EAG Spotlight: Grady Guest

Our EAG Spotlight is Grady Guest! Grady is an Analyst at EAG with 3+ years of experience in data analytics and IT in the Healthcare, Research and Advisory, and Oil and Gas industries. He is highly skilled in building custom dashboards and reports, predictive data models, software assessments and selections, application rationalization, and more.

In his spotlight, Grady shares some of his proudest moments at EAG, how he balances his career with other priorities, what inspires him, and more. Read the full story below!

1. How would you describe EAG?

A diverse community of highly specialized, diligent, and intelligent individuals who get things done.

2. What has been one of your proudest moments working at EAG?

Recently our team was able to reduce process time for an ETL project by 75% through automation and scripting. This was not something I had pictured doing at the outset, but by pivoting, good analysis, and a desire to learn, we really improved a process that directly affects the client’s ability to execute against their value proposition.

3. What advice do you have for prospective candidates that want to join EAG?

Love learning. Industry related or not, have something you love to grow in, and use that mindset to grow and succeed here because you will always be doing something new.

4. What’s one thing – either industry-related or not – you learned in the last month?

I have been learning about the land side of the O&G industry, particularly the PLSS system (or lack thereof), its use-cases, history, and flaws. I love taking information like that and letting it inform data architecture and the approach to analysis.

5. What do you like to do in your free time? Any favorite places you like to visit?

In my free time I like to run and read. I love frequenting coffee shops after a run and people watch or dive into a book. Blacksmith and Siphon are two of my favorite coffee shops locally.

6. Tell us something that might surprise us about you.

I spent much time growing up drawing and working in the visual arts. I’m also colorblind. It keeps things interesting and challenging; it is also just funny to share the two together.

7. How do you balance your career with other priorities?

Ask for help. As simple as it sounds, I am getting into the routine of asking myself “What is the objective of this task, and how much effort does it warrant?” If the answer is that it is taking me too long to achieve the task relative to its end-result value, it means I am probably missing something and can get to the objective more efficiently by bringing someone else in. This allows me to get good work done within reasonable time constraints and invest in other areas outside of work.

8. Who or what inspires you and why?

My church community inspires me a lot – people from every walk of life and circumstance that consistently do their best to orient their lives around their faith and hope is encouraging and necessary when there are hard moments in life.

9. What is your life motto or favorite quote?

A colleague shared this with me – It’s too long to share here but you can easily find the few paragraphs on the web: “It’s a New Day: The Choice is Yours” by Max Lucado.

10. What’s your superpower?

I have an excellent understanding of different learning styles and personalities, so I know how to tailor presentations and data to be easily and effectively understood by many different people who might be receiving it. This leads to great communication between audience members and effective decision-making.