“Empower Web Creators”: An Interview with Verdi Heinz, Global Community Manager at Elementor

Elementor.com has been at the forefront of the web creation industry since its inception in 2016, offering a cutting-edge platform for developers and content creators alike. Elementor has grown into a vibrant community of 140,000 users and 800+ developers thanks to its focus on open-source technology. Since Elementor's early beta days, Verdi Heinz has been a passionate fan of the platform.

As an experienced website builder dating back to the late 90s, Verdi was immediately drawn to Elementor's simplicity and ease of use. He discovered a supportive community of like-minded web creators while searching for WordPress community members using Elementor as part of his web development processes. 

Despite the competitive nature of the web creation industry, this community operates with a singular vision: to Empower Web Creators, regardless of gender, skin color, religion, or background. The shared love of web creation is what makes Elementor stand out, and has kept Verdi loyal to the company for so long. 

Verdi joins MonstersPost to talk about his journey with Elementor, his role as Community Manager, and his vision for the future of web creation.

MonstersPost: You’ve been a great fan of Elementor since the start of 2016 (we always see you wearing the same t-shirt ?) and are currently their Global Community Manager. What made you stick with them for so long?

Verdi: For the record, I have a whole stack of them and do wear a fresh one every day : ) As for the rest. There is so much to your question. I’m amazed by the spirit of open source, both the community and the mindset. Like a Matryoshka doll, WordPress is inside of that, Elementor inside that, and the 800+ developers adding to the Elementor Ecosystem inside of that. 

I’ve been building websites since the late ’90s, and to this day I love finding new and better ways to do more work in less time. Elementor did this for me even when it was just an early beta. Better yet, I enjoyed working with it more than anything I had used before. It felt more akin to playing with LEGO than using the unnecessarily complex tools I was used to.

As part of my learning process, I searched for other WordPress Community Members who were using this amazing new tool. I found them in a little Facebook group, which has now grown into almost 140.000 people actively helping each other. Even though most of them are competitors, they help each other learn the tool as well as the trade. From how to use Flexbox to your advantage to deal with scope creep and everything in between.

In all our groups and all of the community, it makes no difference what gender you have, how much pigment is in your skin, what god(s) you prefer, where you’re born, or any other discerning factor. All that matters is that we share the same love for Web Creation. Founders Yoni Luksenberg and Ariel Klikstein wrapped this in a singular strong vision: “Empower Web Creators”.

To me, this is not something somebody just made up. It’s my mission as much as any of us at Elementor. We contribute to this in many ways. From creating amazing tools, providing access to our platform, free courses, a network for professionals to find customers, extensive support for content creators and educators, our community, and so much more. We all contribute our knowledge and experience in support of this. Often far past our role.

So, to finally answer your question. This is my tribe; how do you not stick with that?

I love finding new and better ways to do more work in less time. Elementor did this for me even when it was just an early beta.

MonstersPost: Tell us about the biggest challenges you had to overcome on your journey from a promising startup to the best WordPress builder and a huge international community.

Verdi: I can only attest to the community side of things. Besides, most of it is answered in the previous question already. I’ll add this, though; listening is the main thing that helps us overcome challenges. We continuously want to improve ourselves and our entire platform while giving what people need, even over what they ask. We know the mission, we actually care, and we have grit.

MonstersPost: Please, provide a short quote bringing your opinion on why Elementor is the best for WordPress users and creators.

Verdi: Sorry, I would rather give you a challenge instead. Time yourself when building a landing page in whatever tool you’re used to, just don't use any other plugin. Make sure it has at least 7 sections, with a hero section at the top and a contact form at the bottom. Use images, and a video, and maybe even add some subtle movement to the page, as long as it serves your message. Now do it again, exactly the same, but in Elementor. How long did it take you? How did it feel working with these tools? Now you answer the question at the top ?

MonstersPost: It depends on the person's background. Still, anyone will need some practice to figure out how to fine-tune all those widgets. As soon as you learn which “knobs to turn” (to make things look good) you'll be able to create stunning pages in no time. Anyways, I see where you're going with this ?.

