An interview with Catherine Baker, a data analyst and data scientist. We discuss Catherine's geographic journey to New York from a suburb of Paris, as well as her career transition from the fashion industry to data analytics.
Catherine Baker worked for many years in the fashion industry and then in e-commerce and digital marketing, before transitioning into the data science world. She's now a clinical data analyst with a specific interest in the healthcare industry, using data analytics to improve patient's experience and outcomes while reducing costs.
Catherine shared that she was raised in a suburb of Paris. Though she acknowledges that her family was well off financially, she places more value on her relationships with family and friends, and on her professional success.
According to Catherine, she had a long term love affair with the U.S. from a young age. Her father, though based in France, worked for U.S. companies and traveled frequently overseas, taking his family along on his business trips. Catherine was attracted to American culture, in particular the freedom and opportunity it seemed to offer.
Catherine's last job before she relocated to the States was in the biotech industry. After working many years in the fashion industry, and then in e-commerce and digital marketing, Catherine is now coming full circle as she transitions to a data analyst role in the healthcare industry.
“I was coming from marketing and there are a lot of data analytics or data science roles in marketing and this is actually something that I pushed out. I do not want to go back to that because I know the problems, I know the complexity, I know the environment and I wanted to do something new.” - Catherine Baker
Key takeaways:
- Allow what resonates with you to guide your decisions. Catherine describes herself as ambitious, always moving forward and wanting to succeed. Growing up in a suburb of Paris, she felt out of place. The American mentality of striving to be #1, and having the will to succeed aligned with who she felt herself to be, so she relocated to New York City when she was in her 20s.
- Take advantage of opportunities that come your way. Before relocating, Catherine had been working for a company that was bought out by a large Swiss pharmaceutical company. This led to her receiving a nice severance check, which she took advantage of. She did the calculation and said to herself: “Let’s go! Let’s do it! I can do it!”
- Connect the dots between the skills you have and the roles you’re pursuing. Catherine was a graduate of FIT, the Fashion Institute of Technology, and worked in fashion, so her transition to become a data analyst was not intuitive. Catherine noted that, working in fashion, she was following trends, looking at colors, similar to how data is visualized through use of graphing programs. She has chosen to specialize in healthcare because she is drawn to helping people feel better, just as she helped people feel and look better with fashion.
About the guest:
With over four years of experience in data analysis and reporting, Catherine is passionate about finding solutions and improving the customer's experience while reducing costs. She has a strong background in marketing data analytics, having worked in the fashion and wellness industries for over a decade. She developed data programming skills and specialized in healthcare IT since 2020, obtaining multiple certifications in data science, math, business metrics, and SQL. She is interested in exploring different areas of healthcare data, such as population health, biotechnology, and genomics, and applying her skills to support value-based healthcare models and patient-centric care.
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cdcbaker/
Email: cdacruzbaker@gmail.com
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Catherine Baker
I was coming from marketing and yeah, there are a lot of, you know, data analytics or data science roles in marketing. And this is actually something that I pushed out. And I don't want to go out, go back to it. I do not want to go back to that because I know the, the problems, I know the complexity, I know the environment and I wanted to do something new.
Narrator
Welcome to making change with your money, a podcast that highlights the stories and strategies of women who experienced a big life transition and overcame challenges as they redefined financial success for themselves. Now here's your host. Certified Financial Planner, Laura Rotter.
Laura Rotter
I am so excited to have as my guest today, Katherine Baker.
Katherine worked for many years in the fashion industry and then in e commerce and digital marketing. Before transitioning into the data science world, she's now a clinical data analyst with a specific interest in the healthcare industry, using data analytics to improve patients experience and outcome while reducing costs.
So welcome, Catherine, to the Making Change With Your Money podcast.
Catherine Baker
Thank you, Laura. Thank you for having me today.
Laura Rotter
Excited about our conversation. And I will ask you the same question I always start my podcasts with, which is, what was money like in your family, Catherine, growing up?
I grew up in the suburb of Paris, France.
Catherine Baker
So it was similar to be here in the suburb of New York city, if you want. But my dad was a very successful man. So we had a nice house, you know, we had nice things. We had. Nice cows. You know, the full thing. So, but to me, it was actually the fluff. It was not that important for me. What was important was more, you know, the relationships.
you know, that I had with my family, my friends and how I could succeed, you know, in my life, my career.
