WPMotivate: Recent Episodes
WPMotivate
Join Kathy Zant and Michelle Frechetteevery Monday for anywhere from 5 - 20 minutes of Monday happiness, Monday joy, and Monday Motivation.
In previous episodes, Kathy and Michelle have discussed the concept of Swedish death cleaning, the process of helping older adults pare down their decades of possessions. As our lives have become more digital, the process of decluttering and deleting old data on computers, hard drives, and even our cloud services is needed, too. This leads us to wonder how much of our own lives are being stored as a part of our permanent record, and how to ensure that we let go of things we no longer need.
Having been online for two decades (or more), Kathy and Michelle have gone through numerous tech stacks to help them do their jobs and publish online. From a review of old BlogSpot blogs to our evolution of web development, photo retouching, and video editing, we've used a number of tools. We go over today's favorites and the tools we use to keep ourselves organized and focused. From note taking to journaling and AI tools, to secret plugins that make WordPress easier, we're always amazed at how applications have evolved.
Does giving make you more susceptible to malicious activity? Once a week, Michelle shares a list of known job openings in the WordPress space, and nearly every week, someone reaches out, asking her to find them a job. Recently, someone got a bit manipulative and even started using her as a reference. With the recent news of social security numbers breached, Kathy gives some advice for everyone to be more hypervigilant than normal in watching for targeted phishing and social engineering attacks.
Anger gets a bad rap. But it can inspire action, set clear boundaries, and even… cause you to break into song? Yes, indeed. In this episode, Michelle and Kathy get vulnerable about some day-to-day events that have sparked anger. They share coping mechanisms for moving beyond challenging emotions and transmuting the negative into positives.
With many meteor showers coming in the upcoming weeks, Kathy and Michelle consider wishes on those shooting stars. We’ve all got various things we’d wish for, and sometimes we make wishes for others. As we've got WordCamp US a few weeks away, we talk a little about our preparations as well as influence and reputation in a community space.
When you find success in a new field or venture, it can typically be traced back to some kind of learning or expanded perception. Our entire reality is inviting us to continually open up to a new way of perceiving things, or a new paradigm of understanding. It’s usually our own limiting beliefs and viewpoints that get in the way of an entirely different reality. In this episode, Kathy and Michelle discuss various paradigm shifts and expanded awareness that have led to new beliefs, greater compassion, and continuous learning.
Whenever there are challenges, there are people looking to help. Whether it's a neighbor who goes out of their way to help or a friend lending a hand, be open to receiving assistance. Sometimes that assistance might even come in inexplicable ways. These "angels" may not have wings or halos, but rather could be everyday individuals who bring light into the world through their actions. Michelle and Kathy share some instances where they've received unexpected help from sometimes unexplainable sources.
In this episode, Michelle and Kathy talk about numerous things, as they often do. But they explore something dear to their heart: community. Michelle shares a story of a community that sprung up around a mysterious pantry organizer and how the guesses of its purpose brought people together. They share cautionary tales of businesses that try to bolster a community by force and how those inauthentic efforts fall short. All communities need one thing: authentic efforts to be of service.
When building a brand or reputation, many might consider creating a specific persona that meets the need of their market. Unfortunately, doing so means building something that isn't true to yourself, and it can create exhaustion trying to keep up the appearance of the facade. In this episode, Kathy and Michelle talk about the critical role of authenticity in personal branding and reputation development. They explore strategies for staying true to yourself while cultivating a strong professional image, share personal experiences, and offer practical advice for listeners looking to enhance their personal brand without compromising their values.
Michelle and Kathy discuss Michelle’s trip to WordCamp Europe and some of the experiences. Though Michelle received the worst departing gift ever, she encountered incredible kindness along the way. Her experiences have lessons for all of us. As she gave gifts to flight crews and others along the journey, it was apparent how powerful kindness is. The more we give, the more we’re given, and the more we have to give, and so it goes.
Kathy and Michelle talk about interesting synchronicities and multidimensional experiences they’ve had throughout their lifetimes. From synchronistic dreams and strange repeating numbers, they share thoughts about being spiritual beings having a human experience.
