about his unconventional upbringing, early tech career, and deep values around collaboration and family.

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No messages today about Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Just me in a serious mood to thank you for listening to my brand of crazy.

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An unexpected conversation with a Southern man who studies theology, loves convertibles, and just cares about people.

Nathan Ingram, a lifelong web developer and educator, is the guest on Seriously, Bud. Known for his engaging personality and humor, Nathan shares his journey from early web development to becoming a business coach. He recounts meeting the show's host at work Camp Canada in 2024 and reflects on his foundational role at iThemes, which evolved into Solid WP and Solid Academy. Despite his many roles, including the creation of Monster Contracts, his core focus remains on client work through his Birmingham-based agency, servicing the web development needs since 1995.

Nathan dives deeper into his upbringing and personal interests, revealing a lifelong fascination with technology that started as a child. His inquisitive nature led him to tear apart gadgets and try to reverse-engineer them, albeit often unsuccessfully. He shares humorous anecdotes from his youth and reflects on the importance of finding one’s tribe during those formative middle school years. Despite his tech-savvy, he surprisingly never formally taught WordPress but has been an educator through other means – from livestreams to WordPress word camps.

Switching gears, Nathan talks about his academic and professional background. He attended Southeastern Bible College, majoring in Bible and theology, and spent 20 years in ministry before fully transitioning into web development and business coaching. He stresses how his theological studies imparted valuable insights into understanding people's behaviors and motivations, complementing his current coaching practice. He also reveals his love for Biblical history and theology as a means of understanding different worldviews.

Nathan and the host then discuss more personal matters, such as Nathan's family life and love for cars. Living in Birmingham, Alabama, he enjoys spending time outdoors with his family and riding around in his favorite BMW 2 Series convertible. He shares his philosophies on life, emphasizing the importance of curiosity and continual learning. Despite having extensive knowledge and experience, Nathan remains grounded and invested in his family, underscoring the values of faith and community.

Closing the conversation, Nathan elaborates on his future plans and the evolving landscape of web development. He explores the possibility of delving deeper into therapeutic conversational techniques, merging his tech expertise with his passion for helping people. With over a decade of business coaching under his belt, he aims to continue his work while staying adaptable to industry changes. The show wraps up with a recommendation for future guests and a humorous note about Nathan's early onset of baldness and its practical benefits.

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An unexpected conversation with a developer/teacher who cares that his students actually learn.

The interview with Jonathan begins with a discussion on Brazilian jiu-jitsu, explaining its history and how it became popular in America during the early UFC days. Jonathan, who once taught Brazilian jiu-jitsu, shares his experiences of teaching at his initial school and later at his own club. The conversation then shifts to his personal life, specifically how he met his wife at a luxury department store in South Africa named Woolworth's, contrasting it with its current American counterpart. The story unfolds to reveal Jonathan's journey through various jobs post-high school, his love for cooking, and how he eventually found his passion in programming and software development by accident.

Jonathan elaborates on his diverse work history, from managing a bakery at ShopRite to working at a video store, then transitioning to the insurance sector, and subsequently landing a role in Woolworth's where he delved into IT. It was during his tenure at Woolworth's that he began recognizing his affinity for computers and programming, leading him to pursue a programming diploma. Jonathan's growth in the tech field was a natural progression from his initial fiddling with an auctioned computer his uncle gifted him, to becoming an expert software developer.

A significant part of the discussion focuses on South Africa's transitional period from apartheid to democracy. Jonathan reflects on his family's liberal views and his high school experiences at the first integrated school, culminating in an understanding of the stark reality of apartheid only after interacting with people who had lived through the severe racial segregation. His recollections also cover notable historical milestones, such as Nelson Mandela's release from prison and the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which were pivotal in shaping his views on racial equality and justice.

Jonathan also shares his perspectives on the current socio-political landscape in South Africa, acknowledging the issues of corruption within the government and the ongoing societal challenges. Despite the progress since apartheid, he notes that many problems persist, and contrasts this with instances of communities clinging to the past. The discussion transitions into a lighter note on how Jonathan balances his work at Automattic, his travel experiences, and his efforts in maintaining a work-life balance.

Toward the end of the interview, Jonathan delves into how he began teaching, influenced partly by his experiences during his programming diploma and jiu-jitsu days. He stresses his passion for educating others and how it led him to developer relations and advocacy roles. The interview wraps up with Jonathan talking about his future aspirations, touching on content creation and the possibility of building a recurring revenue-generating software, all while managing the demands of family life.