In this week’s Meet the Zauian, we catch up with Nadine Dauberman, our resident Support Lead.
As a tourism industry veteran, Nadine brings a wealth of experience and tourism management expertise to the team. She’s well-versed when it comes to the ins and outs of the product, having used Zaui extensively during her time at Landsea Tours & Adventures.
Nadine is the go-to resource when it comes to product questions, advanced troubleshooting, QA testing upcoming features, along with a laundry list of items. Above all else, you can count on her willingness to dive right into customer challenges and ensure they come out from the other side, satisfied.
When she is not in the Zaui world, she enjoys fishing, painting, making jewelry, crocheting, and sewing. And she is a great fan of Harry Potter movies!
Why do you enjoy working at Zaui as a Support Lead?
Every day is a new day, a new challenge, a new opportunity to learn. The doors to learning something new are always open, and the management team is so willing to help you grow both personally and professionally.
I love every part of my job, from working with clients 1-1 to working with coworkers from different teams. I enjoy getting my hands dirty and tinkering, and my job allows me to do that every day!
What’s one thing that surprised you about working at Zaui?
When I started, the company had been working remotely. It was nothing like what I was used to since I had always worked in an office. I had no idea what to expect, but the team was super welcoming. We had some virtual get-togethers, we had a beach day, and we touched base every day.
Everyone was used to working in an office but transitioned to working remotely while maintaining an awesome company culture! It was a great experience.
My Favourite Quote:
Around here, however, we don’t look backwards for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we’re curious… and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.
Walt Disney
The best compliment you heard from your manager?
I think the best compliment that I’ve received to date from my manager had to do with our communication. I was worried that I didn’t include him in enough conversations, or maybe I included him in too many conversations, but he confirmed that the balance was perfect and nothing needed to change.
This one has definitely stuck with me since remote work is new for me, and overthinking happens to be one of my special skills, so hearing that was a good feeling!
What helps you feel connected to your coworkers while working remotely?
We don’t always talk about work. We enjoy some shenanigans along the way. Sometimes when things get too intense, we play a little online game for a few minutes.
So far, my favourite is one similar to Pictionary, but I’m not very good at it. I’m also a huge fan of gifs and have some giphy battles; they always make for a good laugh.
I feel it can definitely be challenging to open up to coworkers when you haven’t met them in person, so I also love the conversations where we’re just simply learning random facts about each other!
What do you enjoy doing when you are not working?
I enjoy doing a variety of things. I have too many hobbies and not enough time. I enjoy journaling, painting, jewelry making and crocheting.
I’m working on my drawing and sewing skills. I’m also getting more into soap making and essential oils!
Together with my partner, we enjoy both lake and ocean fishing. The most random “catch” I’ve ever gotten was a Sun Star!
What’s the biggest misconception people have about your position?
My job is very admin-focused. I work a lot on developing and tweaking processes and help troubleshoot issues that my coworkers are working on. I don’t interact directly with our clients as much as people think I do. I guess I’m more behind the scenes.
If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would you choose?
Do pets count? I know my cat has a pretty stressful life since she has to choose the best spot to sleep in or what toys belong where and reminding me that she just doesn’t get enough food in a day.
I think I could handle being her for a day. Maybe I would understand how she’s close to starving 5 minutes after finishing breakfast!
What do you do to turn things around when you’re having a bad day?
It depends on the type of bad day. Usually, I set aside some quiet time to journal. Journaling for me is drawing, colouring or planning.
Sometimes I turn off all electronics and enjoy a session of yoga. I also enjoy picking out an audiobook and going for a walk. If all else fails, I curl up in bed and watch a Disney movie or Harry Potter movie marathon.
What’s your most memorable facepalm moment?
We were driving home from a trip, it was late at night, so I had fallen asleep in the car. I woke up, super groggy, as we were driving past a store called the Blind Factory. I was beyond confused as to what they manufactured/sold there and got super upset.
I asked my partner what they did there and how I felt that they were being very insulting and insensitive to people who are blind. Needless to say, as that conversation kept going and I finally understood, it’s a facepalm moment that still haunts me.
What advice would you give to new Zauians in their first month?
Be prepared to learn a lot not only in your first few months but throughout your career, the learning will never stop!
What volunteering or passion projects do you have outside of work?
Before the pandemic, I was a volleyball coach for a local club that worked with U14 to U18 age groups. These days, I have a small business that I started in 2019 with my mom!