Or, the episode where Kathy brings her chainsaw. Michelle got to visit Niagara Falls with Nyasha Green to see the forces of water at work, while Kathy gets a visit from the winds of spring storms in Texas. This leads Michelle and Kathy to get philosophical about humanity’s place in nature and what interacting with the forces of nature can do for our greater understanding of ourselves.
The world is not always a kind place. People are distracted, worried, and often too disconnected to be present enough to realize what kindness can do. As such, cultivating kindness can create an impression. In this episode, Kathy and Michelle talk about how kindness to strangers is quite memorable. And when you encounter the unkind, it’s best to just let them be who they are and be kind anyway. And of course, always remember to be kind to yourself.
Facebook's memories feature shows us things we've written or where we've been tagged in previous years on a particular day. Sometimes, however, there are days and memories that should just stay in the vault, never to be spoken of again. In this episode, Michelle and Kathy recount some past memories that are both cringe-worthy and comedic. They also talk about how the past and the future aren't even really happening, except when we re-engage them with remembering or worrying about the future. The now moment is all we have. They also talk about a strategy for re-remembering past traumatic events so that you can move forward in a positive way rather than being haunted by them.
Inspired by James Lipton’s rapid-fire questions on Inside the Actor’s Studio, Michelle and Kathy answer those need-to-know questions no one else will ever ask you. They also recount some plot lines to famous 70s TV shows and ask important questions of God. They also talk about balance, professions they'd like to attempt, and obscure words no one ever uses.
Inspired by Carole Olinger’s talk at WCEU 2023, Michelle and Kathy discuss all the feelings that come up when you cannot attend an event. Michelle, who chose not to attend WordCamp Buffalo even though she was an organizer this year, experienced both joy and sadness of missing out on this year’s event. Kathy recalled events in which others had traveled very far to attend, causing much FOMO, but also a realization that the travel involved wouldn’t be worth it. When you miss out, you can still live vicariously through others and celebrate their successes and connection, even when you’re not there.
In an era when so many appear to live flawless lives, showcasing only perfection on social media; honesty and vulnerability have become rare. Kathy and Michelle talk through recent situations where they’ve shared vulnerable experiences so that others can learn from them and how vulnerability can actually be a strength. Social media seems to be a sea of flawless photos and whitewashed posts that feel just a little off with AI-perfected messaging. Through it all, real people are looking for true authenticity and real connection. Vulnerability is one thing that truly connects us.
Sometimes our conversations take us down meandering paths, and we're not sure how we ended up where we did. Did we take a fork in the road? Did Michelle see a squirrel and lose her train of thought? Did Kathy pick up the threads of one conversation and take it down a different path? Sometimes good conversations start somewhere end end up somewhere else entirely. And sometimes that's exactly where we need to be.
Michelle and Kathy discuss how to create healthier habits that support self care. Kathy has been on a roll developing new habits for more strength and dealing with some metabolic issues, which inspired a blog post and inspired Michelle to adopt some healthy habits, too. They also discuss how hard it is to make self care a priority when so many other demands exist on their energy, and how adopting habits of self care are small steps towards a better life experience.
Sometimes we wear masks pretending to be something that we’re not in order to be more in alignment with what we think will make us happier or more successful. But when we align with who we authentically are, we express our uniqueness. That uniqueness has no competition and cannot fail. In an old sales book called Go for No, the message was that the “yes” you’re looking for was on the other side of the inevitable “no.” Being okay with failure can often lead you right to the authentic self where everything succeeds.
Is it the eclipses? Or is something else going on? We’re noticing negative emotions and heavy energy in our community, so Kathy and Michelle discuss what’s happening. Often, when we desire to express our emotions, sadness or harder emotions come out first. But as we explore the “negative” emotions, we can access other, more positive emotions, too. Keeping sadness down is exhausting, and we end up keeping our more joyful emotions down when we don’t allow authentic expression. We also discuss having code words for “I need you” when in crisis. It only takes 8 minutes of connection to help […]
In this episode of WPMotivate, Michelle gives us an overview of what's quickly becoming one of the world's most attended WordPress events. From amazing food to incredible speakers and a well-oiled machine of an organizing team, WordCamp Asia did not disappoint.
Kathy and Michelle discuss Michelle's upcoming trip to WordCamp Asia where she's speaking, her recent promotion to Executive Director of Post Status, and Kathy's nighttime hacking alter ego.
How do we best overcome self-doubt and start living the life we all deserve? Tune in and see if you see yourself in these situations. Awareness of self-sabotage is the first step towards healing.
Last week one of the biggest WordPress product vulnerabilities was discovered, but by the time word got out, thousands of sites had been compromised. Kathy is a security specialist and talks a bit about what that meant to many sites around the world, which led to a discussion about personal security, online security, and how a late night visitor trying to access Michelle's house (mistakenly) can lead to better safety decisions. Oh, and we laughed a lot!
There is an old Native American story about how two wolves live inside of us, one evil and one good. The adage says that the wolf that we feed is the one that wins. Often, this story is used to encourage us to be positive and not entertain the evil wolf with negative thoughts. Kathy and Michelle have some thoughts about these wolves, and think that even sadness, anger, and "negative" feelings have something to teach us about life. In the end, Kathy and Michelle think that maybe both wolves need at least a snack, a nap, and maybe a little fun in their lives, like most of us do. We're reminded that we aren't our thoughts, we aren't our emotions, but how we respond to the experiences and our stories about them leads to how well we live our lives.
In this episode, we talk about strategies for getting through the purge, our privilege of even having this as a problem, and how ensuring that the things that no longer serve us find their way to be of service to someone who can really use those things.
Michelle and Kathy share what they've collected over the years, and how our collections help us tell the story of a life well lived.
As we shift into gear in 2024, Kathy and Michelle take a look at all they accomplished in 2023 and set some big goals for 2024. Kathy's looking for a little bit of magic while Michelle is already hitting the ground running and accomplishing big things, including a speaking appearance in Taiwan at WordCamp Asia. What goals have you set for yourself? How did 2023 go for you? Let us know how you're bringing your best self to a brand new year!
There are some family holiday traditions that are 100% unique. They may start out as cultural traditions and then evolve into things passed down through generations of family in their own unique way. And as they get passed down, each one of us has the opportunity to add our own unique flavor to each tradition. As we start our holiday traditions, we're reminded of the power of our own unique individual expression. In this episode, we explore how our uniqueness strengthens our family bonds and give us more to celebrate. Join us as we celebrate the beauty of being authentically ourselves.
As 2023 comes to a close, Michelle and Kathy take a look back over the key milestones and peak experiences of the last year and what they're looking forward to in 2024. The end of the year leaves them thinking of what they'd like more of, and of course with the passage of time, they have some thoughts on what's truly important. They're looking to make the most of their impact on communities as we all dive into a new year, and they certainly don't have any more patience for inauthenticity. What are you looking forward to creating more of in 2024? Leave your thoughts in the comments!
During this season of giving, Kathy and Michelle think about how empowering it is to be of service to others, as well as allowing other people to be of service to us.
Sometimes you just have to rant. Or vent. Or let all the steam out. It's good for you! In this episode Michelle and Kathy open up about unrealistic expectations, demands on time, and even failure on their own parts to get all the stuff done. And Michelle even cusses a little. But doesn't it feel better once you let it all out?
Sometimes life gets a little busy and you have to make extra efforts for self care, for downtime and rejuvenation, and maybe just a little bit of nothing. This show is a lot about nothing, with a meandering conversation about all of the busy happenings in Kathy's and Michelle's lives over the last few weeks. Join us as we talk about all of the little nothings that somehow add up to something.
Michelle and Kathy talk about Michelle's long birthday weekend with friend in Georgia, and how they made their home accessible for her needs. Kathy talks about motivation to work out at Cabo Press. And together they decide that neither of them will probably ever scale Mount Shasta.
