Jamie Madden

After 3+ amazing years, today marks my last meeting as representative on the WordPress Training Team. Moving on to new adventures outside WordPress, but grateful for all the experiences, knowledge & friendships. Thank you to this incredible community.

Want a tasty, smoky beef chili recipe with 21 grams of protein per serve? Check out my latest recipe. Top it off with some Greek yoghurt and you'll hit 30 grams. randomadult.com/the-best-smo...

Today's command of the day is 'orbctl reset' for when you break your @OrbStack environment by building containers on battery and running flat mid-build.

Having issues with chrome defaulting to Washington, DC as your location? Check if you have the @expressvpn extension enabled. This is the culprit. Disable this and your precise location will start working again. The VPN does not need to be on for it to break location detection.

Is your recent WooCommerce update giving you fatal errors? Update now - developer.woocommerce.com/2025/05/06/w...

Remember folks. When in development, restart your celery instance. DOH!

I’d like to rename vibe coding to “controlled automation”

🛡️ Just published: Secure It: Essential VPS Security Guide for Ubuntu 24.04 LTS Learn how to secure your VPS from day one: • SSH hardening • Firewall setup • System updates • Fail2ban configuration Step-by-step guide at randomadult.com/secure-it-es...

💡 Running successful apps doesn't need serverless hype. A single $12 VPS can host multiple production apps, handle thousands of users, and run any tech stack you want - with predictable costs. Real world proof & setup guide: randomadult.com/why-ditch-serverless-the-case-for-self-hosting/

Is anyone looking for a bookkeeper? I have a excellent one based in the Philippines. As I am shutting down all my operations, I no longer need his services. I would really like to place him with someone as he’s been great over the last 4 years.

Now that I have some free time and no more income. I need to stop or reduce as many outgoings as possible. The first on the list is consolidating all my email hosting to zohomail saving myself over $100 a month. Email migrations aren't fun, but Zoho makes it pretty painless.

Mental Note: When adding a computer to the domain, use a domain admin account. I just spent 20 mins trying to figure out why I couldn't join the domain. Hard case of The Mondays hah.

The old saying “the early bird catches the worm” well today I’m hoping to capture one of my bucket list marine animals, the thresher shark. While I wait for the 4:30am briefing I captured the stars here in Malapascua, Phillipines. Take time for you, balance is key in this world.

Sunday Summary: This week taught us health isn't about perfect habits—it's about consistent care. From morning routines to weekend balance, every small choice adds up. Your body keeps the score, but you choose the game. Ready for another week of putting yourself first?

Saturday Strategy: Weekends aren't for undoing weekly progress. Try the 80/20 approach: Stay active 80% of your weekend, rest 20%. A morning walk, afternoon stretch, or walk the dog. Balance beats perfection every time.

Friday Focus: Stop waiting for motivation to exercise—it rarely comes knocking. Start with 10 minutes today. Not tomorrow. Not Monday. The best workout plan is the one you'll actually do. Consistency is key, you just have to start.

Thursday Thoughts: We'll spend more time researching our next phone purchase than understanding our own bodies. Wellness isn't a trend—it's an investment in your future chapters. What small health choice could you make today?

Wednesday Wake-up: Your morning routine isn't just about coffee—it's your daily reset button. Take 5 deep breaths, drink a full glass of water, and stretch before reaching for your phone. Your body speaks; make morning the time you actually listen.

Tuesday Tip: The best gift you can give yourself is 10 minutes of health prep each Sunday. Set med reminders, schedule those appointments you've been putting off, and update emergency contacts. Future you will be grateful for present you's dedication.

A thought. What if these rising living costs are secretly pushing us back to simpler times? Growing our seasonal food, canning vegetables, curing meats, making cheese, sharing with our neighbours... To be honest, I'm all for that.

I won’t be posting my usual motivation posts this week as I had to be rushed into emergency surgery here in Turkey. Thankfully I have great insurance and the hospital has been amazing. One thing I will say is always look after your health, people.

Sunday Summary: This week's takeaway: Delegation isn't about doing less - it's about achieving more. Your business grows when you focus on what matters most. Build your team, trust the process, and watch your impact multiply. Time to level up!

Saturday Strategy: 3-Step Delegation Plan: 1. List all your weekly tasks 2. Mark tasks that don't need your expertise 3. Research & connect with professionals who can take these over Start small, delegate one task next week. Watch your productivity soar.

Friday Focus: Audit your task list. Circle everything that doesn't require YOUR unique skills. These are your delegation opportunities. Remember: If you're busy doing $20/hour tasks, you'll never have time for $1000/hour decisions. Support is the first task I stop doing.

Thursday Thoughts: The greatest myth in business? That you must do it all yourself. The most successful leaders aren't the ones who can do everything - they're the ones who know what to let go of. Your success lies in your ability to trust others.

