Circle: Tell us about Moov Labs and Ghost Plugins.
Cody: Moov Labs is a design agency that builds simple websites for free. We provide small businesses a beautiful, clean, and simple website within their budgets. Ghost Plugins is a growing library of more than 300 free plugins and code snippets for anyone who uses Squarespace. If you end up loving Ghost, you have the option to pay what you want for your favorite plugins and we’ll send that money to the charity of your choice. We call this our Code For Good mission! My team and other Circle members submit new plugins regularly.  Our goal is to reach 500+ free plugins by the end of 2020. 

Circle: What were you doing before launching Moov and Ghost?
Cody: I was in the restaurant industry for about 15 years and I really enjoyed it. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss it. My professional focus did shift when I became really interested in website design and wanted to build a business out of it. Eventually I left the restaurant  industry to focus on growing Moov, which then eventually helped launch Ghost.

I couldn’t fully say goodbye to restaurants though! I’m actually opening a restaurant in the Orange County, California area very soon – which I’m very excited about! PS: Squarespace Circle members will definitely be getting a discount!

Circle: How did you begin building websites?
Cody: I had a bad experience with a designer I hired and ended up trying to build my own website on Squarespace. That’s when I discovered a completely new passion. I wanted to learn more about designing websites, so I started reading online articles, watching YouTube videos, and getting my hands on anything else that would help me learn more about it. I became really intrigued and invested in this new venture. One thing led to another and now I build websites professionally and love what I do. 

My first original impression of Squarespace and the experience I’ve had over the years has kept me loyal to the platform. I really love Squarespace and nothing else seems to match what I love about it. To this day, I don’t build in anything but Squarespace. 

Circle: You have a unique pricing strategy—how’d you develop that?
Cody: I always try to do things a little differently, and I wanted to create something that all small businesses can enjoy within their budgets, which is how the Moov concept came to be. Moov takes a traditional approach to website design and presents it in a whole new way. My own personal experience of building a website with no budget definitely inspired the business (and of course my new found love for Squarespace and website design).

Same thing with Ghost—after doing some of my own research, I noticed that there was nothing like Ghost out there for Squarespace designers and users. There were plugin shops, some great blogs, and other tools, but designers needed more accessible resources. In just a few months I was able to launch the first version of Ghost Plugins.

Circle: How has joining Circle impacted your business and career development?
Cody: Circle has helped from the very beginning. When I was just starting out and still learning, the Circle program helped me grow my knowledge and skills because I was always asking questions and seeking answers to things I needed help with. It was very helpful in getting things done for clients and projects. Huge life saver, especially when I was hitting roadblocks or dead ends. I always found myself turning to the Circle community!

As time went on, I’ve been able to grow and switched from someone needing help to someone helping others within Circle. My team and I have had the privilege of actually working on projects with other designers from Circle and also just helping some Circle members with their questions. Circle has definitely helped introduce both Moov and Ghost into the Squarespace community and form some great, lasting connections with clients and other designers.

Circle: What’s the most interesting project you’ve worked on?
Cody: I had a potential client request an event website for her and her fiancé’s upcoming wedding. She had everything ready to go—the engagement photos were beautiful, the color palette was already set, and she knew exactly what she wanted. It was looking to be a super easy project.

Then, when wrapping up the phone call she said, “One last thing, so instead of having a contact form pop up when you click RSVP, I’d like this image of him cheating on me to pop up with the caption “The Wedding Is Off!” I literally gasped and couldn’t hold in my laughter. Was this genius? Was this insane? Either way, I wanted to do it!

Circle: How does Squarespace help you stand out in your field?
Cody: Squarespace gives us the ability to really create a very beautiful and clean website for each client. We try to finish projects in 14 days or less and Squarespace definitely helps us achieve this timeline with its super clean and easy platform. The building experience is something that you really don’t have to worry about and the aesthetic itself is something that all clients tend to love. Clean and simple!

It also gives us an amazing opportunity to provide a resource to other Squarespace designers and users through shared plugins, code, templates, and other things that some designers don’t realize you can do in Squarespace. Ghost’s website is actually built using Squarespace, which shows how much you can do with the platform and what you can do with what you learn from Circle.

Circle: What advice would you give a new designer?
Cody: Stop thinking and join Circle already! There are so many benefits of being part of this community. From the connections, to help from other creatives, Circle is the perfect place – it’s where everyone who enjoys Squarespace can come together as a community. I’m in the Forum literally everyday—whether that’s looking at new posts, answering user questions, or just talking to other Squarespace designers in messages. 

Circle: What would you tell your former self to do differently?
Cody: Be patient, be patient, be patient. The old me was so impatient and I wanted to get things done right that very second. Take your time and don’t rush things, it will show in your work—put in the dedicated time and effort into creating something great. Whether that’s a website design or the business itself, it will pay off! 

Special thanks to Cody for sharing his story.
To learn more about Cody, visit Moov Labs and Ghost Plugins.