Vic Ramirez

Vic Ramirez

Am I lucky?

YES.

Things in my life have turned out for the better that were outside my control. About ten years ago, I was hit by a car while riding my bicycle with no helmet. I was rushed to the hospital, and about three weeks later, I was having surgery to remove a previously unknown brain tumor. It changed the trajectory of my life for the better.

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Vic Ramirez

My Achilles Heel is…

Too much of an open-door policy. Poor filing system. Too many interests.

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Vic Ramirez

😬😧🥴 Recently went outside my comfort zone…

Right now. We've got a lot to do, and we are burning daylight. Let's goooo.

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Vic Ramirez

Epic work fails

During screen sharing, I texted not-so-great comments about a discussion.

Chill with the knee-jerk reactions!

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Vic Ramirez

One thing that might surprise you about me…

I can sketch well in software like Miro.

Usually, I explain my thoughts on whatever problem we are trying to understand and get to the next steps. I'll sketch out my thoughts, and people will ask if I'm using my mouse, and I'll explain that I'm using a pen tablet.

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Vic Ramirez

Teammates might misunderstand me as...

Not what they want.

We are getting deep with this one. I don't have all the answers or most, ha. But sometimes, I feel, as a leader, I need to have all the answers and have it all figured out. I'm not an I have all the answers person, but let's figure it out together, person.

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Vic Ramirez

Most fulfilling project I've worked on

RAMFAMBAM (cheesy but whatevs)

It keeps me honest. I want my kids to be kind, guess what I gotta be kind. There's a litany of things to say here. But the principle is I measure success by the quality of relationships I have with my chosen family.

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Vic Ramirez

Proud moment

Really anytime, task-oriented workers would say, 'you listened to us.'

My dad worked in the same steel mill in Chicago for over 40 years. During the last 10 years of working at the steel mill, my dad got the equivalent of a QA role, testing the quality of the steel and taking those results from one machine to an Oracle database. Anything I can do to make people's work roles better, I'm very proud to say I helped improve their work lives.

Vic Ramirez

Something that drives me crazy 😵‍💫 🤬

Opinions held up solely by status/authority. Lack of efficiency.

I grew up having a tremendous amount of fear/respect for authority instilled in me. As I started my career, I always felt that the people in power knew what they were doing and had the answers. Slowly, I became like Dorothy and discovered that the Wizard of Oz is not some magical being but an ordinary person who has been using machines and illusions to create the impression of great power. I learned through many bumps and bruises that I have to confront the reality of my situation and find my inner strength/voice to move forward and not rely on people in power to provide answers. whoa, that was a lot deeper than I was expecting to get ;)

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Vic Ramirez

Best way to get me excited about something

Sell me on the impact on Society, Solutions for Humans, and Karma for me!

Vic Ramirez

How I relax

I have NBA league pass. Put a game on and start browsing thru twitter!

Vic Ramirez

Things I'd love to learn

I definitely want to learn to code more than just basic HTML. Python?!

Ha, I want to build my chatbot. It seems easy until I need Python to do something, and I lose all track of time trying to figure out what mess I'm in.

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Vic Ramirez

I really admire teammates who are…

Prepared. Always blown away when someone comes ready to roll.

One, it means we are probably aligned, and two an efficient use of time!

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Vic Ramirez

When I'm stressed, you might notice me…

I tend to turn inwards and need time to process.

I just need some space.

Vic Ramirez

A fun fact about me is…

I learned to drive when I was 13 and drove to Mexico on the reg w. fam.

I don't have a passion for playing music but I learned to play piano, clarinet, alto-tenor-baritone saxophones.

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Vic Ramirez

What's in my dock

Music in the background is a must!

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Vic Ramirez

My favorite books 📚

Insight into us as a species, how we shape technology, and it, in turn, shapes us back. And a book about a boy and his love for his dogs. It's a coming-of-age story that was super impactful for me when I was younger. And I feel I'm still that boy saving up my money to go out on an adventure.

Vic Ramirez

People who have impacted how I see the 🌍

They are all intensely curious people from different backgrounds reaching the pinnacle of their creative endeavors.

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Vic Ramirez

You can ask me about

Taking a huge ambiguous idea and creating actionable next steps to get us to our ultimate goal. A catalyst of sorts.

Vic Ramirez

My favorite movie

Whether it's the best movie, LeBron vs. Jordan, or the best burger. YOU MUST DEFINE YOUR TERMS. Because it will turn into a free for all opinion-palooza without this precursor. Once I find 99% alignment, I argue about the 1%. David Lynch directed Mulholland Drive and he is a master filmmaker. It's a complex and layered story - non-linear - dreamlike - mood atmosphere - And as the audience, I'm left to my own devices to piece together the film on my own. I'm treated like an adult, ha. Oh, and the performances! Noami Watts - first time in a major film! Definitely not a 1st date type of movie.

