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An unexpected conversation between me, myself, and I as I put a bow on my first year as a podcaster.

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An unexpected conversation with a young entrepreneur who is never going to work a day in his life.

The podcast episode titled "40 - Adrian Tobey" features a conversation between Bud and Adrian Tobey. Bud starts the episode by asking Adrian about fixing foundation cracks with expansion polyurethane foam, leading to Adrian recounting how he tackled a water leakage issue in his basement after a significant snowmelt in Canada. He explains the process of using epoxy and polyurethane foam kits to seal the cracks, which he found to be more cost-effective than hiring a professional.

The discussion moves to Adrian's current residence in Niagara Falls, where he enjoys the picturesque view and proximity to wine country, which influenced their decision to settle there. Adrian shares his and his wife's passion for wine, detailing their visits to various wine regions during their travels. Bud learns about Adrian’s past, including his schooling at the University of Toronto, where he met his wife, and his transition from studying computer science to founding Groundhog, a WordPress plugin business.

Adrian elaborates on Groundhog’s value proposition, emphasizing its flat-rate pricing and self-hosting features as an alternative to costly SaaS CRMs like HubSpot and Salesforce. He touches upon his previous venture, Formlift, and his early start in the WordPress plugin business while still in university. The conversation also delves into Adrian’s personal hobbies, particularly his love for building elaborate Lego sets, including the Titanic.

Bud steers the talk into lighter subjects like Adrian’s hobbies and their shared enjoyment of Legos. Adrian discusses his collection and ongoing projects, mentioning the intricacies of building large sets like the Titanic. The conversation turns to sports, local interests, and childhood, providing a glimpse into Adrian’s personal life and upbringing.

Towards the end, the question of future family plans arises, with Adrian expressing his and his wife's intention to have children soon. The episode closes with a recommendation for Greg Franklin as a potential guest for the show and a spirited discussion about hosting future WordCamp events in Niagara Falls, highlighting its appealing aspects compared to other Canadian cities.

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An unexpected conversation between two guys who know what it's like to struggle with mental illness.

This episode of "Seriously Bud" features a heartfelt conversation between Bud and Cory Miller. The dialogue opens with Bud welcoming Cory and discussing their mutual unfamiliarity, leading into talks about Cory's origins in Oklahoma City and connections with notable people in the tech community. As they delve deeper, Cory shares his story of how he met his wife, Lindsay, highlighting their enduring marriage of 13 years and reflecting on the complexities and challenges of long-term relationships.

The conversation transitions into more profound territory as both Cory and Bud open up about their personal battles with mental health. Cory discusses his experiences with depression and burnout, emphasizing the importance of professional therapy and support in managing mental health challenges. Bud reciprocates by sharing his own prolonged struggle with depression, including his recurring thoughts about suicide, and the genetic predisposition to depression in his family.

Bud and Cory reflect on the value of sharing their mental health struggles publicly, aiming to break the stigma surrounding these discussions. Cory mentions his early experiences in 2015 when he decided to openly discuss his mental health issues, a decision driven by a desire to obliterate the stigma and encourage others to seek help. Bud recalls being inspired by Cory's openness, leading him to share his own mental health journey for the first time on air.

As the conversation shifts back to lighter topics, Bud and Cory discuss their families, travel experiences, and professional endeavors. Cory talks about his role as Chief Evangelist at A2 Hosting, focusing on helping agencies through coaching and building long-term relationships. He also mentions his family's upcoming cruise and past travel adventures, sharing amusing anecdotes about his experience with travel logistics.

The episode closes with Bud and Cory emphasizing the importance of not suffering in silence and seeking professional help for mental health issues. They leave listeners with a powerful message: everyone experiences pain, but no one should go through it alone. They also discuss potential future guests for the show, with Bud expressing interest in having Kimberly Lopari and Brian Gardner on future episodes.

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An unexpected conversation with an outgoing introvert who lives in the middle of nowhere.

Aaron Campbell appeared on "Seriously Bud" and discussed his journey as an outgoing introvert, clarifying that being shy and being introverted are not the same. Aaron finds social interactions rewarding but also exhausting, and emphasized the importance of understanding one's own energy dynamics. He talked about his struggle with running a business while realizing his introverted nature, ultimately finding balance by conserving energy for meaningful interactions.

During the conversation, Aaron shared personal anecdotes about his upbringing in San Diego, his move to Seminole, Oklahoma, and his close relationship with his sister and grandparents. He explained that his relocation was motivated by the need to care for his grandparents, and praised the benefits of working remotely in the WordPress space, which allowed him to support his family while staying connected to his professional endeavors.

