Resources & Recommendations

My specialty is training. I have a gift for distilling complex information into easy-to-understand instructions for beginner and intermediate audiences. I can do some coding, but I don’t do heavy coding and trust me when I tell you I cannot do design. Happily, I know many professionals who can help you with every aspect of your blog, website, or various social media needs. I know designers who can create a custom WordPress theme for you or just do a basic header and some buttons. I know other designers who can create custom Facebook tabs and icons for you or create a phenomenal Twitter background. Already have your graphics, but you aren’t sure how to put it together? No problem. I also know some amazing women who work wonders with code. These are my recommendations. This list includes people I’ve worked with personally and I can recommend them without hesitation; it also includes people I have not worked with, but have come to me recommended by people I trust. If you choose to use one of women listed here, please let them know I sent you. Thanks!

Designers

Simply Amusing Designs (http://simplyamusingdesigns.com/). Karen Lewis and I have worked on several major projects together. At one point we hosted a weekly online radio show called Behind the Blog. These days Karen’s flourishing design company, Simply Amusing Designs, is busy with projects ranging from banners and buttons to complete branding packages to custom Facebook Welcome pages. Karen’s clients include Jacqueline Whitmore (an etiquette expert who appears regularly on The Today Show), Natalie MacNeil of She Takes On the World (this blog won the Stevie award in 2010 for best business blog), and Shameeka Ayers of The Broke Socialite and host of Lavish! in Atlanta. Go ahead, take a look at her portfolio and prepare to be amazed.

Additional Designers:

Coders / Tech Fixers

Jenny Motley (http://cyberface.org/) owns Cyberface and offers classes and advices on everything WordPress. She’s happy to chat with you about post ideas, social media, blog themes, color schemes, sidebars, RSS feeds, taglines, conferences, you name it. You can even hire her to fix stuff for you. Jenny’s one of my favorites because she knows her stuff and she doesn’t try to make things harder than they need to be.
Lisa Boyd (http://lisaboyd.com/services/) has long been my go-to gal for any questions I have about coding, databases, migrations, and the like. She taught herself everything she knows, and she knows a lot. She offers hosting, can set up WordPress for you, and can even migrate your blog from another platform. She’s a WordPress junkie, loves Diet Coke and her motorcycle, and plays a mean game of softball. Best of all, though? She’s patient with your questions and clear with her directions. You’ll love working with her. I do.
Daisy Olsen (http://daisyolsen.com/services/) is one of the top WordPress gurus around. She hangs out in the Genesis forums answering questions and speaks regularly at WordCamps (local WordPress conferences). I have yet to find a coding question Daisy can’t answer. She’s the one coders ask when they can’t figure it out. She isn’t taking on clients at the moment because she’s working full time with the folks at Genesis, but I wanted you to be aware of her. I encourage you to check her website regularly if you need help. When she open her queue, get in early.

Additional people to contact for coding and tech fixes: