My Journey from Frustrated Business Owner to WordPress Expert

When I built my first WordPress website back in 2003, I made every mistake in the book.

I installed dozens of plugins that slowed everything to a crawl. I chose themes based on how they looked, not how they performed. I focused on tech features instead of business results.

Sound familiar?

That first website took months to build and generated exactly zero customers. It was beautiful, feature-rich, and completely ineffective.

That painful lesson became the foundation of everything I do today.

You see, I didn’t start as a “WordPress developer.” I started as a business owner who needed WordPress to work. Who needed real results. Who couldn’t afford to waste time or money on technology that didn’t deliver. I was, and still am, the quintessential bootstrapper who always expects the most bang for my buck.

And after redesigning that site with a completely different customer-centric approach – everything changed. Within six months, that same business was generating consistent revenue through the website. Within two years, it had grown from a side project to my full-time income.

From Side Project to Corporate Strategy

As my WordPress and digital marketing skills developed, I found myself in increasingly strategic roles, eventually becoming the eMarketing Strategy Manager for a multinational education company. There, I was responsible for:

• Overseeing the digital presence for 12 international markets
• Implementing WordPress as the foundation of our content strategy
• Developing conversion systems that generated millions in revenue
• Training teams across three continents on effective digital marketing

But what I found most valuable wasn’t the technical skills. It was learning firsthand how the right website strategy translates directly into business growth – regardless of industry, size, or market.

The Pivot to Helping Others

After years in the corporate world, I couldn’t ignore what I was seeing all around me: small and medium-sized businesses struggling with their websites, paying too much for too little, and missing enormous growth opportunities.

Churches and ministries working with limited budgets yet facing the same digital challenges as major corporations.

Talented entrepreneurs with brilliant ideas but websites that worked against them instead of for them.

So I made a decision: to take everything I’d learned and focus exclusively on helping business owners and ministry leaders maximize their impact through WordPress.

Since then, I’ve personally reviewed over 300 WordPress websites, helping business owners:

• Cut their tech costs by 40-60% while improving performance
• Increase conversion rates by eliminating unnecessary complexity
• Implement secure, scalable systems that grow with their business
• Avoid common pitfalls that can derail online growth

My Approach: Different By Design

What makes my approach different is simple: I view your website through the lens of business growth, not just technical performance.

Yes, I’ll make sure your site loads blazingly fast. Yes, I’ll ensure your security is rock-solid. Yes, I’ll help you implement the right plugins and systems.

But more importantly, I’ll help you understand how each element of your WordPress site directly impacts your business goals – whether that’s generating leads, increasing sales, building community, or spreading your message.

Beyond the Website: The Business Partnership

For many clients, our relationship starts with a Website Video Review but quickly evolves into something more valuable: an ongoing strategic partnership.

As one client recently shared:

“Paul has become the digital strategist I didn’t know my business needed. What started as website help has transformed into guidance on everything from email marketing to product launches. He’s the first person I call before making any technology decision.”

This level of partnership is why I maintain a small, select group of ongoing clients – never more than 12 at any time. It allows me to be fully present, deeply knowledgeable about your business, and genuinely invested in your success.

The Ministry Connection

My work with Rhema Church in Scotland marked a turning point in how I view the potential impact of digital strategy for ministry organizations.

What began as a simple website project evolved into a comprehensive digital ministry strategy that helped them:

• Increase online giving by 87% in the first year
• Expand their reach to congregants who couldn’t attend in person
• Create systems for ongoing community engagement
• Develop digital resources that served their mission

This experience sparked a deep commitment to helping ministry organizations leverage technology to amplify their impact. Today, I reserve a portion of my practice specifically for churches and ministries doing Kingdom work.

My Promise to You

Whether we work together for a one-time website review or develop a long-term partnership, my commitment remains the same:

1. Absolute honesty – I’ll tell you what you need to hear, not just what you want to hear
2. Business-first thinking – Every recommendation ties directly to your growth goals
3. No unnecessary complexity – Simpler is almost always better (and more profitable)
4. Continuous learning – I invest over 100 hours annually in staying ahead of digital trends
5. Genuine partnership – Your success is quite literally my success

The Personal Side

When I’m not helping clients transform their WordPress websites, you’ll likely find me:

• Spending time with my beloved (my greatest blessing)
• Reading voraciously (business, technology, and theology are my go-to subjects)
• Serving or helping out at some ministry or local Church
• Playing tennis or golf
• Experimenting with new technologies before they hit the mainstream

Let’s Start a Conversation

If you’ve read this far, we probably share a similar philosophy: that technology should serve business goals, not the other way around.

I’d love to learn more about your business, your challenges, and how I might be able to help. The best way to start that conversation is through a Website Video Review – it gives us both a concrete starting point for discussing what’s possible.

[REQUEST YOUR WEBSITE VIDEO REVIEW]

Or if you have questions before taking that step, feel free to reach out directly here.

To your success,

Paul