What I Do

Back in the olden days of 2004, I used to tell everyone "I build websites," but the game has changed a whole lot since then. What I actually do now is develop web presences.

There are two big prongs on this fork:

Prong #1) Strategy, education, and experimentation.
I kick ass at building online communities from scratch, creating thriving blogs, and setting up smart social networking presences. "Doing it right" has much less to do with technology these days than it does with style and approach. I can dive into an existing web presence and find lots of creative ways to improve it. I can also come up with smart plans for creating and growing them from scratch.

Prong #2) Tech support and web development.
Anyone can set up their own blog, twitter account, facebook profile, and even website these days. We all get the Internet -- but we can all use an extra hand with the tricky stuff. That's where I come in. I can take on a big project (like, say, building a new website) or offer insight and support on an on-call basis. If it's broken, I can probably fix it. If it's confusing, I can probably explain it. If it's not doing enough for you, I can probably enhance it.

Some of the Things People Hire Me For

"Please put our existing website into Wordpress software so we can edit the content ourselves, but keep the design exactly the same."
(I did this for foolsFURY Theater Company.)
"Our designer put together these beautiful photoshop files of how our new website should look. Can you build it so it looks just like this, is easy to edit, and acts the way it should?"
"We want to send out an email newsletter with columns and pictures and pretty text. Can you build it so it looks the same for most email providers?"
(I did this for Cerado's "Hey!" newsletter.)
"We're trying to get our blog/twitter/facebook presence going, but sometimes we run into problems and need help. Can you be our on-call tech support person and social media advisor?"
"Can you build me a blog? I know how I want it to look, and what it should do — I just need help getting it up."
(I did this for Deep Craft.)
"I have this website that someone else built, and I need a few changes made to it. Can you take care of them?"
(I do this for the Qlowntown Comic.)
"We have all these people who care about our what we're doing, but we're not giving them a good way to show interest and connect with each other. Can you help us work this out?"
(I do this for Genderfork.)
Do any of those sound like what you need?
If so, head on over to the Quote Request form and let me know.

Things People Don't Hire Me For

These come up a lot, so I feel like I should just tell you up front...

  • I can't design your website. I'm sorry. It pains me, too, but I'm really really not a graphic designer. I love working with them, though (and they usually like me, too), so feel free to pair me with anyone you like.
  • I'm also not really a programmer. It's true, I can set up a website and code HTML and CSS like nobody's business, but when it comes to the kind of programming that involves databases and unusual functionality, my skills are limited. I do, however, love working with good programmers, and encourage you to find one you like.
  • You can't hire me as a full-time, long-term employee for pretty much anything. Sorry. I'm way too happy on my own.

Note: If you want recommendations for programmers or designers, you can get in touch with me, and I'll let you know who's on my radar at the moment.

Grins

If you dig a little deeper, you'll find out that I...
  • am poet with ten years of experience at a microphone.
  • Sarah Dopplived in China on my own for awhile, speaking Mandarin with a fabulous accent.
  • founded Genderfork, a volunteer-sustained community art blog, which now has over 10,000 readers a month.
  • host a monthly open mic event.
  • walk around with a shaved head.
  • am a chronic college dropout (now up to 6 schools) while still maintaining a 4.0 GPA.
  • can most often be found scheming, dreaming and working my tail off on any number of exciting projects.

More

Want specifics? Check out some of the Stuff I've Done.

Need the formal version? Here's my Bio.

Want the full resume? It's available on request.

Know me? Connect with me on LinkedIn or Facebook.

Want to stalk me? Follow me on Twitter.

Need more grins? Go check out my blog to see what's keeping me fascinated these days.

(Visit Sarah's blog.)