Brianna will be joining us for the Running a WordPress Business session, which you can watch LIVE on February 15. She’ll be teaching us about the ever-important business side of running a business (the when and how of hiring a project manager, how to avoid tax-time hell, and et cetera).
Where can we find you on the internet?
Business site: Reaktiv Studios
Twitter: @sarcasmically
When and how did you get started with WordPress?
I used WordPress for blogging for a few years before I met Norcross, but got into the business side of it when we decided to grow Reaktiv. It was clear some sort of management (both financial and project) was necessary, and Andrew was not interested in doing that, so that end of the business fell into my lap– in the name of bootstrapping our biz– and it turns out I’m not terrible at it (or the devs aren’t brave enough to tell me), so I’m still here.
What is your favorite thing about accounting or project management?
REPORTS. Analyze all the things. It’s the most fun.
What resources do you turn to when you want to learn something new?
For accounting, the IRS.gov website is wicked fun. It is the most helpful government website. For WordPress stuff, I don’t. There was a time I tried to learn the basics so I can help out the devs if necessary but I think we’ve all realized it’s just better if I just… don’t. I do love Treehouse and Code Academy for those times I feel like I should know a little bit of code.
What is one piece of advice you have for someone looking to start a business?
Plan. PLAN. Have at minimum a clear idea of what you want, and if you’re really on top of it, have an idea of the best way for YOU to get there. I know things will change but you have to go into it with something other than “I want to make lots of money!” Also, keep in mind that YOUR best way to get there may not look the same as another company’s best way to get there. That last point been the biggest lesson I’ve gotten from running Reaktiv this past year.
What advice do you have for others looking to become accounting/project management experts?
I’m going to defer to accounting/project management on this one again. I’ve never met anyone who wanted to become a finance/project management expert, but if they did I’d say you’re going to need a bunch of books and a client/company who doesn’t mind you just seriously (temporarily) messing up their books for a year while you learn.
What is one interesting non-WordPress-related fact about yourself?
I used to work for a company that leased semi-trucks/trailers and I spent a lot of my time repossessing 18-wheelers from angry truck drivers across the nation. Most fun I ever had at a job, hands-down, and really suited my TVMA (foul language, extreme situations) personality. When I became pregnant with my daughter, my bosses tried to pitch a show about me, pregnant and pissing off/outscheming truckers nationwide, to [pick one of those “reality TV” type channels]. Super trashy, and I’m so glad nothing ever came of that, because I’d hate to have to laugh at myself FOREVER.