Kori's Toolbox
Below are some of Kori’s favorite resources for growing your brand and improving your online marketing.
Hey Y’all – Below you’ll find a list of some of my favorite tools for web design that my team and I use in our nerd world. I list these links (some are affiliate links) not only to help you find great resources, but also to help these great developers and companies get more exposure. Many of my students and my YouTube viewers ask how to make awesome WordPress websites. These tools listed on this page are just a peek inside of my nerd toolbox. Purchase with total confidence that my braggin’ means – these resources actually work! You can also check out THIS RESOURCE for several sheets of media assets, software, and other goodies that Kori and her friends have started collecting on a Google Sheet.
Favorite WordPress Plugins
Yoast
Yoast is the #1 WordPress plugin for SEO (Search Engine Optimization). This free plugin is always in the budget! If you understand how to use this plugin – it’s the equivalent of having an SEO expert in the room with you looking over your shoulder holding you accountable to the content your have on your website. See our YouTube Playlist to learn more about Yoast.
WS Form
New the the market and already moving to the top of my list – WS Form offers a free version as well as a premium version that comes packed with robust capabilities. The support team on this plugin will never let you down either! Super attentive and ready to help. See my tutorial for more insight.
The Divi Builder
If you’re trying to build out pages that are more dynamic and have complex layouts – you’ll either need to know code, understand your theme author’s shortcode, or use a Page Builder Plugin – enter The Divi Builder. You can drag-and-drop to make columns, embed widgets into pages or posts, stack content, and of course all of this comes in a responsive structure too. Try it for free here.
Divi Pixel
This is my FAVORITE Divi plugin suite. This collection of features is one of the best investments you can make as a freelancer selling Divi websites. Divi Pixel is always adding new features and when you incorporate even just one of these into your Divi site – you’ll WOW your clients and their customers. Purchase a license today and have fun!.
Instagram Feed
There’s something cool about taking a picture while out and about and uploading it through your phone to Instagram and it dynamically displaying on your website too! Check out this video review.
Favorite WordPress Themes
Divi – Favorite Premium Theme
If you’ve followed my YouTube Channel over the last few months, you know that I have found a new favorite WordPress theme called Divi. This WordPress theme offers a powerful page builder and a very simple drag and drop way of editing the pages and posts. This website is running on Divi. You can see Kori’s video on the Divi Theme Review.This theme is also unique in that you can use the one license on unlimited websites. Amazing quality for the price.
Kadence – Favorite Free Theme
Free is always in the budget, but there are a ton of Free WordPress themes that claim to be the best. In my pro opinion – as of 2022 – Kadence is still my all time Favorite Free WordPress Theme! It offers so much out-of-the-box and you can easily upgrade for amazing features. Don’t waste your time on other themes. Check out Kadence today.
Recommended WordPress Hosting
WP Engine- Managed WordPress Hosting & Support
WP Engine offers Managed WordPress Hosting and Support for your websites and growing freelance business. If you’re looking for a hosting company that can partner with you to provide security, knowledge, resources, and tech support – this is the team! This is the company Kori hosts with.
Other Cool Tools
TubeBuddy
If you’re looking for a great resource to help you optimize your own YouTube videos / channel, this is a great tool. It will help you research keywords, optimize the video content, and have a better tool for tracking conversion and comments. Kori uses TubeBuddy weekly.
Basecamp – Project Management
Sign up for Free to Basecamp – an easy-to-use project management / client communication system. We have used this online software since day one with WebTegrity. All communication during a project build goes through here with our clients. It’s scaleable too so it can grow with your client list.
MailMunch
I was shown this awesome plugin by another WordPress dev team so we thought we would pass it on. MailMunch is the smart pop up window you see happening on this website that allows visitors to sign up without being annoyed by actual pop ups. It even offers a free WordPress plugin.
Harvest – Time Tracker
One of the most important things you can do for your dev team is to track their time spent per task. This is going to be key in learning how to charge your customers appropriately and how to hold your team accountable too in their time spent for clients. We love Harvest and use it daily in our dev management. It’s very straight-forward and you can print a report for a client on the spot too. Did I mention there’s a free plan too?
