Today’s the day we’ve all been waiting for! It’s time to announce the winner of our 7th lunch giveaway, happily sponsored by Bud Kraus. He creates courses, videos, and articles tailored for WordPress businesses. Bud also hosts the podcast Seriously, BUD?, where WordPress meets real talk.

Learn more: https://joyofwp.com
Podcast: https://seriouslybud.com

Bud is sponsoring a lunch for a WordPress freelancer as part of our 7th giveaway.

MORE ABOUT BUD

Bud has been around WordPress so long, he sometimes forgets where it all began. He isn’t a typical developer. He doesn’t design websites or teach much anymore. Many think he just shows up at WordCamps, chats, laughs, and hops from one event to another. They’re not entirely wrong. But that’s not the full story.

Today, Bud calls himself an educator, a technical writer, and a podcaster. In his own words, he’s finally found what he wants to be when he grows up—if he ever does.

At an age when most people think of retiring, Bud feels he’s just getting started. He writes to explain how things work, learns something new with every project, and shares that joy with others. Tools like ChatGPT? He sees them as writing buddies, not replacements.

In 2024, he launched his podcast, Seriously, BUD? Every week, he invites someone from the WordPress world—but they don’t talk shop. They talk about life. Stories that are real, surprising, and full of heart.

He first stumbled into WordPress in 2009, unaware of the global community he was joining. By 2017, he was speaking at WordCamp NYC at the United Nations. Since then, he’s attended over 15 WordCamps and spoken at many, including WordCamp Europe in Athens.

For Bud, the best part of WordPress isn’t the software. It’s the people.

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ABOUT THE GIVEAWAY

We believed in keeping things simple. No complex rules, no hidden tricks, and certainly no race for likes or shares. Just genuine participation. So, we ran a straightforward poll—one in our WhatsApp group of over 190 freelancers, and another on LinkedIn. After 15 honest votes across both, we are here.

This giveaway isn’t just about free food. It’s about something WordPress has always stood for: connection, contribution, and community. Think of it like this. After hours of debugging, client calls, and ticket replies, you sit down with your fellow WordPressers to share a warm, homemade lunch. That feeling of being seen, supported, and understood is what we’re serving.

As the community grows, we want that spirit to grow with it. That’s why we’ve invited some of the most respected names in WordPress to join us, not just as guests but as part of this shared table.

So far, we’ve delivered six amazing lunches. Today, we celebrate our seventh winner. Scroll down to see snapshots from the last three giveaways. Real WordPress folks. Real meals. And the kind of joy only this community can create.

ABOUT THE GUEST

For our 7th giveaway, Bud is both the sponsor and honorary guest — a rare combo, as these roles are usually separate.

He will be selecting the winner of our 7th lunch giveaway, which ends on Thursday, June 19, 2025.

We didn’t want this to feel like just another lucky draw. So, we added a personal touch. Each participant’s photo, name, role, and a link to their work. This way, our guest judge sees people for who they are. Not just names, but identities. Not just numbers, but stories. Maybe one says “SEO Specialist” and sparks a thought. Maybe another reminds them of their journey.

And who knows, a simple lunch giveaway might open a door to something greater. A conversation, a collaboration, a new beginning.

For now, the list is ready. The stories are waiting. And the decision is in the hands of someone who values real connections, trust, and good energy.

The participant list is all set and waiting for our guest to decide.

Giveaway #007 — 19 June, 2025

Meet the Participants

Abdullah Adil
Web Developer

Hamza Ehsan
SEO Specialist

Ahmad Mujtaba
Web Developer

Zuhad Babar
E-commerce VA

Muhammad Asad
Wordpress Developer

Nadeem Ullah
Mechanical eng.

Adnan H. Pervez
plugin author

Zain Ul Abideen
Wordpress Developer

Usama Javaid
WordPress Developer

Muaz Waheed
Graphic Designer

Hammad Rasheed
Wordpress Developer

Ali Hasnain
Web Developer

Fahad Nasir
Content Writer

Mohsin Ali

Web Developer

We’re sharing this update with you now, but the list of participants will quietly make its way to Bud between 9:00 and 11:00 AM EST. He’ll go through each name, each face, and choose one that speaks to him.

And who knows, he might even share a few words about what caught his eye. Maybe a line. Maybe a story. Maybe a spark.

Fingers crossed. Sometimes, small moments carry the biggest surprises.

Stay tuned. We will announce the 7th lunch giveaway winner in our next post. Good luck to everyone who joined this giveaway!