Eighteen years is not just a work anniversary. In Arleene’s case, it is part company history, part survival story, and part proof that the early days of Makios were built with more determination than process.
She was there when the “office” was a bedroom, the systems were basic, and the plan was mostly to keep moving forward until something worked.
That is where Makios began. Small space. Big plans. Probably not enough process. Definitely not enough sleep.
When asked what the secret is to making it 18 years at Makios, Arleene gave the only honest answer: she is the CEO’s wife, and Makios was our first baby. Fair enough. She also gave credit to the coffee machine, which she says is better than Starbucks. I will not argue with that, mostly because I enjoy peace.
A lot has changed since those early days. Back then, we did not even have a ticketing system. Everything was done in Outlook. Appointments, notes, client updates, all of it. Today, that sounds like a controlled disaster, but at the time, that was the system. Somehow, things still got done.
Arleene described her journey at Makios in three words: challenging, rewarding, and transformative. That fits. Building a business is not clean or easy. It pushes you. It tests you. It forces you to change whether you feel like it or not. She has lived through all of that and kept showing up.
One accomplishment that stands out for her was moving accounting from Microsoft Accounting to QuickBooks. That may not sound exciting unless you have actually dealt with accounting software. Then you know. Changing systems is not a cute little project. It is new processes, old habits, missing details, and numbers quietly judging you from the screen.
The people who have made the biggest impact on her work life are the girls upstairs with her: Vero, Joyce, and Danielle. That matters. Work is work, but the people around you decide whether the hard days are bearable or miserable. Having the right people nearby makes a difference, especially around here, where a normal day can turn into “well, that escalated” before lunch.
One thing Arleene says has stayed consistent at Makios is that we celebrate employee anniversaries and birthdays with cake. That may sound small, but it is not. Culture is not always some big corporate slogan. Sometimes it is simply remembering that people matter, showing up for them, and yes, buying cake. Not exactly rocket science, which is probably why so many companies still mess it up.
Her advice to someone new joining Makios is simple: you will not learn everything in one day, but take notes. That is solid survival advice. Around here, there is always something new to learn, something changing, and something that made perfect sense yesterday but somehow needs to be rebuilt today. Notes help. Memory is not a business process.
What has changed the most since she started? The technology, no question. AI, automation, better tools, better systems, and a much larger office. We have grown from a bedroom operation into a real company with real structure, real clients, and real momentum. And yes, she would still love for us to have our own building. Duly noted.
After 18 years, what still makes her excited to come to work is celebrating team wins and milestones together. That says a lot. It is not about one big trophy or one perfect moment. It is about progress. Seeing people grow. Seeing the company move forward. Seeing the work matter.
Arleene, thank you for being part of the story from the very beginning. Thank you for the patience, the work, the accounting battles, the team spirit, and the steady belief that Makios was worth building.
Eighteen years later, the company is bigger, the systems are better, and thankfully, the coffee has improved. But the foundation is still the same: people who care enough to keep showing up and keep building.
We appreciate you. More than this post can probably say without getting too sentimental, which we should avoid for everyone’s safety.