Learn WordPress
WP Beginner
One of the best resources online possible to learn basic WordPress to even some pretty involved advanced WordPress. WP Beginner offers blog tutorials and some video instruction too for all things WordPress. Start in their Glossary area to choose the best topic to research.
WordPress Meetups
Check over at Meetup to find a WordPress Meetup group connected in your area. For those curious to join Kori’s meetup here in the San Antonio area, or for Divi.
Agency Mavericks
If you’re an entrepreneur working in the WordPress world – you need to follow Agency Mavericks. From their podcast you can find some incredible advice for growing your business and team. Our own Kori was a contributing author too. Find those here.
Divi Meetups
Join us virtually for Divi open workshop sessions. These are completely free events held at different times. Please subscribe on Meetup to get all alerts and communication. Find your local Divi Meetup group connected in your area. For those here in the San Antonio area, you know that we always meet for free several times a month.
Folks I Follow
Post Status
Post Status is the membership community for people who grow and sustain the WordPress economy. Find insight, analysis, guidance, and a community centered around the WordPress ecosystem.
WPWatercooler
Live streaming each week on Mondays – you can find the always entertaining podcast of WPWatercooler happening. Our own Kori Ashton has been on their show a few times. You’ll be sure to learn something fun and cool each week.
WP Tavern
This is where we get our WordPress “Scoop” from each week. Outstanding insight to the WP world and they’re always providing a heads up to security issues, or great plugins that are new to the market. Subscribe to the WP Tavern blog and you’ll see what we mean. You can follow them over on Twitter too for the latest.
Profitable Project Plan
For any WordPress freelancers or agency owners looking to grow their business strategy, I’m recommending Jennifer Bourn and her Profitable Project Plan course. It’s all about the learning curve and discovering answers to things you may not even know. Take time to join the course and improve your process.
Chris Lema
One of the most respected voices in the WordPress world is Chris Lema. He’s dedicated to helping WP entrepreneurs and businesses with experienced advice and direction – especially focusing on WooCommerce.
HeroPress
A collection of stories from the WordPress community. If you’d like to share yours – connect with them. I shared my story with them in early 2018.? Find inspiration and read about some really great folks who use WordPress in many different ways from hobbies to enterprise level.
Some Favorite Books
Dealing With Problem Clients
This book was written by one of my favorite WordCamp Speakers – Nathan Ingram. My first introduction to this book was hearing Nathan give his workshop on it and I was instantly hooked! This will help you understand boundaries, better comms skills, and help you see them coming a mile away. If you’re a freelancer working with clients – this book needs to be your next read.
Profit First
Imagine running a company that profits each year – no matter what! This Profit First model will help you accomplish that. I challenge you to just trust it – try it – embrace it and it will work for you.
Show Your Work!
The title reveals some of the mystery, but the subtitle is what drew me in ? ?10 Ways to Share Your Creativity and Get Discovered.? The idea that you should reveal your methods, your ?behind the scenes,? your flaws, your skills and in so doing you?ll grow your brand and grow your reach. The author, Austin Kleon, is also a Texan – so you’re guaranteed to love it.
Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
If you haven?t heard of this guy – Simon Sinek, please stop and watch his YouTube TEDx Talk. He?s extraordinary. “Start with Why” has fundamentally changed the way we approach every project we create, the language we use on the website, and even how we teach.
Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don?t
Another outstanding read from Simon Sinek. Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don?t will not let you down. This is a challenge to everyone in leadership to inspire, to lead by example, and to grow your team by finding like-minded hearts.
Start Something That Matters
This is the Tom?s Shoes story. Really, really phenomenal. It will help you refocus your thought process and maybe even your integrity compass, inside your business. Start Something That Matters and live fulfilled.
Steal Like an Artist
Another Austin Kleon book that rocked my world. This subtitle is 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative. Basic concepts on improving your creative method and challenging you to complete the tasks you dream of.
One Million Followers
Marketing Made Simple
Hook Point
The Go-Giver
Traction (Gino Wickman)
Shoe Dog
Building a Story Brand
Great Mondays
Rocket Fuel
Never Split the Difference
Braving the Wilderness
Good to Great
Some Kori Quote TShirts
In 2019 Kori launched a line of TShirts with some of her own quotes and some of her fav quotes to use. You can shop online and find your favorite. See full Swag Shop here >>