Table of Contents
Nick Krastev
In this interview, Nick has shared a small story that how he got to know about WordPress and how he end up creating NT websites
Introduction
Nikolay Krastev is an SEO optimizer, marketer, advertiser, Google AdWords Certified, Google Analytics and Microsoft BingAds Specialist.
He has over 80 training and specialization certifications from leading digital marketing and advertising companies such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Microsoft, HubSpot, SEMrush, Eventbrite and many others.
He has been engaged in search engine optimization since 2009. Google local guide, level 8. Trainer and public speaker.
With some of his colleagues, he develops NT Websites (https://www.ntwebsites.com), a company that manufactures, maintains and optimizes websites and online stores based on WordPress.
Q. How did you get to know about WordPress? Share if there is an interesting story.
Ans: 7-8 years ago in our small advertising agency the colleague who made the clients’ sites was very busy and refused to take on an internal project, which we had to show to potential investors.
Since we had 2 days until the meeting, I had to look for a solution myself. After consulting with colleagues and reading a dozen articles on Google about the advantages and disadvantages of different CMS, I stopped at WordPress.
I found a tutorial like “How to make a WordPress site in a few hours” and started following the steps. After a few hours, the website was ready, and it gave me the wrong impression that things really happen so easily.
Since then, I have not stopped learning and improving my knowledge, I do dozens of trainings a year and after each new training I realize how little I know.
Q. What’s the most interesting project you have done to date in WordPress? What were your responsibilities?
Ans: In NT Websites (https://www.ntwebsites.com) we are fortunate to strictly select the projects to work on, so each of them was interesting for the team and a challenge in every way. We have worked on projects of different sizes and we are happy with the opportunity and our vote of confidence to work on each of them!
In NT Websites (https://www.ntwebsites.com) we are fortunate to strictly select the projects to work on, so each of them was interesting for the team and a challenge in every way. We have worked on projects of different sizes and we are happy with the opportunity and our vote of confidence to work on each of them!
Q. Have you ever been to any WordPress meetups or WordCamps? Share your thoughts on WordPress Community.
Ans: I have attended WordPress events in several countries, and in my own I have not missed an event for many years.
My favorite WordCamp – WordCamp Europe I visited in Berlin and Belgrade (I missed Paris because of a long-awaited meeting with a client, which opened as an opportunity at the last moment before the flight), and now I’m looking forward to Porto.
I am the organizer of WordPress meetings in my hometown – Sofia, although in the last 2 years mostly virtual meetings are held, so they are attended by people from all over the country and even from neighboring countries.
Apart from being the organizer of WordPress Sofia Meetup, I had the good fortune to be part of the team that organized several WordCamps in Bulgaria – WordCamp Sofia, WordCamp Plovdiv and WordCamp Bulgaria, as well as my favorite conference gathering thousands of people from around the world – WordCamp Europe 2021.
About the community – I think this is the thing that helps the most in the development of WordPress and its use by more and more people. WordPress has a highly developed and cohesive community of professionals around the world that contributes to the development of the world’s most widely used content management system.
Among other things, the meetings with colleagues personally charge me with positive energy and enrich me with knowledge.
Q. How does your workstation look like? Can you send us a picture?
Ans: I do not have an office where we can meet with colleagues and work from there. I personally work from cafes, restaurants, shared workspaces, preferring to have beautiful views around.
Q. What interesting feature do you think you would like to see in WordPress and is currently missing?
Ans: I don’t think there’s anything I’m missing at the moment. In addition, WordPress is evolving at such a pace that every time it pleasantly surprises us with some functionality that will make our lives easier.
I look forward to all the new features and we regularly comment on them at our regular community meetings.
Q. Out of the current plugins and themes which one do you like the most and why?
Ans: Both themes and plugins are used for their intended purpose, depending on the needs of the client. In terms of performance, we try to install as few plugins as possible, but when necessary, we use those that have proven themselves over the years.
Of course, it is also important that they are written by people in the community and that they are maintained regularly.
Q. Any awesome technology you want to share other than WordPress?
Ans: Like Gutenberg? 🙂
Q. Do you like/love what you currently do in WordPress?
Ans: Of course – the WordPress community is run by volunteers, so as a volunteer who chooses to dedicate time to a cause, I really like what I do. In addition to organizing events, I also translate WordPress core, themes and plugins, participate as a speaker in large and small technology conferences, etc.
Q. Where do you find yourself after 5 years
Ans: In such a dynamic world, hardly anyone can predict such a thing. But I still want to be surrounded by the same positive people with whom to work on interesting WordPress projects and have fun.
Q. Share something about your life other than work
Ans: I have been professionally involved in music for more than 20 years and although I no longer develop in this field, I remain quite an avid music lover.
The other thing that helps me relax is the movement in all its forms – I like to ride a bike, to spend time in the mountains or to run whenever I can.
Thanks to sports I lost over 50 kg, it maintains my tone and helps me harden my will. At the beginning of 2021, for the first time I managed to overcome the marathon distance of 42.2 km and I liked it so much that a few months later I ran it again in a race with a much more challenging track.
Q. To whom you give credit for your success?
Ans: Except for myself? To all the people around me – to the colleagues I have the good fortune to work with, to the family and friends who support me, to the clients who trust us.
Q. Can you give us some reference for whom we should conduct an interview next and why?
Ans: Mario Peshev can tell many interesting WordPress stories.
Q. How do you reward yourself?
Ans: With lots of rest, good food, lots of sports and fun meetings with friends.
Q. Any suggestion for WordPress beginners?
Ans: To use tutorials, follow the authorities in the industry and their advices, as well as participate in the organization of various WordPress events or volunteer initiatives at make.wordpress.org, where they will have the opportunity to meet colleagues from around the world and learn directly from their knowledge and experience.
Sonl Sinha is a passionate writer as well as WordPress and WooCommerce rockstar who loves to share insights on various topics through his engaging blog posts. He runs a successful website design and digital marketing company. With 15+ years of experience in WordPress theme development, he strives to inform and inspire readers with his thought-provoking content. He helps thousands of small and medium businesses and startups create a unique online presence. Follow Sonl Sinha for your regular dose of knowledge and inspiration.
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