The WP Project Manager’s Academy is Closing

The WP Project Manager’s Academy is Closing (sort of)

It’s true. After much consternation and deliberation, I have come to the decision to close The WP Project Manager’s Academy but, never fear, something much better is coming in its place. If you’re currently a member (free or premium), I’m not leaving you in the lurch. Keep reading…

Here are the reasons I feel this is the right move, right now.

Fun

  • You all know I am at “that age” where retirement, relaxing, and fun should be the order of the day. While I will likely never really retire, it is vitally important to me that whatever I do day-to-day be fun. In general, most everything related to WordPress isn’t fun anymore… at least not to me.
  • This is partly due to Matt Mullenweg’s mental breakdown and refusal to follow his own “code of conduct” but there’s a boatload more that used to be fun that isn’t anymore. Some examples:
    • Fewer WordCamps
    • Acquisition after acquisition which ruins the plugin or theme or training
    • Support for premium plugins keeps dropping in quality
  • Most people never even finish the basic PM101 course, much less sign up for the Premium training. I could work on nurturing folks but all the coercing and group coaching and email sequences and nagging… not fun.
  • Much of the Academy training is out of date. When I started, I wanted to provide all the steps for managing projects effectively and that sometimes included tools. But software tools change and any training on how to use them quickly becomes outdated. To re-do all those lessons using a different tool or no tool at all??? Not fun.
  • The website is slow and clunky and needs a complete overhaul because there is so much that I didn’t know when I built it or better solutions now exist. Not fun. I’d rather start from scratch.

The Audience has Changed

  • When I started the Academy it was because there was a continuous influx of new folks starting WordPress website businesses who NEEDED project planning and management training. Now… not so much. I blame the lack of WordCamps and other places where WP folks gather post Covid. There are other active and successful communities where folks can find solutions to their management problems.
  • People have always wanted quick answers to their problems but now they want that info faster in the most digestible way possible. Watching multiple 15 minute videos looking for an answer is no longer acceptable. (even to me)
  • With the advent of AI, folks are hitting the overload mark when it comes to lengthy training courses, communities, and all the trappings that go along with them (like webinars). They just want to solve their immediate problem(s)… quickly.

Regulation and Lightening-Fast Change

  • Remember when you could build a beautiful website with basic SEO that met your client’s needs, and you tested it on different browsers, and you were done? Well, no more. Now you must design and test for:
    • Mobile compatibility (on 2 platforms)
    • Accessibility
    • Security/Privacy
    • Email deliverability
    • Google Business Profile Optimization
    • Algorithm changes that affect SEO
    • And all the other things that are currently trending as THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT of your website.
  • The Privacy regulations change constantly and the Accessibility regulations change often. But you better comply or you could be fined by a foreign country!!! What???
  • It just makes NO sense to me that an American citizen doing business in the US be subject to a foreign law because one of their citizens chooses to visit our website or buy our product. I didn’t ASK you to visit my website and you could opt NOT to buy my product or give me your email address so why is the law focused on what I provide? It just doesn’t make sense.
    • And just how would a foreign judicial system prosecute an American citizen in their courts when we have never set foot in their country? We are fear-mongered into complying and quite frankly it pisses me off.
    • The straw that broke the camel’s back here is the recent law passed in Quebec, Canada that states anyone who has website visitors from their province must have a French version of their website. What? Google Translate doesn’t work in Canada??? This is just ludicrous and I will not be bullied into doing it. What if every foreign country passed such a law, is that even reasonable to expect?
  • The Privacy regulations change constantly and the Accessibility regulations change often. But you better comply or you could be fined by a foreign country!!! What???

There is a New and Better Way

  • While there ARE some aspects of Project Management that are eternal, the methods to implement them are changing with artificial intelligence. And that’s where I want to focus.
  • I have been working on a plan to launch Project Planning with AI for some time now and without the pressure of what I “need” to do on the Academy side, I will have more time to devote to it.

My Agency Needs Attention

You know what is fun for ME?

  • Discovery is fun. Figuring out what needs to be done is very satisfying for me. Doing it myself… not so much fun anymore.
  • Requests for a new website often comes from a new company, sometimes with a corresponding low budget. The larger market is website remediation but recently I have done a very poor job of seeking out those folks. I have an unorthodox plan to get this going and without the Academy “should do’s” hanging over my head, I can truly test it. If successful, this will add to my agency’s recurring revenue which is also FUN!

So What Happens Now?

The Academy website will remain open until May 15, 2025 at midnight EDT.

Premium Members

  • If you are a Premium member of the Academy, you will NOT be charged again for your membership but you may log in until May 15 and download any assets available within BOTH the PM101 course and the Complete PM Roadmap for WordPress (Premium course).
  • OR you can 1)log in, 2)go to this link, and download a zip file of all the assets available within both courses for $9.99. The assets in the zip are listed on this page.

Free Members

  • If you are a member of the Academy’s FREE program, you may log in and download any assets available within the course until May 15.
  • OR you can 1)log in, 2)go to this link, and 3)download a zip file of all the assets available within PM101 for $5.99. The assets in the zip are listed on this page.
  • If you would also like access to the Premium course and assets, you may still join here for a $79 one-time charge. Access will end on May 15.

Not a Member

  • If you are not currently a member of The WP Project Manager’s Academy, you may still join as a FREE or Premium member until May 15 and download any assets available within the courses.
  • If you join as a Premium member for a one time fee of $79, you will have access to both the free PM101 course and the Complete PM Roadmap for WordPress and their assets until May 15.

What About Facebook, our Thursday Chat, and the Newsletter?

  • We will continue our Thursday chat as long as there is interest in doing so. Topics will continue to range from project planning and management to what’s going on in our industry and Q&A when needed. It will remain an informal and personal gathering.
  • The name of the Facebook group will be changing to Project Management for Profit where I will continue to post (hopefully more often) relevant information about project planning and management, industry trends, and learning opportunities. If possible, we will begin limiting group membership to those on our email list.
  • I will continue to send the email newsletter weekly (ok, well weekly is the goal but stuff happens).

Project Management for Profit

  • This is now the name of the Academy’s YouTube channel where all our previous video training is housed and where we are beginning to post more “6 minute webinars” and other training to give folks quick answers.
  • All future learning opportunities, such as Project Planning with AI, will be housed under this umbrella (new website) and focused on helping ALL website providers, not only those using WordPress.

IMPORTANT! Anyone who is currently a Premium member of the Academy on May 15 will receive some paid learning opportunities for free and deep discounts on others.

Now for the Woo-Woo Stuff

  • Most of you know I have been living in and working from the Dominican Republic for the past few months. This has given me a chance to slow down (“Dominican time” – it’s a thing) and take a look at my life and, at 68, consider how I want to spend the rest of it.
  • Undoubtedly you’ve heard the phrase “follow your bliss.” Many of the spiritual leaders I follow word this slightly differently, “follow your highest excitement” and if it doesn’t feel good, don’t do it.
  • My highest excitement is helping people achieve their goals, whether personally or professionally. Here’s how I plan to do that.
    • Create new project planning and management training that provides fast answers and value and incorporates AI.
    • Focus my web agency on acquiring clients who need website remediation. My plan is to provide the discovery and hire others to carry out the projects.
    • TodayInBavaro.com – still in the market research stage, this website will help many small businesses in the Bavaro Beach area of Punta Cana as well as expats and tourists staying “off resort.”

So there you have it, the nitty gritty details of why The WP Project Manager’s Academy is closing and how we can continue to stay engaged and helping each other.

Thank you all for sticking with me through all the twists and turns. I value you and your patience as we attempt to continuously improve and bring you better learning opportunities.