Production technician and people-oriented jack of all trades with an avid passion for golf
I have been working at Fluicell as Production technician since 2020, a role that I have combined with studying to become a high school teacher and operating a bowling alley. I came to Fluicell after a period of dealing with mental health issues and being here has been a constant throughout the years. For me, learning things through meeting new people and finding ways to improve and create more efficient processes are important motivators. As I am now transitioning to a full-time role at Fluicell, I look forward to doing a lot more of these two things as I focus more of my effort on further developing our production methods.
Artisanal processes at the heart of Fluicell
Everything we do at Fluicell can be traced back to our core microfluidic technology and the tips and printheads that we produce here in-house. Because of this, our production process fills a central role at the heart of the company with a strong impact on Fluicell’s identity. At Fluicell, we take great pride in the precision of our technology and our attention to detail—and our production process is a big part of this. The tip production goes through multiple steps from the initial mask to the finished product, with multiple quality checks along the way. In a way, it is almost an artisanal process. This intimate connection to the technology breeds a deep knowledge of the production process that inspires me to ask questions about how we can improve things even further. Can we make this step more efficient? Can we reduce the production time without sacrificing quality? These are questions that are important drivers for me.
Always striving to improve
Looking for ways to improve is a strong motivating factor for me, not just professionally, but privately as well. Professionally, the way that we have increased production efficiency is something that I get a lot of joy from. When I step into the lab, I get happy from seeing how we will be able to increase output and from thinking of how we can advance things even further. On a more personal level, I am very proud of the journey I have been through in dealing with mental health issues. What I have been through is something that will never go away and will always be a part of me. But I feel a sense of inner strength knowing that however bad things seem, I know that I have the ability to deal with it.
A golfer at heart
Playing golf is something that has always been very dear to me. Beyond the fact that you get to be outside with friends for hours on end while hitting a small ball with a club, golf is for me an excellent way to challenge and compete against yourself. I have always had a competitive mindset and in golf, it is very unforgiving if you are not mentally focused on the game. Your mind can be both your biggest friend and your worst enemy. The margins are so small and there is hardly anything worse than golf on a day where nothing works. There is always a reason to go out on the course and try to improve. It might sound strange, but striving to achieve a level of completion that you will never reach is really something that pushes me forward. As much as it is easy to hate the game on a bad day, nothing makes you forget all of that as a good shot. In the end, love comes out on top – love for the game and love for an inherently social sport that not only lets you spend time with your friends, but also lets you build new friendships with people you meet on the course.