Member Spotlight: Justin Ferriman

I am a business coach to founders of digital products and agencies (both in and outside of WordPress). Prior to coaching, I was the founder and CEO of LearnDash, achieving a respectable 32% YoY growth and 76% profit margin over eight years before eventually selling.

What do you enjoy most about working in WordPress?

I thought about this quite a bit, and it’s hard to pick just “one” thing. From a business perspective, I think WordPress does a great job staying relevant, and I obviously benefit from that. However, I think what I like most is the ethos of the global community.

I coach folks who are outside of WordPress and other industries, and I’ve noted that these other industries are far less supportive. When I ran LearnDash, it was easy to connect with people because we all wanted the same thing: to do well by doing good.

WordPressers are innovative, “roll your sleeves up” kind of people. Even in the face of frustration, there is always optimism, and I love that.

What do you love most about your Post Status membership?

What’s great about Post Status is that it’s a shared space for the folks who are most passionate about WordPress. It’s not uncommon for someone to post a question and receive several replies — again: it’s the people that make WordPress great. I try my best to give more than I take to the community. When I do have a question or need feedback, Post Status is that relevant sounding board.

It’s also worth mentioning that Post Status Slack has connected me to other WordPress entrepreneurs more than any other group, conference, or organization in the space.

What business/web/WordPress advice do you have for others in our industry?

As entrepreneurs in WordPress, we benefit from a supportive environment unlike most other industries, but it’s important to remember that business is always a competition. Full stop. You are competing in WordPress, and often outside of WordPress, against an endless number of options, ideas, sales pitches, and promises. To be successful, truly successful, you need to very clearly carve out your unique value, and then amplify that message over, and over, and over. Always be respectful, but be relentless.