Liliana Escudero runs a robust, high-end pool company with just seven employees thanks to a suite of powerful tech tools.
At J Designs Pool & Spa in Los Angeles, Liliana Escudero manages a small team that builds custom, luxury pools. Instead of relying on headcount, she’s assembled a powerful tech stack that allows her to operate a high-touch operation with limited staff.
Here’s a look at each component of the tech stack tools Escudero uses and these tools add efficiency and create a better client experience.
Project Management
JobTread
JobTread is at the center of Escudero’s operation. Her team uses it for budgets, schedules, selections, documents, and communication throughout every project. The platform is a key part of how she stays efficient without needing more staff. Escudero also relies on JobTread’s integration capabilities to connect with several other platforms across her tech stack.
Why She Likes It:
"JobTread makes it really easy to manage my jobs,” says Escudero. “I love working smarter, not harder. That’s why I just have tech that talks to each other."
Asana
Asana is a project management tool commonly used by marketing teams to plan campaigns, and manage deadlines for team members.
Why She Likes It:
"I rely on Asana to keep track of marketing projects and it’s great for internal communication with my business assistant."
CRM and Communication Tools
HubSpot
Escudero uses HubSpot as her CRM. It also stores blogs, communication history, and other marketing content, making it easy to find records from years ago. Her team relies on it to manage early lead communication, and when someone books an appointment, Zapier (see below) moves the contact right into JobTread.
Why She Likes It:
"HubSpot is a great tool that we use for many different functions."
Google Workspace
The team relies heavily on Google Workspace for communication, file sharing, scheduling, and real-time collaboration. It serves as the digital home base for day-to-day operations. Escudero also built an internal website using Google Sites. It allows her to create a user-friendly hub, without any coding, that links directly to Docs, Sheets, folders, calendars, and other resources.
Why She Likes It:
"You still can find things on the drive, but this is easier. It’s great for the stuff that we're searching all the time, like email templates, or certain videos or blogs"
Customer Experience
Breezy
Breezy is the AI-powered virtual receptionist Escudero uses for the pool service side of the business. It answers incoming calls, asks smart troubleshooting questions, and determines whether to forward the call to her cell. Breezy even checks zip codes, confirms appointments by text, and sends full transcriptions.
Why She Likes It:
"It’s amazing. She asks all the right questions, and if it’s not in our zip code, she’ll let the person know. I don’t have to be the one answering."
NiceJob
NiceJob helps J'Designs collect customer reviews by sending automated email and text follow-ups after each project. Even with a low volume of high-end jobs, it consistently brings in strong testimonials. Those reviews are then seamlessly displayed on the company website through NiceJob’s widget and can be shared directly to social media.
Why She Likes It:
"NiceJob takes away the hassle of getting reviews and integrates well with our other tools."
Automation and AI Tools
Zapier
Zapier connects Escudero’s software tools through customized automations. She uses Zaps to move contacts between HubSpot and JobTread, generate SOP documentation, and even draft customer emails.
Why She Likes It:
"I find it easier to change an instruction to my technology rather than than train and train and train someone on the same task. Zapier is an amazing tool."
ChatGPT
Escudero uses ChatGPT to help write emails, create SOPs, and document internal processes. She organizes her prompts by project to preserve context and improve results over time.
Why She Likes It:
"ChatGPT knows me so well because we’ve used it since day one. I even have one thread just for Zapier projects. I talk to it all the time, even in my car."
Marketing and Content Tools
Adobe Creative Cloud
The Adobe suite supports Escudero’s marketing and design efforts. It’s used to create visual assets like flyers, brochures, and social media graphics.
Why She Likes It:
"We do all our creative work internally now, and Adobe makes it easy to keep everything consistent."
Loom
Loom is a video messaging tool that lets users record their screen, voice, and camera at the same time. It is a key part of how Escudero communicates with both her team and her clients. Every new client receives a personalized Loom video that introduces them to their JobTread portal and explains how communication will work throughout the project.
Why She Likes It:
"Loom is great for communication overall. It’s faster than typing, and my clients like seeing my face when I walk them through their portal."
Operations and Admin Tools
PDFfiller
PDFfiller is used to prepare and send documents to customers. Escudero moved to this platform after discontinuing PandaDoc.
Why She Likes It:
"PandaDoc got really expensive, so we switched to PDFfiller. It works just as well for what we need."
RingCentral
RingCentral is the business phone system used by J Designs. It helps route calls, track voicemails, and maintain reliable communication with customers and vendors.
Why She Likes It:
"Ring Central is easy to use and does a good job."