Aaron and Bud also discussed their personal interests, such as Aaron's recent immersion in Magic: The Gathering with his son. Aaron detailed how this new hobby grew quickly into a significant part of their lives, highlighting the importance of shared activities in maintaining strong family bonds. Additionally, they touched on other hobbies like riding dirt bikes and UTVs, revealing Aaron's appreciation for high-speed activities.

In the latter part of the interview, Aaron reflected on his professional journey within the hosting industry. He currently serves as the Director of Product at A2 Hosting and has previously worked with major companies like Endurance International Group and GoDaddy. Before entering the hosting industry, Aaron ran his own web development agency, which gave him valuable insights into the needs of clients seeking to establish their online presence.

The episode wrapped up with a discussion about Aaron's television preferences, particularly his anticipation for the final episode of "Only Murders in the Building." He recommended Sarah Glenn for a future interview on "Seriously Bud," highlighting her contributions to the WordPress community through events like WordCamp US and State of the Word. Aaron expressed his admiration for Bud's unique perspective and concluded with a mutual appreciation for the conversation.

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An unexpected conversation with a woman who is Tuscan forever, no matter where she lives.

In this episode, Piccia Neri dives into the unique aspects of her name and her life journey. She starts by explaining how her name, which isn't her official name, often garners intrigue, particularly because it doesn't exist in Italy. Despite living in multiple countries, including the UK and Spain, she has retained her distinct name. In Spain, however, her legal name takes on a comical existence due to its resemblance to a slang term for a male anatomical part.

Piccia shares her early life experiences, highlighting her Italian roots and her move from the idyllic childhood in Parma to the less favored childhood in Siena. Her father, who had ties to both Milan and Tuscany, was a winemaker, and his work influenced much of her upbringing. Despite initially studying law, she quickly abandoned it due to lack of interest and instead pursued her passion in London driven by her love of music, which was a major part of her life in the late 80s and early 90s. Piccia describes her involvement in the vibrant London music scene, surrounded by a community of musicians and artists.

After some time in London, Piccia ventured into the publishing world focused on arts institutions like museums and galleries. This led to her passion for typography, which she eventually evolved into accessible typography practices. Her work is described as platform-agnostic, emphasizing the importance of typography in creating effective visual communications, rooted in sound HTML structure.

Aside from her professional endeavors, Piccia discusses her personal interests such as inline skating and yoga. She shares how yoga has become an indispensable part of her daily routine, helping her maintain physical and mental well-being. The conversation also notes her dislike for helmets during skating due to the limited protection they offer, emphasizing her preference for safety in other activities where helmets are more effective.

The interview wraps up with insights into her cooking abilities, influenced by her profound family culinary traditions. Piccia also talks about her family, including her older brother, younger sister, and her close relationships with her niece and nephew. She concludes by recommending Andrew Palmer as a guest for a future interview, noting his interesting life and mentioning that they share mutual connections in the WordPress community.

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An unexpected conversation with a Michigander who knows a good story when he sees one and can tell a few too.

The interview, led by Bud, begins with a discussion about Topher’s adventurous experiences in aviation, including an intriguing anecdote where Topher piloted a plane over the Bering Sea during a mission trip to Alaska. Topher recounts his passion for aviation and aerospace, sharing that he earned his pilot’s license in the early 90s but hasn't flown since. The conversation then transitions into Topher’s dabble in creating desktop Windows themes, specifically a theme for the International Space Station, highlighting his proactive reach out to NASA, which led to its inclusion on their website.

As the dialogue progresses, Bud delves into Topher’s personal history, starting with his uniquely derived name, Topher, from his full name Christopher. This name originated from a misunderstanding in his childhood and became more prominent in college to differentiate from other students with the same first name. Topher also shares his experiences with almost becoming an Air Force pilot, his journey through college, and his eventual pivot from aviation to working with the internet, discovering his affinity for it and recalling the early days of internet connectivity.

Topher extensively discusses his project, HeroPress, which was born from a need to support and connect WordPress enthusiasts across the globe, especially those from underrepresented regions. He explains the project's evolution from a grand idea involving videos to a more feasible text-based format where contributors write essays about their WordPress journeys and successes. This format, according to Topher, particularly resonates with the Indian WordPress community due to its promise of unedited, authentic storytelling.

