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Q&A with Jonathan Wold

Web developer and consultant (WordPress) from Northern Idaho

My name is Jonathan Wold. I'm a husband, father of 4-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl, and a happy resident of beautiful North Idaho. I've been working in the web development industry for more than 10 years and specializing in WordPress as a CMS / application platform for 8 of those years. I offer business consulting and web development services to clients of all sizes around the world and I also teach the business side of web development.

Software / hardware

I work on a MacBook Air, usually connected to a 27" Thunderbolt Display.

On the software side, over the course of a week I'll usually use the following desktop software:

  • Coda 2 - Code editing.
  • Transmit - FTP transfers.
  • Toggl - Time tracking.
  • Skype - Communication with clients and team.
  • Evernote - Weekly planning / note taking.
  • Pixelmator - Photo editing.
  • Github App - Version control.
  • 1Password 4 - Password management.
  • SnagIt - Screenshot / video capture.
  • Dropbox - File storage.
  • ClipboardHistory - Backup of my clipboard.

On the web-based software side I use:

  • Freshbooks - Invoicing.
  • Help Scout - Email management.
  • Campaign Monitor - Email campaign management.
  • Unbounce - Landing page creation.
  • Basecamp - Project management.
  • CallRail - Phone numbers on demand.
  • DNSimple - Domain management.
  • WPEngine / Pressable / RackSpace Cloud / Digital Ocean - Web hosting.

Ideal work environment

My ideal work environment is clean, simple, and as distraction-free as possible. I work from a home office which, with two little kids running around, means that "distraction free" isn't always attainable - I don't mind, though, and taking breaks to play with the kids or help out around the house can actually provide a great break in the work day.

Work inspiration

I draw inspiration from a variety of sources. First, I get excited about work that brings new challenges. Those challenges inspire me to go out and learn new skills or improve on current skills. I also draw inspiration from the web, including sources like Smashing Magazine and Hacker News.

People you admire most

Off the top of my head, and thinking particularly of my work with WordPress, a few names come to mind including Mark Jaquith (a WordPress lead developer), Tom McFarlin (prolific writer), Brian Casel (lots of great work), Carl Hancock (Gravity Forms), Cory Miller (Founder of iThemes).