Anyone Can Work With Robots

When Vanessa Loiola walked into the world of industrial engineering and automation, she carried with her a dream kindled by the cinematic flair of Iron Man and a vibrant splash of pink, defying industry norms. Our latest episode invites you into Vanessa's remarkable journey: from her early days in Brazil, through her transformative experiences in Ireland, to the founding of her company, Valoy Automation. Prepare to be inspired by her candid tales of overcoming fears and the trials of entrepreneurship, as she paints a vivid picture of what it takes to thrive in a male-dominated field and the significance of a strong support system.

Connect with Vanessa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessaloiola/

Valoy Automation: https://valoy.ie 

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:15

Hello everybody, welcome back to another episode of Failing For you. It's me, your host, jordan Yates, and today I am joined by a very cool guest. Her name is Vanessa Loyola. She is the founder and CEO of Valoy Automation. So Vanessa really stuck out to me because her graphics always include pink in it. Her logo has pink in it and you know, as a girl, I love pink and I think that her stuff just really sticks out. But beyond that, her personality is super cool. I feel like she does a great job representing women in automation and overall, I'm just excited to have her here. So, vanessa, say hello to everybody.

Speaker 2: 0:59

Hello everybody, thank you very much to have me here, and this is my first podcast, so we're going to learn a lot today.

Speaker 1: 1:10

Yeah well, vanessa, in the truest fashion of Failing For you if you mess up, the listeners are very, very forgiving.

Speaker 2: 1:17

So that's why we love them so much. They show up every week.

Speaker 1: 1:24

It's nice, Vanessa, I want to get started. You and I were kind of mid conversation before. I just like cut off, cut us off and was like let's start recording. I felt like you were saying too much good stuff that I wanted to get on the record. So could you start by just kind of giving us a background of your start in automation and how your company came to be?

Speaker 2: 1:43

Yes, okay. So first of all, I'm from Brazil. I'm living in Ireland right now. I've been here for around seven years. I always had a passion about automation and robotics since I finished college. My background is in industrial engineering. Back then I even post this because it's a funny story how I got in automation I watched a movie Iron man. You probably know about it and I love it, and I was like Jesus, I would love to do that one day. But I was like I don't think I could. And I just had a funny comment with my friend and he said why not, why didn't you try? And I was like I don't know, I just finished college, I don't want to do another degree or whatever. And well, he did not let that go. So and I tried to look for things in automation and I found I found, of course, a post-graduation, I feel things in Brazil, but like it was like it was a lot to invest for a thing that I was not sure, because I mean it was a movie in the back back there, you know, at the end of the day. So I got a like, let's say, a more affordable training course for was like a few weeks or a few days I don't remember right now, was like introduction to robotics and I love it. I was like, yeah, that's it, I'm gonna go. But a lot of things happened after that and I could not, you know, go and find a job in Brazil. I moved to Ireland to learn English and it was like, okay, maybe I should try something here in Ireland. Like I didn't have the knowledge, but I have experience and all my background in big companies in Brazil is like that should help in some way. And I found a company here. They gave me the opportunity to learn to start it and automation with the little knowledge that I have. Back then and since then I just kind of fell in love with the industrial robots and more and more and more. And two years ago I saw kind of gap in the market here and opportunity to do this, exactly what I love, that work just with the robots. So I was working with with other companies, you know, and you don't really just do one thing on your position, you have to do a lot of other things. And like the robots was kind of I don't know 20, 30% of my my day and I was like, no, I want to learn more, I want like there are so many brands over there and I saw a gap here. That is like not many robots programmers in Ireland, and now, after my LinkedIn, I saw that it's kind of probably in Europe as well and other countries, and I saw I was like, okay, I'm going to learn more of the brand. So instead of offering work just with one robot brand, I can work with six, seven, because it's similar. I mean, the software of all the brands are different, but the concept, how you code, it's the same. So it was like. I believe it's like after you learn one language, the other ones can't keep easier. You know something like that, but I would say it's a little more. So I opened the business and I got a few customers, straightway, and since then, like I started with two brands and now I have six. I work with six, six majors, bigger and Brands, robot brands and now I want to add more this year and that's all like for me and I said that one interview before the biggest Problem that I faced when I opened my business was my fear of not, not not working. I was like, oh my goodness, we're gonna do like, if doesn't work, how gonna pay my bills? And but I Like, I believe in myself, like I come to a lot of things and if doesn't work, it's fine. I go back, find another job and just like next year's, like I'm not gonna and Waste that everything. I learn everything. You know. I invest on myself.

