Ryan Logan joins the Mañana No Más podcast to share his journey in IT and WordPress. He started in IT in 1997, rose to interim CIO at a high-frequency trading firm with intense hours, then launched his own IT consulting agency. Clients kept asking for websites, so he turned to WordPress around 2014, fully launched his agency in 2016, and built other WP businesses, including Influence WP.
The host first noticed Ryan through a post on a Lifter LMS property. He almost blocked it as spam but checked first and learned of an ongoing deal. This led to their connection, despite attending the same events like WordCamps.
Influence WP solves problems like fake deal sites that hide affiliate links. Users click expecting discounts but get tricked into full-price buys, benefiting shady promoters. As a result, Influence WP became a trusted hub for real WP deals (99% WP-focused), with no affiliates or bias. All partners get equal treatment. Users enjoy giveaways, unbiased videos from a first-time user’s view, and honest reviews that spot issues like bugs, poor wording, missing about pages, or no changelogs. These help vendors build trust.
In addition, Ryan sends weekly newsletters, now at 23 editions. They highlight deals, new releases, and even non-partner projects like free plugins. The goal stays simple: keep solutions top of mind amid thousands of plugins. No one person knows them all, so these blurbs help agencies and users alike.
Ryan vets partners carefully. He researches sites and entities first. Slow-loading pages or bad vibes lead to polite rejections. Quality beats quantity. For example, he scraps videos midway if products look poor, protecting everyone. Although he can’t inspect code, feedback from agencies prompts tough talks. He has ended partnerships over bad support or experiences but clarifies he’s neutral, just a middleman.
From his agency view, one failing plugin disrupts many sites. Hobbyists tolerate glitches; agencies can’t when supporting dozens of clients. Page builders or upsell tools often break during updates, hitting 10-15 customers at once. Ryan relies on complaints to act, pushing back on whiners sometimes.
His agency’s sweet spot is website care and maintenance, rooted in his IT support love. He enjoys updates, security, and client care from high-stakes firms handling billions. Design appeals too; he could paint full-time. However, agencies must offer more, like branding or exits, and partner with experts in copy or SEO.
Client admin access varies. Trusted long-term clients get it with activity logs to track changes. Others submit tasks. Directory builders need full access for listings. New team members pose risks; they install overlapping plugins without checking, ignoring maintenance pros.
For instance, one client hired a marketer who ditched a custom WP LMS for Squarespace, paying more for less. Maintenance often feels like a commodity, undervalued versus flashy marketing, much like parts service lags sales in powersports or marine dealers.
Ryan avoids claiming SEO expertise; few prove results. He builds his own guides through deep study, not trends, emphasizing humility.
Entrepreneurship hit Ryan after high-stress IT. A typing class sparked tech interest; tinkering led to IT ranks. The trading firm’s chaos pushed him solo. He loves spawning agencies and passions.
The host shares parallels: scattered ventures drew advice to specialize, like Oprah can be eccentric rich, but not poor. Yet corporate training gigs feed passions, not bills, so he juggles sites, hosting, podcasts, and volunteering at 58. Ryan stayed solo until Influence WP two years ago, now balancing passions that keep lights on via his agency.