Reflecting on My First Year in Consulting
As 2025 approaches, I’ve been reflecting on my first year as a data science consultant. It’s been an exciting journey filled with growth, challenges, and opportunities. I’d love to share some highlights from the past year and what I’ve learned along the way.
📊 Client Projects
This year, I worked on five client projects with four clients, including a repeat client — something I’m really proud of as it shows I’ve built trust and delivered value. The projects spanned various domains, with Shiny development making up 38% of my work, followed by open source software development at 30%. I also explored data analysis & visualization (15%) and data modeling & BI dashboard development (16%). It’s been fascinating to see how different areas of data science intersect in consulting and how different organizations leverage fractional support.
📖 Exploring Business Operations
Running my consulting business has been an adventure in itself. I discovered two (new to me) incredible libraries in Connecticut that are perfect for remote work — quiet rooms with whiteboards make such a difference for meetings! On the tools front, my go-to favorites include Notion, Posit Cloud, and Pomofocus, which have helped me stay organized and efficient.
☕️ Building Community and Networking
One of the unexpected joys of this year has been the opportunity to connect with others. I presented talks at Data Mishaps Night and LatinR, which allowed me to share my experiences and learn from others in the field. I also joined numerous technical communities across Slack, Discord, and other platforms — networking has been such a rewarding part of this journey. I primarily collaborate with clients & partners remotely, but I've been fortunate to enjoy a few in-person coffee shop meetings with a local client & prospects!
🎆 Looking Ahead to 2025
I’m excited to see where 2025 takes me. I’ve learned so much in this first year, and I’m eager to continue growing, building relationships, and tackling new challenges. A heartfelt thank you to all my clients, collaborators, and former colleagues for your incredible support. An extra special thanks to my family for their unwavering encouragement, making it possible for me to pursue my passions.
I recently shared a blog post exploring exciting emerging trends in Shiny for the New Year. If your organization is ready to elevate its internal tools and processes with the power of Shiny, I’d love to help. Feel free to reach out to discuss how we can work together!
