.Unleash
the potential.
.Unleash
the
potential.
Business & Marketing Strategies.
Business & Marketing Strategies.
Master's in Business Information Systems graduate and tech lover with travel industry experience, developing strategies for transformative growth and market leadership.
Master's in Business Information Systems graduate and tech lover with travel industry experience, developing strategies for transformative growth and market leadership.
Master's in Business Information Systems graduate and tech lover with travel industry experience, developing strategies for transformative growth and market leadership.
Web Design, UX & UI Content Design.
Web Design, UX & UI Content Design.
Using Figma, Framer, Webflow, and WordPress, I create stunning, responsive websites that blend innovative design with intuitive functionality for maximum user engagement.
Using Figma, Framer, Webflow, and WordPress, I create stunning, responsive websites that blend innovative design with intuitive functionality for maximum user engagement.
Using Figma, Framer, Webflow, and WordPress, I create stunning, responsive websites that blend innovative design with intuitive functionality for maximum user engagement.
Data & Business Analysis.
Data & Business Analysis.
Leveraging Tableau and data analysis techniques to uncover insights, drive strategic decisions, and propel business growth with engaging, data-driven storytelling.
Leveraging Tableau and data analysis techniques to uncover insights, drive strategic decisions, and propel business growth with engaging, data-driven storytelling.
Leveraging Tableau and data analysis techniques to uncover insights, drive strategic decisions, and propel business growth with engaging, data-driven storytelling.
Portfolio.
Portfolio.
Mental Health Website
Web Design
Mental Health Website
Web Design
Designed and developed the comprehensive website for the Mental Health Today podcast, enhancing user experience and engagement.
Designed and developed the comprehensive website for the Mental Health Today podcast, enhancing user experience and engagement.
More
Public Speaking Website
Web Design
Public Speaking Website
Web Design
I created Ken Stearn's website from scratch, showcasing my skills in web design and creativity.
I created Ken Stearn's website from scratch, showcasing my skills in web design and creativity.
More
Camera Store
Web Design & Prototyping
Camera Store
Web Design & Prototyping
A camera store prototype was designed on Figma to showcase this idea using vivid colors and images.
A camera store prototype was designed on Figma to showcase this idea using vivid colors and images.
More
Purple Dog eCommerce
UX & Prototyping
Purple Dog eCommerce
UX & Prototyping
Crafted an e-commerce site for dog meals and accessories using Axure RP, enhancing my UX/UI design skills.
Crafted an e-commerce site for dog meals and accessories using Axure RP, enhancing my UX/UI design skills.
More
Portfolio.
Mental Health Website
Web Design
Designed and developed the comprehensive website for the Mental Health Today podcast, enhancing user experience and engagement.
More
Public Speaking Website
Web Design
I created Ken Stearn's website from scratch, showcasing my skills in web design and creativity.
More
Camera Store
Web Design & Prototyping
A camera store prototype was designed on Figma to showcase this idea using vivid colors and images.
More
Purple Dog eCommerce
UX & Prototyping
Crafted an e-commerce site for dog meals and accessories using Axure RP, enhancing my UX/UI design skills.
More
Portfolio.
Mental Health Website
Web Design
Designed and developed the comprehensive website for the Mental Health Today podcast, enhancing user experience and engagement.
More
Public Speaking Website
Web Design
I created Ken Stearn's website from scratch, showcasing my skills in web design and creativity.
More
Camera Store
Web Design & Prototyping
A camera store prototype was designed on Figma to showcase this idea using vivid colors and images.
More
Purple Dog eCommerce
UX & Prototyping
Crafted an e-commerce site for dog meals and accessories using Axure RP, enhancing my UX/UI design skills.
More
Project Blindness VIVID
Content Design
Project Blindness VIVID
Content Design
Project Blindness VIVID
Content Design
Living life presents many challenges for blind people. The visually impaired encounter daily problems that can be quite difficult to overcome.
Project eCommerce
Design & Data Visualisation
Project eCommerce
Design & Data Visualisation
Project eCommerce
Design & Data Visualisation
This project portrays relevant e-commerce data using effective visualization to communicate key goals and metrics. Consistency and clarity were maintained throughout the dashboard to ensure easy understanding.
Project Publishing The Jar Journal
Design
Project Publishing The Jar Journal
Design
Project Publishing The Jar Journal
Design
Developing a self-guided journal, designed and aimed at increasing self-awareness and changing unhealthy habits to pave the way for a more mindful and intentional life.
