Blogging — Perfectly Petersen

by Jesse Petersen on December 4, 2009

Changes in the Air

We have a lot going on recently, so I apologize for not updating in over 10 days. Tonight is my Spanish final. I learned that I got a 60% on my third exam, so I am feeling the weight of this one, though I’m more confident about the contents of this exam than the previous one. I just can’t get to sleep, so I fixed the way this site look on that stupid browser called Internet Explorer after Kristin informed me today that it was wonky. Once my exam is over, it’s time to step my new projects into high gear to take a break for Christmas/New Years.

I’ve been working off and on, sometimes furiously and obsessively with some Thesis theme projects that I am doing for residual income. I’ve developed some cool tools that work hand in hand with the theme, but I wanted to do things right. I purchased aMember, a membership software that protects areas of my site, my product files, maintains my member lists, and automatically logs members into the member areas and my members-only support forum. Very cool stuff, but I also had to hire a programmer with experience with aMember to get it to all work together. Now I’m building the support forum content while another programmer adds new features to my tools that were outside my skillset, but within my vision. Once this first item is ready to go and selling, I need to bring him back into the picture to hit a home run on my next tool. I guess I’m beginning to be more visionary in my “old age.”

I am also working on some new business models, which includes monthly retainer clients. I acquired a new client that has a base of 1/6th of what I need each month with a likelihood of reaching 2/3rds of my monthly goal, so long as his 10yr-old business stays as successful as mine has been. Working together, we can do some great things, but the time needed is far from putting all of our eggs in one basket.

I am aware of 3 projects that clients have been waiting until I begin Christmas break from university to start so they can be completed quickly. They are very exciting and… shall we say bill-paying projects. If all goes well, I will be in good position to get ahead in some classes when the new semester begins without worrying about cashflow.

It is time for a face lift on all of my sites now that I have learned so much more since they were last modified. I will have to write a regretful e-mail to one developer because he is a major source of traffic because my sites are in his theme showcase. The flipside of that is I should get more traffic from the new developer when they do the same.

Related to that, I’m going to be combining my company site with a full-featured blog that I’m going to come up with a publishing schedule for. I’m determined to add value to the WordPress community with regular tips, commentary, and discussions. I’ve got plenty of people bored with P-squared now that I’m talking business so much now… it’s time to move them to a new home. I can hear my wife cheering in her sleep as I write that.

Just a few more days until the fun begins. Stay tuned…

Filed Under: Blogging, Business Tagged With: aMember, changes

by Jesse Petersen on December 2, 2009

Who Are These People?

who-are-these-people
The panhandler situation in Tampa is getting even worse this year. They are getting bolder, hungrier, and more “persuasive.” No, I’m not talking about homeless people.

I’m talking about droves of “charity” workers. Who are these people? They come in two main varieties around our part of town:

women dressed in some sort of funky 1940′s nursing uniforms with buckets and no indication of their charity
men in shirts and ties with buckets marked “Help Homeless Children of America”

Let’s start with what I know about the situation. They used to be satisfied to walk up and down the median. No longer good enough, they walk up the middle of double turn lanes and don’t get out of the way so you zoom past them at 45 mph with 9″ to spare to get through a long light. They frequently walk in front of your hood and stare you down. They will walk right up to your window and look in to see if your peripheral vision is broken. Regarding the first group mentioned, two weeks ago I witnessed a collector who was glad to stay put in the median, however she was clapping, singing, and turning in circles. Yeah… I’m giving you money.

Secondly, what homeless kids in America need donations on the street like this? Homeless children are accompanied by their parents or are considered orphans. Have orphanages sunk this low for raising money? Homeless children are almost always going to be in a shelter with one or more parent or they are in the foster care system because their parents are homeless and our government cares so much about kids that they won’t allow them to sleep on the streets with their parents. So don’t give me this bull about the money in your bucket going to homeless children in America. What’s the money really going to be spent on? Your salary? Your spiritual leader’s 3rd car or second divorce? I’d like to see your 501(c) and your financials.

The mayor needs to put an end to these types of fund-raising. I know you can’t stop all of the homeless people and people on hard times, but these organized groups of 2, 4, and 8 collectors has got to stop.

Filed Under: Blogging Tagged With: beggars, mayor, panhandlers, tampa

by Jesse Petersen on November 12, 2009

Join Me at WordCamp Orlando Dec 5th, 2009

I was scouring my new Twitter list of bloggers yesterday when I spotted one from my friend from the SOBCons I’ve attended, Chris Cree, who was saying he registered to attend the Orlando WordCamp in December. I got so excited about the potential about attending a WordPress event so close to home AND with a friend, I had to check my college final schedule. We have the option of a Friday or Sunday final exam for Spanish, so I’m opting for taking it on Friday night to get it off my mind. I also contacted Michael Pretty about serving (volunteering) at the Genius Bar for WordPress help with themes, plugins, usage, etc. I’ve got a whole box of business cards for anyone who wants the follow-up treatment after the conference.

Filed Under: Blogging, Business, Wordpress Tagged With: Genius Bar, WordCamp Orlando

by Jesse Petersen on August 28, 2009

Getting a General Feel for Things

Life is really busy right now. Wait. That’s an understatement. Life is about 2 notches above “I’m getting married tomorrow” busy. I’ve been there – freaked out over last-minute details like getting flowers for when we got home that night, etc. – and this is definitely busier than that.

I’m Guilty, your Honor.

All of that busy-ness due to business and school and marital harmony has my feeling slightly guilty about all of you out there who never see an update from me here. For that, I’m sorry, and I hope you understand. These pages would be full of overflowing ideas, rants, information, photos, musings, and resources if I could capture what my mind thinks and what my eyes see in a given day or week – just doing my work.

What You Can Do About That

Follow me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/petersen.jesse

Follow me on Twitter (best news/updates): http://twitter.com/jpetersen

What I May Do About That

I’m kicking around the idea of writing about my living with cystic fibrosis. I do not like the idea of being thought of a “CF person” or a posterboy or being debilitated or handicapped… you get the idea. I HATE what that brings. I am a firm believer that there is a time and a place for people to find out something like that, and it’s not during first impressions. I have that ability and I have that right, so long as I’m not on oxygen at some point or in the middle of a coughing spasm in a store. If that’s the case, well, my cover is blown. As an alternative to writing that here, I may do it for my up-and-coming friend, Ronnie Sharpe in Arizona. You can find him at Run Sickboy, Run. We’ll be talking soon about me doing some guest posts there.

I am also considering changing my theme to reflect my updates on those social sites as well as my posts – and anything else I write – all in one place. That’d be cool, and I just might be able to make some time for that. Someday.

Filed Under: Personal, Writing