James Welbes on AI, WordPress, and new opportunities
A wide-ranging conversation about how AI shifted from curiosity to everyday companion. Building apps and plugins, replacing SaaS tools with custom ones, the strange psychology of working with bots, and whether WordPress needs to reinvent itself to stay relevant.
James Welbes on Cigars, Navy Life, WordPress, and Raising a Family in Iowa
A candid, wide-ranging chat that has almost nothing to do with WordPress. Cigars as an end-of-day ritual, life in Cedar Rapids, Navy years spent circling the globe, fostering and adopting two daughters, faith and friendship, and where AI might take digital work next. The human side of the WordPress community.
What is the best website builder for WordPress in 2026?
A roundtable on the best WordPress website builders heading into 2026. Moving on from the Elementor and Divi style page builders, diving into a new builder and CSS framework, and what actually makes setup simpler and more powerful for the people building sites every day.
Etching a New Path: Ditching WordPress Kool-Aid and Elevating Brands
The story behind trading the traditional WordPress workflow for an Etch license, nearly jumping ship to Statamic, and building Apex Branding from humble Cedar Rapids beginnings. Plus branding tips for the WordPress community and why strategy matters from day one.
Full of BS (Brand Strategy) ft. James Welbes
A relaxed conversation on brand: what it actually is, why it matters, and the practical steps to grow one. Somewhere in the mix the crew also ends up debating Lion King and an old commercial, because of course they do.