Laura Rotter
It's true. As we get older, we realize that it's the relationships that really make a difference more than, you know, financial resources. I'm curious, what was the size of your family?
Catherine Baker
Just, you know, my parents and my brother and I.
Laura Rotter
So there were four of you.
Catherine Baker
Correct.
Laura Rotter
And was there any way, I do find that I'm often wondering about this, was there any way that you as a young woman were treated differently than your brother or had, there were different expectations of you?
Catherine Baker
So first of all, we have different personalities. Okay. So first of all, he's a boy and a girl.
Okay. So right away. It's, it's different, but then in reality, uh, different, uh, personalities ─ in a way that for me, family always has been important for him, not that much. He was more independent, more lonely if you want, ─ but because we had, uh, you know, we have, excuse me, 12 years. We are 12 years apart, and it does make a difference, he's 12 years older than me, so obviously it was like a little, uh, not a generation gap, but, you know, a gap, a gap of understanding, I was the little sister, you know, and he was the big brother.
Laura Rotter
So, it was not easy. I mean, in many ways, you didn't really grow up together with that kind of an age group.
Catherine Baker
That's correct. We, it's as if we grew up two, in two separate generations, two different kids, even though under the same roof, but with the same parents, but in reality. ─ Many things were different.
Laura Rotter
And I often say, Catherine, that it's not even the same parents, right?
Even, and frankly, you have a big age difference with your brother, but even in families where there isn't as large an age difference. I have a three and a half year difference between myself and my sister, but I feel like my parents were different because we were different people. Different things were going on in their lives.
Catherine Baker
So I agree, Laura. See it with my daughters. My daughters are four years and a half apart. The first child is the trial child, the parents don't know what to do exactly. And then they get the second child and then, oh, everything is much easier suddenly here.
Laura Rotter
So obviously you've now been living in the states, so can you walk our listeners through, ─ you know, how you decided to leave France?
What was I, I, you know, what age it took place? What was going on in your life?
Catherine Baker
So for me it's like a long time love story with the US because my dad used to work in it for a lot of us, uh, corporations, even though he was based in France or he was director of Europe, but he worked mostly for US company.
And especially in IT. So he had to travel to the US, to Europe, but also we were combining, you know, business trip with the vacation. And so many, many times, I would say once a year, about every year, we were in the US in different locations, which was great. And I really started to like it a lot. Actually, I started to notice, you know, the cultural differences.
And there were many more things that actually I liked in the U. S. culture, you know. You know, freedom, some type of freedom, like freedom of speech or freedom in general. Support, you know. I found that there's more support here in, in the way you think, you know, it's more supportive. And, uh, yeah, I mean, this was, uh, I started to, even though we went to different regions, you know, in the U.
S., so I, like, I had to discover different regions, which was very interesting to me, different cultures, but it was, um, Something that, uh, I'm in a country that made me dream about, you know, so I said one day, you know, I'd like to live in the U. S. And the opportunity came when I met a boyfriend in Paris was from New York.
So we had a long term relationship, a long distance, excuse me, a long distance relationship. ─ So I was in Paris. He was in New York City. Every three, four months, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. And yeah, you know, he made me discover New York City, which I didn't know. I knew other regions, but New York City.
Laura Rotter
Interesting. So I have a lot of questions, of course, as a, as US citizen, it's always nice to hear. Something about our culture that speaks to people from other countries. So Catherine, you said freedom I've heard before, right? That that's almost the typical American. It has, you know, a sense of freedom. But can you speak more about what it what support means to you?
What was it that you sense that was different from how you grew up?
Catherine Baker
So in France. To be able to belong to a supportive environment, you need to be part of a certain community, which for me was not part of a community. I was living in the suburb and my dad was practically never home. So, you know, stuck at home with my mom and my brother.
And then I hear my dad was going, uh, you know, to very interesting destinations. And then when I experienced, you know, different locations in the U S it's more the mentality, you know, the U S mentality that there's always this, this will. To succeed, there's always this will to be number one, there's always, there's always this will to, you know, be part of a team, you know, all these values that I found very important to me, because yes.
I was feeling alone, even though then I moved to Paris in the center of Paris. I worked within companies, but still, it was something that at the, at the individual level, at the professional level, that was lacking. It's not this, it's not exactly the same. No, it's not. Even at school, I would say even the school system is not the same.
Because, for example, here. You're a six year old and you asked to be on the stage and perform in front of an audience. And this is not something that you do in France. So I'm just giving you a random example, but
Laura Rotter
So what I heard you say, Catherine, is you really resonated with American culture of drive and will and visibility, which frankly not, not every American does.
