About Steve: I am Stephen B. Henry — my friends call me Steve — and I am known by many online as the Coach’s Coach and the WordPress Wizard (the Wiz). Despite living in Kansas, that WordPress Wizard nickname has nothing to do with Oz. It comes from Wizard Mithrandir, the Elfin name of Gandolf, the wise old wizard in author J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantastic trilogy, The Lord of the Rings. Long before the movie was even a dream in Peter Jackson’s imaginings, I was an avid fan of the books. My close friends gave me the moniker and I used that name in role-playing games, both online and off. Oh, and you, too, can just call me Steve if you prefer.
Later, in my 20s, my antiques vendor experience would lead me to organize and run three major multi-dealer antique shows of my own. Business was, it seemed, in my blood. Over the years I owned and operated many diverse businesses; a rock shop and hobby store, a used book store and a book search service (pre-Internet, long before Google was even a dream), a security alarm business, a jewelry manufacturing business, a retail gift business, a private investigation firm, a computer sales and service business, and an antique store. I ran a Bulletin Board System (BBS), and was also an Internet service provider (ISP), a website developer, a programmer, and several others. Many were great successes. Some were sold for good value. Some were just closed. And some were miserable failures. But I learned from each of them. I learned what worked, and what did not.
Also, while working for others from time to time, I was a new car salesman, a security sales manager, a corporate facilities administrator, a corporate security supervisor, a roofer (you know, shingles and tar!), an elementary school special education instructor, a high school teacher, a college instructor, a retail manager, a communications consultant, a Director of Security Services, and a Vice President of Information Services. I probably still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up, but I have been doing this coaching and online presence thing for about 30 years now. Maybe it will stick.
Along life’s journey I discovered books (early) and computers (in my late 20s), two things I have continued to embraced and which now form the spine of my current activities. Back in high school, long before personal computers, my dad told me I should take typing class. “You are going to need it one day,” he said. And he was right, of course, though I still wonder how he knew. But touch typing really does come in handy these days.
Building on what others might call a mismatched, ramshackle, or even “dog’s breakfast”, resume, but what I see as significant, important, and invaluable experience, I now consult, guide, and mentor, small business owners, solopreneurs, work-at-home moms, coaches, and other online professionals, from a wide array of disciplines. No matter what they are doing, or trying to do, they most often feel I understand their business problems and needs; and I do, because I have been there!
Drawing from my successes, and my failures too, and building upon my hard-won experience and expertise, I am now a published author, online business consultant, web presence developer, success guide and personal mentor to many current clients. I work with individuals, including both home-based, online, and traditional (brick & mortar) small businesses, providing assistance with planning, marketing, product development, course and product launches, and web presence. I am proficient with business planning, website development, search engine optimization, social media out-reach, marketing — sespecially inbound marketing, mindset, goal setting, and personal success strategies.
My story isn’t much different than many others; maybe even yours. I grew up on a small hobby farm in rural Ontario, Canada. I learned about hard work and business at an early age, helping with my older sister’s newspaper route before I was 12. By age 14 I had my own 128 customer route that took me trudging along miles of country roads in winter snow and summer heat. I ran a greenhouse, selling vegetables in my neighborhood. High school weekends I drove hundreds of miles to sell antiques at shows across the province. 