About.
About.
Who is Diego?
I am an ordinary person who dreams big. I believe everyone has big dreams, don't you? As the saying goes, 'everyone wants to go to the moon, but no one wants to build the spaceship.' Yet, I am determined to take baby steps and build that 'spaceship' to achieve my goals. I believe that with perseverance and determination, success is within my reach.
Why Australia?
Living abroad, I'm often asked what inspired my move. For me, it boils down to one word: challenge. I left Brazil seeking more from life, craving a break from the monotony that had settled in. With over twelve years in the travel industry, each day blending into the next, I realised I yearned for something different. The question lingered: Australia, Ireland, or Canada? After careful consideration, Sydney beckoned. Sydney captivates me with its vibrancy and promise of boundless opportunities. Yet, transitioning to life as a foreigner has presented its hurdles. Distance from loved ones weighs heavy, yet I firmly believe that every worthwhile pursuit demands sacrifice. Sydney, with its safety and enviable quality of life, exemplifies the ideal cityscape. But as with any great privilege, it comes with its price tag. And I've found that the rewards far outweigh the challenges, fueling my determination to thrive in this dynamic metropolis.
What about the studies?
When I first arrived in Australia, I enrolled in a diploma in Leadership and Management. I believed that this course would help me become a better leader by teaching me how to manage people and the workspace effectively. The course equipped me with critical thinking skills and techniques for communicating with influence in the workplace, as well as developing emotional intelligence in myself and others. After completing this course, I decided to explore a new field and enrolled in a certificate, diploma, and advanced diploma in Information Technology. These courses were quite interesting, with numerous assessments covering various areas such as advanced data management information, cyber security, web development, IT strategy and organizational development, systems development, and analysis, and telecommunications network engineering. Despite the challenges, I fell in love with the field and decided to take on another challenge. I enrolled in a master's in Business Information Systems because I wanted to combine my business knowledge with my passion for technology. This course helped me go beyond the traditional aspects of business alongside IT elements. I learned how to use technology to solve issues and streamline systems, how to collect, use, and store data to support the decision-making process, and how to determine which solutions are realistic within their respective sectors.
Another thing?
In between all these studies, I also got involved in acting. It's funny, isn't it?! I loved participating in theatrical plays since I was a kid, but different pathways came up in life, and I left it behind. However, while living here, I noticed some advertisements about acting and thought, "Why not?" Maybe I can be the next Tom Cruise.. hahaha, definitely not. I completed three levels of the acting program offered by the Sydney Theatre School. After that, I decided to audition for NIDA, for the one-year course called Screen Actors Studio. Even though I am a Brazilian guy with an accent, I presented two monologues, one by Shakespeare and another contemporary, and I was one of 12 selected for the course out of over 200 auditionees. It was an amazing experience, during which I learned how to improve my acting skills, play different characters, and dive deep into them. I gained experience in casting and insights into industry practice through practical actor training. I explored acting techniques and developed my vocal, physical, and imaginative dexterity for the screen. It's hard to express how much I learned during the course, and there is no price to say how stunned I was by it. After finishing, I got an agency and did some work, but I wasn't very successful with my tapes, and I had work and university on another side. That's why I decided to pause my acting journey. However, I hope to return to the stage one day because it's a special place where you can express yourself and show the real you.
About.
Who is Diego?
I am an ordinary person who dreams big. I believe everyone has big dreams, don't you? As the saying goes, 'everyone wants to go to the moon, but no one wants to build the spaceship.' Yet, I am determined to take baby steps and build that 'spaceship' to achieve my goals. I believe that with perseverance and determination, success is within my reach.
Why Australia?
Living abroad, I'm often asked what inspired my move. For me, it boils down to one word: challenge. I left Brazil seeking more from life, craving a break from the monotony that had settled in. With over twelve years in the travel industry, each day blending into the next, I realised I yearned for something different. The question lingered: Australia, Ireland, or Canada? After careful consideration, Sydney beckoned. Sydney captivates me with its vibrancy and promise of boundless opportunities. Yet, transitioning to life as a foreigner has presented its hurdles. Distance from loved ones weighs heavy, yet I firmly believe that every worthwhile pursuit demands sacrifice. Sydney, with its safety and enviable quality of life, exemplifies the ideal cityscape. But as with any great privilege, it comes with its price tag. And I've found that the rewards far outweigh the challenges, fueling my determination to thrive in this dynamic metropolis.
