For this blog I interviewed Karen Leslie founder and owner of the KISS WP Websites, a business that focuses on helping people who are struggling with their WordPress Websites.

Karen Leslie moved from been an IT Contractor working for others on a contract basis to running her own website business, her clients call her their WordPress Fairy Godmother because she bring some unique magic to the.

She is supporting my fundraising journey to attend the World Scout Jamboree, which I am so grateful for.

In this interview, I asked Blue some questions and here are his responses:

About Karen Leslie’s WordPress Website Business

Tell me about what your business doeds?

What inspired you to start it?

I was an IT contractor working on global systems when I moved to Australia from the
UK. I was an analyst programmer and I thought that would continue for years.
However, the global financial crisis hit and my IT contracts stopped. I had trained in
building websites years before, and I had created a few of them. A local business
network in Mount Gambier found out I knew about websites and hired me to build
their website. That’s when I discovered the difference I could make to small business
by creating websites that worked for their business. Over the years I’ve developed
questions to ask so that their website aligns with their business goals.

Kyle: Sounds like your skills really helped you overcome the challenges.

How long have you been running your business?

I started my first website design business in 2008. It was purely website design and
as I started adding services I found it difficult for people to accept that I was more
than simply web design. I changed my business to KISS WP Websites where the
KISS stands for Keep It Simple Sweetheart. In 2026 I’ll be rebranding to Karen Leslie
WPFG where the WPFG stands for WordPress Fairy Godmother, which is what my
clients call me.

Kyle: You have been running your business longer than I have been alived. You must have gained so much knowledge and skills in that time. I guess that is why you became a Fairy Godmother.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

Seeing the difference I make in small business. There is a transformation when the
business person realises that their website can be working for them, and it can be
aligned with their business goals. It opens other avenues for business for them. It
gives them a confidence and belief that wasn’t there before.

How Karen Leslie Got Started with her Business

Why did you choose business ownership over employment?

When I was an employee, I was always wanting to change systems, to find a better
way to do things. The global companies that I worked for rarely encouraged that. An
employee was mean to sit there and do what she was told. I didn’t fit into that mould.

Kyle: I am starting to see that those that own businesses want to do things differently and employeed roles just don’t seem to allow that.

What was the first step in starting your business?

My first step was having enough belief in myself to become an IT contractor. As I
found out later that was still different from running a business. I worked through an
agency, so they found me work, and then I still had to attend interviews to get a
contract. The length of the contract varied, and I could be moving contract every 6
months, which meant a new location, new bosses and new colleagues. On a few
occasions it also meant working overseas which isn’t as glamorous as it sounds.

Was starting a business harder or easier than you expected?

In Australia was when I really started a business. I was responsible for everything. It
was harder in some ways because it meant talking to accountants, banks, getting a
business name and a proper set up. It meant finding clients, which I hadn’t had to do
before and there is a lot of conflicting information about how to do that.

Kyle: It sounds like a lot of work, I guess this is the other side of owning a business that you have to do it all it the beginning.

What challenges did you face early on?

A good way to find clients. In some ways it was easier as web designer because you
could get clients by showing previous work, as long as they liked it. If client boasted
about their website, then others were interested in hiring me too. However, as I
moved away from web design it became harder because it became about knowing
who I wanted to serve, how to serve them, and how to find them.

What is one important lesson you have learned?

Find out what lights you up and do more of that, and then you can find systems or
outsource the rest if you can.

Karen’s Advice for Young Entrepreneurs

If a young person wanted to start a business, what advice would you give them?

A business doesn’t happen overnight, and often you can find yourself working longer
hours than if you were an employee. You need a strong reason to get started and to
keep you going. You don’t have to do it all on your own. Ask for help when you need
it, from those who have done what you want to achieve.

Kyle: Thank you. Owning a business sounds like it is not easy but if you are willing to put in the hard work it will give you a lot back too.

What skills are most important for running a business?

You need self-belief in yourself, and that is not something that all of us have when
we get started. Learn to fail quickly. It seems strange writing that since I’m something
of a perfectionist. It’s better to get something out there to test than wait for perfection
and then find out it’s not what people wanted. There are so many ways to see if a
service or training course is needed first before you even create it.

Kyle: Interesting, I would have thought you would need to have it all perfect but this makes sense to try it and see what needs to change.

Is there something you wish you knew before starting?

That people would pay me for a service or course before I’d even created it. I have
sold services simply by posting in a Facebook or speaking to a networking Group
with a link to a booking form. With one service I had forgotten to create a web page
for it and it was still selling very well.

Kyle: Oops – glad it still sold.

