The “Culture of Improvement” awards recognize LimeMates who exceptionally live the Limeade culture. The awards – Own It, Anything is Possible, Delight Customers, Speak Plainly, Be It and We’re a Team – ladder up to our six corporate values. An internal nomination committee reviews submissions from fellow LimeMates and selects the winners.
The Own It award goes to Platform Engineer Natalie Tsuleva
Natalie commits herself 100 percent to all projects she works on, and her positive no-complaints attitude sets her apart. She meets with all members of the team to fully understand requirements before diving in. Her latest project used automation to save our configuration team hours on program refreshes and launches.
Here’s what we learned when we sat down to talk with Natalie.
What’s your role at Limeade, and what do you do?
As a platform engineer, I’m responsible for email systems, single sign-on and assessment areas of the Limeade Platform. I lead big projects to improve and automate our product.
How long have you been at Limeade?
Three years.
What keeps you here?
Three reasons come to mind:
- The opportunity to work on interesting projects with smart people
- Being a part of company growth (I started as employee number 38; now we’re at over 170)
- The Limeade culture
What’s one thing not many people know about you?
Before my daughter was born, I was an avid local mountain climber, including Mt. Hood, Mt. Baker and Mt. Rainer. I plan to return to the mountain once my daughter is older.
Where would you take a career-cation?
I’d explore the state of Washington. My family moved here only five years ago, and we still have a lot to see locally here.
How do you destress?
At work, I take puzzle breaks and play ping-pong on occasion. On the weekends, I like to go on hikes with my husband and daughter and ski (downhill, backcountry and cross-country).
What are you working to improve?
Getting more sleep (it’s getting much better now that my daughter is two).
How do you start and end your day?
I start my day with a smile from my daughter, and I try to end it with a cup of tea while reading a book.
What’s one thing that always makes you laugh?
Standing on the summit of a big mountain – once there, you never forget the feeling.
If you could keep only five possessions, what would they be?
I just need three: My house, my camera (so I can take pictures like this) and my climbing gear!
What’s a skill you’d like to learn?
Flying a quadcopter.
Favorite Limeade snack?
Hummus and carrots.
How do you live “Own It?”
When I work on a project, big or small, I make sure that the feature is fast, convenient to use, easy to expand in the future and bug-free. I like to lead projects through all cycles of development – this means gathering requirements, making sure the design suits the requirements, implementing the feature and leading it all the way through deployment night. It’s at that time when all the teamwork becomes a real product.