MonstersPost: Please, tell our readers what are your current functions as a community manager. Introduce your team and don’t be shy to say some words to welcome web creators to join you.

Verdi: As a community manager, I get to provide the user’s voice in relevant meetings so I may add to the total body of knowledge before decisions are made. Many people don't realize how far we plan ahead and often don’t see how much we take our community members' opinions into account because of that time.

As for the Global Elementor Community team members on Facebook, did you know these are actually all volunteers? Ankush, Anne-Mieke, António, Cristi, Ike, Nick, Nigel, Susan, and Omar are currently active moderators in Global. But we also have Ash, Ziv, Aviva, Angel, Gaby, Asaf, and so many others contributing to this and other groups. The total list would be even longer than my first answer!

We know the mission, we actually care, and we have grit.

MonstersPost: Now we all get used to remote work in a home-office format. However, as far as I know, you joined Elementor living in the Netherlands far away from the rest of the team. What was the hardest and the most beneficial part of a completely remote full-time job for you?

Verdi: By not having to travel daily for work, I get to be with my kids for everything. Every school play, match, lunch, and any other moment that may matter to them. As much as I love Elementor, my wife and kids are everything to me. But not being in the Elementor Office in Tel Aviv every day, I get to see things from a different perspective which can often be very helpful. And even though I do fly over a few times a year, I miss office parties, water-cooler talks, or the simple ability to walk up to someone’s desk.

MonstersPost: You’ve spent 6+ years in one company, is there anything you could have done differently? Are there any things you regret or would like to change about your professional career?

Verdi: No, I embrace both my choices and especially my mistakes. I would not change a single thing. Even if Yoni were to offer me the role of CEO, I’d consider it a downgrade. It would mean far less time in the community than I’m willing to give up.

MonstersPost: You were awarded as a Superdad in 2008 🙂 This is a full-time round-the-clock job - please, reveal your secret on how you achieve a current work-life balance.

Verdi: To set the record straight, I did not receive a reward!! I made that company listing up as a joke among friends but also to remind myself that being a superdad is something you can only continuously aspire to be. Being perceived as having done right by them can only be decided by my kids once they have their own little ones. Until that day, I can only do the best I can by being conscious of their interests, opinions, and needs and spending time with them as much as they’ll let me. The balancing part is less difficult than one would imagine. I use Time Blocks! I’ll be happy to tell you more about that another time.

MonstersPost: Is it hard to get a job at Elementor at the moment? We know that hundreds of WordPress creators all over the globe admire your company and would like to start a career at Elementor. What qualities should a professional have to join your team?

Verdi: Your skills are important, of course. Yet not as much as your mindset, dedication, and understanding of our mission. Skills can be learned, and you should hone them every single day. Truly feeling your purpose and always working towards it, even beyond the role you’re hired for, is what really counts.

Skills can be learned, and you should hone them every single day. Truly feeling your purpose and always working towards it, even beyond the role you’re hired for, is what really counts.

MonstersPost: What should we expect from Elementor in 2023 and the next few years?  What is your vector and what news are you going to bring to the WordPress table?

Verdi: I love the fact your last two words include WordPress. We deeply respect the cradle we were born in and will keep adding to its growth, strength, versatility, and future in general. 2022, for the eye of the public, was a quiet year. Not for us internally. As mentioned before, we plan ahead and can’t wait to show you some of our milestones in 2023. Some will really surprise you, especially when it comes to WordPress. To anyone going to WordCamp Asia and later Europe and US, please drop by our booth for a chat!!

P.S. I’ve recently become the Head of Developer Partnerships. If you have a product that supports or is built for Elementor. Please do reach out to me to see how we may be stronger together.

To sum up

During this insightful interview, Verdi has given us a glimpse into how Elementor works and the challenges he has encountered as a community manager. Although working remotely has its advantages and disadvantages, he values being able to be with his family while still contributing to Elementor's success. 

We would like to thank Verdi for his time and his invaluable insights into the world of website building. With this interview, we hope to inspire others to join the Elementor community and discover how easy it is to build websites.