If you’ve been around the Zapier Community, you’ve almost certainly come across our first member spotlight guest, Troy Tessalone. Troy is one of our community’s most beloved and active members, along with being a top Certified Zapier Expert!
We sat down with Troy to learn more about how his company, Automation Ace, has scaled with Zapier and how he views community engagement:
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How did Automation Ace come to fruition? What's the story behind Troy?
I've always been interested in technology, the internet, and puzzles, but didn't expect to get into online freelance consulting. I had been working in technical product management at startups for 10 years, and was ready for a change.
While taking some time off to travel, I thought about what capabilities I had that I could offer while crafting a lifestyle career. I knew I was good with learning how to use apps, applying logic, and optimizing operations.I clued into the no-code/low-code movement that was gaining momentum, as well as apps becoming built for integrations.
“Automation was an area that caught my attention, where my technical aptitude seemed well suited to be applied. In due time, with a laptop and plenty of hustle, I was able to establish myself in this growing space.
Contributing to the Zapier Community was really my way of proving myself to peers and Zapier, and what I credit with helping me become a Certified Zapier Expert.”
How have you helped folks achieve success with Zapier?
I've been thankful to work with lots of great clients over the years. I enjoy helping newcomers configure their first automations that lead to the true "a-ha" moment. A whole world of possibilities open up once one realizes the powers of programmable productivity.
Users were seeking resources related to automation, for which I've been able to share my knowledge with the Zapier Community and use my skills to provide automation consulting services to clients.
We all rely on professionals to help us get jobs done. From a career in tech, I happen to be an expert when it comes to Zapier and automating workflows with apps.
Any specific tools you’ve found to be extra handy for clients?
For many clients, I've introduced the concept of a “lookup table” to their workflows and Zap configurations.
Lookup tables make Zaps dynamic by allowing data to be translated between apps, and extra data points to be retrieved in a single step.
“Depending on the use case, there are a few apps well suited for being used as a lookup table, which include Airtable, Google Sheets, and now Zapier Tables.
These apps, when used as a lookup table, help reduce the number of similar Zaps needed, which means less points of failure, less maintenance, and less troubleshooting.”
Beyond the realized ROI of automating workflows, lookup tables streamline the setup and support involved and contribute to the other powers of programmable productivity:
- Tally Timesavings
- Always Available
- Act ASAP
- Scale Smarter
- Eliminate Errors
You have helped so many Zapier Community members with their workflows. What motivates you to contribute so much of your time and knowledge to our community?
“Being active in the Zapier Community has allowed me to amplify my automation advice with a worldwide audience.”
Beyond the users I've interacted with on their Zapier Community Topics, I know there are users searching for and finding these topics for which my feedback has directly helped them solve issues related to their Zaps and automation.
Best of all is having a platform to give back directly to the Zapier Community and indirectly to the broader automation community.
Thanks a ton, Troy! We’re so glad to have you here with us. Any parting words?
The Zapier Community is a trove of tips, tricks, and topics, but hey, I'm biased!
We couldn’t agree more! 
