Few people have had as much impact on the WordPress ecosystem as Lisa Sabin-Wilson, author of WordPress For Dummies and more than 20 other titles, former COO of WebDevStudios, and long-time advocate for open-source technology. Lisa’s career has been shaped by both creativity and leadership.
We sat down with her to talk about her journey from nursing to WordPress, what it takes to grow a successful agency, and the lessons she’s learned from two decades in the industry.
Key takeaways from Lisa’s story
- Scaling from solo to agency: Demand can push you to grow - but deciding when (and how) to scale is the real challenge.
- Focus beats “do it all”: Choosing WordPress over other platforms gave her agency a clear identity and helped avoid burnout.
- Creativity vs. operations: Running a business isn’t all design and development. RFPs, payroll, and contracts matter - and the right people around you make all the difference.
- Networks create opportunities: Staying visible in your community builds relationships and relationships drive business.
From nurse to WordPress pioneer
Lisa didn’t start her career in tech. In the early 2000s, she was working as a nurse when she stumbled across WordPress and started experimenting with design and front-end development. What began as a side project quickly turned into something bigger.
By 2005, she made the bold decision to leave nursing behind. Just a year later, while speaking at South by Southwest (SXSW), she landed a book deal with Wiley Publishing. That moment put WordPress on a major stage for the first time and set Lisa on the path to becoming one of the most recognised voices in the community.
Her books gave her visibility, but the demand that followed meant she needed to make a choice: stay solo or scale up.
Scaling an agency
Clients came knocking: Lisa, can you help us? Lisa, who can we talk to?
Rather than outsourcing endlessly, Lisa partnered with WebDevStudios - a developer-heavy team at the time - to combine her design skills with their engineering expertise. That partnership blossomed into WebDevStudios as many know it today: a leading enterprise WordPress agency that’s worked with Starbucks, Microsoft, Viacom, VH1, MTV, and Comedy Central.
Building an agency came with challenges too. Lisa is clear that not every part of running a business plays to creativity. RFPs, contracts, payroll, and forecasting don’t spark joy but they’re necessary. Her advice: either learn the skills yourself or surround yourself with smart people who thrive on that work.
Lessons in leadership
After years of growing teams, Lisa’s biggest takeaways aren’t about code or platforms. They’re about people.
- Tools change, but human nature doesn’t. Learning how to work with people, motivate them, and manage them is far more valuable than chasing every new framework.
- Meet people where they are. As a leader, you can’t expect your team to adapt to your style alone. You need to bring yourself to where they’re at and support them on their level.
- Lead with empathy. Your lived experience isn’t the same as anyone else’s. Recognising that difference is what creates stronger teams.
Why focus matters
Agencies have options: Drupal, Joomla, ExpressionEngine, and WordPress were all competing for attention. WebDevStudios made a conscious decision to go all-in on WordPress.
That decision wasn’t just about preference - it was about focus. By choosing a niche, Lisa and her team became known experts, attracted the right clients, and avoided the brain-drain of trying to keep up with multiple platforms.
“Being in technology is like being in school all the time,” Lisa says. “If you’re chasing every new trend, you don’t leave time to actually do your job.”
Building visibility and networks
One of Lisa’s recurring points in our conversation was the importance of building a network. Visibility in the WordPress community helped her career grow and it continues to help new agency owners today.
“Relationships drive opportunities. Period. End of story.”
A new chapter
In late 2024, Lisa stepped back from WebDevStudios. While she stayed on to support the transition, by May she found herself with something unfamiliar: free time.
That pause sparked reflection. Did she want to stay in WordPress? Explore other tech companies? Or even return to her roots in healthcare?
As it turns out, her nursing license was still active. “Every other January I’d send my renewal to the Wisconsin State Board of Nursing,” she explained. “I never wanted to completely close that door.”
Now, Lisa is exploring new opportunities while taking time to consider how her unique mix of skills can shape her next chapter.