What about the studies?
When I first arrived in Australia, I enrolled in a diploma in Leadership and Management. I believed that this course would help me become a better leader by teaching me how to manage people and the workspace effectively. The course equipped me with critical thinking skills and techniques for communicating with influence in the workplace, as well as developing emotional intelligence in myself and others. After completing this course, I decided to explore a new field and enrolled in a certificate, diploma, and advanced diploma in Information Technology. These courses were quite interesting, with numerous assessments covering various areas such as advanced data management information, cyber security, web development, IT strategy and organizational development, systems development, and analysis, and telecommunications network engineering. Despite the challenges, I fell in love with the field and decided to take on another challenge. I enrolled in a master's in Business Information Systems because I wanted to combine my business knowledge with my passion for technology. This course helped me go beyond the traditional aspects of business alongside IT elements. I learned how to use technology to solve issues and streamline systems, how to collect, use, and store data to support the decision-making process, and how to determine which solutions are realistic within their respective sectors.
Another thing?
In between all these studies, I also got involved in acting. It's funny, isn't it?! I loved participating in theatrical plays since I was a kid, but different pathways came up in life, and I left it behind. However, while living here, I noticed some advertisements about acting and thought, "Why not?" Maybe I can be the next Tom Cruise.. hahaha, definitely not. I completed three levels of the acting program offered by the Sydney Theatre School. After that, I decided to audition for NIDA, for the one-year course called Screen Actors Studio. Even though I am a Brazilian guy with an accent, I presented two monologues, one by Shakespeare and another contemporary, and I was one of 12 selected for the course out of over 200 auditionees. It was an amazing experience, during which I learned how to improve my acting skills, play different characters, and dive deep into them. I gained experience in casting and insights into industry practice through practical actor training. I explored acting techniques and developed my vocal, physical, and imaginative dexterity for the screen. It's hard to express how much I learned during the course, and there is no price to say how stunned I was by it. After finishing, I got an agency and did some work, but I wasn't very successful with my tapes, and I had work and university on another side. That's why I decided to pause my acting journey. However, I hope to return to the stage one day because it's a special place where you can express yourself and show the real you.
About.
Who is Diego?
I am an ordinary person who dreams big. I believe everyone has big dreams, don't you? As the saying goes, 'everyone wants to go to the moon, but no one wants to build the spaceship.' Yet, I am determined to take baby steps and build that 'spaceship' to achieve my goals. I believe that with perseverance and determination, success is within my reach.
Why Australia?
Living abroad, I'm often asked what inspired my move. For me, it boils down to one word: challenge. I left Brazil seeking more from life, craving a break from the monotony that had settled in. With over twelve years in the travel industry, each day blending into the next, I realised I yearned for something different. The question lingered: Australia, Ireland, or Canada? After careful consideration, Sydney beckoned. Sydney captivates me with its vibrancy and promise of boundless opportunities. Yet, transitioning to life as a foreigner has presented its hurdles. Distance from loved ones weighs heavy, yet I firmly believe that every worthwhile pursuit demands sacrifice. Sydney, with its safety and enviable quality of life, exemplifies the ideal cityscape. But as with any great privilege, it comes with its price tag. And I've found that the rewards far outweigh the challenges, fueling my determination to thrive in this dynamic metropolis.
What about the studies?
When I first arrived in Australia, I enrolled in a diploma in Leadership and Management. I believed that this course would help me become a better leader by teaching me how to manage people and the workspace effectively. The course equipped me with critical thinking skills and techniques for communicating with influence in the workplace, as well as developing emotional intelligence in myself and others. After completing this course, I decided to explore a new field and enrolled in a certificate, diploma, and advanced diploma in Information Technology. These courses were quite interesting, with numerous assessments covering various areas such as advanced data management information, cyber security, web development, IT strategy and organizational development, systems development, and analysis, and telecommunications network engineering. Despite the challenges, I fell in love with the field and decided to take on another challenge. I enrolled in a master's in Business Information Systems because I wanted to combine my business knowledge with my passion for technology. This course helped me go beyond the traditional aspects of business alongside IT elements. I learned how to use technology to solve issues and streamline systems, how to collect, use, and store data to support the decision-making process, and how to determine which solutions are realistic within their respective sectors.