As we continue to think about legacy and impact, we consider our own impact and legacy and the desire to be change agents for the betterment of our own worlds.
In this episode, Michelle and Kathy talk about how the open source WordPress community is motivated more by collaboration than competition.
With summer winding down, Kathy and Michelle are getting in their last few trips before fall hits. It’s always good to take some time away from everything to rest, connect with your own self, your own needs, and your own care.
At WordCamp US, Matt Mullenweg announced that WordPress.com would be offering 100-Year domain and hosting plans for $38,000. Kathy and Michelle take a look at whether or not this is a marketing strategy or something that inspires us to consider what 100 years actually looks like. Kathy mentions the work done by mystery schools 100 years ago and the archives that have been maintained of their work, notably with the work of Edgar Cayce. What would that kind of work look like 100 years from now? Is this just an ego boost thinking that anything we post is that important, or could this […]
After WordCamp US in National Harbor, Maryland, Kathy and Michelle chat about what we both got out of the event attracting 2,000 of our closest friends to learn, connect, and celebrate together.
This week Hazel and Michelle discuss their best tips and tricks for in-person networking, especially at conferences and events. Networking isn’t about trading business cards at conferences or making small talk with strangers. It’s about genuine human connection, engaging conversations, and building relationships that last. The Art of Asking and Connecting Ask the Right Questions: […]
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.
While there are many people who make WordPress special, there are a few people whose contributions and rising stars really excite us. Did we drop your name in this episode?
We're looking for your stories to share on WPMotivate. Listen in this week as Michelle and Kathy describe the project and also talk about their inspirational stories for this week.
Kathy is thinking about how hacker culture and the hacker mindset can be applied to so many areas of life. Michelle shares her thoughts about how knowing how to hack, and where to hack, can be some of the most important value we bring to problems.
How much chaos can two lives hold? Kathy and Michelle are testing the limits so you don't have to! And through the chaos, they both find not only experiences that create greater awareness, they find ways to be more present in their lives. Holding on to gratitude and reframing your experience more positively can always help. Even in the worst of experiences, there can be positives if you look for them.
Michelle posted a poll on Twitter asking if people are really bothered about the "capital P dangit" in WordPress. The responses were interesting, and everyone had an opinion. Kathy and Michelle both share their thoughts about the camelcase P in WordPress, as well as how we in the WordPress community might be supportive toward important brand recognition. We both agree that the context and intent matters. The conversation turns toward different funny experiences with our own names being misspelled, misheard, or mispronounced. In any case, we land on one key thing: our names, much like Shakespeare's roses by any other name, don't matter as much as who we are and how we make the world a better place.
COVID & a dead fridge add some challenges for us, but we work through letting go and moving through them, toward a vision of the future.
Kathy and Michelle have a sneaking suspicion that eventually, we all end up going for freedom... and that freedom starts with WordPress.
"Guilty pleasures” are often acts of self-care for our own mental health. And they can look different to different people.
In this week's episode, we talk about dealing with other people's judgements and why diversity is important to our global WordPress community.
Michelle recently launched WPSpeakers.com, and Kathy has been playing with generative AI tools. Between us, we've been learning a lot.
In this episode, Michelle and Kathy explore some of those disempowering structures and methods of breaking free to discover who we really are and know our worth.
In this lively episode, Michelle and Kathy share some of the creature comforts that make life easier, happier, and sometimes just a lot more fun.
In this episode Kathy and Michelle talk about how powerful helping others can be, not only for the people we help, but for ourselves as that good karma comes back to us magnified.
In this episode we talk about the importance of community and welcoming everyone as a part of the WordPress mission of giving everyone a voice.
In this episode, Kathy and Michelle are together at WordCamp Phoenix where they were both speakers and representing Kadence as sponsors.
This episode is worth a watch as well as a listen as Kathy and Michelle don their tiaras and talk about some of the recent accomplishments they've had.
Both Kathy and Michelle have had recent experiences where other women have held up a mirror to show them how they're seen by others. During Women's History Month, we've been blessed by other women showing where our value really lies.
