Jen Miller will speak on “Local SEO without Community Is Just Keywords” Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. in the Talladega Room at WordCamp Los Angeles. Jen loved her first car without reservation. It was a bright red Volkswagen Beetle with “black pleather seats, the best ever car heater and an 8-track” radio system. As 8-tracks were no longer in circulation when the car became Jen’s, she sang along to the whatever classics – Blondie, ABBA, Van Halen – came with the car.

Jen’s car became well known in her neighborhood and helped her develop community and friendships. “I had just moved into the area and yet everyone knew about my car,” Jen said. “It was really beautiful. The only catch was I got it about 6 months before I had my driver’s license. My friends and I would sit and sing in my car, waiting until I had enough money to pay for a year of car insurance (the requirement my parents placed on me being able drive).”

“That bug became a neighborhood hub – a place for ‘my community’ to gather around,” Jen explained. “I truly believe that all aspects of life are better with community, whether it’s being a student, entering the workforce, becoming a parent, running a business or even managing a website.”

Last June Jen had the opportunity to give a lightening talk at WordCamp Europe. “It was a bit nerve-wracking trying to decide which salient details to include in only 10 minutes,” she recalled. “I was worried that I would take too long of a breath and be buzzed off the stage, so didn’t spend as much time on certain aspects I felt were key. I really wanted to emphasize the need for developing community in Local SEO so am excited to be able to talk on it at WordCamp Los Angeles.”

Jen added that though she’s built a business around keywords, blogging for companies all over the world, there is a common element in her most successful clients. “It’s community,” she said. “These clients don’t hide from their audience. They engage. They inquire. They seek out more ways to be involved and,” she concluded, “It shows in their reporting.”

The fastest car Jen has driven is a Nissan 280z though she prefers the grounded feel of a Chrysler 300 when driving long distances, and currently drives a plugin hybrid around town. She feels that just as every car can be situationally appropriate, WordCampers need to use the right techniques. She hopes to set the pace for attendees by providing an SEO vision that takes them well beyond defined keyword placement, allowing them to command a firm grip of what is needed to stay on the inside track in the fast lane of SEO.

Catch Jen Miller LIVE at WordCamp Los Angeles:

• Topic: Local SEO without Community Is Just Keywords
• Time and Date: Saturday, September 30 at 2:30 p.m.
• Room: Talladega Room

Amber Hewitt will speak on “Branding for Everyone” Sunday afternoon at 10:00 a.m. in the Talladega Room at WordCamp Los Angeles. Her first car was a red 1986 Honda CRX. “It was a great little car!”exclaimed Amber. “It only had two seats, yet I managed to fit three people.” As you can see, even as an early driver, Amber recognized the importance of changing the look and making adjustments to deliver the desired result.

So it is with branding. “Branding is a very important, but often overlooked,” Amber explained. “It’s more than designing a logo. I want people to understand how branding works and that it’s not only for businesses.”

Amber has solidified her personal brand in part by the car she drives. “My grandmother had a 1971 Opel GT,” Amber said. “I loved that car! Two-seater, 4-speed, no air conditioning, but it was so cool to me as a kid… and the headlights flip up sideways!” Amber then admitted with a smile, “I’m very happy to say I now own and drive that car.”

Though the fastest car she’s driven may be a Porsche Cayenne S, which she described as “so smooth,” Amber understands that branding is about more than speed. After attending her session Amber expects, “People will be able to create their own powerful brand and stand out from the competition.”

Catch Amber Hewitt LIVE at WordCamp Los Angeles:

• Topic: Branding for Everyone
• Time and Date: Sunday, October 1 at 10:00 a.m.
• Room: Talladega Room

Konstantin Obenland will speak on “Getting Started with Gutenberg” Sunday morning at 11:00 a.m. in the Advanced Development Track at WordCamp Los Angeles. Gutenberg is a mystery for many WordPressers which makes it, in some ways, similar to Konstantin’s first car. He drove a 1989 Opel Omega, a hand-me-down from his roommate, which was most valued for “its CD-changer with room for twelve(!) discs.” Konstantin apparently was unaware that his first vehicle was road tested at up to 186 MPH and was known for being the world’s fastest production sedan at the time of release.

