Getting ready for WCUS Pride!
Kathy and Michelle share their excitement about WordCamp US and the incredible social events happening around this year’s event in National Harbor, Maryland. Michelle is heading to the venue early to partake in the Community Summit event. The great excitement around the Friday evening Pride event is growing, with over 350 people already registered for the gathering. Listen in for how you can connect with us, where to find us and how to make the most of attending. And if you’re not attending, follow along with us from Twitter or any of your other favorite social networks.
Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Start your week smiling with your friends, Kathy Zant and Michelle Frechette. It’s time to get ready for some weekly motivation
Speaker 1 00:00:07 With WP Motivate. Happy Friday Kathy.
Speaker 2 00:00:15 Happy Friday, Michelle. Woo. It’s exciting. Like T gs less than a week.
Speaker 1 00:00:20 I know.
Speaker 2 00:00:20 Less than a week to Word Camp us. Are you excited?
Speaker 1 00:00:23 I am super excited. I actually go out on Monday, ’cause I’ll be there for the community Summit Tuesday, Wednesday. Yeah. And then I am working on the photos team for Contributor Day and then right into Word Camp Friday and Saturday. So very excited. And, and I am one of the organizer planners for the Pride Party at Word Camp Us, which is sponsored by Codeable Nexus Liquid Web and Stellar wp. So I have been yeah. Part of that team. So for at least for one of the one hour of the Pride Party, I’ll be checking people in. So I will be the hostess of the Mostest.
Speaker 2 00:01:02 Or at least amazing. You’ve got tons of people signed up for that too. Oh, too. Oh my gosh. Last time I looked it was over three 50, so yeah,
Speaker 1 00:01:08 It’s almost 400 now. So we’re pretty excited about it.
Speaker 2 00:01:11 That is very, very cool. Very exciting.
Speaker 1 00:01:13 Unfor. Yeah. Unfortunately it’s 21 over ’cause it is a bar. So I, I know you’re gonna be come for a little while, but I know that your daughter can’t come with you, so, but you’ll put it in appearance. I hope that you get to see the special entertainment, which I won’t say what it is now, but we can talk about it after we get back.
Speaker 2 00:01:30 Very excited. Amazing. Yeah, that’ll be very exciting. I’m very, I’m thrilled and I’m just looking, I know I can’t see everybody’s name that’s coming, but I can, I recognize those pictures. I know there’s gonna be tons of people that I can’t wait to see there, so it’s gonna
Speaker 1 00:01:43 Be Oh absolutely. Really
Speaker 2 00:01:44 A good time. I’m excited about it. Me too. It’ll be long days though. It’s gonna be like, oh yeah. Because I wanna be there for the NASA talk in the morning, but mm-hmm. , it’s gonna be a great way. And I can’t wait to have like the after party on Saturday at the Smithsonian. I like, there’s, oh my gosh, there’s so much. Yeah, so much.
Speaker 1 00:02:03 And that’s a dry, that’s a dry event. I found out the Smithsonian one. There’s no alcohol being served. Yeah. So all ages are welcome to attend that one, which is super cool.
Speaker 2 00:02:11 Yeah. Cool. I’m very excited. So much fun. Did you,
Speaker 1 00:02:15 Did you see my tweet about the headgear that I, or headwear I bought for myself? For WordCamp You or for the Pride Party?
