How I Found My Place

I was never what you’d call a “techie.” Software development was a mystery to me, and JavaScript seemed like an alien language. But fate has a funny way of guiding us to unexpected places, and my journey into the world of technology began with a single WordCamp.

I had never been to a WordCamp, or any other tech-related gathering for that matter. But my husband was very active in the WordPress community in Riverside, California, and he had made a lot of good friends through Meetups and WordCamps. He had volunteered as one of the organizers for WordCamp Riverside one year and came back raving about what a great time he had, so the second year he volunteered, I decided to go. 

Meeting The Family For The First Time

When I stepped into the event—held in an unassuming warehouse of a local solar panel company—the vibrant atmosphere greeted me like an old friend. Everywhere I looked, there were smiling faces, eager to share their knowledge and passion for WordPress. It was a community unlike any I had ever seen before. And while I didn’t have the technical skills, I was determined to soak up as much as I could.

During the day, I attended workshops and talks, my notebook quickly filling up with scribbled notes and newfound terms like CSS, plugins, and PHP. I even mustered up the courage to ask questions during the Q&A sessions, feeling a sense of empowerment with each answer I received.

But it wasn’t just the knowledge that drew me in; it was the people. I made connections with designers, developers, and entrepreneurs alike, each one offering their support and guidance. They welcomed me into their community with open arms, assuring me that technical skills could be learned, and that my passion and enthusiasm were just as valuable.

Reaching Out

Encouraged by this supportive environment, I sought out people who were like me, but had already made it in the tech world. People who could guide me. So I search for black woman entrepreneurs working in tech, and I found a group in Los Angeles. It was there that I truly found my tribe—a diverse group of individuals who shared a common goal: to make the web a better place. We met regularly, offering free help to each other, discussing ideas, and collaborating on projects.

Months turned into years, and my understanding of WordPress and web development grew with each passing day. I took online courses, attended more WordCamps, and devoured every book on the subject I could find. What started as a curiosity had become an all-encompassing passion, a flame that burned brighter with each webpage I built.

Building A Company

Soon, I was able to take on some of the work in what would later become my company, Brain Jar. At that time, it was my husband’s long-running side hustle. He had a small handful of clients, and he served them on the train on his way to and from his day job as a web developer for a local college. My work started simple; optimizing photos, changing text, fixing errors. As my skills grew sharp and my confidence grew, I started taking on bigger projects until finally I was doing as much work as my husband was.

Now that I was working in what was fast becoming a family business, we were able to start taking on more clients instead of referring them out and hiring part-time employees. So our clientele and development team started growing bit by bit. As we grew, we noticed we were naturally slipping into different roles in the business. I started managing the budgets, payroll, meeting with clients, doing our usability studies, web traffic analytics, and other research-related tasks. My husband started managing our employees, managing projects, assisting our developers. So we decided I’d assume the role of CEO, and my husband became the CTO.

Moving Forward

Today I’m just as busy as ever with Brain Jar, plus we run an online coding bootcamp called WP Code Camp, hoping that we can help others get into the web development world that has been so good to us. But despite the hustle and chaos that comes with running two businesses, during an occasional quiet moment, I think back to that first WordCamp and the community that nurtured me. I owe my success to that community, the people who believed in me, who shared their knowledge and supported me on this incredible journey.

And so, with a heart full of gratitude, I continue to pay it forward. I speak at conferences, mentor aspiring developers, and volunteer for WordPress and other tech events in my community, all with the hope of inspiring others to follow their dreams, just as I did.

In this vast world of technology, I found my place—a place where passion, community, and a willingness to learn can shape the trajectory of a life. And as I reflect on my journey, I am grateful for every stumble, every triumph, and every WordCamp that brought me here.