From Intern to Founder: A Data Analytics Journey

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Sam McKay

From Intern to Founder: A Data Analytics Journey Cover
In this episode, Brian talks to Haroon Ali, founder of Stellify BI, on how he made the jump from corporate to consulting. In just six short years, Haroon went from being a graduate student in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering with no data analytics experience to becoming an Enterprise DNA intern, and from being a skilled corporate BI Analyst to founding a successful consulting firm.Brian and Haroon talk about a wide range of issues, including how to break into the BI field with no experience, the challenges of transitioning from a technical developer role to a management and leadership position, and advice for those considering making a similar leap to consulting.
What You’ll Learn From This Episode
  • You don't need to learn everything right away; you just need to get your foot in the door and see what you like.
  • The importance of diversity and why you don’t want to always be working with people like yourself
  • Don’t be contained (or boxed in) by your job title.
  • Take a step back instead of doing everything on your own, and delegate the tasks you cannot do.
  • Concentrate on a few areas like SQL and Power BI, and be confident of your skill sets.
About The Show

The Analytic Mind is your guide to navigating the evolving frontier of data, AI, & intelligent business.

Hosted by Sam McKay, CEO of EnterpriseDNA, this show dives into real-world use cases, technical strategies, and the mental models behind smart decision-making.

Each episode challenges you to move beyond tools to think critically, act strategically, and build with impact.

Whether you're refining your analytics skills or shaping your organization's data vision, this is where insight meets execution.

Stay sharp. Stay ahead. Think like an analytic mind.