Wednesday Wakeup: Still doing your own bookkeeping? Drowning in admin? Stop and assess. Every minute spent on these tasks is time lost from your vision and growth. Your business needs your leadership more than your labour.

Chúc mừng năm mới! 新年快乐! Happy lunar new year! May your year be prosperous and fun.

Tuesday Tip: Calculate your hourly worth. If a task costs less to outsource than your hourly rate, delegate it. This simple maths will transform how you view your time & tasks. Focus on high-impact work that grows your business.

Monday Motivation: Your time is your most valuable asset. Letting go of tasks isn't failure - it's strategic growth. Every minute spent on work someone else could do is a minute not spent on what only YOU can do. Build your empire by building your team.

Sunday Summary: Knowledge isn't a competition - it's a garden we grow together. This week, you've learned, shared, and helped others grow. Keep nurturing your communities with every question answered, every tutorial shared, every hand extended.

Saturday Strategy: Stop jumping between tutorials and courses. Pick one WordPress feature you want to master, learn it deeply, then teach it to someone else. That's how expertise is built. Knowledge grows when shared.

When AI becomes reality.

HomePod died right after warranty (classic audio crackle). Apple wouldn't help. Sat broken for 5 years until I took it for recycling 2 weeks ago. Guy offered to fix it - $18 part later, it works perfectly! Should've asked local repair shop years ago. 🤦‍♂️

Friday Focus: Make today count! 🎯 Set aside 25 mins to learn something new 🤝 Review one pull request 📝 Update one documentation page 💡 Share one quick tip Small actions create big impact in open source.

Thursday Thoughts: The best documentation comes from collective struggle. Your 'obvious' solution might be someone's breakthrough moment. Share your learning journey, no matter how small. Every contribution matters.

Are you going to WordCamp Asia next month? Will I see you there? This year I have assumed two roles. One of the training team table leads as well as being an emcee. https://buff.ly/4jp7SI8 This will be my first time emceeing in a very long time. Any tips?

Wednesday Wakeup: Helping others isn't rocket science 🤝 Answer one question you see online 💬 Share your 'rookie mistakes' story 🌟 Explain a concept you just learned ⭐️ Leave encouraging comments Remember: Today's beginner is tomorrow's mentor or future teammate.

Tuesday Tip: Start your coding journey with these free resources: 🎓 Learn WordPress 📚 freeCodeCamp 📱 Codecademy 💻 dev.to Pick one, stick to it for 30 days. Consistency beats intensity.

WordCamp Asia 2025 Contributor Day table leads have been announced, and I'm one of them. I will be co-leading the training team table with Jagir Bahesh. Will we see you there? If so, come and say hello.

Monday Motivation: Everyone starts somewhere. Remember when you wrote your first line of code? That mix of confusion and excitement? Today, be the mentor you needed when you started. The open source community grows stronger when we lift each other up.

Sunday Summary: This week's remote connection blueprint: Find local groups, join community platforms, reach out to old contacts, and remember - behind every screen is a person craving real connection. Your next collaboration, friendship, or coffee buddy is closer than you think!

Saturday Strategy: Weekly Connection Time: 1. Join 1 local Discord/Slack 2. Find 2 nearby coworking spaces 3. Schedule 1 coffee chat 4. Follow 5 local creators 5. Comment on 3 local posts Start small, build consistently. Your local network grows one hello at a time!

First outdoor run since 2019. Parts of me hurt, but I kept pace, didn’t stop and managed more than 5km. Happy with that.

Friday Focus: Your network isn't just for job hunting. Text that old coworker for coffee. DM that friend who you haven't spoken to in a while. Reach out to someone you admire locally. A lot of what we do keeps us busy, but we also need our offline social network, too.

Thursday Thoughts: Remote work gave us freedom, but it shouldn't cost us human connection. Think about it: every successful remote worker has a support system. Virtual water coolers are great, but nothing beats a real coffee chat with someone who gets your journey.

Great news for WordPress learners! You can now access our complete User Learning Pathway, featuring three courses. Learn the platform from start to finish, whenever it suits you. Next up, our developer and designer pathways. Stay tuned for those.

Wednesday Wakeup: Stop doom-scrolling and start networking! Your city is full of coffee shops, coworking spaces, and creative minds just like you. Break the digital bubble today - one local connection can spark endless possibilities!

Tuesday Tip: Find your local networks through Meetup, Eventbrite, Nomads & social media! Search 'digital nomads', 'remote workers', 'tech' or your interests in your city. Follow local hashtags on Twitter/Instagram. Your future friends are already in your area!

Security Tip: Don't act on important emails when half-asleep! Flag them for later when fully awake. Almost fell for a convincing Coinbase phishing scam this AM before double-checking. Stay vigilant.

Monday Motivation: Working remotely doesn't mean working alone. Your next collaborator, friend, or mentor might be right in your city! This week, challenge yourself to join one local tech meetup or community event. The coffee shop could be your next networking spot!