WordPress, agency life, and entrepreneur observations
Excerpts from The Friday Chaser
More valuable as partners than competition
This week I referred a client to a few of my agency friends. Not because I don’t want the project (I do), but because I thought the best advice I could give her is to…
Jan 9, 2026
A few 2026 predictions
As we kick off the new year, I thought it’d be fun to throw out a few predictions for what 2026 has in store for us TABbers. I’m genuinely curious where you agree, where you…
Jan 2, 2026
Busy is sneaky
Every December I flip into reflection mode. I actually love that part… Zooming out and looking at the year as a whole. Seeing what worked, what didn’t, and what’s got me excited about another year…
Dec 26, 2025
Where the money’s been hiding
When people ask how to get higher-paying clients, what they’re usually doing is looking for tactics. Things like: Those things do help, but they’re not where the leverage really is. They’re not the reason some…
Dec 19, 2025
The Waffle Test
I couldn’t believe my eyes when the notification popped up last night. Sam Reid eating a waffle with the Jonas Brothers. I know that doesn’t possibly make any sense… but stick with me. A couple…
Dec 12, 2025
The things that spark you
love my job. I can say that with confidence as a blanket statement. But that doesn’t mean I love it every second of every day. Like any job, it has its ups and downs. I…
Dec 5, 2025
Different is better
For a long time, I thought success came from being better. Better designer. Better developer. Better results. And, like a lot of us, I spent a ton of time trying to prove it. As if…
Nov 28, 2025
The smarter our tools get, the dumber we become
This silly little box punches way above its weight. It’s sat on my desk for years… Used only a handful of times. Just enough utility to keep it out of the junk drawer. But over…
Nov 21, 2025
Measuring backwards
This weekend we took a trip to our former state, and with a little extra time on our hands we swung by the first house my wife and I owned. The one we lived in…
Nov 14, 2025
The developer who makes the most sense
Most clients don’t have a clue what they’re looking for when they hire a web agency. They want to spend their money wisely. They want something high-quality. But without the expertise, very few really know…
Nov 7, 2025
Clients aren’t cheap, they’re uninformed
A few months back, one of the outlets in my office stopped working. No big deal, right? According to the internet, just pop the faceplate, wiggle a wire or two, and boom, back in business….
Oct 31, 2025
Better and braver togther
Today marks issue #260 of this little newsletter — which, if you do some loose math, makes it The Friday Chaser’s 5th birthday. If it weren’t for taking Christmas Eve 2021 off, it would be…
Oct 24, 2025
Alternate payment terms for agencies
The 50% down, 50% at completion payment structure is probably the most common in our industry. And when the project goes exactly as planned, it works well for agencies and clients. But if you’ve ever…
Oct 17, 2025
The difference between giving up and getting up
Being your own boss means motivation starts and ends with you. No one’s telling you what time to clock in, when to take lunch, or if you can leave early. If you wanted to sleep…
Oct 10, 2025
Getting a head start on the new year
Every year it’s the same… Wake up on New Year’s Eve wondering how it got here so quickly. Between the client “emergencies”, time off, and holiday travel, the end of the year tends to run…
Oct 3, 2025
Profitability v. enjoyment
Do you ever feel like you’re working nonstop, but your bank account doesn’t tell the same story? As a business owner, it’s easy to fall into the trap of working hard and going nowhere —…
Sep 26, 2025
Feed your agency
Meal planning, shopping, and cooking is one of the least fun parts of “adulting”. But with a family of 5, it’s a necessity. I suppose we could just sit around, stomach’s growing, hoping the neighbors…
Sep 19, 2025
Forecasting isn’t like fortune-telling
Last weekend I had to drive a couple hours up to D.C. It’s a drive I’ve done a half-dozen times since moving to the East coast and it’s mostly just straight up Interstate 95. Still,…
Sep 12, 2025
Web designer near me
“Hi, I found you by searching for a local web designer” When I first started getting inquiries like that, I thought it was a win — organic leads! But over time, it became a giant,…
Sep 5, 2025
Some clients are bargain hunters
Over the past three weeks I’ve been feverishly refreshing Facebook Marketplace looking for a bike for my 6-year-old. Of course, I could have just walked into a store and bought her a shiny new bike…
Aug 29, 2025