Speaker 2 00:02:22 Yeah. Rainbow. Rainbow
Speaker 1 00:02:24 Feathers in my hair. I, and as soon as I put it on I was like, um, Barry Manalow was Lola with, you know, painted feathers in her hair and dress cut down of there like, ah, I’m Lola
Speaker 2 00:02:34 . L Lale. That was the name of, of Claire’s Claire’s horse that she was riding for a while. Oh, Lola. Good. I love it. She was, uh, the showgirl that she, so her like official fancy name. ’cause all horses have to have an official fancy name was a French for Showgirl. Like re something like I can’t Uhhuh I don’t speak French , but yeah. Lola. That’s fun. Lola, you’re gonna be, it’s gonna be a good time. It’s gonna be a lot of fun. Yeah. I am not gonna be ducked out because I don’t know, I think I’ll have to pick something up ’cause I don’t have anything like super rainbowy or anything, but look at me, I’m rainbowy just as I am. Right,
Speaker 1 00:03:14 Right. Like we’re prismatic, we’re practically prismatic. I don’t . That’s it. That sounded fun. . I dunno. But yeah, I’m super excited. I’m excited about, um, I’ve never been to one of the community summits before. They don’t happen every year. They’re every whatever, four or five years or whatever. So I’m excited to be part of that and to, you know, just kinda learn about that and contribute to the conversations there. And then, um, contributor day, it’s so funny because for years I was like one of those people that was terrified to go to contributor day. Like, I didn’t know what was expected. I I literally, before I really got into the community, much thought it must be like everybody sits down and codes all day. And I was like, well I’m not a coder. What am I gonna do? Like, can I get you some coffee, sir? You know, I don’t wanna become like this contributor today, contributor day barista or something. And then I went to my first one in Nashville and I was like, oh my gosh. Like every team’s got something. And I know ever since I’ve been contributing, whenever I’m not flying out, you know, too soon in the day or something like that. But, um, and in, uh, Europe and in Asia, I was the table lead for the photos team. So yeah. So I’m all in now on the contributor day, so I’m excited about that too.
Speaker 2 00:04:27 Perfect. That’s so great. Yeah. There’s so many people going too. I think the LA have you, well you probably know what the count is, but it’s like close to 2000, isn’t it? It’s,
Speaker 1 00:04:37 It is close to 2000. I don’t know the exact count, but it’s close to 2000. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:04:41 Wow. Exciting. How am I ever going to say hi to everyone
Speaker 1 00:04:45 I know. Oh, and your daughter can meet my daughter? Because Lydia was so, had so much fun in Europe that she bought an airline ticket. She has friends that live in DC so she’s gonna stay with them. And uh, she signed up for Word Camp and the Pride Party and everything else. And so, yeah. Awesome. So Lydia’s gonna be around as well. She, she doesn’t go to the talks, but she’ll probably make a a, a swing through pick up swag and then and then she’ll be at some of the parties. So Yeah. So Claire and Lydia can meet each other and you can meet her and I can meet your daughter. So I’m excited about that too. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:05:15 Awesome. Very awesome. Yeah. That’s so cool.
Speaker 1 00:05:18 It is. I love,
Speaker 2 00:05:20 I love, see I love the community aspect of it and I know that like in a lot of, you know, in the olden days, children grew up in communities and it like took a village to raise kids and everybody’s parents watched out for me and I, my parents watched out, you know, so it was kind of mm-hmm. this collaborative parenting type of thing. And I feel like, you know, as time has gone on, a lot of that has been very fractured. And so community isn’t a big part of, of kids’ lives, you know, I mean everybody Yeah. Nobody’s running around in the streets playing until the streetlights come on like we used to. Right. Exactly. , they’re all at home looking at their phones. Yeah. And so I love the, the fact that the WordPress community for both of my kids have been very in, just had welcome to them with open arms.
Speaker 2 00:06:10 And when I go, ’cause Max, my son was coming to Word Camps with me as well, and so when I go to a Word camp people, everybody asks, how’s your son doing? How’s Max doing? And I want Claire to see that too. Yeah. You know, she’s been to Word Camp Phoenix and was like volunteered at Word Camp Phoenix when I was helping to organize, you know, putting snacks out and stuff like that. Mm-hmm. . But I just, I want them to have that same kind of, no matter where you are in the world, there’s a WordPress person type of feeling. Yeah. So that as they grow up, it’s so funny because, um, when we were living in Arizona and my son met someone in a, a girl in Minnesota and I’m like, he’s gonna just drive across the country, isn’t he? And I had friends in Kansas, who like, I’ll drive two states, two states, that’s as far as I’ll drive to pick Max up if there’s an issue, , but it’s a WordPress person. Yeah. Watching out for my kids. Yeah. And so it just feels like this global community that’s like, we watch out for each other and we watch out for the, our families. So like Lydia, like if she’s traveling the world, like, oh, well I know someone in that city that can help you out if anything happens. It’s just like this global community that really just, we watch out for each other. Mm-hmm. . And I just love that
Speaker 1 00:07:25 Lydia actually did a week of training, I think it was last October, might have been September, whatever, September of last year in Austin, Texas. And so Oh yeah. She and I gave her and Ally NI’s each other’s phone numbers and so I kind of forgot, you know, that, that that was what was happening. And I get a text message from Ally and it’s a picture of Lydia holding her phone. And then like literally a minute later I get a text message from Lydia and it’s a picture of Allie holding her phone. Like they’re taking pictures of each other, taking pictures. And I’m like, oh my gosh, my girl, my girls, my, my, my WordPress daughter and my biological daughter are having lunch together in Austin, Texas. And it was so cool.
