Kevin Muldoon Interview - Blogger, Internet Marketer, WordPress Junkie

Hey pirates, welcome to another interview in our Pirate Interviews series! This time, were speaking with a marketer and blogger,  who uses WordPress as the backbone of his online business. Kevin Muldoon shares his personal tips  on how to make a career by simply using the internet to your advantage.(Here are the previous interviews in case you missed them.)Kevin Muldoon interview Blogger, marketer, and WordPress junkieKevin Muldoon is an online marketer and blogger, running his main blog at kevinmuldoon.com. The blog is where he shares various reviews, tutorials, and tips on blogging, affiliate marketing, social media, technology, and WordPress.Kevin has a very interesting story of how he got started, and what drove him to make his career on the web. Initially, I wanted to write a two-sentence summary of it here, but it really wouldnt make it justice. Coding on a Commodore 64? Old-school website building in Notepad? Online poker? Affiliate sites? Running BloggingTips.com? Sellin g BloggingTips to a super affiliate? Making money through forums? Martial arts? Its all there. If you want the details, check out the about section on his site its Kevins journey as told by himself.Now, onto the interview with Kevin Muldoon:When and how did you start working with WordPress? Is there an interesting story here?Kevin Muldoon:I started building websites in 2000 using Notepad and then moved onto using content management systems. I tested hundreds of platforms over the years.I used WordPress shortly after it launched but the original version did not do anything that similar scripts were doing. I tested it on a few websites, but it was not until a few years later in 2006 when I started blogging regularly that I began using WordPress to build blogs and websites. At the time, I was still using blogging scripts such as Serendipity, but over time WordPress became the better option due to the number of plugins and themes available for it.What do you think youd be doing right n ow if WordPress didnt exist?Kevin Muldoon:I would still be working online.I got into the online world years before I used WordPress.At the end of the day, WordPress is simply a tool I use to build websites and publish content online. If WordPress was not there, I would use another tool.From a career perspective, I would have followed a different path as I have written many articles regarding the WordPress platform. Therefore, whilst I would still be working online, it is unlikely that I would have done so much freelancing.Whats your technique for staying productive throughout the day?Kevin Muldoon:Exercise regularly, get a good sleep, and eat healthy.I try and fit my work around my schedule. This means that I sometimes work twice as many hours one day if it means I have other plans the next day.How do you define being successful?Kevin Muldoon:I would define success as being happy.Too many people online focus on how much money they earn but for me the true definition of being success ful is making enough money to give you the lifestyle you want.I enjoy exercising, socialising, and travelling. Working online allows me to do that.If I had the choice of making $5,000 per month working 25 hours per week and $10,000 per month working 50 weeks, I would choose to work 25 hours as working twice as many hours would make me less happy regardless of the extra cash.Thats not to say that I do not work hard when I need to. I just dont think working myself into an early grave is worth it.The true definition of being successful is making enough money to give you the lifestyle you wantWhat do you like to do when youre not WordPress-ing?Kevin Muldoon:I love martial arts. I train Brazilian Jiujitsu every week. I did Taekwondo for many years and used to enjoy running too, though injuries have stopped me from doing those.I also love watching movies, playing games, and seeing friends and family.What do you wish more people knew about WordPress?Kevin Muldoon:Security.Its the one area which too many website owners do not take serious enough. Securing your website and making backups regularly is one of the most important things a WordPress user should do.Whos doing things that are just cutting-edge and incredible in the WordPress space right now?Kevin Muldoon:There are so many WordPress developers pushing the boundaries on what WordPress can be used for so it is hard to pick one area over another.I do believe, however, that one of the most important developments we are seeing just now is in hosting. Dedicated WordPress hosting companies have made other hosting companies step up their game and offer dedicated hosting plans for WordPress users. We are now seeing features such as external backups and website staging becoming commonplace.Describe the WordPress community in one word.HugeWhats the main threat to WordPress these days? Other platforms like Ghost, or maybe things like Squarespace?Kevin Muldoon:I dont think the word threat is appropriate. Competition is goo d and it ensures that the developers of WordPress stay ahead of the game and keep refining the platform.If you look objectively at a platform such as Ghost, it is arguably a much better solution for bloggers. Everything is simpler and the dashboard has fewer distractions so it means the bloggers time is spent more on blogging and less on website administration.WordPress have to look objectively at what other platforms offer and see what they do well.What are your recommendations for a WordPress novice?Kevin Muldoon:Buy a good book about WordPress from Amazon, set up a test website, and then learn how to get the most from the platform through trial and error. When you run into a problem you will find solutions to your problem via search engines.If I had to summarize this interview, Id say that the internet is here for all of us. Its only our own entrepreneurial spirit and motivation that take us where we need to be. Kevin saw the opportunity and he simply took it. He used all the too ls and resources he found to make a living in the online space. Whats your main takeaway from this interview?