So it's interesting that you really felt at home in that culture.
Catherine Baker
This aspect of, because it goes a line with my personality. And my, I would say astrology sign, Ah, summon Aries,
Laura Rotter
Ah, you're a fire sign.
Catherine Baker
So when you know Aries and you know, they're vicious and they always move forward and they want to succeed and all these things, this is really aligned with who I am.
So, but, but it's, it's more like about the full package if you want, because there are aspects, you know, that I like about France or Europe, things that I like there, but I think that, and actually what was very interesting is that my dad was very supportive of my move to the U. S. Because this is maybe something that my dad would have wanted to do.
Laura Rotter
Ah, interesting. How old were you when you relocated to the US?
Catherine Baker
So I moved to New York City when I was about 25 years old. Uh, no, actually earlier, actually, maybe 20, uh, 24, 23, but I, I, I moved permanently in 2001, January, 2001, before 9, 11.
Laura Rotter
Perfect timing.
Catherine Baker
Yes. And then I became a US citizen in 2009. One year after I get my daughter, my first daughter.
Laura Rotter
Congratulations.
Catherine Baker
Thank you.
Laura Rotter
So were you working already? Had you chosen a profession before you came to the
States?
Catherine Baker
So in, in France, I studied economics and then international business. And then I worked in London for a little while. And then I went back to Paris and I worked publishing and in marketing for a biotech company.
And this was my last job. So basically, before I made my move, I was already working. ─ For a French company that was actually 50 percent American, 50 percent French, because they had a big facility in the south of Paris, but they had a subsidiary in La Jolla, California. ─ So we had a lot of American colleagues visiting.
Laura Rotter
So if you have to relocate it to the States, La Jolla, California, I'm not sure that's where you live, but that would be a nice place to move.
Catherine Baker
I know that's what I wanted, but I mean, I had my eyes on it, but I could not because working for a biotech company, I would have had to have a biology degree or chemistry degree, and then beyond the science. You know, being the science field, I was not, I was in the business field. So, but now I'm going back to the, you know, it's going to do the full circle. It's going to be the full circle, hopefully very soon, you know?
Laura Rotter
So how did you meet your, your now
husband?
Catherine Baker
So, yes. So, unfortunately the boyfriend that I dated, you know, between Paris and New York city, it didn't work out.
I broke up with him a year ago before moving to New York city. So one year after I break up with him, I moved to New York City and unfortunately passed away on 9 11, but we were not with each other anymore. We were, we were corresponding with each other here and there like friends, if you want, but we were not.
With each other anymore. So, but my, uh, husband came along when I was, uh, working and, uh, studying at FIT.
Laura Rotter
Okay. So actually thank you for that. So how did you end up studying at FIT? You were
a business, so why?
Catherine Baker
So Laura, why I moved to New York City. One of my motivations was to actually start FIT because.
Having a degree in business was too general, and I had to specialize myself into something. And at the time, you know, going back to university for a science major or whatever, it was, it was too difficult for me in France. So I said, I'm going to do something fun and still, you know, align with the business.
So I decided, why not? I'll do fashion. ─── It sounds like interesting because I was from the fashion world there, ──── you know, so I said, that's what I do. But I had a lot of fun. FIT was great. I really liked FIT. ─── It was a great experience. Teachers were great. It was great. ─ And so while I did my studies, so I did my studies during the day.
And then at six o'clock I take the subway and I go, no, actually, I'm sorry. ─ I was working full time. Then I take the subway and at six o'clock I go to FIT and study until nine or 10 PM. I did that for ── three years, you know?
Laura Rotter
Wow. I was going to ask Catherine how you, how you paid for it, if you had savings or, but you were working.
Catherine Baker
So I, it was a calculation. So how I came to this country was a money calculation. It was all about the money. I got lucky that the company I was working for was being bought out by a big Swiss pharmaceutical company. So when this happens, you know, they lay off people. And when you lay off people in this situation, you get a check, a nice check because, you know, you have a few years within the company.
So that's what happened to me. They let me go. They let me go. I get a check. And then I had some savings. I had this check and then I did the calculation and I said, let's go, let's do it, I can do it. So yeah, this was all about the money, but the thing is, but working here full time, ─ then actually full time, I would say even six days out of seven.