Konstantin recalled that the fastest car he drove was an “Audi A6 rental that I had in Germany. Even though I had it on the Autobahn, I don’t think I ever pushed it past 110 MPH.” He doesn’t have a dream car and has a hard time relating to the excitement of those who watch Top Gear. “If I had the money I’d probably get myself a Tesla,” he explained, “but I’m not sure that counts as a dream car.”

Just as he underestimated his first car, Konstantin is worried that many are doing the same with Gutenberg. “Gutenberg’s importance to WordPress’ future can not be overstated,” he stressed, “and I think a lot of folks are still hesitant about familiarizing themselves with it. Now is a great time to get acquainted with it, start preparing for the switch, and come out ahead of the curve once it drops.”

Konstantin added, “Change is scary, and so I hope through sessions like this I can help, making it a little less overwhelming for people, and maybe even get them as excited about it as I am.” He continued, “Learning about Gutenberg now will let you come out ahead of the pack once it has made it into Core. If you’re running an agency, do contract work, or have a premium plugin that builds on the editor, you want to make sure you’ll be able to provide your clients and customers with the best product possible. So being prepared for Gutenberg’s introduction can be a key factor for your business’ future success.”

Catch Konstantin Obenland LIVE at WordCamp Los Angeles:

• Topic: Open Source for Non-Developers
• Time and Date: Saturday, September 30 at 11:00 a.m.
• Room: Advanced Development Track – The Machine Shop

Glenn Zucman will speak on “WordPress for Writers” Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. in the Daytona Room at WordCamp Los Angeles. “My first car, much like go karts, WordPress, and WCLAX, was hot! Haha, very hot,” Glenn explained. “My dad gave me his old Mercury Cougar. I put huge mag wheels and tires in the back and air shocks so the fenders would clear the wheels. When dad gave it to me it was white, but I painted it fluorescent orange!”

You’ll discover a new level of creativity at Glenn’s session and deepen your love for using WordPress as “a writing and creative tool.” Glenn’s session is geared toward helping attendees harness the right tools. “Sometimes our tools: like flaky air shocks, the wrong tool to fix the pulley, a problematic web platform, the wrong plugins, or too many plugins, can get in the way of the work we want to do,” Glenn said.

Glenn went on to share a story, “With my circuit training group in the gym the other day, the pulley came off one of the machines. Dina spent about 10 minutes trying to fix it by hand. Then Danny went and got a tool – a big screwdriver, that he thought would help him push the cable back onto the pulley. He spent another 10 frustrated minutes. Finally, he got a wrench that fit the nut on the pulley bolt and fixed it in about 1 minute,” Glenn recalled.

“The right wrench to fix the pulley is never going to make Dina, Danny, or I stronger, but it can empower us to reach our personal best,” he explained. “I think of WordPress and the other writing tools we have in this way. Ultimately the power of our writing comes from within us, not from any fancy tool. But the right tool can help us unleash our inner power.”

As Glenn seeks out those inner powers, he will survey the audience to learn about needs, interests, and questions and cover case studies of how some WordPress writers work. “We’ll look at different approaches to writing and different plugins and editing modes,” Glenn added. “I hope that by focusing on themselves as effective writers and communicators, and by choosing tools and techniques to unleash their strengths, that attendees to ‘WordPress for Writers’ will find themselves on the pole position of their career and personal goals.”

His dream car is definitely a convertible. “I’m driving a convertible Lexus now, so I really can’t complain,” Glenn said. “But I have to confess, I do sometimes dream of my old convertible Toyota Celica. It was a white car with a black rag top. It was my first convertible and I really loved that car. The sound of the rain softly hitting the cloth top was beautiful. Or, as long as you didn’t get stuck in traffic, you could actually drive in the rain with the top down – the windshield would sweep out a channel to keep you mostly dry.”

Glenn has plenty of stories to keep you entertained, so many that he’s almost forgotten some! “I’m pretty lucky to be driving a convertible Lexus, and as I’ve already told you, I still think of my sweet, old convertible Toyota Celica. On the other hand, until this moment, I really didn’t even remember that I ever drove a screaming orange Cougar with mags and air shocks. It was so cool back then but seems so ridiculous now. The air shocks would go out now and then and drop the fender onto the tires and I’d have to borrow my friend Gene’s tools to replace them,” he reminisced when asked about cars from his past.