Speaker 2 00:08:03 That is so perfect. And that’s it. That’s mm-hmm. , that’s it. It’s just like, you know, the people that we love altogether, this community aspect and um, and, and that’s something that just you don’t find in, in other places. And I still to this day, you know, people are like, oh, well Wix and Squarespace and Web Flow look at all these other tools where you can put a Oh notion, you can make a website with Notion and everything. And I’m like, yeah, good luck to you. Where’s
Speaker 1 00:08:33 Have fun with that? The
Speaker 2 00:08:34 Community behind that, where’s the, where’s the opportunity to really understand mm-hmm. Like the foundations of the internet with that and where’s, where’s the person that’s gonna have your back and remember you. Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:08:46 So exactly. The
Speaker 2 00:08:47 Community aspect is huge.
Speaker 1 00:08:49 The community aspect is huge for so many ways. Support, there’s like the hive mind aspect of like literally helping each other with so many things. Um, and getting advice from people and like I I’ve said before, I don’t care if you call it Twitter, you call it X whatever it is post on there, a question you have and people will come outta the woodwork to support you and give you advice and guidance as to how to solve it.
Speaker 2 00:09:11 Yes. Amazing. Yes. And then, and then all the Facebook groups too, like, oh yeah, I was ready to just like, ah, done with Facebook. But there’s so many really hyperactive, not hyperactive, but super active love how I go. Hyperactive. I love that. That was great. Subconscious. Thanks for that word choice.
Speaker 3 00:09:31 But
Speaker 2 00:09:32 They’re super active and super passionate people in all of these different groups that share thoughts and ideas and ask questions and get solutions. And what about just the creativity and the community that happens there? I didn’t expect to find that so strongly there, but it’s really cool to see. And I’ve made, I’ve made friends in Facebook groups, WordPress, Facebook groups that, I don’t know if they’re on Twitter or not, but they’re like, yep. Yeah, they probably are. But, but the, the interaction of what’s happening on Facebook, I did not expect that. That’s like my kindergarten friends like, what
Speaker 3 00:10:07 Are doing ? Well, chocolate
Speaker 2 00:10:10 In my peanut butter and it’s
Speaker 3 00:10:11 Delicious.
Speaker 1 00:10:14 I remember those commercials. You got, you got your peanut butter in my chocolate. You got your chocolate in my peanut butter .
Speaker 3 00:10:19 Exactly. But
Speaker 2 00:10:21 It’s still delicious even though it’s ’cause everybody,
Speaker 1 00:10:23 Everybody roller skates with a, with a char of peanut butter , they’re eating with a
Speaker 3 00:10:29 Spoon. Oh, that always made me
Speaker 2 00:10:32 Laugh. Who are you if you haven’t done that Right,
Speaker 3 00:10:36 .
Speaker 1 00:10:39 I’m like, I’m gonna have to bring a jar of peanut butter and have it in my little scooter basket. So when I see it work, I’ll be like, did you bring the chocolate ?
Speaker 3 00:10:47 I can just, exactly.
Speaker 2 00:10:49 Oh my gosh. I just bought for my daughter. I was at Walmart. ’cause she get this, so she, because it’s so hot here, she rides her horse in the before school in the mornings. I have to drive her there at 5:00 AM and then Walmart opens at six so I can run to Walmart and pick up a few things. And I found Mr. Beast, the YouTuber dude has his own chocolate and they’re called D d’s nuts chocolate. I had to buy it ’cause it’s just like so funny. The D’s nuts because the D’s nuts thing has been like haunting me for years with, you know. Oh yeah. Preteens around. So yeah. And it’s peanut butter and it’s chocolate d’s nuts. I thought it was hilarious. I love it.
