Lately I’ve taken up a fondness for speaking at conferences, meetups, and other gatherings. If you’re interested in having me speak with your team or at your event please get in touch and we’ll set something up!
January 11, 2019
For the first few years of my speaking career, I viewed CodeMash as something of a White Whale; after all, the conference regularly brings in some of the best speakers in the industry, convening on the Kalahari at the beginning of the year like some sort of geeky New Years’ party. In 2017, I was lucky enough to give my first talk at the conference. Attendance was, well… let’s say “underwhelming”, but the experience of speaking at CodeMash was great.
This year, I’m proud to announce that I’ll be kicking of 2019 by speaking at CodeMash again! I’ll be giving my Testing Like You’ve Never Tested Before (Because You Haven’t) talk, which serves as an introduction to automated testing.
Tags: CodeMash, Testing
August 16, 2018
Last summer, Matt Trask took me to get my first taste of Nashville hot chicken at Hattie B’s. I was in Nashville for Music City Code, and Matt wanted to pick my brain about conferences: the good, the bad, and the…not so good. He revealed that he and some of the other members of the Nashville PHP community were in the early stages of planning a new conference: Southeast PHP.
Now, almost a year later, I’m proud to announce that I’ll be speaking at the inaugural Southeast PHP this August in Nashville, TN!
Tags: CLI, Hot Chicken, PHP, Southeast PHP
June 9, 2018
I’ve long considered WordCamp Kent (formerly WordCamp Northeast Ohio, and WordCamp North Canton before that) to be the premier WordCamp in Ohio. Don’t get me wrong, I had a lot of fun in Cincinnati last year, WordCamp Dayton always puts on a good show, and Columbus will always be my first (and hometown) ‘Camp, but Kent has been the highlight of my Ohio WordCamp experience for the last few years.
WordCamp NEO (2016) marked the first time the conference was held in Kent, Ohio, along with the first time I got to formally meet Chris Lema (my current boss); I’d be lying if I said the session I spent sitting into the hall talking to Chris didn’t in some way lead to me being at Liquid Web today. Then I spent the after-party having a great conversation with podcaster, educator, and generally funny (lookin’) Adam Silver. Last year, I got to know WordPress educator and freelancer Carrie Dils along with SEO expert Rebecca Gill (who wasn’t even speaking, she just wanted to take in the fun). Kent consistently pulls in big names for a moderately-sized WordCamp, meaning you’re able to really get to know the speakers and attendees.
Tags: Ohio, Testing, WordCamp
June 30, 2018
I’ve written in the past about my love for WordCamp Grand Rapids, and I’m excited to announce I’ll be returning this year for WordCamp Grand Rapids 2018 on Saturday, June 30! Even better, I’ll be joining two of my colleagues — Chris Lema and Andrew Norcross — as Liquid Web (apparently) takes over the conference!
The theme for WordCamp Grand Rapids 2018 is around tools and services (an area I’m particularly passionate about), so I’m especially excited. This year, I’ll also be giving my first-ever lightning talk, Up and Running with WP-CLI.
Tags: Grand Rapids, Lightning Talk, WordCamp, WordPress, WP-CLI
May 25, 2018
Last weekend, I premiered my Code Review: For Me & You talk at WordCamp Dayton; while I was certainly pressed for time, I feel the talk went rather well. Unfortunately, the WordCamp Central-provided lavaliere mics weren’t working, so I was warned the morning of that while the sessions would still be recorded, the only audio input would be what was picked up by the on-camera microphone (in the back of the room).
On Twitter, Ben Keith — News Application Developer at the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) — asked if there would be a publicly-posted recording, and I had to break the news that if the video makes it to WordPress.tv the audio will likely be subpar. Ben then invited me to give the talk at one of their upcoming INN Office Hours, which just so happens to be this week!
Tags: Code Review, Institute for Non-Profit News, Webinar
September 19, 2018
I’ve spent most of my life living in Ohio, and it’s a state I very much consider to be my home. However, after a trip to San Diego a few years ago while I was working at 10up, San Diego certainly entered the running. When I heard that a new PHP conference, WavePHP, was starting up in San Diego — at the same resort we stayed in for our team meetup (so I already know where the best tacos in the area are) — I knew I had to apply. Now, I’m finally able to announce that I’ve been accepted to speak at the first-ever WavePHP!
Tags: PHP, San Diego, WavePHP
September 14, 2018
I’m elated to announce that I’ll be giving Code Review: For Me & You at the first-ever Cascadia PHP in Portland, Oregon this September! This will be my first time out to Portland (strange, I know, considering my penchant for beards, craft beer, and coffee), and I can’t think of a better reason to visit than to talk about code review!
Tags: Code Review, Portland
November 14, 2018
php[world], held annually in the greater D.C. metro area, has long been one of my favorite conferences. It was my first non-WordCamp conference speaking engagement, and I’ve been lucky enough to speak at or attend all but one php[world] since it started in 2014.
This year, I’m fortunate to count myself among the speakers, giving two talks this November!
Tags: Code Review, Namespaces, php[architect], php[world], Washington D.C.
May 4, 2018
Update March 27, 2018: Speakers just received word that due to low ticket sales and sponsorship, WordTech! won’t be happening this year.
I’m proud to announce that I’ll be giving my Writing WP-CLI Commands That Work! talk at the inaugural WordTech! conference this Star Wars Day (May 4, 2018) in Toronto.
While this is a brand-new conference, I have a special attachment to it: Lead Organizer Peter MacIntyre (one of the organizers of Northeast PHP) reached out to Eric Mann and I all the way back in January of 2017 about organizing a new, development-focused WordPress conference; he noted that WordCamps often cater to the broadest range of developers, meaning it’s rare for a camp to have more than a few “advanced” development talks. While I’m a fan of development-oriented WordPress conferences (such as LoopConf), I don’t have the bandwidth to help organize a conference. I told Peter that I’d still be happy to submit when the CFP is open. Fast forward a year or so, and I’m excited to be among the inaugural batch of speakers!
Tags: Canada, WordPress, WordTech!, WP-CLI
September 17, 2018
As you may be aware, I’ll be heading out to Portland this week to speak at the inaugural Cascadia PHP, but Cascadia PHP President Alena Holligan reached out last week to see if I’d be willing to extend my stay and speak at the local Portland PHP user-group, PHPDX, the Monday following the conference. Always willing to speak somewhere offering pizza and geekiness, I quickly re-arranged a flight and am proud to be attending (and speaking at) my first PHPDX meetup!
Tags: Portland, Technical Debt, User Group
May 31, 2018
I’m not shy about telling people that php[tek] and php[world] are two of my absolute favorite conferences. Both are organized as collaborations between php[architect] and One For All Events, and play host to some of the biggest names in the PHP ecosystem. That’s why I’m ecstatic to announce that I’ll be giving two talks at php[tek] 2018!
Tags: CLI, Infrastructure, PHP, php[tek]
