Spargle meets Willow Le
Willow Le grew up in Vietnam, moved to The Netherlands 20 years ago and started studying here. Now she has been living in Amstelveen for quite some time with her husband and two daughters Esmee and Evie. This means that she lives far away from her wonderful family, they still live in Vietnam. “I definitely try to make it a priority to return annually,” she says.
Inspirator: Everyone can teach you something new!
Book: Quiet, by Susan Cain
Podcast: Jong Beleggen, de podcast
Motto: ‘Heroes are not born, they are cornered’ (source: According to Jim)
“I love the challenges I have to overcome during my work. I don’t see them as something negative, I view them as opportunities for growth.”
What is your current role at what company?
I am currently working at Bidfood as a Product Owner and Web Analytics Consultant l. A., a combination that has been both challenging and highly rewarding. I get most excited about the dynamic synergy between data and development and to be the central point of communication between those two teams. My primary responsibility lies in ensuring the seamless operation of the webshop, while testing and implementing new features aimed at enhancing user experience.
What would be the biggest challenges within your role?
My main challenge is to manage a significant amount of legacy within our systems and technology infrastructure. Our overarching goal, like most organizations, is to grow and develop as fast as possible, but also in a careful way. The presence of legacy makes that more challenging. Besides that the primary challenge lies within our sprints, which span four weeks. Personally, I believe a shorter sprint would be better, but shortening is not feasible, since that would necessitate more frequent releases and every release needs extensive testing, which we would not have enough time for. It’s a balancing act we must navigate because our aim is continual growth.
How have you overcome those challenges, or how do you deal with them now?
I do have to say I love challenges, I think they are necessary in work as well. I start with not perceiving them as negative. Instead, I view them as opportunities for growth. We view progress as taking two steps forward and one step back. Zooming in and zooming out. Moreover, our older legacy systems offer valuable insights, which helps us identify pitfalls we should avoid when integrating new technologies and migrating to a new ecommerce platform. As a matter of fact technology is constantly evolving, which means dealing with legacy is always a ‘challenge’ in a role like mine. However, I embrace it as part of the job and find enjoyment in navigating through it.
“While I was studying Marketing Management, I discovered that I had knack for data.”
Tell us a bit about your previous experiences and roles in your career?
So I started studying Marketing Management. While I was studying I discovered that I had a knack for data. Marketing studies often involve extensive research and data analysis. This naturally led me into the field of setting up systems professionally. For example, at my first job I began implementing Salesforce for the company and training the sales team to use it effectively. After that I moved on to handle campaigns and trading data consolidation, while focusing on providing data analysis to stakeholders. This took me further into the journey of data in other industries namely Finance, Ecommerce and Tech.
Which trends do you see coming in your industry or as a freelancer in 2024?
In my observation, there’s a prevailing trend among companies to prioritize permanent hires over freelancers for open roles. Having experienced both freelancing and permanent positions, I’ve found that my own level of commitment and motivation doesn’t differ between the two. While freelancers enjoy greater flexibility and autonomy, they also bear the weighty responsibility of consistently delivering excellent work to maintain their livelihood. The pressure to secure new projects swiftly if faced with a gap in employment is obviously a concern. But this also applies to permanent hires, you never know what the future holds. I believe that as long as you keep investing in yourself and getting better at what you are good at, you will be an asset in whatever format you choose.
“While freelancers enjoy greater flexibility and autonomy, they also bear the weighly responsibility of consistently delivering excellent work to maintain their livelihood.”
What is your life’ motto?
If you watch the show “According to Jim”; he says something that I found hilarious and brutally honest: ‘Heroes are not born, they are cornered.’ This resonates with me deeply, given my experience starting a new life in a foreign country. Feeling “cornered” pushed me to step up and take control of my destiny. I believe luck is partially a result of our own actions and by making sure you don’t miss out on an opportunity.
Who inspired you the most?
Honestly? Everyone! Every person you interact with can teach you something you did not know yet.
