Julianne is our Director of Automation here at Solutions 8, a one-of-a-kind role that keeps the technical cogs turning to help the company run smoothly at all levels.
After working for a local BPO company that sent her home to work during COVID, Julianne decided she liked the arrangement very much but was less keen on what she was actually doing as a job. She set out to find a new job at Onlinejobs.PH and came across a posting for a role as Executive Assistant to the CEO of a digital marketing company. The description posted gave Julianne the impression they didn’t want anybody to apply! It was intimidating, and understandably she felt largely underqualified. Knowing our intrepid Julianne, she found it difficult to resist and eventually applied.
Impressing the boss
“I hopped on a call with Kasim, and he grilled me with all sorts of questions. My palms were sweating throughout the interview. Little did I know, he held the key to the kind of company one could only dream of. A few days later, I met with John, who gave me his time even after being in six meetings that day. That’s when I knew this was an employer who cared about their people. Fortunately, I got the job, and the rest is history!”
While Julianne started out as Executive Assistant, it wasn’t before long she moved up in the ranks and became the company’s Director of Automation. She still does some of the same things from that first role and finds those odd jobs creeping in despite not having much to do with automation.
Look at this girl go
On a regular basis, Julianne works with members across different departments to identify ways the company can automate internal processes and remove the pain points they are encountering related to the software that we use. She mainly deals with Airtable, HighLevel, and Zapier, but takes on tasks outside of these tools every now and then.
“I create workflows, databases, interfaces, custom calendar booking pages and sequences, pages, forms, surveys, and more. From time to time, I am given bigger projects like designing our entire hiring process and creating all the automation for it, or creating an entire Airtable base that keeps track of the team’s managed accounts and calculates their bonuses. I also do research on tools that we could add to our tech stack to make everybody’s lives easier.”
Random tasks might include creating meeting minutes for the leadership meeting, creating certificates of employment for present and previous employees, helping to make sure that our YouTube livestreams go as planned, and more.
What a relief to know Julianne is at the helm!
Our Director of Automation believes that having the opportunity to constantly innovate and problem-solve is the best part of her job. She relishes the challenge of identifying inefficiencies in company workflows and coming up with creative solutions to streamline our processes.
“It’s incredibly rewarding to see how the automation I implement can directly impact and improve the work lives of my colleagues. Moreover, I appreciate the variety in my role. Being involved in diverse projects, from creating comprehensive hiring processes to ensuring smooth YouTube livestreams, keeps my job exciting and allows me to continually grow and develop my skills. Finally, the satisfaction of seeing a complex system work smoothly due to the automation I’ve put in place is truly incomparable. It’s like solving a massive, intricate puzzle—difficult at times, but incredibly fulfilling.”
We need to say it again. What would we do without you, Julianne?
It’s not always easy, but you’d never guess
Obviously, there are challenging aspects of her job such as constantly staying updated with the rapid evolution of technology. With new tools and software emerging regularly, maintaining a comprehensive understanding of the latest best practices and techniques in automation can be demanding.
Additionally, each department within the company has unique needs and workflows. Navigating the complexity of these varying requirements and creating tailored automation solutions that effectively address these needs is a significant challenge.
Another challenge is balancing the need for automation with maintaining the human touch in our processes. While automation can greatly increase efficiency, it’s crucial to ensure that it doesn’t compromise the personal interaction and creativity that are integral to our work.
Lastly, troubleshooting issues or bugs in the system can be a complex and time-consuming process, particularly when dealing with intricate automation systems.
Julianne adds, “However, these challenges also make my job interesting and rewarding.”
No doubt, this is how she won over the boss
“One defining personality trait that makes me effective in my role is my innate propensity for strategic planning and meticulous organization. I find it essential to draft detailed outlines or visual maps of projects, allowing me to view the process from both a broad and granular perspective. This approach is particularly beneficial in the field of automation, where precision and comprehensive analysis are key.”
Having a knack for problem-solving, this meticulousness enables Julianne to dissect intricate scenarios, pinpoint the root causes of inefficiencies, and devise efficient solutions. A minor error or overlooked step could potentially lead to substantial issues, so having a clear, structured plan not only aids in the flawless execution of projects but also facilitates easier troubleshooting should any issues arise.
See? We’re in good hands!
Has Julianne always been this determined?
When she was a kid, Julianne wanted to be a doctor. However, when her dad passed, she understandably never wanted to see the inside of a hospital again. She was still very much interested in science and technology and took the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) strand in senior high school.