Okay. Because I was in retail and then studying. So I would say three years and a half were a very tough first three, three years and a half. And then you get more easy. You know, I found a different job. Things were different. And I met my husband.
Laura Rotter
I feel like you're not unique in that when we look back, perhaps in our twenties, that is when, first of all, we have the energy for it.
And we see ourselves as building towards an unknown but very exciting, endless possibility future because it's resonating with me. I too went for my MBA at night ─ while working full time. I did swap for a year after I met my husband, though at the time it wasn't, but you know, he started to pay some of the rent.
And so I did do one year to speed it up and full time working. After the MBA studies, but the same thing, you know, you're in your twenties, if you go out, if you have dinner late at night, it doesn't really matter. You have the energy for it.
Catherine Baker
Yeah, I was, yeah, I was in my twenties. I didn't care. I know as long as I could, I mean, at the end of the month, I had nothing left.
It was very simple because between, you know, the rent paying for my studies. eating, going out. That's it. Nothing left.
Laura Rotter
Yeah. And you felt at home here. You made friends here. Is that right?
Catherine Baker
Yes. You enjoyed. I made a lot of friends. I had a wonderful social life, especially, so I worked in Soho, which was beautiful, but then I worked at Sex ReFab in New York.
So when I, when I worked at Saks Fifth Avenue, it was so social. Every day I was saying to myself, okay, great. What is going to happen today with my customers? You know, every day it was a story every day to something happening every day. It was drama every day.
Laura Rotter
I mean, so it is very interesting. So that retail job.
That was sort of a paying the rent job. Is that correct? It wasn't, you know, your goal.
Catherine Baker
No, it was not the end of it. It was just a job I could do easily, uh, until the next
step.
Laura Rotter
And was your idea, Catherine, that you were going to work in the business of fashion? That's why you went to FIT?
Catherine Baker
Yes, because my major at FIT, uh, was fashion business.
So my goal was fashion business, even though I did graphic design. I did some graphic design, yeah, training, and then I did some graphic design in, um, you know, for, um, for an underwear company. And then for Victoria's Secret, ───── which was a great company, ─ but, uh, yeah. And then from graphic design, I switched into e commerce, you know, for me, it was the natural move and then I stayed in e commerce.
Laura Rotter
So Catherine, please bring our listeners up to what changed for you, because as you describe it, your previous, you know, professional life seemed to be in the same genre, right? Fashion and digital marketing. And what changed for you ─ where you said, okay, data analytics.
Catherine Baker
So there were a few aspects of the job that I liked and all the other aspects that I didn't like, and the, the, what I didn't like subsided.
I mean, it was, I was affected by people's behavior. And as everybody know, I mean, fashion business in New York City or the financial business in New York City, it's a very tough ─ environment to work. ─ So I think once COVID hit, I reached my limit. It was it. I was done. That's what happened. And, uh, I said, you know, it was great, but now it's my time to, to move on.
And in fact, one aspect of my reporting in e commerce and digital marketing was already about data. So this is why I was exposed to it. But at the time I didn't have the coding skills that I needed. So I was always frustrated because. You know, I'm working on different softwares, ─ I'm relaying to, relying on, you know, yeah, marketing softwares that are giving automated reports, you know, different things.
And I'm always seeing that there are gaps, that there are, you know, trends that are not matching actually the reality of the business. ── So I was getting frustrated and I said, you know, there's something missing out of it. This, you know, it cannot be. And I realized, yeah, the only way it's to dive into the data.
So that, that is when I decided, okay, now, you know, we stuck at home. ──── Let's do something else. ── So yeah, it's time to take classes. Because my, actually my job, yeah, I finished in March, you know, 2020 when we got, uh, uh, all locked down March 6th, I think it was March 6th, 2020. ─ And, uh, yeah, then I, uh, I gave it a few months, I think I was working, uh, freelancing still for fashion companies, but then I realized, no, that's it.
I'm done. So I would, I think it was in June on July, I started to take Coursera classes ── and, uh, this was right in, uh, data science, data analytics, you know, ─ so I was reading a lot because, you know, being a new field, I had no idea, you know, what should I do first? You know, what am I Going to learn what is, what are the job requirements.
