An integrated approach to work and life

I help small business owners create the workflows, systems, and processes they need so they and their businesses can thrive.

Jen Santos

I’m Jen Santos, a US-born, Brazil-based systems and work-life integration consultant. A coach and systems consultant for more than 25 years, I have extensive experience helping businesses of all sizes solve their most complex problems.

Tuning systems to get them humming along the way I know they can is one of my favorite things to do. I take a lot of satisfaction and pride in doing that well, but the big payoff for me is when I see a small business owner whose life just got a lot simpler.

Because for me, it’s about the small business owner and their team, not the business. (A successful business happens to be the byproduct.)

My not-so-secret mission

I’ve spent more than two decades working for US-based companies in various industries and companies of all sizes. And I’ve seen and experienced firsthand what the grind can do to us. When it wears us down, it affects our relationships with others which ripples out to society as a whole.

We are less nice. We are less patient. We don’t show up as the humans we know we can — and want — to be.

I believe small businesses — now more than ever — can help turn that tide and change how we ALL do business:

  • Small businesses have the flexibility to create human-centered processes
  • Their owners are more likely to prioritize a work-life balance
  • They employ a significant amount of the US workforce

I wholeheartedly believe small businesses have the capability and capacity to model a healthy business for corporate America and beyond. To show that it is possible to take care of the customer, the stakeholder, and the employee — all at the same time.

If you share that vision, I’d love to have you join me.

My path to a holistic small business consultant

My post-college path was pretty traditional — I went to work for one of the large IT consultancies, traveled the globe, and loved that life for many, many years. I worked in retail, medical devices, tech startups, banking, global tech, hospitality, and more. I’ve been a solopreneur and worked in family-run businesses, investor-led startups, small businesses, all the way to tech giants.

But the hours and travel took a toll, and my Mom’s passing at the age of 47 was an ever-present reminder that life is short. In my early 30s, I dove headlong into health and wellness, focusing on what I called “Keyboard Athletes” —  business professionals whose long days at the keyboard have a detrimental impact on their physical and mental health.

Burnout. Cybersickness. Overwhelm.

I went on to study fitness — focused on neurophysiology — as well as the science of movement and spent time working as a wellness coach for individuals and companies.

That experience led me to the world of corporate events. There I had the privilege and opportunity to lead technical teams for one of the world’s largest companies and see the transformational power of well-executed in-person and virtual events.

All of that training and experience has informed and led me to my current work as a small business consultant and work-life integration coach. I’m lucky enough to work with amazing people and leaders of all types that also believe in my mission.

Microsoft Ignite 2019

Digital events team

“I’ve always been so inspired by your ability to think clearly and problem solve in the most chaotic of situations and maintain your patience, kindness, and amazing humor while doing so. “

I do love to nerd out

While I gave up on Doctor Who once I moved to Brazil (I still really like 9, which is not always a popular choice), I do consider myself a nerd. I love playing with tools and tech, and the struggle is real not to sign up for the free trial of every new productivity tool that comes on the market.

Some of my nerd skills on display:

  • Deep understanding and experience with web, business, and productivity tools like Notion, Evernote, ClickUp, Trello, Smartsheet, Microsoft Office, WordPress, Mural, MailChimp, AWeber, QuickBooks, WaveApps, Toggl, and more
  • Training and experience in visual tools, including graphic recording, digital collaboration tools, and visual facilitation tools
  • 20+ years of project management and six sigma process improvement training and experience (Siz Sigma Green Belt and former PMP)
  • Coach training with a neuroscience specialty, including five years of in-depth neurophysiology training (Results Certified Coach, International Coaching Federation PCC certified, expired)
  • Former professional competitive speaker

The Brazil connection

If you were reading closely above, you might have caught where I mentioned that I’m Brazil-based. It’s true. I love it here, and it influences my work.

I live in perpetually-sunny Salvador, Brazil — a city I fell in love with in 2013 for its warm, friendly people and work-to-live lifestyle. Stepping out on the street every day is a reminder of why this work matters to me.

I do my best to model what I teach and can often be found working unconventional hours to take advantage of all the city and region offer. Museums, shows, cultural events, a thriving arts community, UNESCO World Heritage sites, breathtaking nature, and amazing people are a gift to me every day.

On Saturdays, you can find me in the city’s historical center, the Pelourinho, playing with a samba-reggae street band, Movimento Percussivo.

Let's explore how we can partner together

fist bump

Put my 25+ years of systems and process experience to streamline your business systems.

I've worked with organizations ranging from technology household names to four-person startups making their marketing, IT, and business operations processes hum along.

Book a no-obligation call