Catch Glenn Zucman LIVE at WordCamp Los Angeles:

• Topic: WordPress for Writers
• Time and Date: Sunday, October 1 at 1:30 p.m.
• Room: Daytona Room

Jay Hoppie will speak on “Scoping Projects as a Non-Developer” Sunday morning at 9:00 a.m. in the Daytona Room at WordCamp Los Angeles. Jay purchased his first car, a 1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera, so he could drive to his first web development job. It may even be the fastest car he’s ever driven as Jay prefers motorcycles and dreams of a Ural motorcycle, complete with a sidecar, for the dog. Just as Jay brings logic into his dream vehicle scenario, he does the same with scoping projects.

Jay has helped colleagues improve their ability to scope and his insight will help session attendees better scope and estimate projects. “Scoping projects and knowing what to do when your estimate is inaccurate has been something that I’ve seen people struggle with often,” Jay said.

“None of our estimates are ever going to be perfect and it can be difficult to explain our process to clients, sometimes leading to stress and reduced margins,” explained Jay. “Using those tough conversations as ways to demonstrate our expertise (as opposed to a failing on our part) is something we can all continually approve upon.”

Catch Jay Hoppie LIVE at WordCamp Los Angeles:

• Topic: Scoping Projects as a Non-Developer
• Time and Date: Sunday, October 1 at 9:00 a.m.
• Room: Daytona Room

Keanan Koppenhaver will speak on “Open Source for Non-Developers” Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. in the Daytona Room at WordCamp Los Angeles. Keenan chose his topic because he believes, “contributing to open source is a huge component of our industry.” Keenan explained that he often hears from “people who want to start contributing but are intimidated because they’re not confident in their abilities as a developer.”

“I want to show people they can contribute, even if they don’t write a single line of code!” said Keenan. Getting started is what is most important, just as it is when one starts to drive.  Keenan’s first car was his Dad’s bare-bones silver Toyota Camry. It carried him through high school and college and was even passed down to his brother for a time, before “just completely giving out on the streets of Milwaukee.”

Considering those new to contributing, Keenan said, “Developers are the most eager to contribute, and as a result, lots of very popular projects have a lack of documentation and other ancillary materials that would really help the project out,” he explained. “This is a sweet spot for anyone who wants to contribute on a less technical level!”

“By learning to contribute to open source, LA WordCampers will be in pole position as open source work looks great on a resume and helps you connect with people in whichever communities they’re a part of. These connections can lead to jobs as well as all sorts of interesting opportunities. In addition to helping me get a job, open source work has helped me meet a bunch of interesting people and I want to share that experience with others!”

On fast driving, Keenan reminisced, “The fastest car I’ve driven was probably when I topped 200mph in a Porsche 911 Turbo.” He further shared, “Granted, it was on my PlayStation 2, but maybe I’ll get on a real racetrack someday!” On a more serious note, Kennan does have a dream car in mind.  “My dream car is a Tesla Model S. Maybe one day! I hear they’re coming out with the Model 3 which is *only* half the price. What a steal!”

Catch Keanan Koppenhaver LIVE at WordCamp Los Angeles:

• Topic: Open Source for Non-Developers
• Time and Date: Saturday, September 30 at 9:00 a.m.
• Room: Daytona Room

Irene Donnell will speak on “Social Media Sorcery – How Social Media and SEO Together are Magic” Saturday morning at 11:00 a.m. in the Talladega Room at WordCamp Los Angeles. Irene promises to deliver magical tips that will increase the ROI and success of you and your clients.

Irene’s first car was a Volkswagon Beetle and the fastest car she has driven is a Ferrari. Both cars require higher than normal care, so sorcery seems to come to her quite naturally. Irene’s dream car is a red Bonneville convertible which some might say also has a hint of magic to it.

Irene will be sharing success stories from WordPress clients who have combined a SEO and Social Media Marketing strategy. “People that attend my talk will leave with a competitive business edge for themselves and their clients, ” said Irene. “They will leave with actionable information. Who doesn’t want to be more successful and have increased ROI?”