Hi, my name is Jonathan! I’m curious and always looking for new things to learn and try. Entrepreneurship has been a consistent theme throughout my years.
I started my first business at 10 with my brother Joshua, selling home-baked banana breads door-to-door.
I learned a lot through that experience. My learning continued as a teenager. I started my first partnership (“SandStorm Computers”) at age 17 with a friend. 5 or 6 ventures later, bring me to today! After 4 1/2 years in a big agency, I went solo for about 6 months and then joined Automattic, where I served as Community Lead for WooCommerce, the largest ecommerce platform on the Open Web. I worked at WooCommerce for 18 months and went back to the business of WordPress. In September of 2021, I joined the team at Post Status to work on strategic partnerships.
My wife, Joslyn, and and I have been married since 2008 and have a son (Jaiden, 11) and a daughter (Jensyn, 8). We live just outside of beautiful Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. (If you haven’t already, consider moving to North Idaho!)
Work
I’ve been building websites myself since I was 12 and began doing so professionally at 17. I started working with WordPress back in 2005 and I’ve been full-time in WordPress ever since.
I have a personal mission, to help make WordPress the best it can be as an operating system for the Open Web.
If you’re curious, I’ve got a few other projects going on as well.
Teaching
At 17, I co-founded a “young entrepreneurs” community and experienced the joy of watching my life and the life of those around me change through inspiration and education. I was hooked and have continued to pursue opportunities to inspire and teach ever since.
I published a free course (“Four Weeks To Your First Client”) to teach aspiring entrepreneurs interested in the world of web development.
That lead to a project called Creating Clients, lead by Luke Farrugia, where he is developing new courses and community.
Writing
I started my writing career at 9, publishing a small-circulation magazine called “Cougar Club.” Each issue was packed with fun facts, stories, illustrations, and activities.
I published my first book, Tiny Habits, back in 2018 and am working on my next.
I write about WordPress on PostStatus.com.
Here are a few writing highlights from around the web:
- Make.WordPress.org – Why Your Company Should Contribute To WordPress
- Smashing Magazine: How To Become A Top WordPress Developer
- Six Revisions: 6 Questions To Ask Before You Install A WordPress Plugin
- Graphic Design Blender: 6 Painful Lessons I Learned As A Rookie Web Designer
- Under30CEO: 15 Reasons To Start A Web Development Business
- Smashing Magazine: Stop Writing Project Proposals
Interested in working with me on a writing project? Email me and let me know what you have in mind!
Faith
I am a Seventh-day Adventist Christian and I believe that faith and works are inseparable. My faith has played a critical role in shaping who I am today. I work 6 days a week and rest on the seventh day, from sundown Friday to sundown on Sabbath (Saturday). I love God and wouldn’t trade the experiences that I’ve had in working with Him for anything.
Curious about this Sabbath thing? Check out SabbathTruth.com. For more about Seventh-day Adventist beliefs, take a look at What Adventists Believe. TruthLink.org by Ty Gibson is my favorite Bible study series.