If I was to ask you had to explain your job to a 10-year-old, what would you say?

I fix business websites so that they work hard for their business owners. It can be a
fix because something is wrong, or it can be a fix because the website wasn’t
planned properly in the first place. Like a house needs good foundations before it’s
built, so does a website.

I asked Karen Leslie some fun questions to get to know her better…

What if your business was turned into a video game — what would the main objective
be?

I haven’t played a proper video game in years. By proper I mean
something that isn’t a puzzle on my phone. The main objective would be
helping people to make money and get their time back. It would be laying
out journeys to get their client to get closer to them, while I’m there slaying the bad monsters making the journey easier. The bad monsters could be
hackers, spammers, bad web designers, bad hosting companies and I’m
sure there would be other bad monsters. To combat the bad monsters I’d
have my wand and I’d be able to cast spells. Usually I don’t have wings,
but I’m thinking that my wings could be wrapped around my client to shield
them from the bad monsters.

This is how I imagine Karen Leslie in one of my video games. Hope you like it Karen. You sound like a great quest type game. I love those type of games. I think we need more Fairy Godmothers in the world as there is definately some dodgy websites that trick gamers and kids with malware or getting hacked. You do a good job.

What if you could have any superpower — what would it be?

I love that you think of your autism as a superpower since my husband is
dyslexic (such a hard word to spell!) and he thinks of that as his
superpower. My superpower would be mind reading so I could know what
my clients really want. I would have to be able to turn it off sometimes
though because I may not want to know what everyone thinks of me!

Kyle: I can see mind reading would be helpful with your work but turning been able to turn it off is really important otherwise it will be a bit like when you have Autism, the noise from others makes it hard think.

What if you could learn one thing instantly to improve your business —
what would it be?

Selling and marketing. There used to be and old children’s show from the
1960’s called Joe 90 ( I found a Youtube link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAgVwp5OODc). I used to watch that
show and think how cool it was that a computer could download all those
skills into his head. We have AI now but it’s not the same as having the
knowledge and knowing how best to use it. If I knew more sales and
marketing I think I could have more leads, and therefore more clients.

Kyle: Wow that looks like an interesting show.

Music, silence, or background noise when working?

I like to have music going because that can change my mood. Upbeat
music can lift my mood if I’m about to do something I’m not crazy about
doing.

Messy desk or super organised desk? I ask because mine is very
messy

Messy desk. Even though I have organisers on my desk. I mean to put
things away every night but it doesn’t always happen.

Kyle: That is so like me

Do you prefer planning everything or figuring things out as you go?

Both. I like to have a plan because if I get too off track I have something
to go back to that I thought about and worked out without any stress
forcing my decisions. However, I don’t want that to stop my from
implementing sudden ideas and going with them. A good example of this
is giving away discount in my birthday month of April. I hadn’t done it
before and it sounded like a fun thing to try.

Kyle: Good month to be born.

Why Karen Leslie is supporting KH World/Jamboree

Firstly your Mum, Anita, asked. I can’t stress how important asking for something is
when you want it.

Secondly, I was impressed with all that you’re doing to get yourself to the Scout
Jamboree. I used to be a Rotarian, and they have various programs for teenagers
upwards and some of those programs need some of the funding coming from the
student. I’m seeing you put more effort into this than some of those older students.

Do you have a favourite blog, YouTube or an offer you’d like to share with my audience?

There is a song called Know Your Worth by Carmichael Musiclover. We all need to
know our worth and value ourselves and each other.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXCgiPeLa58

Kyle: A great song. I am also going to share that you have some free resources on your website such as: Basic WP Maintanence Checklist because things like that are helpful to people like that me who are new to having a WordPress Website and don’t realise what else needs to be done other than just writing articles for it.

Other ways to connect with Karen Leslie The WordPress Fairy Godmother

Website:
https://www.kisswpwebsites.com.au/

Social media:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/kisswpwebsites/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karenlleslie/

Other links:
Email: [email protected]

Final Thoughts

I really appreciate The WordPress Fairy Mother, Karen Leslie, supporting my journey. I like she a protecting hero when it comes to website. We learn at school about IT bad guys but Karen helps stop them with her work the work she does.

Something Interesting I Learned From This InterviewI

I think the take away from this interview is the importance of belief in yourself and who you are. I think it is really easy to think we are wrong because we do not do things the same way as others but Karen in this interview shows the magic happens when you beleive in your own unique way of doing things.

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More business interviews are coming soon on KH World, the place where I talk to entrepreneurs and learn how businesses really work. If you would like to be one of them then contact me here.

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