This is the first "official" WordPress interview for the podcast (in terms of interviewing someone who uses WordPress for their business) and it was a TON of fun! I connected with Carrie sometime last year online (I'm thinking maybe it was twitter?) and knew instantly she was someone I wanted to get to know better. Not only was she sharing valuable Genesis tips but you could also tell that she was a down to earth person (I gauge this by how someone writes, what they share and how they share... I'm wise like that! ;-) ). Then we exchanged a few emails discussing possible ways we could collaborate (which I'll share more of at the end of this post) and once I had the podcast up and running I thought she would be a perfect guest to interview. Yep... I was right. She was great. I'm not kidding when I say I was laughing out loud when listening back to our conversation for editing, it really was that fun. Carrie shares her journey of how she ended up creating her business CarrieDils.com, (the question of "how did you get here" is absolutely one of my favorite pieces of the interviews I'm doing). There's something powerful in hearing other peoples stories. The decisions they made that took them down a completely different path than the one they had intended, the lessons they've learned along the way and what that means for their business today. You'll love the story of the indoor s'mores cafe' that turned into a 9 year detour with a huge company, which also became an invaluable resource for learning about business (and why she knew she did NOT want to open the brick & mortar business that inspired this detour). She awarded me 1000 internet points. You'll just have to listen to the interview to find out what that's all about, but my vocabulary surprised even me (she still hasn't told me where I can redeem my points... maybe it's like Chuck E. Cheese and I can turn them in for a Whoopee Cushion or giant Pixie Stick?). I think one of my favorite questions for Carrie was when I asked her how she markets her business. Her answer is such a testament to everything I've been talking about these past few months (and one of those lessons that we all hear and when we finally implement just "get it"). Her big secret to marketing? She doesn't have one. She gives the best service possible, connects with her clients, creates great work and is simply herself. Aah... Music to my ears. ;-) I think a common fear among a LOT of people with online businesses is that you don't want to come across smarmy or sales pitchy (pretty sure pitchy isn't a word). There's a learning curve when it comes to putting yourself out there, sharing what you do and promoting your products and/or services. What Carrie is doing is the ideal way to step into that space. At some point you have to 'feel the fear and do it anyways' and ask for the sale or make the offer. My biggest recommendation is that you do it sooner rather than later (asking for the sale or making the offer).  Often times the longer you wait the harder it is and you don't want to set a precedent that what you're doing is just a hobby (unless in fact it is just a hobby). Collaboration Time! Off the record I asked Carrie if she would be interested in doing a live Genesis class with me that helps those of you who are past the 'beginner' stage and she said absolutely! ;-) So you can keep your eyes peeled for a "Beyond Beginners" Genesis class! And I'm sure after you listen to the podcast with her you'll be that much more interested in taking the class because not only is she wicked smart but I'm sure the class will be a lot of fun too. Make sure to check out her site and connect with her via social media. *Note* The product I mentioned (but couldn't remember the name) where you can get digital signatures on invoices (the free account gets you 5 a month) is EchoSign by Adobe. The link is in the 'Links from this episode' below. Links from this episode