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    Case Study

    Coordinating Student Onboarding Across Connected Tools

    For Selling Circus, I connected the steps between a signed contract, student record creation, onboarding messages and an internal tracker. The workflow was designed to reduce repeated administration across the tools the team already used.

    Valentina, founder of Rellatech

    Valentina Akpan: Founder of Rellatech, providing administrative and operations support to executives, founders, business owners and teams. Her background combines technical support, customer success, administration and operations.

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    When Selling Circus reached out to me, their student onboarding was a mix of manual steps, repeated tasks, and little pieces of information scattered across different tools. Each new student required time, attention, and a long list of steps that needed to happen in the right order.

    They wanted fewer repeated steps for the team and a consistent welcome for each student.

    The work was to connect the tools they already used so the steps happened in order without someone re-entering the same details.

    1. It All Begins When a Student Signs Their Contract

    docusign-contract-signed-triggering-student-onboarding-automation-zapier

    The onboarding journey begins the moment a student signs their contract through DocuSign. Instead of the team checking for new signings or manually updating records, I connected DocuSign to Zapier so the moment a signature is received, the workflow starts automatically.

    This removes the step where someone checks DocuSign for new signings.

    2. Creating the Student Profile in Thinkific

    creating-student-profile-inside-online-course-platform

    Once DocuSign completes the contract, Zapier takes the next step: it creates a new student profile in Thinkific.

    The team no longer types the record in by hand. Each completed contract creates a student record with the details from the signing, ready for the rest of the system.

    3. Triggering the Automation in ActiveCampaign

    activecampaign-email-automation-triggered-for-new-selling-circus-student

    After the Thinkific profile is created, the system moves into the heart of the onboarding experience. Zapier tells ActiveCampaign to add the student into a specific automation designed for new members of Selling Circus.

    • ●Every student receives consistent information
    • ●The steps run in the same order each time
    • ●The brand voice stays warm and encouraging
    • ●The experience feels intentional

    A whole set of tasks that once lived in someone's head now unfolds on its own.

    4. The Welcome Email Arrives Right on Time

    automated-welcome-email-sent-to-new-student-selling-circus-onboarding

    The welcome email is a moment that shapes the student's first impression. It goes out when the student enters the automation, so the timing does not depend on someone remembering to send it. The tone stays aligned with Selling Circus.

    5. Updating the Master Sheet for Full Visibility

    google-sheets-master-tracker-logging-student-onboarding-data-automatically

    The automation finishes by updating a master Google Sheet, logging the student's name, signing dates, Typeform completion, and internal notes. One place to check, instead of searching through emails or several platforms.

    6. Why This Matters for a Growing Company

    • ●Less manual admin
    • ●Fewer mistakes
    • ●More time for teaching, coaching, and connection
    • ●Consistent student experience
    • ●A process that does not depend on one person's memory

    The steps that used to be done by hand now run from the contract signature.

    Need help with similar work?

    Tell me which responsibilities or processes need attention, who is involved and any upcoming deadlines. I provide administrative and operations support, including the connected technical work within our agreed scope.

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