Vic Ramirez

Personality type

I've always taken these tests, and some resonate, some don't, - I just think it's context-dependent - Lately, I identify with putting one foot in front of the other, ha. Living life in forward motion.

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Vic Ramirez

Me when sh*t hits the fan

Hahaha - I love this pic. I try to come off chill, but it's more like a duck with my feet underwater, furiously pedaling.

Vic Ramirez

My workplace

Easy - that coffee set up right next to my desk. And the plaque that asks 'What good shall I do today?'

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Vic Ramirez

I work best as a…

I need to understand a strategy before getting to execution. So I will create one when there isn't a well-understood strat or an absence of one. I like the execution part of it because of the control it affords me. I like doing the player/coach thing. But want to slowly move toward the coach's side more and leave execution behind.

Vic Ramirez

Most used emojis

I love all the emojis.

Vic Ramirez

The best environment for me is:

I usually chew on things for a bit and get to the execution once I've cycled through iterations in my head.

Vic Ramirez

I learn best by…

You'll often find me dropping references to things I learned. I learn a lot by sharing what I've learned. I never realized this until I got to work here, but I've always sought out the apprenticeship model to learning aka WBL. I've had an awesome product coach that I've been working with for the last 3 years.

Vic Ramirez

I'm energized at work by…

I love being around purposeful people. If I'm the smartest person in the room, I find my way to another room. If you want to see me get fired up - I love questioning unnecessary protocol/authority. Eliminating waste. I love being a force multiplier, gathering little streams of ideas and flowing them into a river that eventually gushes out into some purposeful ocean.

Vic Ramirez

I like to get feedback when its given…

I love using frameworks. One that works really well for feedback, for me, is the SBI method. Essentially it comes down to framing up the Situation - the Behavior - and the Impact it had. It helps me not personalize things. It also helps with raising a 2 and a 4 year old ;)

Vic Ramirez

My happy place

Roger Ebert said it best: "The movie experience is one of those things that binds us together. It's a form of shared storytelling that we can all participate in. It's not just the story on the screen that we're responding to, it's the experience of watching it with others, feeling their emotions and reactions. It's a communal experience, and that's what makes it so special." Plus its extra special for me when it's a small independent theater. I love supporting local businesses that are passionate about bringing great movies to their communities.

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Vic Ramirez

My core values

I love shaping the new. I love feeling in control of my decisions and my work. Doing work that feels important makes work more meaningful and fulfilling. Having fun makes me feel more connected to my colleagues.

Vic Ramirez

What I'm like at work

I like to show up as an enjoyable person to work with - contribute to a positive and productive work environment - which leads to better collaboration and communication - to drive better results :)

Vic Ramirez

My workplace setup

C O F F E E E E ! An aesthetically pleasing environment! W I N D O W S !

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Vic Ramirez

My areas for growth

So conflict is tough for me. I aspire to a harmonious work environment, but when conflict happens, I've found it's key to stay cool and handle my emotions during tough conversations. Taking a breather helps me make better decisions and prevents things from worsening. And also, I need to model the behavior I want to see from my team ;) One thing I found helps is taking a step back to find alignment on a clear long-term vision, which can lead to making better decisions and staying focused on what's important.

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Vic Ramirez

My superpowers

I like to think I have a positive sense of humor and can almost laugh with anyone. I'm a flexible person, but not like Jimmy bending his thumbs flex but like a tree - my roots are planted... - you get the platitude ;) I've seen this play out and every time it gives me all the feels. Sharing the tidbits I know with someone else and how that can help turn frustration into confidence. Amazeballs every time.

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Vic Ramirez

Things that deeply motivate me…

What I've noticed is that when there is a cluster of these things I am very very very motivated. Being with intentional people - building toward something meaningful. Receptive people that are driven by new ideas, methods, and opportunities that fall outside the normal way of doing things. Harmony - Experience is part of the ROI. Enjoy the journey - cliche. Resourceful environment - growing up, I didn't have much - I needed to squeeze the juice out of everything I got my hands on to get to a practical next step.

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Vic Ramirez

You will make my freakin day if you…

I love music/movie recommendations! I like learning what people are obsessed with - can go deep about. I love learning about you.

Vic Ramirez

My biggest fear

Vic Ramirez

Outside of work, you'll find me...

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