Meet Jessica: born and raised in Malmö, where she lives with her four-and-a-half-year-old. He's her favorite person to spend time with and through his eyes Jessica gets to experience the world all over again. 🌿 

When she gets a moment to herself, you will find her at the gym, lifting something heavy. 💪 It's her happy place where she reboots and unlocks new energy for the rest of the day.

She also has a creative side. In the evenings, Jessica loves to paint with water coolers — anything colorful, from clouds and soap bubbles to flowers and cupcakes. 👩🏼‍🎨

Fun fact: despite her Spanish last name, Jessica doesn't actually speak Spanish. She grew up with Swedish and Polish, and even holds a teaching degree in Swedish and English. She never put it to use in a classroom though — the IT world pulled her in and she stayed. 💻 But that teaching mindset is still her superpower in support: she knows how to ask the right questions and to adapt her explanations to meet each person where they are.

Jessica, what does a perfect day look like for you?

It depends if I'm working or not! If it's a workday, I'm an early bird, so I love starting before anyone else is in the office. Jakob from the development team is usually in early too, and I really value that morning moment. Sometimes we talk about kids, sometimes we just complain a bit, and I get to run through my tasks before more people start their day. ☀️

If it's a perfect Saturday, then it’s mostly about not having any fixed times. I’m so used to "I need to be at preschool at this time, I need to work at this time", so just going with the flow is what I love. I spend a lot of time with my son, especially outdoors. Usually we’re just going with the flow and do whatever we feel like doing. With him, everything becomes a little adventure. 🌿And then later, I would ask someone to watch him, so I can go to the gym 😏.

Could you share a moment when you felt you really grew professionally?

I think it has to do with realizing that I don't have to have all the answers. 💭 
Earlier in my career, I always felt like I needed to know everything. Over time, I've learned that asking good questions and involving others actually leads to better results and for me, a lot less stress.

I really value my colleagues and enjoy working with people who are so supportive and willing to help each other. I know each person's strengths, so whenever there's a tricky question, I know exactly who to go to. That takes so much pressure off.

What helped me realize this is how open-minded everyone at Younium is. There's no name, shame, or blame culture here, and that really adds to the company spirit. 🤝

What's your go-to office snack?

I've been intermittent fasting for many years, so I don't really snack 😅. I do lunch and dinner, that's it. But I will gladly enjoy a Nocco. Specifically the Gand Sour one. It tastes like sour candy which is my favorite, so that one's always my go-to.

What's your favorite memory with your team?

Definitely our most recent team kickoff in Stockholm. 🎨 We did an artwork session together where we made abstract portraits of each other. That was so much fun. We were given very simple guidelines. For example: 30 seconds to draw the person opposite us, without looking down at our paper and without lifting the pencil. So everything automatically turned into abstract art. We were all a little nervous at first, but it was such a fun experience. I’ll always look back on that time with a smile. ❤️