Another thing?
In between all these studies, I also got involved in acting. It's funny, isn't it?! I loved participating in theatrical plays since I was a kid, but different pathways came up in life, and I left it behind. However, while living here, I noticed some advertisements about acting and thought, "Why not?" Maybe I can be the next Tom Cruise.. hahaha, definitely not. I completed three levels of the acting program offered by the Sydney Theatre School. After that, I decided to audition for NIDA, for the one-year course called Screen Actors Studio. Even though I am a Brazilian guy with an accent, I presented two monologues, one by Shakespeare and another contemporary, and I was one of 12 selected for the course out of over 200 auditionees. It was an amazing experience, during which I learned how to improve my acting skills, play different characters, and dive deep into them. I gained experience in casting and insights into industry practice through practical actor training. I explored acting techniques and developed my vocal, physical, and imaginative dexterity for the screen. It's hard to express how much I learned during the course, and there is no price to say how stunned I was by it. After finishing, I got an agency and did some work, but I wasn't very successful with my tapes, and I had work and university on another side. That's why I decided to pause my acting journey. However, I hope to return to the stage one day because it's a special place where you can express yourself and show the real you.
Ken Stearns
Ken Stearns
Public Speaker & Leadership Development
Public Speaker & Leadership Development
This is a recommendation for Diego Sonoda, who was a social media intern that I hired through the @Acadium platform.
The internship lasted 90 days, and Diego was dedicated to supporting me in my social media requirements. We spent more than 22 hours together just in meetings! He put in much more time & effort than was committed.
His main tasks included refreshing my Ken Stearns website to give it a more professional look and doing the same for the Mental Health Today site. These are typically large projects requiring a team of people, but in this case, it was just Diego. He successfully completed both websites, delivering high-quality, professional, and functional sites. This included handling some complex tasks around AI transactions.
In addition to the website projects, we published a book in which Diego served as the co-producer on Amazon. He played an instrumental role in navigating Amazon’s challenging publishing rules. We also produced a two-page speaker summary sheet. These projects were done collaboratively, involving discussions around ideas, target audiences, and communication strategies. Diego would then take the lead and produce 80% of the work. His ability to understand and integrate all aspects of marketing and branding and to come up with effective solutions is a great talent, not just a skill.
Through our conversations, Diego helped me gain a much better understanding of the brand. His influence is now visually evident across the podcast, YouTube, LinkedIn, and all my brands, giving them a consistent look and feel. He is responsible for that cohesive branding.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Diego always showed up when he said he would. He consistently did more than what was expected of him, communicated and documented his work extremely well, and approached his tasks with great dedication and cleverness. Remarkably, he did all of this out of the kindness of his heart, joining the group to learn and grow, which he did, despite not being compensated. For that, I am super appreciative.
If you ever have the chance to work with, hire, or be a part of Diego's circle, take that chance. He is talented, a good human, and the kind of person you want in your universe.
Debbie Richards
Debbie Richards
Qantas Manager
Qantas Manager
Diego is, without a doubt, one of the most charming, engaging and efficient service staff I have ever had the pleasure to meet. As an onboard manager with Qantas, I would be proud to have such a talented person on my crew!
Diego is, without a doubt, one of the most charming, engaging and efficient service staff I have ever had the pleasure to meet. As an onboard manager with Qantas, I would be proud to have such a talented person on my crew!
John Batchelor
John Batchelor
Director & Actor, NIDA
Director & Actor, NIDA
My feedback for you would be full of smiles and superlatives. Just like you. You are an absolute pleasure to have in the class. You were always ready to jump up and get into the exercises that I set. I hope that you found them helpful. As far as your scene work went, I hope you enjoyed it. I did. It’s a complex scene and I love how you found Megs’ joy and pain. He really needs to bring Martha out of herself, and I think you did an amazing job of that, but he also needs to be rejected at the end and that came across beautifully. Your chemistry with Hande was lovely, you both really seemed to enjoy yourselves. We had so little time to work on that scene that it may seem like a great idea in hindsight, but I’d like you to start believing that you. I think you’re amazing.
Francisco Neto
Francisco Neto
User Experience Design Trainer
User Experience
Design Trainer
Congratulations on your outstanding performance in the User Experience Class for your e-commerce project! You know what they say – “there's always a first time for everything”. You have almost achieved a perfect score, but the highest in 7 years of my lecturing, and I am thrilled to recognise your exceptional work.Your level of professionalism in your planning and reporting is truly commendable. Your attention to detail and effective communication of usability test outcomes elevate your work to an exceptional standard.