So I was reading a lot about, you know, job requirements, job skills, you know, and, uh, yeah, I started to build my certifications, you know, my professional certifications through Coursera. And then in 2020, uh, 2022. ── I said, you know, now it's time to get a specialization so as I can dive into or be working in one industry, you know, because I knew, I mean, I was coming from marketing and yeah, there are a lot of, you know, data analytics or data science roles.
in marketing. And this is actually something that I pushed out that I don't want to go out, go back to it. I do not want to go back to that because I know the, the problems, I know the complexity, I know the environment and I wanted to do something new. So that is why I, I said, okay, and I'm going to look into healthcare, see what's out there.
And then I found this wonderful ─ master program with Yale. To their school of public health, and this was not to your master. This was a six months master program, but targeted really in what I wanted to do, like really specialized, which means ─ to be able to apply or to be able to, to go through the program, you need to have already all the certifications that I did priorly.
So the past year or year and a half, you know, so this was right on for me. This was exactly like the next step for me. So that's what I did. And I passed, you know, I was successful and, ─ um, you know, it was a great program. I learned a lot. It was all online. It was all online. Imagine it's like Coursera classes, but done by Yale.
So it was, uh, you know, uh, Yale, either Yale teachers. Uh, Yale doctors. One or the other one in particular was a doctor from the er, I think, as I can remember. ─ And the other guys were, yeah, they were teachers in the data science, you know? Yeah. So very good professors, very good program, very helpful, uh, teachers, ─ I guess. ─
Laura Rotter
What comes up for me as you share this journey, Catherine, are two questions. The first one is, can you identify what your skill set is or what it was that you were drawn to that had you say, data analytics, because it's not intuitive, given what you were doing in the past, though you did share that there was some data involved in marketing.
And then also, and why specifically healthcare or what about healthcare is interesting to you?
Catherine Baker
Sure. So, Healthcare was not, it was an easy choice for me because when I moved to New York, I was working in healthcare, I was working for a biotech company. So biotech, even though they're doing, you know, research, they were doing research on the human genome.
I was already working with doctors. I was already working with researchers. So I said, I want to go back to that. This is the environment that I liked. So the healthcare was already my first choice. Second choice was how am I going to go back to healthcare? Because how, you know, and how was I to one aspect of my job in marketing and just dived into it to the data.
And something I didn't mention, but I mentioned now, is that for many years, for many years, my dad, my brother, they said to me, go and work in I. T., do something in I. T. Why you not working in I. T.? I mean, non stop. And I refused ─ because I said, you know, it's not me. I don't like it. I don't want to be a programmer and this and that. ──
And it turns out, in fact, this was more approachable this time for me. It was approachable because I understood already the process. I understood the purpose of it. I understood that ─ Yes, I had to learn how to code, but in fact, you know, they are on different steps, you know, they are on different steps.
It's not like you're diving into something that is impossible to do, you know. So for me, obviously, when I had a class that was well explained, explaining details, you know, like it was much easier for me. When the teacher was too quick or when the teacher was assuming. That the student knew already how to code, then this was the problem ─ that I encountered, you know, during this process of learning.
But obviously now, you know, I did so much that, you know, I'm not there anymore. I'm to the, I'm at the next level. But. Yes, I think the most difficult thing for me was to get into, you know, the specialty that I want, but also to learn step by step in a simplified way from simple to complex, you know, in a simplified way that would pull me up basically to my goal, you know, to reach my goal.
So this was a real process. ─ This was a real process ─ if it's like the creative world is over completely. It's suddenly you dive into numbers, coding. So, you know, the, the basic of it was also Excel. So I worked in it, Excel, you know, or advanced Excel. So I knew this aspect, ─ but then you go on the other side of the fence.
While you really code, you learn, you know, different systems, and in fact, there is an aspect that is common when you do the visualization of the data, it's when you use some tools like Tableau or ─ Power BI, where you, you enter the data in the system and then you visualize it. So this was the easy part for me because it's all visual, you know, so since I'm a, you know, ─ a fashion person at the root, who's following trends, who's looking at colors and stuff like that.
So once the data becomes visual, it's actually very interesting to me because it goes back to my marketing background.
Laura Rotter
Well, Catherine, I'm hearing that you're pulling out, again, the visual aspects, though, as you described this whole process of You know, mapping out where you wanted to be. You seem to be a very analytical person.
Catherine Baker
Yes, I am.
Laura Rotter
And, and perhaps you rejected that about yourself because that was also your father and your brother. I'm not, I'm not sure your brother's also in IT.
Catherine Baker
Yeah. He's a, he's a IT programmer in finance. Exactly.
