How do we grow a WordPress business without getting buried in low-margin work, tool overload, and other people’s opinions? WordPress, as a powerful Content Management System, offers flexibility for website development, but that question ran through this conversation with Mark Szymanski, and it hit close to home for anyone building an agency, freelancing, or trying to turn technical skill into a real business.

What stood out most was not hype. It was honesty. We heard two different paths into web work, the same pressure to make it sustainable, and a shared belief that progress usually starts when we stop waiting for permission.

Key Takeaways

• Both Mark and Kurt built WordPress businesses through curiosity, skill-building, and persistence, without waiting for invitations—proving multiple paths lead to sustainable work.
• The WordPress community rewards those who show up, contribute quality content, and invest in craft, but it can distract with debates if we let it consume our time.
• Self-awareness is key to scaling: identify strengths like customization or architecture, delegate design, editing, or copy, and stop trapping yourself in low-margin cycles.
• Protect margins by niching down (e.g., eLearning), simplifying your stack with reliable tools like LifterLMS or Bricks, and saying no to bad-fit projects.
• Focus beats expansion—choose tools and processes you master, avoid endless experimentation, and prioritize client outcomes over opinions.

Two different paths led to the same kind of work

Mark’s path into the WordPress space started young. He began building websites with the self-hosted version of WordPress.org in college, graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2018, and left his job around 2020 to work on client websites full-time. At first, that looked like freelance design and a one-person agency. Later, it grew into content creation, with videos about Elementor, then Bricks, and broader conversations around technology, SEO, Digital marketing, AI, and automation.

What changed for him was not simply using the platform, but joining the community around it. That distinction matters. Plenty of people build profitable businesses with WordPress and never step into podcasts, events, or public conversations. Mark chose the opposite path. He made content, showed his work, met people, and became a familiar face through appearances with Jonathan Denwood on WP Tonic and discussions with people like Matt Maderos and Kevin Geary.

Kurt’s route looked completely different. He came out of the car business, working long days on concrete floors, then taught himself web design with Macromedia tools long before today’s polished builders existed. He started with nonprofit websites and church contacts, then moved into paid freelance work. Later, opening an office helped his business grow fast, and over time Ducati North America became a major client.

The striking part is how similar the core lesson feels. Neither path started with a warm invitation. Both started with curiosity, skill-building, and the decision to keep going.

The WordPress community helps, but it can also distract us

Once Kurt reached WordCamp San Diego, helped along by Chris Badgett and the LifterLMS team, the community side of WordPress opened up quickly. That experience shaped the middle of this discussion, especially around a question raised on X by Imran: are we building a healthy WordPress community, or an echo chamber fueled by social media integration?

Mark did not pretend to have a clean answer, and that made his take more useful. From his view, the community is mostly welcoming. He has not seen people openly told to stay out. At the same time, he has not seen many formal invitations either. The space rewards people who show up, contribute, and keep doing it.

We do not need an invitation to participate, but we do need the courage to publish.

That point led straight into content creation. Mark argued that putting ideas out in public is only the start. If we want attention, we have to care about the craft and user experience. He mentioned his own content strategy shift from recording with a bed in the background to building a better studio. Kurt shared his own version of that lesson, moving from awkward virtual backgrounds to a garage wall full of tools, then into a Kansas setup that fits his personal brand.

Their point was simple. Authenticity matters, but effort matters too. If we want a YouTube channel, podcast, or social presence to open doors, we have to give people a reason to remember us.

There is also a downside to getting too deep into the WordPress world. Mark admitted that debates about core, page builders, and product politics in the WordPress community can become a time sink. If we spend all day arguing about tools, we are not selling, building, or improving client outcomes.

The hardest agency lesson is learning what we should stop doing

The most useful part of the conversation for agency owners came when Mark talked about moving from an “agency of one” toward an actual team. That shift forced him to get honest about what he does well and what he does not.

He does not see himself as a strong designer. He does not enjoy editing videos or making thumbnails. Writing copy for client websites is not his favorite lane either. What he does enjoy is website customization: dynamic data, custom post types, templates, and turning business goals into a clean website architecture.

That kind of self-awareness changes how we hire. Instead of trying to become world-class at everything, we can build around our strongest work and hand off the rest. Mark’s list was practical:

• He hires design because starting from a blank canvas is not his best use of time.
• He hires editing because content production stalls when post-production piles up.
• He is open to copy support, including AI-assisted writing, because clear messaging still has to align with a client’s goals and perform well on search engines.

