Hi, I'm Jackson

Business Process Consultant & Automation Expert

I help fast-growing startups create systems that enable humans to do human work by getting machines to do machine work.

I began my career as a translator: interpreting tech speak for marketers & marketing speak for engineers. This mixture of tech & business skills quickly led me to managing marketing and engineering teams for several startups. Now, I choose to build systems with simple-to-use automation tools like Airtable and Zapier because they can be a faster way to get clients where they want to go.

After working in almost every role inside fast-growing companies, I’ve learned how to see the big picture of how a company operates and how all the little pieces need to fit together in order to create streamlined business processes.

I’m confident I can unravel just about any riddle or problem you send my way. If your current systems aren’t working but the “why” and “how” are still a mystery, I’m here to help.

My core philosophies

Your Systems Need to be Simple

If you can’t explain your systems to a fifth grader, you don’t fully understand them. The easiest way to do this? Keep things simple. Here’s another way to say this that’s used by software devs: “You have to be twice as smart to fix a bug as you were when you wrote the original code.” The same is true when redesigning your automated systems.

Growth Comes With Sacrifices

If we want to automate something, it means we can’t accept every possible variation coming down the pipeline. With focus and clarity, we’ll be able to take one tiny step in a good direction. If you see potential for hiccups you may need to solve further down the line, don’t let it discourage you. Pay attention to what is working and keep moving.

Trust the Person on the Ground

I enjoy working directly with the person who’s closest to the system, the one who struggles to get through the day because of the frequent hang-ups they experience in the current process. They’re already hyper-aware of what’s not working which provides us with invaluable insights as I create a game plan for remedying all of the issues at hand.

Focus on the Pain

Many people have big ideas for things they want to implement into their system, but it’s more important for us to start by solving a real problem that already exists. Is someone in pain over it? No? Then let’s not spend our time on it. It’s better to focus on the “must-haves” that solve real problems than the “nice-to-have” features on our list.

Get to Know Me Beyond My Work

Featured

When I order a drink at the bar, I'll be happy with just about any IPA, but my drink of choice is an old-fashioned — a root beer if we're going non-alcoholic.

I live in Portland, so if my head isn’t buried in Airtable or Zapier, I’m probably hitting the slopes or hiking in the mountains.

One of my personal goals is to learn how to sing well — not for an audition on The Voice but just for fun. Before this, I was learning how to make candles out of old whiskey bottles and challenging myself to run a half marathon with only two weeks of training. 10/10 would not recommend.

I don’t know if I’ve reached foodie status yet, but my friends say I have strong opinions on the ramen and pizza of NYC. Hit me up for recommendations!

I’m a huge archeology nerd. My dream is to head up a dig in Indonesia looking for Homo floresiensis, the hobbit-sized people that hunted Komodo dragons. You know, just for kicks.

I can quote just about every line from Friends. I also believe Joey & Phoebe had WAY more potential than Ross & Rachel. Let’s debate.

I love reading anything from memoirs to fantasy novels, but in a roundabout way, my goal for 2020 was to actually read less… and then quarantine happened. I actually hope to read less in the future.

I’m not that interested in social media, but if I was, my Instagram feed would likely be filled with photos from my pre-pandemic travels, views from National Park hikes, and snapshots from my berry picking adventures and homemade pizza dinner parties.

LET’S WORK TOGETHER

If you want to work with an automation & technology expert who can simplify and streamline your systems so they’re strategically built to handle your fast-growing business, we could be a great match.

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