Your annotations deserve special mention as they were accurate, detailed, and effectively outlined the functionality of the design. Your attention to detail is evident in your thorough annotations, demonstrating a deep understanding of the subject matter. However, I do note that some instances of repetition could be refined in future projects. Your enthusiasm and dedication to this project are truly impressive. Your exemplary performance sets a high standard for future students in the class. I have no doubt that your skills and knowledge in user experience will lead to tremendous success in your future endeavours.
Keep up the outstanding work, and I eagerly anticipate witnessing your continued growth and accomplishments in the field of user experience! Thank you for your exceptional work and participation.
Congratulations on your outstanding performance in the User Experience Class for your e-commerce project! You know what they say – “there's always a first time for everything”. You have almost achieved a perfect score, but the highest in 7 years of my lecturing, and I am thrilled to recognise your exceptional work.Your level of professionalism in your planning and reporting is truly commendable. Your attention to detail and effective communication of usability test outcomes elevate your work to an exceptional standard.
Your annotations deserve special mention as they were accurate, detailed, and effectively outlined the functionality of the design. Your attention to detail is evident in your thorough annotations, demonstrating a deep understanding of the subject matter. However, I do note that some instances of repetition could be refined in future projects. Your enthusiasm and dedication to this project are truly impressive. Your exemplary performance sets a high standard for future students in the class. I have no doubt that your skills and knowledge in user experience will lead to tremendous success in your future endeavours.
Keep up the outstanding work, and I eagerly anticipate witnessing your continued growth and accomplishments in the field of user experience! Thank you for your exceptional work and participation.
Ariana Prilis
Ariana Prilis
Customer at The Apollo
Customer at
The Apollo
I wanted to leave a shout-out to one of your excellent team members who was our waiter when we dined with you on 15th July 2022 - Diego.
My husband and I celebrated his birthday at Apollo. I had been once before and it was my husband’s first time.
From start to finish, Diego was so so so very attentive, cheerful, polite, caring and lovely. He made an effort to know our names from the booking, recognise the birthday and wish my husband a happy bday, checked to see our glasses were full of water, helped us with the cake we brought, took photos for us, walked us to the door when we left. His manner was just delightful in every way. Nothing was hard, nothing was trouble, he wasn’t stressed. Just ready to help.
He looked like he absolutely loves his job and it was so refreshing. I have often felt that some hospitality workers give off a vibe that their job is very temporary and transient and they don’t care to be there - it is a chore. Diego was the entire opposite of that and embodied the best waiter service I’ve experienced, It really was memorable and stood out from the rest.
He is a gem, don’t let him go!
Please pass on our most sincere thank you to Diego.
I wanted to leave a shout-out to one of your excellent team members who was our waiter when we dined with you on 15th July 2022 - Diego.
My husband and I celebrated his birthday at Apollo. I had been once before and it was my husband’s first time.
From start to finish, Diego was so so so very attentive, cheerful, polite, caring and lovely. He made an effort to know our names from the booking, recognise the birthday and wish my husband a happy bday, checked to see our glasses were full of water, helped us with the cake we brought, took photos for us, walked us to the door when we left. His manner was just delightful in every way. Nothing was hard, nothing was trouble, he wasn’t stressed. Just ready to help.
He looked like he absolutely loves his job and it was so refreshing. I have often felt that some hospitality workers give off a vibe that their job is very temporary and transient and they don’t care to be there - it is a chore. Diego was the entire opposite of that and embodied the best waiter service I’ve experienced, It really was memorable and stood out from the rest.
He is a gem, don’t let him go!
Please pass on our most sincere thank you to Diego.
Ken Stearns
Public Speaker & Leadership Development
This is a recommendation for Diego Sonoda, who was a social media intern that I hired through the @Acadium platform.
The internship lasted 90 days, and Diego was dedicated to supporting me in my social media requirements. We spent more than 22 hours together just in meetings! He put in much more time & effort than was committed.
His main tasks included refreshing my Ken Stearns website to give it a more professional look and doing the same for the Mental Health Today site. These are typically large projects requiring a team of people, but in this case, it was just Diego. He successfully completed both websites, delivering high-quality, professional, and functional sites. This included handling some complex tasks around AI transactions.
