No, this is not an article you might find in the supermarket. The truth is that there are four kinds of people in the world, but since I want to introduce you to a woman you might not know, that title seemed appropriate.
But before I introduce you to Natalie, and give you one more reason you need to come to WordCamp Orange County (where a fantastic line of male and female speakers will be showcased), let me tell you about these four kinds of people.
Four Kinds of People
Thinkers: These are the visionary folks that come up with the big ideas. Think of President Kennedy when he talked about putting a man on the moon. Thinkers challenge people to act by defining goals that may even seem impossible to reach.
Builders: These are the folks that turn ideas into reality. They start with a hint of what they're trying to do, but without the “how” clearly articulated and they figure it out. If you've never watched this miniseries on how we put a man on the moon, it's worth it. It's a show for and about builders.
Improvers: These are the folks that continually tweak and make processes better. They're the optimizers, who take a process and make it 10, 20 and 30% faster or 10, 20, and 30% cheaper. The NASA folks who started adjusting the space program after the Challenger explosion to make it safer were all improvers.
Producers: These are the folks that systematize a process and make things routine. They're the ones that take the optimized process and replicate it until you have an entire production line set up. By the early 1990's, NASA had a series of producers in place. Until the Columbia tragedy, NASA was a well-oiled machine that flew tons of missions managed by producers.
I'm not the author of this framework, Lou Adler is. But it's a solid way to think of people. More importantly, we're not just one. We're mixes of each – likely with strong leanings towards one or two of these types.
One Woman You Need to Know
If you're in the WordPress community, or even if you're not, there's someone I think you need to say hi to. But before I tell you how to reach this “Builder,” let me highlight some of the reasons you might like to connect with Natalie MacLees.
- She currently co-hosts/runs one of the largest WordPress meetups in the country.
- She's written a fantastically easy to read book on a technical topic most people faint at (JQuery).
- She regularly speaks at conferences, like the upcoming WordCamp Orange County.
- She makes magic happen with code.
Last month I watched her literally blow up the minds of her entire audience when she ended her presentation by explaining that her entire presentation was done using WordPress, not PowerPoint. Now, I've seen probably five other people do something like that before, and each time I've totally known they were doing it. It was obvious.
But this time I was shocked. Because her transitions didn't suggest WordPress at all. Don't believe me?
I'm sure one day someone mentioned the idea. As a builder, she decided to take it on and make it a reality. Those are the kinds of people you want to know. Trust me.
So check out her site, join her meetup, and follow her on Twitter.
There's also one more way you can connect with her…
WordCamp Orange County
I know, it's sold out – it completely sold out of all its tickets in a few hours. Crazy! Insane! But that goes to show you how awesome the guys at Pixel Jar and Nien Studios are.
But guess what? I have access to another free ticket. And I may know of another one too!
Natalie and I will be presenting on Saturday (she'll be talking about typography & I'll be talking about membership sites).
I'll also be moderating a business panel on Sunday from 10-1 with several business founders who are going to be there just to answer your business questions.
So it's going to be awesome!
So How Can You Get a Ticket?
Easy. Really easy. Tweet any line you like, including @chrislema @nataliemac and #wcoc in it. Anytime between now and Sunday night. I'll circle back with Natalie and we'll pick our favorite and get you your free ticket.
I bet if you bring your previously purchased copy of her JQuery book with you to WordCamp Orange County, I can even convince her to sign it for you. It's going to be hard work, but I'll do it for you.