Speaker 3 00:11:28 That’s, I
Speaker 2 00:11:29 Gave it to her and she’s like, you know, she’s over D’S nuts. I’m like,
Speaker 3 00:11:33 I can’t keep up. It’s
Speaker 2 00:11:35 Funny Now, I don’t know. I don’t
Speaker 1 00:11:37 Either. I don’t either.
Speaker 3 00:11:41 And
Speaker 1 00:11:41 I know, like I tell the, I’m the corny joke person, right? Like my, my daughter. It’s like with my friends, we laugh about corny jokes. Like you and I can make stupid jokes and we’ll laugh. Like honestly laugh. My daughter just rolls her eyes. Right. It’s like, and I yeah, she’s, she’s in her thirties. It’s not like she’s a little kid. Right. But I just, but I realized that there’s like, I do the same thing to my mom. Like, I have to fake laugh for my mom or she gets mad. .
Speaker 2 00:12:04 So . Yeah.
Speaker 1 00:12:05 So like Lydia, can you just fake laugh like I do for Grandma ? Make me feel
Speaker 2 00:12:09 Better. Yeah. Seriously. Fake laugh for me.
Speaker 1 00:12:13 Oh gosh. Yeah. Anyway. That’s funny. It is funny.
Speaker 2 00:12:18 Kids, I’ll get to see you in less than a week. I’m so excited. I know. Very excited.
Speaker 1 00:12:23 I, I think my face will probably be sore by the end from all the smiling and laughing, but it’s definitely a sore, worthwhile. And uh, very much like I I, anybody that’s a hugger, I’m a hugger. Feel free to come up for a hug. Um, and you’re gonna get one for sure Kathy. So , we got the biggest one reserved for you. I I’ve told a couple people I’m gonna hug you for an uncomfortably long time, so be prepared.
Speaker 2 00:12:48 This is the way,
Speaker 1 00:12:50 This is the way absolutely anyway
Speaker 2 00:12:52 Because we’re all gonna be like, oh, remember last year when we were, oh gosh, that was how many years ago? That
Speaker 1 00:12:57 That was 2019 .
Speaker 2 00:12:58 That’s where Yeah. Where it felt like last year. But it’s like, oh my gosh. A lot of these people. Yeah. Well I didn’t go to Word Camp in San Diego or Word Camp u s in San Diego. So to me it feels like St. Louis was last year. But it was, yeah, four years ago.
Speaker 1 00:13:14 It was almost four years. Isn’t that crazy? Yeah. It was September, or no, it was October. ’cause it was right around Halloween of 2019. Right. Insane. I don’t know what’s happening. I think I lost well, internet, which is are fun. So we took a little brief always.
Speaker 1 00:13:44 I I, during that little time I ho hopped in the hot tub. I made lunch. I’m just kidding. I’m still just sitting right here and I don’t have a hot tub . Anyway, um, definitely looking forward to seeing you next week and tons of people that we haven’t seen in so long. Um, and some people I’ve seen recently too. So it’s all good. And, um, at the Pride Party and the other parties and the after party and the grabbing coffee and I’m just, I’m really excited about it and very much looking forward to spending some time with you too. So
Speaker 2 00:14:13 Gonna be so much fun.
Speaker 1 00:14:15 And we’re gonna find a time to record live together Yes. For this podcast like we did in Phoenix. ’cause that was super fun. And uh, we’ll see everybody there. So if you’re not going, I’m sorry, but what, follow us on Twitter ’cause we’re gonna post fun stuff, so.
Speaker 2 00:14:29 Oh, totally. Yeah. I’m gonna, I’m hoping to do some fun conversations, like maybe even do a couple live streams. Let’s see if I can get it done. We’ll see, I love it. I have big
Speaker 1 00:14:39 Quotes. I love it. and, and I have big expectations, so you better. No, I’m kidding. Anyway,
Speaker 2 00:14:44 .
Speaker 1 00:14:46 We’ll see you next week. Bye everybody.
Speaker 2 00:14:49 Bye.
Speaker 1 00:14:51 This has been WP Motivate with Kathy Zant and Michelle Frechette. To learn more or to sponsors us, go to wpmotivate.com.