Speaker 1: 6:18

So your story is so interesting. It's like, where do I even want to begin? You know, it's like starting from Brazil, moving to Ireland, learning automation, learning English like two very difficult things all at once. And I just have to say, personally, I think it's so cool that you have a friend that was like listen, I'm taking your comment Seriously, you want to be an automation because you liked Iron man. Well, damn it, you're doing it.

Speaker 2: 6:45

And I was like I don't know, I don't know it just let that idea sometimes is like, oh, you know I might do this. And it's like you know that's not some stupid. But my friend, he believed me even though I did not that time, and I was like, are you sure I should try? Like go for it. Yeah, definitely, yeah, I can see. And the funny thing, every time that I was saying to some someone else like, oh, I would like to work in robotics with robots, and Everybody was laughing like even here, when I moved to Ireland After that, the already have the training and everything. When I was in Ireland is like when I was learning English, like I was, you know, part time learning English and those, it's cool, and it was like some I remember that now there was some activity and then was like to practice. You know, english was like we need to talk about the future. Okay, so you, you're gonna tell how, you like, where your plans for the future. And I was saying that to a person. I was like, yeah, I would love, like that's what I want to do when I see myself doing this in the next five years. Jesus, that the guy laughs like for like a minute. Oh no, I was like you're saying, like you work with robots, like come on, like wake up, like, and I was like no, like that's possible. Why are you laughing? It's not. I mean, I'm not saying that they're gonna build a spaceship and fly out to Earth, like it's something that is possible. Funny thing is, after that I think a few months after that like sick there was not even six months after that conversation I got at the job that I told you about it and who asked me to Recommend him to the company. He sent me a message, only I don't remember where. But like Vanessa, did you know? If you're the company, you you are. Now it's hiring so I can apply for? And I just start laughing. It's like I'm for real. You should have typed when, I and then, like I don't remember if I responded or not, but it was like you laugh at me when I said like, and I told him my dream that I would do it, because I was Really determined like that's what I'm gonna do and that's how I see myself. And I think it's really powerful when you dream about it and when you feel it that you can. You know, that's the attraction, I think, of the law and everything when you do that is just. I Would say that I was doing that for like years and then it came along, but like I prepare myself, but like I would see it, I saw a lot of people laughing every time I was, even when I was saying that I was Gonna open my own business, oh Jesus. Like, oh yeah, this is like you're not gonna make it. I was like why not? Oh no, because I, you know I'm not, you're not too young. I was like I'm not that young anymore, like I should try and fail now. Then like, and you know 50, 60, and just regret that I never even try it. You know, absolutely, when you have A focus and you really know what you want, oh, just go for it. I did, that's it. A lot of people laugh now and they're just seeing me driving, so I don't know what they're expecting anymore.

Speaker 1: 10:20

You said look, who's laughing. Now, the perspective of now. You look back. You've been successfully running your business, you've had the years in automation, but at one point you were in that position of trying to get the experience, trying to start your own business. I don't know if you could think about taking us back to how you felt when that person laughed at you for the first time. Did you ever for a second doubt yourself or think maybe he's right? Or were you so self-assured that you were like I'm going to do this. How did you get to that place?

Speaker 2: 10:58

Well, I believe that day I felt like maybe it's not the way I think he, maybe it is something insane, but thank God, I always had good friends to back me up and they had another friend here. Now I was like, no, it's like you should try, it's not a big thing, because what I was dreaming maybe for some people might be crazy, but it was simple. It was just work with automation. It's not something. Oh, I'm going to build a robot. So, yeah, I doubt myself. That day, I probably spent, like the other day, like really in a bad mood. It's like, oh, my goodness, maybe my dream is that crazy, but I had friends that helped me go through. And it's like no, that's you should try. Like, just try, you never know. You know, I think, how it's important to have someone in your life to support you, like my family supported me, my friends supported me back then and nowadays they just see me try and they're so happy with me. It's like, yeah, you can do a lot of things. So it's out to yourself, that's. I think that's the biggest, biggest issue you can eat. Like, when you start doubting yourself, then start having problems.

