Your web design project is in good hands. You will get the personal attention you deserve to make sure your website is a success. A successful website is my focus and I apply 20+ years of web design experience and constant innovation to deliver the best for your project.
I build websites with purpose
Nick Leffler
Owner
Your web design project is in good hands. I have been building websites successfully since the mid 1990s but I've always innovated and continue to do so online. I apply my experience and constant innovation to every project. My work with WordPress began around 2010 and I've been fine tuning my technology stack and work since then in the WordPress world. I've even spoken at a local WordCamp!
You will work with me directly every step of the way as I walk you through everything you need to do. I will take care of most of the project and help you with the parts you need to do. You are still the expert in your business so I rely on you. Together we will make your web design project a success.
I work out of my home so no need for a formal office visit. We can meet virtually and I'm always available by phone or text.
This is an in-depth view of my experience not for the faint of heart (or reading). Actually, it's for everyone, just trying to be funny.
I've been on a long journey since the early days of the internet into modern web design that's goals driven rather than only design driven. Of course, I love design and am always on top of current technologies as they arise (and fall).
Take a stroll back through my 20+ years in website design and history relevant to how I've seen the internet grow. Just as the internet has grown, I've never stopped growing myself. I stay current with all technologies and am a lifelong learner who stays relevant in the skills necessary to deliver you the websites possible.
Early Days
I started designing websites in the early days of the internet. In 1996 (maybe '97!?), I started working with a Vietnam Veteran on his fossil website. That was also my introduction to many older technologies because he worked with technology in the war. I heard many stories about the old Winchester hard drives. Those were the giant hard drives from 1973, you can verify this on Wikipedia and he told me about them before Wikipedia was even a thing!
Since that time I designed many websites for family members, myself, and tons of clients in every industry imaginable. In my early days of web design, I worked on projects for myself mostly aside from my one client. One of my first entrepreneurial efforts was a website that allowed people to interact on the internet, similar to how Facebook does today. The domain is still here (hi-fun.com) but it's in Italian. I was able to make a deal with a programmer who developed some of the back-end of the website in the Perl computer programming language.
Formalizing It
I formalized my web design skills in 2008 with an undergraduate degree in Internet Communications from Chico State. The program has morphed quite a bit so the same program doesn't exist anymore.
During my school days, I continued to build websites and pay for some of my schooling with that and other projects. I built a website that helped me get clients for my computer repair business while I was going to school in Sacramento, San Diego, and Chico (long story).
Intro To WordPress
I was introduced to WordPress around 2010 when I revised my main personal website to begin blogging about my career growth and industry topics (Instructional Design which I still do).
My love of WordPress took off from there and I've since built endless WordPress websites and even went to a local Sacramento WordCamp. At Sacramento WordCamp 2018 I volunteered for the first time and helped out answering questions in the happiness bar. You can catch me in one picture on this blog post with pictures from the event.
In the past several years I've worked on some amazing projects and helped make their project and business a success. Some industries I've worked in I could have never imagined even existed!
I continue to grow my web design skills and share some of my broader digital marketing skills in the Exprance blog. After building so many websites and helping so many businesses grow their online presence, I decided it was time for me to seriously pursue my entrepreneurial dreams.
I'd love to work with you to make your web design project a success. You can be sure I'll contribute skills that will help contribute to the success of your project.
This website and the solutions I provide are driven by one primary professional goal and one primary personal goal. I have a lot of interests and sometimes I have to force myself to focus, but they all revolve around these two goals.
- Professional: I want to see businesses and people succeed.
- Personal: I have a family to support and I want to do that doing something I love to do.
Now for a little bit more depth beneath the two driving forces behind what I do starting with professional.
Professional
I have a long history of entrepreneurship and starting small businesses while going to school. I've been out of school for some time (graduated 2011) and focused on my career while keeping my entrepreneurial passions close.
I consider myself successful in my career but of course, the definition of success is as individual as the person defining it. Equipped with that knowledge, I began helping people build their personal brand website online with the goal of helping them grow their career.
I love seeing people succeed and my goal is always to give them the tools to do that. This is what led me to Exprance (rebranded from Your Brand by Nick Leffler in 2017) and building websites with purpose for clients.
I wanted to see people succeed in their career AND their businesses.
I'm now focusing on what I love (web design and WordPress) to help you do amazing things online.
I do it because I want to see you and your business succeed. If others succeed then I succeed too.
Personal
My family is a driving factor in my desire to help others succeed. I have a beautiful wife (Jill) and we've been happily married since 2010. We have one daughter who's growing quicker than I could imagine.
Everyone wants to give their kids the best life possible and make sure they have everything needed to succeed throughout life. I want to give my daughter the opportunity to succeed and be happy.
The little free time I have goes to my family and my daughter. Seeing her smile drives me to want to help others even more.
I always enjoyed spending time with my family as a kid and I hope I give my daughter the same joys growing up as I had, if not better.
I love helping people succeed in their business so they can also provide great opportunities for their family.