To learn more about the daily lives of our Team8s working in different parts of the business, we created this blog series featuring some special guests. Today, we sat down with Sloane Burwell, Senior Manager of Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) at 8x8, who’s located in the U.S.

8x8: Sloane, thanks for accepting our invitation. First off, would you mind sharing a few things about yourself with our readers?

Sloane Burwell (SB): Travel, food, art, and fashion are my passions. I don't know if I eat to travel, or travel to eat! I have been to all 50 states, seven Canadian provinces, and 35 countries. I like to take cooking classes when I travel, and I’ve been to cooking schools in France and Thailand.

Art and fashion also make me happy. I collect art, mostly modern and graffiti, and I have a Shepard Fairey piece that I love—fun fact about this piece is that it's the same one that LL Cool J has in his living room!

I also collect vintage fashion and love handbags. I have a huge collection—over 300 items. It’s hard to keep them organized, but I think that’s half the fun.

8x8: What about work, what do you do at 8x8?

SB: I’ve been with 8x8 for just over a year now. I work out of my home office in Columbus, Ohio, as a Senior GRC Manager. What that means, in a very simplified way, is that I help companies and their teams feel safe about our products.

8x8: Did you always know that you wanted to pursue a career in this field?

SB: My family thinks it’s funny that I ended up in compliance because I don't like it when people tell me what to do! But that’s what makes me good at my job.

I don't think that telling people they must comply is effective at all. What is effective is helping people understand why security matters. When they do, they become allies and want to help us protect data and be compliant. That never comes from just telling people what to do. They need to understand. That’s ultimately more successful.

8x8: What do you most like about the work you do at 8x8?

SB: I like untying Gordian knots. The more challenging the issue, the more fun it is for me to unravel. We do challenging work in complicated environments for clients in all sorts of different countries and lines of business. This means that there is a new challenge around every corner, which is always interesting.

“I like untying Gordian knots. The more challenging the issue, the more fun it is for me to unravel.”

8x8: What are your thoughts on hybrid work?

SB: I work from home since there isn't an office nearby. My cats are the best coworkers, and I can accomplish large volumes of work from home. I find in-office work is the best time for forging relationships and building social capital.

8x8: What methods or tools do you rely on to stay on top of your work?

SB: I am old school—I like to write things down. I still love Franklin Covey day planners!

8x8: What do you find most challenging about working from home?

SB: For me, the hardest part about working from home is remembering to block time to do the work. Sometimes, there are more meetings than I would prefer—but it's all a part of the modern work-life balance.

8x8: What is your morning routine for a good day?

SB: I love to get up, make coffee (I've had the same French press for over 10 years), and sit on my porch while I wake up. I can't start the day without perusing Reddit.

8x8: What about after work, how do you recharge?

SB: I have a museum very close to me, and I'm a member. Nothing is as calming as beautiful art in a gorgeous building. And I've never met a restaurant opening I didn't like.

8x8: What’s something surprising that not many people know about you?

SB: I love mustard. I always have at least five different kinds in stock. My favorite this month is Everything Bagel Spice Dijon.

8x8: What would be one piece of advice that you would give to anyone interested in joining our team?

SB: Embrace change! Really lean into it. We are trying new ways of doing things every day. "We've always done it this way” isn't a recipe for success. Change it up!

8x8 is made up of a diverse bunch of more than 2,000 highly driven Team8s determined to shape how businesses communicate and work in today's rapidly changing world.

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Read more in 8x8’s A Day in the Life series: