Daryl Blair
Gonzales
Head of HR · Systems Builder · No-Code Operator · Generalist
Technically overqualified to be this disorganized.
I hire people smarter than me. (It's working.)
The Short Version
If you're in a rush, this is the gist.
I'm Daryl Blair Gonzales, Head of HR at Growgami, Operations Manager at Clique Dance Studio, and a generalist who builds systems that actually work.
No CS degree. No formal dev training. Just 8+ years of HR operations, a stubborn refusal to pay for SaaS tools I can build myself, and an unhealthy obsession with automation.
I've built Slack bots, custom HRIS systems, onboarding flows, and ops dashboards, all while managing HR for remote teams. Currently based in Baguio City, Philippines, dancing for 16 years, and raising three dogs who think they're my bosses.
The Journey So Far
From CSR to HR leadership, with a few detours
Started in customer service at Sitel, handling credit card support. That taught me patience, empathy, and how to de-escalate situations - skills that turned out to be surprisingly useful in HR.
Moved into operations and people management at DN Coded, where I wore three hats in 1.5 years: Program Manager, HR Generalist, and Business Analyst. Learned that operations is just HR with better spreadsheets.
Spent time in workforce advisory at CXC Global (Australian contractors, compliance heavy) and business development at Mammoth Media (BD strategy, client relationships). Diversified the toolkit.
For 5 years, supported US real estate operators as a Virtual Professional while doing freelance copywriting for DeFi Philippines. Kept the lights on while exploring crypto.
Joined Growgami as their first HR hire. Scaled from 10 to 50+ people, built a custom HRIS, handled a workforce reduction, and left after 2 years. Now consulting for Clique Dance Studio on operations.
Looking for: Remote-only HR/People Ops roles at startups or Web3-native companies. Open to building things.
Impact That Matters
Flex numbers. Because nothing says 'hire me' like arbitrary metrics.
Core Capabilities
Skills I've collected like Pokémon. Gotta automate 'em all.
HR Operations & Strategy
Design and run end-to-end HR systems: recruitment, onboarding, performance management, compliance. I don't just manage, I rebuild from scratch when needed.
Automation & Bot Building
Build no-code/low-code automations that replace repetitive HR workflows. From Slack bots to full HRIS systems, if it can be systemized, I'll automate it.
Ops System Design
Map, design, and implement operational systems: dashboards, trackers, SOPs, content calendars, competitive research frameworks.
AI-Assisted Development
Build functional tools with AI assistance, without writing code from memory. Bots, web apps, data pipelines. The output is real; the method is just smarter.
Prompt Engineering
I speak fluent AI. Prompt crafting is a skill, knowing how to talk to models to get exactly what you want. It's like being a translator for robots.
Employer Branding & Content
Create HR content, LinkedIn strategy, job ad copy, culture docs. Strong writer with a strategic lens on what actually moves people.
Tools I Actually Use
Stuff I Built
Everything here works. I tested it. Once.
DapBot: Peer Recognition Slack Bot
Gen Z vibes meet peer recognition. Built a kudos bot that runs on free infrastructure. Team members give props seamlessly. SaaS vendors hate this one trick.
HRIS on Notion: Custom HR System
Full HRIS on Notion: employee database, onboarding tracker, org structure, leave requests, HR reporting, all interconnected. BambooHR who?
Interactive Hiring Chatbot
Custom chatbot that acts as an interactive hiring form. Applicants enter details, upload CVs, and everything gets recorded to Google Sheets + Drive automatically. No more drowning in emails.
This Portfolio Website
Built this entire portfolio with AI assistance (shoutout z.ai), deployed on Vercel. Total cost? $0. Because why pay when AI does the heavy lifting?
Clique Dance Studio: Full Ops Build
Entire ops infrastructure from scratch: dashboard, brand identity, logo ideation, growth strategy, competitive research, marketing playbook. Also built their studio opening invitation website.
AI UGC Content Creation
End-to-end AI-powered UGC content pipeline. Character creation with FreePik, video generation with Kling AI, polished with CapCut editing. Professional content without the professional price tag.
Long Story Short
TL;DR: I've worn many hats. All of them fit. Some were itchy.
Operations Manager
Head of Human Resources
Virtual Professional
Copywriter / Researcher
Head of Business Development
Workforce Relationship Advisor
Operations and People Lead
Customer Service Representative
When I'm Not Working
Sometimes I touch grass. Briefly.
Dancer & Choreographer
16 years, still got moves
Community Leader
Founded local dance community
AI Nerd
Always tinkering with tools
NFT Enthusiast
Active collector in the space
Fur Parent
3 adorable dogs
Casual Gamer
Decompress mode: ON
Let's Build Something Together
Got a project, a wild idea, or just want to chat about HR automation? I'm always down for interesting conversations.