Speaker 1: 12:21

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. It's like it's always hard when people are negative towards what you're wanting to go after and what you're feeling, because I think something that comes with age and experience and perspective is that if somebody's telling you that, like that sounds crazy, that sounds really hard, it's not because you're not capable, it's because the idea is overwhelming to them and they don't think that they could do it. And they don't they just think, oh, this sounds so complicated, like there's no way she could figure it out, because, like gosh, this is just hard. But in reality, like you said, like you made a plan, you had a process, you had, you know, a good support system, and I think that makes all the difference. And that's why, for me, I'm always willing to put myself out there and try, because you never know, until you try and like you could have failed, it could have went poorly, but you never would have known if you didn't put yourself out there and you definitely wouldn't be where you are today, being a boss-ass business lady owning her own business without having put yourself out there. So I'm really proud of you for doing that, plus a little bit more about the transition period from. You got your experience and automation and then you decided to branch out on your own. Can you take us through that thought process of like where you were in your head? You said you saw this gap in the market. Can you really just drill down into what that gap was and how you thought that you could fill it?

Speaker 2: 13:44

Yes, I worked in two type of companies before I started my own. What we call here in Ireland it's machine builders that build the robot cells, so the design and test and everything. So I used to do most of the connections, you know PLCs, hmi and the robot conveyor sensors, all the integration. So I kind of learned a little bit of everything and it was great. But the thing is because we were like to building all the cell, like the lack of people that knows everything was really like still right nowadays. So if the customer asked them a different brand of the robot that they used to work, they wouldn't have, or they have to hire somebody else, like for another country to come just to program maybe one robot. And because we're always easy, thank God, and we could not learn another brand because, like, we're always working, like always programming something. So it was really hard to go out and those like okay, I was, I want to learn something else, I want to learn another brand. And this was like sorry, we can't. Now you know we can, we can afford, was not about like money ways, was like about days, like we cannot afford to have you a week away just to learn something else. And so then I changed jobs for another reasons and I went to manufacturing and was the same thing, was a lot of robots and I was like, okay, I want to learn, like sorry, it's just you here, I cannot afford to let you go for a few days just to learn. And over there on this manufacturing I saw like another gap. That was like people that maintain the machines, because one thing, like when you buy the robot and you're a robot, sell you need to do service, you need to, you know troubleshooting and things like that. So I noticed like every time they need someone to do something, that was hiring a contractor because that was the only one in a factory and was like 50 robots and 300 machines. So I'm good, but I'm not that good to keep 300, some contractors. And I think the idea came one day that I saw a problem in the robot because was under warranty. I could not fix it Because you know it's like your phone if you open your phone and the warranty, you just lose everything. So I saw the program, the problem, I knew what, how to fix it. But like I told my boss, like I cannot fix it or otherwise you're gonna lose your warranty, you know, because if you need to replace anything, it's money wise. So I told my boss, he called the company. They came, they spent like a day and was like, guys, I mean, I already told you the problem, you just need to fix it. Oh, it's not like this. And it was safety related and I have a really strict value that like I do not bypass safety and the safety was bypassing this machine. And I was like, well, that's not okay. But like I knew what it was like, it's not a big deal. Actually I even told him like you should do this and that no, no, it's bigger than that. It was like you don't know what you're saying and it was like, yeah, I do not know what I'm saying. Fine, then I have 300 machines to take out. I like you take your time. They spend probably like a week or more there back and forward, like and it was like that was money for the company, not for my employer back then, because it was warranty, so he had to pay anything. But the problem was the machine was down for more than a week and we could not work because I did not let them put the machine back in production because of the safety. It was like no safety. It doesn't run Like the robot was running fine, but the safety was not okay, so the operator should not go close to the machine. So, back and forward, I was like, okay, let's call the technician from the brand, because that's a week now. Technician said exactly what I said but, I didn't know what I was talking about. Mic drop, oh, but that day he forgot that. I told him, because it was a week ago, wouldn't it? And that was like goodness, that's not a big deal. So then he just start saying to the technician like the guy is like the top level of the brand, he probably rolled the software. That's how he was, like he knew about all he was talking about. And there was like the guy and oh no, I don't think this guy know what he's talking about. Like this guy literally probably rolled the software. So he knows, like he knows the problem. Anyway, after a lot of discussion and I was like please just listen to him. If you didn't want to listen to me, fine, I'm totally cool, but like, listen to the guy, like he knows. And by the end of, I think, two or three weeks he let the guy, the technician, do his job. He did it, he fixed it. What I told was wrong in the first day. Then I realized I can, there is a gap there because this company it's in the market for like years and they're building cells and so that's the type of service it's on the market If I can fix a machine in like in a few minutes because, as I said, I saw the problem in the first day. I just did not fix it because of the warranty and I even told him how to fix it. I just didn't want to because and I was like, okay, I might look this and I start jumping to myself and was like I might open my own business and like again a friend of mine, why you should not? And then I again my friend, like that talk was like yeah, I might open because like there is a two gaps there that I can see that machine builders need and constantly help with programming the robots, especially when there is a brand that they don't have. And like I can't program a robot in less time than most of my competitors. And now to fix machines, like they go there for a week and I usually fix them in like a day or even an hour every time. Like it was once they went there like for a day and they did not fix the machine. I was off my day off because I'm to fix it. I go back there First thing in the morning. I just was like, yeah, the air was off that there was and they hire a contractor to go there and fix the machine. The person spent the day and he could not see and it was like guys, it's just that simple. But as a friend told me, for me it's simple because I know I love what I do and my mind works a little bit. I should get this knowledge and the way I solve problems and make money of it. That's opportunity. So I got like I saw the gap in the market, I saw my potential, like how, the way I work, and I was like I'm gonna try it. If it doesn't work, I still can go back to do anything else, like I still I was not changing, like what I was doing. I was just focused on one point from you know, from everything else. So if it didn't work, I could go back to manufacturing and it would be just fine because whatever I did in the, let's say, trying would count as experience. So it was like I was not in the end, I was not losing anything. I was just like you know what I'm going to try, I'm going to see how it is. And here I am and I don't know how to regret, like I love it.