“I really didn’t know where to go from there, so I just took the first course that came to mind—Information Technology. I then realized that I didn’t want to code for a living, so I dropped out in my second year. Ironically, I now create and manage automation for a living, and it requires me to code every now and then.”
What a relief to know Julianne is at the helm!
“My fiancé and I share a passion for bodybuilding, which shapes our daily routines and meals. While in prep, we hit the weights six days a week, and meticulously stick to our diet plan. Beyond the realm of fitness, our shared interests include scuba diving and embarking on long road trips. When extended travel isn’t an option, we explore our city, always on the hunt for new spots to savor black coffee.”
And what might Julianne’s go-to productivity trick be? That’s right! Pure black coffee (and Pomodoro). Works every time!
Julianne has two families in her life. The first one is that which she was born into. Her parents taught her many things that she still appreciates today.
“The one thing that has always stuck with me is something my father used to say: ‘Life is what you make of it.’ I’ve learned that you can always rise above any circumstance as long as you have the will and the grit to do it. Inequality exists all around us—income inequality, educational inequality, among others—but where opportunities lack, one can create opportunities by sheer willpower.
I’ve been so broke I could not afford repacked cooking oil which cost $0.16. But I toiled and toiled until I was out of that situation, and I did what my dad told me to. The life I live now is what I made it to be.
The trajectory of your future rests solely in your hands. The choices you make will determine whether you let it slip away wastefully, or mold it into something truly remarkable. Ultimately, the destiny of your path is determined by your actions.”
Her second family is equally important to Julianne and is the one she has created as an adult. It consists of her fiancé, Luigi – otherwise known as Iggy – and a loving Rottweiler, named in honor of a Russian MMA fighter, Khabib.
Their furbaby is a gentle giant—intelligent and affectionate. His favorite pastimes include shredding toys, marking every post at the park, and cuddling, during which he’s virtually immovable. Their family might be small in size, but it brims with love and warmth.
Driven in work, driven in life!
Skydiving is an adventure our colleague is eager to experience at least once. While it might not become a regular pastime, the thrill of venturing into the sky is something Julianne would like to experience.
Her enduring passion is scuba diving, a hobby she plans to pursue her entire lifetime.
“The idea of exchanging the profound depths for dizzying heights—diving not into the sea but from the sky—beckons me to explore it at least once in my journey.”
Food is where the heart is
Dumaguete City, where Julianne lives, is known as the City of Gentle People. The local food scene is flourishing, offering a wide array of top-notch restaurants sure to satisfy any palate. However, for visitors, Julianne urges us to sample a local delicacy called “puto tsokolate,” also known as “puto maya and sikwate.”
Puto maya is a delightful steamed rice cake infused with coconut milk and ginger, while sikwate is a rich Filipino-style hot chocolate. Typically, the sikwate is generously drizzled over the puto maya. Alternatively, it also serves as a delicious dip for pandesal or bread.
We can find this delicious combo at the local market, best visited in the hours of the early morning. It’s not just about the food, but also the cultural experience. Mingle with the locals, witness their daily routines, and observe as people from diverse backgrounds converge to enjoy this treat, or perhaps purchase the day’s fresh produce, or set up their market stalls.
This enriching experience offers you a slice of life from the City of Gentle People, and insight into the heart of Julianne’s home, Dumaguete City.
Music for our ears
- Clair de Lune – Claude Debussy
- The Way You Look Tonight – Frank Sinatra
- The Fallen – Caleb Bryant
These are three songs that Julianne currently has on her playlist. You can’t get more varied than these!
Last but not least
This is our favorite question: if you could invite anyone over for dinner, who would it be and why?
“If I could invite anyone over for dinner, it would be Elon Musk. As someone who works in technology and automation, I admire his innovative mindset and relentless drive. He has revolutionized multiple industries, from electric vehicles with Tesla to space travel with SpaceX, and even in the field of neural technologies with Neuralink.
I would relish the opportunity to discuss his vision for the future, his approach to problem-solving, and how he navigates the challenges that come with pioneering new technological frontiers. Additionally, I’d be interested in understanding his thoughts on the ethical implications of advanced technologies and how he perceives the balance between technological advancement and societal impact.
I believe that the insights from such a conversation could be incredibly valuable in my own professional journey and potentially influence the way I approach my role in automating processes and systems.”
I for one would definitely like to sit at that dinner table!
Jani Kahukiwa
