Data Analyst | Tableau Consultant | Author of How to Become a Data Analyst

If you're reading this you probably either:
1. Want a job in data. 
2. Want a friend in data.
3. Need a data analyst. 

If you're #1, I was you, just one year ago! I've shared how I went from beginner to experienced data professional since the beginning.

Its my goal to create the kind of content a younger version of me would have wanted to consume!

#2, thanks for being here! Feel free to give me a wave. Lets be social!

#3's, hello 👋. If you haven't yet, check out my portfolio site, or my Annie's Analytics company page on here where I offer consulting services.

Heres my story. 

In February of 2022, I decided to learn data analytics for fun. I created a Tik Tok account, and started documenting my journey to learn this new hobby (@anniesanalytics). 

Very soon, I realized that every day I was waking up and just wanting to write SQL, build visualizations, learn Python.... Work with data! So, I decided that once I finished graduate school (in Healthcare) in July, I was going to become a data analyst. 

Along the way, I have shared here and on Tik Tok everything I can about what it's like to learn data analytics, and how you can do it for free or at least very cheaply. I've shared about the ups and downs of job searching. I've even shared about how I have built a portfolio, and set myself up as a real analyst. 

Now I also do YouTube videos, especially my series where I invite other data analysts to have a coffee chat with me, but we live stream it! We talk about our journeys into data and what our jobs look like now. https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3wIL0Blsv2vf8aAjTQXo017YntAXqrZc


Want to see my Portfolio as it was when I got my first job in analytics? I left it here in exactly the same state that it was when I got my job in July of 2022 to serve as an example to you, if you are a job seeker now! https://anniesanalytics.wixsite.com/annie-nelson/projects-6 

Want to see my current portfolio I am using now that I have gained some more skills? https://anniesanalytics.carrd.co/

Or the LinkedIn group here: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12635532

Discord here! https://discord.com/invite/m9vZKtReFM

Annie Nelson

Hitting the title of "senior data analyst" was a revelation for me, because I realized that the path ahead suddenly had a lot more forks and turns than it did on the way here.

Progressing Junior -> Senior felt like a very linear path. I took detours by becoming a SME in Tableau as a junior, but the corporate path was still well paved.

I try to be proactive about my career - I am very happy where I am right now and I'm not in a rush to keep progressing, but I understand that career steps are not done in the moment. I should always have a direction.

But what IS my direction now?

The next level on my team is "staff", which could be a target. But what does it even mean to be a staff level data analyst?

Since I got promoted 2x this year, I know it would be quite a while before I could be promoted again to staff. I suppose that would give me a long time to figure out what staff even means on my team.

Up isn't the only way to go.

I enjoy working with the business - more than I enjoy data for the sake of data. One option could be moving from the data team to a business team.

Or, like many do analysts, I could go the way of taking on a true business role and drop the 'data analyst' from my title - such as product manager.

Since I haven't held any of those roles before, I would have to do a lot of research to figure out what steps I'd need to take if I wanted to make a change like that.

Another option is to move to an organization that is bigger / smaller. If I worked at a startup I would get the chance to wear a lot more hats, and likely be much closer to the business strategy than I do now as an analyst on a data team at a public company.

I suppose the road has always been this wide, but I didn't realize it because I had been focused on what was right in front of me - improving myself and my skills to go in the direction of senior.

For me, it wasn't really about the senior title. What appealed to me was that "Senior" gave me a benchmark of qualities and skills that I (a former nanny) could aspire towards as I learned to be an effective tech person.

I guess you could say that I'm looking for my next benchmark - who do I want to be? What skills do I need to cultivate? What kinds of projects should I be getting experience with?

Eventually I will figure it out 🫡

If you want to know how the AI bubble is going, here's the top comment from a news post about big AI changes to coming to Gmail.

AI will be implemented throughout - it can read, respond to, and prioritize your emails for you. And it's turned on automatically! 

Notice the likes.

I'm considering counter-pitching the AI company that reached out to me to help me "10x my posting efficiency by recycling my existing popular content" 

and offering to pay them $10 to send me their client list so I can make sure to unfollow them.

One of the reasons LinkedIn has become so tedious recently is that it's nearly impossible to find an original thought on here.

The space once occupied by thought leaders is now crowded by people who know how to gather an emotional reaction out of the largest amount of people.

Yes, it's conventional content creator wisdom to reuse your old posts that have performed well. I don't care. Its boring. 

Followers is just a vanity metric if most of your followers are just going to skip all of your posts because they've seen the content before (multiple times).

Harbor Freight Tools

Senior Analyst, Workforce Management

Alo Yoga

WFM Operations and Reporting Analyst

GIANT WHOLESALE, INC.