In addition to the website projects, we published a book in which Diego served as the co-producer on Amazon. He played an instrumental role in navigating Amazon’s challenging publishing rules. We also produced a two-page speaker summary sheet. These projects were done collaboratively, involving discussions around ideas, target audiences, and communication strategies. Diego would then take the lead and produce 80% of the work. His ability to understand and integrate all aspects of marketing and branding and to come up with effective solutions is a great talent, not just a skill.
Through our conversations, Diego helped me gain a much better understanding of the brand. His influence is now visually evident across the podcast, YouTube, LinkedIn, and all my brands, giving them a consistent look and feel. He is responsible for that cohesive branding.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Diego always showed up when he said he would. He consistently did more than what was expected of him, communicated and documented his work extremely well, and approached his tasks with great dedication and cleverness. Remarkably, he did all of this out of the kindness of his heart, joining the group to learn and grow, which he did, despite not being compensated. For that, I am super appreciative.
If you ever have the chance to work with, hire, or be a part of Diego's circle, take that chance. He is talented, a good human, and the kind of person you want in your universe.
Debbie Richards
Qantas Manager
Diego is, without a doubt, one of the most charming, engaging and efficient service staff I have ever had the pleasure to meet. As an onboard manager with Qantas, I would be proud to have such a talented person on my crew!
John Batchelor
Director & Actor, NIDA
My feedback for you would be full of smiles and superlatives. Just like you. You are an absolute pleasure to have in the class. You were always ready to jump up and get into the exercises that I set. I hope that you found them helpful. As far as your scene work went, I hope you enjoyed it. I did. It’s a complex scene and I love how you found Megs’ joy and pain. He really needs to bring Martha out of herself, and I think you did an amazing job of that, but he also needs to be rejected at the end and that came across beautifully. Your chemistry with Hande was lovely, you both really seemed to enjoy yourselves. We had so little time to work on that scene that it may seem like a great idea in hindsight, but I’d like you to start believing that you. I think you’re amazing.
Francisco Neto
User Experience Design Trainer
Congratulations on your outstanding performance in the User Experience Class for your e-commerce project! You know what they say – “there's always a first time for everything”. You have almost achieved a perfect score, but the highest in 7 years of my lecturing, and I am thrilled to recognise your exceptional work.Your level of professionalism in your planning and reporting is truly commendable. Your attention to detail and effective communication of usability test outcomes elevate your work to an exceptional standard.
Your annotations deserve special mention as they were accurate, detailed, and effectively outlined the functionality of the design. Your attention to detail is evident in your thorough annotations, demonstrating a deep understanding of the subject matter. However, I do note that some instances of repetition could be refined in future projects. Your enthusiasm and dedication to this project are truly impressive. Your exemplary performance sets a high standard for future students in the class. I have no doubt that your skills and knowledge in user experience will lead to tremendous success in your future endeavours.
Keep up the outstanding work, and I eagerly anticipate witnessing your continued growth and accomplishments in the field of user experience! Thank you for your exceptional work and participation.
Ariana Prilis
Customer at The Apollo
I wanted to leave a shout-out to one of your excellent team members who was our waiter when we dined with you on 15th July 2022 - Diego.
My husband and I celebrated his birthday at Apollo. I had been once before and it was my husband’s first time.
From start to finish, Diego was so so so very attentive, cheerful, polite, caring and lovely. He made an effort to know our names from the booking, recognise the birthday and wish my husband a happy bday, checked to see our glasses were full of water, helped us with the cake we brought, took photos for us, walked us to the door when we left. His manner was just delightful in every way. Nothing was hard, nothing was trouble, he wasn’t stressed. Just ready to help.
He looked like he absolutely loves his job and it was so refreshing. I have often felt that some hospitality workers give off a vibe that their job is very temporary and transient and they don’t care to be there - it is a chore. Diego was the entire opposite of that and embodied the best waiter service I’ve experienced, It really was memorable and stood out from the rest.
He is a gem, don’t let him go!
Please pass on our most sincere thank you to Diego.
Ken Stearns
Public Speaker & Leadership Development
This is a recommendation for Diego Sonoda, who was a social media intern that I hired through the @Acadium platform.
The internship lasted 90 days, and Diego was dedicated to supporting me in my social media requirements. We spent more than 22 hours together just in meetings! He put in much more time & effort than was committed.
