Posts

Robert Crain

Social Media + Websites

Just putting this out there.

I have noticed there are some social media accounts using my name, alleged associations, and a website or two that people may believe to be me.

I posted some time ago about winding back on Social Media [ I’m no longer active on it ] and the only active website I use is this one. My other domains are rccrain.com, which points to this domain and robertccrain.com, that has a holding page set up – I’m still deciding whether to use it or not, and I obviously still own TakenByDrone.com because a day might come where I want to get back into commercial Aerial Photography, or I may just post material from a hobbyist perspective.

Last year, I opted to get rid of my .com.au domain names, along with my ABN, for privacy reasons.

My Only Registered Social Media Accounts are;

Facebook.com / @RobertCrainWP

Facebook.com / @TakenByDroneAU

Instagram.com/ @RobertCrain

Instagram.com/ @TakenByDrone

Twitter.com/ @RobertCrain

Twitter.com/ @TakenByDrone

Vero.co / @RobertCrain

I do not post on these accounts, and whether or not I ever use them again, remains to be seen. I might use the TakenByDrone Account one day, I just don’t know.

If you come across any websites / social media accounts purporting to be me, please just ignore them.

When dealing with me, with regards to WordPress, emails will come from this domain – nowhere else.

Cheers.

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Robert Crain

A Career In WordPress?

Have you ever considered becoming a Freelance WordPress Professional?

Maybe you’ve been thinking about a change of pace, wanting to work hours outside of ‘the norm’, with the intent of creating a better work/ life balance?

A few years ago, one could be forgiven for thinking that the likes of SquareSpace would be the end of WordPress, but like me, you’d be wrong.

There was a period, after a massive push on YouTube [ sponsoring creators ] to try and grow their market share, and one could argue it hasn’t worked how they hoped.

Depending upon a few factors, you can enter a certain niche [ within WordPress ] and if you’re good, and if you can build up your Brand Reputation, you can do extremely well – remember, your Brand, is YOU.

For some, working from home is a non-starter, they just cannot handle working from the same place they eat and sleep, or because of children running around etc. But, if you have an old shed, make it your space – convert it into your work office and ONLY enter it DURING your work hours. I mean, even cleaning – that’s work, so incorporate that into your work cycle. Don’t think to yourself that for every minute on the computer, is a paying minute. You need to stay ahead of updates, learn new things and generally stay on top of trends.

I’ve set myself a target of 25% of my working day into performing everything else that isn’t work, but work related. For example, 40 hours of a working week consist of 10 hours of non-billing work. Thirty hours at my hourly rate, isn’t bad, but the tax…..in a nutshell, set up a Trust. Make YOUR money work for you. I’m quite content only pulling $18K PA in a salary.

At my current pace, now, remembering that I really only wanted to come back as a ‘casual’, if I currently wanted to, I could be working 70 hours per week, the work is there. I’m turning away quite a lot of work, for several reasons, but mainly because I want a life. I’m at that age where balance is more important, and we don’t need anything.

Your Reputation Is Key To Your Brand

If you’re interested in becoming a Freelancer, do your research and be sure it’s what you really want. I have friends that own ‘bricks and mortar’ businesses where they employ people, have huge debt, but take home less than me. They have massive burdens and stress in their lives, whereby I don’t – and I earn more than them.

Options are there, it’s a matter of whether or not you prefer to be a slave and live week to week, or decide to make your own way, at your pace.

My biggest decision today, is whether I want pasta or grilled fish for lunch. What’s yours?

Your future is yours to make. Decide well.

Feel free to give this post a share or seven, it would be appreciated :)

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Robert Crain

I’m Retiring* From WordPress

So, it’s been almost 12 months since I last posted here, and hasn’t time flown.

I’ve made several posts, on my website(s), as well as on forums about me thinking about this decision, because there are quite a few things outside of WordPress, that I want to do.

Anyway, a few weeks ago, I made the decision to give up Social Media. I still have my Facebook, Instagram and Twitter Accounts ‘active’, although I’ve made changes so I cannot log into them.

The past few years has ‘forced’ me to be a bit more private, and not share things online. I used to enjoy taking photos around the house, be it with my pets, or home improvements that I felt proud of, and publish them, but I am just so much happier not to, now.

I get more enjoyment out of life, from being private. I can get out on the Kubota and mow the strip whenever I want. My partner can get her hands dirty in her acre of gardens that surround the house, which cannot be seen from any direction. We are secluded, yet not far from Mittagong, Berrima and Bowral, in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. We get more enjoyment from people not knowing anything.

Thankyou, stalker.

WordPress has been good to me, and I’ve enjoyed dealing with some very nice people. I believe there are going to be challenges ahead for newbies entering into this field, purely based on the fact that there are so many competing businesses out there, hoping to get your business. I’m not going to name them, but you know who they are.

I’d rather retire from this now, while I’m still reasonably young, and can enjoy life a bit more. I’d actually considered walking away from WordPress for about the past 4/5 years, but decided to continue with it, at reduced hours and days.

So, today – February 1, 2022*, is my very last day. The funny thing is, I was going to give 4 weeks notice here today, but whilst writing this, it has changed my mind.

Jobs that have come in over the past 2 weeks will be passed onto another developer, and I will no longer be accepting any jobs.

It’s been fun. You will still be able to contact me via this website, until I decide to remove the page, which will probably be in around 6 months.

Here’s to a private life.

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