Empathy Driven Design, The Art of Infrastructure with Christin Zamora

hayleegaffin
Aug 25
3 min read

What would it look like to become a more empathetic business owner? My guest on this episode of Everyday Expert Insights, business infrastructure expert Christin Zamora, says that her clients come to trust them more because she lends them a listening ear.

Listen in as Christin shares her journey from the corporate world to entrepreneurship, which has included several pivots along the way. She shares how business owners can use AI with intention, how learning she was neurodivergent late in life impacted her career, and more.

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From Corporate Life to Solopreneur: Christin’s Journey

Christin began her career working for a consultancy firm, but she quickly realized that corporate life wasn’t for her. She eventually went to art school, where she learned skills like photoshop, Illustrator, and Adobe Suite.

In 2018, she left the corporate world and launched her own business so she could spend more time with her sons. She started as a virtual assistant, and her business has evolved from there. Today, she offers fractional marketing support, which includes backend support, graphic design, and web design. She also sells 3D printed products on Etsy.

Christin’s move from the corporate world into entrepreneurship has had a profound impact on her mental health for the better.

How Being Neurodivergent Impacts Your Business

Christin found out later in life that she was neurodivergent, and it finally put the pieces together when it came for her career. Her diagnosis helped her understand why she wasn’t suited for a corporate environment and thrived as an entrepreneur instead.

She values the fact that she thinks differently than others, and she puts her creativity to use in her business.

What is Empathy Driven Design?

In all of her services and client interactions, Christin leads with empathy. She takes time to understand who her clients are, who their target customer is, and how she can support them. Oftentimes, she ends up taking on the role of a business coach because her clients trust her so much.

Christin’s clients are attracted to her because she’s genuine; what you see is what you get with her. Over the years, she’s developed these soft skills that have helped her connect with clients on a deep level. So many entrepreneurs focus on hard skills, but growing your relational skills is just as important to build a sustainable business.

How to Use AI With Intention

When in the right hands, AI can be an amazing tool for business owners. As a neurodivergent business owner, AI makes Christin’s systems more effective. She uses is it daily to help with communication and task management.

However, it’s important to be ethical with how you use AI. If you use it to write copy for you, you need to check it for accuracy. There are also times when it’s better to use your own genius rather than AI. For example, as an artist, Christin doesn’t appreciate AI generated art.

The Perks of Selling on Etsy

Christin sells several products and services on Etsy, and plans to focus on growing this platform over the next year. Her ultimate goal is to move her products over to her own website, but selling on Etsy comes with several perks, including:

Etsy brings eyes to your products that may not have found you otherwise
The platform is introducing AI tools that make selling easier
Etsy does the marketing for you

It’s important to note that Etsy takes a fee from your sales, but it may be worth it when you consider the perks that the platform offers.

Creating Automated Systems With a Personal Touch

Christin specializes in business infrastructure; however, as a highly empathetic person, she values being personable with her clients. Businesses can take a lesson from Christin and learn to balance automation with a personal touch.

Don’t automate your business so much that your customers never feel like they’re talking to a real human. Use automation tools to enhance how you can serve your clients. For example, good systems can improve your response times to new client inquiries. However, it’s important that those clients see the person behind the automation.