Farewell to Kinsta

| Updated on March 26, 2021

Hey everyone! After some very long and difficult deliberation, I have decided to step down from my role as CMO at Kinsta (effective January 2020).

Helping scale the company from a small team to what is now one of the fastest growing managed WordPress hosts in the industry has been hands down the most exciting and proudest moments of my career.

Some of you may not know this, but I was actually one of Kinsta’s first clients (16th to be exact). 😄 I fell in love with their service and mission since day one. And ever since then it has been an adventure!

I joined the Kinsta team in official capacity back in 2016. While that may not seem very long to some, it feels like I’ve known many at Kinsta for a lot longer. Unless you’ve worked at a startup before, it’s hard to put into words just how close you become over a short amount of time. You share everything, from challenges to successes.

I’m proud to call everyone who works at Kinsta, not just colleagues, but friends.

Some fun facts about my time at Kinsta

  • Wrote 297 blog posts, 150 KB articles, 13 case studies, and 55 feature updates.
  • I got the chance to visit the beautiful city of Budapest, Hungary, twice! 🇭🇺
  • Wrote a book about How to Speed up WordPress. 📖
  • Made 884 commits to the Kinsta website.
  • I got to chat with thousands of awesome individuals in the WordPress community.

Why am I leaving?

Long story short, what I didn’t realize was the toll all of those late nights hustling would have on me health-wise. I would call myself a workaholic, and my self-destructing nature, unfortunately, got the best of me. I’ve had significant health issues before in my life, and I know how bad things can get. Therefore I want to make sure I never get to that point again.

So I’ve decided to take a step back and focus on a few of my own projects for the next couple of years while giving myself some time to recharge. On a positive note, Kinsta is by no means a startup anymore. It has indeed become a brand people love and trust in the WordPress community. The team (100+ now) is made up of some of the most talented folks in the industry, and there is no stopping them!

I could never say thanks enough to Mark (Kinsta’s CEO) for letting me be a part of something few ever get to experience.

So long
Img src: Imgflip

So what’s next for me?

Well, you’ll probably see me blogging over at woorkup on a more regular basis. I enjoy writing, and it’s actually quite relaxing for me. I’ll also be working on a couple of premium WordPress plugins that my brother and I develop: Perfmatters, Novashare, and WP Coupons.

I love hiking, so you can count on me spending some more time out on the trails here in Arizona. 🌵

author bio
Brian Jackson

I craft actionable content and develop performance-driven WordPress plugins. Connect on Twitter, subscribe to my newsletter (once a month), or buy me coffee.

52 thoughts on “Farewell to Kinsta”

  1. Brian, it has been an absolute pleasure and privilege working with you. I’m so thankful for and proud of what we have accomplished together. Your work ethic, breadth and depth of knowledge is an example to all 😊

    I’m super sad to see you leave, but health comes first! I hope you recharge and stay recharged. I’ll miss our way-too-early and way-too-late meetings, helping you out every 4 months when you inevitably make your local environment fall over, your insight on projects, sharing a laugh and a fun and fulfilling work environment.

    Thanks for all you’ve done!

    Reply
    • Thanks Daniel!
      Yes, it’s time for a reboot.

      Yes, so many good memories. 🤗 I will miss working with you and am excited to watch Kinsta’s continued growth! Have a great one.

      Reply
  2. It’s been an honor to work with you! Fortunately, I joined Kinsta just in time to meet you, so I had the chance to work with you during an entire year! I learned a lot, thanks to you.
    I’m super sad too, but the health comes first.

    Take care Brian 🤗

    Reply
    • Thanks Christophe! Yes, it was my pleasure to work with you. Keep up the fantastic things you are doing for Kinsta and the French community.

      Reply
  3. Brian,

    Your hard work at Kinsta enabled me to find a new passion for learning something entirely new to me which I found incredibly challenging. I have read, and continue to read every word I possibly can from Kinsta’s blog and KB articles because of the richness of information present. You taught me some of the most difficult aspects of WordPress optimization and Hosting in a memorable fashion. From a humble self-starter, Thank you for all your help!

    I hope you take a well-earned break and I look forward to your continued contributions through woorkup 🙂

    Reply
  4. Hi,

    Your content and marketing has been terrific for Kinsta.

