Hi, I'm Dani Adelman, the Director of Operations at TEN7. The Director of Operations I see as the overseer of all of the business operations. So, from the time we talk with a new client, to the time we start the project, all of the process related things that go into making sure we take that project from start to finish, including managing all of the internal people at TEN7, the client. I have a hand in every part of the business.
I have always been obsessed with organization, even when I was a child organizing the things in my room.
I know that usually you hear that the human brain isn't capable of multitasking, but I think mine actually is. I can do five things at once and keep track of all of them and get them done quickly. So, I'm really good at bopping around to different things, which is a huge part of every day in the life of the Director of Operations, because there's always so many different things going on, it’s never just one thing, every day is not the same.
Along with that, probably my best quality as a human being is adaptability. So, I can adapt to changes, new situations, interruptions in the day, none of that really phases me. And I think that's really important that I can keep things running and I don't get set off course very easily.
I feel like I'm not as productive when I have less going on. I need there to be a lot happening for me to really thrive. That just works for me.
My path to TEN7 actually begins many years ago, probably maybe eight years ago at this point. I actually applied for a job with TEN7 maybe in 2012 or 2013. And I had gotten a job offer somewhere else at the same time that TEN7 offered me a job and at the time I took the other job.
But we kind of stayed in touch and just kept reconnecting every two or three years.
I ended up coming on board as a contractor for about five hours a week; it was very little. I was helping the project manager at the time with basically anything that he didn't really have time to do or want to do.
I ended up getting a job offer in San Diego for a remote company. I told Ivan about it, and he immediately said, “Have you accepted it? Don’t take it. I want to talk about hiring you.”
So, Ivan and I basically sat down together that day and created a position for me, which was Director of Operations, which is what I wanted to be doing. I knew instantly when he said he could make a position for me that I was going to take it. There was no question for me.
Anyone who starts working for TEN7, Ivan is the first person you meet, and it's very clear immediately you can feel, Okay, this is good energy. This is a good person. This is somebody who really wants to help people.
I am infinitely happier working from home. Because of who I am, I'm definitely more introverted and I'm also very self-motivated. So, working from home is the only way I want to work for the rest of my life. My husband works on film, and so there's potential for him to have to travel a lot. So, it's really nice that I can take my work with me wherever I go. And I don't have to worry about being gone for a long time.
My ultimate motivation in everything I do is helping other people but making other people's lives easier and happier. That's my ultimate motivation. And I get to do that every day with clients with TEN7 employees.
So, I love when I know that I've helped one of our developers get something they need, or just make their job easier, so that they can actually do their job and they don't have to worry about all of the other stuff outside of it that needs to happen in order for them to do their job. And then also making clients happy, delivering what we say we're going to deliver, exceeding their expectations.
Getting feedback from clients is a huge motivator, getting positive feedback. And so really, it's all around the people for me. The people operations side of my job is, I think, the best part of my job for me.
Make Things that Matter? Well, the reason it's important is because we should care about the things that we're creating and putting out into the world. And I really value that about TEN7 in general.
Even if it helps one single person in the world, that's really important. And I think we should feel good about that.
Work takes up a third of your life, basically, at least, and so I think that to just work and not care about who you're working for and what they're doing is not the right approach, for me anyway. I think that there's so much that we can do to better the world, better life for people and we should take advantage of that opportunity when we can and not just go through the motions of doing work.
And that’s what I love about working at TEN7.
This post is part of a series of segments we are calling, TEN7 - Behind the Scenes. They provide a peek behind the curtain of the work we do, showcasing the technical and creative energy that is the “secret sauce” of TEN7.
These posts allow our team to showcase their passion, lessons they have learned, and some of the tips and tricks that only come from dedication to their craft. We hope this series will help you understand the makeup of our team, what it’s like to work with us, and how we might be able to help you! Call us.