Websites Built on Connection & Shared Journeys
Anne McCarthy, someone I look up to immensely in the WordPress community, recently shared her wish that everyone had a blog. She talked about how blogs let us share our real, authentic stories and connect with each other on a much deeper level.
That idea isn’t just something I agree with; it’s a philosophy I’ve been trying to live for over a decade.
For years, I’ve traveled the world with my skateboard as my main companion, and along the way I’ve had the honor of building websites, completely free, for the amazing people, causes, and organizations I’ve met. Skateboarding itself is about freedom, creativity, and a certain kind of community – and so is the web, when we approach it right.
This entire journey, pushing across cities and continents, has rooted a deep belief in me: genuine connection, a strong sense of community, and mutual support matter infinitely more than any transaction ever could.
It’s why my approach to building an online presence with someone is a bit different.
My Core Principles in Action
This isn’t about trying to undercut those budget $500 website offers that often end up costing you more down the line with hidden problems or frustrating limits. What I offer is a genuine partnership, focused on creating websites that are solid, thoughtfully built, and genuinely yours—without the usual agency bloat or impersonal feel.
My goal is always straightforward: to give you guidance based on real-world experience—helping you understand what works best for accessibility, performance, and security—and ultimately, to set you up to confidently navigate and own your own spot online.
I believe in building relationships first; the website is a natural outcome of that connection and understanding.
Principals are not money. They don’t lesson the more you use them.
Mark-Andrew
Empowering You with Ownership and the Right Tools
I truly believe we can break free from the current consumer-driven paradigm that often leaves people feeling like they don’t truly own their digital spaces. We can help democratize the web, and a huge part of that is ensuring you truly own your content and your platform.
This is why I’m committed to using fantastic, empowering tools that support this independence:
- The open-source platform WordPress is at the heart of it all, offering incredible flexibility and control.
- Human-powered hosting from my friends at Pressable means your site has a reliable, secure, and supportive home, backed by people who genuinely care.
- Tools like WooCommerce make e-commerce accessible if that’s part of your path.
- And the versatile Jetpack plugin adds layers of security, performance, and useful features without unnecessary complexity.
These aren’t just tools; they are enablers of freedom and ownership in the digital world. My role is to help you understand and use them to their fullest potential.
A Different Way to Value Work: The ‘Give’ Philosophy
This commitment to empowerment and authentic connection is why Nomad Skateboarding runs on contributions, not set fees. This stems directly from that decade-plus of building sites freely – sometimes it was a full design from scratch, other times it was just providing hosting, sharing some feedback, or helping someone learn a new skill.
It’s always been about mutual support and recognizing the shared value in what we create together.
This philosophy allows me to work with a diverse range of incredible people and projects, focusing on the human element and the good we can do, rather than a rigid price tag. It’s about finding a way to make things work that feels right and sustainable for everyone involved.
Learn more about how contributions support this work on my Give Page →