If you've ever been down to the wire and had others relying on you, then you'll understand the anxiety that Michelle was dealing with when her passport arrived with a mere week to book travel and plan her trip to Asia.
The latest episode of the Audacity Marketing Podcast discusses the importance of being bold and true to your brand voice on social media. The episode offers three key tips for being audacious on platforms like Twitter, including having a strong brand voice, going with your gut, and not being afraid to ask for forgiveness after posting.
Kathy and Michelle found themselves in a place where they were completing tasks at the eleventh hour before a deadline last week, and they pondered how they get themselves into these situations.
In this episode, we’re dishing out all the secrets on how to be a boss in the marketing game by embracing your inner audacity. It’s time to ditch the play-it-safe attitude and bring some sass to your strategy. So, grab your favorite drink and get ready to learn how taking bold risks can lead to […]
This week, Kathy and Michelle talk about their passion projects and how ideas flow for new creative ventures.
As WordPress approaches it's 20th birthday, Michelle and Kathy review our own personal journeys with WordPress.
As we start 2023 where we've talked about our dreams for the future, Kathy and Michelle talk about some of the dreams of the past.
Kathy and Michelle talk a little about the holidays and some exciting things that have been happening in both of their lives. Michelle is one of the 4 finalists for the WROC 2023 Rochester Remarkable Women, which is an honor in and of itself. Kathy posted a YouTube video on an inspiration which led to a brand deal in a space for which she's very passionate. Both of these events have us thinking about what our impact is, how we measure our own self worth, and we also reflect on how far women have come from our parents' generation where women with influence was unthinkable. We're grateful for those trailblazers that made our lives easier, and we double down on our commitment to making the next generation of women's journey even better.
Looking back over the challenges of 2022, Kathy & Michelle are ready to put the year behind them & turn their attention to new goals & projects.
With Christmas upon us, we've got a lot to be grateful for in being able to celebrate with our loved ones. In spite of winter trying to bring hardships and difficulties, Michelle and Kathy find ways of outsmarting old man winter and his cold and treacherous ways. This time of year can be great, but for some of us it can be a bit overwhelming with additional activity and demands on our time. We find ways to still be grateful, though, and wish all of our listeners (and viewers) a wonderful holiday no matter how you celebrate.
Michelle and Kathy talk about the recent State of the Word that took place in New York City on December 15, 2022
In this episode, Kathy and Michelle talk about the little drops of happiness that can keep you motivated and make your whole day better.
In this episode, Kathy and Michelle discuss some amazing things happening in the WordPress community, and the upcoming State of the Word event.
Michelle and Kathy talk about what they wanted to be when they grew up and what media said 2023 might look like.
Kathy and Michelle discuss all the things, but ask for good karma going forward. Do good things, get good things, right? Also, we've had enough grief and heartache for awhile, ok Karma?
No, we’re not Oprah, but like her, we do love the small things that make life a little better…like coffee, a nice pen, and some warm slippers.
Kathy and Michelle talk about how they stay positive when things are difficult, what mantras keep them going, and the deep thoughts that make you feel like a philosopher.
Did you know Michelle grew up afraid of ghosts? And Kathy loves good chocolate? Each episode is another little window into who each of us are.
This week Kathy and Michelle talk about reclaiming the fun where you can. Silver linings? We find them!
Do you celebrate your birthday? Do you go to the mountaintops? Do you relish in a photoshoot? Some things are big. Some things are small. We can enjoy them all.
No matter what's happening outside your window - day or night - the sun is always shining down...somewhere!
The WordPress community is not perfect. But even amongst the "compost" you can look for the good. In this episode we discuss where to look.
Kathy Zant and Michelle Frechette are teaming up to bring you anywhere from 5 – 20 minutes of Monday happiness, Monday joy, and Monday Motivation. In this first episode we introduce you to what we’re thinking! Transcript of Episode: Speaker 0 00:00:03 Hey Kathy.Speaker 1 00:00:05 Michelle, it’s so good to see you. How are […]