Laura Rotter
So it sounds like, no, you share common traits yet. It was important to you to be your your own person ─ and another thing I'm wondering when you talk about coding and I'm I'm actually very curious because I know as we hear about AI and large language models that there's.
Many ways in which certain types of coding itself is boilerplate, like you would have someone else do it for you. And I'm just wondering if what's more interesting to you is the greater picture of what the code would be used for, what you want to analyze, as opposed to just the nuts and bolts of writing the code.
Catherine Baker
No, but at this, I would be honest with you, Laura, at this point, I'm the one who's building the code. I'm the one who's creating the models for, you know, machine
learning.
Laura Rotter
And what do you, and what do you enjoy about that?
Catherine Baker
I enjoy that it's like you unroll the paper towel roll, you know, from the beginning to the end, you know?
Laura Rotter
Uh, so sort of seeing how the sausage is made kind of thing?
Catherine Baker
Right. Yeah. You, it's like, You know, from the start to the end, you, you, you work from, from the basics to the more complex, you know, it's like, uh, but it's like building blocks. It's like a puzzle or so, you know, some type of puzzle, but something also actually that was central or call for me is that we see in fashion, I help people feel better, look better. ─
Why I wanted to be in health care because through the data analysis. or the data science, you help people to feel better, but with your health and with their health. So it's very parallel if you think about it, but ─ it's, yeah, it's more a scientific, you know, aspect of it. Less creative. In fact, I also realized when I was working in the fashion business, that every time I work with someone who's a highly creative person, I had some confrontation, because we were not thinking the same way, you know, that is why I escaped away from this world.
Yeah, because, uh, do I like something in green or in blue or large or small? I mean, you know, I get my limits, but for some people who are really creative, they may be not satisfied. You know, they are very, uh, difficult to satisfy. So, it's this aspect. Then it's the other aspect of some people were not aging well because they were under very high stress. Very high ─ demand of their boss or whatever it is. And this created a lot of, uh, you know, uh, behavioral situations. I'd be a worker at the work level.
Laura Rotter
I mean, we've all heard about the industry, right? Whether it's through movies or books or whatever, whatever we're exposed to about the personalities and the,
the, the, what is it?
Catherine Baker
The ─ Devon Wells product. Right, right.
Laura Rotter
Exactly. Exactly. We can all picture. So, Catherine, could you share with our listeners where you are now in your career transition and what you'd like us to know?
Catherine Baker
So my career transition is already done because I, I passed this process right now, I'm ─ looking for my next role.
So I'm excited. In fact, maybe the, in the next coming weeks, I hope to, to have good news. We will see, because I've been interviewing a lot in the past few weeks. So hopefully I'll get what I want, but yeah, I mean, uh, I think in my case it's, uh, perseverance. Resilience and, uh, moving forward basically all the time because, yeah, bottom line, it's related to money.
I mean, you know, you gotta make money already. I mean, to be honest, I'd be, I'd be reducing my salary, uh, uh, by one third or half of what I was earning before, possibly because I have to start from from, you know, the, the base again. So it's, it's, uh, ─ it's a choice, but I'm lucky that I have my husband who's supporting, you know.
Laura Rotter
And also that you count on yourself as someone who wants you set your mind to do something. You're going to do it.
Catherine Baker
Yes, for me, it's the way I was born. I was born like this. I want something. I'll make the efforts to, to, to reach my goal. So it's not a matter of will for me. It's more a matter of learning how to be patient, to get what I want.
Because I'm impatient, you know…
Laura Rotter
Yeah, it was just listening to a podcast for, you know, the beginning of the year, which was entitled purposeful patients. But you know, again, Americans, and now you're an American, ── we're not so great at being patient. You know, so it's really a training to, to have patience and to know that, again, quoting someone else that we've all gotten through our worst, our worst days.
Catherine Baker
And we'll, I think Laura, also this impatience thing, I think it's triggered by social media. I think that the, the social media has been making ─ the human being less patient because you have an immediate response. You have an immediate communication. Things have changed. Yes.
Laura Rotter
Yeah. That and I am, you know, along the same lines of all we see and I, I, I'm probably guilty of it myself that like I'd left Wall Street and now you know my life is perfect.
People don't post on social media about the difficulties and the highs and the lows that it is. Come with a big life transition, which you've chosen for yourself.
Catherine Baker
Yes, for me, I think it's like a life saving situation. I think that I had to do it for myself because it was so toxic. I had to do it, but, but I found my way, you see, I found a different way, you know, and, and this is an area that I like already, you know, this is, uh, something that I wanted.
