Alex Castro

Where It All Started

I came in as a computer tech doing repairs. Got good at it, kept taking on more, and eventually they gave me the keys to the whole place. Ran the business for over a year.

What I Actually Did:

• Ran the business: Made sure we were making money and things didn't fall apart
• Managed 8 people: Hired, trained, made sure everyone was doing their job
• Handled the money: Kept track of costs, revenue, made sure we stayed profitable
• Inventory & vendors: Ordered parts, dealt with suppliers, kept stock levels right
• Reports: Built reports so I could see what was working and what wasn't
• Customer issues: When things got escalated, they came to me

What I Learned:

This is where I learned that if you're responsible for something, you better measure it. Managing people and being on the hook for the business's success taught me to think in systems—what can break, what needs tracking, what can be improved.

Expanding into Sales & Marketing

Worked as a call agent selling print and online advertising in Houston, Texas. This role marked my transition from technical work to business development and sales.

Core Activities:

• Print & Digital Advertising Sales: Successfully sold advertising solutions to businesses across Houston
• CRM Management: Utilized company CRM systems for effective lead management and client tracking
• Lead Generation: Learned and implemented lead scraping techniques to acquire new clients
• Client Prospecting: Developed skills in identifying and qualifying potential advertising clients
• Sales Process Optimization: Gained experience in both traditional and digital advertising sales

Key Learning:

This experience taught me the fundamentals of sales, customer relationship management, and digital marketing strategies. It was crucial in developing my business acumen and understanding of market dynamics.

The Innovation Breakthrough

Started as a BDC representative but quickly identified inefficiencies in VinSolutions and eLeads CRM systems. This led to developing personal tools that enhanced performance, ultimately resulting in a role transition to implement these systems company-wide.

Initial Role & Discovery:

• BDC Operations: Handled customer inquiries and lead management as a BDC representative
• System Analysis: Identified critical inefficiencies in existing CRM workflows
• Problem-Solving Initiative: Took initiative to develop personal productivity tools

Innovation & Development:

• Custom Tool Creation: Developed tools to enhance personal and team performance
• Security Implementation: Added security measures to protect company data
• Performance Reporting: Created comprehensive reporting systems for all agents
• Company-wide Implementation: Successfully rolled out solutions across the organization

Impact:

This role marked my transition from user to creator, significantly enhancing overall operational effectiveness and establishing me as an innovative problem-solver within the organization.

Role Evolution & Achievements

Working as a developer at TrueBDC, I focused on creating tools to enhance agent efficiency and productivity. This role marked my transition into AI and automation technologies.

Key Developments:

• Automation Scripts: Developed scripts for automating repetitive processes, significantly reducing manual work
• Click-to-Dial Functionality: Implemented seamless communication tools for agents
• Fast-Refresh Systems: Created systems for real-time lead updates and management
• Batch Processing Tools: Designed tools for handling multiple leads efficiently
• Visual Error Prevention: Implemented visual aids to minimize operational errors
• Real-time Reporting: Developed comprehensive reporting systems for all dealership clients

Impact:

These innovations significantly improved overall company productivity and established me as a key contributor to the organization's technological advancement.

Marketing Manager

Started as a BDR but quickly moved into a technical marketing role. Now I'm the one connecting the dots between marketing and CRM, building the systems that track performance and identifying where things break.

Reporting & Analysis:

• Weekly & Monthly Reports: Build and deliver reports that connect marketing performance with CRM data and call reports
• Speed to Lead Analysis: Identify response time issues and their impact on conversion rates
• Funnel Diagnostics: Find where funnels are failing and propose solutions to fix them
• Marketing + CRM Integration: Create reports that show the full picture from ad click to closed deal

Development & Automation:

• Go High Level: Build automations, workflows, and custom solutions inside GHL
• Websites & Landing Pages: Develop from scratch when campaigns need custom builds
• Complex Reporting Tools: Custom dashboards that pull data from multiple sources
• Process Automation: If something is manual and repetitive, I automate it

The Role:

I identify issues, propose solutions, and build the tools to implement them. Marketing strategy meets technical execution in everything I do here.