-Designed and implemented KPIs and metrics tracking systems to recommend an interim solution that reduced inventory costs by 25%.
-Study data sets to determine anticipated impact of a 30% decrease in sales due to CA flavor ban.
- Develop and present executive reports using Excel and Tableau to stakeholders
- Identify ongoing issues and gaps within project plans by forecasting sales in order to optimize inventory

Business Analyst

Burbank High School

Financial literacy, Accounting, Marketing, Ethics, Algebra 2
NAF Academy of Finance CTE teacher- Financial Accounting, Marketing, Business Ethics, and Financial Literacy
- Students were part of the SIFMA Foundation stock market competition. Students won 5th place in the country in the Capitol Hill Challenge. 
-Burbank High NAF Academy of Finance was awarded Distinguished which is the highest award. 
-Students participate in the program and get resume and career documents prep, participate in mock interviews, and learn how to write a thank you email as a follow-up. 
-Students get internships and create portfolios to showcase their experiences. 

-Conducted data analysis of student performance to measure growth and track progress to achieve goal of 90% of students receiving certification.
-Developed and maintained data tracking systems to monitor student progress and inform instruction
- Collaborated and communicated with the DEI team in order to bring more cultural awareness on campus
- Enthusiastically communicated the importance of business, savings, and investments by exposing students to real-life lessons on investing and financial literacy
-Managed and taught classes of 30+ students yearly while mentoring and helping them develop their skills.
-Built and executed lesson plans and curriculum related to business, accounting, finance, and marketing and taught students in a learning friendly environment.
-Exposed students to the realities of managing a budget by teaching them how to invest wisely and save money.
-Club advisor for Unidos Club, Middle Eastern Club, and Financial Literacy Club.

Business and Math Teacher, CTE NAF Business Academy Instructor

California State University, Northridge

Adjunct Professor of Marketing

Nikka Fish & Grill

-Analyzed sales and customer data to identify trends and make data-driven decisions on menu offerings, pricing, and promotions which reduced costs by $150,000.
-Managed a team of employees by establishing a training program to enhance employee performance.
-Ensured return business of 70% by utilizing fluent communication and relationship building skills.
-Explored data using PivotTables to identify insights and forecast demand of certain products which increased sales by 90%.
-Conducted market research and competitive analysis to inform menu development and positioning strategy to optimize operations and increase profitability
-Applied advanced Excel modeling and data analysis techniques to transform detailed transactional source data into financial reports for executive presentation.

Co-Owner, Business Analyst, Sales & Marketing, Manager

Liggett Vector Brands

❖ Managed a portfolio of retail accounts, built strong relationships with key stakeholders which increased customer base by 100%
❖ Analyzed sales data and market trends to identify opportunities for growth and implement recommendations which drove sales growth by 80%
❖ Conducted market research and competitive analysis to increase product awareness and brand recognition by 30% in a heavily regulated industry.
❖ Employed excellent strategic thinking and problem solving skills by diagnosing problems and implementing corrective actions with positive energy.

Retail Account Brand Manager, Business Analyst, Marketing Analyst

Business Analyst | Data Informed | Analytics | Consultant | SQL | Tableau | Excel

🙋🏻‍♀️Hi I'm Diane! 

I like to solve problems. Throughout my life, I have been driven by intellectual curiosity to find the answers to whatever the problem may be. I don’t give up! In my own businesses I have analyzed problems and found solutions by analyzing data. I am skilled in using data to drive decision-making and business growth to deliver innovative and cost-effective solutions to complex business problems. 

I am experienced in data analysis, business operations, WFM, teaching, training, consulting, sales, retail and market research. I've owned three businesses as well as worked in the corporate world so I have a wide range of skills! I adapt well to new environments. 

I was also a business and math teacher and I’m a lifelong learner! 

💎As a businessperson I have always had to thrive in high-pressure dynamic environments and meet deadlines. I love relationship building and working as a team. I consider myself to be highly intuitive and empathetic with the ability to connect with people. 

I use Excel (Pivot Tables, IF statements, SUMIFS, V/XLOOKUP, etc), SQL and Tableau and I'm constantly up skilling and practicing these skills. 

In my current role I leverage data to make informed decisions regarding sales and labor management. Utilizing Legion for workforce management, I assist store teams with scheduling and labor optimization. By gathering feedback from our store teams, I continuously refine and enhance our labor models.

Feel free to connect with me!🤝

🇸🇾I am fluent in Arabic ديان, intermediate in Spanish.

I love to travel ✈️, workout 🏋🏻‍♀️, and meet new people 👯‍♀️

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Annie Nelson

Diane Grair, MBA

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