    You couldn’t stay on as a part time content writer since you say writing is relaxing?

    Dale.

    Reply
    • Thanks Dale! I really appreciate that.
      Staying on part-time as a writer was definitely something I considered. But I decided it was time for a complete change. I’m going to refocus/change a lot of my bad work habits, and this is easier to do now that I’m not tied down. Essentially I needed some time to breathe.

      Reply
  5. Brian! We’ll miss you. We appreciate all you contributed to Kinsta over the last 3+ years and you’ll always be an important part of the Kinsta story. Take care of yourself and I’m sure ours paths will converge again at some point down the road.

    Reply
  6. Brian, I’m very sad but I totally understand. It was an honor to work with you and I learned so much in these 2 years at Kinsta reading and tranlating your fantastic articles.
    I wish you the best and hope to see you again.

    Reply
  7. Hi Brian all the best your a great guy does this mean you might have some time to come on the Friday’s WP-Tonic round-table show?

    Reply
  8. Yeah, time to refresh and you should work on yourself now. I think you should be doing meditation and regular workout every day. Whichever sport you like (outdoor), go and have fun with that. Keep yourself happy and stress-free. And yes, avoid coffee! 😛

    Reply
  9. Thank you for everything, Brian. Kinsta would not be anywhere near where it is today of it wasn’t for you. I’m forever grateful for trusting us in the very early days when you joined first as a client and then as a Kinsta team member! Take care of yourself, my friend!

    Reply
    • Thanks Mark for letting me be part of such an awesome team! I’m sure we’ll connect again at some point. Excited to watch Kinsta’s growth.

      Reply
  10. Hi Brian,

    I am sad to see you go. I was always happy reading your blog posts and using Perfmatters for our own and all customer websites.

    Take care and take your time to get well soon.

    Reply
  11. Brian, I have been a Kinsta fan first because of how you presented to the community, and second because it’s actually an excellent host. I can’t count the number of times I have mentioned you in my conversations, talks, meetups — and literally asked people to see what an “I’ll rest when I die” lifestyle looks like.

    You have produced a fantastic amount of content, and I have always appreciated your work and enthusiasm a lot. I hope you’re feeling better and not having any more health issues, as I do am aware of your past (again through the number of posts you wrote about it).

    I will definitely miss you in the context of Kinsta, but I also understand what burnout feels like, sadly a bit way too well. I hope you take care of YOU and make the best of this time.

    I’m here if you need any help. Just holler.
    Peace! ✌️

    Reply
    • Wow, so happy to hear that Ahmad! Thanks for reaching out.
      Ya, things move pretty fast in the online world these days and really easy to fall into bad work habits, which I did.

      I’m sure you’ll still see me sharing Kinsta content, as it’s almost a part of who I am at this point. But also looking forward to getting back to some of my own writing.

      Have a great one!

      Reply
  12. What’s up Brian?

    We don’t know each other at all, but at some point 3-4 years ago I became obsessed with making my website as fast as possible, and ended up coming across various articles and guides you’ve written (some on woorkup, some on keycdn, and eventually at Kinsta), and at this point I’d guess that 95% of what I’ve learned and used to make my sites fast AF I learned from you. So, thanks for that. Also found Kinsta through you and have been happily hosted by them for around 3ish years. Thanks for that, too. Same for perfmatters. Thanks for all of it.

    Take care of yourself. Without your health, the rest doesn’t matter.

    Reply
    • Wow, this made my day J! 😊 So glad that my content has helped with your websites over years.

      But yes, you are correct. Without health, it doesn’t matter.

      Hopefully you will continue to follow both Kinsta and my blog. Have a great one!

      Reply
  13. Health is Wealth.
    Keep Focus on health and Happiness.
    Work You love and keep happy (healthwise). I’ve your book How to Speed Up Your WordPress site on my desk (WordCamp Ahmedabad 2019).
    I always read Kinsta’s articles for tech stuff and love the details.

    I wish you the best and hope to see you again.

    Reply
  14. Good luck with the next steps, Brian.

    It has been fun watching you help Kinsta. The sector needed a shakeup, and that’s what it got.

    Sounds like you’re due a good rest!

    Reply
  15. Brian, thank you!
    I am really happy to see someone put the brakes on to focus on health. I hope you are fully recharged in the coming time.
    Wish you joy and success in your new projects.