Speaker 1: 22:34

It's so cool that, like you said, you just kind of naturally have an inclination towards understanding how to program robotics. Like thank God you watched Iron man. Like what if you never would have known that you had this ability and that you like it's so cool that you accidentally came into this and you're so awesome at it. Like that feels like fate to me. Like that's just like when the stars start to align and you're like, thank goodness, I listened to my gut, because for some reason you just happen to be really good at this. So that is amazing. Now I have a question and so I'm in the United States, I'm in Texas, and here I'm an entrepreneur as well. A lot of people that listen to my podcast are, and in America it's very like entrepreneur focused. It's like you want to start a business. You go start when you pop one up, people side businesses left and right. I'm curious if the culture between growing up in Brazil and then being in Ireland, what is it like starting a business there? Is it like do is it hard to get one going? Like kind of walk us through? Because I wonder culturally like what's different in the mindset when going out on your own?

Speaker 2: 23:45

Well, like in Brazil, I didn't know I had a company in Brazil, that's just kind of my first one here. But like I know in Brazil is a lot of paper. So to open a business like it's really complicated and the paperwork you know, until you get the business running. It's not just about investing, it's just the time and politics and you know just paperwork. But here in Ireland I found really easy I'm comparing to Brazil Easy, like in the paperwork, it's so less paperwork and so less complicated and the government helped a lot of small business, like a lot they had, like there are like free trainings like how you manage your taxes, how you open your own business, Like there's like literally a program like how you open up your own business, so kind of go step by step. They have like how you do your marketing. If you want to learn how to you know post on the internet or things like that or how to sell online. So the government here in Ireland really help people like to open like special small business and then if your business is to, let's say, manufacture something that you're going to hire more people, you have even more help from the government because you're creating jobs. Right now, like I decided just to go on my own just because, as I said, it's kind of new type of business here because I just offer a specific robot programming with like what everybody else offer, like it's the whole robot cell. So it's kind of you can find free lancers but the service is not the same for what I do. So right now I decide go, you know small, and then once I have like all my customers set, then I'm going to start hiring people. But for people, for companies that like is manufacturing, like let's say, you are selling a product that you need to like make that product and you need to hire people, the government help you a lot, haven't even pay half of their sellers. So here in Ireland at least I'm not sure how it's in Brazil right now, as I said that I'm living here for seven years, but I do have friends there that have companies and they say that's kind of still a lot of paperwork and complicated to have an even I'm my staff, but here they help a lot and I found that really easier. Like, as I said, the only the biggest problem that I faced was my fear of not like once I become like. Once I said like yeah, I'm going to try, that's it. Then, everything as I said, a line. I was like the stars, everything a line, and even the name. I was driving. One day I was like what's going to be the name of my company? It was like, yeah, well, no, that's my name at the beginning of my first name and my second name and it's like yeah, that's it. And I even designed my own logo. When you say about the color, I did everything on my own because, like when I started, like okay, I cannot spend a lot of money, because if this doesn't work, you know you need to be conscious about it. So I designed my own logo, I create my own name and everything, Just to have a feel like a paper, to help with the paperwork. But everything else was great. Yeah, I would say here in Ireland it's easier.