This tied into a bigger point about the solo freelancer ceiling. Many skilled people stay stuck because they are always trapped in the same cycle: sell a website project, fulfill the website project, then scramble to sell the next one. There is no room to build margin, no time for website maintenance or to train help, and no chance to breathe. Tasks like Google Analytics setup become practical items to delegate as the team grows.

Kurt connected that problem to pricing. If we keep taking $1,500 or $2,000 projects, we leave ourselves no space to hire support. Mark added another layer. Some of us overthink so much that we start tweaking plugins before the business has enough revenue to optimize. He admitted he spent energy on side ideas, small brands, and extra projects before fully focusing on the work that paid.

Talking does not make us a thought leader, but silence guarantees that we never become one.

That mindset also shaped how both men viewed traditional jobs. Kurt dealt with years of people asking when he would get a “real job.” Mark left a steady job in real estate marketing because he hated the stagnation. Both landed in the same place: entrepreneurship is stressful, but building something we own is better than being boxed into work that drains us.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did Mark and Kurt start their WordPress businesses?

Mark began building sites in college with self-hosted WordPress.org, went full-time freelance in 2020, and grew through content on tools like Elementor and Bricks. Kurt transitioned from the car business, self-taught web design, started with nonprofits, and scaled via an office and clients like Ducati. Both paths highlight curiosity and persistence over formal entry points.

What role does the WordPress community play in business growth?

The community is welcoming to those who show up and contribute, opening doors through podcasts, events, and connections without needing invitations. However, it can become a distraction with tool debates and echo chambers if not balanced. Success comes from creating authentic, high-effort content that builds recognition.

How can agencies scale beyond solo freelancing?

Identify what you do best—like website architecture or dynamic data—and delegate the rest, such as design, video editing, or copywriting (even with AI). Move beyond project cycles by pricing higher, niching into repeatable areas like eLearning, and hiring for tasks like Google Analytics setup. This creates margin for maintenance, team growth, and breathing room.

Why simplify your tech stack in WordPress?

A focused stack—like LifterLMS for memberships, Bricks for building, or managed hosting—enables expertise, repeatability, and handoffs, reducing reinvention on every project. It protects time from tool overload and ensures client sites include essentials like SSL, backups, and mobile responsiveness. Choose based on proven creators and your niche for long-term confidence.

What common pitfalls should WordPress business owners avoid?

Don’t get buried in low-margin work, overthink plugins before revenue allows, or chase every shiny tool and side idea. Avoid community time-sinks like endless debates, and stop waiting for permission—publish boldly but prioritize selling and client results. Entrepreneurship beats stagnation, but focus on ownership through deliberate choices.

Simplifying the stack is how we protect margin

Later, the discussion turned from mindset to operations. This is where agency owners will likely nod the hardest.

Kurt explained that when he lived in California, he could not afford to turn down work. After moving to Kansas, he gained the freedom to say no to bad-fit projects and focus on memberships and learning platforms. That is a strong niche because eLearning sites reward repeatable process, not random reinvention.

A mature LMS stack also helps. In the LifterLMS ecosystem alone, teams can build courses, memberships, quizzes, reporting, and paid access with options for Stripe, PayPal, and WooCommerce, all enhanced by specialized themes and plugins. That kind of depth, including security features, one-click installation, backup solutions, and customizable permalinks, makes specialization easier, especially for agencies touching training, education, and even adjacent ecommerce store models. It also helps that the platform has a large knowledge base, support resources, and broad theme compatibility with mobile responsive design, which lowers friction when we standardize our builds.

Mark agreed with the larger principle. We should not start every project from zero. We need a blueprint and a stack that includes reliable web hosting or managed WordPress hosting, a solid domain name, and SSL certificates. If we build in Bricks, we will naturally know its themes and plugins better than Divi or Oxygen. That is not a flaw. It is how expertise works in WordPress.

The same logic showed up in their talk about Etch and Kevin Geary. Kurt is interested in the builder because it connects page-building power with Gutenberg editing, which can make handoff easier for clients through the WordPress Dashboard. Mark, who advises on Etch, is bullish for a different reason. He thinks the person behind the product matters as much as the product itself. If we are going to build a business around a tool, we need confidence that its creator will keep pushing it forward.

That does not mean chasing every new plugin. It means choosing carefully, learning the stack well, and protecting our time from endless experimentation.

We heard one message through the whole conversation: a stronger agency usually grows from focus, not from doing more. When we stop waiting for approval, stop trying to master every task, and stop rebuilding our process around every shiny tool, the business gets clearer.

For more from Mark, including his agency, content, and newsletter, we can visit Mark’s links and contact hub.