WCDFW Speaker Spotlight: Mia Mian

Topic: WP DIY Gone Awry… NOW WHAT?!

Startup and Tech Enthusiast byways of San Diego, CA. WordPress was my true entry point into the world of development and I wouldn’t have it any other way… from working in agencies to now as a client facing lead for a WP development firm. I’m stoked to represent and advocate for the non-technical WordPress user.

How did you get involved in WordPress?

I started my first foray into WordPress while working in digital marketing. The agency realm gave me the opportunity to work on lots of different projects at varying degrees of involvement and really get my self-involved in the work. I had no training or technical background… it was truly a sink or swim situation. Having primarily worked within the startup and early-stage company space, I was given the opportunity to learn all the things required as they came up.

What do you do with WordPress?

Moving out of my agency and Marketing days, I now have the absolute pleasure of working within a WordPress services company called PressTigers. While I’m not a developer (…yet!) I have the daily opportunity to support non-technical WordPress users building their projects with our team.

What has your experience with the WordPress community been like?

So far my WordPress Community experience has been nothing short of absolutely stupendous. I had always used WP and then consulted on it from the sidelines, which left me with a smidge of “do I really belong here?” feels. The WordPress community especially at the WordCamp level changed that completely. From the org teams to the speakers and sponsors, and fellow attendees everyone is not only welcoming and encouraging but also from such varying backgrounds and levels of involvement. It’s truly a treat to geek out about this common thing we all use and love despite our spaces and places.

Why did you want to speak at WordCamp DFW?

DFW was actually one of my first WordCamps ever and truly, truly the first time I felt at home being a part of the WordPress Community.

Why did you decide to speak on your topic?

I chose my topic from sheer personal experience. While I’m not a trained developer, I’m tech savvy and an overall self-starter. I like to do things to learn them and it never hurts to have resources to fall back on when trying something new. Starting out I wish I had known the most common pitfalls and mistakes so I could avoid them from the get-go. That being said…

What do you hope the audience gets from your talk?

I built my talk around the most common mistakes starting out and then how to remedy those mistakes. I hope the audience feels empowered to take on their imagined WP projects. There are endless resources which can be challenging to sort through and I hope I’m able to counteract the “you don’t know what you don’t know” bit of starting out.

Tickets are now on sale for this year’s WordCamp DFW held on Nov. 10-11. There are also plenty of opportunities to sponsor the event or help run it. We hope to see you there!

WordCamp Dallas / Fort Worth is over. Check out the next edition!