Speaker 1: 27:29

That's really cool to know, just because it's so different every place that we live. So I love to hear the perspectives, especially internationally. Now back to the logo. So I feel like, given that we're in sort of a male dominated industry, having a pink logo was a bold move. Can you tell me? How much thought did you put into that? Did you go back and forth on the pink? I'm obsessed. Every time I see it, it sticks out to me.

Speaker 2: 27:56

Because my favorite color is magenta. The logo of the original color it's like magenta it's pink, but a little darker, a little bit darker. But I did not know that information when you print magenta you need to is not all the printers had that color. First of all, yeah. Second, you need to define really specific, like there is a way to send the color to the person who's going to print that. And I didn't have, like I didn't know. I thought like, oh yeah, I have like a thousand colors. I just picked one. I spent probably a day because it's kind of two different shades of pink. So when I I have to make like a business card in the last minute because something happened here, a show like a robotics and automation event here in Ireland, it was like I want to go, you know, just not to do networking, and I didn't have a business card. So I was like, okay, I'm going to just do something really quick and put my logo on it, my name, my email and, you know, went into the have much to do. So when I got the cards, I was pink and was like, oh, it's not pink, it's darker. And I thought it was like we don't print magenta, Like that's not a thing. I was like wait a minute, like you cannot print all the colors I like no. So I was like you know what, I'm a woman, I'm not going to change that. So pink it's fine and that's it Like like. To be honest, a lot of people will notice this, from magenta to pink. And since that was like yeah, I accept that. And every time I was like fine, so I print that to my car as well, the logo, and even my uniform, my uniform, even pinker, because they didn't have the that color, pink, but I just accept. The fact is like you know what that's all Like, but for me it was like oh, but you know, it's a lot of men, my customers, most of men, but just like, that's fine, like a woman, the pink logo, like I'm not hurting anyone and looks so nice. So find out one way or another that you're a woman when you show up and let's say I go like I haven't like a go to event or anything else, that you have a lot of logos, you always going to see my one, because everybody else is like gray, red, not really red, like dark colors, like you know, because black, gray or even orange or something like that, and my one is pink.

Speaker 1: 30:43

Yeah, so it'd be like it's genius, it's marketing genius, and I was like you know what?

Speaker 2: 30:48

That's it. I accept my fact. I was like, yeah, I'm not going to get my magenta. I accept the fact, but even though, if I get that color, people wouldn't see the magenta because it looked pink. Yeah, so that's it. Yeah, and like I love it.

Speaker 1: 31:08

That's so funny.

Speaker 2: 31:10

And I was like you know that's so like people. Now I didn't have any problems, even because I you know that is a lot of men working in it and a lot of people even say, oh, that's kind of like the logo, it's different because like I took the risk.

Speaker 1: 31:28

I love how that worked out so well. I'm sorry you didn't get your magenta, but as a fan of yours and your page, I'm really happy about the pink the accident, as they say. So I love it. But, vanessa, we are just about to the end of our time here. I promise the listeners I try to keep it around 30 minutes because they know I can go on forever. So before we sign off, is there anything else that you wanted to leave them with? Like where can they reach out to you? Where can they find you? Just kind of all your plugs?

Speaker 2: 31:59

Well, you can text me. The end me on LinkedIn. I most online most of the days that, trying to answer like all the message in the same. Sometimes I take one or two days. Or you can go through my website and feel that the contact us and anything like if you need any help with robot programming. I'm like now I'm supporting all over Europe, but there are a few people from the United States that need help and I can't like I'm gonna do something about online training, like at least the introduction to robotics, because a lot of people want to know about it. There is not many over there. It's still like on hold because I need to prepare like a really nice presentation for everybody. But keep an eye on my LinkedIn and gonna be some time soon, I hope Awesome.

Speaker 1: 32:51

Well, I will put all of your links in the description of the episode. So, guys, if you want to look Vanessa up, I will have her LinkedIn, I'll have her website and anything else we will have there below so you can reach out to her, follow her, connect with her, chat with her and, above all, just enjoy the content and, hopefully, if you have a robot in her area that you need programs, you got someone now. Thank you so much for listening and, as always, I'm your host, jordan Yates, and in the meantime I'll be failing for you. See you next week.