Logan and Matt also dig into the realities of running a full-service creative agency over the past decade: the pressure to say yes to everything, how client expectations have shifted in the age of AI, and why the "anyone can just use ChatGPT" sentiment is both a real threat and a bit overblown. If you're an agency owner trying to figure out how to use smarter tooling to generate better leads and close more clients, this one's for you.

In This Episode

• The evolution of running a full-service WordPress and web design agency over 10 years
• How client expectations are changing as AI becomes more mainstream
• Why Logan built a website audit tool — and how it became a lead generation machine
• Using Gravity Forms and GravityWiz's API Alchemist to orchestrate PageSpeed Insights and IP Info API calls
• Running simultaneous API calls via Cloudflare Workers and posting results back into Gravity Forms
• Tokenized report URLs — how Logan saves audit results so clients can revisit them later
• Using Mailgun with Gravity Forms for reliable transactional email delivery

Connect with Logan:

• Website: trailmixcreative.com
• X/Twitter: @trailmixcreate
• LinkedIn: TrailMix Creative
• Instagram: @trailmixcreative
• Facebook: TrailMix Creative

Resources Mentioned

• TrailMix Creative Website Audit Tool — Find it under the Services tab
• Gravity Forms — The form engine powering Logan's audit tool
• GravityWiz API Alchemist — Used to connect Gravity Forms to external APIs without custom code
• Cloudflare Workers — Handles simultaneous API calls to PageSpeed Insights and IP Info, with results posted back to Gravity Forms
• Google PageSpeed Insights API — One of the two APIs powering the audit report
• IPInfo — Used for IP-based data enrichment in the audit tool
• Mailgun — SMTP provider integrated with Gravity Forms for delivering audit reports via email
• Matt's API Alchemist Overview Video — A walkthrough of the GravityWiz API Alchemist add-on on the Gravity Forms YouTube channel

In this episode of the Breakdown Podcast, Matt sits down with Jon Schroeder, founder of Elodin Design, for an honest look at how the WordPress freelance and agency world is shifting in early 2026. 

Jon shares what he's seeing on the ground: agency work slowing down, mid-range projects drying up, and growing demand at both extremes — simple one-pagers and full-blown web applications built on WordPress. 

The conversation covers AI's hidden impact on search and lead generation, why WordPress remains a powerhouse for affordable app development, and a real-world case study using Gravity Forms as the backbone of a property management application.

Connect with Jon:

• 
  Website: elod.in
• Twitter/X: @jonschr
  
  

Resources Mentioned

• 
  Elodin Design — Jon's web development studio
• Rent Fetch — Jon's apartment rental sync plugin for WordPress
• Brindle Digital — Agency partner for Rent Fetch projects
• Gravity Forms — Form plugin used in Jon's property management app and Rent Fetch integration
• GravityWiz API Alchemist — Advanced add-on for connecting Gravity Forms to any API
• Admin Columns Pro — Used for managing custom content types and CSV exports in WordPress
• Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) — Referenced as an alternative to native custom fields

Standout Moments

"A significant percentage of traffic is getting routed to Google where it never leaves Google. It never comes to your site." — Jon Schroeder

"WordPress can be used for an awful lot of things. It has the authentication layer and all of that baked into it, where a lot of times you can build something that's a wireframe... at a fraction of the price where all of the functionality is actually in place." — Jon Schroeder

"I trust myself more than the AI. And I have built some test sites and some landing pages with AI, but I don't know if I would trust it going live." — Jon Schroeder

In This Episode

• How the WordPress community has matured from a collaborative hobbyist scene into a serious business ecosystem over the past two decades
• The difference between pitching WordPress to small businesses versus enterprise marketing teams — and why it requires entirely different conversations
• Why Toby prefers stable, proven tools over chasing the latest page builder, and how that philosophy protects his clients long-term
• Navigating the page builder landscape: Beaver Builder, Cadence, Elementor, and knowing when to standardize versus flex for a project
• A real-world Gravity Forms use case: building a complex product intake and quoting form for a screen technology company, layered on top of WooCommerce
• Why Toby's team chose Gravity Forms over WooCommerce's native form and extension ecosystem — transparency, trust, and a healthier add-on community
• Gravity Forms as "glue": how its conditional logic and integrations (Zapier, Mailchimp, Salesforce) create flexibility and business continuity even when tools or team members change
• Lessons from the car business: why client experience and proactive communication matter more than any technology choice
• Why Gravity Forms "does things the WordPress way" — and why that matters when you're inheriting and managing client sites

Connect with Toby:

• Website: TheMightyMo.com
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tobycryns
  
  

Resources Mentioned

• Gravity Forms — Form plugin for WordPress
• Gravity SMTP — SMTP and email deliverability plugin from the Gravity Forms team
• Gravity Wiz — Third-party Gravity Forms add-ons and snippets (including the shop configurator for WooCommerce integration)
• Beaver Builder — WordPress page builder
• Cadence — WordPress theme and blocks
• Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) — Custom fields plugin for WordPress
• WooCommerce — E-commerce platform for WordPress
• Zapier — Automation and integration platform

If you’ve ever written off “affiliate plugins” as just referral links and payout percentages, this conversation will reshape how you think about partnership programs in WordPress. Alex explains why Siren is really an incentive program builder, not just “get a link, earn 10%.” The episode gets into practical, real-world use cases like lead-based programs for agencies, revenue share models tied to performance over time, and even vendor payouts routed through Gravity Forms product fields.

They also get into the reality of running a product business alongside consulting, how AI is helping Alex move faster without magically eliminating the need for long-term maintenance, and why WordCamps can feel a little awkward when you build marketing-adjacent tools in a community that values authenticity.

By the end, you’ll have a bunch of “wait, I could do that?” ideas, especially if you run an agency, a course business, or any WordPress product that depends on partnerships.

Takeaways

• 
  Siren is positioned as an incentive program builder for collaborators (affiliates, partners, vendors, sales teams), not just a traditional affiliate plugin.

  
  

• Gravity Forms support unlocks smarter workflows like routing applicants into programs, tracking lead activity, and automating CRM and email list follow-up once someone is approved.

  
  

• You can track actions over time and do distributions (revenue share style payouts) without requiring a direct on-site transaction for every tracked event.

  
  

• Gravity Forms product fields can be used to attribute value to specific collaborators, which opens up vendor and booking-style scenarios, not just referrals.

  
  

• A strong affiliate program looks more like a product with onboarding, education, and touch points, and “10 great partners” often beats “1,200 random signups.”

Important links

• 
  https://sirenaffiliates.com/
  
  
• https://gravityforms.com/
  
  
• https://gravityflow.io/
  
  

In this episode, Laurie shares how she built not one, but two successful companies: Pursu Agency (with co-founder Betsy) and Simply Styled Sites. After 15 years in WordPress, she's learned that the real value isn't just in building websites. It's in the strategy, automation, and business systems that make those websites work harder for clients. She discusses why AI and page builders haven't replaced the need for expert developers, how to scope projects profitably, and why knowing your "zone of genius" is critical to sustainable growth.

For Gravity Forms users, this conversation is packed with practical ideas. Laurie reveals how she's transformed Gravity Forms from a simple contact form plugin into a complete business automation tool. From content gathering systems that feed into ChatGPT, to support ticketing workflows connected via Zapier, to survey fields that help clients make data-driven decisions.

In This Episode

• 
  Why Laurie's accounting background became an asset when running a WordPress agency
• How she met her business partner through an agency contracting gig
• Why AI and page builders aren't replacing agencies, and why this fear sounds familiar
• Why knowing your core competency protects your profitability
• How to structure paid discovery periods for larger projects ($10K+ discovery phases)
• Using Gravity Forms + Gravity Connect + ChatGPT to automate content creation
• Turning consulting expertise into self-service products clients can purchase

Connect with Laurie Barron

• 
  Pursu Agency: pursu.agency
• Simply Styled Sites: simplystyledsites.com
  
  

Resources Mentioned

• 
  Gravity Forms - The form plugin Laurie has used for 15 years and calls essential to her work - gravityforms.com
• Gravity Wiz - Add-ons and code snippets that extend Gravity Forms functionality - gravitywiz.com
• Gravity Connect - Tool that connects Gravity Forms with ChatGPT for AI-powered form workflows - gravityforms.com/gravity-connect
• Zapier - Automation platform Laurie uses to connect Gravity Forms to other business tools - zapier.com
• Asana - Project management system she connects to forms for support ticketing - asana.com
• WooCommerce - E-commerce platform (though Laurie explains why she's selective about these projects) - woocommerce.com
  
  

Standout Moments

"I feel like knowing how to use Gravity Forms and becoming an expert at it, I can do anything. But I also think I could do anything anyways, so Gravity Forms just helps." - Laurie Barron

"This happened when page builders came out. Everybody said 'anybody can do it.' But there's always gonna be people that don't want to do it. And there's the education piece: do people know how to do it properly?" - Laurie Barron

"You can create a website in minutes with AI, but it's gonna look like everybody else's. It's not gonna stand out from the competition. It might not reflect your voice. What you don't get is the strategy behind it." - Laurie Barron

We also touch on GP Bookings, Gravity Wiz’s flexible booking platform for appointments and rentals that works beautifully with Gravity Forms and, via Product Configurator, with WooCommerce. Dave shares how AI is accelerating development behind the scenes while still requiring human review, and why the “WordPress-as-a-platform” mindset gives agencies and site owners a durable edge.

Curious how this all plays out in real life? Think VIN lookups that auto-fill make and model, higher-ed networks standardizing data across hundreds of sites, or internal tools that read a PDF, extract data, and feed it straight back into Gravity Forms. If you care about owning your data, building faster, and keeping clients out of SaaS lock-in, this one’s worth a listen.

Takeaways

• 
  API Alchemist = go-anywhere connections. Send Gravity Forms submissions to any REST API, receive a response, and update the entry post-submission. It’s a powerful DIY way to integrate without waiting on a purpose-built add-on.

  
  

• Add Populate Anything for live magic. Use remote data in real time on the form. Validate inputs, build chained selects like year → make → model, and improve UX by showing results before submit.

  
  

• Bookings that fit your business. GP Bookings covers appointments, services, and even rentals. It’s designed as a platform that gets you 80–90% there, with room to tailor the last mile.

  
  

• WooCommerce compatibility. Tie Gravity Forms into Woo with Product Configurator so bookings and other advanced form flows can become real products.

  
  

• When to use a dedicated connector. API Alchemist is excellent for flexibility, but large files or high-complexity use cases (e.g., Google Sheets at scale) still benefit from specialized connections that handle edge cases and efficiency.

Important links

• 
  https://gravityforms.com/
  
  
• https://gravityflow.io/
  
  
• https://gravitywiz.com/
  
  
• WP API Explorer (mentioned by Matt): https://wpapiexplorer.com/

  
  

  
  

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration API: https://vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov/api/

Crew Collective is a podcast dedicated to the art of storytelling. Hosted by Stuart Barefoot, each episode will explore the stories that help shape us—books, movies, songs, video games—nothing is off limits. We’ll talk to creators of all stripes about their process, their craft, and the worlds they build.

We cover his journey from launching websites as a college freshman, to managing 200+ client sites, to acquiring Infinite Uploads and rolling out new plugins that make WordPress media management easier. Blake shares his long-term vision of moving fully into software and explains why the Gravity Forms ecosystem is a key part of that future.

He also opens up about the challenges of agency life versus product life, how AI is shaping opportunities for developers and site owners, and why he thinks WordPress still offers huge potential for the next generation of builders.

If you’ve ever thought about transitioning from client services into products—or you just want to know how to handle big file uploads through Gravity Forms—you won’t want to miss this conversation.

Takeaways

• 
  Transitioning from agency to products: Blake explains why he’s aiming to sunset his agency within 10 years and focus entirely on WordPress plugins.

  
  

• Infinite Uploads expansion: After acquiring Infinite Uploads, Blake launched new plugins including Big File Form Uploads, which now integrates directly with Gravity Forms.

  
  

• Solving real-world problems: Big File Form Uploads makes it possible for users to bypass hosting upload limits, chunk large files, and accept multi-gigabyte uploads through Gravity Forms.

  
  

• AI’s dual role: A potential threat to agencies through AI site builders, but a growth opportunity for plugin developers as it brings more beginners into WordPress.

  
  

• WordPress remains wide open: From blogs to SaaS, Blake still sees WordPress as one of the best platforms for young developers to start building with.

Important links

• 
  Gravity Forms
  
  
• Gravity Flow
  
  
• ClikIt
  
  
• Infinite Uploads
  
  
• https://wordpress.org/plugins/tuxedo-big-file-uploads/
  
  

Sam shares how a casual client call with Trooper Dev led him down a rabbit hole of connecting Gravity Forms to an MCP (Modular Command Protocol) server and Claude AI, enabling non-technical sales teams to spin up customized forms in minutes without touching the WordPress admin. It’s a real-world example of AI empowering teams to build faster, smarter workflows—and Gravity Forms being the foundation that makes it possible.

Matt and Sam explore the strengths of WordPress as an application platform, how AI will reshape plugin discovery and form creation, and why open standards like REST APIs and MCPs might signal the next era of low-code/no-code development. Along the way, they talk about the surprising value of WordPress authentication, owning your own content in the age of LLM scraping, and how vibe coding is changing the shape of small software projects.

If you’re building modern workflows on WordPress, or just wondering what it means to mix AI with forms, plugins, and automation—you’ll want to hear this one.

Takeaways

• 
  AI + Gravity Forms unlocks new workflows: By integrating Gravity Forms with an MCP server and Claude AI, Sam was able to prototype a no-code form creation tool that shifts power from developers to sales teams.

  
  

• Gravity Forms is more than forms: Sam describes it as the "soup-to-nuts" process layer in a workflow—doing much of what services like Zapier or Make try to stitch together.

  
  

• WordPress can win in the AI age with open architecture: REST APIs, authentication, and extensibility make it an ideal frontend for enterprise CMS systems or data pipelines.

  
  

• Open web control matters again: In a world of AI scraping, owning your content, managing access, and understanding the cost of closed platforms (like Webflow) is becoming increasingly important.

  
  

• MCP (Modular Command Protocol) is promising—but early: It may bring much-needed standardization to REST APIs, but it's still experimental and lacks built-in security, so proceed with caution.

Important links

• 
  https://gravityforms.com/
  
  
• https://gravityflow.io/
  
  
• https://wpapiexplorer.com — Matt’s tool for inspecting and testing WordPress and Gravity Forms REST APIs

  
  

• https://trooper.dev — WordPress maintenance and dev agency where Sam is consulting

  
  

• https://x.com/HeySamTexas — Follow Sam on Twitter/X

One of the biggest changes? The launch of Spellbook, a new centralized plugin interface that consolidates the management of all Gravity Wiz products right inside the WordPress dashboard. It’s a cleaner, more powerful way to handle plugin discovery, licensing, and updates—plus it opens the door for more free offerings.

Cole and Matt also dive into how AI is actually being used today in the WordPress and forms space. Spoiler: it’s still early days. While everyone’s rushing to ship AI features, many end users are just starting to explore the possibilities. The conversation gets philosophical, touching on form-building, data ownership, and how open source tools like WordPress and Gravity Forms may offer a more stable future as AI ecosystems start to get fragmented and commercialized.

It’s a must-listen for anyone building with Gravity Forms—or wondering how the AI wave is truly reshaping workflows.

Takeaways

• 
  Spellbook is here: A new unified plugin management hub for all Gravity Wiz products, improving plugin discovery, licensing, and free plugin access.

  
  

• Gravity Wiz is expanding strategically: The team now offers three major product suites—Gravity Perks, Gravity Connect, and Gravity Shop—with more sophisticated tools on the way like GP Bookings.

  
  

• Real-world AI use is still basic: Most AI use cases with Gravity Forms revolve around data processing after form submission, not full-blown automation or form generation (yet).

  
  

• Email remains critical: Gravity Wiz launched new integrations with Drip and MailPoet, plus an email validator tool to ensure clean data and workflows.

  
  

• Open source is the long game: Cole and Matt agree—owning your data and building on stable, transparent platforms like WordPress and Gravity Forms matters more than ever in the age of API limitations and AI volatility.

Important links

• 
  🌐 Gravity Forms
  
  
• 🔁 Gravity Flow
  
  
• 🧙 Gravity Wiz
  
  
• ✉️ Gravity SMTP
  
  

From building reliable donation forms to simplifying newsletter signups and contact pages, Liam emphasizes how Gravity Forms provides flexibility and trust for both him and his clients. He also shares practical insights on building long-term relationships with clients and why clear communication is key to delivering results that last.

Whether you're an agency owner, freelancer, or a marketer working with WordPress, this episode offers a grounded perspective on client services and smart form strategies.

Takeaways

• 
  Use forms to inspire confidence: Liam highlights how building dependable, intuitive forms helps clients feel more in control of their websites.

  
  

• Gravity Forms = trust + flexibility: From recurring donations to conditional logic, Liam relies on Gravity Forms to handle complex workflows without needing custom code.

  
  

• Build relationships, not just websites: Clear communication, transparency, and a focus on client needs are central to LBDesign’s process.

  
  

• Nonprofits need robust tools: Many of Liam’s clients are nonprofits, and he shares how Gravity Forms enables them to reach their goals without breaking the budget.

