Before My Formal Apology to Bricks… how’s it going? If we haven’t met before, I’m Kurt. Over time, I’ve worn many hats—entrepreneur, business consultant, WordPress enthusiast—but today, I’m here as both a learner and someone who’s ready to own up and apologize.

In this post, I’ll be sharing my journey over the past few months. Specifically, the story of how I went from absolutely ditching Bricks (a popular WordPress page builder) to making a public apology. This didn’t happen because I wanted some attention; instead, it’s an honest reflection on how tools like Bricks and the creative space itself can change and adapt—and so can we.

The Tough Beginnings & First Impression

Let me start by saying that I’m not a developer by trade. Unlike some in the WordPress community who have deep roots in coding, CSS, or technical custom development, I’m a self-taught “point-and-shoot” kind of guy. I’ve managed to gather tools, try them out, solve problems, and move on when necessary. My business, Manana No Mas, has always thrived using this practical approach.

So, naturally, I tend to experiment with new tools as they come out—especially when there’s a buzz.

Bricks was one of those tools. Maybe, just like you, I’d heard the WordPress community going off about it. People loved the flexibility, the slick interface, and all the promise it held for designers and developers alike. Kevin Geary, a well-known name in the WordPress space, even put up a free, extensive tutorial on how to design websites using Bricks.

But when I gave it a try about six months ago, let’s just say… it didn’t go well.

I tried building an initial layout and, frankly, the interface felt clunky to me. I couldn’t get elements to work the way I expected. The tool seemed unfinished, with issues in handling simple tasks like placing an image block in the right spot. Instead of a clean experience, I had a frustrating, confusing one. And six months ago, I told anyone who asked—they knew my thoughts. I wasn’t a fan.

Reassessing the Tool After Some Time

Sometimes, when you’ve got a busy agency, there’s no time for trial and error with emerging tech. You need tools that work, and work fast. So I put Bricks aside and went back to what I knew—Sky Pilot with LifterLMS, focusing on keeping websites for clients stable and efficient.

But as months went on, a few projects popped up on my radar that required something a little more. For one in particular, ScormPress, which is part of helping other businesses transition from costly e-learning sites to WordPress environments, I felt compelled to give Bricks another shot. The idea? A clean, informative landing page that would drive visitors toward the courses and services we offer for migrating SCORM platforms into WordPress.

This time around, Bricks surprised me. I don’t know if the updates they’ve made in those few months fixed past issues, or if I just had a clearer head and more time to figure it out. Either way, the tool behaved completely differently for me. It was smooth, intuitive, and—dare I say—actually fun to build with.

Building with Bricks: A Refreshing Experience

Jumping into Bricks again, I started putting together a site with all the elements I needed: clean call-to-actions, hero images, mixed media sections, and a general layout that was simple, but functional.

Here’s what I noticed:

• User Interface Improvements: The UI seemed way more polished. Gone were the weird glitches that threw me off months earlier. Now, blocks and edits clicked into place without the frustrations I’d dealt with before.
• Mobile Optimization: This was a stand-out win for me. Unlike other builders, Bricks has clear mobile, tablet, and desktop editing views that allow for tweaking the design in real time. This visual feedback gave me peace of mind during the build process.
• Flexibility: The system offers a kind of granular control that’s ideal for users who need precise spacing, font-size adjustments, and image alignments. Plus, it makes adding interactive elements (like image hotspots) super intuitive when you want to create modern, interesting features.
• Familiar Page Structure: For those used to Elementor or Beaver Builder, Bricks feels straightforward. If you’ve built in a visual editor before, the transition won’t make you feel lost.

All in all, the project went off without a hitch. The ScormPress site came together, and I was pretty relieved that this tool had flipped the script for me.

A Full Circle Moment: Manana No Mas Redesign

That experience led me to revisit my main site, which needed a facelift. I got inspired by some of the big names in the WordPress world—Kevin Geary, Mark Szymanski, and Jamie from PootlePress. These folks use a clean design, with bold CTAs, hero images, and navigation that makes it easy for visitors to find what they want, fast.

So what did we do? We gave Manana No Mas a facelift using… you guessed it, Bricks.

We created a fully responsive layout, added some interactive sections, and even altered long-standing design choices (like the classic red and black palette). It was a refreshing restart for the brand, one that wouldn’t have come together so well without Bricks.

Owning the Mistake: Why I’m Apologizing to Bricks

Let me wrap this up with the main headline—you probably came here for the apology, after all.

I was wrong to dismiss Bricks so quickly after my first experience. There, I said it. There are a lot of folks that get into tools and rush to judgments because something goes wrong out of the gate. In reality, though, software evolves. Just because something didn’t perform the last time you used it doesn’t mean it won’t go above and beyond later.

My newfound respect for Bricks has made me consider shifting toward it as a go-to option for my agency. Yeah, that sounds crazy considering where I was just months ago, but when a tool steps up and works this well, I’ve got to give credit where it’s due. So, to anyone who’s been reading my blog or watching me live and caught some of my earlier takes on Bricks, know this: I’ve changed my mind.

Takeaways for Business Owners

• Be a cautious early adopter: Not every new tool is a win right out of the gate. But that doesn’t mean it’s a failure in the long run.
• Test and revisit: Sometimes the tools are still catching up to expectations. Just because something doesn’t shine today doesn’t mean it won’t tomorrow.
• Own your mistakes: As entrepreneurs, we make a lot of split-second decisions. When we’re wrong, it’s okay to say so and learn from it. Doing that openly builds authority and trust—not just with yourself, but with your audience.

So that’s it. Bricks earned its place in my toolkit, and I couldn’t be more stoked with what I’ve been able to build with it. Here’s to more of that going forward.