Danielle never planned on running their own business… In fact, they started out studying to be a high school English teacher before realizing that path wasn’t quite the right fit. But when they built a website for their own editing services, something clicked — web development wasn’t just a tool, it was the thing they wanted to do.
Since then, Danielle has carved out a space in the WordPress world, turning designs into functional, accessible, and thoughtfully built websites.
While running a business wasn’t always the plan, the autonomy, flexibility, problem-solving, and ability to work on their own terms have made it the perfect fit!
What got you into WordPress and how long have you been using it?
I originally went to school to be a high school English teacher, but soon found out it wasn’t for me. I thought maybe some kind of editor, and it was when I was putting together a website offering editing services that I had a lightbulb moment that this was something I could actually look into doing.
A tiny local marketing agency was my first web-related job. They used WordPress for their clients’ sites, and I went in and made HTML and CSS changes to their templates.
Then at my first full time web dev job with a design agency, I was replacing someone who was leaving. He showed me around their setup for creating custom themes, and that was the true beginning of everything.
That was in 2013, and I’ve been working with WordPress in some form or another since then.
What part of the website creation process is your favorite to work on and why?
I love turning designs into functioning websites. It’s like the best kind of puzzle. I get to plan it all out and put together all the pieces of functionality and style and code in the most optimal way.
Figuring out why something isn’t working is great too, and sorting out someone’s tangled website feels great, but there’s just no beating that fresh website feeling. It’s extremely satisfying to be able to take that design and know that it’s a solid, accessible site behind it.
What motivated you to start your own business, and what keeps you going when things get tough?
I never considered myself someone who would be any kind of entrepreneur. I couldn’t quite articulate it, but part of me always knew I wasn’t right for a traditional office job. It was great to gather up experience with a bunch of local agencies, but things just never felt right.
It was always a struggle to wake up on time, and I’d often end up eating my lunch quickly so I could get a nap in and make it through the day. I often craved a bigger picture of clients and projects, to understand why we were doing things the way we were.
It was finally when I left a job as a director of web development that was an absolutely terrible fit that I decided to try freelancing. I wasn’t confident at all that I’d have any idea what to do, but something pushed me to give it a shot.
My natural sleep cycle is shifted from what most people work, and once I got a taste of true autonomy, there really was no turning back.
It’s these things that I remind myself of when things get tough. In those rare times I end up thinking “maybe I should just go find a job,” I remember how difficult it was to have my time dictated by someone else. To have to check in with someone else, get approval for time off, not have the flexibility in my time, and be told who I would spend my waking hours with. To not get to decide what projects I work on or who I work with.
What works best for me and my brain is the freedom that running my own business provides me, and there just isn’t a better fit.
What’s a hard lesson you learned running your business that’s changed the way you operate?
There’s a balance between being firm and meeting people where they are. It’s equally, if not more important to be able to put people at ease as it is to demonstrate my expertise.
I may never be as good at sales or small talk as other people, but to find my own way of relating to people in ways beyond my ability to solve people’s problems.
It’s a continuous work in progress, and it’s something I try to keep from being hard on myself about. I just try to remind myself that once I’ve determined a good fit, to listen more and try to provide people with the type of help and communication they’re looking for. The better I get at it, the more great people I get to meet and get excited about working with.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever gotten and how has it affected your business?
Connect with your why. You can sit there and make lists and goals and maybe even get yourself to complete tasks, but reminding yourself why you’re doing something makes it a whole lot easier to do things that get you towards those goals. It also helps filter out things that you were doing because you felt like you should rather than because you wanted to or it was part of a bigger goal.
For me, it also helps prevent me from using planning as a procrastination method. Remembering why I’m doing something means I can tell when I’m motivated to do something and when I’m not. This lets me know I need to dig a little deeper to figure out why I’m not doing something. Is it because I don’t want to? Why? Do I need to explore more about why I’m doing it, or is it something I can stop trying to force myself to do and find an alternative or something I’m more aligned with?
This concept connects to so many different aspects of running my business, from revenue goals to the types of services I offer, the hours I work, holding boundaries, even to committing to my niche.
What’s a book every agency owner should read?
Don’t Make Me Think, Revisited by Steve Krug
What’s your favorite podcast to listen to?
Welcome To Night Vale & Accessibility Craft
What’s a WordPress plugin everyone should know about?
Block Visibility & Screen Reader Text Format
What’s your favorite non-WordPress tool or software?
Smart drink vessels: self-heating mug & light-up water bottle
What’s your favorite tool, accessory, or gadget on your desk?
1Password – it’s not just about having a password manager (which everyone should have), but having one that doesn’t annoy me
