An Interview with Juliana GarciaDelgado, Jungo’s COO and Co-Founder

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An Interview with Juliana GarciaDelgado, Jungo’s COO and Co-Founder

Juliana GarciaDelgado

We recently sat down with Juliana GarciaDelgado, Jungo’s COO and co-founder, to hear her perspective on starting a technology company, the key to excellent leadership, and how Jungo is choosing to handle the current COVID-19 crisis. 

Juliana GarciaDelgado

Juliana GarciaDelgado 

COO and Co-Founder of Jungo 

Jungo: What is involved in your role at Jungo?

Juliana GarciaDelgado: I run operations at Jungo, which means that I’m involved in every department, at a high level. I’m involved with product development and finances, and anything related to process improvements. I also give some input in marketing. 

As always, Jungo is committed to continuous improvement. Therefore, a critical facet of my job is working alongside the Customer Success Team to always be seeking out new and improved ways to serve our clients.

How Jungo Began

Jungo: Can you tell us a bit about how Jungo got started?

Juliana GarciaDelgado: We started our company in 2006 as a marketing consulting company for mortgage and real estate professionals.

We were working with a local loan officer at that time, and he asked us, ‘I just got Salesforce, can you build a custom mortgage version for me?’ There weren’t any custom Salesforce solutions for the mortgage industry at the time, so we built the first one. 

When we were all done, his friend said, ‘I want the exact same thing.’ So we did it again, and again. We realized that the solution that we were creating would be applicable to the larger market, so that’s when we started designing a product. 

Surprises and Challenges of Founding Jungo

Jungo: Did you visualize it taking off in the way that it did? 

Juliana GarciaDelgado: Having hundreds of customers seemed like a possibility. But thousands of customers? Absolutely not. 

Jungo: What’s been the most challenging part of starting Jungo? 

Juliana GarciaDelgado: At the beginning, it was really just myself, Mike, and a couple other employees. At that time, I was wearing most of the hats. Doing customer service, billing, and marketing, and Mike was focusing on sales. It was very hard to do everything, and we were working nonstop every single day. 

As time went on, we developed the right team. Now, we experience much different challenges, because we’re managing bigger projects at a higher scale. 

Personal Accomplishments and Role Models

Jungo: What accomplishments are you most proud of?

Juliana GarciaDelgado: I’m very proud of our team. We have the right team around us, and that makes all the difference in the success of our business. 

I’m also very proud of how far we’ve taken Jungo without investment capital or advisors. We’re able to be very flexible as full owners. 

I'm very proud of our team.

Jungo: Is there a person who has made an impact on you as a leader? 

Juliana GarciaDelgado: Well, obviously there are business leaders, like Tony Robbins, who have made a huge impact on my career. 

Additionally, the person who has made the biggest impact on me as a leader is my husband, Dennis. He’s a great leader and very empowering. His support and encouragement and wisdom is what makes me come back stronger and smarter every day. 

Jungo’s Response to COVID-19

Jungo: How are you choosing to approach the current COVID-19 crisis? 

Juliana GarciaDelgado: We are very fortunate that Jungo is completely paperless, which allows us to work remote at any time. So, during this time, our staff is working from home. However, we’re still offering the highest level of customer service through great technology and excellent team communication. 

It was an easy decision for us to do this, and we’re so thankful that we have this ability. The most important thing to us is that our employees feel safe, happy, and supported during this very strange time. 

Lightning Round Questions

Jungo: What is one characteristic that you think that every leader needs? 

Juliana GarciaDelgado: I would say that it’s important to have both empathy and tenacity. However, I probably have more of the tenacity. 

Jungo: What do you wish you could tell yourself when you were just getting started with Jungo? 

Juliana GarciaDelgado: Do more yoga!

Jungo: How would you describe your leadership style? 

Juliana GarciaDelgado: I delegate tasks and stay out of the details. However, I meet with each project owner weekly to make sure that the different projects stay on track. 

Jungo: What is your “secret sauce?” 

Juliana GarciaDelgado: My motto is “Just Do It,” like Nike. That’s how I approach everything I do. 

Jungo: Lastly, what’s next for you and Jungo? 

Juliana GarciaDelgado: Jungo is going to continue to grow in the mortgage and real estate industries. Additionally, we are currently developing products for the Salesforce AppExchange that are not vertical specific, which will allow us to extend our reach to many industries. 

My motto is “Just Do It,” like Nike. That’s how I approach everything I do.

Jungo: Thank you, Juliana! 

Juliana GarciaDelgado: You’re very welcome.

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