The interview touches on personal anecdotes, including Topher’s relationship with his wife, meeting in college, and their subsequent life together. It also covers Topher’s thoughts on storytelling, his love for books, especially fiction, and his interest in specific historical periods of aviation. Throughout, Bud and Topher reflect on their experiences in the WordPress community, acknowledging the perception versus reality of networking and the challenges of securing stable employment despite extensive connections.

In closing, Topher updates on his current projects, including his company focused on creating how-to videos and developing websites, while also expressing his ongoing search for a steady job. He shares about the upcoming 10th-anniversary fundraiser for HeroPress, aiming to sustain the project for another decade. The two reflect on their experiences, the dynamics of their professional fields, and exchange light-hearted remarks and observations to cap off the engaging discussion.

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An unexpected conversation with a British expat who's very plugged into the WordPress world.

Katie Keith, co-founder of a web design and WordPress plugin business, shares her journey and experiences in an interview with Bud. The conversation starts with her recounting how she met her husband at Sheffield University, transitioning from friends to partners despite their geographical differences. Katie's academic background in English and philosophy did not directly correlate with her career. However, it helped her develop transferable skills in research, writing, and analysis, eventually landing her a role as a technical writer and various other positions before moving into the WordPress space.

Throughout the interview, Katie highlights her and her husband's decision to start their own web design business in 2009, a move influenced by their discontent with their rigid corporate jobs. They began offering web design services to local businesses, eventually focusing on WordPress specialization. By 2016, they started transitioning from service-based work to developing their own WordPress plugins, optimizing their business by selling lower-performing plugins and concentrating on their best sellers.

Katie's fascination with data is evident as she discusses how it influenced their business decisions, such as optimizing Black Friday marketing strategies and recognizing the need to divest less successful products. Her data-driven approach allowed for better resource allocation and profitability. Katie also shares her personal life in Mallorca, Spain, where she and her family have settled, taking advantage of the flexible lifestyle that their online business affords.

Katie delves into her various roles and the difference she made in sectors like fostering and adoption, where she applied her marketing acumen to help find homes for children. She worked with her father, a former TV producer, on innovative projects to aid this cause, emphasizing the importance of emotional connections in adoption processes. Lastly, she talks about her enjoyment of paddleboarding, her preference for tropical islands like Seychelles and Mauritius, and her adjustments to living among a German expat community in Mallorca.

Bud caps the interview by asking Keith for recommendations on future guests and touches on her plans for attending upcoming WordPress events. Katie suggests inviting Alex Standiford, who is making significant strides in the WordPress plugin world. The interview concludes with Katie reflecting on her affinity for Europe and her enjoyment of the flexibility her career affords her, allowing her to live and work from beautiful places like Mallorca.

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An unexpected conversation with a Jersey boy who works persistently to gather up the WordPress Community.

In this episode, Mike and Bud have a casual conversation, delving into their personal histories, college experiences, relationships, and current lives. Bud and Mike's camaraderie is evident throughout as they exchange anecdotes and jest about their shared experiences. Mike recounts his college journey at what is now Stockton University and his shift from computer science to communications, reflecting on how his career path unfolded over time.

A significant portion of the conversation revolves around Mike's personal life. He met his wife on Friendster, an early social networking site, and describes their relationship progression, including their brief breakup and eventual marriage. Mike also shares insights into his family life, discussing the birth of his daughter and how they balance their work-from-home dynamics. His wife, a writer and editor specializing in horror fiction, enriches their household with her creative endeavors.

The dialogue transitions into discussions about their lifestyle and leisure activities. Mike talks about their family trips to Disney, his dedication to fitness with regular gym sessions, and the couple's mutual love for certain TV shows like "Unsolved Mysteries" and "What We Do in the Shadows." They also attend various events together, such as Comic Con and local fairs, which reflect their active engagement in both community and family-oriented activities.

Bud humorously inquires about Mike's exercise routines and dietary preferences, particularly his enjoyment of beer, which shifts to lighter options due to the consequences of consuming too many IPAs. The conversation takes a nostalgic turn when Mike recalls a traumatic memory of a flood that hit Pompton Lakes in 1984, detailing his family's evacuation experience during his younger years and the subsequent impacts.

The script concludes with Bud asking Mike for a recommendation for a future interview guest, leading Mike to suggest Patricia BT, a significant figure in the WordPress community. The final moments recount a shared travel mishap, underscoring the lighthearted, humorous undertone prevalent throughout the conversation. Both Bud and Mike part ways on a friendly note, highlighting their enduring friendship and mutual respect.