Christopher Schoenwald chose Megaphone, one of Meks’ WordPress themes, to create life-as-a.com, a website that serves as a resource for uncovering details about various professions.
Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?
My name is Christopher Schoenwald, and I am a Canadian ex-pat that has been living in Japan for exactly twenty years. I mention this information off the top because it plays right into how my website and podcast program, LIFE AS A.. came to be.
What’s the story behind your website?
Let me rewind. After graduating from university in Canada with a major in sociology – a degree as general as they come – I was still quite conflicted about my own career pathway.
This uncertainty reflected the subject matter I spent the better part of four years studying. Without a defined job upon graduating, I set off to Japan in search of inspiration and clarity. There, I spent time teaching, launching and operating a couple of mildly successful companies in education, as well as that of advertising.
While I quickly fell in love with Japanese culture and the literal notion of never fully knowing what each day would bring, my career satisfaction was still somewhat lacking. This gnawing feeling that I was not in the type of profession that fully piqued my spirit or passion eventually led me to wonder about pursuing something different.
During this time of indecision, there was one particular memory that stood out. I was floating on my SUP some distance from the shoreline of the Japanese inland sea, staring off at the rolling hills which lined the coast. I recalled a fleeting childhood dream of wanting to be a forest ranger. I giggled to myself at the thought, “What did I really know about that job then?”
In contrast to how that first thought bubbled up, I was literally sideswiped by the next idea, which careened into my consciousness. “What do I know about that job as a grown adult?” Sure, I might have a bit more knowledge or surface-level understanding, but largely that job and all that it entails was still very much a black box.
Those thoughts gave rise to others. What if there was a resource that was devoted to uncovering details about jobs? Not only the nuts and bolts of what the profession was about but also the hidden details.
It struck me rather quickly that such a resource would have been incredibly helpful to me when I was searching for career inspiration or ideas. Surely something like that could serve so many others who may be experiencing the same struggles when considering their futures.
From that point on, I decided that helping others, particularly youth, with those challenges would be a worthy cause.
LIFE AS A.. in concept and purpose was born.
The best way to achieve this, I felt, was via podcasting.
Why did you decide to use one of Meks’ WordPress themes?
My search for a website theme was the next logical step in launching this project. Now admittedly, I am not overly technical in that manner. I know next to nothing about website coding, HTML or the like.
So, when I was considering the next step of creating a website, I must say the thought was rather daunting. However, I did extensive research and strategically identified exactly what I needed out of a theme. They were as follows:
- excellent support
- an embedded podcast player
- theme creator reliability
- theme creator commitments as far as updates
- overall theme attractiveness
In researching available options, it became very apparent that there was only one true theme choice that checked all the boxes, Megaphone by Meks.
In undertaking the build, I was struck by just how fortunate I was to have found this particular theme. The assumptions I had made when purchasing it were quickly realized. The support manuals were comprehensive, the capabilities of the platform extensive and the support beyond my expectations.
Which specific feature do you enjoy the most?
Now in the site being based around podcasting, I would be remiss not to emphasize the most important feature of the theme for my purposes. Of course, I am referring to the player. Having that functionality being both reliable and seamless as far as it connecting up to my podcast hosting service was and still is critical. Since launching, that aspect has gone off without fail and could not be easier to work with!
Anything else you would like to add based on your experience with Meks as a company?
Now I do have one final chapter to add to this story. After a mere year of LIFE AS A.. going live, it was bestowed with a major honor by way of one of the largest global internet hosting companies, Bluehost. They have a yearly competition in which they seek out the top twenty websites as far as design, concept and functionality are concerned.
LIFE AS A.. was selected as one of these elite sites under the banner of the Bluehost Creator Awards!
Obviously, this would not have been possible without a lot of hard work and dedication. However, arguably just as important of a factor was the choice of the Megaphone theme. In my opinion, Meks and their team are also rightfully deserving of recognition for this honor!
So, to those on the fence of choosing a theme, I’m confident that this essay clearly shows my stance. However, for the sake of clarity, I’ll make it easy on you. Stop contemplating. Choose Meks. You can thank me later! 😉