    Reply
  16. Sad news for me but I almost totally ruined my health because I could not say “No, I need to take care of my myself” So I do understand.
    Good luck,Sir,in Your future projects!
    It was completely my pleasure!

    Reply
    • Thanks Dimiter! And sorry to hear you went through a similiar experience. Sometimes we work ourselves into bad habits. With all the technology these days it can be hard to step away. Time for a reboot.

      Reply
  17. Kinsta’s got some big shoes to fill. Your approach to marketing, incredible writing skills, and all around awesomeness as a human being are a rarity in today’s world.

    Thanks for all you’ve done with Kinsta, and I look forward to what a recharged Brian Jackson can do 💪🏼.

    Congrats on a difficult yet important decision.

    Reply
    • Hey Dave, 👋
      Thanks, that really does mean a lot.

      And yes, I’m not done yet. Just need a little breather. Looking forward to publishing more content again on woorkup.

      Have a great one!

      Reply
  18. I had the opportunity to work with Brian while he was still at WallaWalla on their PeopleSoft project. As a life long technologist, I respected Brian and his vision. It was great to see Brian move on and up, but it’s also great to see Brian recognize that his well being is the most important thing. Sometimes we let our vision get in the way of our well being. You are a smart young man, and I am sure that whatever you pursue will be successful.

    Reply
    • Oh wow, hey Rachel. It’s been a while.

      Agree 💯 on vision sometimes getting in the way of our own well being. Thanks for reaching out, I appreciate it.

      Have a great one!

      Reply
  19. Brian, I always enjoyed your detailed Wordpress guides. It’s always a little Christmas day when I see an email notification from Kinsta that a new blog post has been published. You’ve helped this beginner a lot!

    Thanks for all you’ve done! Wish you all the best!

    Reply
    • Haha, that is awesome Mike! The Kinsta team has some awesome content writers in place, so they will continue to push out applicable and in-depth tutorials.

      Reply
  20. Oh wow, massive news! No doubt you’ll be sorely missed at Kinsta, but it’s great to see you’ll still be around in the WordPress community.
    What you’ve achieved as CMO at Kinsta is incredibly impressive. Whenever I need an example of a company that’s kicking ass with its content marketing, Kinsta’s my go-to. Your SEO game is next level. You’ve been a game-changer as far as WordPress content goes.
    Wishing you all the best for the next chapter!

    Reply
    • Hey Rae, 👋

      That makes me so happy to hear you have no idea! You know better than anyone how much effort goes into creating quality and in-depth content.

      I’m really proud of my small role in helping Kinsta up their SEO and content game over the years. But not to worry, they have an awesome team in place to keep this going.

      And yes, I’ll still be around. Even though I’ll be taking some time to recharge, you can expect to see more great content on my woorkup blog. 😄

      Reply
  21. Brian,

    You have been a huge blessing not only to our companies, but also to me personally. Your thoughtfulness and willingness to serve, not to mention the unprecedented quality of your WordPress-related blog posts (seriously, you’re the king of that space) have amazed me from the day I first interacted with you.

    And I know the truth about Kinsta: they retain clients because the quality of their product is far and away the best I have seen. But it’s mostly your work that first gets people to Kinsta. After all, businesses with stellar products shut down every day because they didn’t have the marketing they needed to get people through the door. So, congrats on putting Kinsta on the map so that companies like ours can enjoy a great product (and the great people behind it)!

    And if you’ll be on woorkup more regularly, you’ll definitely see me around there. Talk to you soon!

    Thank you again for the blessing you’ve been.

    Reply
    • And ironically, how you describe Kinsta is exactly the reason why I joined them in the first place. Everyone on the team cares about the quality of the product/service, and clients aren’t just treated like a number. I think this is a pivotal part of why Kinsta has been so successful.

      You are correct; marketing is so very important when it comes to businesses succeeding. Fortunately, the Kinsta team now has an incredible marketing team in place to scale even faster. Some exciting things happening there that I can’t share. 😜

      Thanks again Chad, and yes, stay tuned for more blog posts and content on woorkup! Have a great one.

      Reply
  22. Wow! You’re worthy of being celebrated before leaving Kinsta. You’ve done well bruh. Congratulations 🎉

    Reply

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