Well, this is a bit different when it comes to the podcast. At WordCamp Europe I had every intention to get a few short episodes like this just introducing some of the cool people there. Unfortunately, that was not how things unfolded.
But, that doesn’t stop me from sharing this one.
How did it play out? I found my friend Adam Warner from GoDaddy Pro wandering by the Pagely booth where I had my mics set up at that time. I asked him if he would like to interview someone on the podcast. Well, if you know Adam, he not only agreed but immediately approached someone he didn’t know and one thing led to another.
Silvana Pop is a developer for Thrive Themes and this was her first WordCamp. We all had out first. In these three minutes you will get insights on what experience first-timers have and some food for thought on how we can make their experiences even better.
Remember, we have all been there.
Show Transcript
Adam: Well, Silvana, my name is Adam. It’s a pleasure to meet you.
Silvana: Nice to meet you too.
Adam: And we’re here at WordCamp Europe 2022 in Porto, Portugal. And I was just curious, how do you use WordPress?
Silvana: I’m a web developer for Thrive Themes actually.
Adam: Oh, for Thrive Themes. Okay. And is this your first WordCamp?
Silvana: Yes.
Adam: Ever?
Silvana: Yes.
Adam: Wow. What a great one to come to.
Silvana: Yes, I’m actually really lucky to have started working with WordPress, right after the whole COVID thing was a bit more relaxed, because I have a lot of co-workers that have been working for way longer than I have, and it’s their first WordCamp too.
Adam: And did you just say that you just started with working with WordPress during COVID or after?
Silvana: Last year.
Adam: Oh, last year. Okay.
Silvana: Yeah. So, I’m a newbie.
Adam: Okay. And were you doing development previous to coming into the WordPress platform?
Silvana: Well, it was my first job as well. I’ve been studying programming for most of my life, so it only felt natural to come into development.
Adam: Okay. Perfect. Well, as you may have seen, the WordPress community is large and varied.
Silvana: Yes. I noticed.
Adam: And I hope it’s been welcoming for you.
Silvana: Yes. Everyone is very nice here.
Adam: That’s good. And what kind of development do you do? Are you front end, backend?
Silvana: I’m full stack. I work with PHP, JavaScript, the whole deal.
Adam: That’s awesome. I wish I had development skills, but unfortunately, I don’t. I’m more into the marketing side of things. Where are you based, Silvana?
Silvana: Romania.
Adam: In Romania. Okay. And what are you looking forward to most at this WordCamp event over the next 24 hours and tomorrow?
Silvana: Just basically seeing more plugins, themes, things like that, and talking to other people to see what they’re doing.
Adam: Yeah, see what they’re doing.
Silvana: Oh, yeah. I lost that one. I didn’t get anything.
Adam: And what we’re referring to as the Pagely booth, they have a claw machine.
Silvana: Yeah. Yeah.
Adam: So, have you been attending sessions yet, or are you mostly walking around and talking to sponsors?
Silvana: Oh, yeah. I’ve been walking around. I’m mostly just sticking around to my colleagues, because I’m a bit scared.
Adam: Got you. Okay.
Silvana: A lot of strangers around, so I’m just sticking to wherever they go.
Adam: I understand. It can be overwhelming with this many people.
Silvana: Yeah, it is a bit.
Adam: Yeah. Well, Silvana, thank you so much for taking time to chat and get to know each other. And I wish you only the best in your WordPress career, and at the rest of this WordCamp.
Silvana: Thank you. It was a pleasure meeting you and talking to you.
Adam: Thank you very much.
Leave a Reply