Important links

• https://gravityforms.com/
• https://gravityflow.io/
• https://twitter.com/LiamDempsey
• Liam’s personal site: https://liamdempsey.com/
• Liam’s personal site: https://liamdempsey.com/
• Liam’s agency https://lbdesign.tv/
• Liam’s podcast https://startlocal.co/

The conversation ranges from automation tools like Zapier and Make.com to the philosophical (and practical) differences between automation and AI. Joe shares his real-world workflows for podcast guest management using Gravity Forms and Notion—including clever conditional logic and URL parameters to streamline the guest experience. And yes, minivans, overpriced dealership diagnostics, and AI-generated podcast headshots even make their way into the mix. It’s an episode that blends WordPress roots, marketing tech stacks, and a healthy dose of northeast dad energy.

Takeaways:

• Clear branding and niching down are essential for professionals pivoting away from WordPress-focused work.

• Gravity Forms remains a backbone tool in Joe’s solopreneur toolkit, powering intake forms that kick off sophisticated automations

• Zapier is Joe’s automation tool of choice again, favored for its user-friendliness and broad integration support—despite Make.com’s flexibility.

• Conditional logic and pre-filled URLs can drastically improve form UX, especially for things like podcast guest workflows.

• Notion + Gravity Forms is a powerful combo, and the community-built integrations like Gravity Wiz’s Connect tools can extend functionality even further.

Important links:

• 🎯 https://gravityforms.com/
  
  
• 🔁 https://gravityflow.io/
  
  
• 🎙 Joe’s Podcast: https://streamlined.fm
  
  
• 💻 Joe’s Automation Templates: https://casabona.org/automation
  
  
• 🌐 Joe’s Website: https://casabona.org
  
  
• 🔌 Gravity Wiz Connect Add-Ons: https://gravitywiz.com

Matt and Casey dive deep into talking about marketing. Some of the challenges, some of the fun parts of marketing a WordPress product in today's climate. Especially facing things like AI and the ever changing landscape of attention in marketing. And then Matt and Zack go deeper on the launches of GravityKit's new products, why GravityKit is building these products and ultimately how it helps customers in the Gravity Forms ecosystem.

The discussion centers around Cosmic Giant's Entry Automation 6.0, which just launched as the company celebrates its 8th anniversary. Owen highlights the event registration and data management features that help prevent form abuse and streamline data collection. Matt and Owen also dive into the importance of trusted software in the WordPress ecosystem, especially for agencies and freelancers who rely on dependable tools rather than short-term AI solutions for mission-critical functions like form handling, legal compliance, and data management.

Key Takeaways:

• 
  Entry Automation 6.0 features enhanced event registration systems and data verification to prevent form abuse and ensure legitimate registrations
• The new Multiple Form extension allows users to merge entries from multiple forms into a single output (PDF, Excel, JSON)
• Cosmic Giant ensures legal compliance in their forms, with professionally written copy that meets both US and EU regulations
• The WordPress ecosystem values trusted, long-term software solutions (like Gravity Forms' 15-year history) over newer AI alternatives that may lack support and reliability
• AI tools should complement rather than replace professional software, especially for critical business functions
• Cosmic Giant is actively seeking case studies and real-world examples of how customers are using their products

Mentioned URLs:

• 
  CosmicGiant.com - Entry Automation 6.0 now available
• Gravity Forms
• Learn.gravity.com - Our new learning site for all things Gravity

Throughout the conversation, Jonathan explains how being selective with projects and smartly managing his time (especially now as a parent) has helped him serve clients better while simultaneously nurturing his content and product offerings. He also discusses the evolution of his agency work—from using Gravity Forms for transforming traditional paper forms into digital solutions to setting pricing milestones that recognized his true value. 

Additionally, the episode touches on his early experiments with YouTube, the importance of building trust through authentic, personal content, and his thoughts on the current AI hype in the WordPress ecosystem.

The discussion covers the benefits of conversational code-generation, the importance of using direct API access over standard chat apps for improved performance, and the broader implications of AI on the future of programming and WordPress development.

Jonathan shares insights on how AI not only speeds up the creation of robust plugins (such as his latest release, Quick Link Pro, which streamlines external link management in the block editor) but also raises questions about the long-term role of human developers. They weigh the potential economic disruption in the industry against the opportunity for more accessible and affordable software development—even for beginners, provided they are patient and literate in the necessary technical language. 

The conversation wraps up with a thoughtful look at the future of WordPress, the challenges it faces from emerging platforms, and the evolving job roles that may bridge human expertise with AI capabilities.

Important Takeaways

• Evolving Workflow: Jonathan’s integration of AI tools (e.g., TypingMind, Cursor) is transforming how he ideates, iterates, and codes, blending traditional coding with natural language conversations.
• AI Limitations & Advantages: While official AI chat apps have restrictions (token limits, degraded performance), direct API access through specialized apps can offer a more seamless experience.
• Impact on the Industry: AI is lowering the barrier to entry for building complex applications, but the need for experienced developers remains critical—especially for debugging, refining, and maintaining high-quality software.
• Future of WordPress: Jonathan expresses concern over WordPress’s positioning as AI-driven alternatives become more accessible, emphasizing that while powerful, WordPress must evolve to retain its market share.
• Economic Implications: The rise of AI tools could reshape the roles in software development, potentially leading to fewer traditional coding roles but increasing demand for professionals who can effectively manage AI-assisted development workflows.
• Accessible Development: AI can empower beginners to create useful applications, provided they have the patience and literacy to navigate technical challenges and prompt the tools effectively.

Important Links & URLs

• • oddjar.com – Jonathan Williams’ website showcasing his projects and plugins.
• • List User Entries for Gravity Forms – A free Gravity Forms add-on available on oddjar.com (search for “List User Entries for Gravity Forms”).

## Chapters & Timestamps

### [00:00:00] Introduction & Guest Background

Cole explains his role at Gravity Wiz and shares his background in tech, software marketing, and WordPress.

### [00:04:26] Championing Founder Vision & Brand Identity

They discuss aligning core values between Dave’s product vision and Cole’s marketing approach.

### [00:08:18] AI’s Role in WordPress & Marketing

Cole and Matt explore how AI boosts productivity but remains limited in tackling ultra-custom projects.

### [00:16:45] Gravity Connect & AI Integrations

Cole highlights new Gravity Connect integrations with Notion, Airtable, and OpenAI for streamlined automation.

### [00:20:00] Navigating the Gravity Wiz Product Suite

They address the challenge of guiding users through over 50 Gravity Perks, snippets, and free plugins.

### [00:24:00] Real-World Examples & Future Outlook

Cole shares creative user stories where Gravity Forms, AI, and Gravity Wiz perks deliver unique solutions.

### [00:27:23] Final Notes & Where to Find Gravity Wiz

Matt wraps up with upcoming webinars and pointers to Gravity Wiz’s social media and support resources.

## Key Takeaways

- **Founder Vision Meets Marketing:** Clear core values guide consistent brand voice and product messaging.  

- **AI Accelerates Development:** AI boosts speed and output but relies on human oversight for complex tasks.  

- **Gravity Connect Expansion:** New integrations like Notion and Airtable open powerful no-code possibilities.  

- **Managing a Large Product Suite:** Comprehensive documentation and stellar support help users pick the right tools.  

- **Creative Use Cases Galore:** Conferences, curriculum, and even pet adoption benefit from Gravity Forms + AI combos

## Important URLs

- **Gravity Wiz Website:** [https://gravitywiz.com](https://gravitywiz.com)  

- **Gravity Forms Learn Page:** [https://learn.gravity.com](https://learn.gravity.com)  

- **Gravity Wiz on X (Twitter):** [https://x.com/gravitywiz](https://x.com/gravitywiz)  

- **Gravity Connect OpenAI:** [https://gravitywiz.com/documentation/gravity-connect-openai/](https://gravitywiz.com/documentation/gravity-connect-openai/)  

- **Gravity Connect Notion:** [https://gravitywiz.com/documentation/gravity-connect-notion/](https://gravitywiz.com/documentation/gravity-connect-notion/)  

- **Gravity Connect Airtable:** [https://gravitywiz.com/documentation/gravity-connect-airtable/](https://gravitywiz.com/documentation/gravity-connect-airtable/)  

- **Gravity Shop:** [https://gravitywiz.com/documentation/gravity-shop/](https://gravitywiz.com/documentation/gravity-shop/)  

- **Email Validator Perk:** [https://gravitywiz.com/documentation/gp-email-validator/](https://gravitywiz.com/documentation/gp-email-validator/)

David brings us into the unique structure of Barrel Holdings, the parent company of Vaulted Oak, and explains how their network of sibling agencies specializes in different platforms like WordPress, Shopify, Webflow, and Framer. This specialization ensures that clients are matched with the right team and technology for their needs, rather than trying to fit every project into one model. Vaulted Oak stands out as the agency focused on ongoing support and maintenance, providing a critical service for clients after their websites are launched.

The conversation also highlights the pros and cons of working with WordPress versus Shopify. David explains that while Shopify offers seamless out-of-the-box solutions for e-commerce, WordPress excels in flexibility and customization, especially for nonprofits. Nonprofit clients often leverage Gravity Forms for essential functionalities like donation pages, user registration, and volunteer management. David emphasizes how Gravity Forms provides a reliable, cost-effective solution compared to the high fees associated with many other platforms targeting nonprofits.

The discussion concludes with insights into Vaulted Oak’s quarterly pricing model, which encourages long-term relationships and better planning for clients. David also shares advice for freelancers and boutique agencies, stressing the importance of valuing time, setting boundaries, and building sustainable business models.

Chapter Markers

1. 
   [00:00:00] Introduction
   Matt welcomes David Ries to the podcast and sets the stage for a discussion on agency life, WordPress, and Shopify.
2. [00:01:00] Life as an Account Director at Vaulted Oak
   David shares his day-to-day responsibilities, including client relationship management, external partnerships, and fostering long-term trust with clients.
3. [00:02:30] The Structure of Barrel Holdings
   David explains how Vaulted Oak operates within Barrel Holdings alongside sibling agencies like BX Studio and Bolster, offering unique expertise across platforms like WordPress, Shopify, and Webflow.
4. [00:06:00] Agency Collaboration and Handoffs
   How Vaulted Oak and its sibling agencies collaborate to meet client needs and ensure they use the right platform for their projects.
5. [00:09:00] WordPress vs. Shopify: A Comparison
   David contrasts the two platforms, highlighting Shopify's streamlined e-commerce features and WordPress’s flexibility and open-source ecosystem, especially for nonprofit organizations.
6. [00:13:00] Choosing the Right Platform for Clients
   David discusses how Vaulted Oak evaluates client needs to determine whether WordPress, Shopify, or another platform is the best fit.
7. [00:18:00] Apps vs. Plugins: Pricing and Functionality
   A deep dive into the cost and functionality differences between Shopify apps and WordPress plugins, and how each affects client budgets and site performance.
8. [00:20:00] Leveraging Gravity Forms for Nonprofits
   David shares how Gravity Forms is a critical tool for Vaulted Oak’s nonprofit clients, enabling solutions like donation pages, user registration, and custom workflows.
9. [00:24:00] The Unique Needs of Nonprofits
   A discussion about the challenges nonprofits face with out-of-the-box solutions and how Gravity Forms offers a tailored, cost-effective alternative to expensive donation platforms.
10. [00:26:30] Vaulted Oak’s Quarterly Pricing Model
    David explains Vaulted Oak’s transparent and long-term-focused pricing approach, which prioritizes building relationships and sustainable workflows with clients.
11. [00:31:00] Closing Thoughts on Agency Best Practices
    David and Matt discuss the importance of valuing time, setting boundaries, and building mature, long-term client relationships for agencies and freelancers alike.
12. [00:33:00] Final Remarks and Contact Information
    David invites listeners to visit Vaulted Oak and connect on LinkedIn for thought leadership and insights.

Important Links Mentioned

• 
  Vaulted Oak Website
• Gravity Forms Website
• Connect with Vaulted Oak on LinkedIn
  
  

This episode is packed with actionable advice for agency owners, freelancers, and anyone navigating the worlds of WordPress, Shopify, and nonprofit digital strategy. Don’t miss it!

The conversation then shifts to Tom's latest venture, GravityBuilder.ai, a premium AI-powered add-on for Gravity Forms that revolutionizes form building. Tom explains how the tool leverages AI to streamline the creation of complex forms, using prompts or documents, while also integrating multi-language support and conditional logic. Together, they discuss the challenges and opportunities AI presents, the evolution of WordPress and Gravity Forms, and how the WordPress ecosystem continues to drive innovation.

Listeners will gain insights into:

• The origin story of GravityBuilder.ai and its practical applications.
• How AI can accelerate and enhance form-building workflows for agencies and businesses.
• The value of Gravity Forms’ ecosystem compared to competitors.
• Lessons learned from entrepreneurship and transitioning from websites to SaaS products.

Chapter Markers:

1. [00:00:00] Introduction
   Matt welcomes Tom Whittaker to the podcast and teases the topic of AI and WordPress.
2. [00:01:00] Tom's Journey into WordPress
   Tom shares how he began using WordPress in 2014 and built a health and safety management application using Gravity Forms.
3. [00:03:45] Transitioning from Websites to SaaS
   Tom discusses the leap from building websites for various industries to creating a successful SaaS product for the construction industry.
4. [00:07:00] Scaling with WordPress and Gravity Forms
   Insights into how Tom scaled his product and why he stuck with WordPress and Gravity Forms for his tech stack.
5. [00:10:00] The Evolution of WordPress and Gravity Forms
   A discussion on how WordPress and Gravity Forms have evolved over the years, including the impact of WPGraphQL and the certified developer program.
6. [00:13:00] Introducing GravityBuilder.ai
   Tom explains the inspiration behind GravityBuilder.ai, a premium AI-powered add-on for Gravity Forms that simplifies form creation using prompts and document uploads.
7. [00:19:00] The Role of AI in WordPress Development
   Matt and Tom discuss the potential and challenges of AI in WordPress development and how GravityBuilder.ai is solving real-world problems.
8. [00:22:30] Building Trust in AI
   Tom addresses common AI skepticism and explains how GravityBuilder.ai ensures accuracy and reliability.
9. [00:25:00] Beta Testing and Launch Strategy
   Tips and insights from Tom on successfully beta testing products and gathering feedback.
10. [00:27:00] Closing Thoughts
    Tom reflects on the WordPress community, the journey back into development, and what’s next for GravityBuilder.ai.

Important Links Mentioned:

• Tom Whittaker's LinkedIn Profile
• GravityBuilder.ai Website
• WPGraphQL
• WPGraphQL for Gravity Forms

For anyone passionate about WordPress, Gravity Forms, or the role of AI in shaping the future of development, this episode is a must-listen.

Gravity Forms Black Friday Details

Gravity Forms will offer its biggest discount of the year - 50% off all licenses (Basic, Pro, and Elite) from November 25th through December 3rd, 2024. The sale includes Gravity Flow licenses and promotes exclusive deals from certified developers through a dedicated landing page.

Industry Expert Insights

We published a few industry experts as guests this week. Hear what they had to share about their Black Friday promos and be sure to check out their products.

Katie Keith - Barn2 Plugins
Katie shared her experience managing sales across 19 WordPress plugins. Her key strategy involves encouraging higher-value purchases during the sale period. Despite offering significant discounts, Barn2 maintains or increases their average order value by promoting premium license options.

Cole Fraser - Gravity Wiz
Cole emphasized simplification in their Black Friday approach. While email marketing remains crucial, Cole advised against over-segmentation during busy sales periods. Black Friday shoppers typically seek straightforward messaging about deals rather than complex, personalized communications.

Corey Maass - OMGIMG
Corey highlighted the importance of listing products in Black Friday directories and roundups. While direct attribution proves challenging, these listings contribute to overall brand visibility during the sale period.

Zack Katz - GravityKit
Zack stressed the value of email subject line testing, noting that different subject lines not only affect open rates but also influence click-through behavior within the emails.

Key Takeaways
* 50% off has become the standard discount expectation for WordPress Black Friday deals
* Simplify marketing messages during Black Friday to cut through inbox noise
* Focus on growing email lists before the sale period
* Consider bundling products or encouraging higher-tier purchases
* List products in WordPress Black Friday directories for increased visibility
* Test email subject lines when possible
* Balance email frequency to maintain engagement without overwhelming subscribers

Important URLs

* Gravity Forms Black Friday: gravityforms.com/black-friday
* Gravity Flow Black Friday: gravityflow.io/black-friday
* Gravity Forms YouTube Channel: youtube.com/@gravitywp
* Podcast: gravityforms.com/breakdown

Key Takeaways:

- Gravity Forms 2.9 introduces new features that enhance user experience and customization.

- Gravity SMTP offers a cost-effective solution for sending transactional emails, especially for agencies.

- Timothy Wood emphasizes the versatility of Gravity Forms for complex data management and client solutions.

- The Magic Link plugin provides a modern alternative to traditional login methods, improving user experience.

- Timothy's agency focuses on building applications within the WordPress ecosystem, showcasing the potential of Gravity Forms for advanced projects.

- Community engagement and contributions are vital for the growth and improvement of the WordPress ecosystem.

Connect with Timothy Wood:

- Twitter: @codearachnid

- Agency Website: alwayscurious.co

Support the Podcast:

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it on social media or your favorite community platforms. Don't forget to subscribe to Breakdown at gravityforms.com/breakdown for more insights every two weeks!