His main tasks included refreshing my Ken Stearns website to give it a more professional look and doing the same for the Mental Health Today site. These are typically large projects requiring a team of people, but in this case, it was just Diego. He successfully completed both websites, delivering high-quality, professional, and functional sites. This included handling some complex tasks around AI transactions.
In addition to the website projects, we published a book in which Diego served as the co-producer on Amazon. He played an instrumental role in navigating Amazon’s challenging publishing rules. We also produced a two-page speaker summary sheet. These projects were done collaboratively, involving discussions around ideas, target audiences, and communication strategies. Diego would then take the lead and produce 80% of the work. His ability to understand and integrate all aspects of marketing and branding and to come up with effective solutions is a great talent, not just a skill.
Through our conversations, Diego helped me gain a much better understanding of the brand. His influence is now visually evident across the podcast, YouTube, LinkedIn, and all my brands, giving them a consistent look and feel. He is responsible for that cohesive branding.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Diego always showed up when he said he would. He consistently did more than what was expected of him, communicated and documented his work extremely well, and approached his tasks with great dedication and cleverness. Remarkably, he did all of this out of the kindness of his heart, joining the group to learn and grow, which he did, despite not being compensated. For that, I am super appreciative.
If you ever have the chance to work with, hire, or be a part of Diego's circle, take that chance. He is talented, a good human, and the kind of person you want in your universe.
Debbie Richards
Qantas Manager
Diego is, without a doubt, one of the most charming, engaging and efficient service staff I have ever had the pleasure to meet. As an onboard manager with Qantas, I would be proud to have such a talented person on my crew!
John Batchelor
Director & Actor, NIDA
My feedback for you would be full of smiles and superlatives. Just like you. You are an absolute pleasure to have in the class. You were always ready to jump up and get into the exercises that I set. I hope that you found them helpful. As far as your scene work went, I hope you enjoyed it. I did. It’s a complex scene and I love how you found Megs’ joy and pain. He really needs to bring Martha out of herself, and I think you did an amazing job of that, but he also needs to be rejected at the end and that came across beautifully. Your chemistry with Hande was lovely, you both really seemed to enjoy yourselves. We had so little time to work on that scene that it may seem like a great idea in hindsight, but I’d like you to start believing that you. I think you’re amazing.
Francisco Neto
User Experience Design Trainer
Congratulations on your outstanding performance in the User Experience Class for your e-commerce project! You know what they say – “there's always a first time for everything”. You have almost achieved a perfect score, but the highest in 7 years of my lecturing, and I am thrilled to recognise your exceptional work.Your level of professionalism in your planning and reporting is truly commendable. Your attention to detail and effective communication of usability test outcomes elevate your work to an exceptional standard.
Your annotations deserve special mention as they were accurate, detailed, and effectively outlined the functionality of the design. Your attention to detail is evident in your thorough annotations, demonstrating a deep understanding of the subject matter. However, I do note that some instances of repetition could be refined in future projects. Your enthusiasm and dedication to this project are truly impressive. Your exemplary performance sets a high standard for future students in the class. I have no doubt that your skills and knowledge in user experience will lead to tremendous success in your future endeavours.
Keep up the outstanding work, and I eagerly anticipate witnessing your continued growth and accomplishments in the field of user experience! Thank you for your exceptional work and participation.
Ariana Prilis
Customer at The Apollo
I wanted to leave a shout-out to one of your excellent team members who was our waiter when we dined with you on 15th July 2022 - Diego.
My husband and I celebrated his birthday at Apollo. I had been once before and it was my husband’s first time.
From start to finish, Diego was so so so very attentive, cheerful, polite, caring and lovely. He made an effort to know our names from the booking, recognise the birthday and wish my husband a happy bday, checked to see our glasses were full of water, helped us with the cake we brought, took photos for us, walked us to the door when we left. His manner was just delightful in every way. Nothing was hard, nothing was trouble, he wasn’t stressed. Just ready to help.
He looked like he absolutely loves his job and it was so refreshing. I have often felt that some hospitality workers give off a vibe that their job is very temporary and transient and they don’t care to be there - it is a chore. Diego was the entire opposite of that and embodied the best waiter service I’ve experienced, It really was memorable and stood out from the rest.
He is a gem, don’t let him go!
Please pass on our most sincere thank you to Diego.