It's my choice, but I have to plan one is over and I have to work on plan two.
Laura Rotter
Yes. And as you work on plan two, and as we end our conversation, Catherine. Would you say that your definition of success has shifted ─ from when you first started out at FIT and working full-time to now? Uh, what would you call success for yourself?
Catherine Baker
No, I think the, for me, the definition of success is based on the same ─ rules or values. Like success for me is, you know, being successful in your job, you know, reaching your goals, earning money and then saving money. So it's not that ─ the core of it has changed because I mean, to me, this is my definition of success, but I think that the human part, because you see, before I was in a very social environment, but in reality, then I realized, you know, there are difficulties, there are issues. So. It's not like every job, if you want, is easy. It's not like every job has a good environment. It's just that ─ I believe in healthcare. I won't have to deal with mental health. Especially if I work in a hospital, you know, people are there to work. I don't have to deal with work and mental health at the same time.
Yeah. So now it's, uh, it's like, uh, The direction is clear now, the path is clear, you know, it's like the path was a kind of, uh, um, they were parasites on my way, but now it's, now it's a clear path, you know, things have changed. So it's, it's good. Now it's, I just need to find the job. That's it. Just to get in.
I need to get in. And then once I get in, uh, you know, I do what I have to do.
Laura Rotter
Yes. And is family time a consideration? I don't know how old your daughters are at this point and how.
Catherine Baker
So the good thing is my two daughters are teenagers now. So my older is 15. My younger one is, is going to be 11. So this is good because they can take care of themselves, you know, after school. I don't have to be here, so it's, it's good because obviously, yes, if I would have been doing that many years earlier, it would have been a problem, you know, if I had the toddler at home or baby or, and I know a lot of people actually, you know, during COVID suffered. because of the full situation in the daycare situation to the daycare problem.
And, but for me, I'm passed on this and I'm glad about it. No more nanny to pay. Nanny was like a salary already, you know, going away out of us. So now the timing is right. You know, definitely.
Laura Rotter
Well, I wish you good luck on your search. And now that it's the new year, I'm sure. There'll be more energy, and if any of our listeners know of data analytics position in healthcare, ─ you know, please reach out. We will have Catherine's contact information in the show notes. And anything else you'd like to say before we end?
Catherine Baker
No, I just wanted to say Laura, for this great podcast. Thank you for your questions. I think it was really enjoyable and I hope my personal experiences ─ will be helpful to you, helpful to your listeners. I enjoy my time.
Laura Rotter
Thank you so much for being my guest, Catherine.
I hope you enjoyed my conversation with Catherine Baker, data analyst. And data scientist, and I'd like to share what I'm taking away from the conversation. Allow what resonates with you to guide your decisions. Catherine describes herself as ambitious, always moving forward and wanting to succeed.
Growing up in a suburb of Paris, she frankly felt out of place. The American mentality of striving to be number one, and having the will to succeed, aligned with who she felt herself to be. So she relocated to New York City when she was in her twenties. My second takeaway? Take advantage of opportunities that come your way.
Before relocating, Catherine had been working for a company that was bought out by a large Swiss pharmaceutical company, and this led her to receiving a nice severance check, which she took advantage of. She did the calculation and said to herself, Let's go. Let's do it. I can do it. ─ And finally, connect the dots between the skills you have and the roles you're pursuing. ──
Catherine was a graduate of FIT, the Fashion Institute of Technology. And worked in fashion, so her transition to becoming a data analyst was not intuitive. But Catherine noted that, working in fashion, she was following trends and looking at colors, similar to how data is visualized through use of graphing programs.
And she's also chosen to specialize in healthcare because she is drawn to helping people feel better. Just as she helped people feel and look better with fashion. Are you enjoying this podcast? Don't forget to subscribe so you won't miss next week's episode and leaving a rating and a review. If you're enjoying the show is so appreciated and will also help other women just like you to find it. Thank you so much.
Narrator
Thanks for listening to making change with your money. Certified financial planner, Laura Rotter specializes in helping people just like you, organized, clarify, and invest their money in
order to support a life of purpose and meaning. Go to www. trueabundanceadvisors.com forward slash workbook for a free resource to help you on your journey.
Disclaimer, please remember that the information shared by this podcast does not constitute accounting, legal, tax, investment, or financial advice. It's for information purposes only. You should seek appropriate professional advice for your specific information.