Key Takeaways:

• The "Gravity Forms First" mindset: Always considering Gravity Forms solutions before looking elsewhere
• Using Gravity Forms to build custom messaging systems and client portals
• Leveraging Gravity Forms for financial management and ledger systems
• The benefits of consolidating data and processes within the Gravity Forms ecosystem
• Insights into iterating and managing form versions for complex applications
• Introduction of the Asana for Gravity Forms plugin, bridging project management and form functionality

Important URLs mentioned:

• BrightLeaf Consulting: https://brightleaf.info
• Asana Gravity Forms Integration: https://digital.brightleaf.info

Gil's interview showcases the versatility of Gravity Forms beyond simple contact forms, highlighting its potential as a powerful tool for building custom web applications and streamlining business processes. This episode offers valuable insights for WordPress professionals looking to maximize their use of Gravity Forms and create efficient, scalable solutions for their clients.

Matt interviews Ryan Sullivan from Sitecare, discussing the current temperature in the WordPress client support space. Ryan started Sitecare as “WP Sitecare” over a decade ago, pioneering the “care plan” as it’s known today. Southern Web acquired WP Sitecare roughly 4 years ago, and firmly planted on Sitecare as the longterm brand name.

The duo discussed simplifying your client offerings to not only streamline the delivery of projects, but to also maximize your profit potential in the back of the house.

The second half of the show is joined by Gravity Forms Content Marketing Lead, Megan Jones, to discuss her takeaways from WordCamp Europe where she spent some time with the team connecting with the WordPress community.

Top takeaways for WordPress professionals:
* WordPress 6.6 is set to release soon, featuring updates to the admin UI, grid layout improvements, and synced pattern overrides.
* Gravity SMTP released version 1.1.0 with new integrations (Microsoft, Google) and the ability to set primary and backup connections.
* Gravity SMTP version 1.2.0 added re-send email functionality and migration from WP Mail SMTP.
* Site Care offers a 10% flat rate referral program for agencies partnering with them for WordPress maintenance services.
* Gravity Forms is widely used for various purposes, including spam moderation, simple checkouts, and complex systems like classifieds.
* Gravity Forms integrations (e.g., HubSpot, Salesforce) can help agencies target higher-tier clients with more complex needs.
* WordCamp Europe in Turin was well-attended and considered a success by attendees.
* There's a push to revive WordCamp London, with local meetups gaining traction.
* WordPress event organizers may need to consider how to attract and cater to newer WordPress users at major events.

Important URLs mentioned in the episode:

• https://gravitykit.com/live
• https://gravitykit.com
• https://sitecare.com
• https://gravityforms.com

Find us in our booth located in the Sponsors section of the venue and say “hi!”

There’s lots to learn about Gravity Forms’ latest add-ons, features, new products like Gravity SMTP and what that means to you and your WordPress business. Come check out a demo of Gravity Flow our systems automation product that helps customers automate actions after forms get submitted into your WordPress database. 

Oh, we can’t forget our awesome new t-shirts — a whole new version is out! Customers say we have the best tee’s in the biz, come grab one before they’re all out! 

We also are giving away some cool stuff in the booth including: 

• A LEGO NASA Artemis Set
• A Gravity Mission Pack (A backpack filled with some awesome Gravity Swag you can’t get anywhere else)
• Or a Gravity Forms and Gravity Flow License Combo!

There’s one stipulation, you have to be present at the booth on Saturday the 15th at 215PM where we’ll announce the winners. If you’re not there, you won’t be able to grab your prize. 

It’s come to the attention of the WordPress Community that attendance for new participants at WordPress events are down. 

Obviously COVID and the a global pandemic shifted how events are accepted throughout the world, and while we’ve seen a bounce back in participation, it isn’t nearly as high as it once was. 

So I wanted to take a moment to share my experiences with WordCamps and advocate for you to attend the next one in your area. By the way, the next major WordCamp I’ll be at, along with the team from Gravity Forms is WordCamp US in Portland Oregon on September 17th - 20th. 

Here are my top 3 reasons for attending a WordCamp: 

One: The best bang for your buck event in our space

Even with the price point of major WordCamp tickets rising to the $50 level, and general WordCamps hovering around $30 for access — you simply can’t beat this deal. 

Another hot event I know many other WordPressers attending, Cloudfest, comes with a general admission price tag of around $525 US dollars for standard access, which ramp up to well over $2,000 if you want access to everything. 

When you match the low cost of access to the high value of being in a venue filed with other WordPress users to talk, train, and collaborate with — that $30-50 is going a long way to helping you with your WordPress business or acumen. 

Two: All things WordPress

Even if you’re not running a WordPress business, but you’re part of a team tasked with maintaining a WordPress site, WordCamps are a fantastic place to have that aha! Moment. 

When I started attending and speaking at WordCamps around 2015, it was the place to learn the software. 

Heck, maybe the only place aside from WordPress.org. 

Tutorials and blog posts were no where near as accessible as they are today. And as a content creator, there’s nothing more I want than someone listening to my podcast or watching my videos, but that in-person learning is much more magical. 

At WordCamps you can show up and learn more about using the software, attend a hyper specific talk ranging from how to blog with our favorite CMS or learn the latest and greatest development standards. 

There’s a healthy mix of content available to help elevate your WordPress game!

Three: Community

At the end of the day one of the most valuable aspects of WordPress the software, is the community behind it. 

If you’re new to WordPress and WordCamps, getting into the community should be a welcoming experience. Simply being with others on the early start of their WordPress journey can help you break the ice and feel less stressed — as if you’re the only one missing the bigger picture. 

As time marches on and you become more involved in the community, you enter the next phase where connections with others can ramp up your professional life within WordPress. 

That could be finding other freelancers or agencies to parter with, finding a full-time job in the space, or making connections with potential customers. WordPress has a massive footprint across many digital businesses, sometimes you’ll find WordPress living in the most unique environments — not just a blog or marketing website. 

Being involved in any of these phases helps WordPress thrive. 

At first you’re a little lost, then you meet your tribe, fully grasping what open source WordPress can for you and for others. A year later, you too are advocating for your friends and colleagues to take part in their local WordCamp too. 

Heck, maybe you even apply to speak at your first WordCamp. But, that’s a topic for another podcast. 

If you’re interested in learning more about WordCamps and where the next one is in your area, head to wordcamp.org and join the mailing list. 

WordCamp Central will list out all upcoming events, and if there’s not one in your area, you can reach out to the organizing team to see if there’s opportunity to start one in your city. At the very least, you could start with a local meetup to get the ball rolling. 

WordCamps are one of the best places to experience WordPress and truly grasp the value of open source within this thriving digital landscape. 

It’s why we at Rocketgenius and our family of products continue to support them every year. We hope to see you in our booth in Torino this weekend and in Portland Oregon at WordCamp US this September. 

Matt interviews Blaz from JetSloth, a company focused on enhancing Gravity Forms with beautiful design and functionality. Blaz discusses their latest add-on, Enhanced Choices, which expands on their previous work to provide more customization options for radio and checkbox fields. He shares the origin story of Enhanced Choices and how customer requests and feedback shaped its development. Blaz also touches on JetSloth's commitment to the WordPress and Gravity Forms communities.

Next, Matt catches up with Richard Best, a lawyer from New Zealand who has developed a document automation add-on for Gravity Forms called Gravity Merge. Richard explains his long-standing interest in using Gravity Forms for contract automation and how this led to the creation of Gravity Merge. He breaks down the four plugins that make up Gravity Merge and their various use cases, from legal document generation to creating downloadable articles. Richard also discusses how web development agencies and entrepreneurs can leverage Gravity Merge to enhance their offerings and streamline document creation processes for their clients.

Key Takeaways:

• Gravity Forms released minor updates, a new MailerLite add-on in beta, and will be attending WordCamp Europe.
• JetSloth's Enhanced Choices add-on expands customization options for radio and checkbox fields in Gravity Forms.
• Gravity Merge is a powerful document automation solution for Gravity Forms, with applications in legal, business, and content creation.
• Web development agencies can use Gravity Merge to offer document automation as part of their services and distinguish themselves in the market.

Important URLs:

• Gravity Forms Beta Group: gravityforms.com/beta
• JetSloth: jetsloth.com
• Gravity Merge: gravitymerge.co

Also, Matt interviews Dave Smith from GravityWiz and Zack Katz from GravityKit about how they are delighting their customers with traditional printed mail marketing. It's a fun episode, welcome back to Breakdown!

Gravity SMTP is a standalone plugin that seamlessly integrates with popular email providers such as SendGrid, Mailgun, Postmark, and Brevo. Our goal is to ensure reliable email delivery for critical WordPress site notifications, including contact form submissions, lead gen forms, donation forms, and membership sign-ups.

Our team has built Gravity SMTP using cutting-edge development practices, such as a React-based admin interface, a component system for consistent design, and a new PHP architecture that allows for cleaner, more maintainable code. These advancements enable us to deliver a product that is both user-friendly and technologically advanced.

The launch of Gravity SMTP signifies a major milestone for our company. As our first ground-up product since the release of Gravity Forms, it showcases our dedication to innovation and our commitment to meeting the ever-changing needs of our valued customers.

We are excited to offer Gravity SMTP exclusively to our Gravity Forms Elite license holders during the launch phase. This decision reflects our appreciation for our most loyal and committed customers, and we believe it adds a layer of exclusivity and value to their investment in our products.

As we move forward, we can't wait to see how Gravity SMTP enhances email reliability and overall user experience for our customers' websites. We are dedicated to expanding our product suite and continuing to innovate within the WordPress space to better serve our users.

See it here: https://www.gravityforms.com/gravity-smtp/

Later in today’s episode you’ll hear from Joe Anderson who’s building a new product for Gravity Forms so that you can customize your outgoing email templates. If you do a lot with email notifications, you’ll like what he’s cooking up. 

But lets chat Gravity Forms updates for a moment.

Since the last time we chatted, a minor release of Gravity Forms shipped, version 2.8.5. Aside from a minor security patch, there weren’t any dramatic user facing features rolled out. 

Some add-ons in our collection also saw some minor updates, including: 

• Zapier 4.3
• Geolocation 1.2
• EmailOctopus 1.3
• HubSpot 2.1

Gravity SMTP has reached Release Candidate 5, including new or adjustments to features like: 

• Easier Email Previewing
• Effortless Bulk Deletion
• Email entry search
• And an early introduction to incorporating User Roles, to assign certain levels of access to different features of the product.

As always, head to https://www.gravityforms.com/newsletter/ to stay connected for all of the updates, especially if you’re waiting for the full release of Gravity SMTP!

What would make Gravity Forms better?

If you’ll allow me, I’d love to present you with an important question: “What would make Gravity Forms better?” 

Let me repeat that for those of you 2X listeners: “What would make Gravity Forms better?” 

Gravity Forms was one of the first commercial WordPress products I ever purchased when I started my agency back in 2007-8. It was one of the most important plugins at the heart of a lot of projects we worked on. 

Building out business directories and review sites were a type of site I found myself building a lot of. Even real estate sites — because back then integrating into IDX/MLS was a mess — were using Gravity Forms internally to post their properties on WordPress. 

Mapping custom fields to custom post types, dynamically displaying those posts on the front-end, with user registration as icing on the proverbial cake meant Gravity Forms helped us push the value of our work even higher. 

But it’s been a while since I’ve been in the trenches of building sites for clients. 

We get a ton of feedback from our standard channels, but I’m looking for personal feedback from you, a listener of Breakdown. Email me, matt@gravityforms.com and let me know how you’re using it, and what would make it better for you. 

Just because I work at Gravity Forms doesn’t mean I’m no longer an enduser, though. 

As you’ve probably heard me talk about before, I’ve been spending a lot of time with Gravity Forms building out donation forms and event registration pages, for the Nick Strong Foundation, a non-profit my best friend started. 

I’ve been taking copious notes, to say the least.

I love how flexible our product is, but I’m not oblivious to some of the shortcomings when you really push it — say — into the world of donations. 

There’s a lot I’d like to see, too. Specifically for donation forms: 

• How far the form is from reaching a particular goal
• Promo info or call outs to users who just donated. Opt-in, of course.
• And pre determined designs for the form themselves

If you have some ideas like this, I’d love to hear from you. Again, reach me at matt@gravityforms.com 

Joe Anderson Interview

Coming up next is my interview with Joe Anderson, the creator of Gravity Forms Email Customizer plugin over at https://www.metaphorcreations.com/

It’s a new way to design email notifications utilizing the default WordPress block editor. You can purchase it from his site for $39year.

I hope you enjoy our conversation, and I look forward to talking to you in the next episode. 

Derek Ashauer discusses his new plugin Conversion Bridge that allows users to easily track conversions from forms and other actions in alternative analytics platforms beyond just Google Analytics. He highlights how most users don't utilize the full power of Google Analytics and alternative privacy-focused platforms like Fathom provide good enough analytics for most use cases.

Johnathon Williams talks about his new Gravity Forms Global Search plugin that allows searching across all form entries, fields, notes, etc in one place. He built it to solve pain points he experienced when managing large datasets in Gravity Forms. He also discusses his process for rapidly developing and launching the plugin publicly in just a weekend.

Key Takeaways:
* Conversion Bridge plugin enables connecting conversion tracking data to 12+ analytics platforms beyond just Google Analytics
* Alternative analytics tools like Fathom provide good enough analytics for most users without complex setup
* Gravity Forms Global Search allows quickly searching across all forms, fields, notes, and entries in one place
* Useful for managing large Gravity Forms datasets with thousands of entries
* Johnathon built initial version of plugin in just 2 days and launched publicly in 1 hour
* Rapid validation by engaging community publicly on social media

Important URLs:
https://www.gravityforms.com/blog/gravity-smtp-rc/
https://www.gravityforms.com/blog/brand-new-release-stripe-add-on-5-5/
https://twitter.com/DerekAshauer
ConversionBridgeWP.com
https://twitter.com/johnofhousejohn
Oddjar.com

We'll explore some updates that have happened before our 2023 seasonal break, what features you can look forward to with Gravity Forms, and our upcoming launch of Gravity SMTP version 1.0.

Matt interviews Tim Brown of Hook Agency, which covers how he's built a large book of business serving the construction industry. Tim and his team help these brands launch WordPress websites to power their online marketing campaigns. At the heart of all of this? Gravity Forms. If you're an agency owner, you won't want to miss today's episode.

If you have a moment, please take a moment to take this short survey about this podcast! Your feedback helps us improve the show. 

Strategies for Using Gravity Forms to Boost Sales
Kathy from the summit presents strategies for using Gravity Forms to close more sales by streamlining the process and removing friction for customers. She explains how Gravity Forms can be leveraged to build genuine relationships by aligning your goals with your customers' goals.

Challenges and Solutions in Project Management
David discusses the exciting challenges of managing both client projects and internal projects with complex requirements that extend beyond standard plugin functionality. With deadlines always looming and limited time, he explains why GravityWiz consulting can help conquer any Gravity Forms project on time.

Interview with Veteran Support Engineer Chris Hajer
Chris has been with Gravity Forms since 2011, before their current office was even built! With over a decade of experience, he provides uniquely knowledgeable and high quality responses to customer support issues. Chris explains that the diversity of Gravity Forms users keeps things interesting - from new users with basic questions to complex systems built around Gravity Forms over 10+ years. He loves helping manipulate Gravity Forms data using add-ons like CRM integrations and Zapier.

The following Gravity Forms add-ons were recently updated:

• ConvertKit 1.0
• Stripe 5.3 and 5.4
• Turnstile 1.1
• Chained Selects 1.7
• Conversational Forms 1.2
• Polls 4.2
• PayPal Checkout 3.0

Today's episode is a REPLAY from one of my favorite episodes this year, featuring Jason Resnick and Amber Hinds. Here are the show notes from the previous episode:

Equalize Digital and Its NASA Project: Amber explains that Equalize Digital is a company focused on WordPress accessibility, particularly for people with disabilities. They have developed a plugin called Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker, available in both free and premium versions. Notably, their premium plugin is being used in the development of NASA's website. Lone Rock Point, the company behind the NASA project, decided to use WordPress primarily because of Equalize Digital's plugin. Amber's team also played a crucial role in auditing and user testing the beta site for accessibility.

Gravity Forms and Accessibility: Matt asks Amber about her experience with Gravity Forms, a popular WordPress plugin for form creation. Amber reveals that they have been using Gravity Forms extensively in their projects, including the WordPress Accessibility Day website. She highlights Gravity Forms' commitment to accessibility and how it saves time for their organizing team, particularly in managing user registrations and creating draft posts for event speakers. They also discuss the value of Gravity Forms in creating efficient editorial workflows and how it benefits the event's attendees and sponsors.

Notable URLs and software mentioned:
* Equalize Digital's plugin: ~[Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker](https://wordpress.org/plugins/equalize-digital-accessibility-checker/)~
* NASA's website development by Lone Rock Point
* Gravity Forms: A popular WordPress form creation plugin
* Gravity Forms advanced post creation add-on
* Gravity Forms user registration add-on
* GravityWiz's "Populate Anything" add-on
* Zapier: Used for integrating Gravity Forms with Google Sheets
* WordPress Accessibility Day website: 2023.wpaccessibility.day

These two key points provide listeners with insights into how Equalize Digital is contributing to web accessibility and how Gravity Forms is aiding in the success of WordPress Accessibility Day.

ConvertKit Beta Add-On: Matt mentions at the beginning that they have a ConvertKit beta add-on available for download at the bottom of the dashboard. This is likely important for listeners who are interested in using ConvertKit or existing users looking to enhance their experience with this tool. Find the beta in your Gravity Forms dashboard.

Middle of the Funnel Importance: Jason emphasizes the significance of the middle of the funnel in email marketing, stating that about 85% of sales occur in this stage. He stresses the need for consistency in email communication, a well-planned welcome sequence, and intentionality in writing emails with a clear call to action. This insight is valuable for anyone involved in email marketing, as it highlights the often-neglected middle stage and provides practical advice for improving email engagement and conversion rates.

Important software mentioned:
* ConvertKit: The email marketing platform discussed throughout the conversation.
* WordPress: Jason mentions moving his website back to WordPress, indicating its importance as a content management system.

Overall, this conversation delves into the significance of the middle of the funnel in email marketing and announces the availability of a ConvertKit beta add-on, providing practical insights for podcast listeners interested in email marketing and ConvertKit usage.

Follow Jason on Twitter and download his NurtureKit Blueprint.

Hazel talks about how she prompts users to give verbal or text input about their business through VideoAsk, which then triggers a Zapier zap to send the data to Gravity Forms. The data is processed through ChatGPT to extract structured data fields. Hazel then uses Gravity Forms and Zapier to generate marketing deliverables like content calendars based on the structured data.

Top 5 Takeaways:

1. ChatGPT is great at taking unstructured data like text and verbal input and turning it into structured data like brand values, content pillars, etc. (3:37)
2. Hazel built a "marketing machine" that takes user input through VideoAsk, processes it with ChatGPT to get structured data, and uses that data to generate marketing deliverables with Gravity Forms. (6:42)
3. Hazel uses Zapier to connect and automate the flow from VideoAsk > ChatGPT > Gravity Forms. She also uses Gravity Forms as the trigger for additional zaps rather than webhooks. (10:03)
4. There is a free version available at docs.clever.io to try out and get a content strategy doc generated from your business input. (13:21)
5. Hazel is using this approach to generate proposals for clients, taking a sales call transcript as input to autofill a proposal template. (18:39)

Important Links:

• theclever.io
• docs.theclever.io - free tool to try
• Gravity Forms 50% off sale (Nov 21-28): gravityforms.com
• Hazel's LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/hazelq/

Chapters:

0:00 Intro
0:30 Gravity Forms Summit promo
2:00 Nonprofit payment solutions
4:00 Marketing funnels with Gravity Forms
6:30 AI for tracking form conversions
8:00 Customer avatars and value props
9:30 Gravity Forms Summit details
11:00 Podcast survey promo
12:30 Outro

Important Links:

Gravity Forms Summit Registration: https://www.youtube.com/@GravityWP
Gravity Forms Nonprofit Discount: https://www.gravityforms.com/nonprofit-discount/
Podcast Survey: https://formmmm.wtf/survey
Add Breakdown Podcast: https://www.gravityforms.com/breakdown

Updates to Gravity Forms: 

• Orbital everywhere! https://www.gravityforms.com/blog/gravity-forms-styling-orbital/
• Gravity Forms 2.7.15 https://www.gravityforms.com/blog/brand-new-release-gravity-forms-2-7-15/
• Conversational Forms 1.1 https://www.gravityforms.com/blog/brand-new-release-conversational-forms-add-on-1-1/

If you have 3 minutes, please take this 5 question survey to help us improve the podcast https://formmm.wtf/survey

Conversation with Adam Pickering about Gravity SMTP
The first conversation was with Adam Pickering, discussing the upcoming beta release of Gravity SMTP. This is the first standalone product from Gravity Forms.

Some key points:
* Gravity SMTP will migrate data from Gravity Forms mail add-ons to the new plugin
* The setup wizard is being built to streamline configuration
* Requested integrations like Gmail and Outlook were popular in their product roadmap survey
* An unexpected useful feature they built is disabling email sending during migrations

Key Takeaways:
* Gravity SMTP beta expected in mid-October
* Sign up for their beta program to get early access
* Provides a secure way to send Gravity Forms emails
* Setup wizard will ease transition from mail add-ons
* Disable email sending feature helpful for site migrations

Important Links:
gravityforms.com/beta

Conversation with Kay Peacey on Using Gravity Forms
The second conversation was with Kay Peacey of SlickBusiness.co, discussing how she uses Gravity Forms.

Some key points:
* Kay puts a survey on her opt-in thank you page to learn about subscribers' pain points
* This converts 10% into purchases for her ActiveCampaign Academy
* She also surveys customers after purchase to guide their onboarding
* Kay frequently advises clients on the best WordPress stack with Gravity Forms
* She persistently engaged with ActiveCampaign for 7 years before joining their customer advisory board

Key Takeaways:
* Use Gravity Forms surveys on opt-in and purchase thank you pages
* Identify customer pain points upfront to boost conversions
* Recommend relevant courses based on survey responses
* Advise clients on optimal WordPress stacks with Gravity Forms
* Building long-term relationships with brands can lead to advisory roles

Important Links:
https://slickbusiness.co/
https://www.gravityforms.com/add-ons/activecampaign/

Gravity Forms and Accessibility: Matt asks Amber about her experience with Gravity Forms, a popular WordPress plugin for form creation. Amber reveals that they have been using Gravity Forms extensively in their projects, including the WordPress Accessibility Day website. She highlights Gravity Forms' commitment to accessibility and how it saves time for their organizing team, particularly in managing user registrations and creating draft posts for event speakers. They also discuss the value of Gravity Forms in creating efficient editorial workflows and how it benefits the event's attendees and sponsors.

Notable URLs and software mentioned:
* Equalize Digital's plugin: ~[Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker](https://wordpress.org/plugins/equalize-digital-accessibility-checker/)~
* NASA's website development by Lone Rock Point
* Gravity Forms: A popular WordPress form creation plugin
* Gravity Forms advanced post creation add-on
* Gravity Forms user registration add-on
* GravityWiz's "Populate Anything" add-on
* Zapier: Used for integrating Gravity Forms with Google Sheets
* WordPress Accessibility Day website: 2023.wpaccessibility.day

These two key points provide listeners with insights into how Equalize Digital is contributing to web accessibility and how Gravity Forms is aiding in the success of WordPress Accessibility Day.

ConvertKit Beta Add-On: Matt mentions at the beginning that they have a ConvertKit beta add-on available for download at the bottom of the dashboard. This is likely important for listeners who are interested in using ConvertKit or existing users looking to enhance their experience with this tool. Find the beta in your Gravity Forms dashboard.

Middle of the Funnel Importance: Jason emphasizes the significance of the middle of the funnel in email marketing, stating that about 85% of sales occur in this stage. He stresses the need for consistency in email communication, a well-planned welcome sequence, and intentionality in writing emails with a clear call to action. This insight is valuable for anyone involved in email marketing, as it highlights the often-neglected middle stage and provides practical advice for improving email engagement and conversion rates.

Important software mentioned:
* ConvertKit: The email marketing platform discussed throughout the conversation.
* WordPress: Jason mentions moving his website back to WordPress, indicating its importance as a content management system.

Overall, this conversation delves into the significance of the middle of the funnel in email marketing and announces the availability of a ConvertKit beta add-on, providing practical insights for podcast listeners interested in email marketing and ConvertKit usage.

Follow Jason on Twitter and download his NurtureKit Blueprint.

Matt reflects on the event, highlights the size of the venue, and discusses the vendor booth setup, including the popularity of Gravity Forms' high-quality t-shirts. They share their favorite dining spots and interactions with certified developers who play a crucial role in the Gravity Forms ecosystem. The episode concludes with testimonials from customers who have been using Gravity Forms for over a decade and a lively giveaway event hosted by Mike from the team.

Important links
Get Gravity Forms https://gravityforms.com/
Gutenberg: Next with Matt Mullenweg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHdsapKfN2I

Segment 1

Jamie Oastler from Gravity Flow discusses how the plugin builds on Gravity Forms to automate workflows after form submissions. He explains Gravity Flow's user interactive steps like approvals and user input as well as non-interactive steps like notifications. Jamie positions Gravity Flow as a "thin pane of glass" that can connect WordPress to other systems while still providing a great front-end experience.

Key Takeaways:

• Gravity Flow structures workflows and business processes after form submission.
• It enables user approvals, input steps, notifications and more.
• Gravity Flow can integrate with other systems while keeping WordPress as the presentation layer.

Segment 2

Brad Williams has been working with WordPress for over 15 years and founded his agency, WebDevStudios, in 2008. In the transcript, Brad discusses how WordPress has evolved from a simple blogging platform to a powerful CMS over the years. He highlights major releases like WordPress 3.0 which introduced custom post types, allowing sites to structure content beyond just pages and posts. He also discusses how the block editor/Gutenberg transformed the editing experience, making it easy for non-technical users to create beautiful pages.

Key Takeaways:

• The block editor/Gutenberg transformed the editing experience for non-technical users.
• Gravity Forms has been a go-to plugin for forms and advanced functionality since the beginning.
• WordPress has evolved into a powerful CMS capable of enterprise-level sites.

Matt then delves into the meat of the episode, exploring different avenues to generate income with Gravity Forms. Matt asked ChatGPT to provide us with 5 ways to run a “Gravity Forms agency” and the go to market strategy to use. ChatGPT suggests starting a custom form development agency, a data analytics and reporting agency, a Gravity Forms training agency, a Gravity Forms maintenance and support agency, and a Gravity Forms integration agency. Matt takes the time to rate each opportunity and shares his personal thoughts on their potential profitability.

As the episode progresses, Matt shifts gears and welcomes Joe Casabona to the podcast. They engage in a lively conversation about the benefits of utilizing Gravity Forms for podcasting and content strategy. Joe, an expert in this field, shares his experiences and highlights the advantages of incorporating Gravity Forms into podcasting workflows. Together, they emphasize the importance of repurposing podcast episodes to maximize their reach and impact.

Overall, this episode offers valuable insights and creative ideas for leveraging the power of Gravity Forms while also delving into the world of podcasting. Whether you're interested in monetizing Gravity Forms or starting your own podcast, this episode has something to offer.

Important links
- https://www.gravityforms.com/add-ons/conversational-forms-add-on/
- WordCamp US 2023 – National Harbor, Maryland, August 24-26, 2023
- Gravity Forms 101 livestream
- How I Built It
- https://www.linkedin.com/learning/using-gravity-forms-in-wordpress-a-comprehensive-guide
- https://twitter.com/jcasabona

Matt interviews Adam Pickering, the lead product designer at Gravity Forms, discussing his role in designing the visual aspects of the plugin. They also talk about the new Gravity SMTP feature, which addresses email sending challenges. The conversation includes discussions about beta testing, integrating Mailgun, and the benefits of using Gravity SMTP.

Matt interviews Zack Katz on GravityKit and its add-ons, as well as the importance of customer support.

Zack elaborates on the different add-ons offered by GravityKit, which are designed to extend the functionality of Gravity Forms. These add-ons provide users with additional features and customization options, allowing them to tailor their forms to meet their specific needs. Zack highlights the benefits of using these add-ons, such as improved form validation, enhanced conditional logic, and advanced file uploads.

The episode concludes with a mention of the upcoming release of Gravity Migrate, a new add-on for moving form data between sites.

Important links

• https://gravityforms.com/
• https://wordpress.com/
• https://us.wordcamp.org/2023/
• https://www.gravityforms.com/blog/wordpress-com-and-gravity-forms/
• https://www.gravityforms.com/blog/introducing-gravity-smtp-test-the-alpha-today/
• https://gravityforms.com/beta
• https://gravitykit.com/
• https://www.gravitykit.com/gravitymigrate/

In this episode, Matt and Jim walk us through setting up Gravity Forms install, including setting up a basic form and placing it on your WordPress website. The duo also takes us through setting up more advanced routing of email submissions and accepting payments via Stripe. Livestreams will take place once a month, so be sure to follow us on YouTube.

Gravity SMTP was announced and we're looking for alpha version testers. 

The duo also discussed updates and plans for Gravity Forms. They noted minor updates to Gravity Forms and Gravity Flow, but the release of Turnstile 1.0 stood out as the most significant add-on. Additionally, a tutorial video on how to set up Turnstile 1.0 is scheduled to be released on the 4th of July. In their conversation about donation form creation and customization with Gravity Forms, Matt talked about his recent experience in creating a donation form and expressed interest in user experiences with selling products or donation forms. Dustin expressed his desire for more customization options in Orbital, highlighting a potential future update for the platform.

Michelle Frechette, one of the co-founders of underrepresentedintech.com, discussed how they use Gravity Forms and Gravity Kit to allow individuals to enter their profiles, making them discoverable through a search function. This project, started with Allie Nimmons, provides an essential community service without requiring extensive development costs.

What's new in WordPress segment:

• WordCamps are set to change - In May 2023, WordPress' Community Team announced a significant shift in the WordCamp format to promote adoption, training, and networking for professionals, with eight pilot events confirmed to launch in 2023. These events, which include the first ever Low-Cost WordCamp in Leipzig, Germany, and a "WordPress Day" in Sevilla, Spain, are designed to be more experimental and flexible than the previous WordCamp format. The Community Team is still accepting pilot events for 2023 and is also scheduling into 2024, inviting prospective event organizers to submit their creative ideas.
• Naming the new Command Center in WordPress - WordPress contributors are debating the renaming of the Command Center, a feature introduced in Gutenberg 15.6 that serves as a quick search and command execution tool. The discussion, initiated by contributor Reyes Martínez, revolves around whether the name "Wayfinder" would better represent the feature's use cases and appeal to a less technical audience. However, many participants argue for a name that clearly describes the feature and aligns with industry conventions, such as "Command Palette," with the final decision yet to be made.

Important takeaways

1. Stripe 5.0 release: The release of Stripe 5.0 is scheduled for June 14th. It brings updates to over 20 payment gateways, including the ability for customers to save their payment details for faster checkouts.
2. Google Analytics add-on: The Google Analytics add-on has been updated to support Google Analytics 4, which is the latest version. This allows users to integrate Gravity Forms with Google Analytics 4 for tracking and analyzing data.
3. Conversational Forms Add-On Beta 6: The podcast mentions a webinar held to showcase the beta version and encourages current customers to sign up for the beta program to provide feedback and access new releases.
4. PODS plugin: The podcast features an interview with Scott Kingsley Clark, the developer of the Pods plugin. Pods is an alternative to Advanced Custom Fields (ACF) and allows users to create and manage custom fields in WordPress. The interview discusses the features and benefits of using Pods.
5. Spam prevention tools: A video titled "Fight Spam with a Kiss, MIT" is mentioned, highlighting the spam prevention tools available with Gravity Forms. One of the tools mentioned is Akismet, which checks form submissions against its global spam database to prevent spam entries.

Important links

• https://gravityforms.com/
• https://gravityforms.com/beta
• https://pods.io/
• https://jetpack.com/blog/introducing-jetpack-ai-assistant/
• https://www.apple.com/apple-vision-pro/

• Word Camp EU Giveaway: Gravity Forms is giving away a swag bag to one lucky winner at Word Camp EU. To enter, follow Gravity Forms on TikTok, share or repost a recent Gravity Forms TikTok, and tag it with #formanything. The giveaway will run until June 9th, 2023.
• Stripe 5.0: Stripe 5.0 is now available for download. This new version of the Stripe add-on includes a number of new features, including:
  • Support for 20+ payment methods
  • Autofill payment details with Link
  • Improved Stripe checkout experience
• CosmicGiant: CosmicGiant rebranded from ForGravity, that was formed by Travis Lopes. CosmicGiant develops a number of Gravity Forms add-ons, including:
  • Fillable PDFs
  • Advanced Permissions
  • Legal Signing

Interview with Travis Lopes, Cosmic Giant:

• How did you get started with Gravity Forms?
  • I started using Gravity Forms in 2014 for a project I was working on. I was really impressed with how easy it was to use and how powerful it was. I quickly became a big fan of the plugin and started developing add-ons for it.
• What inspired you to start CosmicGiant?
  • I wanted to create a company that was focused on developing high-quality Gravity Forms add-ons. I also wanted to create a company that was focused on providing excellent customer support.
• What are your plans for CosmicGiant?
  • I plan to continue developing high-quality Gravity Forms add-ons. I also plan to expand the CosmicGiant team and provide even better customer support.

Links:

• Gravity Forms: https://gravityforms.com/
• CosmicGiant: https://cosmicgiant.com/

Important links

• Gravity Forms 2.7.6
• Non-profit license
• Cloudflare Turnstile add-on
• Join the Gravity Forms Beta user group
• Gravity Forms as a no-code solution

Video of the week

Here's the latest video from our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q23fnTw7esk Dustin shows us everything there is to know about the Pro license level of Gravity Forms

Interview of the week

How to take a small Gravity Forms plugin idea from code snippets to 46+ add-ons. Matt chats with David Smith, founder of Gravity Wiz. 

Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:30 Welcome to Breakdown
04:58 New Gravity Forms license
07:05 Style forms with ease
08:19 Steven Khraiss: Going beyond contact forms
13:37 Are you using Hubspot in your agency?
16:34 When should you use a CRM?
19:49 What's new in WordPress?
25:13 Outro