Through an interesting turn of events and a lengthy but rewarding process, I ended up at the final interview stage with former Tableau Zen Master Nelson Davis and his company Analytic Vizion (AV). Needless to say, when I received the official offer letter, I didn’t waste any time. After catching a glimpse into this truly unique and authentic culture, I wanted nothing more than to work for this amazing leader and his very talented team.
The core business is located in Atlanta, GA, but Nelson offered to let me work remotely in SC where I could stay close to my family, friends, and church. I would begin my journey as a Senior Visual Analytics Consultant, working with clients across a broad range of industries and creating Tableau dashboards and analytical tools (my favorite!!).
Fast forward to my first week at AV...
A few days before my official start date, I tested positive for COVID-19... what a great first impression. I was exhausted, feverish, and had zero mental/creative energy. I was disappointed because I knew I wouldn’t be able to truly show AV my best self and best work. Disappointment quickly turned into encouragement when I shared with Nelson and Jenn that I tested positive. They were so understanding, giving me the freedom to work only when I felt up to it.
Luckily, week one was mainly onboarding - learning more about the company’s origin, vision, and business processes. More listening rather than producing content. I was able to rest in-between meetings and be ready to learn more about this inspiring company. For starters, AV stands out in not what or how they do things, but why they do things. This manifests through their core values:
Do what is Right, Surrender the Outcome
Side note – this one really impacted me even before my first day. I, like many others out there, struggle with anxiety. There is a lot of peace in o in realizing that ultimately, we control inputs, not outputs.
Lead through Serving
Challenge Often, Love Always
We are Sons and Daughters and this is Family
Take Joy in the Journey
Finish with Legacy in Mind
Over the course of my first week, I learned that these values aren’t just words on a page, the people on the AV team truly live by these. I figured this out when I heard a knock at my door and opened it to find a huge gift basket full of chocolatey goodies. It was from my new AV family, sweetening my quarantine and COVID-19 experience (literally). They barely knew me, and yet they listened to what I was going through, loving always and doing what they could to support me.
Not only did I learn more about the company itself, I was also exposed to innovative Tableau hacks and new design techniques. All within the first week! I love this new learning environment!
I learned how to make a Jitter plot in Tableau.
I learned how to create a Zoom in Tooltip using special calculations and functions.
I learned about Figma, a very suave tool perfect for dashboard wireframing.
Helpful Figma videos:
And finally, I learned that...
This is more than just a consulting job and Tableau work. It’s a servant leadership journey. It’s being a part of a new family. It’s honoring and living out our core values. It’s #catchingthevizion!
I’m so thankful for this opportunity and blessed to be a part of this team!
